*Cackles* Enjoy a Fem 1827 pairing. XD
There was something warm against her skin. It moved up and down, meaning it was a living, breathing thing. It was the scent that told her what it was though. Very few people had such a comforting smell or natural warmth.
Feeling it shift slightly, she looked up and smiled.
"Morning, Hibari," she said cheerfully.
"Morning, deceiving rabbit."
The deceiving rabbit, or "Usagi" smirked at them.
Hibari got up first, and their long raven black hair fell down like waves on their back. It was slightly wavy from the fact they always put it in a braid every morning to hide how long it actually was, but that was a small consequence. Eyes like the finest forged steel looked upon their girlfriend with a pleased expression in them.
However it was the fact that Hibari was clearly wearing a breast band to hold back their chest that would give many pause in disbelief and outright shock.
Homura Sawada, or "Usagi" as she was known to the Disciplinary Committee and the Hibari clan, stretched, giving her girlfriend a perfect view of the fact she only had a light t-shirt on and nothing else.
It was a deception that had been going on for at least three years now. Everyone was under the assumption that the heir of the Hibari clan, and the grandchild of the Storm Arcobaleno was in fact a boy.
A deception that the elders were all too willing to agree to when they realized that while Hibari Sakura may have been born a woman, inside her soul was the heart of a warrior that was far more "appropriate" for a boy. When all attempts to 'civilize' her to acceptable norms for an heiress failed, it was Fon who came up with the novel solution of a bit of minor deception until she either grew out of it or found someone who could handle the untamed Cloud that was Sakura.
Strangely, it was the most timid and bullied student in Sakura's school who ended up being that person.
Homura didn't have good grades. She wasn't very good at sports. Her confidence as a female was one of the lowest in the city and her home situation was a joke.
Yet the day she found out by complete accident that the infamous "demon prefect" was in fact a girl as well, she said nothing. She kept her silence and didn't run away at the threat of open impending violence if the secret was leaked. She might have flinched, but she didn't run. What started as a tentative friendship quickly grew into something more.
And, strangely enough, also developed into the perfect cover to keep the more annoying elders of the clan from forcibly marrying Sakura off to a male she considered lesser, which would only end in tears. For the boy and his family anyway.
Homura was a very well mannered girl who fit the basic profile of a 'demure, obedient Japanese girl'. Exactly what a traditional clan like the Hibari looked for in their heiress or their wives. So long as the head 'male' of the clan was strong, having a wife who quietly supported him was more than sufficient.
Fon found the fact his granddaughter was clearly a lesbian somewhat hilarious, especially since she embodied more 'masculine' traits than half the clan put together. If it weren't for the fact she had to bind her chest back, no one would ever believe the 'demon prefect' was in fact a woman. As it was, only a small handful were aware of this fact.
Fon, the two Hibari elders, Sakura's parents, Homura and Kusakabe.
As such, as long as Sakura and Homura were dating, Sakura's secret of actually being a female was quite well hidden.
Sakura stretched, which caused Homura to smirk a bit because her clothing just barely covered her still developing curves.
"Want me to do your hair?" asked Homura. Sakura nodded.
Unlike Sakura, Homura's hair was somewhat short, barely neck length and somewhat spiky. This wasn't due to her personal preference, but because over the years she had found it easier to wash out anything her bullies tried to mess her hair up with if it was short. Though it hadn't happened in some time, she was content that Sakura at least let her braid back her hair to the point no one would be able to tell it was actually quite long, and not chin-length like everyone assumed.
If one were to look at "Hibari Kyouya", they would see a very masculine boy who had chin length, slightly messy raven black hair, hard steel-colored eyes and an indomitable will. Kyouya was never seen without his familiar tonfas, or the armband that declared him part of the Disciplinary Committee.
When it came to maintaining basic order, "Hibari Kyouya" was always the first name that came to mind. "He" did not tolerate 'crowding' or disrupting the peace.
Homura deftly braided Sakura's hair into a simple braid that she then wrapped securely around the other's girl's head until it practically vanished. With a few pins and ties, where Sakura's long hair had been was now barely chin-length. She hated leaving it like that when she slept, so she often let it down...mostly because the few times she did the pins kept poking her in her sleep and the hair came out a complete mess. It might be easier to simply cut it, but her hair was one of the few 'feminine' things she actually liked about herself.
Hence why she braided it. It was so much easier since Homura mastered the art of 'hiding' her hair in plain sight.
That done, the two got dressed for the day. Ever since they came out in public as 'dating', Homura had slowly become brave enough to actually wear the girl's uniform, rather than hide behind the male one.
Ironically it was her efforts to make Sakura actually embrace her female side that caused Homura to grow comfortable enough to admit she was a girl as well. And to act appropriately.
It was as they were leaving for school that Hibari spoke up.
"Grandfather will be visiting within the week. He'll stay for a month and most and there was word he might be bringing his apprentice with him."
Homura visibly perked up at that. She adored Fon, who was sadly the closest thing she had to a 'caring parent' she had ever had in her life. Her mother might give her the basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter, but when it came to actually giving a damn about her daughter's life, there was such a major disconnect that it was painfully obvious to anyone who bothered to pay attention.
Hence why she looked forward to Fon's sporadic visits. Not only did he teach her the best styles to fight with in order to stand by Sakura's side without being a burden, but he also gave her the paternal affection she had always lacked.
He was strict, but kind. Strong, but gentle. She had always likened Fon to the wind, oddly enough. A fact that amused him greatly.
Sakura certainly didn't complain about the fact her girlfriend was learning how to fight, since the other girl had quickly reached a level where she could mostly keep up in a sparring session.
Besides, Fon usually didn't mind it when Homura cuddled with him. For some reason he was "hug-sized" as she had cheerfully put it. Sakura had to leave the room to laugh long and hard the first time she heard that, especially when Homura was allowed to follow through on the impulse.
Homura took one look at Fon's apprentice and barely restrained herself from scooping up the little girl and hugging her senseless.
Fon hid an indulgent smile behind his robe sleeve. The moment Homura received confused permission to hug I-Pin, the young martial artist looked very startled upon realizing she had suddenly gone from the ground into Homura's arms.
"The rabbit adores small children, and the fact Grandfather has adopted you as his apprentice means you're family," explained Sakura. "In which case you had better get used to being spoiled rotten by the rabbit. She's likely to treat you like a younger sister as long as you're here."
I-Pin looked to her amused master, who nodded in agreement.
"Big sister?" said I-Pin tentatively.
Homura squealed and snuggled against the younger girl who relaxed into her arms. It felt really nice, being hugged like this and Homura didn't feel cloying at all.
"The small rabbit does give good hugs, doesn't she?" said Fon gently. I-Pin nodded. "Little rabbit, would you be so kind as to let I-Pin practice in the mornings with you? I know you have the basics down, so it would be a good experience for you both."
"Of course, shifu!" chirped Homura.
It took very little time for I-Pin to become utterly delighted by this state of affairs. Homura or 'little rabbit' was warm and inviting, and would patiently explain things to her and treated her like a mini adult. She took I-Pin's questions seriously, which was a major change of affairs from what she was used to, unless it was Master listening to her questions about martial arts.
Sakura or 'Hibari', as she preferred, was vastly different from Homura. She was like the clouds, aloof and distant. However there was a gentle fondness in her eyes whenever she saw I-Pin practicing martial arts. She was inclined to share small treats or give a rare pat on the head whenever she did well. In many respects her behavior was very much like Fon's...though she preferred not to acknowledge their relation to each other in public very often.
Sakura despised being compared to Fon, as his own title vastly overshadowed her limited reputation which was centered around a single area. Considering he disliked his favored grandchild being compared to his own skills, he also didn't bring it up.
He still found it hilarious, the way Homura dealt with any potential issues of Sakura's true gender being found out by those in town. If anyone saw her and Homura out on a date or doing 'feminine' things, such as getting their nails done or shopping for clothes, then Homura would easily tell them that she was with "Hibari's twin sister" who went to another school entirely. If anyone asked, Sakura would 'confirm' she had an identical twin, which cut off any suspicion about her gender rather neatly. And if found out, she could just as easily claim that she and "Kyouya" had switched places for the day or two. It wasn't like anyone could tell the difference.
Though in order to cultivate a case of 'mistaken identity', Sakura had come up with the ingenious idea of using tessen when she was publicly out as her true self. Tessen were 'feminine' enough to act as a weapon while still delivering an equal amount of damage as a tonfa.
So it was with great reluctance that I-Pin realized their stay was quickly coming to an end. She enjoyed Namimori, or at least being around the two older girls. They treated her presence with open fondness, rather than annoyance.
"I-Pin how would you like to stay here and learn from the little rabbit? While she only knows the basics, being in a stable environment would be good for your social skills," asked Fon.
I-Pin perked up at that.
"Master, I can really stay here?"
Fon smiled indulgently. What I-Pin was unaware of was that he was already hearing rumors from certain Triads about using his apprentice as a full assassin, despite her young age. After all, she had mastered the bare minimum of Gyoza-kempo and her gift made her quite dangerous. He refused to let his student be used like that and lose her innocence so young.
Far better for him to claim he left her with a senior apprentice so that she might cultivate her skills further, while he took longer and more dangerous assignments to keep the fools from using her against him.
Even if Homura's style wasn't exactly the best for I-Pin to practice at the moment. Homura practiced a 'soft' style of Martial arts, relying on speed, flexibility and maneuverability to decimate her opponents. Something as simple as a senbon launcher made her a terrifying opponent to fight and the fact she knew how to bend backwards to avoid attacks without actually touching the ground and still able to redirect her body by contorting it made her even more effective.
Unlike Sakura, who relied on speed, power and unrelenting assault, Homura was like a reed in the wind. Able to bend in many directions and fluidly move back to her original position. The reason they called her rabbit however, mostly came from the fact she looked like a harmless fluffy rabbit when you first met her.
I-Pin was a speed fighter who had quite a bit of power behind her blows. However she was firmly a hand to hand fighter, whereas Sakura was a weapon user.
Hence why Fon wanted her to train with Homura first. Not only did she have a more similar fighting style, but she also had far more patience than Sakura when it came to training with others. Sakura did not like holding back and preferred to use her full strength to end fights and prove her superiority as a fighter.
Not exactly something that would be good for someone just learning how to fight.
In a way, Sakura and Homura were rather evenly matched when it came to fighting. Where Sakura embodied more of the 'Yang' energies when it came to her fighting style, Homura was firmly a 'Yin' fighter. They completed each other and could cover the other's faults.
"The clan has agreed to let you remain under the protection of Sakura, which means that you will be living with her. However the little rabbit tends to stay over a lot, so you'll still see her often enough to train regularly."
'Stay over a lot' was a bit of a stretch. If Homura could trust that her mother wouldn't withdraw into her ridiculous world-view completely the second she left for good, she would have moved in with Sakura and her clan a long time ago.
They weren't entirely certain what caused Nana's rather odd behavior, but there was no doubt in Fon's mind that Nana's "oblivious/apathetic" attitude towards the fact her child was extensively bullied and had such a negative reputation with no support whatsoever must come from an external source. It was inconceivable to him that a mother could be that blind to the fact their child was suffering.
No real parent would turn a blind eye to the fact her child had a broken arm for two weeks and not even ask what caused it.
(And the only reason it had lasted two weeks was because Fon arrived, found out about the injury and quietly called in the clan's "special" doctor who had Sun Flames to heal over the injury. The man was sworn to silence and would not reveal Homura's existence without express permission, for fear of Fon hunting him down and killing him without leaving a trace.)
I-Pin was openly delighted at the idea of staying. Even if she was only allowed to curl up against Homura during the day, as the older girl tended to share Sakura's room whenever she stayed over.