by Ranma Inverse ^_^
part five
Author's notes: Yaay! I'm so glad you people
still like this fic! I'll keep writing~!
. . .
The two siblings stared at their father as he inspected the house. "Y'think something's wrong...?" Akira whispered to his sister, who shook her head, her eyes not leaving the man they had to call 'father'.
"I don't think so..."
"Quiet!" Their father snapped. The two quieted quickly, the older with a look of anger, the younger with a look of fear. He turned to them, holding up the first aid kit he had pulled out from under the chair Mei had decided to keep it. "Why has it been used lately?" He glared at his children suspiciously.
Mei's eyes widened in the instinctive fear towards her father and she bowed to him as a servant would to their feared overlord. "I-I'm sorry. Akira got hurt in a fight-"
The man turned to face Akira. "Why, my boy, did you get into a fight?"
He despised the mention of his relation to their father. Akira glared up at him. "Because." He didn't have to answer to a man who though older than he, did not recognize the words 'home', 'love' and 'family'. This man before him new only one thing. What he wanted, and how to make other's lives hell until he got it.
"Because is not a reason. Tell me why you got into that fight."
"I don't have to answer to you! You hurt Mei! You think i'll ever forget that? You don't deserve to be her father!" He wrapped an arm protectively around her younger sister, who trembled at the yelling.
Their father clenched his fist and raised it...then restrained himself and turned away. "I would forget this discussion, and I recommend you would as well. Everything is in order here except for that...one, situation, and so I think I may leave earlier than normal. I will be leaving tonight." He went upstairs to his room without a second thought of the two behind him.
Mei let out a fearful breath she had been holding, clutched her thirteen year old brother close and pushed her head into his chest as she let out equally fearful, quiet sobs. Akira smiled down at her gently and tightened his grip around her back slightly, protectively and raised his free hand to stroke her hair. All the while slowly leading his younger sister to his room.
When they got there, he gently deposited her on his bed and shut the door, locking it. Neither trusted their father to not barge in and cause some other trouble. Given the chance they both knew he would.
Akira sat down on his bed next to her and watched her cry. Her hair fell everywhere in a sea of black, just slightly shorter than his own. Sea blue eyes overflowing with tears and cascading down her cheeks, her body still trembling from the fear their father placed in her. Akira hated their father. His gaze turned angry for a moment, then softened when he thought of Mei again. Gently, tenderly he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace that she returned. With one hand he once again stroked her hair and murmured to her.
"He won't hurt you...he won't hurt you...I won't let him. I'll protect you."
. . .
When her tears became dry and her trembles ceased, Akira stood up and she looked up at him with her innocent eyes. He fought a slight blush, but didn't succeed. His younger sister didn't notice. "Mei, you can change into something to sleep in now, I won't watch." He faced the wall and shut his eyes tight, then turned to face her when she said that she was done.
She stood there in one of his long, baggy white shirts that fell to her knees and the sleeves fell past the tips of her fingers. Mei smiles at him sweetly. "Thanks for letting me borrow a shirt..."
The young teenage boy put on a wide smile and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "I like you being dressed like that. You look. . ." He drifted off, slightly confused by the emotion he was feeling. ...like you're mine, were the unspoken words. He shrugged. Well, it was perfectly normal to think that, right? He was her protector, her guardian, her brother...his expression went from confused to content. Yes, it was perfectly normal to think that.
Mei tilted her head and looked at him, wondering what he meant. "Oniichan?" She spoke questioningly. Akira shook his head, still smiling.
"Never mind. Turn around so I can change." He spoke and pulled out a shirt from a drawer in his bereau. Mei had turned away already and so he changed into a simple shirt and boxers. When he turned around to face Mei, she had slipped into his bed and had fallen asleep.
He chuckled softly and entered the bed gently, so as not to wake his younger sister. "Sweet dreams, Mei." Akira spoke, and closed his own eyes.
At the new source of warmth in the bed, Mei curled into him and murmured, "Good night, Oniichan."
. . .
Gomen for the short chapter!