DISCLAIMER: I do not own Prétear or any of the characters in the following story.
Warmth
"You're not paying any attention, Go!"
"Yes, I am…I'm just not getting this…"
"Ok, so you fold the tip of the paper back towards the centre…"
"Back towards the centre…." He echoed her.
"Then you smooth down the new edge…."
"Mmmhmmm…smooth down new edge…."
"Then you add some strawberry pudding…"
"Strawberry pudding…Hey! You don't put that into an origami crane"
Mawata giggled at Go's flustering.
"You see, you weren't paying attention"
"I was…I just got…distracted."
She giggled again.
"And what, pray-tell, would be distracting you?"
"Well, um…nothing, really Mawata-san…just stuff"
"Really Go, I told you just Mawata is fine. You don't need to add –san! And what kind of stuff?"
"Actually" he blushed "I was thinking that you still seem a little sad…"
"Really? I'm not sad. Not one bit."
"You know, you don't have to lie to me…"
"But I'm not sad Go. What in the world gave you that idea?"
"Your eyes…Hayate had the same look after we lost the first…" he stopped abruptly
"You mean Takako? The first Prétear? It's alright Go, you can say her name around me"
"I can, but it makes you sadder."
"It doesn't really; it's more melancholy than anything else…"
"Mel-ankol-ee?"
"Melancholy. Kind of bittersweet, wistful…not quite that sad though."
"I see…so you're ok with everything…This may be rude of me, but…have you forgiven Sasame?"
She flinched at the sound of his name and looked down at her hands.
"I have…I'm glad he's happy; and I'm happy too, in my own way." She looked up smiling sweetly.
"Are you really? Happy?"
Mawata's eyes clouded over, as though she was trying to cover up what shard of her she had allowed to be seen.
"I…."
"Yell-oh! What are you two up to?" Mannen's spiky hair poked from around a bush.
"Uh…nothing…just doing origami." Go returned to his previous flustered state.
"Origami…is that what they call it now?" Mannen inquired impishly
"Now? You mean origami used to go by another name? I don't seem to recall reading that…what other name did it use to have, Mannen?" she asked earnestly
"Oh, a very special name at that…isn't that right Go!" he winked
Go laughed nervously…"I seem to hear we're being called. Truly sorry but we must go, Mawata-san, and…"
"Mawata, Mawata. No san!"
"Hai, Mawata-s…" She narrowed her eyes and he swallowed the last consonant.
"That's better, Go."
"Anyway we have to go now. Thank you very much for your lesson..."
"In the art of lo….mmmph" Mannen's sentence was cut short by Go's hand clamping on his mouth.
"So…where are you going?" Mawata asked
"Sparing…"
"Oh, do you use a lance, or a rapier?"
"Uh…fire?"
"Fire? Would I be allowed to come and watch?"
"Oh, most certainly." Mannen's cheeky voice piped up. "We shall need a fair lady to referee the match and give G….mmmph"
"You would be very welcome, but I'm not sure you would enjoy it…"
"Well, fighting is an art, is it not? Plus, I've never seen you fight."
"Oh right, coz you were inside the…."
"Yes. Inside…" she flinched. "Shall we go then?" she added rather abruptly.
"Nicely done, prince charming" Mannen whispered.
Go growled in response.
The boys were going all out: Mannen was shooting ice crystals, Hajime was firing a stream of water, and Shin was trying to get Go with his vines. Go hit the ice crystals with a fire ball, dodged the water and was managing to elude, rather successfully, Shin's attacks.
Mawata smiled. He seemed more like himself in this setting.
"Oooooh. Somebody looks happy…" Himeno's warm voice drew Mawata from her thoughts.
"Himeno…I was just admiring their manner of fighting."
"Of course, of course." Himeno nodded gravely.
"Himeno…do I really look happy?"
"Well, just now you did, but not anymore…What's wrong?"
"Well, nothing…Go said he thought I looked sad earlier and I was wondering…."
"Mawata…you know I'd never force you to tell me anything, but…are you ok? You do know that it's ok to not be ok and that you don't have to hide…right…?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"And, you do know that I'm here if you ever want to talk, and you can come to me at any hour of the day or the night, ne?"
"Hai, but…"
"Any hour, Mawata. Be it two in the afternoon, or the very middle of the night, and cold and dark and …"
"When you're with Hayate?"
"Mawata. How uncouth of a young lady, such as yourself, to even suggest such a thing. Alone, at night? With Hayate? How preposterous!" Himeno imitated Natsue's voice and demeanour. Mawata giggled.
"Besides" Himeno added in her usual voice "Hayate would understand the bond of sisters is more important"
"Himeno…?"
"Well, you are my sister. My dear sister." Her eyes shone lovingly.
"Thank you…Himeno" Mawata smiled.
"Yo." Hayate's smooth voice rang from behind Himeno.
"Hayate…excuse me but I was having a very sisterly moment with my sister and you just ruined it." Himeno said emphatically.
"Apologies, apologies…woe is me for having disturbed such a beauteous instant."
"Shut up." Himeno said smilingly. "You can't sweet-talk your way out of this one. Isn't that right, Mawata?"
"I suppose not" she said thoughtfully. "You have to at least kiss her" she added playfully, starting to walk away.
"Mawata…you traitor…" Himeno yelled in mock-anger "How could you betray me thusly? How? And I, your own sister!"
"Sister dearest" Mawata answered over her shoulder still giggling. "He is a good man, is he not? I trust he shall behave accordingly. Lest we forget, he already apologised"
Himeno pulled a face and Hayate laughed.
"Well, your sister, seems to have forgiven me…what about you Himeno?"
"I don't know" she smiled mischievously.
"Perhaps I could persuade you…" he said leaning in closer.
"Perhaps" she echoed him daringly.
The gap was closing between them, when a Himeno felt a gust of wind ruffle her hair. She looked at Hayate- his eyes were widened in surprise.
Well, no point in trying to continue what had been their moment; Himeno swiftly pressed her lips against his.
"Let's go say hello, shall we Hayate?"
He simply nodded in response.
Mawata felt a warm breeze passing. She looked at Himeno and Hayate. They looked so happy, so content…she felt her heart twinge a little.
The wind became a little stronger; the swirl of leaves and petals began to dispel.
Mawata's mouth suddenly felt dry…her lungs felt empty…
Sasame…