Kyou and Reina stood looking at each other for a while. Finally Kyou spoke.
"I'm older by how much?" he asked gruffly.
"Umm…"
"Answer dammit!" he yelled.
"Seven months!" she cried, startled.
He looked at her face. Aw man, I think I hurt her feelings. How is an older brother supposed to act?
"Umm…What happened exactly?" he asked another question, trying to sound pleasant.
Unfortunately, it was the wrong question to ask. "It's your fault anything happened, you know." She said. "I wasn't even supposed to be born, and being born a cat was your fault." She glared at him. "And then you disappeared from my life."
Kyou noticed she was breathing heavily. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes gleamed with hate. But there was something else. He could see desperation and longing in her eyes. He could see it only because he felt the same emotions flowing through his body like hot oil.
"You better explain 'cuz I have no idea what you're talking about." He said.
"Your stupid DNA somehow mixed with mine. Because of that, I became a cursed cat just like you. If that hadn't happened, Mom would have had the abortion and I wouldn't have to live with everything that happened afterwards."
Kyou could practically feel the white-hot hate radiating from her body. By now she wasn't making any effort to contain it.
"Hey look, it's not like I did that intentionally. I can't even control it. Are you really saying you'd rather have never been born?" Even he had never truly felt that way, even though sometimes it was hard to admit to himself.
She nodded, but she didn't look entirely sure.
"Come on, some things in your life must be worth living for. What about meeting that dumb ox?"
She shrugged, but Kyou could see her calming down considerably.
"I figured something was going on." Kyou said, almost smiling. "Haru never gravitated towards girls before now."
She slowly smiled. "Maybe because I remind him of you." She teased.
Kyou rolled his eyes.
Haru and Shigure, who were spying of course, noticed the small smile on Reina's lips.
"My eyes deceive me!" Shigure exclaimed. "Kyou hasn't said anything stupid or offensive yet!"
"Have a little faith, Sensei." Haru said. "They're siblings after all. Kyou is terrible with people, granted, but he's not a terrible person."
Shigure smiled one of his knowing smiles. "Hopefully he'll realize that, too."
"So you and Haru have something going, huh?" Kyou said. "Aw man, so now we have another couple within the family. Doesn't anyone other than me find that gross?"
Reina smiled. "Love is love."
"What? You're already in love? How am I supposed to act like a big brother and beat up your boyfriends now?" he said.
"That was your first impression of being my big brother?" she sounded amused. "You don't hate me?"
"What am I supposed to feel towards you?" He asked, suddenly serious. "You just appear in school, Haru sees something in you, and all of a sudden you're my sister."
"I didn't want to tell you." She said quietly.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I was afraid."
"Of what?"
"Afraid that you'd hate me, call me crazy, not want to have anything to do with me. Afraid that you'd hurt me, not care about me. Afraid you wouldn't want me, just like Mom."
All at once, Kyou felt connected to this girl. Weren't those the very same reasons he had trouble getting close to people? The same reasons he distanced himself. Because the people who were suppose to love him never did.
"Being afraid is okay." He said slowly. "But maybe it's better to face that fear and try anyway. Even if you're afraid, you should find courage." He smiled, thinking of the person who taught him that. "Because when you find that courage, it could be the best thing that could happen to you."
Suddenly she was crying.
"Hey, whoa, whoa, don't cry. Hey, don't cry!"
She wiped the tears away. "Sorry, I just…" She sniffed. "I just needed to hear that I guess." A new wave of tears came.
"Ahh! I can't stand it when people cry!"
"Sorry." She sniffled and wiped her eyes, but she sounded scared.
"Hey…I don't mean to yell…I just…I'm still not that great with people. In fact, I'm a pain in the ass. But…" He looked her in the eye. "You tried and found the courage to tell me…so I'll try to act like a brother. For you. I'll try to." One of his rare smiles slipped onto his face.
She smiled back. "Okay."
"Okay, enough bonding time. I've got things to do. Let's go find everyone." Kyou was suddenly embarrassed.
Shigure and Haru continued to watch Kyou and Reina. When Kyou smiled, Shigure started to laugh.
"What a rare sight to behold." He said, muffling his laughter. "Kyou is actually capable of smiling."
Whack! Kyou hit him over the head. "Don't you know the meaning of privacy?"
Shigure rubbed his head. "Oww! Really Kyou, need you be so violent?"
"Need you be so prying, you pervert?" Kyou shot back. "Get lost."
Reina giggled. "Haru, are you and Momiji ready to go yet?"
Kyou turned to Haru. "Oh yeah, you. Break my sister's heart and I'll break your neck."
"Breaking hearts?" Shigure interrupted. "Haru, I knew there was something behind living with a girl. I'm sure you'll be fine….as long as the police don't check i-"
Kyou hit him again. "You're sick."
"Ahh, but not lovesick as Haa-kun is. Young love. How I long for those days. Holding hands, tender kisses, lovers' tiffs, getting a little dirty now and the-"
Again, Kyou punched him.
"Sensei, you should really quit while you're ahead." Haru said.
"Yes, but it isn't my nature. Qué será será, I always say."
"Whatever." Kyou grumbled. "I've got stuff to do." He walked off.
"Well, now that the grumpypuss is gone, Haa-kun, Reina-chan, tell me about this romance of yours."
Both of them were silent and stared at him.
"Oh fine, ruin my fun. But seriously you two, be careful. Don't let the wrong things happen or the wrong people know."
"Trust us, Sensei." Haru said. "We'll be fine."
"Yes, yes I suppose. Don't get her pregnant Haa-kun." He teased.
"That's it!" Apparently Kyou heard the last comment. "You're sick Shigure!" He shouted as he dragged him out of the room. "Sick!"
Haru laughed. "We're not planning on that anytime soon."
Instead of replying, Reina just looked at him. It made him uncomfortable.
"What?"
"We're not?"
Ohh, dirty. Hehe, couldn't resist. Anyway, sorry it took sooo long to update, my cousin was visiting from New Jersey. And no, not the one on this site. A different one. That's why I wasn't on much...sorry.