"Hello? Aw, look at her angelic little face. Are you awake?"
Ema groans and burrows further into the warmth curled along her back.
"Just a little longer, Juli," She grumbles in a sleepy state of dismay.
Ema is comfortable and the leather couch is warm from her body heat. Additionally, there is something warm and firm lying stretched out against her back, pillowing her body.
She yawns halfheartedly and closes her eyes again.
Click. Click. Click.
Someone's hushed voice whispers, "Leave the children alone, you nuisance. Let them sleep."
Ema's sleepy, tired mind latches on to the familiarity in that person's tenor.
I recognize that voice. That's...who is that? It's not Daddy, he's not in Japan right now.
Ema gasps.
I forgot about daddy!
She shoots up off of the couch and clutches at her head, adjusting to the sudden change in position. The blanket that had been thrown over her slides down her waist and Ema lifts strands of hair off of her cheek. Creases from the sofa are etched into her face, but the sleepiness in the corners of her eyes is gone. The weight against her back mumbles something and then falls silent again, succumbing to sleep.
Ema notes the scene in front of her: Ukyo-san, still dressed in his apron, is now chastising a teenager with hair dyed a pale silver. His violet eyes are wide with pain and unshed tears and he is rubbing his head.
"Ukyo-nii, come on! Look how cute that was! I've always wanted a little sister and now one just wandered into our house! It's like a dream come true!"
The teenager is loud and, in combination with his erratic hand gestures, Ema can tell he has a strong personality. There is a sleek digital camera dangling from a thin, grey strap on his wrist. It swings erratically in time with his hand gestures.
"Tsubaki, please shut up for once."
Ema startles and glances at the corner of the room. Until he spoke, she hadn't even noticed the dark haired teenager standing in the corner. This one is dressed in a cream school uniform that matches that of the pale-haired teen. Beyond his hair color and glasses, he seems identical, like a replica of the boy with the loud personality.
But Ema barely notices any of these things, including the lump that's beginning to twitch and yawn behind her, on the verge of waking. Her eyes are tracking the scene in front of her, waiting until the moment she can interrupt and ask Ukyo to borrow a phone and call Rintarou.
She scrambles a little further off of the couch and waits, politely, for Azusa to finish chastising Tsubaki for waking her. Ukyo is chiming in every now and then in stern agreement. Suddenly, Ema processes the words Azusa is saying and jumps into action.
"Excuse me Azusa-san, Ukyo-san! Please don't, um, please don't trouble yourself with me! I didn't mean to fall asleep in the first place and I'm really sorry for taking up your time and everything, so please don't yell at Tsubaki-san. He was right to wake me! It was rude for me to fall asleep in the first place!"
Ema doesn't dare look up for fear of what expression she'll find on their faces.
I've been such a terrible guest. Ema can feel tears building in the back of her eyes. She's sure she just crossed the line, and they will definitely force her to leave now.
A shriek pierces through the room and Ema winces. She is overtaken by a pink blur. A pair of strong arms hold her against someone's chest like a vice.
"She's so cuuuuute!" Tsubaki's loud voice simpers right next to her ear. The room is spinning around her like a carousel and Ema tucks her head against his chest and listens as his heart beats a staccato rhythm.
"Can we keep her?"
"Tsubaki..." Azusa trails off. He takes off his glasses for a moment to rub at his nose in exasperation.
Tsubaki grins and sets Ema down carefully, like she's made of fine porcelain instead of bruised up edges and raggedy scissor-sharp split ends, back onto the sofa. She feels another movement behind her and turns, only to encounter Subaru staring at her intensely. His fingers have a death grip on a fluffy, grey blanket that covers his body from the waist down.
His face is bright red again, and Ema's concerned she'll see smoke coming out of his ears soon if he keeps that up. She has had first hand experience burning her fair share of teas, and herself. Unbidden, a memory clouds Ema's mind of a time when Rintarou had just started leaving her alone without the aid of a babysitter or any nannies.
Hinata Ema is six and a half years old and her daddy is leaving her alone for the day. Before jumping into his taxi, Rintarou had sat her down on his lap and said:
"Ema-chan, you're a big girl now, aren't you?"
Ema had nodded along, utterly convinced in her own sense of responsibility and independence.
Rintarou had held her and warned her about all of the usual dangers of staying home alone before pointing at the little wooden stepping stool he had carved himself during a trip to Brazil.
"Remember, even though you're a big girl, you're still small in size. Like a little fairy!" Ema had giggled into the collar of his starched brown blazer at the comparison. "So use that if you need to. Someday, you'll grow up big and strong like your daddy and you won't need a stepping stool."
Ema had nodded her head vigorously, bright-eyed at the possibility of the future.
Later that night, after Rintarou had left, Ema prepared to make herself a cup of tea, just like Rintarou made her every night. The water, boiling hot and with visible steam coming out of the blue kettle, splashed over Ema's hand.
That night, Rintarou came home to a disheveled daughter with a bandage on her hand and immediately called slipped from one taxi into another - this time, to go to the hospital.
Anyway, Subaru reminds her exactly of that tea kettle, in this moment. Ema's not the only person in the room to notice, because Tsubaki disengages from her with one final adoring ruffle of her hair and gives Subaru his full attention. Subaru, who seems to be a nervous person by nature, visibly blinks, unsettled by the smirk on his brother's dazzling face.
"Oh, Subari-kun," Tsubaki sing-songs, knowingly. There's a certain glint in his violet eyes. Ema's not sure she likes it.
"Don't worry, you looked perfectly adorable too. Wanna see?" He pulls out the digital camera and goes straight to the gallery and the most recent images.
Subaru's redness, which had been receding for a good thirty seconds, returns in full force. He now looks like a fire hydrant and Ema is hard-pressed not to at least smile at the contrast of his grey hair and bright red face.
Subaru glances at her out of the corner of his eye and goes stone-still like a block of granite. She's seen statues in the Louvre that would be hard-pressed to be as immovable as he is.
"Um," He squeaks. Ema can only hear it by virtue of sitting right next to him on the red, leather monstrosity of a couch. She leans in, curiosity overriding her good sense and justified caution of Tsubaki.
Tsubaki leans forward in a helpful attempt to angle the camera in her direction and Ema knocks into Subaru's shoulder.
"Sorry, Subaru-san." He nods in an unhelpful and silent approximation of 'apology accepted' and continues staring ahead. Ema worms her way forward and, suddenly, notices that her chin has ended up hovering over Subaru's shoulder.
Whoops, she thinks. She leaves it there because at least now she has an uninhibited view of of the camera screen.
What she sees is not what she expects. Tsubaki tilts the camera to giver her more access. On the screen is a photo of her covered by a blanket and asleep on the couch, one cheek stuck firmly to the couch cushion. She is curled in on herself. On her other lies Subaru. They are lying back to back, squeezed together like two peas in a pod beneath a thick, fleecy blanket tucked up to their waists.
Tsubaki glances over at Subaru again and whatever he sees in the grey-haired boy's expression makes him cackle. Azusa rolls his eyes at his brother's immaturity and fixes his glasses, lifting them further up his nose. Ukyo does the same and Ema can suddenly see a strong resemblance between the two brothers.
"Come on, Ema-chan," Ukyo interrupts Tsubaki's attempts at teasing Subaru. "It's dinner time. You should join us, as our guest of honor."
Ema considers protesting the word choice, but she stifles a yawn instead and follows Ukyo to the dining room. A delicious smell is emanating from the area and she's hungry.
Ukyo-san is studying to be a lawyer and he probably knows his way around words. I guess that means he really meant what he said.
Ema smiles and sneaks a glance at the procession of people following her and Ukyo. Tsubaki is trailing behind her, eyes glued to the screen of the camera. He's giggling intermittently like a little girl in love. Ema notices Azusa holding on to his right arm, trying to tug the camera away for a look at the photo himself. Behind them is Subaru, groggy and still a little red from Tsubaki's teasing.
The blanket he and Ema had slept under is dragging on the floor behind him like a cape. Ema's not sure he's even aware he took it with him.
Menawhile, something in the back of her head itches at her and doesn't let go.
Did I forget something? Ema wonders.
whoops, this was late. whoops. whoops whoops. whoops whoops whoops. (read in the tune of: old MacDonald had a farm)
seriously, sorry everyone. i had no desire to write for this work but i think i have my groove back now. plot sure comes outta nowhere, huh? speaking of! this entire story is plotted out now until the end. that's a fun surprise.
the Big Dinner that ive been building up to is next chapter :0