NOTES: Staria is an original character from my "Tales of the Stars" cross over epic. This little side story fits into that universe as well, but it's seven years or so down the line from where the story is currently running. So if you have been reading that story arch this may hold some minor spoilers to future chapters/books.

Natsume was finding it very hard to focus at work. The day before he'd once again proclaimed his love for Ema, but Subaru had been a witness to it. It earned him not only further distrust from his younger brother, but a hard right hook to his jaw as well. His faces was still bandaged and his pride wounded. He knew Subaru liked Ema as well, but he could help but be pissed about it. He'd held back his own feelings for long enough, he wasn't about to hand over the woman he loved to any of his brothers. Especially one who didn't even trust him enough to tell him that he'd made it to the pros. Natsume was almost more pissed about that. That fact that Ema had told him about Subaru making it to the professional level of his sport, rather than the boy himself hurt a lot. He'd always supported his younger brother in his athletic career, though he himself always seemed to disappoint the young basket ball star in the long run. Their relationship had fallen far, and was seeming beyond repair. With a lack of trust and fighting over the same woman their future didn't seem very clear at all.

But as much as he wanted to support his younger brother, he wasn't about to let him win this fight. No he wasn't going to back down this time. He wasn't sure when exactly it happened but when he fell for the small built brunette he fell hard. He'd made his feelings known and despite badly wanting an answer, he'd wait for her reply. He knew Ema was probably stressed out over everything as well. Besides waiting to see if she'd made it into the college of her choice, she had not only Subaru's and his own confessions to think about but several of their other brothers as well. Not living at home gave him a disadvantage over some of the others, but he also made a point to spend time with her when he could. She would make a choice eventually and he would accept it whatever it was. Though deep in his heart he hoped she would choose him.

Natsume was brought out of his thoughts as a cup of coffee was placed on his desk in his line of sight. He briefly noticed the gunmetal blue fingernail polish on the hand as it pulled away, and turned to see the deliverer. The woman was a freelance artist who'd been doing some character design work for the company. Staria Chiba was just a little shorter than he was and had ridiculously long golden brown hair. Even with it tied back in a pony tail it still hung past her waist. She had a shapely body, with curves in all the right places, but all of the non-perverts in the building would agree her most striking features were her eyes. They were that crazy shade of blue that could go from silver grey to a deep sea blue depending on the weather or her own mood. She always seemed to find an excuse to talk to him when she was in the building. He didn't mind. She was smart and interesting in her own ways. And as a bonus she didn't try to pick him up like some of the women there.

"You've been staring at that same screen for almost a half hour and it seems like I'm the only one brave enough to ask what's eating you." she said and took a perch on the corner of his desk. "So what's up? You're bothers even passed by without a word."

"Tsubaki and Azusa are here?" he asked surprised. They weren't scheduled for anything that he was aware of.

"Something about a new commercial promo for Zombie Hazard or something. They were being rushed so I didn't ask too much." She took a sip of her own drink, he'd known her long enough to know it'd be hot chocolate rather than coffee or tea, and waited for an answer.

"You are a very nosey person you know that." He said and took the cup she brought him.

"It's a curse and a minor guilty pleasure at times. If it makes you feel any better I'm having issues with the men in my life so I kinda just want someone else's problem as a distraction from my own." She gave him a smile that was half pathetic showing the truth in the matter.

"Be careful about mentioning guy troubles, you know if you talk too loudly you'll have every single guy here trying to buy you a drink tonight." He smiled already knowing a little of her situation. In a moment of reflection she and Ema actually had a similar problem. Too many men in love with them.

"Don't even joke about that. I don't need any more."

"So you're up to what now, five? Or do the two bisexuals count as one since it's a three way situation?" He couldn't help himself trying to get the attention away from him. Staria however turned bright red and made a point to face him more to hide it from the rest of the office.

She coughed to clear her throat and recompose herself. "I'll make you a deal. I'll tell you more of my little secrets if you tell me what's bothering you first."

"Tell me how many men you have on your plate first and then we'll see." He couldn't help be tease her. She reacted way too easily. Tsubaki would have field day with her if he ever got the chance.

Staria counted on her fingers briefly, "As of yesterday seven, though two of those I think I can find a way of weeding out without hurting any serious feelings."

"The two who like to do each other?" She turned even redder. "I'm sorry I'm just picking. Really though having that many men after you at only Twenty-three is a bit impressive. Don't let the office ladies know they'll hate you."

"They already do, why do you think I spend my free time here chatting with you?"

"Sorry Chiba-san but I'm not going to be number eight on your plate." that got a smile out of her.

"Well I wasn't offering but I could do worse here. Now seriously what's got you spacing out."

He didn't want to tell her the whole situation, especially with two of his brother in the building. They had a habit of dropping in before they left every time. So he stuck with the easy topic.

"My younger bother, Subaru, just got scouted by a professional basket ball team and he didn't bother to tell me. I've made a point to go to every one of his games since he was in middle school and supported him in every way I could. Yet he can't even to bother to tell me that he's made it to the pros. I only learned about it from our little sister yesterday."

"Ouch… you have like a dozen siblings too don't you?"

"Yeah there's a lot of us. You'd think someone would have said something sooner. Now he's leaving for training and I'm pretty sure he hates me." He drank his coffee and went back to staring at his monitor again.

"So….. What'd you do to piss him off?"

"He's been disappointed in me ever since I quit track and field after high school. I didn't have what it takes and it ruined the image of me that he had." He thought to himself after saying it 'and I'm in love with the same woman as he is.'

"That doesn't seem like much of a reason to punch you in the jaw." Natsume turned his attention back to the artist on his desk. "I've seen my fair share of fights. Trust me I know what the after math of a good right hook looks like."

"It's not something I want to talk about at work really."

Staria's eye lit up a bit with mischief. "Oh that means it's good. Tell you what. You get back to your work like the awesome little worker bee you normally are, and I'll treat you to dinner tonight. We can both bitch about our problems then."

"You really suck at making female friends don't you?" he shook his head.

"I've had a few, but my life's complicated and they tend to get sick of me, or have their own obligations. So I'll stick to men even if they do add to the complications." She hopped off the desk and smoothed out her skirt. "I'll e-mail you the place and time."

"Alright. By the way what new project do they have you on this time?"

"Some dating game. I get to draw lots of pretty men who all want the same woman. Fate loves to mock me huh?" She laughed a bit dejectedly as she walked away.

Natsume shook his head and went back to work. Fate was a bit of cruel jokester.

Natsume saw Staria waiting for him outside of a rather busy bar. He knew she wasn't the type to drink much, but if he recalled right this place had pretty good food and no one would bother them.

"Thank god you're finally here." She met him half way. "If one more college boy asked to go in and get a drink with him I was gonna scream."

"Aw, well I'm not playing fake boyfriend so don't get mad if another asks once we're already in."

"No one asked you too." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Keep picking on me and I'll model one of the characters after you. Then you won't be able to live it down at work."

"No they'll just think the talented artist has a crush on me. Little do they know she's more interested in a, what was he sixteen, year old mercenary."

"Trowa is eighteen now thank you. Don't get me started on the age thing, it did bother me for a while…." She surprisingly didn't get too flustered as they found a seat inside. The booth was out of the way in a rather secluded corner away from the bar. "How do you find these people? Seriously? You've got him, the two gay men who'll make an exception as long as they're both involved, I think you mentioned a bounty hunter and an assassin last time. What else have you added in?"

"I love how you make me the focus already. Way to avoid your own issues." she sighed though and gave in on going first. "If you must know I guess you could call the newest one a bodyguard, though I don't really see why I need one. But he insists on 'protecting' me."

"Need I mention the assassin, bounty hunter and mercenary again?" Natsume shook his head.
"They're not going to kill me though. Any way, I guess since my brother's starting this whole new political campaign thing. I still find the whole thing hard to grasp, but I've been roped into helping him find backers of sorts. Which brings in number seven. He's really my own hang up. He doesn't even know I'll be at the event yet. He's an ex-boyfriend from high school, who's from a really prominent family and our break up wasn't under the best circumstances. I've kinda hooked up with him on few occasions over the years but it was all just one nighter type things. Nothing solid. If there was ever a real chance in hell on us working out for real, I might honestly be able to let everyone else go. But I know it won't happen. He and I just weren't meant to be. Our worlds are too different."

Natsume didn't always understand the woman before him, but he knew she was someone he could trust. She wouldn't blab about anything he told her, because her life was pretty messed up on it's own. She had little room to talk.

"Subaru and I are in love with the same woman." He confessed. "I was in the process of telling her last night when he walked up on us. I knew that he'd already asked her out a while back, but knowing she never answered him, I blatantly confessed that I loved her in front of him. Then he called me out, decked me and ran off."

"Brothers can tend to have similar tastes. Especially if her grew up wanting to be like you. You shouldn't beat yourself up over that."

"Chiba-san it's more complicate than that. I don't know for a fact, but I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of my other brothers feel the same way about her."

"All thirteen of you?"

He nodded and waited to see her reaction.

"Well damn…. I've seen two of them, if the rest of you family is as good looking as the three of you she's got a hard choice. Maybe I should start hanging out with her. She'd be able to understand where I'm sitting for sure, and I bet she'd love to vent her own issues. No offence."

"None taken." he paused and took a calming breath. "It's Ema. Our new step-sister."

Staria nearly choked on her water. "You're shitting me! Seriously?" Natsume just stared at her. She stood up, "Bartender please get this man here a drink of your best stuff." She sat back down. "You have no right to make fun of me. You are just as messed up."

He smiled, "I know. We're both destined for heartbreak one way or another. But I'm not going to give up on her. If she rejects me for one of them instead at least I let my feelings known. There are those who haven't told her yet, and if she decides before then, they'll be even more heart broken. It's also likely that she'll reject us all. She's never had a real family, and been on her own a lot. As much as I love her as a woman I also know she just wants us to love her as a sibling. It's when I think about that fact, that I'm glad I don't live in the main complex any more."

"Thirteen brothers….damn Natsume. Sorry but after that confession I feel weird just calling you Asahina, please call me Staria from now on. You don't confess that kind of shit to someone and then keep calling them by their last name."

"Fair enough. So Staria ever worry your own numbers will get that high?"

"We'll I did say currently." she smiled though it never reached her eyes. "There have been others in the past that could pop back up at any time. If you want a running track record I'd be at…." she did some more finger counting. "Well…. I guess I'm sitting at twelve. Ema still wins for now."

Natsume couldn't help but laugh. "Well maybe if she rejects me I'll join your team and let you use me as a model for the new game after all."

"Actually I'm really temped to use our whole family now, though I don't think you'll let that fly." She took her turn to tease, letting his comment go completely. He didn't mean it and they both knew it.

"No that won't fly. Do it and I'll be forced to stop your work with our company."

"It that a threat, Natsume?"

"Not at all, I'd be too afraid of your pet killers." he laughed. "Seriously though don't use us as models. Tsubaki's ego is big enough already."