Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Sawada Tsunako, while small, was not stupid. She knew that everyone was supposed to have a mommy and a daddy, but why does it matter? Her best friend Basil doesn't have either. And she was perfectly fine with her daddy. Well, sort of.
He was kind, and he meant well, but he often left her behind when he went places, instead bringing back small souvenirs. She loved all of the toys that daddy brought her, but she wanted to go outside. She wanted to see what was behind those gates, what was beyond the gravel road that she could see out of her window.
Whenever she asked, her daddy would immediately say no, looking at her strangely. His eyes looked sad, and it looked like he was begging her not to ask again. She would always cave. She couldn't stand making anyone sad.
Basil always went with him, and sometimes he told her stories about the outside, about big, stone buildings and man made rivers and the sea. She always liked when he told her about the sea. His eyes would light up and he would stare into space, a blissful smile on his face. He told her about the salty water and the laughing and playing kids, and how if you stood at just the right place, you could dig your toes into the sand and feel the water wash away beneath you. He brought her a seashell once, and they took turns listening to the waves.
"Isn't it magnificent, Sawada-dono?"
She would nod, mesmerized by the sound of the ocean, dreaming about the day she would see it, the dark blue water always touching the light blue sky.
Some days, the Varia would come to the mansion. She would always run to meet them.
"Look, Xanxus-nii! I have a seashell!"
He spared her a glance, looking from the small girl to the shiny shell in her hand. Eventually he sighed and kneeled down. "What about it, trash?"
She thrust it into his face. "Listen, you can hear the ocean!"
He scoffed. "That's a myth." He stood and turned to his squad. "Come on, trash. Let's get this over with."
She gave each of them a hug as they passed. Lussuria patted her hair and complemented her on her dress, but Bel lingered for a bit, hugging her tightly.
"Ushishishi~. Hello, princess."
He always called her that, from the minute hey met. "Hi Bel! Listen to my seashell!"
He took it and held it up to his ear. "Wow. You can hear it."
She grinned. "I told you so!"
He grinned back at her, hugging her tightly. "Bye-bi, princess."
The Varia disappeared into the mansion.
"Grandpa!"
Timoteo turned around when something latched onto his leg, hindering him motionless. He was on his way back from his meeting with Xanxus, feeling more exhausted than usual. However, he wasn't too tired to smile down at the little girl.
"Yes, Tsunako?"
"Look!"
He found himself looking at a seashell, rather large with an intricate pattern. He looked at the child curiously. She thrusted the shell in his face impatiently.
"Listen to it!"
He put it up to his ear, feeling rather skeptical. He was surprised to actually hear something, the waves crashing down on the beach.
She looked at him. "Well?"
He smiled at her, ruffling her long hair. "It's amazing, Tsunako."
She seemed satisfied with that, and she took off down the hall, most likely looking for her next victim.
He smiled fondly. That girl was just too adorable.
Iemetsu plopped down on the couch, taking a swig from his bottle of wine. He swished it around for a moment, looking at the red drink. He scowled when the door was slammed open.
"Daddy!"
His anger evaporated in an instant. "Aww, hello Tsu-chan!" He lifted her into his lap. "Was everything okay while I was gone?"
She nodded enthusiastically, amber eyes shining. "Yeah! Me and Basil and Xanxus-nii and the Varia kept this place ship shape!" She suddenly looked sullen. "Daddy?"
He smiled at her, trying to cheer her up. "Yes?"
She looked up at him, her small hands clutching something. She uncovered it, showing a shell. He looked a it quizzically. "Basil got this for me. Listen." She held it up to his ear, and he heard soft waves rolling onto sand, the sound of the sea at night. "Isn't it pretty?"
He nodded. "It sure is."
She looked down, fiddling with her fingers. "Well, I was just wondering..." She peeked at him through her bangs. "Can I go to the sea?"
He froze. "Tsunako..."
She hopped off of his lap. "It's okay daddy. I understand." She trudged to her room, small socks rubbing against the carpet. She hopped into her bed without brushing her teeth, staring out the window at the stars in the night sky. She wondered hoe those stars would look from somewhere else.
She drifted to sleep, dreaming that night about playing on the beach, the waves lapping against her toes and dragging away the sand from under her. It wasn't as amazing as she had imagined. It felt more like the world was slipping away from under her.
Wow. I just spent an entire chapter on a seashell. Go figure. Anyways, I hope you liked it! R&R please!