Chapter 4: Reunion

"Do you really think this is a good idea, Chi?" Juli asked, pacing on Ema's shoulder as Japan came into sight from the airplane window.

"Of course it's a great idea," Ema said, unable to help her smile at the sight beneath her. She put one hand to the window of the plane, as though she could somehow reach the ground below. Home. She was going home and she'd get to live surrounded by people she knew and cared for instead of living surrounded by strangers. It had been such a long time since she'd had that. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

Juli stopped his pacing to stare at Ema. His stare had no affect since her gaze was still on the coast of Japan. "I would think that would be obvious, Chi. You're a vulnerable young lady and your moving into a house with eleven boys living there. That's eleven wolves out for vulnerable young flesh like yours!"

Ema finally looked at Juli. "Wolves? These are the Asahina brothers, Juli, not wolves. They aren't strangers and they've been our friends for years. Why are you worried?"

"Because you were just a little girl when we left!" Juli said, flapping his arms frantically. "Now you're a beautiful young woman and they're a bunch of young men still with teenage hormones! It's a recipe for disaster. Like throwing a baby gazelle into a den of lions. Things are different now, Chi. You need to be aware of that."

"You're being ridiculous," Ema told Juli gently. "The Asahinas are like extended family. They're doing us a favor by letting us live with them." She took Juli into her hands so she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look at him. "I get to go to a real school now, Juli. And you won't have to worry about me getting lost in the streets because we won't be living in a new city or country every few weeks or months. Aren't you excited about that?"

"Of course I am, Chi," Juli said, softening a little. "I know all this traveling and change has been hard on you. I just think you should go into this situation a little more cautiously than you are. Keep your eyes wide open and keep me by your side at all times in that house, okay? At least until we know what the situation is."

"The situation is that we're moving in with old friends," Ema said gently. "Things might be a little different now that we're all older, but I don't think they'll be that different. I am a lot younger than a lot of the Asahina brothers, after all. I don't think they'd be interested in a little girl like me. I appreciate your concern, but I think you're worrying over nothing, Juli."

~.~

Hikaru opened his latest email from Ukyo and the words inside it made him put his coffee down.

"Well, well, well," he murmured. "Looks like my brothers are finally going to see the lovely woman our little Ema Hinata has blossomed into." It was too bad he wouldn't be there to see their first reaction. Of course, he had been away from home for a long time. Maybe it was time he paid a visit to Japan.

~.~

"Why do you have flowers?" Yusuke asked, glaring at the bouquet in Iori's arms.

"To welcome Ema back, of course," Iori said. "It's been over six years since we last saw her."

"That's right," Tsubaki said, bumping the back of Yusuke's head with his elbow. His hands were full of chocolates. "We need to welcome her back properly. Most of us wanted to do something nice for her. I don't know why you're even here since you don't even care. You should have gone and played basketball with Subaru."

"Whatever," Yusuke muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He wasn't so much upset that his brothers had bought gifts for Ema, but that he hadn't thought of it. He wasn't mad that Ema was coming back like some of his brothers thought, he just…didn't know what to think of it.

He'd have been ecstatic to hear that Ema and her dad were moving back to Japan, but hearing that she was moving in with them…How was he supposed to handle the only girl he'd ever liked moving into his house? Not that he'd talked to her since she'd left. He'd seen some of the pictures she sent his brothers though, and she was even cuter than when she'd left. He wondered if she was still as kind and sweet as she'd been or if living abroad had changed her.

Ema Hinata had been the cutest, kindest, and smartest girl he'd known when they were little. A fact he hadn't realized until he turned nine. And then he'd turned into an idiot and avoided her like the plague. He didn't want his friends making fun of him for having a crush, and after realizing how cute Ema was, he hadn't known how to act around her, so he'd avoided her entirely instead. He was still mad at himself for that.

Ema had been one of his best friends and he'd hurt her without her even knowing why. Not that he wanted her to know why. He'd have rather that he'd never been stupid enough to hurt her in the first place. He wanted to make it up to her with her coming back, but it would be so much easier of she wasn't living with them. If they just went to school together he could help her out. Show her where her classes were, eat lunch with her…With them living together things would be awkward.

Of course, maybe Ema wouldn't want anything to do with him after the way he'd treated her. He would totally deserve it if she did feel that way, but he really hoped she didn't.

~.~

Ema had butterflies in her stomach as she went down the escalator to baggage claim. What if things were different now? Not in the way Juli was worried about, but maybe the Asahina brothers would find her annoying now. Maybe she was okay as a neighbor that visited, but not okay as a live-in house guest. She didn't even know how most of the brothers felt about her moving in with them. Once she'd been able to turn airplane mode off on her phone she'd received a text from Tsubaki saying they were picking her up at the airport and couldn't wait to see her, but maybe only Tsubaki felt that way.

She'd just stepped off the escalator when a voice cried, "Onee-chan!" Arms wrapped around her and a head with a mop of hair buried itself in her stomach, hiding the greeter's face.

"Wataru?" Ema asked, pulling him back a little. She couldn't imagine who else it might be, but she wanted to make sure.

He grinned up at her, keeping his arms tight. "Welcome back, Onee-chan!"

Ema returned his smile, wrapping her arms around him. She was surprised at the tears that came to her eyes. She hadn't expected to feel emotional about returning. Excited, yes, but not tearful. Maybe she'd missed Japan more than she'd realized. Or maybe it was the Asahinas she'd missed more than she realized, or maybe Japan and the Asahinas were all rolled into one for her.

"All right, Wataru," a vaguely familiar voice said. "Let Ema have some breathing room, okay?"

Ema looked up to see Masaomi gently tugging Wataru away. It was so familiar to the last sight she'd seen of the two of them that it again almost brought tears. Masaomi looked almost the same as he had that day. Wataru, of course, was much taller.

"Breathing room? What would she need breathing room for?" A much more familiar voice asked before she was engulfed in another hug, though this greeter was taller than her.

"Tsubaki!" Ema exclaimed, throwing her arms around his shoulders. His voice was very familiar thanks to all the anime and games he voiced that she'd watched and played. She was amazed at how good it felt to see him in person.

"He's hugging you!" Juli hissed. "This is not a friendly hug! This is a 'you're a man and I'm a woman hug'!" Ema ignored him. It would be weird if good friends didn't hug after not seeing each other for years.

"Welcome home," Tsubaki said in her ear.

"You're all going to have to stop saying that to me," Ema said with a laugh. "Or you're going to make me cry."

"That's okay," Tsubaki said, tightening his arms. "Go ahead and cry on my shoulder. We'll be living together, so we'll be like family, right? Big brothers are for crying fits when you need to have them."

Family. She was going to be living with a family, and a real one, not a TV one made of camera crews and producers and directors. She remembered wishing she was part of the Asahina family as a little girl. Now she'd get her wish. In a way, anyway.

"Don't squeeze her to death," a rough, annoyed voice said. "You're going to chase her away before she even gets to the house."

"The only thing that's going to chase her away is your ugly face," Tsubaki shot back, but pulled away from Ema.

Ema was surprised to see that the speaker had red hair. Yusuke. She hadn't expected him to be here. "Oh, hi, Yusuke," she said awkwardly. She wondered why he came to help pick her up. He, Subaru, and Fuuto were the only Asahina brothers she hadn't had any contact with since leaving Japan.

"Hey," he said, staring at the ground rather than her. He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the ground. "Welcome back."

His welcome was far less exuberant than Tsubaki's and Wataru's, but it was probably the best she could hope for. Maybe he wasn't thrilled with her moving in with them, but was trying to be nice about it. If he could try, so she could she. She would be encroaching on his space, after all. "Thank you."

"We're happy to have you back in Japan and staying with us," Iori said, holding out a bouquet of flowers to Ema.

"For me?" She gasped. For a moment her mind flashed to Carlos, the only guy who had ever given her flowers, but she shoved that thought away. Carlos and Iori were nothing alike. Plus, he'd only given her single flowers. A rose or a tulip. This was a beautiful arrangement. "This is amazing, Iori," she said, taking the flowers from him. It made her heart happy that Tsubaki and Wataru weren't the only Asahina brothers happy about her coming to live with them. "Thank you."

"Flowers, huh?" Juli muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against Ema's ear. "This one's making his move early. I'll have to watch out for him." Sometimes, it was really inconvenient not being able to talk to Juli while other people were around. If only everyone could understand him. Then again, maybe it was best the Asahina brothers didn't know what he was saying.

"I'm glad you like them," Iori said. "I picked them from our garden."

"You arranged these?" Ema asked in surprise.

Iori shrugged humbly. "Ukyo sometimes has me make flower arrangements for center pieces in the dining room. I have a little practice with it."

"Right," Ema said with a smile. "I forgot that you and Azusa are great at everything you try. You both work really hard, but I don't think I ever saw either of you fail at anything."

"I got you chocolates," Tsubaki broke in, thrusting them toward her.

"Oh, thank you!" Ema said, accepting them. She then looked down at her full hands. "But how am I supposed to carry my bags?"

"You couldn't possibly think we'd let you carry your bags," Masaomi said. "That's part of why we came to pick you up. Admittedly, I doubt we'll need this many people to carry your bags, but some of us were too excited to see you to wait at home."

"Now, let's go find your luggage!" Tsubaki said, slinging an arm around Ema's shoulders and leading her to the baggage claim.

"Hey," Yusuke said quietly while they waited for her bags. He was still staring at the floor, his hands in his pockets. "You and I will be going to the same high school, so I can help you out if you want. You know, show you around and stuff."

"Thanks," Ema said, surprised. She hadn't known she and Yusuke would be going to the same school. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mind."

"It's no problem," he said with a shrug.

Ema bit her lip before adding, "Sorry for intruding in your home for two years. That's probably not easy for you."

"No, it's fine," he said, shaking his head and finally meeting her eyes. "Really. I'm glad you'll be able to go to a normal high school. It's great that we're able to help."

Ema smiled. Maybe Yusuke's feelings had changed after all these years and he really didn't mind.

Juli leaned over to hiss in Ema's ear, "Eyes wide open. Always."