Okay, this is a one-shot fic...based mainly on Kaeru, one of the main characters of Hiruiseki, but also involves Suzaku the Saint Beast...as her baby-sitter! O.o And anyway...this is how Kaeru got the nickname that she despises so.
***
"Suzaku-saaaan! Wait for me!" A little Koorime child, no more than four or five (in ningen terms, anyway) ran after her baby-sitter, her bare feet kicking up snow.
The Saint Beast snorted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his large coat. How the Ice Maidens could stand living here was something he could never understand. It was too cold! Besides, how would the pretty ones be able to admire his bare chest if it was COVERED? He'd only taken this job because Ruri had asked him to, it was better than being stuck in Reikai for the rest of eternity, and most of the Koorime were beautiful. Here, among a bunch of beautiful women...he'd never accounted for Kaeru.
Upon their first meeting, the little girl had tearfully frozen him to the ground. She had never seen a man before, and he terrified her. Their second encounter wasn't much better. This time, he had stepped on the tail of one of her animal friends, a little fox. The next thing he knew, Ruri was dethawing him by the fire and informing him that he'd been out there for three days. It took all of Suzaku's self-control not to throttle the little brat. However, eventually Kaeru warmed up to him...somewhat. There was a grudging relationship between baby-sitter and charge.
But, back to the present...
Kaeru banged into the back of Suzaku's legs as he stopped, and fell down. She blinked up at him, eyes filling.
"Oh, stop that!" the Saint Beast snapped, reaching down, grasping her wrists and hauling her to her feet. "Crying never helped anyone, and especially not Koorime."
Kaeru gulped back tears, and then spied a pretty plant in the snow, with small white flowers. "Ne, Suzaku-san, what's that?"
"Snowdrops," he answered shortly.
A little hurt at the rudeness in his voice, Kaeru wrenched her hand away from his. "You're mean!" She turned and ran away.
Suzaku's eyes widened. "Kaeru, watch out for the-"
Too late. The tiny Koorime, seeing the plant and not wanting to crush it, tripped and soared off the edge of a small embankment, landing in the snow below with a wail.
Suzaku dashed over to the edge, looking down. Kaeru slowly sat up, with a large pile of snow stacked on her sea-green hair. She looked so comical that the Saint Beast doubled over with laughter. Irritated, the Ice Maiden shook her head furiously, sending the stuff flying everywhere.
"I told you to watch out, Snowdrop," her baby-sitter said amusedly, leaping down to scoop her out of the snow.
Kaeru didn't look amused at all. "Snowdrop?"
"Of course. Because of that flower, you flew pretty far...not to mention you're an Ice Maiden, who makes snow...and boy did you drop!" This set him off again.
His charge sat quietly in his arms for a moment, thinking this over. He'd probably never drop the name and she knew that he'd never let her forget it either. So she just froze his mouth shut, wriggled free, and headed home.
***
Suzaku stood in the ankle-deep snow, watching Kaeru run towards the other Ice Maidens. One of them, Ruri, handed a squalling child to her mother and then embraced the smaller Koorime.
The Saint Beast's eyes softened. He knew that Kaeru had missed her home dearly during their two-year stay in Ningenkai...she'd missed the snow, the Koorime, her animal friends. But she'd returned with new knowledge and tolerance for all other races and genders. That would aid her for years to come. He knelt and picked up a tiny white flower, studying it. A gradual smile spread across his face. "The snowdrop has blossomed..."
***
"Suzaku-saaaan! Wait for me!" A little Koorime child, no more than four or five (in ningen terms, anyway) ran after her baby-sitter, her bare feet kicking up snow.
The Saint Beast snorted, shoving his hands into the pockets of his large coat. How the Ice Maidens could stand living here was something he could never understand. It was too cold! Besides, how would the pretty ones be able to admire his bare chest if it was COVERED? He'd only taken this job because Ruri had asked him to, it was better than being stuck in Reikai for the rest of eternity, and most of the Koorime were beautiful. Here, among a bunch of beautiful women...he'd never accounted for Kaeru.
Upon their first meeting, the little girl had tearfully frozen him to the ground. She had never seen a man before, and he terrified her. Their second encounter wasn't much better. This time, he had stepped on the tail of one of her animal friends, a little fox. The next thing he knew, Ruri was dethawing him by the fire and informing him that he'd been out there for three days. It took all of Suzaku's self-control not to throttle the little brat. However, eventually Kaeru warmed up to him...somewhat. There was a grudging relationship between baby-sitter and charge.
But, back to the present...
Kaeru banged into the back of Suzaku's legs as he stopped, and fell down. She blinked up at him, eyes filling.
"Oh, stop that!" the Saint Beast snapped, reaching down, grasping her wrists and hauling her to her feet. "Crying never helped anyone, and especially not Koorime."
Kaeru gulped back tears, and then spied a pretty plant in the snow, with small white flowers. "Ne, Suzaku-san, what's that?"
"Snowdrops," he answered shortly.
A little hurt at the rudeness in his voice, Kaeru wrenched her hand away from his. "You're mean!" She turned and ran away.
Suzaku's eyes widened. "Kaeru, watch out for the-"
Too late. The tiny Koorime, seeing the plant and not wanting to crush it, tripped and soared off the edge of a small embankment, landing in the snow below with a wail.
Suzaku dashed over to the edge, looking down. Kaeru slowly sat up, with a large pile of snow stacked on her sea-green hair. She looked so comical that the Saint Beast doubled over with laughter. Irritated, the Ice Maiden shook her head furiously, sending the stuff flying everywhere.
"I told you to watch out, Snowdrop," her baby-sitter said amusedly, leaping down to scoop her out of the snow.
Kaeru didn't look amused at all. "Snowdrop?"
"Of course. Because of that flower, you flew pretty far...not to mention you're an Ice Maiden, who makes snow...and boy did you drop!" This set him off again.
His charge sat quietly in his arms for a moment, thinking this over. He'd probably never drop the name and she knew that he'd never let her forget it either. So she just froze his mouth shut, wriggled free, and headed home.
***
Suzaku stood in the ankle-deep snow, watching Kaeru run towards the other Ice Maidens. One of them, Ruri, handed a squalling child to her mother and then embraced the smaller Koorime.
The Saint Beast's eyes softened. He knew that Kaeru had missed her home dearly during their two-year stay in Ningenkai...she'd missed the snow, the Koorime, her animal friends. But she'd returned with new knowledge and tolerance for all other races and genders. That would aid her for years to come. He knelt and picked up a tiny white flower, studying it. A gradual smile spread across his face. "The snowdrop has blossomed..."