"Are you sure you're alright?", Motoko asked for what must have been the thousandth time in Koichi's opinion.
First she puts me through a wall, and now she's all tender and concerned, he thought with wiry humour. Women, go figure.
He sat up, ignoring the indignant throbbing from his battered skull as it protested the sudden movement.
"Yes mother", he answered back, grinning when he heard her teeth grind together. It was fun to get her riled up every now and again, the angrier she got at him the better it was to try and make it up to her.
"I don't think I hit you hard enough", she muttered her ministrations to his bruised cranium becoming noticeably rougher.
"Hey, ow! Watch the merchandise already".
She rolled her eyes at him, if he was whining he was fine, it was only if he ever went quiet on her she knew something was seriously wrong. Besides, he'd faced her sister and lived, so she doubted a relatively weak strike like that would phase him to much, he was just on a pity trip.
"Grow up", she said, ruining the sternness of that comment with the smile she could feel tugging at her lips.
"Don't wanna", he said, even going as far as to cross his arms sulkily across his chest like a petulant child, but his lopsided grin never wavered.
"Child"
"Meanie"
She raised an amused eyebrow, this was an impressive new level of immaturity, the only way he could sink lower was if he...
"Phhhffft"
…stuck his tongue out at her…
"You're just trying to annoy me this morning aren't you?", she asked, although the question was unnecessary and his cheery expression was somehow both irritating and endearing at the same time.
"Yup", he said, even going as far as to flash her the victory sign.
"Do I even need to ask why?"
He reached up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. Motoko blushed slightly at the intimate act and tried to appear nonchalant. No mean feat with water lapping at your ankles and a mysteriously smiling boy friend nuzzling against your neck.
"Because", he whispered in her ear, sending pleasant shivers up and down her spine, "there's only one known way to calm an angry Motoko".
"And what would that be?", she asked, knowing from experience the likely answer.
By way of responding he captured her lips in a brief but powerful kiss, "That usually seems to work just fine".
"Was that why you…did what you did this morning?", she asked, noticing how he flinched slightly.
"No, like I said, I was half asleep and that was one hell of a wake up call Motoko"
The raven-haired girl coughed into her hand and looked away to hide her blush. Indeed she had been ceased by a rare boldness that morning, choosing to rouse Koichi with a kiss rather than the more traditional method of an alarm clock or foot.
"Not that I'm complaining or anything", he had to add, receiving a light cuff for his troubles that he shrugged off.
"In future keep your hands to yourself", she said, not missing the downcast look he tried to hide, or the small sense of elation that his longing for her stirred, "For now at least".
Motoko's eyes bulged for a second as her mind replayed the last part of that sentence for her, the part that had slipped out unintentionally. She turned a glare on him, daring him to have even the faintest trace of a self-satisfied smirk, but his features were a picture of innocence.
She suppressed the urge to beat him to within an inch of his life and poignantly looked away from him, knowing without turning back that his trademark smile was back in place.
"We should get out of here", she said, making to stand only to find herself pinned down.
"I like it just fine right here", he replied.
"We're going to freeze, we're both soaked", she pointed out, turning back to him.
"On a nice day like this?", came the rhetorical question as he began moving his face closer to hers.
"What about breakfast?", she asked, her voice getting quieter as he got closer.
"It'll already be gone"
"I…"
Another kiss, longer and deeper than the last, as Motoko felt his tongue gently probing her lips, seeking admittance.
She hesitated for a second before accenting to his unspoken request, wondering of the experience of her first 'French' kiss.
Of course, at Hinata Sou, privacy is theory, interruption practice.
"Oooooo frenchin out in public, naughty, naughty", cooed a cheerful voice from over on the decking at the other side of the hot spring.
Motoko heard Koichi curse whatever gods might be listening as she tried to hide the nova like blush from her foreign friend and ignore her face splitting grin.
"Su, impeccable timing as always I see", Koichi called over to the young girl, a clearly fake smile plastered across his face to stop himself killing her with a look.
"I'd ask you to get up but it looks like your hands are already full", she said, her smile somehow getting wider.
Motoko wondered what the hell her young friend was talking about, when she realised she could feel something against her posterior, something warm, with five digits.
Once more she pulled off a passable impersonation of the elder Aoyama sister as she turned to face her nervous looking boyfriend, come fiancé, come lecher.
"Now Motoko-chan", he said sweating though not from the heat, "You wouldn't hit a man with a possible concussion, that may be effecting his judgement and making him act in ways he wouldn't normally... would you?".
As it turned out, she would.
Bare minutes earlier.Knock Knock
"I'll get it", called Shinobu when there were no sounds heard from the stairs or living room. The blue haired girl wiped her soapy hands dry and padded lightly over to the front door, sliding it open and peeping around the edge, "Hello?".
She was startled as a pair of sea grey eyes on level with her own suddenly appeared by the gap she had opened.
Her first thought was that Koichi-sempai had been locked out by Motoko, but Kitsune had said they were fine when she came back.
Her second thought was that she didn't remember his eyes being that big, or him being so short.
"Erm, excuse me", asked a distinctly female voice, "May I come in?"
"Oh! I'm sorry", Shinobu said, pulling the door the rest of the way open. The person outside was definitely not Koichi-sempai, but the resemblance was uncanny.
She had short, black hair, not to dissimilar to Shinobu's own in length, that somehow seemed reminiscent of Koichi's though this hair was carefully combed rather than appearing only semi-tamed as Koichi's always did. Her face was more feminine by far, but there were some likenesses, but the most striking resemblance was the eyes, the colour of the sea on a cold day, the same as Koichi-sempai's.
The girl looked about Shinobu's age or maybe slightly younger though she seemed to extrude an aura of grace and maturity even in her cute blue dress and oversized hat.
"What can I do for you?", Shinobu asked, feeling somewhat intimidated by the other girl, but then this wasn't a new feeling.
The other girl smiled sympathetically, as if aware of the effect she was having and embarrassed by it.
"I'm here to see my brother", she stated, her voice smooth, almost inflectionless and slightly…regal.
Shinobu had the odd impulse to bow, or curtsy, but they were overridden by her curiosity.
"Your brother?", she asked, wondering who this strange girl could be referring to.
"I'm sorry", the other girl said, tipping her head in a small bow and smiling apologetically, "I seem to have forgotten my manners, father would be most disappointed about that".
Shinobu could only blink in confusion and she glanced down at the girl's suitcase, half surprised to see it there. With her formal speech and bearing she would have expected to find someone carrying it for her.
It took a few seconds for the significance of the suitcase to reach her. Did this girl intend to stay here? Did she think her brother a resident here?
As she opened her mouth to correct the girl she spoke again.
"My name is Kyoko Sagura, it is a pleasure to meet you", she said with another small bow and a smile.
"Shinobu Maehara", the blue haired girl responded automatically as she digested what she had just been told, "Does this mean that you're related to Koichi-sempai?"
Something flickered across Kyoko's face, as if she were unhappy with what Shinobu had said, but it was gone so quickly she thought she might have imagined it.
"I am Koichi-sama's younger sister", she said, putting a subtle emphasis on the honorific even while maintaining her polite smile.
"…I see", was all the other girl could come up with in response, shuffling a little uncomfortably.
"May I…", the dark haired girl prompted gently, causing Shinobu to fluster slightly as she realised she had left the other girl standing on the doorstep instead of inviting her in.
"Of course, I'm sorry, come in".
Kyoko gave her thanks as Shinobu stepped aside, lugging her heavy case along with her.
Shinobu directed her to the lounge and asked Kyoko to wait there for a moment while she attempted to track down her brother for her.
When she had left, Kyoko looked around the room, taking in the simple elegance of the building and smiling faintly.
As her eyes roamed freely around the room, she noticed that a plant pot near the television seemed to be shaking.
CuriousShe stood and walked the short distance to the vibrating shrubbery, peering at it carefully.
She bit back a small yelp when it popped up, now resting on the head of a tanned young gaijin with stunningly bright blond hair and vibrant green eyes, those head appeared to be sticking out of some sort of hole concealed beneath the plant.
"Another discovery", the girl yelled excitedly, scribbling something down on an incredibly complex looking map.
Kyoko raised an inquisitive eyebrow, this girl appeared to be the same age as herself and the other girl, Shinobu, or perhaps slightly older, but she spoke like someone far younger.
"Hi!", she said, clambering out of the hole, interrupting Kyoko's musings and dusting of the sailor fuku that was far to small her growing frame. She held out a hand and looked a little disappointed when Kyoko only starred at it uncertainly.
"Who are ya anyway?", she asked and much to Kyoko's distress began to sniff her, "Got any food? Wanna play? How come you smell like Koi-kun?".
Kyoko blinked under this barrage of strange questions, frowning a little at the last.
"I am Koichi-sama's younger sister, Kyoko", she answered, keeping her voice smooth and even as she had been taught, "…and no, I don't have anything edible on my person".
"You're Koi-kun's little sis huh?", the tanned girl said, seemingly oblivious to Kyoko's stare of disapproval at the familiar name, "Cool, I hope you're as much fun as he is, I'm Kaolla Su by the way".
"I see, it is nice to meet you Su-san…Do you know where my brother may be found?"
Su rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment before exclaiming cheerfully, "No idea actually, but I bet he's somewhere around here playing suck-face with Motoko".
Kyoko coughed discretely into her hand at the foreigner's rather graphic; to her mind at least, statement.
Su fumbled around in her pocket for a second before pulling out a small, circular handheld device and depressing one of the switches on top of it.
She starred intently at the screen on it's front for a few minutes before grinning and taking off without a word, leaving a rather perplexed Kyoko to her own devices once more.
"That was… interesting", the dark haired girl said, taking a seat on the nearest of the two couches, hands folded demurely in her lap as she resumed her observations.
Her peace was broken by moments later.
"Dragon Fist!"
"Kyaaaahh!"
She was on her feet before she realised it, racing as quickly as dignity would allow toward the source of that cry. She recognised that voice.
Oni-chan!She paused, confused for a second outside the door the noise had come from, the sign above the doorway clearly said 'Women's Bath', so why had she heard… oh no.
Fearing what she might find, Kyoko slide the door aside and stepped though.
She only gave the breathtaking sight of the hot spring a cursory glance, mentally filing it's location away for a more thorough investigation later, her eyes were on the sight before her.
The blond girl she had spoken too earlier stood cheering another woman, older, angry looking with silky black hair and partially soaked robes, who stood a little way away from were her brother lay, rubbing his jaw and beaming up at her with his usual crooked smile.
It didn't take a genius to pull a vague impression of what had happened, and she had no doubt Koichi had prompted the older woman to do whatever she had done.
"Oh Oni-chan", she sighed, her voice a contradictory mix of fondness and disappointment.
He looked up at her, his eyes widening in shock, as if wondering if he were hallucinating.
"Kyoko?"
They were all seated around the coffee table in the lounge, Motoko and Koichi having changed clothes first.
Kyoko sipped the tea Shinobu had made her and smiled her gratitude to prevent herself frowning at the 'Ninja' T-shirt her brother wore where he sat with an arm resting casually around the older raven-haired girl's shoulders.
Father would not have been pleased were he here at that moment Kyoko knew, not just because of the fact that Koichi was wearing that t-shirt, but because of how he and his bride to be looked. So…casual, like nothing but a pair of regular teenagers.
"So", the girl that had been introduced as Mitsune Konno or 'Kitsune' said, breaking the strange silence at last, "You're Koichi's little sister".
"That's correct Konno-san", she said, wondering why the older woman frowned and shuck her head slightly, the sandy brown ponytail at the back of her head lashing softly in time with the movement.
"You don't have to be so formal imouto", Koichi spoke up, his voice sounding amused as always, "these people are all my friends".
"Just because one of us lacks manners Oni-san, is no excuse for their dismissal", she replied taking another sip of her tea and casting a purposeful glance at her brother.
"Whatever brat", he growled around his grin.
"Miscreant", she replied with a small smile of her own, returning serve.
"Suck up"
"Vagabond"
"Child"
The others watched with interest as that last volley seemed to strike a nerve with the younger Sagura causing her to brow to crinkle slightly and her eyes to narrow. The most emotion she's shown yet, Kitsune couldn't help but think.
Kyoko placed her tea carefully on the table a not entirely pleasant smile set into her otherwise impassive features.
"If I am a child…then was does that make you in comparison? A mere wailing infant?".
Kitsune was sure she heard Koichi grind his teeth for a second.
"You realise of course brat", he said slowly a familiar twinkle in his eye, "that this means war".
"I wouldn't have it any other way dear brother", she said with a small, but seemingly genuine fond smile.
"Whatever", he said, yawning as if bored, "Why are you here anyway?"
"I came to visit you", she said sounding a little hurt. Koichi's reply was cut off by the accidental elbow to the gut he received courtesy of Motoko.
"All by yourself?", another voice asked and Kyoko directed her attention away from her foolish brother and over to the beautiful woman with long brown hair with two 'antennae' like strands that stuck out atop her head, sitting besides a reasonably handsome man with short brown hair and stylish glasses, her husband perhaps? Judging by their proximity.
"I am sixteen years of age, I am quite capable of travelling without supervision"
"Sixteen?", Shinobu said out loud, "You're the same age as me then"
"Yeah, she only looks twelve", Koichi said, jerking a thumb toward his sister's chest and receiving another, more painful blow from his fiancé.
"At least my mental age is in the realm of double digits", she fired back, crossing her arms over her chest unconsciously.
Koichi became uncomfortably aware of the fact that every set of female eyes in the room was now turned disapprovingly on him, especially Shinobu's who had only recently experiences a kick start in her own development.
He looked to the only other male in the room, who was making a point of not meeting his gaze.
"Touché" he settled for in the end, determined to try and keep both his life and his dignity if possible.
"Would it be possible for me to stay here for a while? I have a lot to catch up on with my brother", Kyoko said, directing the question to Keitaro.
"I don't see any problem", he replied slowly, looking around to check for any disapproving faces but finding no objections, unless you could consider poorly disguised sulking on the part of Koichi an objection, "We have plenty of rooms to spare. Shinobu? Would you mind helping get Kyoko settled in?".
"No, I don't mind sempai", she said giving him a shy smile she couldn't quite help.
From where she sat Kyoko noted this with interest and resumed sipping her tea.
"We seem to be a magnet for new residents lately", Naru joked as the group began to drift off back to their various activities, giving the new guest a chance to settle in.
"Um, I think this one has been cleaned recently", Shinobu said, sliding open a door a little down the hall from her own and peering inside.
Indeed the room was dust free, if bare, offering a view out over the courtyard.
"I'll bring you a futon in a minute", the blue haired girl said, trotting over to the window and throwing it open, letting in the warm breeze.
"Thank you", Kyoko said with another of her fractional smiles, depositing her case in one corner and leaving it. Apparently she had the same distaste for unpacking as her brother, or perhaps she just wanted to do it in private.
"I, erm", Shinobu faltered when neither said anything for a moment and Kyoko walked over to the windowsill, smiling silently at the cherry blossoms drifting lazily by.
The blue haired girl was once again stuck by the regal manner in which the other girl held herself and wondered if it was something that could be taught. Perhaps sempai would pay her more attention if she could add such grace to her finally developing figure.
"Dinner will be served around six, someone will call you when it's time", she said, finishing off her duties as a host while looking for something else to say.
"Thank you", Kyoko acknowledged politely, leaving little else for Shinobu to do but mutter a goodbye and leave.
Kyoko chuckled lightly to herself after the other girl left, she was not used to people acting so nervous around her.
She moved over to her case and deftly opened its various catches and locks, and began to remove the carefully packed and folded robes within, tidying them neatly away in the room's modest closet.
"Ooo pretty", she looked up startled, she hadn't heard anyone enter the room after Shinobu left.
Su was fingering the silk of one of her more expensive kimonos, eyes wide as she felt the silken material move effortlessly between her fingers.
Kyoko coughed into her hand to get the tanned girls attention, "Su-san, what are you doing in here, is there something I can help you with?"
"No, I'm good, just saying 'Hello'", she replied, dropping the robe and bounding over to where Kyoko stood, "Hi, welcome to the Hinata house, wanna go play?".
"Play?", echoed Kyoko, wondering again just how old this girl was.
"Yeah, you're Koi-kun's sis, so you should be good at lots of games", the other girl reasoned.
Again such informal references to my brother, has he even told them?"I'm still a little tired Su-san, maybe another time"
"Okays", the blond girl didn't seem to disappointed, in fact she was humming merrily to herself as she left.
Outside Kyoko heard a muffled "Omph!", that she recognised as her brother's and the apologetic giggling of the girl who had just left.
"Sorry Koi-kun"
"Don't worry about it kiddo, not like I don't get the breath knocked out of me on a regular basis anyway right", his reply echoed back, and Kyoko could almost hear the way the words bent around his goofy smile.
"Hehe, yup, but usually you're out of breath because you and Motoko-"
"I think that's enough banter for today," he cut in smoothly, "is the brat in her room?"
Kyoko narrowed her eyes, cataloguing that insult away for later.
"Yeah, she said she's tired though"
"Whatever, later Su"
The door slide aside and Koichi slipped in soundlessly, closing the door and leaning back up against the door frame, the closest he ever really came to a serious look on his face.
"Imouto"
"Oni-san"
They were both quiet for a moment before she stood and ran swiftly over to him, rapping her arms around his taller frame in a tight hug.
He hugged her back one handed and used the other to ruffle her hair in the way she would only ever let him do in private.
"I missed you Oni-chan"
"I know you did squirt", he said releasing her and putting her at arms length, his eyes looking colder than they ever should for a moment, "How's the old man?".
"Father is well", she replied simply, knowing he wasn't really interested in anything more detailed.
"Too bad", he grumbled, probably thinking he had been quiet enough for her not to hear him, but she kept her peace. Father was a strict man, and Koichi despised rules of any kind, it was understandable that they…clashed, from time to time.
"So what brings you out here?", he asked, the blunt question taking her by surprise.
"I wanted to see you again", she answered truthfully.
Koichi studied her face for a moment before shrugging and leaning back against the doorframe.
"Whatever you want to say brat"
Kyoko smiled her slight smile at him, not adding anything else.
"I better go, I was just checking on you", he said turning his back and sliding the door open.
He paused for a second before speaking again without turning to face her.
"It's good to see you again to imouto…don't make me regret saying that".
Kyoko felt her smile falter as he gently slid the door closed and left.
Oni-chan…
----Author Notes----
Koichi outclassed in a battle of wits! Kyoko, lots of fun to write, even if she does come off as a little aloof at times, all will be revealed later. Oh and no, Kyoko will be displaying no Kanako-esk tendencies here. The first glimpse of Koichi's family is unveiled, what did he mean by that cryptic last phrase? What is going on here and what does the future hold? Keep reading next time to find out.
Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell