Chapter 13

Zaira snuggled into something soft. It wasn't her bed fabrics, it felt more like...hair. Why was she snuggling into hair? She opened her eyes a little and saw Nerezza's fluffy locks right beneath her chin. Zaira inhaled the girl's scent. It was something of nature. Earth, mixed with a lot of grass and tree. She smiled. That came to her as no surprise since she slept outside all the time. She didn't even find it odd that she held the girl in a defensive position. Arms wrapped around Nerezza's back, keeping her safe and warm. Zaira couldn't reject the reality any longer. She loved Nerezza...as a sister, or so she thinks. What, with both of them being girls it was impossible to love her more than that, right? She couldn't convince herself completely of that, but it would hold for now.

Nerezza's eyes fluttered open, surprised that she was still in one piece and not injured. And she was still in the bed. Something warm wrapped around her, a safety net keeping her relaxed. She had slept the entire way through the night, without any sort of bad dreams or panic. "Where...," Nera mumbled.

Oh, she had spent the night at Zaira's place for the night. In Zaira's room...In...Zaira's bed.

How did she even survive something like that? The punishment of sleeping inside...She couldn't tell whether it was good or bad. At least it was an experience.

The girl readjusted to feel more of the warmth hugging her. She absently sighed with content, a small smile playing on her lips.

...

Nera shot up. "Damn!" Her t-shirt loosely hugged her shoulders from rolling in her sleep. She didn't bother to pull it up. "Z-z-zaira?" She screamed after the realization. Her cheeks turned bright red, still not caring about the almost wardrobe malfunction.

Zaira groaned. Damn, Rez woke up, she thought. "What is it," she mumbled sleepily.

Nera hopped out of the bed, standing in just the shirt that barely covered the feminine parts of her body. "W-w-why were you holding me?"

Zaira yawned. "I don't know," she replied simply. "I guess it was an instinct."

Nerezza glanced around for her bag. "I think I should leave."

"Why? Did it feel wrong?" Zaira was thinking less than usual since it was morning so her questions were short and simple. Then she remember what she said last night. "Nevermind. You don't have to answer any more of my questions if you don't want to. I told you I would only ask that one and so I shall." Zaira got out of bed and stretched her back out. Her shirt lifted up a little, leaving some of her belly exposed for a minute until she brought her arms back down.

Nera quickly turned her head the other way. "N-not exactly...Just..." She still didn't find it necessary to put real clothes back on. "And I don't really care about questions. I'll answer any you have..." There was no real point in running away. She just needed to calm down a bit and think this over, silently and to herself. It was nerves that made her get up and feel like hiding.

The girl forced herself to sit criss-cross on the end of the bed. "Um...so..questions?" She said, feeling a bit more awkward than usual.

Zaira pointed to her closet. "Do you want to barrow some of my clothes? Your clothes look like they need to go for a spin in the washer and dryer," she said with a light chuckle. There was just something about this that made her feel calm and more adult-like. Maybe it was because she cared so much for Nerezza. That's when Zaira began to wonder when she started feeling this way.

"Um..." Nerezza stared at the ruffled blankets beneath her. "I'm okay in this shirt." In truth, she didn't want to take it off. Her excuse was because it was too comfortable.

"You'll have to change before we go to school though. I'm going to go put your clothes in the laundry so feel free to go through my clothes and pick something out." Zaira picked up Rez's clothes and took them with her to the laundry room.

"What about the shirt?" She asked, but Zaira was already away from the room. Nera went to investigate the closet of clothes. She grabbed a regular pair of jeans and a tank, swiftly changing into them.

No, it felt weird wearing pants that weren't hers. However, she was too lazy, and comfortable, to change out of them. They actually fit her pretty well, too. Amazing that two different people could fit the same size clothing. She sniffed the t-shirt she had worn to bed, curious as to why it had attracted her.

There was a mixture of her scent, and Zaira's, though she couldn't quite place everything. If she had never seen Zen, she knew from the smell of the shirt that Zaira was a dog owner, and...a lover of soft, fruity smells? No, it wasn't quite that either. Nera held the fabric to her nose and inhaled deeply. Whatever it was, at least it smelled good.

Zaira called for Zen. She poured the dog some food and shouted, "Breakfast!" Every time she said that Zen was like a normal dog. He sprinted from where ever he was and chowed down. "Wow. You are normal sometimes," Zaira said amused. "Do you want anything to eat Rez?"

Nera dropped the shirt and peeked her head out the door. "I don't eat, remember?"

"Right," Zaira laughed. "Sorry for asking a stupid question then."

"Um...yeah..." Nerezza still joined Zaira, even though she wasn't eating. It was only polite after sleeping in her bed.

Zaira pulled out a jar of strawberry jelly and toasted some bread. "Even though you don't like food, feel free to eat anything you can find." The toast popped up and she smeared a generous helping of jelly on each of the slices. Strawberry jelly was way better than grape jelly, Zaira thought with a nod. She was in such a good mood she started to wiggle her hips in a little dance and hum a tune.

Nerezza continued to glance away, blushing as she did so. It was best to avoid any contact with the girl. Being in the same room was bad enough. "No, but t-thanks...," she stammered slightly.

Zaira stopped abruptly and turned around. "Are you going to become a hunter?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, not knowing what type of hunter the girl was specifically talking about.

"I mean in 'The World', silly. I asked you online, but you never got a chance to answer. You logged out."

"Oh...that." Silly? Nerezza was never silly. "I imagine it would give me a rep," she answered.

"Cool. We'll go talk with Dingo after school and get you your license."

"...Do I really have to?" She made the mistake of glancing at Zaira. It was only bad news for her, not for Zaira. At least, not that Nera knew of.

"You just said that you wanted to do it," Zaira pouted.

Don't pout, she consciously thought, much to her misfortune. "Yeah...did I?"

"You just did," Zaira cried. "I give up, just meet me in the mercenary district later."

"And I'm supposed to know what that is...how?"

Zaira almost cried at this point. "Meet me in front of the dome then."

"...fine," Nera forcefully agreed.

"Hey, I just want to make sure I got this right so don't get mad. The deal with your brother...all you have to do is become the most popular person in it right?"

"Technically...but, he tends to add rules later on...," Nera sighed. "Knowing him, I'll have to play with a full group through a good part of the last levels...That'll really suck."

"Well, if I'm part of your group then you won't have to worry," Zaira said happily.

"I think I would have to worry more," she mumbled to herself.

"But if I'm in your group then you'll finish faster, then you won't even have to play the world and you can get whatever your brother promised for you. Isn't that what you want?" Zaira wanted to stay with Rez as long as she could, but she wanted the girl to be happy more than anything.

"Uh..." Rez lightly scratched her cheek. "Yeah..."

"Then I'm going to help you do that," Zaira cheered with a genuine smile.

"Why?" The question was asked automatically.

Zaira folded her arms on the table and laid her head on them. "I want Rez to be happy."

"...I still don't understand," she completely didn't comprehend the idea, still.

Zaira groaned inwardly. Rez was going to be the death of her. Now that she thought about it...that might not be so bad. "I just like it when other people are happy. There really isn't anything to understand. It's just how I am."

"But...I don't understand wanting other people happy. That's the point" She should just come right out and ask Zaira to explain things to her. How can she be on better terms with someone if she couldn't see it from their point of view?

Zaira was silent for a moment and didn't look up when she answered. "Is it so wrong for me to want others to be happy? I think that if everybody was happy, then nobody would get hurt."

"So...because I don't wish for others to be happy, does that make me selfish? But I don't wish for my own happiness either..." It was a good sign that she would actually feel someone bad about being selfish. Her brother was dead for this.

"I don't think it makes you selfish...I mean you don't even want your own happiness." Zaira picked up her head and looked at her friend with a puppy-like expression. "Why wouldn't you want to be happy anyway?"

"I never really knew what it meant, so why want it, ya know?"

"To have something you've never known," Zaira mused.

"And that's a good thing?" Nera asked, confused as to where this conversation was headed.

"I'd like to think so," Zaira answered. "It might be a little hard to believe, but I was not a very happy, smiley child."

Nerezza found herself wanting to ask more questions, follow what she assumed to be curiosity. Though, she continued conversation with her own comment. "I was..." She tucked her chin in her arms on the table. Her eyes stayed on Zaira. "When I was young...I would smile and laugh and joke around with everyone...the happiest person at age 2." She chuckled sarcastically thinking about it. "You'd never see a more talented little girl...Funny that my parents were proud back then."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Nera slightly lifted her head. "Not sure, really. Dad and mom went away one night...and when mom came back...Ani took me aside and told me to hide under the bed. I thought it was a game, hide and seek, ya know?" The girl sounded like she was crying, but she wasn't.

"You're lucky to have a brother. I wish I had one." Zen barked at her angrily. "Sorry. I do have a brother so nevermind," Zaira said happily.

"That's a stupid thing to wish for," Nera scoffed. She saw it as a liability to have someone else related to her she was supposed to be responsible for...once he got into trouble, of course. Other than that, the man took pretty good care of himself, but still annoyed her to no end.

"To have someone who can help you and someone you can help...It must be nice." Being an only child, excluding Zen, Zaira always wanted a sibling. She envied those that did, like Kane. You could never feel alone if you had a sibling.

"...really, it's not that much fun. You can switch places with me, if ya want. I'd rather not have a sibling, or parents." She was already alone. What did it matter taking away her blood relatives? It's not like most of them noticed she was there anyway.

"I don't want to put you in that kind of danger," Zaira said before realizing her mouth was even moving. She frantically turned around and looked at the clock. "Look at the time. We should really be getting ready for school." She shot up and ran up the stairs. Grabbing a pair of clean clothes on the way, she dashed into the bathroom.

Nera was already finished.

What danger would the girl be put in without family? Zaira was probably just spitting words again. And yet, she found herself still talking to her. "I wouldn't be in danger, ya know!"

"Just get ready for school!"

"Coward...you ask me questions that I answer, but you can't answer the questions I ask you?"

"You didn't ask a question, you made a statement, now please get ready for school. We're going to be late."

"Zaira," Rez coldly demanded.

"It's not like it's bad or anything. I just spoke without thinking is all. Seriously, I didn't mean it," Zaira said with honest eyes.

"You owe me an explanation about the danger I would be in by not having a sibling. I don't care where or when, but soon. I tend to be impatient sometimes." Nera grabbed her bag without another word and walked out the door, not caring in the slightest if Zaira was following. And to think, the idea of maybe eating something for breakfast with her had crossed Nera's mind. Now that thought disappeared. If this couldn't be a fair "relationship", then there would be more tension then there already was.

Zaira looked at the girl in surprise before grabbing her backpack and following her out. She was only talking about sibling switching. Zaira thought she meant switching families. That would be dangerous, but if they just switched siblings then...

"Well, Zen is my loyal pet, he wouldn't accept a new owner. He might bite ya," Zaira said playfully.

"Don't care. He would listen to me in no time. I would rather have one dog then a set of parents and a brother anytime," she answered, staring straight ahead.

"I guess," Zaira mused. "But you'd still have a dad you know?"

"I don't understand..." Nerezza remarked.

"I have a dad to deal with. It's not just me and Zen. And sometimes my dad can be a little...demanding."

"Aren't they all," Rez sighed.

"I guess you right," Zaira hummed.

That caused the girl to turn around. "What?" Nera gasped. It wasn't very often someone said she was right.

Zaira stopped, a little surprised with Rez's reaction. "I said that your right."

It took everything she had to keep her jaw from dropping. "I'm...what?"

"Um...You're correct."

The girl shook her head. "...a-are ya sure that's what you said?"

"I said that you were right, but you didn't understand so I said that you were correct. I'm pretty sure they have the same meaning when put into this context though."

"...whatever..." Nera blushed, continuing on her way to school.

Zaira followed close behind. She hadn't walk to school with someone since her mom died. It was nice having the company again. She would never take it for granted

Rez twitched in the slightest, feeling a bit awkward. She didn't have anything to talk about, yet, she felt the need to bring up conversation. "So...do I really have to go to school?" She brought up again for lack of ideas.

"Of course you do! Especially since I have to. It will make my day a lot better."

"Selfish...," she mumbled. "What about eating?"

Zaira froze and put a hand on chin. "I kind of forgot to make lunches so...yay for you because I won't be able to force you to eat, but boo for me because I actually like eating."

Nera searched her pockets and backpack quickly. She pulled out some money and handed it to Zaira. "Here, take some green paper. I don't use it."

Zaira blushed. Rez was...being nice to her. "Sankyuu," she shouted as she gratefully hugged her friend.

"UGH!" She pushed the girl off of her. "Don't do that." Really, it wasn't that she hated the surprise hug. In fact, her cheeks turned a soft pink. It was just one more thing making her change, and she didn't want to change.

"Fine," Zaira mumbled. No PDA, she thought. "Go easy on me though because I'm not used to hiding my emotions, but I'll try," she finished with a sigh.

"Go easy? What would I have to go easy on?" She meant to think that, but it slipped past her lips anyway. She shyly turned away, already knowing the many answers there could be.

Zaira thought for a moment. "Not yelling or hitting me if I accidentally show affection toward you would be nice," she mused.

"Argh...fine." She growled through her teeth.

"R-Really?"

"Urgh...yes," she hissed, not wanting that answer to slip past her tongue.

"Yay," Zaira cheered. "So where do you want to meet in 'The World' later? We never decided. You probably only know where the dome is," she said with a chuckle.

Nera glared. "Would you like to be choked?" She lovingly asked, holding a hand out in front of Zaira's neck, proving that she wasn't afraid to go through with the threat.

"Was I wrong," Zaira asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"What, can't take a threat?" She offered a smirk. "No harm in words, right?"

Zaira smiled. "The dome it is. Right after school. Don't be late."

"Can't make any promises," she cleverly answered before stepping onto school campus.

Zaira made a face. "You're so cruel..."

"You bet," she dead-panned.

A/N: I finally got my lazy butt off the couch (I was watching White Collar and Psych btw) and updated this. doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy in side.

Wolfy: It makes me feel something alright *thinks*It makes me feel like punching you*/think*