Haven sighed loudly as Karma walked through the front door with a girl next to him. "Just don't be so loud this time." She glared at him.
Fia choked on her food as she stared at her roommate in dismay. Coughing, she managed to wheeze out, "You're going to scare this one away too!" Haven smirked and shot Fia a glance that read 'mission accomplished'. Blushing a dark shade of red and shaking her head, Fia covered her face with her hands. "Oh, Angel…"
"What, Tsu-chan?" she asked innocently. "I'm naive about this kind of thing. Did I say something I shouldn't have?"
The girl blushed even more. "Angel… I-I'm beginning to think you're a lot more devilish than I previously gave you credit for…" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she stole a dejected glance at the glamorous girl on Karma's arm.
Karma shot Haven a nasty glare and turned back towards the girl he'd walked in with, wearing an awkward smile. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gestured towards his room. "You want to go some place quieter? We can hang out in my room."
"Quiet? Not for long," Haven muttered just loudly enough as she nonchalantly went back to typing on her computer. Fia began choking again in the background.
As Karma and the girl disappeared into his bedroom, Nagisa emerged, holding a few books in his arms and holding in a big sigh. The bluenette sat down at the kitchen table with a soft smile as he caught Haven's gaze. "Good evening."
Closing her computer, Haven blushed slightly. "Good evening, Gisa…"
"H-Hello," Fia mumbled with a faint blush, glancing between the two. Haven immediately went three shades pinker, but Fia waved her hand dismissively to show the new couple that she didn't mind. "So, do you two have any plans? It's the first weekend of spring break," she reminded them.
"Well…" Haven began hesitantly. "I think Karasuma wanted to see me for training and we…" Haven blushed, "We were planning on… dates."
Nagisa blushed happily. "I didn't have much in mind other than…" His eyes found Haven's and quickly looked away.
Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, Fia clapped her hands together. "Well, between being with Ms. Jelavic and Felicia and going home, I think I'll be fairly busy for all of break. I'll ask Karma to stock up on some food and do the cooking once he's come out and finished with… W-Well, you know."
"I'm not sure I want those hands preparing food…" Haven cringed. "He might slip some mustard in…"
Fia sighed in relief, having thought that her best friend was going to say something much, much worse. She sweat-dropped. "He knows that you're allergic to it. I doubt he'd go that far," she explained with a reassuring smile.
"He likes the stuff too much. What if it's on his hands and accidentally gets in the food?" Haven frowned.
Nagisa patted her back encouragingly. "He only likes to prank people with it, but I'll help him out in the kitchen and make sure he doesn't poison anything, okay?"
"Thanks, Gisa," Haven leaned into him.
Smiling embarrassedly, Fia excused herself from the table and went to pack her bags for the long week.
Suddenly, Haven's computer beeped loudly. She opened the laptop to find Wally standing there, holding a manilla envelope.
"If you don't fulfill these demands, I'll run away!" Wally protested weakly as he bowed and 'handed' Haven the documents which opened into a new window. Haven scanned the page.
Nagisa smiled wryly at the blue-haired A.I. "Is this your way of having a rebellious phase?"
"Let's see… lower pitched voice banks, more mature mod… Basically, you want to go through puberty… Why?" Haven asked. "I mean, most people like that stage of their life least… and what's this about a Norwegian voice bank? I can understand the Japanese one, but why do you need a Norwegian one?" Wally just blushed.
"Capisce? (Understand?)" Felicia called from just inside her apartment's bathroom. Washing the blood from her body in the sink and talking to her sister through the slightly ajar door, the older Timo sister found herself walking her younger sister through her most recent assassination.
Fia sat on the floor of the dark hallway and flinched as the bathroom door swung open and the light pierced her eyes. Holding her hand protectively in front of her face, Fia pouted. "That was really cheesy."
"What? The capisce? I know it's a stereotype, but I needed to make sure you were listening, idiota (idiot)." Holding the towel clinging to her body with one hand and running her hand through wild wet hair with the other, the curvy woman leaned against the wooden doorframe. "You get why I said what I said to that man? I don't know how well you could hear me through the body camera."
"To get him to lower his guard?" Fia questioned.
Felicia lightly dropped the heel of her foot on her sister's head. "You're right, and you know that, so try to sound more confident."
"Cazzo! (Fuck!)" Teary-eyed, Fia rubbed her head. "That hurt, meanie!"
Grinning, Felicia bent over to pinch Fia's puffy cheeks. "In some ways, you never do grow up."
Fia laughed lightly as water dripped onto her face. "I could say the same to you!" After a moment of pause, she sighed quietly. "You're very pretty, sorella (sister)."
"Hah?" Felicia ran her hand through her hair, glowing almost golden, water drops shining like iridescent pearls, against the backlight of the bathroom. "Dio (God), what would make you say that all of a sudden?"
The younger girl blushed and looked away. "I-I was just wishing I could l-look as pretty as -"
"Don't even. You are beautiful, if for no other reason that you've got the strongest heart of all of us. Merda (Shit), Fia, now you've up and made me feel guilty about leaving." In her frustration, Felicia sat heavily down on the floor in a crossed-legged position. She rested her chin in her palm, her elbow on her knee. "How did you have the patience to stay?"
Blushing, Fia covered her eyes with her hands. "Do you have to sit like that?!"
"Che? (What?) I'm wearing underwear…" Felicia smirked.
"LINGERIE CAN HARDLY BE CONSIDERED DECENT COVERAGE!" Fia yelled accusingly.
Felicia tucked her legs under her body and held her hands in front of her chest to accentuate her breasts. Conjuring a blush and a falsely-innocent expression as she batted her long lashes, Felicia brought a finger to her pink lips. "Whatever do you mean? You're not angry with me, are you? I just wanted to please you…"
"SAVE THOSE TRICKS FOR YOUR TARGETS!" she cried as she covered her face again. Peeking through her fingers, Fia mumbled, "b-but do teach me h-how to do that, por favore… (please…)"
"Why? Is there a certain guy who're trying to seduce?" A smug grin found its way to Felicia's face as she teased her younger companion.
The girl's face turned scarlet. "WHAT?! W-Why would y-you s-say something l-like that!?" she demanded as she covered her eyes again and furiously shook her head. "I-I'm n-not ready for th-that kind of thing!"
"All in good time, sweet sorellina~ (little sis'~)" Felicia relaxed into a more natural sitting position and leaned against the wall. "But why is beauty on your mind? You're self-conscious and shy, sure, but I've never once heard you compare yourself to others."
Fia's cheeks burned a cherry red as her gaze dropped to the floor. "W-Well, you were gone through most of my teenage years, Felicia… Everything has changed a lot since then. The twins were sent off to boarding school on bad behavior -"
"Understatement of the century," Felicia scoffed.
"- Gio and Lupe have become adamant about becoming independent as soon as they can - but both still cling to Mami e Papino (Mom and Daddy) more than they should, and our parents have become very weary."
"Are you trying to say that I shouldn't have left?" Felicia snapped with a sour expression.
Round eyes widened. "No! Not at all!" Fia protested as much as she could. "I just think that… You should come home sometime… You've missed such a big part of the kids' lives. And, especially since I can't stay here forever… They - They need someone there to support them, and I think you're what they need to fill the hole Felix left behind…" Fia freed her thoughts slowly, but the words still hung in the air like a scream in the night.
Felicia pursed her lips, a stubborn expression gracing her face. "You can't make me go back -" she began, but, with a moment more of thought and a sigh, she continued, "but I'll think about it for your, and the kids', sake. Bene? (Good/Okay?)"
Fia nodded with a slight smile. "Si, grazie, Sorella. (Yes, thank you, sister)."
"Yeah, whatever, but you have to answer something for me in return." She smirked.
"Huh?" Auburn eyebrows furrowed in apprehensive concern. "Che? (What?)"
The older sister inspected her nails with a false sense of casualness. "I don't believe you when you say that you've been concerned about how beautiful you've looked over the past couple of years. I know you went through that whole phase of not wanting to be noticed and wearing really conservative clothes, blah-blah-blah, but this is really fucking different. So, what's up?"
"There's someone that I like very much… I love him, I think I'm in love with him, but his type is the pretty type, the beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous types with model bodies who have the world at her fingertips… He brings them home and I…" She lost what was left of her strangled voice, drowning in her own thoughts and emotions.
Gently, a hand touched her cheek and guided her into a warm embrace. Hiding her face, contorted by the joyous and desperate emotions waging a civil war in her heart, Fia began to sob like a child. As complexity and frustration chipped away at her spirit, her honesty streamed down her face in salty ravenes.
"Shh… Andrà bene, sorellina… (It will be fine, sister…) Why don't you rest here for the night? I'll call your roommate and let her know you aren't feeling well. Tacere, calmare, I understand… (Hush, calm, I understand…)"
Overtaken by exhaustion, Fia nodded slowly and heavily shut bleary, weary eyes.
"Delinquente dannati… (Damned delinquent…)"
Nestling into a warm chest, the Italian girl smiled drowsily. Whoever was holding her had a heartbeat that danced steadily in tandem with hers. Wait… Holding her…? Two pairs of peridot eyes fluttered open and met under the haze of the early afternoon sun.
Pink exploded across Fia's cheeks as she sat up quickly and backed away from the stranger. Feeling a breeze, she realized that she was wearing a floral skirt under her white blouse and green military jacket. Fia blushed a darker shade and pulled the skirt down just as the other boy sat up and ran his hand through his tousled, pink-auburn hair. He wore a white, collared, button-up shirt over a green undershirt and white washed jeans. Fia was about to comment on his missing jacket in this semi-chilly weather when she realized it was draped across her shoulders.
The boy smiled, one of those lopsided smiles that are just the right mix between bashful and goofily charming. "Scusa (Sorry), I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you sleeping here; It gets a little chilly this time of year, so I got worried about you. I must have fallen asleep," he laughed embarrassedly and averted his eyes.
Fia gently pulled the coat off of her shoulders and handed it to the other boy with a shy smile. "Grazie, Parli Italiano? (Thank you, Do you speak Italian?)"
The taller male grinned. "Si, bella~! (Yes, beautiful~!)" After quickly donning his jacket, he, eyes glittering, moved to gently place a kiss on either of Fia's cheeks. "It's been so long since I've met someone I can converse naturally with! Come ti chiami? (What's your name?) Mi chiamo Fino, or Fiammetta (My name is Fino, or Fiammetta). But, por favore (please), just call me Fino."
"Fiammetta," Fia answered in return as she beamed happily despite her flushing cheeks. "Mi chiamo Fia, or Fiammetta (My name is Fia, or Fiammetta), but, por favore (please), just call me Fia." Giggling, she kissed her newest friend on both of his cheeks, much to his flutered embarrassment. "Hehe, it's not every day you get to meet yourself… Piacere! (Nice to meet you!) Although, you don't seem nearly as sh-shy as me… Do you know where we are?"
The boy called 'Fino' glanced around at their surroundings. The pair was sitting in a grassy courtyard to a large university where a bell tower clock was striking twelve. "This is where I go to school," he explained quickly. "I'm not sure how you ended up here, but do make yourself at home. You can rely on me for anything," he promised as he pushed a pair of thick-rimmed, forest green glasses up his nose and tucked a stray lock of wavy hair behind pierced ears.
Subconsciously, Fia's hand moved to her hair, mimicking his action. Although surprised that his glasses looked identical to hers, other than in color, she noticed that he had only one pierced ear instead of both like she had. Fia nodded in thanks and tucked her knees into her chest. "Anything…?" Smiling at his immediate and earnest nod, Fia decided to open her heart to him.
Fino leaned back and tilted his face upwards towards the vast expanse of sky. "No, I never had a speech impediment, but I didn't exactly fit in either. My hair was a lot longer and pinker back in middle school, so, with this face, people called me a girl. I don't think it's an insult to be called a 'girl,' but it made making friends really difficult." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and kissed his dagger phone charm before turning it on to show Fia some photos of his family, all genderbent versions of her own family.
"I'm lucky to have had Feliciana, my eldest sister. She's the real maternal figure in our household. Mami is a loose cannon and Papi is fairly stern with us, especially when it comes to keeping the house together. The life of an interior designer, right?"
"Mami is a fashion designer, so I end up being quite the doll. Would you like to see my catwalk? I promise not to fall more than twice!" Covering her mouth with her hand, she giggled. "Wow! The twins look exactly like mine! They also look like they're just as big of troublemakers!"
"They wouldn't be the twins otherwise, right?" Fino laughed. "I don't know how many times I've had to pull a chemistry magic trick to pacify them!"
Fia gasped. "YOU TOO?!" They fell into each other as they laughed.
"Si, apparently. Although, I do card tricks too. Poker is a cinch." The male's expression was almost unreadable, save for the vaguest trace of a smirk, an upturned corner of his mouth.
Fia smiled to herself. Her eyes roamed the screen and she pointed to a rapscallion-looking man, clothes made of scuffed leather and copper hair tips dyed scarlet red. "Is that… Felicia?"
"That's my brother, Felice. He's a troublemaker -" Fino sighed "- but he really does stick up for me when necessary. Although the mafia disbanded, our family does seem to still have a subconscious family-first mindset. Still, I think we've become fairly Americanized over the years. What's your family like, amore?"
Fia sighed softly. "My family left Italy to escape the famiglia's civil war. We've all been living somewhat contentedly here in the States… Well, my older brother died when I was younger, and my older sister ran away shortly after that to pursue a… particular line of work. I recently found her again, which is a miracle in and of itself, but sometimes I wish she'd just choose to come home…"
Wrapping his arms around his female counterpart's shoulders, Fino pulled Fia into a comfortable side hug. "Let's talk about something else. What are your interests in hobbies? I'm really curious about what I'm up to in another world."
"I know right?!" Fia replied, her eyes filled with wonder and awe. "It's strange to think about all the ways we could have been different, just by the slightest changes… Well, I'm majoring in biochemistry and minoring in art history. I want to go into research and development, hopefully making breakthroughs in medicine."
"Really? I'm double majoring in chemistry and physics with a minor in music. I think I'd love to make robotic prostheses or go into bioengineering, but that means a lot more schooling, and I want to make sure I have enough to support my girlfriend."
Fia appreciatively leaned against him. "Girlfriend? What's she like?"
"She's my girlfriend now, but I… I do intend on marrying her one day and being at her side, supporting her, for as long as I can. She's…" Fino smiled wryly, rubbing his knees as he thought. "She's a handful, a prankster really, but she's beautiful, ambitious, and strikingly coy. Most importantly, all she expects from me is that I stay true to myself."
Blushing, the Italian girl looked off towards the low, suspended sun. "I love a boy who's remarkably similar to her… This difference is that he's the one who makes me feel the most true to myself."
A loud bell in the distance rang seven times and Fino frowned slightly. He squeezed Fia's hand in his and looked to the girl beside him, who was beginning to fade with every ray of red light that hit her. "I think our time is almost up, Fia…"
"I guess so…" She accepted it quietly. "Thank you, Fiammetta. Having you here was like having the brother I've lost come back to me, if only for a little while. I think talking to you helped me appreciate my family just a little bit more…" Kissing her newfound brother's cheek, Fia released his hand and let herself be carried away by the sun's dying gasp of light as it slipped under the black horizon.
An olive eye opened again to the bright, the resplendent rays of a 7 a.m. sunrise. Shading her face with a hand, Fia sat up slowly and found herself lying on the couch of her sister's apartment. With a resolved nod, she pushed herself to her feet.
"Time to go home."
"Ciao, Angel! What did you guys do over Spring Break? Was it very eventful?" Fia asked as she placed her heavy bag on her bed and crossed off all the days on her calendar that she'd missed while away. She could hardly believe it was already April, but Fia smiled to herself, looking forward to the spring showers they were bound to get.
"Nope, not really. I did some training with Karasuma, started putting Wally through puberty, and," Haven blushed, smiling bashfully as she continued, "I went out with Nagisa a few times,"
"Mr. Karasuma had me kissing the ground a couple of times," Fia admitted, laughing as she unpacked her suitcase and began placing clothes on plastic hangers for her closet. "I'm glad you had fun together! Anything else happen?"
"Not really…" Haven tilted her head, "Nagisa was in our room a lot because Karma kept bringing back girlfriends."
The Italian quietly finished putting all of her clothes away and flopped down heavily on her bed with an audible sigh. "Is that so…?" Fia turned her head to smile at her roommate, even as her cheeks flushed red and her eyebrows involuntarily furrowed over paling olive eyes. "A-At least he's enjoying himself, right?" she asked tentatively.
"You don't actually think that," Haven replied flatly, "Your skills at deception may have improved, but you can't fool me, Tsu-chan."
Fia sweat-dropped. "D-Deception?" She smiled wryly. "I may not be thrilled about it, but… I r-really do hope he finds someone he really likes…"
Haven gave her a look, "What are you not telling me? You obviously have a stronger opinion on the subject."
Her gaze found the crystal flower on her bedstand as she began to reply slowly. "Well, A-Angel, would you believe me if… if I t-told you I have f-feelings for Karma?" Fia mumbled as an inflammatory red spread across her cheeks.
"We all have feelings for Karma," Haven rolled her eyes, "Some are just more negative than others." Haven paused for a moment, "Wait… those probably aren't the type of feelings you're talking about. You don't mean that you like him, do you?!"
"That's exactly what I meant…" Exhaling slowly to calm her fraying nerves, Fia smiled again at her best friend. "S-So… I mean it when I say that I hope he finds the one he's looking for."
"He's a real jerk," Haven simmered. "And you're a bit of an idiot, Tsu-chan. What has he ever done to turn your head?"
Fia smiled, but her eye twitched ever so slightly. Rubbing the back of her head, she searched for how to explain her answer to Haven. "He's done quite a lot for me… I don't expect you to feel positively about him, but he really isn't a bad person." Fia smiled softly as she brought Bacio to her chest and hugged him tightly, kissing the plush's lips. "I actually admire a lot of things about him…"
Haven sighed, "I won't say I understand, but I guess you're not as much of an idiot. At least you have reasoning to back your claim. He's still a jerk, though."
Not able to deny either of Haven's points, Fia hopped out of bed and handed a box from her bedstand drawer to her white-haired counterpart as her cheeks darkened. She buried her face in Bacio and left only a pair of shining green eyes peeking out over the plushy. "Could you give this to him anyway? I-I don't think I c-can, but I'm still worried about him…"
"Sure…" Haven looked at the box skeptically, "But doesn't this kind of… encourage his bad habits?"
Fia pouted. "He's going to do it anyway - A-And I'm n-not going to use them!" she protested hotly. "Don't listen to Gio!" Waving dismissively, Fia ran out of the room and into the kitchen to cook.
Karma walked through the living room with a girl on his arm. Seeing them, Fia got up from her seat on the couch, a forlorn expression on her face, and headed to her room. Haven glared at Karma with contempt from her seat on the other couch. She swore she saw a shadow of guilt on his face as he watched Fia's retreating back. It was in this moment that Haven decided to go through with her battle plans. Karma led the other girl to his room and was about to close the door when a box bounced off the back of his head.
"Oh, Karma, Tsu-chan wanted to give something to you," a familiar voice called from the couch. "You're more likely to use them than she is."
Karma turned around and looked at the box in disbelief. Quickly regaining his composure, he asked the girl on the couch "Not you and Nagisa?" with a smug grin as he shut the door firmly behind him.
A red-faced Haven stared furiously at the closed door. "You're a jerk," she muttered angrily. She sighed and shook her head, "How can you be so oblivious?"
That night, Nagisa stayed in the girls' room. "I wish he had given me some warning," he complained from Haven's sleeping bag on the floor, where he was gently rubbing Wysteria's furry head.
Haven scrolled through an e-mail on her phone and nodded her head. "I'm avenging you for sure, Tsu-chan," she smiled, "Wally, please print this on a sticky note."
"Of course, Haven," the A.I. replied, "About my declaration…"
"I'm working on it," Haven sighed as she got up and left the room.
"Avenging, huh? I thought so," Nagisa looked at Fia sympathetically. She responded to Nagisa with a blank look as if to ask what he meant. "You like Karma," Nagisa explained.
Blushing as her eyes widened in surprise, Fia hung and nodded her head. "Is it obvious?"
A few moments later, Haven returned to the room with a smug smile. "I will have to thank Rebecca tomorrow," she noted as she crawled into bed. Nagisa and Fia gave her questioning looks. "Oh, she gave me some info for how to best plan my revenge." Haven smiled and closed her eyes.
The next morning, Karma's date walked out of the room to be greeted by a box of cherry-flavored condoms. "You think Karma's a bitch, wait till you mess with a Capricorn," was typed on the yellow sticky note stuck to the top. She looked at it in confusion.
"Is the capricorn awake?" Haven called from the kitchen. The date looked at Haven with confusion. Haven sighed, "Is Karma awake?" She had to stop from smiling when the girl realized exactly what the post-it meant. The girl looked up at Haven with embarassed annoyance. "You still haven't answered my question," Haven began tapping her foot on the kitchen tile, ignoring the girl's look.
"What he does is none of your business," the girl snapped back.
"Oh really? You're going to protect that piece of scum?" Haven narrowed her gaze. "Do you think you're special? Do you think he actually likes you?"
"Are you, like, his ex or something?"
"Are you, like, going to be his long-term girlfriend or something?" Haven imitated the girl's tone.
"I get it. You're just jealous of us for getting it on when your relationship isn't going so hot," the girl said smugly.
"This has nothing to do with me," Haven snapped defensively before taking a much cooler one, "In about half a week, he will dump you. The next day, he will bring someone else here and mess with her."
"How would you know? He really cares about me. He told me I was special," she looked at Haven with a self-satisfied smile.
"He told you? How much more gullible can you get?" Haven scoffed coldly. "I've seen it happen three times since the Spring Dance. He doesn't actually love you. I'd be surprised if he even liked you. For him, it's a game. How many girls can he deceive so he doesn't have to tell one the truth? Why else would he look at my roommate with such guilt. I think she's the only one who has ever awoken that feeling in him and she's not even trying."
Using his skill as an assassin, the bluenette made his way silently around the pair of bitching females with a wry smile and a sweat-drop. Nagisa opened the door to his room just a crack and tried to slip in unnoticed. As soon as he shut the door behind him, he ran into his roommate. Karma was resting his ear on the end of a glass he was holding against the wall.
"You were listening, weren't you?" Nagisa sighed, "You know, she isn't half-wrong."
Karma clenched his free hand into a fist and hit the wall. "I don't need to be patronized," he growled.
Haven and Fia were working in the living room. Fia on a chemistry lab write up, Haven on her computer. The two had been working for a good half hour when Wally popped up on Haven's screen. "You have a tweet!" he smiled and held a blue bird logo cupped in his hands.
"I don't have a twitter, Wally. What are you doing?" Haven scowled at her digital creation.
"I thought it would be punny," Wally admitted, lowering the bird and looking downcast.
"Don't let Earnest rub off on you!" Haven face palmed. "Or Fia for that matter." Fia sweatdropped from the other side of the table.
"Fine," the blue-haired boy pouted. "How are the demands coming?"
"I'm working on them now. Here's your new voice. It'll take me a bit to get the new voice banks though," Haven reported.
"Thank you!" Wally replied, his voice dropping an octave or two as he continued, "I no longer sound like a ten-year-old."
"Wally, what happened?" Fia asked as she looked over Haven's shoulder.
"Nothing much," Haven replied. "He presented me with an ultimatum awhile back. Put him through puberty or he says he'll run away. I chose the former option. Still working on it though."
"It is greatly appreciated," the A.I. replied.
"It's weird though… I never thought I'd change your mod from Mr. Robo. How long ago did I do that? Last semester?" Haven sighed, "They grow up so quickly."
Suddenly, Wally bursted out in song, "You have mail, you have -"
"Wally, SHHHHHHH!" Haven moved the mouse cursor over his mouth and clicked furiously.
Wally took the cursor into his hand and away from his mouth. After looking at it for a moment, he spoke. "I am sorry, Haven. Do you want me to stop?"
"Two problems. One, your voice. It's too deep to sing that anymore. Two… don't give me verbal notifications when I get emails from THOSE PEOPLE!" Haven hissed as she picked up her computer and headed for her room.
"I will file that exception into my programming. Do you want me to continue singing the mail song for other emails?" Wally asked.
"We'll… we'll work on that…" Haven replied as she closed the door to her room.
Fia looked after her roommate with surprise. Haven had never left just to read an email.
Holding a pastel orange shoebox with peach blossoms painted onto the sides, Fia approached Karma, who was sitting on the couch in the living room.
The redhead's pointed gaze fell on the Italian as she squeezed herself into the spot on the couch next to him. Sighing, Karma tried to move away from Fia, but she closed the gap between them like a magnet to metal. Faces met at a breath's distance, both fixed with intent gazes on the other.
"What?!" Karma demanded an answer agitatedly, slightly unnerved by her sudden closeness. "Are you going to lecture me too?"
Fia's smile twisted with an overwhelming sense of sadness, and she leaned back. "Of course not… Is there a reason that I should? I just wanted to check on you."
Karma rolled his eyes as he scoffed. "As if you don't know that everyone else is already friggin' pissed at me."
"I just wanted to see how you were. We haven't talked much over the past few weeks," she uttered contemplatively. Suddenly smiling, Fia gingerly ran her hand over the permeated lid of the box. "I wanted you to meet someone!"
He quirked an eyebrow at the floral-patterned container in her hands. "Someone in a box?"
"Something like that," Fia said with a giggle. She opened the lid to reveal a tawny bird with crimson wings, one neatly bandaged, nestled in a fluffy towel. Black eyes found orange and the avian creature chirped cheerfully. "Her name is 'Aka.'"
"Aka?" Karma stared at Fia with a grave expression. "Short for Akabane?"
"Your name does mean 'red wings,' doesn't it?" The girl replied with curious eyes. She broke out into a grin. "Besides, the color is the same as your hair! Aka's a female cardinal. See the red beak, wings, tail, and fohawk?"
Spreading his arms out on the couch's back as he leaned closer to observe the bird, Karma chuckled. "Fohawk? You mean its crest?"
Fia blushed as red as her feathered friend. "Th-That's w-what it looks l-like!" she protested. "S-Stop laughing!" Annoyedly, Fia elbowed his side before turning her attention back to the bird with a huff. Aka curiously looked up at her in return. "I found this beautiful girl out by the field this morning."
"And you brought her back?" Karma asked as he moved to poke the bird.
"Of course I did!" The Italian scowled, pouted, and puffed out her pink cheeks all at once. "I couldn't just leave her!"
The redhead shook his head. "I expected as much, but you do remember that Nagisa has that cat, right?"
"Wysteria would never!" Fia turned up her nose, only to have Karma grab it between his fingers and use it to shake her head from left to right. Whining, she smacked at his hand. "M-Meanie!" she yelled with an accusing glare.
Karma laughed as he settled back into his comfortable, laidback position. His eyes found their way to Fia, adjusting the towel around Aka. The two sang notes to each other until Karma interjected with a melodic whistle. Both females turned to face Karma and blinked at him in surprise.
"What? Any girl will tell you I have talented lips~" the redhead noted with a smirk. "If you don't know how to whistle, Tsu-chan, I'd be glad to give you a private lesson."
Her cheeks and ears darkened immediately, but after a moment of pause, Fia responded curtly as she set the shoebox down carefully on the coffee table. "With my experience, I think I'd end up being the one giving you a few more vocal lessons than you bargained for. These lips aren't just for singing, you know." Bringing her averted eyes back to Karma's flushed face, Fia smiled coyly. "We might even finally live up to Rebecca's expectations -"
The two made eye contact and both immediately turned away, hotly flustered.
"S-Sorry," Fia mumbled embarrassedly. "M-Maybe I-I've been spending too m-much time with Ms. Jelavic and Felicia… DIO! I DON'T WANT TO TURN INTO THEM!" She cried as she buried her face in her hands and shook her head profusely. "NEVER EVER EVER EVER! I'll die of embarrassment first!"
Karma covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, but he broke out in a fit of laughter. Putting Fia into a headlock, he gave the girl a serious hair ruffling. "Good, 'cause who wants a Ms. Bitch Jr. Jr.?"
"H-HEY! QUIT IT!" She exclaimed, turning an alarming shade of magenta.
He chortled and smirked. "You should stay the way you are. Spacey, goofy, gluttonous -" Karma's free hand found its way to Fia's side.
"I'M NOT THAT CHUBBY!" Fia protested as she squirmed and laughed loudly from within his ensnaring arms. "H-Hey! Cazzo, that t-tickles!"
"Nerdy, whiny, so easy to tease and tsundere~" Karma grinned playfully.
Fia made an attempt to fend off the sadistically-grinning boy, but he grabbed her wrists. Instinctively, she bit down Karma's arm in retaliation, not enough to hurt but enough to catch him off guard.
"Did you just bite me?!" he demanded with a growl as shock and pink spread across his cheeks.
"Ha! Take that, asshole! You can't keep me down!" Fia grinned triumphantly, sticking her tongue out at him.
Showing off his sharp canine teeth, Karma smirked. "Oh, are you sure about that?"
Suddenly, there was a tapping at the window. Both Karma and Fia turned to see a scarlet bird pecking persistently at the glass pane. Responding to the resonating sound, Aka perked up and repeatedly chirped three metallic syllables to her distant counterpart.
"Is that another cardinal?" Karma asked Fia. "What's he doing here?"
Auburn eyebrows knitted together. "Well… From what I've read, cardinals are often found in pairs. He could be her partner. Maybe he's concerned about her injury!" As she spoke, Fia carried the box over to the window with a smile. "Are you here to check on Aka?" she cooed, opening the portal to give the male cardinal entrance.
He immediately took to the box, and he settled in next to Aka once he'd thoroughly investigated her damaged wing. Puffing his chest out at Fia and chirping exuberantly, the cardinal glared at Fia as if to tell her to leave.
Fia put her hands up in defense and she returned to the couch with a sweat-drop. "I don't want Aka to try and fly, but I just can't separate them," she sighed. Karma gazed at the girl thoughtfully, much to her discomfort. "What is it…? Aka's going to be okay… Or, is that not what you wanted to ask?"
"Wouldn't it be more instinctual for him to find another bird?" Karma asked.
The girl paused to think. "Well, probably. I mean, cardinals aren't swans who mate once for life, but they don't always just mate and run off. The single cardinals always sound the most forlorn in winter… But, instead of hopping from stranger to stranger, isn't it better to stick by your partner, the one who's come to know you inside and out and support you through all that time you've been together? I mean, there's no way of knowing that the first bird will be the last bird, but wouldn't you want to take some time to choose some-birdie you can really rely on? Some-birdie who really cares about you? H-Hypothetically speaking, as a bird, th-that's what I think…" Fia smiled awkwardly.
Karma sat quietly and sighed heavily as he ran his hand through his hair. Changing the subject, he inquired tentatively "How are you?"
Fia shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'll be alright." While moving to retrieve her shoebox from the window, she slowly brought a reassuring smile to her face. "Thanks for letting me find you." Returning to her room with that melancholy smile, she hummed quietly with the mellow chirping of the couple in her hands.
Fia: (Singing "Songbird" by Oasis when she spots something moving out of the corner of her eye) Hey! Wysteria, leave my birdies alone! (Grabs the box from the cat and holds it to her chest)
Karma: Told you the cat would eat 'em.
Fia: (Pouts) Nagisa, weren't you going to keep Wysteria in your room?
Nagisa: I put her in there, but I had to grab something from the living room and I didn't want her to be alone.
Karma: (snickers)
Fia: (accusingly) What?
Karma: You're doing that thing again. You always pout, whine and cry like a friggin' lost puppy when you don't get what you want.
Fia: (blushes) D-Do not!
Karma: Oh? What if I said I refuse to make miso tonight?
Fia: (Tries hard not to, but involuntarily begins to pout and whine ever so slightly) B-But… You promised!
Karma: See? (Smirks)
Fia: T-That's beside the point! (Face flushes) Y-You p-promised!
Karma: (Shrugs innocently and begins walking away) I changed my mind.
Fia: (Hands the birds and their box to Nagisa before chasing down Karma and hitting him on the back as he walks, her wearing a teary, pouty face) But Kaaarmaaa! You promised! (Whining) Meanie! Jerk! Stupid-head! Promise-breaker!
Doorbell rings
Nagisa: I'll get it! - Karma, your date is here. (Sighs) Again…? (Turns to Fia) You're doing it again.
Fia: Doing what?
Nagisa: Pouting.
Fia: (Sighs) Who I want just wanted someone who isn't me - again. That's all… Where's Angel?
Nagisa: I think she's working on something.
Fia: She's really been keeping to herself lately, especially when her computer is involved… I wonder what she's up to.
Narrator: Well, before this gets any further, I'd like to apologize for the slow updating speed. The college life makes the schedule really busy and certain scenes were just difficult to write this time. Next chapter, the tension builds? Who will we meet this time?
Left Brain: Grah! I quit. I'm out, no more fluff for me!
Right Brain: This is why it took so long to update.
