Author's Note: And here's another short one. :)

Rating: K


New York City was loud.

Ame enjoyed it – really, she did. In the past few months since her arrival, she'd really accomplished a lot. She'd learned how to navigate the subway. She'd started classes at the university April and Mel attended. She'd even gone shopping at a local market, all the way there and back by herself. Granted, it was an Asian market and she'd been mostly among other Japanese people the entire time. Still, she felt she was really getting the hang of it.

But sometimes, after a long day of fighting through classes (because even her understanding of English sometimes simply could not keep up with her lectures) and toiling around campus, unsure if she was even heading in the right direction (because every building looked the same to her and she was too afraid to ask for help), Ame felt very very tired. And yes, homesick.

She missed her village. She missed her father and her sisters.

She loved school, but going to such a big university was hard. She'd been the head of everything back home – the best in her class, the most well-read. She'd been a "big fish in a little pond," as her father would say as he pet her head affectionately, always praising her and giving her all the affection in the world. Oh, she missed him so much it hurt.

But in New York, everything was different. Here, she was a tiny, insignificant fish in a veritable ocean of diverse creatures, and no one gave her a second glance for better or worse. Her teachers had no idea who she was. Most people assumed she spoke no English at all and they would sometimes say things in a most disrespectful manner. And even when she was amongst other Japanese people in the area around where the turtles had their lair, she often felt strangely out of place. She wondered if she would have felt the same way in a place like Tokyo.

She'd never been. Perhaps she should go, just to see.

Either way, it didn't matter. Because for all her stress, she was glad to be there. She loved living with April and Mel. Her new home was always fun and colorful, her friends were kind and loving. Being a part of this family was something she'd never been able to imagine in her old life, and truly, she loved it. While she missed her family back in Japan, this place was her home. Even if sometimes it was still strange in a way that made it seem otherworldly.

And of course, there was Leonardo.

Even on the worst days, when she felt truly miserable as the constant frustrations of dealing with her drastically altered life overwhelmed her, she always found comfort with him. He sensed her moods, eased her mind and always found the words she couldn't bring herself to say. Words even she didn't know were floating around in her mind or heart until he spoke them. He made everything feel so clear.

She could never bring herself to regret her decision to move to New York. Even if it had only Leonardo to offer, it would still be worth it.

Still, today had been grueling. Her classes were long and arduous, she'd stayed up late the night before studying for an assignment she didn't truly understand and even the bus ride back to their neighborhood seemed more unfriendly than usual.

Ame stepped onto their street and headed in the direction of the townhome she shared with the other girls. Hefting her heavy books under her arm, Ame stepped in throught he patio door and found April and Mel both in the kitchen, chatting over the island counter.

"Hey Ame!" Mel smiled brilliantly. "Whoa, those books look heavy. You want me to set them on fire?"

Despite herself, Ame giggled and wiped at her tired eyes. "I can hardly read them when they are ashes," she told her friend, slumping onto a barstool and setting down her pile with an exhausted thud. "But I will remember your offer."

April squeezed Ame's hand sympathetically. "Hey, school gets hard sometimes. Believe me, we know."

"Especially me," Mel rolled her eyes. "It's pretty much a cake-walk for April."

"But," April interrupted with a pointed look at Mel. "Some days are just rough for everyone. Which is why Mel and I got you something!"

Mel jumped away with a bounce and reached behind the counter. After a moment of rustling, a potted house plant appeared in her hands and she proudly turned to Ame. "Leo said you liked plants," she chirped. "This one is an orchid! We thought you could – um, raise it. Or do whatever people do with plants besides eat them."

Ame blinked, unresponsive for a heartbeat before a lump rose in her throat. "Oh, my friends..." she took the plant, tears welling in her eyes. "It is beautiful." Inhaling the deep scent of the plant, Ame closed her eyes and reveled in the comfort it brought her. Then she set it aside and caught the other two girls in a tight hug, one they returned in full.

"It may be a little thing," April murmured into Ame's shoulder. "But you're living proof that a little thing can make a big difference." The three girls giggled together.

Hours later, when everyone else had gone to sleep, Ame sat with her plant and brushed her fingers over the leaves budding from the potted soil. A smile touched her lips, even though she was alone.

The next day, she went straight to the registrar's office at the university and officially changed her major to botany.