Nana sat on the back porch quietly her head hung low. She had been living with Kohta and Yuka for a while now but was growing very fond of Mayu.
The dark haired girl was older than her but was very sweet and kind; she always smiled and was always willing to spend time with her. Most days they would feed or play with Wanta the dog or do chores together.
She always looked out for her and made sure she didn't get brain freeze while eating ice cream. If she fell over or hurt herself Mayu was always there for her when she needed someone.
At first she was a friend; someone to spend time with and to ease her loneliness. Someone she could share secrets with and confide in when she was troubled.
But now those feelings had changed; Mayu had become dearer to Nana. She felt sad when she had to go to school, she felt lonely when Mayu wasn't around and when she did return home she always felt happier.
She recalled papa had mentioned something like this before; that those feelings were of an attraction or interest in that said person. A desire to stay beside that person and share your feelings with them.
"Aren't you cold out here?" a familiar voice asked curiously from behind her.
Nana turned to see Mayu standing behind her with a worried look; she often admired how kind Mayu was despite the terrible past she had.
Nana smiled "Nuh-uh; it's pretty mild I like it". Nana wasn't too fond of cold weather but when it was mild like this it was tolerable.
Mayu smiled and approached Nana; she had become very fond of the pink haired girl and enjoyed spending time with her.
"I was going to take Wanta for his evening walk. Do you wanna come with me?" Mayu asked kindly.
Nana smiled "Sure; I just need to put something else on" she said quickly. She was dressed in a baggy shirt and shorts which were stained with soap from cleaning.
Mayu smiled "Ok; I suppose I should do the same" she said kindly. She had been wearing the same white shirt and blue shorts for 3 days now. It was about time she changed into something else.
"How about we both change our clothes and meet at the door?" Nana suggested kindly.
Mayu nodded "Good idea; it will be much easier that way" she agreed. With that she helped Nana to her feet and they made their way upstairs to their separate rooms.
In Nana's room
Nana pulled off her clothes quietly and put them in the wash basket beside her door. Yuka had given it to her so she could keep her room clean and prevent mix ups.
She got up quietly and found her blue dress from when she first arrived. The sleeves had been cut off from her fight with Lucy but Yuka had mended it so the sleeves were short.
Before leaving the room she quickly brushed her hair; nowadays she had become quite conscious of her appearance around Mayu.
When she was content she smiled sweetly "There all done". She then headed out the doorway to the bottom of the stairs to wait for Mayu.
In Mayu's room
Mayu hummed quietly as she pulled on a black and grey striped jumper that Kohta had bought a while ago. She didn't wear it very often but wanted to now to show off for Nana.
She then pulled on a white mini skirt the same length as her school skirt and some black stockings. Since living at Kaeda house she had become more open in her femininity before.
When she was content she rushed downstairs to meet Nana. She hoped the other girl would like her clothes; after all she had bought them with Nana in mind.
Downstairs
Nana pulled on her pink shoes and white socks quietly; she had told Kohta where she was going and he had smiled but told her to be careful.
Eventually she heard Mayu coming downstairs and turned to smile at her; however upon seeing her attire she felt herself blush.
"Mayu..." she said quietly not sure how to react. She was used to seeing Mayu in her uniform or shorts; not dressed like this! She looked so cute in a skirt; I mean she was always cute but now she just looked adorable.
"Sorry to keep you waiting; my other clothes needed to be done for laundry" Mayu apologized awkwardly.
Usually she would have worn whatever but today she wanted to look somewhat nice. I mean she had been wanting to show it her for a while so it was about time.
Nana snapped out of her daydream and blushed slightly "No problem; I just got here too. I'm pretty sure Wanta will be eager for his walk" she rambled awkwardly.
"Be careful you two; don't talk to strangers ok" Yuka said firmly appearing in the doorway. While Kohta trusted them to behave Yuka was a bit stricter.
"We won't don't worry" Mayu replied. She was very grateful to have a kind adopted mother figure like Yuka. It made her wonder how her biological mother could have been so wicked to her.
With that Mayu pulled on her brown shoes quickly and followed Nana outside. She enjoyed the little walks she had with Nana; because they got to spend time alone together.
Upon spotting the two girls Wanta barked happily; he was very attached to the two. Of course Mayu was still his favourite but he had grown close to Nana over time also.
"Hey Wanta; ready for walkies?" Mayu giggled gently. She patted his soft head gently before putting his lead on.
As soon as she straightened up Wanta bounced ahead pulling her along eagerly. He was a very inquisitive little dog and loved exploring the world around him.
"He sure loves walks" Nana giggled fondly. Wanta was the first animal she had met since leaving the labs. Over time she had met and discovered all types of things but Wanta was still her favourite.
Mayu nodded in agreement "it's his favourite thing to do besides bath time" she said fondly.
Wanta really loved rolling around in puddles and mud when it rained; though he had a bad habit of jumping up on Yuka afterward. While everyone else found it funny Yuka did not.
Nana clicked her teeth quietly a pained look striking her face. Her memories of a bath before coming to maple house was being hosed down with a cold spray from a hose. She wasn't even dried off she was just left soaked and afraid.
Mayu saw her unhappy expression and became worried "Nana-chan are you ok?" she asked worriedly.
Nana snapped out her flashback and smiled quickly "Yeah I'm fine; just daydreaming" she lied quickly.
She would never want Mayu to know the horrors she had faced at the facility. If she knew Nana was pretty sure she would either hate her or would become depressed.
Nana enjoyed seeing Mayu smile and she didn't want that smile to stop. She wanted to continue seeing her smile forever.
Mayu smiled hesitantly; she could sense something had bothered Nana but she obviously didn't want to talk about it. She turned to face ahead quietly watching the starry sky quietly.
"Nana; if something is bothering you please tell me. You don't have to feel like you have to face things alone" Mayu said gently.
She didn't know what kind of life Nana had lived before coming to stay with them; but considering she had no idea about money or was so excited about food it must have been pretty miserable.
However she shared that in common with Nana; her family had been very cruel and uncaring towards her. Only after coming to stay with Kohta and Yuka had she learned about what real family life was like.
Nana gazed fondly at Mayu; with those words she felt her affections growing stronger. Yes...she definitely liked this girl. "Ok" she said gently reaching out to briefly squeeze the tips of Mayu's fingers.
With that they left the entrance to Kaeda house and started Wanta's evening walk. Luckily they had poopy bags in case he needed a toilet.