Mornings

By Cassandra Sisenta

A/N: I seem to be putting Ren/Yuki all over the place. Yuki makes a special appearance here as well as Ren, well, Ren's voice anyway. Enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: Sena-san owns Hikaru, Taiga, and Yuki. I only own Ren and his voice. Hehehehehe!!

Chapter IX

Hikaru and Taiga

BUMP!

"Oh I am so sorry! I didn't see you!"

With her butt down on the floor and hurting a bit, Taiga Kou tried to piece together in her slightly slow morning-fogged brain what had just happened. One moment, she had been walking around town trying to find Yuki when suddenly there had been something like a wall and then she found herself down on the ground.

So she had hit someone and she had fallen.

"Are you all right?"

Taiga tried not to wince as she smiled and nodded at the person who had bumped into her.

"I'm fine, but could you please help me up? I'm kind of feeling sore down here."

"Sorry again. Here, take my hands."

She took the hands that were being held out to her and with a brisk pull she found herself standing again. She was dusting her clothes when she heard her "wall" ask if she was all right again.

"Are you okay? Any bruises or anything?"

"I'm fine, really. It was just a little fall." She said and finally raised her gaze to get a good look to the one who had caused her to fall down onto her butt.

He was only a bit taller than she was. He had long aquamarine hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail that reminded her of her own black-brown ponytail. She couldn't see his eyes since he had sunglasses on. He was dressed in a black jacket over a dark green shirt and black pants.

There didn't seem to be anything really eye-catching about him aside from his length of aquamarine hair that seemed even longer than her own, then it just might be because his clothes were just too simple and dark, though it suited him. However, there was that feeling in her gut that she had seen him before. She just couldn't place where.

"Eto, may I just ask why you're staring at me like that?" He asked suddenly and Taiga was pulled out of her musings. She flushed slightly at having been caught staring rudely.

"I'm sorry." It was her turn to apologize. "It's just that, I feel like I've met you before."

She raised her eyes to meet his again beyond his dark glasses.

"Have I?"

He was silent for a while as he looked back at her and once more she thought that there was something very familiar about him. There was a moment's pause before he moved, lowering his glasses and making her see the color of his eyes. They were a darker aquamarine and she once more felt her face flushing at the intensity of them.

Having someone stare at her like that, and a boy at that, always made her somewhat nervous.

There was a small, mysterious smile on his face a moment later as he replaced his sunglasses and answered, his words as mystifying as his smile.

"Maybe you have, maybe you haven't." He told her, his voice quiet and deep that it sent shivers up her back for some reason.

His smile grew wider suddenly.

"Anyway, I believe I owe you something for my preoccupation." He said to her. "How's about I buy you something and we call it even? I've always thought that Uchu's ice cream sundae cures whatever pains you might have."

His aquamarine head nodded towards the Uchu that was right beside them and she was reminded of her earlier purpose.
"Oh but you don't have to. Really, besides I still have to look for Yuki-chan and—"

"I believe Yuki-chan could be found inside the Uchu since she works there, ne?" He told her with another one of his smiles and she really can't shake how familiar it was to her.

"Demo—"

"I insist." The still unnamed and unrecognized stranger said as he stepped around her and walked towards the entrance. He stopped a bit a few steps and looked back at her. "Please? It's the least I could do for you."

Taiga looked at him again and tried to weigh things in her mind.

He was insisting to buy her a sundae to ease the pain on her butt, which she had to admit wasn't really aching that much anymore anyway. But he intrigued her for some reason and while she usually wouldn't be caught dead having a stranger do something for her like this, she found that she trusted him for some reason.

But she still had to find out how he seemed to know her for some reason and why she still trusted him despite how suspicious she was of him otherwise.

"All right."

He smiled and waited until she caught up with him before they walked on together towards the Uchu. When they entered, it was a different atmosphere from the usual Uchu she was accustomed to. Since it was pretty early still, there were only a few customers around and the noise level was still pretty tolerable.

They walked towards an empty booth and sat down, waiting for a waitress to take their orders.

It didn't take long for them to wait.

"Ohayo! Welcome to the Uchu, may I take your orders? Oh, Taiga-chan! It's you! And you brought a friend! What's his name?"

Taiga had found Yuki all right. She was dressed in the pink and white uniform that she usually wore when doing her rounds on the Uchu. She had a big smile on her face, which wasn't unusual, but it was obvious that she loved working in the ice cream parlor.

She sweatdropped as she honed in on what Yuki had just said as her mystery guy was smiling at her in amusement.

"Anou, I just met him outside and he decided to buy me a sundae in return since he made me fall."

If anything, her story only seemed to make Yuki even more excited. She was practically bouncing from one foot to another, making her blond hair bounce.

"That's just like how me and Ren-kun met! Ne, ne tell me when you and him are coming here again! I'd make sure you get the special—"

"Anou, Yuki-chan I would like a chocolate sundae for Taiga-chan over here." Taiga's companion said, cutting through Yuki's excited babble effectively.

Yuki immediately jotted it down as she was brought back to business. "Anything else?"

He nodded to her, flashing her a smile. "That's it."

"It'll be here in a minute." Yuki told him and bounded off, Taiga watching her all the way.

Taiga shook her head as she watched Yuki go, sweatdropping when the energetic blond bumped into someone along the way.

"Yuki-baka! Watch we're you're going!"
"Ren-kun it's you! You came to see me?"

"And what makes you think I came just to see you?"

"Thank you, Ren-kun!"

"Get off me!"

And to think she got her this job so she would get out of trouble…

She heard a chuckle and she was assaulted by laughing aquamarine eyes she was sure she had seen before. But where?!

"You've always taken good care of her, Taiga-chan. Good job, Starlight leader." He said to her, giving her a thumbs up and a grin. "Now all we need to worry about is Suta-chan. She's kind of recluse isn't she?"

"Anou…who are you?" Taiga asked almost helplessly, just as the aquamarine-haired stranger stood up and made to leave. He left enough money to pay for her sundae and more.

It was as if he hadn't heard her question when he spoke. "Well, I'm going now. A day off like this doesn't come everyday. I got to go." Then he reached over and gave her a pat on the head. "It was nice hanging out with you for a while, Taiga-chan and I'm sorry that I bumped into you. I'll see you tomorrow in the simulation room bright and early all right?"

His words were running amuck all over her head. Day off? Taiga-chan? Starlight leader?  Suta-chan? SIMULATION ROOM???

Aquamarine hair. Aquamarine eyes. That smile.

And Starlight senshi had the ability to change genders right?

"HIKARU-SAN???"

Hikaru Kou turned around and flashed her a wink over his lowered sunglasses.

"Enjoy your sundae! Ja!