Hotaru woke up to find Haruka still sleeping beside of her and not wanting to wake the woman up she slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. However in an attempt to stand on a stool to reach the bowl cabinet she lost her balance and fell against the tile floor.
The sound awakened Haruka who rushed into the kitchen, ignoring the pounding headache.
"Hotaru! What on earth were you thinking!? Are you alright!?" She demanded as she knelt down and reached out to help the girl up. Hotaru nodded and with downcast eyes as she tried to fight tears as her father helped her to her feet.
"How many times have I told you not to climb on things to reach something? You could have woke me up!" the tall blonde lectured angrily as she looked the child over to make sure that she wasn't hurt.
"Sorry Papa." the raven haired child managed to whimper only to feel a large hand lightly tap her on the back of the head, the touch turning to a light caress once it connected.
"you do that again and I will make sure you do not sit comfortably for a week...I'd rather do that than have a daughter who is in the hospital with an concussion." Haruka warned with a light smile as she picked up the girl and carried her to the living room.
"Now sit here, watch tv while I fix you breakfast." she ordered as she put her daughter on the couch and handed her the remote before retreating back toward the kitchen.
Haruka felt like she had been hit over the head with a baseball bat but she didn't want her daughter to end up getting hurt due to climbing on something. She sighed as she began to fix chocolate chipped pancakes for the girl. The sweet scent causing her stomach to began to churn due to her hangover.
'damn...what kind of parent am I? Can't even fix breakfast without wanting to barf.' she thought bitterly as she continued to focus on the task at hand. She sighed as she thought about Elza and how she would always make breakfast then nag about how Haruka didn't want to help.
The blonde chuckled sadly as she fought tears, knowing why the woman had decided to leave her with the child and why the woman had left in the first place and she knew that she had to move on.
"Hotaru! Come in here for a minute!" she called just as she finished making a stack of pancakes. She chuckled lightly as she heard her daughter running into the room.
"Hime-chan...No running in the house." the tall blonde scolded lightly as she knelt to the little girl's height and ruffled her hair, causing Hotaru to smile a little from the loving touch that she had became unaccustomed to in the last few months.
"Sorry Papa." the child whispered in reply and Haruka nodded.
"its okay. I have to go to work today kid, but I promise I'll be home for dinner tonight and then we can spend the evening together." she stated, noting how disappointed the child looked.
"You always say that! You always tell me that then you come home drinking whatever the hell that is!" the child exclaimed, glaring up at her father who was taken aback.
"Hotaru, don't use that kind of language." Haruka stated with a sigh, knowing that she deserved the child's anger. "Go eat...I need to call someone to come watch you."
Hotaru glared at her father figure before obeying, trying to mask the hurt that she felt.
"Hey, if you don't want a time out wipe that look off your face." Haruka stated, otherwise ignoring the child's temper while she fought the urge to laugh at the usually polite child's outburst.
'looks like the break up brought out the nastiest parts of all of us.' she thought as she picked up the phone and dialed the number that her friend Makoto had given to her.
Hotaru kicked the chair before she sat down and glared over her shoulder at her parent who was on the phone.
"She's in a bit of a temper today so I warn you how much of a handful she is." Haruka whispered into the phone, causing the woman on the other end to laugh.
"I doubt she's that bad. What was your address again?" she asked and Haruka chuckled before telling her the details.
After hanging up Haruka walked into the kitchen and gave the little girl a light tap on the top of the head with the side of her fist.
"That's for cursing at me little girl." she stated with a smile as she knelt beside of the chair before continueing "Are you giving me the silent treatment?"
Hotaru glared over at her and crossed her arms.
"Yes." she answered, pouting a little earning a light chuckle.
"Well I have to work squirt...but maybe if you're good today I'll take you out to the park tomorrow since I don't have to work." Haruka stated before kissing her daughter's cheek.
"I love ya kitten...always have always will." she stated with a smile as she got up and messed up the little girl's hair.
Hotaru couldn't help but smile a bit at this before she replied "I love you too papa...will you really be home tonight?"
Haruka smiled a bit "Of course and if you want I'll order takeout." she answered.
Hotaru smiled brightly at this and got up before hugging Haruka around the waist, not use to being able to do so in the last few months.
"I take it that you're not mad anymore?" Haruka laughed as she hugged the girl back before adding "if you're done with breakfast then you go get ready to meet your new babysitter."
Hotaru frowned a bit at this, had disliked the last few that her father had picked out.
"Why can't one of your friends do it?" The child asked the twenty one year old who chuckled.
"Most of my friends are in high school." came the answer then added "Don't worry Kaioh-San sounds nice."
Hotaru rolled her eyes.
"That's what you always say!" Hotaru retorted and Haruka started laughing.
"hush brat...I am sure that Makoto wouldn't give me the number to an old bat again." Haruka stated with a smile just as the doorbell rang.
"Now you behave yourself." Haruka whispered, holding her daughter with a light glare before a going to answer the door.
Haruka's breath caught in her throat as she opened the door and saw a girl with wavy aqua hair standing there, looking like a goddess in the morning sun.
"Hello, you must be Haruka." she stated in a melodious voice.
Haruka managed to reply, despite the fact that she found the woman was beautiful.
"yes, uhm come in." she stated with a sheepish smile as she held the door open for the woman who was smiling slightly.
"why thank you." the aqua haired girl stated with a smile as she walked inside.
Hotaru was sitting on the couch glaring at the door, or more so at the woman who walked in.
"Hotaru, this is Michiru Kaioh...I expect a good report from her, got that squirt?" Haruka stated as she sat down on the couch beside the child "Hotaru...she won't hurt you. Not everyone is going to grow close to you and leave nor is everyone going to hurt you physically." she whispered while hugging the child.