Splash!

"Nyah!" A little girl burst out laughing before running away.

"Hey!" Lucy yelled angrily.

"Kanae! Look what you did!" His annoying little sister had dumped a plastic pail full of water onto the sand castle that he and Lucy had been building, effectively ruining it.

Hearing her brother yelling at her Kanae turned around and, from a safe distance, stuck her tongue out. "Niissan you're a baka, and so is stupid hat girl!" Kanae's childish laughter suddenly cut off as she saw the hateful glare Lucy was sending her. "Wah! Daddy!" She ran off to find her father.

Lucy quickly wiped the look from her face. She did not like being called stupid, and she also didn't like being reminded that she was forced to wear a hat to cover her horns. She was just lucky her back was to Kouta so he couldn't see the look in her eyes.

"I'm really sorry about that," Kouta apologized. "My sister can be really annoying sometimes."

"Kouta, would you be terribly upset if she had an accident?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Huh?"

She turned around and was smiling at him. "Nothing."

"Any way let's try and rebuild the castle."

"Sure," she agreed happily.

It was the first full day of vacation at Kouta's side. As with going to the zoo or attending a festival she was enjoying another first with him. This was her first time going to a beach to play. When he had suggested it yesterday during their initial meeting she had been a little worried. Partially it was because she'd be going somewhere it would look weird to have a hat on. But mostly she was afraid because she would have to meet Kouta's father.

She knew how to deal with adults. She knew how to play her different roles and how to make them like her or sympathize for her. The key was always to play to their expectations. It was human nature to simply accept the tings one expected to see. Little girls were supposed to be sweet and helpless, and that was what she showed them. Yet she'd had a sudden unreasoning fear that Kouta's father would be different. She'd been afraid that he would be able to see through her and recognize her as a monster. But it had turned out that he wasn't any different from the rest. She'd shown up in a shirt, hat, and shorts and given a tearful explanation of how she was afraid of the water and couldn't swim. Kouta's father had immediately smiled and told her it was all right. He'd been easy to fool, just a typical human idiot. But if his father is just an ordinary human why is Kouta so special? Maybe his mother had been special and he'd gotten his gentle nature from her.

Anyway, she'd gone to the beach with him and things had been fun. Even though it was crowded and she was the only one not in swim wear and the only one in a hat no one had paid too much mind to her. She'd noted that little children could get away with odd behavior much more readily that adults could. So even though she couldn't go in the water she got to run around the beach playing with Kouta, gotten to have a nice lunch with him, and then gotten to help him build a sand castle. His father had been content to just lie out in the sun and mostly stare at girls. Kanae had been annoying, but at least she mostly stayed away from her older brother. Since they lived together she had no desire to be near him except when she could annoy him. The only really annoying part of this day had been…

"Kouta!" A dripping wet Yuka ran up to them. She was in a white one piece and had been swimming. "Come and swim with me!"

"We're building a sand castle," Lucy said, straining not to yell at the annoying girl.

"You can build a dumb old sand castle any time, come on let's swim!" Yuka held out her hand to her cousin.

Kouta was dressed in nothing but some black swim trunks. He looked over to Lucy. "Do you mind?"

Yes I mind! You're supposed to be spending these precious moments with me! She knew she couldn't come right out and say that though. She understood that she had to hide all of the worst parts of herself. And that included her all consuming need to be with him for every second she could during these few treasured weeks. So she forced herself to smile. "Of course not."

"O.k. then." Kouta took his cousin's offered hand and they began running toward the water. As she ran Yuka looked back and flashed Lucy a triumphant smile.

Bitch! Hateful bitch! She might only be nine, but Yuka seemed to understand that they were in competition for Kouta's attention. As they entered the water Lucy thought about how easy it would be to send one of her vectors to shove the annoying girl under the water just long enough to drown her. She could do it right this minute and she'd have a hundred witnesses swearing it was just a tragic accident.

She let out a disappointed sigh. But if his cousin drowned right in front of his eyes what would that do to Kouta? She had never imagined how hard things could be when you couldn't solve a problem just by snapping its neck.

Kouta spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the water playing with Yuka. She could only sit there and watch. As she forced to do nothing she drew pictures in the sand with her finger. Mostly they were pictures of Yuka dying on all sorts of terrible ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

As the day was coming to an end Kouta's father called the children in. She, Kouta, and Yuka ran up to where he was packing up his things. Kanae was already there. Apparently being near her father had restored the girl's courage as she was again sticking her tongue out at Lucy and calling her, 'stupid hat girl.'

"Kanae, stop being so rude to our guest," Kouta's father looked at her apologetically. "I am sorry about that."

"It's no problem sir I understand." She said as politely as you could want.

"Daddy don't be nice to her," Kanae whined. "She was giving me an evil look."

"That's what you get for ruining our sand castle," Kouta put in. "If you don't want people to give you evil looks then don't do things to deserve them."

Now she stuck her tongue out at him. "Baka niissan, you're stupid too for liking stupid hat girl."

"Enough you two," their weary father. "We're on vacation can't you play nice?" he again looked apologetically at Lucy. "Can we give you a ride to your home?"

Now's my chance. "Oh no sir, actually my father and I are staying at a large beach house just half a mile from here."

"Really?" Kouta's father sounded impressed. He probably had some idea of how much the water front houses cost. "You and your father live here?"

"Oh no sir, we're just renting for the summer. Actually," she suddenly looked a bit sad and fearful. "My father was supposed to fly in today but he's been delayed. I'm going to have to stay all alone in that big house. I just wish someone could stay with me so it would be less scary." She sent a half glance in Kouta's direction but was careful not to make it to obvious. People were much easier to manipulate if you let them some up with the idea. People always thought their own ideas were best.

"Well that's a shame that you're all alone," he said. He looked at his son. "Kouta, why don't you stay the night with her and help keep her safe."

YES! Lucy wanted to shout and jump around but only gave a surprised look of relief. "Really? Kouta can stay with me? That would be so wonderful!"

Kanae grinned, obviously happy to get rid of her brother for a night. Yuka's reaction was the exact obvious, she seemed to be afraid for him immortal soul. "Uncle is that a good idea? Letting Kouta go off with a stranger?"

"I'm not a stranger!" Lucy said sharply.

"That's right," Kouta jumped in. "I've know Lucy for a year, she's my very special friend."

His very special friend. The words rang through her and delighted her.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Kouta's father said. "She seems like a fine girl from a good family."

"Then… then why don't I stay with her too?" Yuka asked.

"No!" Lucy said a little too angrily. She saw a look of concern on Kouta's father's face. "I… I mean, I wouldn't want to worry her parents." Lucy quickly amended. "Maybe her father and mother would object, I wouldn't want to cause them any worry."

His father stopped to consider that.

"I am sure mom and dad wouldn't mind my having a sleep over at a friend's, especially with Kouta there."

"Probably not," the father said slowly. "But I really don't think I should be sending their daughter off without their permission." He looked to his son. "Kouta can you find your way back to your uncle's house from here?"

He nodded immediately. "I'm sure dad, it's no problem."

"Very well then, be sure to get back by lunchtime."

"He will, thank you sir!" Lucy grabbed a hold of his hand and began leading him away before Yuka could offer another objection. As she led him away she looked back and caught Yuka staring at them.

She sent her a triumphant smile and then hurried on away.

You're all mine for the rest of the day Kouta!