Author's Note: I'm back with yet another AU story. Sometimes it really sucks being the youngest, doesn't it, Dominic?
Disclaimer: Eureka Seven is not mine.
O Brothers, Why Art Thou?
#
She's flying. The wind is in her hair and her favourite pink dress is billowing behind her like a sail, and there on the ground far, far below is Mama and Papa, and Eureka and baby Sakura too; and everyone is smiling and laughing and cheering as she soars higher and higher and higher until—
"Honey, it's time to wake up."
Mama's breath is soft and warm against her ear, and her familiar scent is comforting, but Anemone isn't done flying yet so Mama will just have to wait.
"Honey?"
"Dunwanna," whines the little girl stubbornly, eyes firmly closed.
Madeleine Argento smiles and slowly straightens her back; their oldest is her husband's daughter through and through. She beckons the tall, handsome man at her side to come closer. "Andrew, darling, could you…?"
Papa sighs. "Anemone, we're here."
She can feel him looming over her, but she swats his hand away when he reaches across her to unbuckle her seatbelt. "No," she pouts.
"Anemone." Papa's voice is stern. "Get out of the car. Now."
She doesn't want to, but Papa's voice sounds tired so she obeys nonetheless. "…okay, Papa," she grumbles, holding out her arms towards him.
Papa's frown melts into a small smile as he helps her out of the car. He presses a feathery kiss against her temple and murmurs in her ear, "Good girl."
He then takes her hand firmly in his, offers Mama his other arm, and together they walk through the gates towards the biggest house Anemone has ever seen.
#
Papa rings the doorbell while Mama fixes her hair. Anemone doesn't think Mama's hair needs any more fixing, because Papa says that Mama is beautiful. Anemone thinks so too, and Eureka says that Mama looks like a princess from a fairy tale.
"Mama…" she whispers, tugging at Mama's full skirt insistently. "Mama!"
"Yes? What is it, honey?" replies Mama, though it's obvious that she isn't really listening.
Anemone stomps her foot. "Mama, I wanna go home," she complains, suddenly missing little sister Eureka's company more than ever. "Mama, I don't like this itchy dress. Ma—"
"Anemone, honey, please." Mama crouches down and kisses her cheek. "This dinner is very important for your Papa, so we just have to try our best, okay?"
Anemone scrunches up her nose. "Why?" she demands, regarding Mama suspiciously.
Mama smiles. "Because," she says, gently tightening the ribbons around the child's lopsided pigtails.
The little girl frowns. "Papa says that's not a reason."
Then the door finally opens, and an elderly man with white gloves on his hands ushers them inside.
#
Azmodeus and Cicily Kane Novak have a lot of friends, she decides. No matter where she looks there are people, laughing and talking, ladies in dazzling dresses and gentlemen in well-polished shoes; but nobody shines as brightly as Mama.
Not even Mrs. Cicily, Papa's boss' wife, who smells like wild flowers and kissed her on both cheeks, telling Mama how precious she was, when Mama and Papa took her to greet the Novaks.
"Your name is Anemone, right?"
She turns around. "Do I know you?" she asks, carefully studying the boy standing there in front of her. She and Eureka aren't supposed to talk to strangers, but the boy looks about her own age and Mama said to be polite.
The boy has a pretty smile, too. And dimples. "Not yet, you don't," he says cheerfully and extends his right hand. "I'm Dominic. Nice to meet you."
Anemone stares at the palm with five fingers held out towards her. She has seen Papa do the same in formal greeting, so she takes it and shakes it twice; it flops awkwardly against her own, but at least she did it right. "How do you know my name?" she asks curiously, absentmindedly wiping her hand against her dress.
The boy, Dominic, laughs. "I live here," he says simply as if that explains everything.
She regards the boy thoughtfully. Norb is being quiet and boring as usual, and she doesn't particularly want to play with the Ageha children, so she has been sitting on her own ever since Mama and Papa went over to talk with uncle Adroc and Mr. and Mrs. Egan; at least she has someone to talk to now, even if it is a boy.
"I like your house." She looks around appreciatively. "It's really big."
"Thanks, I guess…" Dominic shrugs. Then, he perks up. "Hey, do you like turtles?"
Anemone gawks.
"I got two for my birthday," explains the boy excitedly. "They're really cool. I can show you if you want."
And before she has a chance to say anything, Dominic takes her by the hand and drags her up the grand staircase.
#
Anemone doesn't particularly like turtles, and why should she when butterflies are so much prettier? But Dominic's enthusiasm is contagious, and she soon finds herself engrossed in his strange, slow-moving pets.
He is just about to tell her about the time Koda nearly escaped from the enclosure, when the door to Dominic's bedroom is suddenly wrenched open.
"Dom, you little weasel!" roars an angry voice from the doorway. "Now you're gonna fucking pay!"
Dominic quickly scrambles to his feet. "It wasn't me!" he insists weakly as an older boy enters the room.
"Like hell it wasn't!" rages the boy, a storm brewing in his eyes. "Listen up, brat. I was this close to breaking through to level 100. This. Damn. Close."
The boy who is now towering over Dominic is fuming, and Anemone would laugh if it weren't from the look on Dominic's face.
"Do you even know how long it took me to get this far, huh?! Do you? DO YOU?!"
"Excuse me…" Anemone speaks up, frowning. "Who are you? And why are you being mean to Dominic?"
The angry boy freezes, a fistful of Dominic's dress shirt still firmly in his grasp. "Ah. I didn't see you there."
Anemone ignores him. "Why are you being mean to Dominic?" she repeats impatiently.
"He, eh, broke my remote," explains the boy awkwardly. Then, to Dominic, "You could have told me she was there, birdbrain."
"I was trying to!" whines Dominic, squirming against the hold. "Let me go, you jerk!"
"Watch it," hisses the older boy through his teeth. "So, she has a name or what?"
Dominic stops struggling. "Anemone," he says, reluctantly.
"Hn."
Anemone proudly stands her ground when the boy suddenly lets go of Dominic, who promptly crashes into the wall, and stalks over. He slowly leans down so that they are face to face, and she realizes that he has the same eyes as Dominic.
"…cute," he says, studying her closely. Anemone stares back, unafraid. "Way too cute to be his girlfriend, though. How on earth did you manage this, Dom?"
"H-Holland!" stutters Dominic, beet-red. "Shut up!"
"Must you tease him so, Holland?" Anemone looks up, and a third boy, older than the rest and very handsome, is leaning against the doorframe. "He's being a much better host than you. And he's only eight."
The Holland boy crosses his arms resolutely over his chest, and scowls. "Dewey, the little rat broke my damn rem—ow!"
"Language, little brother!" Anemone watches wide-eyed as Dewey easily tweaks Holland's ear. "I apologize if he did anything to upset you, Miss..." He gives her a friendly smile. "Come now, Holland. Mother requests your presence downstairs."
And with a last, dazzling smile and a wink, Dewey marches Holland out of the room, but the latter's complaining can be heard even out in the hallway.
"But Dewey!"
"Would you stop squirming! Why are you being so antisocial?"
"Let go of me, freak!"
"Holland. One more rude word out of you and I'm telling Mother."
"N-No way! Dewey, you wouldn't! She'll take away my Wii for sure this time!"
"I won't if you behave for the rest of the evening."
"…tch. Whatever."
"Why must you be so difficult?"
Anemone turns to Dominic, who is straightening his shirt collar. "Your brothers?" she asks.
"No," he denies firmly and with a perfectly straight face. "Never seen them before in my life."