All right, so this is a collboration story me and RunwithscissorsXXXbattlescars are writing for the summer. She gave me a copy and paste thing to write for the author's note but I threw that sort of out and wrote my own.

We'll be alternating on chapters. The first chapter though is hers.

Together we'll call ourselves Rainbowkittybattlescars. That will be our name.

Anyway the disclaimer: Neither of us own anything. Not even the computer I'm writing on. Life is all a lie.

Also if your triggered by unreality or anything don't read this.

"Fuyuki?"

Natsumi rapped the back of her knuckles against Fuyuki's door. No response came from him, so she tapped a little bit harder. "Fuyuki!" Her voice was coaxing, just barely above a whisper.

The door opened itself, and Natsumi poked her head in, peering around the room. She wasn't sure where Fuyuki was. Bars of sunlight streamed into the room, obscured in a corner where a plant was set by the window; although the blinds were down, it was morning and the early sun shone brightly. The floor was cluttered with toys and manga books, undoubtedly belonging to that green idiot. She still didn't see her brother but she walked into the room anyway, thinking little of the sloppy door-closing job. Fuyuki's door didn't need to be locked, anyway.

"…Sis?" asked a sleepy voice. Natsumi's eyes met those of her brother's, and a smile caused her lips to curl. So that was where was—still in bed.

Fuyuki rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. He glanced at the clock on his bed-stand. "It's 7:15 in the morning. Are you sure you're…?"

"It's fine," said Natsumi with a reassuring laugh. "But what about you, Fuyuki? You ought to be up already."

Fuyuki looked off to the side. "Yeah, but I stayed up a little last night…."

"Ha! You're too excited." She ruffled his already-messy bed-head. Fuyuki had such a bad one, and she knew this because she was his sister, but any stranger looking at his messy blue hair after he had just woken up would see no difference between the new accidental hairstyle and his usual gravity-defying cowlicks.

"So! Up you go." Natsumi put down the bag she had been holding so she could wrap her hands around his wrists and hoist him up from his bed.

Fuyuki shook her hands off and laughed. "Sis, I'm too old now for you to be doing everything for me."

"Oh, come on now, Fuyuki! I'm just enjoying it while it lasts." She leaned forward and looked at him teasingly. "Besides, I'm your older sister. It's my job to baby you…."

Subconsciously, Natsumi trailed off, leaving the sentence as though she hadn't mean for it to end quite yet. She had chosen her words carefully. Fuyuki was old enough to be taking care of himself. She quickly shook the worrisome thought from her head.

"Well. Ah." Natsumi lifted up the bag she had put down, and pushed it toward Fuyuki. "This is for you. Happy birthday."

"You remembered!" said Fuyuki with glee. He took the back in his hands and set it in his lap, sitting back down on his bed to search through it. Natsumi grinned and walked around Fuyuki eagerly. Just as his finger began to peel back a strip of tape on a wrapped shallow box shape, Natsumi's foot came down on something sharp, hard, and plastic.

"Ow!" she yelped in pain and brought her foot up. Fuyuki stood up to catch her as she fell against his bed, and all the presents spilled from his lap.

"What did I step on?" Natsumi winced and scanned the floor. She knew she should have been more careful in maneuvering around the cluttered mess when she came in the room, probably pushed all the junk to the side or something. Fuyuki's room was usually messy, but this was practically insane.

What she had stepped on, she quickly saw, was a small plastic Gundam figurine that looked as if it had been newly assembled. Seeing its sharp shield pointing upward, Natsumi began to rub the bottom of her socked foot.

"Sorry." Fuyuki sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Sarge left his stuff all over the floor."

"What was he doing last night?" asked Natsumi. "Wait—that's why you were up so late—Ohh." Her eyebrows twisted downward. "That idiot! Why am I not surprised."

Fuyuki laughed again. "Aw, you should forgive him, sis. It's better than making his late-night invasion plans with the rest of the frogs."

Natsumi peered at him a moment, a bit silent as she wondered what to say. Finally she looked downward into her lap. "Y-yeah, I guess so."

"Haha, I know!" Fuyuki clasped his hands on his knees and gazed toward the ceiling. "Remember when the Sarge and the others brought the house to life, and you thought that it was trying to attack us, but it was actually just trying to show us its love?"

Natsumi inhaled through her nose, very silent, and then gently let out her breath. "Fuyuki…."

"Oh! Or the time the Sarge and I went to Easter Island and didn't tell you? You were stumped for the longest time; you didn't know where on Earth we were!" He quickly corrected himself. "Or Pokopen, I mean, as the aliens call it."

"Fuyuki…."

He paused. "I think the Sarge might have died on that island. But then he came back as a plant, and defeated the Akuaku."

Natsumi gave up and forced a smile. "R-really, now? That sounds… exciting."

"Ha! But oh, you should have been there." Fuyuki thought a moment. "Or were you there…? Hm, no, I don't think you were, since you clearly don't remember…."

"Fuyuki…." Natsumi took a breath and smiled. "You should open your presents now and see what I've gotten you."

"You're right, sis." Fuyuki picked up his presents from off the ground and put them back into his lap. His finger hovered over the piece of tape he had halfway peeled off the top one before Natsumi hurt her foot, but his fingers moved to the edge of the gift. "Is it… a picture frame?" He looked at his sister, who shook her head excitedly.

Ever since they were little, Natsumi and Fuyuki always made a game of opening presents. Before the wrapping came off, they would have to guess what it was. Round objects were the easiest, but rectangular ones were always much harder since there were lots of them and they could be anything, really.

"Not a picture frame…. Hmmm…." Fuyuki's fingers traced all around the edge, until he came upon familiar, uniform grooves on three of its sides. "I feel… hm… papers? Oh! It's a book!"

Natsumi giggled. "Go on. Open it up."

Fuyuki had a marvelous look in his eyes as he tore off the paper and looked at the book's cover, which depicted a fictional adventurous scene. "Ah, an adventure book, I see."

"You've been doing a lot of reading, haven't you?" Natsumi tucked her hands between her knees and rocked on Fuyuki's mattress. "Couldn't let you be bored all the time."

"Bored? I'm not bored. I've got the Sarge to talk to. He always has the greatest stories." An air of excitement flashed in Fuyuki's eyes. "Ooh, I wonder if one of these in an occult book. You couldn't have, sis, could you?" Natsumi opened her mouth, then shut it. "Oh, thank you, sis!" Fuyuki bent down and picked up the next present, which he instantly recognized as another book. "It's a—"

"Yeah, it's a book."

Elatedly, Fuyuki tore off the wrapping. The look in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he did well in hiding it. "Oh, a war history book. That's cool." Under his breath, he muttered something about keeping it away from the Corporal.

Natsumi watched him for a moment, then clapped her hands together. "Okay! Open the last one now. You'll like this one a lot."

That got him. Fuyuki picked up the last present hidden away by pale green wrapping, undoubtedly another book, and peeled away the paper covering it. He held it up with delight. "A master collection of ancient myths! No way!"

"Yes way," said Natsumi as gave his arm a playful little punch. "Do you like it?"

"Mm-hm." Fuyuki discreetly peered back down into the back, and Natsumi had a sinking feeling.

"Wh-what is it?" Her heart began to pound.

"Oh, well… did you happen to get the latest issue of Occult Monthly…?"

"Oh. Um." She swallowed, trying to steady the shakiness in her voice. "W-well, the thing is, Fuyuki, I haven't really had the time…. I mean…." She swallowed again, blinking back as she could feel her face heating.

"That's okay, sis. I know you've been really busy." Fuyuki smiled. He was always so good at being the assuring one. He was a lot of things. And he was Natsumi's brother. Her very important, very valuable, precious family member.

"N-no, Fuyuki…." She pressed her palms together. "I—I think I may have time later today to pick one up…. And then I'll give it to you after school. Is that all right?"

Fuyuki's face brightened. "You really don't have to."

"B-but I will. Because it's your birthday." Natsumi stared him in the eye, but then she quickly looked away. That wasn't a good idea. She didn't want to ruin Fuyuki's birthday with her stupid emotions. She turned from him, wiped her eyes, then turned back to give him a tight, long hug.

"I love you, Fuyuki. I love you very, very much." She realized that her voice was a bit shaky-sounding, but it didn't look like Fuyuki noticed. He was just really glad to be getting a hug from his sister.

"Love you too, sis." He pat her back. "Thanks for the presents. Now you'd better get to school or else you'll be late, okay?"

"All right. All right then." She pulled away, and stole one last look at Fuyuki. He was growing older now, but he was still Natsumi's baby brother, with his disheveled hair and kid-like excitement whenever he got a new book. Seeing him smiling made her smile, as well. No way she could feel down when he gave her a look like that.

"Okay!" Natsumi stood up, taking care not to step on another Gunpla this time. "I'm off to school. See you in the afternoon, Fuyuki, okay?"

"Okay!" he smiled back. Natsumi walked off and waved to him as she exited the door, shutting it quietly on her way out.

As she through the halls of the Hinata House, toward the exit, she felt energy building up in the muscles in her arms and legs. She'd make sure that Fuyuki had a great birthday. She'd get him that stupid magazine, and maybe cook him a cake, too, if she had time. No, scratch that, Natsumi thought. She wouldn't have time to make a cake if she was also going to the bookstore to get the dumb magazine. She'd probably have to buy one instead. She didn't have much money, but she was pretty sure she'd be able to get some, since it was a Friday and so she'd be getting a paycheck for the week at both her jobs afterschool and in the evening. Then, that meant tomorrow would be the weekend, and she could talk to Fuyuki even more since she wouldn't have school to worry about. Yeah, she could make things work.

Natsumi shut the doors behind her as she exited the building. She paused before walking too far off, still thinking things over. She really did want to make Fuyuki a cake. But to make a cake, she'd have to cut out her trip to the bookstore to get Fuyuki that magazine. If she'd been thinking beforehand, she could have just gotten the stupid magazine a week ago instead of lying to Fuyuki and saying that she hadn't had any time.

Natsumi could feel the tears coming back already. Magazines like those were stupid and full of lies. But what could she do? It was Fuyuki's birthday. Maybe letting it slip just this once…. Fuyuki's birthday ought to be really special, after all. He hardly had any time to have fun nowadays.

Natsumi clenched her fists, letting the tears fly loose as they pleased. Outside where Fuyuki couldn't see, she usually allowed this to happen. She stuffed down the guilt she felt, and began to run away from the building, refusing to give so much as a backward glance at Fuyuki's new home as of a few months ago—the Hinata Mental Institution.