The Princess and the Dragon

Working as TA wasn't easy. Since she wasn't an actual teacher and wasn't that much older than most of the students, Ame found it was necessary to temper austerity with kindness. You caught more flies with honey, wasn't that how that English idiom went?

Ame leaned against the window of the train with a sigh and watched the landscape fly past out of the corner of her eye. The sky was a bright blue, streaked with translucent grey clouds as though someone had painted them there. Two birds dipped and twirled around each other, their wings arced up to catch the wind.

The train jerked over an uneven portion of the track, jostling the passengers and bringing Ame back down to earth. There was so much she needed to think about and so much and so much that couldn't do anything about. As always her sister's wellbeing dominated her mind.

Sometimes Ame thought about what it would have been like to have had a mother. That thought didn't come often mind you, but when it did Ame considered it the way you might consider another pointless fantasy. What were mothers even like? Ostensibly Ame was aware that mothers did pretty much what she did sans the social repercussions and backtalk.

Their father was gone very often; it wasn't his fault, he needed to work and Ame didn't resent him for it. In fact she had taken the other extreme and had become fairly independent. The day she learned to work the stove and cook was the day their stopped meaning anything to her other than a monthly allowance and the occasional bedtime story.

That didn't mean she didn't love him. Ame loved her father a lot. Still...

Just then the train came to a stop and Ame grabbed a nearby bar to keep steady. It seemed that she'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the train pulling into the station. After quickly checking that this was indeed the right one, Ame squeezed her way out of the train and made her way out of the station.

Just as she was making her way over to the bus station, she caught sight of a familiar head of hair; a flash of silver within a sea of brown and black.

Iori?

To her surprise, it was Iori, which was surprising because she had never seen him take this train before. Wasn't his university in another district? Ame pondered this as she watched the back of his white uniform blazer. He was standing on the other side of the hall and surveying a large map of the train system.

Well it won't hurt to say hello, Ame hiked her handbag higher over her shoulder and made her way over to her stepbrother. As though sensing her approach he turned to face her, looking less shocked by her own appearance than she'd been at his.

"Ame-chan," he greeted in that soft, refined voice that sometimes made Ame feel like she was gargling nails.

"Iori-kun," she smiled at him, "I didn't expect to see you here!"

He shrugged. "The train I usually take was delayed," he revealed and then he regarded her curiously, "I didn't know you took this train though."

"Only on Wednesdays and Fridays," she told him. Every other weekday she had to stay back in the school to help mark papers or do her own homework. "Then I take the bus back. It should be here in about," she pulled out her phone, swiping away a text from Fuuto and pausing to smirk at one from Kaname, "ten minutes."

Iori blinked placidly. "I'll come with you."

The bus-stop was empty save for a middle-school boy engrossed in a very intense mobile game and another in a high-school uniform. While Ame didn't particularly care how you chose to wear the uniform once you'd stepped out of those hallowed gates, she had to admire how neat the boy's uniform was. Clearly he held himself to some higher level of management which was at once both admirable and irritating yet it showed that he at least cared about how he presented himself.

Briefly amused, Ame turned to ask Iori about his classes, when she felt something nudge her shoulder. "Hey pretty woman, what's your name?"

"What?" She turned and stared at the boy. He was probably Ema's age, which tousled black hair and a badge clipped to his front that proclaimed him as a prefect of some sort. "Are-Are you talking to me?" Just to be sure.

He smirked at her. "Yeah. Can I get your number?"

Oh dear god, Ame pressed her lips together and wondered if she should invest in heavier makeup. "I'm not interested," she replied curtly.

"What do you mean by that?" The guy's grin grew a bit less friendly. "Don't be so suspicious. You'll never have any fun that way."

"Actually-"

"Actually," an arm suddenly looped around her waist and pulled her closer. Iori glared down at the boy, his normally calm facade breaking into something frightening, "Ame-chan's not available. Right, Ame?"

"What? I...I guess not?" Since she was unable to see Iori's face Ame had to wonder what kind of expression her stepbrother was making to cause such an intense expression of fear.

"Geez, fine! Alright! Keep your boyfriend on a leash, dammit," he muttered the last sentence under his breath as he shifted to the far side of the bus-stop. At that moment the bus arrived and the doors slid open.

"What did you do to him?" Ame asked, half-joking as they squeezed into the already full bus. Someone's foot tripped her up and Iori caught her around the waist to keep her steady.

He stared down at her with some emotion that made Ame feel a bit like backing away. The arm around her waist suddenly felt a lot more restrictive than it had before. "Ame-chan, you don't like loud guys right?"

"I-I what? What does that have to do with anything?"

"He wouldn't take no for an answer. You wanted him gone, didn't you?"

"Yes?" Ame replied slowly, suspiciously.

Iori's answering smile was almost smug. "If you stay next to me, no one will bother you, so let's stick together. Alright, Ame?"

oOo

"Have you noticed that Subaru-kun and Natsume-kun don't get along?" Ema asked out of the blue later that night.

"Hmm?" Ame looked up from her homework and focused on her sister. Ema had been engrossed in a new game that Natsume had given her. Ame didn't get it but it seemed to be fantasy based and involved a lot of bright colours and customization – so it was probably cool. "What makes you say that?"

Ema didn't respond for a while as she focused on getting past a challenging part. "When I got home I saw them arguing. It was about basketball I think. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

I doubt it was only basketball, Ame hummed quietly and sat up. "What makes you think I'd have any idea?"

"Because you know everything?" Ema grinned cheekily over her shoulder.

Ame pretended to throw a pillow at her. "That is a terrible lie but I'll take it."

She climbed out of bed and went to sit next to Ema on the floor. The screen flashed white and orange as her sister proceeded to wipe out the incoming enemies with a wave of blue magic. "Hey...do you miss dad?"

"Yeah sometimes," Ema replied disinterestedly, "but it's not like I'll never see him again. He and Miwa-san are just having fun together as a newly married couple."

"Ema, they've been gone for almost three months," Ame retorted more sharply than she'd meant to.

On screen the warrior character sliced through a monster twice her size and then the game paused. Ema turned to study her sister. "What's going on? Why are you asking me that?"

"I..." Ame wasn't sure why, so instead she shrugged and looked away. "I'm just wondering why they're not back yet. Wouldn't it be cool to have a family dinner with everyone present? I mean, he missed Christmas!"

"It's not like this is the first time he's ever missed Christmas though," Ema pointed out with a concerned frown. "Seriously, Ame, what is wrong?"

"...nothing. Nothing! Anyway I'm hungry! I've been reading so much that I need brain food!" Ame got to her feet and quickstepped to the door. "Do you want anything?"

Ema stared up at her older from the carpet, catching the tense wrinkles in her forehead and her lips, and wondered whether or not to push the subject or not. "...could I have an ice-cream sandwich?"

"It is 8pm at night and you want sugar?" Ame grinned, the lines relaxing. "Alright. We can put your new album together when I get back."

"Oh, I'll get everything together then!"

Since it wasn't that late, all the lights were still on despite no one being downstairs. Kaname still wasn't home and Ukyo was pulling overtime for a big case. Ame pulled open the fridge and retrieved Ema's vanilla-mint ice cream first, then she pulled out a half-eaten pack of strawberries for herself. Just then she heard someone coming down the stairs.

Subaru paused at the foot of the stairs and considered walking back up them and straight back to his room. The two stared at each other silently for a long moment, then Ame sighed and stepped back from the fridge with her items. "Hungry?" She asked.

"...I just wanted a drink," he replied warily. Subaru eyed her as he pulled out his vitamin drink. In the daytime Ame wore makeup and nice clothes like armour. She dressed like she not only had to look nice, others had to look less put-together compared to her. Yet at night, with her makeup gone and her hair loose about her shoulders, she looked young and almost vulnerable.

He immediately shoved that thought away with a shudder. If Ame had any idea what he was thinking she would probably punch him.

"Ema's worried about you," Ame said out of the blue.

"...Is she?" Was this a trick? Ame leaned against the counter, juggling a frozen solid ice cream sandwich in her hand. It must have been for Ema because she and Wataru were the only two people who liked it. "Why?"

"You and Natsume argue a lot," the woman replied calmly, "she thinks it's her fault."

Subaru stiffened, remembering the argument he'd had with Natsume earlier that day. "It's none of your business," he replied coldly.

Ame shrugged. "That's fair."

"...that's it?" Subaru frowned, suspicious at her easy acceptance. "I thought-"

"That I'd insist on knowing the sad, sordid history that led to you and Natsume fighting all the time?" She arched an eyebrow and why did he ever think she was vulnerable? "I can't help with that, and you don't want to tell me anyway."

She stepped around him but Subaru grabbed her arm before she could leave the kitchen. "I'll tell you if you tell me."

"If I tell you what?" She inquired.

"Why you're so...protective of Ema. Why you act like she's a princess and you're the dragon that kills anyone that gets close to her."

"I don't-!" Ame turned and scowled at him. He faced her squarely. Finally she huffed. "I don't...I don't want to be the dragon. It's just...that's the only role I can fill in this terrible fairytale. Maybe you are the knight and Ema is the damsel and I'm the witch or dragon or monster to be bypassed or slain, but do you think I want to be? I love my sister and you'll have to excuse me if I put her wishes above yours."

I wasn't sure how to end this because it is 1:30 am and I am so tired. Graduation (not mine) was yesterday so yesterday was exhausting too.

Also I want to clarify, Ame is 20/21. That vague age because I don't know how old Ema is, I've heard 16/17 so jsyk Ame is 4 years older than Ema.