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"So… what are their names?" Momiji said to break the silence that had fallen as he and Namie made their way down the sidewalk.

Namie glanced at him, questioning.

"Your brother and sister!"

"Oh." Namie still did not look entirely at ease with him coming along, but she shrugged her shoulders and answered in a pleasant tone. "Jien and Anii."

Another pause before Momiji coaxed, "And…"

For a split second he swore he caught the ghost of a smile appear out of the corner of his eye. "You just keep pestering until you get people to tell you what you want don't you?" she said, not unkindly.

Momiji grinned.

"Very well." Tossing her head back to look at the cloud above them, Namie bit her lip as she searched for words. "Jien is fourteen and can be a little— impulsive sometimes. He means well though and is always trying to act more grown up than he is. Anii is nine. She is sweet. Very optimistic. It'd be annoying if she wasn't so cute and wasn't always trying to bestow her happiness on me."

Momiji looked at her. Namie wasn't even trying to hide her smile now and she looked more peaceful than he had ever seen her. Some of what he now realized were worry lines around her eyes had faded.

"They sound nice," he murmured.

"Oh they're a pain most of the time," Namie said conversationally, making Momiji start. "Like now for instance."

"Does your brother get in trouble often?"

"Sometimes. He's got a temper when he snaps. It didn't used to happen much, but it got worse before we moved here. I'm just hoping he's not suspended this time. He gets left alone in the house and likes to mess with my stuff."

She caught Momiji's eye, and he saw there was a twinkle of laughter in the green. "But I wouldn't trade them for the world. Someone's got to keep me on my toes."

Momiji laughed and they fell silent again but this time it was less heavy, more friendly.

"You must have that sibling feeling too though," Namie added and Momiji jerked to look at her, caught off guard. She regarded his movement with some surprise and clarified, "With Haru? You said you grew up together."

"Oh!" An unexpected tightening in Momiji's chest loosed and he gave a breathy chuckle. "Of course. Good lord yes. If you think your brother has a temper you should see Haru."

Namie raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"Uh huh. This one time, he had put the last piece of cake in fridge…"

Momiji's story lasted down three blocks, then they turned and walked four more until Namie finally stopped in front of a large school gate. She turned to look at Momiji.

"You should probably stay here. They want a sibling or parent to come in so they can talk about what happened. It shouldn't take too long."

Momiji watched her walk up to the school and disappear though the doors. He leaned against the gate and with smile that he could not explain on his face.

OOO

Ten minutes later the doors opened again. A small girl with long blonde hair, a shade more yellow than Namie's, came bursting out. She spun around, her bright pink backpack straps barely hanging onto her shoulders. Namie followed, arguing with the boy right behind her.

"I've told you before, you've got to keep a hold on your temper or you're going to get expelled," she was saying.

"I tried but Goro's just a jerk, and he likes pissing me off."

"Language!"

Jien was lanky and a few inches shorter than Namie with shaggy brown hair that fell over his forehead. It added to the brooding expression on his face, though Momiji didn't know if it was one he wore normally or simply when his older sister was berating him.

The trio reached Momiji and Namie paused.

"Well, here we are," she said to him. "Momiji this is Jien and Anii. Guys, this is Momiji."

Both Jien and Anii eyed him, Anii with curiosity, Jien with some suspicion. Momiji noticed that he had Namie's piercing green eyes. Anii's were more hazel.

Momiji smiled.

"Who are you?" Jien asked. Namie wacked him lightly in the back of the head.

"Manners. Momiji and I are partners in History and since our project time was so rudely interrupted by you—" she prodded Jien in the back, and he started walking in front of them down the street. "He decided to come along."

"I told you, Goro was bugging me," Jien said, frowning.

Namie raised one eyebrow. "Oh really? What did he say?"

Jien's faced colored as he hunched his shoulders and muttered. "He insulted my sweatshirt."

Momiji watched Namie and Jien bicker back and forth. Despite the reprimands in her words, there was no real anger and lightness was still in Namie's face. Momiji found himself wondering if he himself could make her seem that way more often.

"I like your pin."

Momiji broke out of his thoughts and looked down at Anii. She had been trailing along behind her sister, humming slightly to herself but when they stopped by a bus stop she ended up standing at Momiji's side.

She pointed at the rabbit pin attached to the corner of Momiji's jacket.

"Thanks!" Momiji smiled. "I love rabbits. They're my favorite animal."

Anii beamed up at him. "Really? I love them too! My friend Leiko had a bunny and she let me hold it. It was really soft. I wish we could have a bunny but Daddy says no but I would take really good care of it and feed it carrots and—"

She would have gushed on but at that moment Namie called over to them. "Anii come on, this is our bus."

Anii left him to grab Namie's outstretched hand as the big wheels slowed and screeched to a halt in front of them.

"Is Daddy going to be home?" she asked, swinging on her older sister's arm.

Namie shook her head. "No, he has to stay at the hospital for a while so he won't be home until much later."

With a whoosh the door opened and Jien stepped on. Namie turned to Momiji. "Well, see you later," she said with a small smile.

"Bye Momiji!" Anii waved frantically with the hand that was not holding Namie's and hopped up the steps, pulling her sister with her.

He grinned and waved back at their foggy faces in the windows. "Bye!"

OOO

Though Namie had said "see you later", Momiji hadn't expected that he actually would. But when he got on the bus later that night to ride the few stops from his father's office to the main house, he was astonished to see the three siblings all at the end of the bus.

He carefully made his way towards them. Namie sat against the window. Anii was curled on her lap and Jien's head lay on Namie's shoulder. At first glance all three seemed to be asleep, but as Momiji slid into the seat in front of them, Namie raised her head. When she saw who it was she let out a low chuckle.

"Have you been riding the bus all night?" Momiji whispered so as not to wake her siblings.

The corners of Namie's mouth twitched, and she shook her head. "Just went out for a bit. You?"

"Finally going home. I had stuff to do. I spent some time at the library."

Namie groaned lightly. "Oh no, our history project. We didn't exactly get anything done today."

Momiji looked at her. "That's ok. We have the weekend to meet up and work."

Namie bit her lip. "I have to stay home. My dad's busy so I need to babysit."

"Well I could come over to your house if that's better."

Solemn green eyes pierced Momiji for a long moment. For some reason they made him feel nervous. Then, slowly, Namie nodded.

"Ok," she said softly. "Come over Saturday afternoon. My address is in the student directory."

Momiji nodded, smiling and Namie smiled faintly back. Then the bus driver was calling "Anyone getting off?" and he had to grab his bag and stand up.

"Goodnight!" he whispered warmly, started to walk up the aisle.

"You too," Namie murmured sleepily. "Oh and Momiji—"

He turned back. Her head, which had been about to settle on top of Jien's, came up to look at him seriously.

"Thank you."

A soft smile tugged at his mouth. "Anytime."

Momiji disembarked but he stood on the sidewalk, watching the three siblings, Namie's ash blond head now resting on Jien's, until the bus was out of sight.

Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya