It's a day with beautiful weather, although chilly still, I can smell the freshly cut grass and pollen, meaning flowers were getting ready to bud. Soon it'd be warm again, and the birds were beginning to come back. This means I can cause lots more trouble for the household when I'm in need of favours.
It's quiet at the table, Shigure with the paper as usual and I with a book. Then the door bursts open, bags rustling full of groceries and medicine for the cabinet, and just about all the basic necessities for a full house. "I'm here!" Nanami announces, her foot coming down on the ground after pulling the sliding door open with it.
"My god, you are lively today," I laugh.
"Well, I made a promise to Yuki-san, so I have to visit often! And before you ask, it's a secret!" she remarks. "Have you had lunch yet?"
"Promise? Blowj--"
I smack Shigure with my book. "Scum!"
She gets to work in the kitchen when suddenly Yuki comes in holding a snake, which I hate the most and shriek at as he holds it to Shigure's face.
"Let's skin it and eat it," Yuki says coldly.
"Eep!" I cry, jumping to the cabinet and perching high and huddled on it in the corner. "Get that out of here... I hate snakes!" I look more closely at the snake's dismayed look and pale white scales as it can't even find the energy to escape Yuki's hand. "Is that Ayame? I don't know if that's worse or not..."
Suddenly he darts in my direction, latching around my bare wrist and slithering up my long sleeve and I scream. Such a bad day for shorts and a loose long-sleeve. "Get him off!!" I cry.
Nanami looks amusedly at me. "I wouldn't have thought these things are what terrify you. Especially since this another one of the zodiac, so I can infer!"
Yuki grabs him out from the back of my shirt as I cower in my perch. "Let's skin him, quick!"
Just then he transforms, enveloping the room and smoke and there in naked glory, he stands dazzling, flipping his long white hair behind his shoulder. He's flaunting it.
I scream again, covering my eyes. I think Nanami has to do a double-take, considering his resemblance to Yuki would have to be down to the bone...
"Dirty!" she cries herself, squatting and covering her eyes.
Once Ayame's dressed, more elegantly than Yuki but in the same chinaesque-style, he introduces himself. "Hello!" he cries. "I'm Ayame, Yuki's older brother! Yuki, long time no see! And baby Kyo is here too?"
"Don't call me baby Kyo!" Kyo snaps back.
"And I heard the little birdy is here–" Ayame turns to me, stroking my shoulders as if his fingers were the tails of snakes and I shudder. "It's unfortunate you're so squeamish at the sight of me! But you're not so little anymore, it's been a long time!"
"Ha-hi, Ayame," I stutter, trying to recompose myself to talk to him like he's a human and not a snake. "I'm sorry, it's not you I just r-really dislike sna...snakes."
"And you must be Tohru!" He leans down to peer into her face with a smile. "A princess trapped in a house of dirty men! I'm sorry for latching on, it's just I transform in the cold and to get warm is just instinct!"
"Wait, I'm here! I don't want to be lumped in again!" I cry, but no one pays any heed.
"Excuse me," says Nanami, leaning down politely so he can notice her face. "Yuki-kun never told us he has an older brother."
At the sound of his name, Yuki transforms from sheer embarrassment. He really just needs to get used to it...
"Ah!" cries Ayame, straightening up again. "So you must be Nanami, how wonderful you're both here! You must come to lunch with me, my treat!"
At that point, he grabs their hands and drags them away.
Kyo and I look annoyedly at each other, seeing as we're the only ones who can cook.
"It's a woman's job!" is his common excuse.
"Oh, so I'm only a girl when it's convenient to you guys?" I snap at him. Just for effect, I bang a pot and pan together by his ear before getting to cooking, while his ears are rendered deaf as he stumbles through the house.
After we eat, soon after the "girls" returning to us so-called men. Ayame is all wrapped up again underneath Tohru's clothes.
"Let's boil him!" Yuki says right away.
I bat Ayame with a pan. "I'm a girl too!"
It was decided that he stay. It's a given now when zodiacs visit. And rather than Kyo sharing a room, I gave up mine in favour of sleeping under the kotatsu no problem. Besides, I have been spending early mornings outside anyways.
Only, it turned into three mornings. Of course, I kicked him out of there.
And he's still here after school, making me spray the table when I've sat down with tea. Shigure's paper is in the mess, and so is Ayame's delicate robe. "You're still here? Don't you know of social cues, when you've overstayed your welcome?"
"The same could be said of you, "little birdy"," Shigure blithely remarks.
"I was forced! To! Live! Here!"
"I'm going upstairs," I announce before Ayame latches onto me.
"Where are you going so quick? Don't you want to hear about stories of me in highschool, little bird? Yuki, you would like that, wouldn't you?"
Yuki shakes his head while I'm left soulless and frozen.
"No--no..." I cry, trying to get away but he holds on like I'm his lifeline as I crawl up the stairs into my room. "Ayame-san, please think of Yuki at least and go home. Your personality is so overwhelming."
"But I want him to understand me!" he cries as I put his stuff neatly away from my room. He shuts the door to prevent me from tossing them out.
"You can tell him your highschool stories, but ask him about school too," I sigh. "Why are you still holding onto me?"
He smiles with dazzling beauty and as my senses do, I get nervous again. "I see my brother every now and then. Isn't it natural for each of the zodiac to wonder what you've been up to for seven years?"
"Sure, but your brother matters a little more. And, you can wonder but no one really knows this secret, so it better you quiet down."
"You were free," he says, his look changing. "As free as anyone gets from the curse. It's easy to envy you, you know, for the others. When I was in highschool with Hatori and Shigure as the great three muskateers, I was the head of student council! I was always appealing to the heart of the students, what I intende--"
"I said don't tell me your highschool stories!"
"You're the bird that ties heaven and earth together, that is what a bird does; free to roam. You have changed as person but please, help me to find understanding with Yuki. Maybe you still fight with everyone, and while Shigure plays his games you seem to understand too well the problems of the zodiac."
I turn my head away embarrassedly. "What do you think I am? I don't understand anything, because I've pretended to not be like you guys. I've let my brother play rooster so he could be by Akito-sama's side. Just like her secret, you're the only people who know and she won't have it if it isn't kept that way. I don't talk to my brother, I'm bad at this family stuff so I'm no help to you at all." I sigh, pulling him to his feet. "Yuki is young, it is difficult to open his heart but Ayame, if you're truly thinking of him he will someday. You just need patience. He felt ignored and now you're trying to break down the impression you gave him for most of his life. It will take more than just popping in time to time with your own agenda. Even so, he'll appreciate it little by little. My brother won't even give me a call, not that I want to hear from him anyways."
Again a cough strikes me and I turn away, hacking up phlegm into my sleeve. Yes, of course that disgusts me. "Get out though, I'm serious. I might get you sick."
"I'm surprised you held out all winter, little bird. Of course!" He winks before heading downstairs.
As grabbing his stuff, assuming when he left, I vaguely focus on Shigure and Tohru coming into my room to check on me. I'm fine, no big worry, just groggy because I'm napping in my school uniform. That's what I want to say, but I'm half asleep with a sore throat after all.
Tohru checks my temperature, which of all things I know that I'm not running a fever.
"You think it's because I haven't eaten my vegetables in a week?" I joke with a raspy voice.
Her smile, just as bright as Kyoko's and an awkward nod make me want to laugh. "I'll make Kenchinjiru, so you can drink your vegetables and get liquids. Please tell me if something is bothering you! I know you're an early riser but staying up late isn't like you at all, Kuroi-kun."
I turn red at the ears, burying my face into my blanket. "I'm sorry. I'm becoming both a night owl and an early bird... I don't mean to worry you. It's simply getting close to that time. We should make plans for it," I say, perking Shigure's interest as he lingers in the doorway. Of course, because sometimes I forget he's technically our guardian.
Tohru nods and heads on downstairs, presumably to make what she promised while Shigure tuts his tongue at me.
He smiles as he crouches to pet my hair, pissing me off but I can't fight it. "Even with the stress you put on your body... not sleeping, running, playing, fighting, arguing, school, crushing, no crying... you still trap yourself. You won't allow anyone to see your wings, just once. Shame so many of the zodiac believe you're the one to escape the curse, but you're the worst off. No acceptance from the outside world, and no way into ours. You really despise yourself that much. Don't you want to be a rule-breaker again?"
I've never wanted to yell at him so much in my life, but without the strength it's hard. "I see, you've wanted to say this for so long but of course you tuck your tail until I'm weak and breaking down... because Nana-chan trusts you want to use her."
"Ah, really? We both have such a manipulative spirit after all, it'd only natural that she is interested. Shouldn't you be best friends with me since we're so alike then?"
"You just want to get back at my brother, and you want to use me." I feebly stand, coughing into my arm and I don't think my face is bright red from the hollering I'm about to deliver. "It was only a matter of time before you showed your true nature and you only remind me why I left. I hate you and my brother more than I hate wha Akito-sama did, because you can't keep yourselves accountable and decent! Both of you are so terribly selfish! You are only using h—"
Then I feel so flushed as if everything had shot up to my head before draining in a stomach-dropping feeling. My body goes sideways, and before I hit the ground hard it's Shigure covering his little smirk. That stupid dog, I wish I could clop him with my shoe.
While checking my temperature on the ground with somewhat concern, he speaks again. "I know I'm sinister, but trust me it'll be worth it in the end. I don't like your brother either, but he's going to show up for you sooner or later."