Chapter Six: Nemuri II

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A/N: The argument at the beach between Hizashi and Nemuri when the Taco Cats came out.

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-Nemuri's POV-

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"I'm going to kill him," Nemuri growls as she takes hold of one of her goddaughter's arms and lifts it in the air. It's like undressing an unruly child. She squirms and wiggles, flailing her arms everywhere—in that ridiculous looking dress. Taco Cats. Nemuri is going to strangle that man for sending this. "There is nothing cute about these damn taco cats!"

The girl giggles as Nemuri drags it over her head, balling it up and throwing it at Hizashi's face.

"Trash that," she snaps.

"B-B-But Sensei-"

Rin's protests go ignored as Hizashi's face dissolves into frustration.

"Nemuri!" the man growls, like she's done something wrong. He tosses the damn mess without looking back. "Shit! It's like one extreme to the other! Could you not get her something less revealing? No wonder he sent that!"

Nemuri feels her annoyance increase.

"Excuse you?" she snaps dangerously. Hizashi doesn't heed the warning.

"That is not appropriate."

Nemuri's face hardens as a thousand thoughts fill the space. She glares, eyes narrowed and lips thinning. And how, exactly, is a bathing suit not appropriate? Hizashi sets his jaw and doesn't look away, clearly determined to be a misogynistic-

Rin stiffens beside her, expression morphing into fear.

Nemuri grinds her teeth.

"Rin, dear, I need to speak to your godfather for a moment. Can you step out on the balcony?"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

She doesn't miss the flinch or even the slight shudder to the girl's frame—the undercurrent of fear.

Damn those bastards, she thinks unkindly as the girl scurries out the door. That same protective instinct that had been rearing continuously since they'd gone shopping, appears again. She wants to grab the girl up, hold her in her arms, and tear apart the world. How dare they hurt her…

She turns to Hizashi instead.

"Play some music."

For once, he doesn't argue. Pulling up a playlist that sounds like the top fifty tunes for the month, he sets the volume up high and glowers, arms folding across his chest. He leaves it by the glass door and steps forward.

"Yo, you wanna explain yourself?" he growls, and she's not surprised to see her own protectiveness reflected back in his eyes.

Does he even realize it?

She pushes away the thought and sucks in a steadying breath.

"Sure," she snaps back, arms crossing in defiance. "I took her shopping and she picked that bathing suit to try on. I had her try multiple and that one looked the best on her. You know it looks amazing on her and I'd suggest you control your damn caveman instincts and not talk to me like I'm your damn child."

"Watch yer mouth woman," Hizashi says, his voice dropping. "That bathing suit is provocative as hell and you know it. Just because you don't care about showing the world your body-"

"Excuse you?" Nemuri interrupts. "There is nothing provocative about that bathing suit! It's a bathing suit! They're meant to show skin!"

"They have other kinds," he argues, hands moving wildly. "The ones that look like the school uniforms."

"And how many people on the beach do you see wearing those? Why should she have to be singled out like that?"

"Singled out!" he says, eyes going wide. "Are you serious? If she wore what you picked out, there'd be boys all over her!"

"So?" Nemuri growls. "She needs the socialization!"

"Not that kind!" he runs his hands through his hair and looks at the ceiling. "Are we even talking about the same kid? She doesn't know what dating is, can't tell when someone's flirting, and is only just now learning to string two or more sentences together in a conversation. And you want to throw her to some horny boys for socialization? Yer crazy!"

"First of all," she huffs, feeling her eye twitch. "It's not like we're both not going to be right there. Are you expecting one of these horny boys to just run off with her while you're watching? Cause I thought you were a pro."

Nemuri smirks in satisfaction when the blonde man's teeth grind.

"Second," she says, moving on before he can interrupt. "I hope we're talking about the same kid, but I could be mistaken. Because I see a teenager on that balcony, and you're talking like she's some sort of little child. Rin is fifteen, you keep treating her like she's five and she's going to expect that. That's not healthy!"

"She acts like she's five," Hizashi argues, and Nemuri narrows her eyes. "That's the whole problem! You putting her in clothes meant for an adult is about as gross as putting a little kid in a hooker outfit. If she were mentally older, it'd be different. But she's not."

"A hooker outfit," Nemuri repeats coldly. "That's a fucking bathing suit, Hizashi. Don't even."

"Fine, how about this then. I am uncomfortable teaching her how to swim when I can see more of her body then I can't!"

"Fine," Nemuri snarls. "Then give her a shirt to wear over it, but don't you dare start that shit about it being inappropriate. That girl doesn't have any body shame right now, and I'll tear you apart myself if you're the reason she develops it."

He pauses, and Nemuri scowls when something like realization lights in his eye.

"Why would… What are you talking about?"

"I told her that bathing suit looked amazing on her and made her stand in front of a mirror to talk about all the ways it made her body look beautiful. And then you- you just shut it down because of your stupid male instinct. She doesn't know that! She's not going to know you and Shouta dislike it because it makes her look like a woman instead of the child you both want her to be! She's going to think it's her."

Hizashi looks green.

Good.

"You can go explain that," Nemuri says sourly. "I'm going to go put sunscreen on my hooker body."

He scowls and goes to his suitcase, grabbing one of the many extra white shirts he had brought. He pulls it out and stops the music.

"Fine."

"Fine."

She rolls his eyes and listens carefully as the voice hero explains the situation. And when they return to put on sunscreen, she offers to help him put some on his back with a muttered, better.