Title: Appreciating Things of Beauty [Chapter Five
Author: Endless-Kaoru
Pairing: None yet.
Rating: Overall: PG-13. This Chapter: G.

Warnings: Um… Kyohei is kinda OOC [again…
Disclaimer: I don't own Wallflower characters. None. Not even a single one.
Summary: Aya decides that maybe Takenaga isn't all that scary.

Chapter Five: Adapting

Aya woke up feeling rather cold and stiff, and, for a moment, she imagined that this is what it must be like to be dead. With a little effort – her ribs hurt, and her head spun – she got up, sitting on the edge of her bed. Downstairs, she heard yelling and someone running, and the sound grated on her nerves, but she forced herself to stay still, waiting for the room to stop spinning. Her door pushed open and Toki came in carrying a dripping washrag in her mouth.

"Toki, what are…" standing unsteadily, she nearly toppled over as the room violently swung around and her stomach lurched. Stumbling and clinging to the walls, Aya managed to make it to the bathroom.

The racket downstairs had quieted, she realized somewhat absently as she flushed away the contents of her stomach and collapsed on the floor. Toki whimpered and nosed her cautiously, dropping the cloth.

"Aya? Are you up?" there were footsteps in the hall, and Takenaga peered in the open door.

Tired, sore, and ashamed of her current state, she kept her eyes on the floor, "Could you… help me up…?"

"Yeah." He came over to her and pulled her up, helping her along with an arm around her waist. She draped an arm over his shoulders and tried to walk.

When they reached her bed, Aya laid back and focused on the ceiling while Takenaga went after a trash can, "Does anything feel broken?"

"I'm fine, just… cold. And dizzy."

He hesitated briefly before reaching out to feel her forehead, "You… have a fever. I'll have Sunako make some soup."

She nodded, turning to study him, "You know… you don't remind me of that guy at all. He had the same hair, and eyes… and about the same height, I think… but you look totally different." She caught his hand as he went to pull away, and she distractedly studied his palm, "His hands were bigger, too. And rough. You have… really soft hands."

"Is that so?" he looked amused.

She nodded again and released him as Toki jumped on the bed. Playing with the dog's floppy ears, she added, "You're… really nice. All of you."

Takenaga just smiled and ruffled the dog's fur, "Get some rest."

After a short rest, Aya was able to at least move about without becoming dizzy. She came down the stairs with Toki trotting ahead of her and Kyohei a few paces behind, commenting that she should be resting.

"I hate lying around, and besides, I feel better now." She replied.

"Oh, really?" he reached out and lightly boxed her in the side.

She yelped, small tears coming to her eyes, "Th-That was a cheap shot."

"But it proved a point. At least just sit down somewhere?" he gripped her shoulders and propelled her down the last few stairs, fully aware of her dog growling at him from the bottom.

"And be waited on hand and foot? I'm not some princess!" she shook off his hands and headed for the bathroom and medicine closet within, "I can adapt to any form of internal pain. A few more of those cheap shots, and they won't even phase me."

"Then why are you going after pain medication?" he taunted, following her and watching her retrieve the small bottle.

"Because it's annoying. And… hm…" she paused, looking thoughtful, "And I don't feel like I need to adapt to pain around here."

Curiosity got the better of the boy, "What?"

"I had a rough childhood. If I didn't get used to pain, I wouldn't have survived." She swallowed the pills, then pushed up her sleeve, feeling around on her left bicep, "There! Here, come feel this."

"Feel what?" he inspected the indicated spot, finding only a small, barely noticeable scar. Tentatively, Kyohei reached out to feel it, pausing when he felt a small round object under her skin, "Gross! What is it?"

"A BB pellet. I got shot with one when I was about eleven, while my cousin was playing around." She pushed the sleeve up further, showing him ragged scars that decorated her shoulder, "And these are from… an attack. I have them all over my back, too."

He looked thoughtful a moment, then said, "Well, that doesn't mean you're okay. You're still gonna go into the living room and sit down. I'm sure everyone else is going to agree."

"Agree on what?" Yuki appeared, "Oh, Aya, you're up. Are you feeling okay? Takenaga said you were dizzy."

Smiling, Aya brushed past Kyohei, "Yeah, I'm feeling better, just a bit sore. Wanna go for a walk with me? There's too much testosterone around here with Sunako hiding in her room. I'd go alone, but… I don't think mother will let me." She snickered and glanced back at Kyohei. He looked unamused.

Yuki raised an eyebrow at the other male, who explained, "I told her that she should be resting."

"You should, Aya. But… fresh air wouldn't hurt either. Let's go out on the front lawn!" Yuki took her by the hand and pulled her to the front door. Toki growled at him, and he released her with a start.

"Toki, Toki… don't growl at Yuki-kun!" She admonished the dog, and it quieted with a small whimper.

"It's not gonna bite me, is it? You're uncle said it was a good dog." Yuki asked, cautious.

"Toki is a girl, not an 'it.' And she's just protective." Frowning slightly, Aya glanced up at him from where she knelt to play with Toki's ears, "She doesn't like it when strange men touch me. She'll get used to you." Turning back to the dog, a smile lit up her face, "Isn't that right, sweetheart?" The dog yapped and wagged her tail excitedly.

Cautious, Yuki offered his hand to the dog. Toki turned away, and Aya hastened to scold her again, "Toki, don't be rude!" The dog probably would have rolled its eyes if it could. As it was, it simply glared balefully at Yuki until he withdrew his hand.

"She… doesn't seem to like me."

"She'll get over it. Come on. I guess the front lawn is better than being stuck in here." Standing, Aya led the way to the front door and outside.

Sitting on the grass beside the girl – who'd sprawled herself out like a cat enjoying the sun – Yuki asked, "How did you get trampled?"

"Duo-kun got kicked and threw me. Ah, Duo-kun is one of my horses, a huge blood bay gelding. Wanna see?" she rolled onto her side and dug her cell phone out of her pocket.

"You have pictures? Sure." He leaned in to watch her go through the pictures on her phone until she came to one of four horses.

Pointing out each in turn, she indicated two young brown geldings named Hito and Dante, – Hito was Dante's older brother – their small brown mother Rubi, and the big blood bay gelding, Duo.

"The landlady mentioned that your family has a stable… are those your only horses?"

"Of course not! We have over a hundred horses for the use of those who rent them, or for sale. There are also fifty personal horses. These four, as well as Precious Moon, are just my horses."

"Precious Moon…?"

"Rubi gave birth to a filly – a female foal – yesterday. That's why I went out there, to see her." Smiling, Aya added, "She's Rubi's first female foal, and she looks almost exactly like Hito… right down to the crescent moon shape on her forehead. I'll have to go home every once in awhile to check on her. Would you like to come sometime?"

Yuki smiled, "Yeah, I would."