Hotaru looked up at Haruka as the television flickered in the darkness, Noting that her face was blank from all expression once so ever. For a moment the young child thought the woman hated the show that she had chosen However suddenly Haruka began to laugh softly at something that happened on the screen. This action caused the child to smile slightly and nestle closer to her father figure.
Haruka glanced down at the child and grinned before asking softly "are you sleepy yet?"
The raven hair girl shook her head despite the yawn that forced itself out.
"I think someone's fibbing." The blonde chuckled, though she only held the little figure closer as she tried to decide rather or not to just take the child back to bed or let her fall asleep on spot. As she felt the girl snuggle against her she decided that it might be best for the girl to just fall asleep there since the storm was much softer from that area.
"Papa? What made you want to get so strong?" Hotaru asked suddenly catching the tall blonde off guard.
"Well...I had to take up for myself in school. I guess I exhorted my anger in martial arts and other sports." the tomboy stated with a sigh then added "Though I did some things that if you did them I'd probably ground you for the rest of your life."
the last statement was playful, though it held a tiny bit of warning in it.
"why don't you mention your parents?" the child asked suddenly and the tall woman inhaled sharply.
"Well kitten my papa died in a car crash when I was twelve and my momma didn't like me very much and kicked me out of the house when I was fourteen." she answered slowly, trying to sugarcoat what had happened to her as a child.
"My real papa...he became nasty after my real momma died." Hotaru stated suddenly, speaking of the incident as if it hadn't impacted her whole life up until this point.
"Pain can defiantly change a person...its okay to feel sadness and pain but you can't take it out on those that you love." Haruka stated then groaned softly "I'm sorry that I did that to you as well Hime-chan. I know I never really did what he did but I should have never yelled at you over nothing."
Haruka hated herself for those months of her drunk stupor and how much she had probably hurt the child emotionally.
"Haruka-Papa! You were hurting too! I forgive you...just please don't drink that stuff anymore." the raven haired girl stated, her voice almost demanding though not overly rude. Though the tone alone caused Haruka to chuckle.
"Okay...Okay...but only if you try not to curse like you did earlier!" Haruka bargained as she leaned her forehead against her daughter's and smiled lightly. Hotaru smiled at her adoptive guardian as she pulled away and then nodded.
"good girl...if you start cursing I'll have no choice but to get stern." Haruka replied, a mock angry scowl on her face before she winked at her daughter and then began to tickle her. She said that with Knowing that for the time being mild lectures and small coincidences and threats was enough to discipline her daughter, who was usually well behaved.
Hotaru tried to push the strong figure away, only to find herself pulled closer and a soft kiss pressed on her cheek.
"I think its time for both of us to be in bed love." she stated after a few minutes of play, causing the six year old to pout slightly.
"but Papa!" she whined, earning a small smile and a light glare.
"No buts kitten, its way past your bedtime and little girls need their rest." Haruka answered, tapping the girl's nose lightly before lifting her into her arms and carried her back toward the upstairs area, cutting the tv off on her way.
Hotaru glared up at her father figure as they walked, sticking out her tongue at the woman who only made a face back, causing the child to start to giggle.
"I know, you'd like to stay up all night but nope sorry squirt." she stated as she entered her bedroom once more and sat on the bed, kissing Hotaru's hair as thunder rumbled again.
"Don't worry...you're safe. I'll protect you." the blonde vowed lightly as she turned on a small lamp on the bedside table before flipping the overhead light off and crawling into bed beside of her daughter who cuddled close to the woman who wrapped her arm tight around her.
"I love you daddy." the child whispered, her voice muffled from where her face was buried against the cotton of the butch's tank-top.
"I love you too firefly now go to sleep." The blonde stated tiredly as she closed hr eyes to try to doze off before sunrise, planning to spend the whole next day with her daughter and would need her full energy for it.