The whole neighborhood was a comfortable silence. Everyone hid under the shelters of their homes, safe and warm from the rain. The rain pitter pattered down from the cold grey sky, spraying droplets of water on the white umbrella with dancing rams across the rim. Hiro's arm ached from holding up the umbrella, but it was Kisa under it, so he kept his mouth shut and continued talking.
"And they were like, oh okay," Hiro said. He laughed, and Kisa joined in, her laughter soft and sweet. The zodiac tiger shook rain of her tiger striped raincoat. It had little tiger eyes printed on the hood, and the eyes shook as droplets of rain flew off Kisa-onto Hiro.
"Aah!" Kisa said. She quickly brushed off the water from Hiro, numbing her little hands in the process. Her eyes were large and trembling with worry. Worry that Hiro might shout at her or even worse – hit her. Hiro noticed this and quickly put his arm around Kisa, then blushed bright red and dropped his arm. Kisa didn't seem to notice. She just bent down her head, revealing the tiny scars that her orange-brown hair usually hid. The scars that Akito had given her a few days ago.
"Kisa, it's okay. I like the rain," Hiro said, trying to be cheerful for Kisa's sake. Kisa's large brown eyes stared at his, and Hiro suddenly felt warm in his white raincoat.
"Really? Gomenasai," Kisa said again. Her little hands flopped to either side of her slender body and she walked more slowly with a fearful tremble in her steps, expecting Hiro to slap her for shaking rain on him. Hiro put his arm around Kisa's narrow shoulders.
"Really, Kisa. It's just rain. And besides, rain's great! Especially after all that sun and heat," Hiro said. Tiny pools of rain seeped into his sleeve and brought out goose bumps, but Hiro kept his arm around Kisa. Kisa's dark eyes lit up and she smiled up at him. Her eyes widened suddenly, and her hands flew to a small pocket in her raincoat.
"Hiro? Do you like strawberries?" Kisa asked. Hiro bit his lip. He HATED strawberries. Kisa smiled hopefully up at him and from the depth of her pocket, she brought out two small round rice cakes filled with red beans and strawberries, wrapped in shimmery blue paper and sealed with a smiling tiger. Hiro slowly nodded. He'd do anything for Kisa.
Kisa's face brightened and she offered one of the rice cakes to Hiro. Hiro smiled – not at the rice cakes, but at Kisa's pure happiness. Hiro watched as Kisa carefully unwrapped the blue wrapping and took a bite. Her face lit up again, a dazzling smile stretching across her face as she devoured the rice cake. The tiny tiger sticker stuck into her orange hair, and Hiro gently tugged it free.
Kisa looked at him and then at the uneaten rice cake lying in Hiro's hand. Hastily, Hiro unwrapped the paper and took a bite. The sickly sweet and grainy taste of strawberries flooded Hiro's mouth, and he tried to mask the taste with some red bean paste. Once the strawberry in the middle was eaten, Hiro's smile was real. The rice cake – besides the strawberry – was actually quite tasty.
"Do you like it? I made them yesterday with sissy," Kisa said. Hiro gagged and sputtered. Kisa looked at him, her smile fading quickly from her face and melting into confusion.
"What's wrong? Is Hiro-kun okay? Did Hiro choke? Does Hiro not like my cooking?" Kisa asked. Hiro bit his lip, unsure of what to say. A monster stirred within him and a brooding jealously and anger bubbled up inside.
"I-I-I," Hiro sputtered. Kisa's eyes grew large with worry, and she looked around.
"Are you okay? Should I get sissy?" Kisa asked she turned to sprint the last few blocks to their house, but Hiro shouted.
"NO!" Kisa turned back to look at Hiro, fear growing in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Kisa asked softly. She knelt besides Hiro.
"It's… It's just…" Hiro said. He bit his lip but continued, trying to be as kind as possible. He put a hand over Kisa's and spoke.
"It's just that I like you. But I hate Tohru. It's always sissy this and sissy that. Why can't we hang out sometime too? You always hang out with her. This was the first time I've got to be alone with you ever since that sissy girl came," Hiro blurted out. Kisa's mouth formed a small 'o' shape and her head bobbed up and down.
"Hiro and I will see each other okay?" Kisa asked. She smiled cautiously, the smile not yet spreading to her eyes.
"Okay. I just wanted to tell you," Hiro said quietly. He stood up and pulled the little tiger up with him. The tiger sticker had gotten stuck in her hair again, and Kisa held very still as Hiro untangled it for her. Kisa held her hand out and Hiro stuck the sticker back on its place in the back of her hand, and Kisa pressed the sticker against her face.
Hiro wished to be that sticker, clinging to Kisa. As soon as the thought came, Hiro pushed it away. Since when did he become so lovesick and mushy? A small shudder ran through him as he decided that it was the 'Tohru and Kyo influence.'
"To Tohru's house?" Hiro asked. Kisa shook her head.
"Iie. Kisa wants to go to the park with Hiro-kun," Kisa said. Hiro beamed at the words and nodded, taking her hand and leading her down a different path towards the park.
They headed towards the setting sun. Two purely innocent children falling into a completely innocent yet uncalled for love.