Disclaimer: Don't own Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki, subbed or dubbed, characters included.

Rating: T

A post-movie fic, based after my semi-telling version of events, focused on YukiXSouhei. Enjoy


That night

"I wish you could stay longer."

"Me too" Ame admitted after a moment; his sister moved in her hug, clinging to his fur. "But those mountains are where I belong, Yuki."

This time she didn't say a word.

Ame glanced away from her, seeing everyone else gathered on the stone porch - everyone except Silver, who was a short distance away and waiting for him. Souhei was respectful of course, if subtly looking at their sibling relationship - also near them, mom and dad observed with a lot of emotions, not all of them obvious, but still happy/content for him.

"It's- it's really something, Balto. The thought of being a grandmother, and still so young..."

"Heh, that hasn't happened yet, Hana, though I can't deny the young part."

Honestly; yes it's a possibility, but they didn't have to act like it's set in stone right now, even as a tease... if they did the same with Yuki, he sympathized with her.

Yuki slowly disengaged from his fur; they shared a gaze, remembering back to their talk last night. He saw in her eyes a new confidence of sorts though, subtle and small yet quite telling- Ame glanced at Souhei, wondering if he's part of the reason why, but approving nonetheless.

"Take care, Ame."

"Mmh."

After that, with a little exaggerated slowness, Yuki moved away from him entirely- Ame then looked at Souhei.

"I think you know what I'm supposed to say" he said, completely mild.

Souhei had a little knowing smirk, closing his eyes. "'Take care of my sister, or I'll claw you to death'. Sometime like that anyway" he stated, quite mild.

"Exactly."

A little shared chuckle among them all.

Souhei briefly brushed his fingers against his right ear. "Yuki can take care of herself, definitely" he said, Yuki shifting with a little smile. "But I will anyway."

Ame inclined his head, then turned toward his parents - without a word, he stepped closer to them, and mom gently threaded her fingers through his fur. "Ame" she breathed, catching him in a hug; he wasn't surprised, and 'knowingly' indicated to dad that he better too, so he can get it over with- dad's smile was equally knowing, but didn't hesitate either.

After awhile, and so low that Yuki and Souhei couldn't hear: "Take care."

"Mmh, we will, Ame" mom whispered to him. "You two be careful as well."

Dad hummed. "He will" he said simply, equally gentle. "That's obvious, but we still expect howls while Yuki is here, Ame."

Ame smirked a little. "Fine, fine" he played off, though he'd planned on doing just that. "But by the way mom, dad" he said, still mild even as they let go. "Your little booklet, I left it inside."

"But why?" Yuki asked, a little confused even as everyone was surprised. "It could help you, Ame."

"No doubts there, but I'll come back and get it when pups are a reality. Not before" Ame answered, looking at his sister. "I think you'll probably be the same way, sis. Even if you keep it, you'll mostly use it when needed, when/if a family happens."

Yuki's cheeks turned pink, and Souhei shifted beside her, but she didn't dismiss his words.

"Despite any teasing we might get, that's a fact, Yuki" he continued, the first part aimed at mom and dad, who were slightly sheepish. "Besides, there are still things to add, before either of us take them for good."

"Like what?" dad wondered.

"Well, regarding how long half-wolves can go without food, particularly those who choose wolf. Normal wolves can go for two weeks at minimum, up to a month if lucky... but for me, I've carefully determined that I can last three months without difficulty, probably longer with difficulty."

As he spoke, dad gave him a sort-of disapproving glance, as if to say something about pushing himself that far- the life of a wolf didn't always go with a daily meal, but even still. Mom had similar thoughts, even stronger than dad for obvious reasons, and visibly had to remind herself that he's a wolf; sometimes it comes with the territory.

"Must be the human side of me, but I believe it's true for all half-wolves, though I've only confirmed those who choose wolf" Ame continued, not backing down; he'd been fine, and well-prepared with food stockpiles for when he even started to feel weak, which he mentioned to them. "I dunno if the same applies for human half-wolves, if they can go a long time without food but a shorter time than regular humans."

"Let's hope we don't have to find out" dad said carefully, eyebrow raised. "And let's not have any further tests go that extreme, Ame."

"Yeah, Ame; we won't hear of it."

Heh- even as an adult, still trying to tell him what to do... kinda refreshing after so long, at least to be able to hear it rather than actually follow. He shared a side-glance with Yuki, who despite some giggles returned it, sympathetic - she'd wanted to grow up in her own way, and obviously didn't have any desire to test his theory either, but by human law she's still a kid and having to live with that.

Good thing she has a boyfriend who's in the same boat.

"I never planned to, don't worry" Ame said easily. "I only tested it because I thought it'd be important, in case any hypothetical family asked... better I try while knowing what I'm doing, and making sure I could eat the moment I started to become weak, then to let others blindly try later."

Mom let out a sigh, truly exasperated. "Well that's better, Ame, but even still" she said, intentionally messing up his fur- despite himself, he pawed at it while the others tried (and failed) to hide little smiles.

"Relax mom, it was a one-time thing."

Maybe mom would've said something else, but dad put a hand on her shoulder - he was equally exasperated inside, but was understanding; with that, mom slowly smiled and let it go.

"Anyway" Ame muttered; this had gone on longer than he'd planned. "I'll see you all later."

Before they could say another word, he was already bounding away- by the time he got to where Silver was, she was already stretching, and soon joined up with him. Even after a good distance, he could feel the eyes of his family plus Souhei- they'd kinda made that a tradition, watching him and Silver go up to the mountains, once they were done back at that 'little' home.

/

Yuki slowly cradled her cup of hot chocolate, feeling a lot of things racing through her mind (if in the back)- from beside her, Souhei briefly/intentionally brushed his fingers against hers, taking a sip. She felt a little warmer, smiling before taking a sip herself... mmh, just as great as she remembered, and among that memory were the times she literally ran through this house...

"I kinda saw Ame talking with you mom, dad" she said, after a few seconds. "What did he say?"

Dad glanced at mom for a bit, then up. "Well... long-term stuff" he admitted, getting a little side-smile. "About potentially raising half-wolf pups, as a wolf rather than human."

Yuki felt her cheeks heat up; guess she and Ame had been thinking along the same lines. As an adult wolf, normally he should've dealt with this by himself, but his human side had sought help - even with them on opposite sides, it seems they truly are both; she's a wolf on the inside, and he's human on the inside, and vice-versa with their other selves.

"He'll do his best if nothing else; we all know that" Souhei ventured, drawing her out of her thoughts. "I'm guessing you helped on some details?"

Mom hummed, seeming content. "We did, along with some physical help planned for later" she answered, and when they were confused: "When-and-if wolf pups are a reality, me and Balto will have to buy ourselves some wolves, in secret of course."

Clearly mom had been planning that; her casual tone was practiced, and dad struggled to keep a straight face - the effect on her and Souhei was considerably more shocked. Somehow or other they didn't ask why, because the obvious answer lay in the fact that, well, a pack consisting of Ame, Silver, and pups wasn't exactly a diverse one... but that didn't take away the shock.

And she's pretty sure that wouldn't be easy, or cheap.

"Wow, that's crazy" Souhei said, before grinning. "I like it though, especially that this family is full of such surprises."

"Why does that make you happy, Souhei?" Yuki managed to ask, despite everything.

Without a word or look, he took her hand, which got a sound out of her. "In case you haven't noticed, Yuki" he said, teasing- she didn't notice, but mom and dad were subtly enjoying themselves watching. "I'm not against crazy or strange things. I think they're pretty cool in fact."

Her cheeks heated again, both at his playful hand motions, and memories of how he'd reacted to her wolf form. She struggled a bit, not helped by Souhei giving her a side-grin, and just didn't say anything.

"Anyway, I quite like the idea" Souhei continued, not surprised. "Plus I'm not surprised that Ame-"

He stopped, as did the rest of them... faint but unmistakable, Ame's howl echoed through the air, and it wasn't long before Silver joined in. They all listened: mom and dad with eyes closed, smiling and content; Souhei with considerable interest and a little smile; herself with a slow smile, just hearing the emotion in her brother's howling.

It lasted at least a minute, and no one minded.

Dad breathed out, humming, which he did in unison with mom- they shared a happy glance over that. "You were saying, Souhei?" he asked then.

Souhei brought his attention back, nodding and still holding her hand under the table, and Yuki had no wish to tell him otherwise now. "That I wasn't surprised about Ame, him talking about such things" he said, a little serious. "He's an adult by wolf standards. I almost wish I could talk about the same things - just talk, not plan - but I'm not an adult yet; it'd probably just sound weird."

"Well it's probably obvious, but you'll have to be patient about that, Souhei" mom said, to his nod. "Most people don't expect fourteen-year-olds to be that interested in heavy stuff, and it could worry some as well."

"Just like transforming into wolves" she thought, then shifted. "Well, I agree with Souhei" Yuki mumbled, just a little; Souhei gripped her hand tighter in response. "I wouldn't want to plan anything, but just talking about the subject a little? That isn't too much to ask, right?"

"I don't think so, Yuki" her boyfriend said, half-drawing her attention. "But either way, even if we could talk about heavy stuff, it'd just be hypothetical talk."

"Mmh."

Dad raised an eyebrow, a gleam in his eyes. "Is that an implication I hear, you two?" he asked 'innocently', while mom almost snorted into her food, even suppressing giggles-

-they both jolted, and in particular turned redder. "Dad!" Yuki cried, embarrassed; she knew he's only teasing, but that isn't fair! "Mom! Stop laughing!"

They weren't really, just shaking from suppressed chuckles/giggles, but it'd been an instinctive reaction on her part. Yuki slumped into her chair with a groan, feeling this is just like them, especially now that she's matured... moreso anyway- looking at Souhei only partially helped. He was a bit sympathetic to her 'distress', but at the same time he'd never really been embarrassed by his parents, so he's both interested in the situation and a little envious of it. Despite that though, when he noticed her looking at him, he gave a 'Sorry, what can I say?' look before touching his hand to her shoulder- she felt slightly better, all things considered.

Still, even with the embarrassment, it's at least good mom and dad aren't against things.

...

Later

Yuki turned in her bed-spread, just staring at the ceiling- she's supposed to be asleep, but her mind's racing.

She remembered back to when she'd decided to stay as a human full-time, and never be a wolf again... it seemed so simple back then, and now it's more gray-ish. She's admitted that even with her choice, she's still a wolf and that'd play it's part in the future, if/when things happened- but the fact is beyond the howling she shared with her brother, she's extremely rusty.

Glancing beside her, Souhei slept peacefully- Yuki remembered what he'd said, and what dad had taught her to do before... in fact, dad was the best person to go to for her wolf side too, since Ame's back where he belongs. Her hunting is rusty, and she'd probably need to relearn everything: learning how to utilize her wolf instincts while still maintaining her human appearance, such as hearing a good deal farther; even something as simple as emotional control, as while too much can still trigger the transformation, keeping it in check was the important thing.

If only she'd gotten the lessons sooner, then certain things could've been avoided... like how she reacted to Souhei not leaving her alone...

"But what then?" Yuki wondered, stirring. "If I hadn't scratched his ear, would he have ever seen my wolf side? Would he still be interested in me as his friend, or girlfriend? Would he still want to...?"

After a moment, she shook those thoughts off; she can't dwell on what-if's, especially since now is what she needs to focus upon. Learning might take some effort, but she'll be learning about how to be a half-wolf, while still remaining human- she's both excited and nervous.

She turned again, trying to empty her mind...


December 28th

Wow, she never realized how much trial-and-error was involved with growing vegetables... growing up with it happening was one thing, and Yuki knew it took work, but even still. A small distance away, Souhei was helping in things like watering the plants, as dad had showcased, but she knew he's listening to every word- probably even thinking about if he might need the knowledge.

He always thought ahead that way, though he never assumed anything would happen ahead of time.

"A little deeper, Yuki" dad breathed gently, digging his fingers into the dirt around each seed. "Got make sure they get deep enough for the soil nutrients."

"Mmh. If only you could grow the same things every time."

He chuckled a little. "It would be nice" dad admitted, looking at her. "But as farmers proved a long time ago, doing that just erodes the soil, and eventually it'll give way. But I don't think that's what's really on your mind, Yuki."

Yuki shook her head. "I am focused here, but- but there's just something I wanted to say dad" she breathed, seeing in her peripheral vision how Souhei paused, watching her.

"Oh?"

"When I asked mom about the booklets, about how you got the idea in the first place..." she whispered, trailing off.

Dad paused in the middle of work, slowly leaning back to a straighter sitting position- worried, Yuki glanced up, but to her relief his expression wasn't troubled. Overall he just looked like this was to-be-expected... he took in/let out a breath, and then dad looked at her evenly.

"Hana warned me you might mention that" he breathed, still gentle.

Yuki wasn't surprised after-the-fact, just slowly tapping her fingers. "I-I know it's been a long time, and mom has helped; I know that's probably what happened" she breathed, before managing a small smile. "But dad, even if I'm late, I just wanted you to know that-"

"-that you're here for me?" dad finished, dusting his hands off before he pulled her close. "I appreciate that, Yuki. And if I may presume, Souhei and Ame feel similarly, in their own ways?"

She slowly nodded, feeling his warmth the entire time; dad always seemed to radiate that a little, probably due to his internal fur. "Ame feels a deeper respect for you dad, though he tried not to remember back to- to before."

"I can understand that" he breathed, fainter, but then looked over. "Souhei?"

Souhei, who'd been trying to look/act busy, looked over. "The same, sir" he said evenly, not embarrassed to have been 'caught' listening. "I also told Yuki that I'd support her getting it out in the open, even if it was hard for you."

Dad quirked a normal smile. "'Hard' is a stretch, but even still" he answered, before looking at her. "And honestly, respect or support, that's all I can ask from either of you two" he continued gently. "But you're right in that Hana's helped throughout the years. But watching you and Ame be yourselves, as well as grow bigger and bigger- that helped more than I can state, Yuki."

...

Souhei watched even as Yuki responded to her dad's statement, saying she's glad he was so strong, just like mom - he smiled, truly liking how loving this family was, and how open they were about it. Ame was more of a lone wolf (literally even), but it's clear he cared about his family too- part of him still wondered about Silver though, and if soon or later she'd count as well.

Well maybe, but for now that's still 'just' a possibility.

"And dad?"

"Yes, Yuki?"

He quickly brought his attention back, seeing Yuki toying with a hair strand, knowing what she's about to ask isn't exactly easy, but not hard either. "Come on, Yuki. You can do it" Souhei mentally urged for her, smiling a little. "You'll do great too."

"Dad, can you teach me... well, how to manage my wolf instincts? Mostly when I'm human?"

Balto looked surprised, but soon smiled. "I'd be honored, Yuki" he said easily, drawing her into another hug. "And I assume Souhei's gonna be there for every second of it."

Souhei was slightly sheepish, but looked over. "Well, I'd like to help if I can."

"Well it's mostly gonna be for smaller things, but if you're willing-"

Yuki answered that first: "He is, dad" she breathed, giving a sideways glance with a little smile (Souhei returned it, if not sideways). "I knew that from the start."

/

Nighttime

Yuki tried to focus, but didn't feel like she's succeeding much... every now and then, she thought she heard sounds from outside, but couldn't tell what they were or anything. Granted, it's literally the first day and this was probably just like wolf instincts, in that it'd take time and practice... but she wanted to get this quickly.

Even as she tried, she could feel her body reacting, trying to turn her from human to wolf in accordance with her instincts.

When she paused, taking in a breath: "Any luck?"

"Little, very little" Yuki breathed, looking at Souhei, who had paused in making his sleeping arrangement. "I can hear for a moment, but I can't process beyond that. And my instincts keep trying to turn me into a wolf, though thus far I'm being safe."

Souhei had a little smile. "That's a good place to start for anything" he admitted, before tilting his head. "Are you gonna do that all the time though, till we go back to school?"

She slowly shook her head. "Not really. Tomorrow, in the few days, I'll definitely have to be more 'wild'... while I still have that freedom to try."

A moment as he digested that, then a little smile came up. "Because out here, away from everyone but your family and me, you can be a wolf without having to worry about a thing" he gently realized. "But when back at the school dorms, there'll be plenty of room for safe exploration there, while still having my little help."

Yuki nodded, feeling warmer.

After that they entered a comfortable silence, setting up their sleeping arrangements - it still slightly embarrassed her that he's allowed to do this, even if they didn't push the boundaries at all. After a minute, they were both curled up, she on her side while Souhei was on his back... all she could hear was their breathing, while she didn't think mom and dad had left the living room yet...

"Yuki?"

"Hmm?" she breathed, eyes half-closed.

Souhei turned his head, expression gentle. "I definitely like it when you're a wolf" he whispered, to her little jolt. "Just as much as when you're human."

"Why's that? Is it just because I'm cute?"

"Well, there is that, but you should know why."

She did without another word; that day where he wouldn't leave her alone, and all the while her wolf instincts just kept building. Finally she'd snapped, swiping her claw against his ear in a rage - she never registered his expressions in that moment, just full of unadulterated instincts. "Souhei" Yuki whispered, pulling the sheets up a bit. "You can't tell me that... that you started to like me from that..."

Souhei took a moment, seeming to try and not let his ears heat up. "No, not right then" he admitted, faint if still gentle. "But I knew one thing from seeing you as a wolf, even for a split-second: you weren't one to be messed with, and not your average girl. I wanted to know more, and moreover I wanted to make up for my terrible behavior- so I stuck around, and latter I realized it was a little more than just interest. And when I had to reveal your secret, before you were ready..."

"You were afraid that you'd made another mistake" she realized. "Oh, Souhei."

"It's probably silly to think that, but it was a big thing; you should've been the one to say it, not me."

If she were able, she'd probably kiss him, but as it was, Yuki slipped her hand out and reached toward him. Souhei saw this after a moment, a bit surprised, yet his lip curved as he reached - they were only close enough to touch each other's fingers, but that was enough. She made sure to play with them for a little while, while her mind dwelt on her recent training; they couldn't stay here for longer than a few more days, and she'll have to learn almost entirely by herself soon. Before she truly drifted off, Yuki wondered if it'd take weeks, months, or even years... but it'll be okay: she's got time, and Souhei would be there for her to help.

She smiled a little.


Yuki starting to learn her wolf instincts, if as a beginning to prepare, while her parents have always had their teasing side. Thankfully, they're harmless :P