AN: Just a short story from Ferris' point of view. Italized font is taken straight from the show, save for the very last line.

Disclaimer: I do not own.

Is This What Love Is?

By Midnight Mourner

"I...love you," Ferris reads quietly from her book, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Brother, what is 'love' in this sentence?"

"Ferris, you don't know what love is?" Lucile asks, closing his book with a slight curve to his eyebrow. Ferris nods. "I'm sure that what I feel for you, Ferris, is love."

"You do, brother? You love me?"

"Of course I do. I'm certain that Father, Mother, and Iris all love you..."

.

"Do not disgrace the Dango God!" Ferris yells, brandishing her sword and smacking Ryner over the head with the flat of it. "You will carry all thirty-five boxes and be proud of it!"

Ryner hits the ground with the impact, twitching as he falls, and grunts when his face hits the pavement. When he sits back up, Ferris is shoving boxes of dango in his arms and his face is bright red.

"Ahh, Ferris," he complains, standing and swaying on the spot, "No one person could carry all of these."

"Stop complaining, I'm saving you from the temptation to sink your poisoned fangs into another woman. You will thank me when the DangoGod shines his light down upon you and decides to forgive you." Ferris responds, shoving the last of the dango boxes into Ryner's arms. "Now let's go! We still have one more stand to attend to!" she proclaims and points in its direction.

Without waiting for a response, Ferris marches off, eyes determinedly fixed on the next stand of her precious dango. Behind her, she can hear Ryner grunting with the effort to carry the thirty-five boxes she's shoved into his arms while trying to keep up with her.

She tosses her blond hair back and glares at the little bit of Ryner's face she can still see behind her dango. "Hurry up Ryner. How do you expect to gain the Dango God's forgiveness like that?" and then she's off again, the space between her and Ryner growing with every step.

Ferris can't help but smile to herself, a little twitch at the corner of her lips, and she ignores the rising complaints she can hear coming from behind her.

By the time Ryner has caught up with her, Ferris is already settled at a bench a little ways away from the last dango stand, eating her precious dango slowly. With little care for the dango boxes in his hands, Ryner lets them drop to the floor, and collapses to the ground, leaning against the bench Ferris sits on.

"The Dango God will get you for that," Ferris says unblinkingly, finishing off her third dango. Ryner doesn't respond, and she glances at him. Pulling out her sword, she smacks him over the head with it again, satisfied at the ring it makes.

"Oi, Ferris! What was that for!" Ryner demands, sending a glare Ferris's way as he rubs the top of his head.

"You weren't answering," Ferris responds calmly.

"I was trying to catch my breath! You try lugging thirty-five boxes of dango all the way down the street and tell me you're not winded!"

Ferris tosses her long blonde hair again. "I wouldn't be," she says, and stands up.

"Oi, where are you going?"

"We are going back to the castle," she responds, and begins to shove the now thirty-seven boxes of Dango into Ryner's arms.

"But I just sat down!"

"That's not my fault."

"Come on, at least let me get something to eat!"

"No, we're going,"

"But Ferris!"

If it weren't for most of her dango being safely tucked away in Ryner's arms, Ferris probably would have hit him over the head again, just for the fun of it.

As it was, she just smiled and shoved the last box on top of the pile he already held and started off again, ignoring the shrill sound of Ryner's complaining from behind her.

Something about Ryner made Ferris ridiculously happy, and the warm feeling in her chest couldn't be explained, but it didn't matter so much.

So long as he stuck around, and if Ferris could help it, she was going to make sure of it.

.

"He's late...He's late..."

.

"Ryner! How long do you plan to stay asleep?"

.

"It's dull being alone."

.

"Aren't...Aren't I your friend?

.

"...is this what love is?"

- Owari -