Bon:
I looked at the girl, long after she turned her back on us, and her long dark streak of hair disappeared behind the corner. Shima nudged my side, making me look over at him. “Hm?” I started with a glare, and he chuckled.
“You like her, don’tcha?” He teased, making me growl a little at him.
“Baka!” I quickly protested, making him snicker.
“Bon’s growing up~” He cooes, wiping away fake tears. He patted Konkemaru’s head, much to his protest. Even so, the two had fun making rude comments about my weird behavior. They always did this, however, no matter how annoying it was, I was secretly glad that I had such a carefree environment and atmosphere. It was much better than the scolding and sophisticated, teaching one of the shrine. Much, much better.
“I am not!!” I scowl, and cross my arms.
“He’s getting embarrassed! It’s so kawaii~” Shima smirks, and dabs his eyes. Konkemaru laughs, and smiles cheekily, seeming to have much amusement to Shima’s words. “I’m surprised you’d get a thing for her so fast,” He mused, and chuckled when I started to twitch from annoyance. I take back what I thought in the first place. Studying is certainly much more fun.
“S-She just looked familiar, okay?!” I growl, and they chuckle.
“Sure.” Shima states, not one bit convinced. What was so important that I liked this girl? I just met her, it doesn’t matter whether or not I liked her personality or anything, it just had a- a spark. I don’t know, I’m not some sap, I’m just thinking of something stupid. God, how’d I even get that idea?
“Seriously!” I mumble to myself, jabbing my fingers into my forehead to rub my temples. “Jeez.” I scowl, frowning. “She reminded me of the girl we used to play with when we were little. She looked like her, that’s all.” I shrug it off easily, but I couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of unease from that statement. If I was lucky, they wouldn’t try to ponder on it, but considering myself and my fucked up luck, then I knew immediately they’d try.
“What was her name again? Natalie...Nat-chan...Natsie...Nat!” Konkemaru exclaims, and smiles widely. “It’s her!! It’s Nat!” He smiled and looked at me. “And didn’t you propose to a girl to make her jealous because you liked her?” He partially teases. I growled lowly at him, my cheeks reddening. Hopefully, neither Rin & Yukio would hear. Even if they didn’t hear it, there’d be endless teasing from the two childhood friends of mine.
“You proposed to Onee-chan?!” Rin yowls, perking up as he started to unsheathe his sword, his eyes wide and his look menacing. Overprotective much? “How dare you-”
“Nii-san, no!” Yukio cut in with a sharp voice like a blade, but he noticed what the question was. “Y-you hit on Nat?” He asks slower, his eyes narrowing and his hand reaching for his gun.
“N-no! Why would I?!” I blush more, knowing that I would probably have to kiss-ass to get back my good grades. I glare at the two boys who started the chaos, though they sniggered with snorts and giggles, backing away quickly, as if they weren’t a part of the conversation.
“Let’s go to bed, Konkemaru.” Shima suggested, motioning for him to follow. Konkemaru nods, on the pinkette’s heels as they started out of the bathroom, the room still smelling like octopus and the body odor of sweat and blood. I snort, and go after them as fast as my legs could carry me to my dorm; I knew that I was worse than dead by now.
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Nat:
I wake up, my legs tangled in the sheets and my fists clenched into the sheets. I sighed, wiping some sweat from my brow. It was just another dream… I think to myself. Though it seemed so real.
I sigh, and look down at my hands. I try to unclench them, and walk over to the desk in the corner of my dorm, the pictures on the wall glimmering lightly. I pick up the one with the three boys, and sit down on my windowsill. I climb out of it and sit on the ledge, and look at the pictures for a while. After a while, maybe about 10 minutes or so of pure thinking and tugging on the end of my braid, I get up, and start to climb up the ladder from my dorm-which was on the top floor, much to my distaste- up to the roof. I sat down against the wall of the building that connected to the dorms, and looked down at the photos in my hands.
I looked at the boy in the middle, and my cheeks flushed a little. He had shaggy dark hair, and dark eyes. He seemed like the boy with flames down the middle of his head, and multiple piercings in his ears and stubble on his chin and a goatee. My cheeks flushed even more, until they were a light red. I covered my cheeks with my hands, and blushed even more. W-Why was I thinking of him like that? I asked myself, and squealed slightly like a piglet in distress. I wasn’t supposed to be trying to get a stupid date for any dances, I was supposed to protect my brothers and watch over them. I didn’t have time to diddle dawdle about some guy who I might have known as a child. Besides, the past is the past. I shouldn’t care about it at all. I was such a hypocrite.
I looked back down at the photos, and smiled faintly, rubbing my thumb over the younger girl and the man with glasses, who was also wearing a formal suit and had two other boys. One had his two fingers up like a peace sign, and had his arms around the girl and the other boy who had glasses and a shy, timid look was displayed on his face. The girl had a small, half hearted smile, and bright, intense eyes that seemed happy, but if one would look closer, her eyes held a sadness that could be easily seen.
I sighed, and felt someone’s hand on my head all of a sudden. I yelped, quickly jumping back, my hand on my sword. I had the blade strapped on my belt, to make sure to have a weapon if I ran into trouble. I looked over at my right, and sighed in relief when I saw Shima. “W-what are you doing up so late?” I start softly, worried that he could’ve been an intruder or someone who would’ve attacked me, if not someone else. “Were you able to sleep at all?” I then ask, my voice lacing with concern and curiosity at the same time, though I knew that it was rude.
He chuckled softly, looking at me amused. I huffed slightly, and looked over at him. “Don’t worry, I was just getting up to try and wear myself out again.” He smiles crookedly.
I grin slightly and nod. “That’s good.” He nods brightly, looking over at me. I quickly look down to where my pictures were slightly bent on my lap from gripping them too hard, and so I just play with the frayed edges.
“Did you?” He asked after a few moments of silence. I shake my head, letting out a sigh.
“No. I don’t typically sleep well at night.” I mumble, and sigh a little. He nods, slightly understanding. Or was he trying to let the information sleep in, of the words I was spouting unwisely to someone I had just met.
“Hm. I usually have different problems, trying not to sleep.” He chuckles at my flushing cheeks. He smiles, and looks back at me. “What was the problem? Nightmares? Or someone else?” He smiles cheekily, and I can’t help but smile back. I hold up the photo of the girl and the three boys, smiling a little more. He looked over my shoulder, a little curious. “Hm? Who’s this?” He clucked his tongue, and rested his chin on my shoulder, making me blush out of embarrassment and part annoyance, the cheeky action almost earning him a slap to the face.
“W-well...it’s friends I had when I was little.” I murmur, rubbing my thumb over the girl and the children next to her. She was kneeling on the ground, a cheerful and youthful smile on her face with her hands tangled in the hem of her dress. Her dark hair tumbled down to the bottom of her shoulder blades, and one kid had a grasp of it, tugging on it teasingly with a snicker. I remembered that vividly. It seemed like yesterday, though the child and I were still the same. Mature, smiling, yet there was sadness in her eyes. I held the photo in my hands, and smiled more.
“Those were nice times, Nattie-chan.” He smiles at me, just like the boy on the girl’s left smiled at her. After a few times of exchanging looks between the boy in the picture and the boy next to me, I frown.
“Y-you...you...what?” I manage to stammer out, my eyebrows furrowing with confusion. The boy only grins, pointing pridefully to the smaller boy with his hand tangled in what was my hair back then. After a few moments of thought and analysis, I only shake my head, my hand gripping at the tip of my hair. “Sorry. I can’t remember a boy with pink hair.” I sigh softly, and look up at him. He has a look of playful horror on his face, and so he holds his chest, like I had impaled him in his heart. Maybe I had; sometimes I couldn’t control what I say.
“It’s me; Shima-kun! Y’know, the terribly handsome, fearfully impressive, deadly-”
“Afraid of bugs?” I interrupt, a little curve coming from my lips up to my cheek. Seeing that he was familiar to me now, a grin crept onto his face.
“Yep.” He smiles more, and I smile back with obvious embarrassment at my actions, before rubbing my face, now tired. “You tired?” He noticed, a chuckle about to spill from his lips. I nod, and smile a little blearily.
“Mm. I should go now. See you tomorrow…” I murmur, and start down the ladder, climbing back into my room by the window, closing it behind me. Setting the picture back down on my desk, I flopped back into my bed, my snow leopard -in its full grown form- gently flicking her tail on my thigh. I smile sheepishly. “I know, Haru. Sorry for leaving you.” I murmur, kissing her head. She snorts, before falling back asleep. After a few more moments, I look up at the ceiling, my eyes closing.