#also iknow this is a day late but whatever

[animeheadcanonsblog]

Avengers: Take a look through my eyes. Part 1

Not important but still in the story Cast: Nick Fury

Wanda Maximoff x Samantha

Natasha Romanoff x Alexa Stark

Act 0: The Hidden Past 

Avengers Headquarters

"Sorry, for being late. Pietro was taking ages to make himself ready," Sam says as she walks in the Avengers "chilling room"(also called a living room) with the Maximoff twins.

Sam is a young, short girl with shoulder-length black hair, green eyes and a lot of scars on her face.

"Hey! It's not my fault that ve're late it's the guys fault. He parked his damn car in front of ours. So, that ve couldn't leave," Pietro says as he playfully glares at her.

"First of all...it's my car, second...the guy moved his car way faster this time than usual and he didn't even complaint this time and third for someone who can run in super-speed you are very slow in the morning, " Sam says with an almost...small smirk.

"The same guy again?" Alexa Stark asks amusingly

"More like the same guy as always," Sam says annoyed.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Steve asks her as he crosses his arms.

"Yes, every day...almost every day," She answers.

"Sam, do you want me to talk with him?" Natasha asks her.

"No, leave the poor guy alone. He's an idiot yes. But I don't think that he deserves to be scared for life by Black Widow," Sam says.

"Or by Tony Stark," Sam adds as she sees Tony open his mouth.

"Or by any other Avenger," She says and looks at the rest.

"Fine," The others say in unison holding up their hands in a defensive manner.

But Samantha (and the others) knows that her neighbour will have a visit later.

"Anyway, what's going on? You said that we should come here immediately," Wanda asks the others.

"Nicky here wants us to watch a creepy movie," Alexa says earning a few chuckles and a few annoying groans.

"A movie?" Sam asks and blinks at her with a blank expression.

"Alexa Star! Do you ever shut up?" Fury says as he glares at her.

"No," Everyone says in unison.

"Hey!" Alexa exclaims with a small grin.

"You are just as annoying as your brother," Clint says slightly annoyed but with a small amused grin on his face.

"What did you just said, Legolas?" Tony asks annoyed.

"No, she's sometimes even worse than Tony," Nat says smirking making every chuckle except for Alexa who is looking at her shocked.

"Hey! Traitor!" Alexa says as she glares and pouts playfully at Nat, who just simply rolls her eyes at her amusingly.

"Only sometimes? She annoys me more than all of you together...and that's says a lot," Samantha says bluntly.

Everyone bursts out laughing even Alexa couldn't hide her own grin,

"Whatever, sit down you three," Nick says deeply annoyed already.

The three latecomers look at each other slightly confused and with a hint of amusement, before they sit down on a couch.

Wanda sits in between Pietro and Samantha.

Nat, Alexa and Steve are sitting on one couch.

Bruce, Thor and Tony are sitting on one and Clint is sitting on the armrest.

"So, as I said earlier. Some creep send us videotapes with a letter. Basically, a creepy creep was spying on us and send us the videos so that we can change the future, which is kinda a mess," Alexa says like it's the most normal thing in the world.

"Vhat?" Pietro asks confused.

" Don't listen to this motherfucker. ("I'm not a motherfucker!") But the letter that was sent here together with the videotapes, says that the future...doesn't look good for anyone of us. A very powerful enemy attacked as and... killed most of the world population and us. The rest that is still alive is mentally done. So, there are a few tapes that we are going to watch witch are going to show as the future but the letter suggest first to watch the videotapes about the past. The videotapes about the past are going to make us understand two of our members better," Nick Fury tells them.

"And we are going to watch these creepy videotapes," Tony says bored.

"Wait, how do we even know that this person is telling the truth? It could a trap or a stupid prank from Alexa," Sam says

"Hey, my pranks aren't stupid!" Alexa says smirking,

"Yes, yes they are," Tony says as he rolls his eyes annoyed.

"No, they are not. They're amazing," Alexa argues back with a small smirk.

"Would you two, please stop acting like children?" Nat says rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, let's watch the videos already," Fury says annoyed.

Nick Fury starts the videos.

                          [Act 0: The hidden past]

New York City

Midnight

An old Orphanage

It was a small Orphanage somewhere almost hidden in the darkest alley. A small light was shining next to the entrance door. The door was painted in an ugly green almost brown colour and it has small cracks in the paint.

There was a wood sign with the name „The Hollow Woods".

Samantha gasps slightly as she read the name on the sign.

"What is it?" Wanda asks he rand looks at her slightly concerned.

The rest of the Avengers also look at her.

Samantha stares at the sign quietly before she looks at Wanda and then at the others.

"I...lived in there...I lived in the Orphanage," She says or more as she breathes it out.

"Really? You have never told us," Nat looks at her.

"To be fair, there's a lot of things that I haven't told you about me," Sam says shrugging.

"The Hollow Woods...Hmm, I have never even heard of this Orphanage. And I have donated a lot of money to different Orphanages," Alexa says.

"Well...I could tell you why you haven't heard of it..." Sam starts.

Everyone looks at her curiously.

"...But I think this would count as a spoiler, right? So, I'm not gonna tell you," She says with a small smirk.

Alexa groans slightly disappointed.

Tony rolls his eyes annoyed.

Clint, Pietro and Thor are grinning at her amusingly.

Steve and Bruce smile as they shake their heads.

Nat rolls her eyes like Tony but she also wears a small smirk on her face.

Wanda smiles slightly. She is not trying to look inside her head.

Sam hides a few things and she is not ready to tell them to anybody. She made Wanda promise her to not look inside her head unless Sam herself allows her or when it's absolutely necessary for example when she loses control over her power.

But even though Wanda doesn't even try to look inside Sam's head. She can't help herself, she still sees that the images of the old Orphanage make Sam feel a little bit homesick.

A woman covered in a black cloak walked towards the Orphanage and placed two bundles on the stairs.

A one or maybe a two-year-old little girl with black hair. She was wrapped in a warm wool blanket together with a 6 month-year-old boy.

They both cuddled together trying to find warmth.

"This is the only way to keep you safe from them. I'm sorry, my darlings.I hope you'll forgive me, One day." A female voice cried quietly as she gave a small, what seems a goodbye kiss, on the forehead to both of the kids.

Everyone looks at the scene with a sad look.

Bruce is slightly upset that the woman put the children on cold stairs but he understands that the woman was desperate to bring her children in safety.

Sam stares in thoughts at the two kids. She tries to remember if she saw them in the Orphanage. The little boy looks very familiar.

Wanda, Alexa and Natasha notice Sam staring at the two kids and the three also look at them.

"Please, take care of your brother, Sam," The woman whispered.

"Huh?" Everyone exclaims shocked and looks at Samantha who is looking very confused at the screen.

"That's....me?" She says as she looks closer at the girl.

"Well, she does have the same hair colour as you," Clint points out.

"AWW YOU'RE SO CUTE AND TINY," Thor says grinning widely.

The rest looks closer at the little girl and then at Sam.

"Aww," A few say while Sam rolls her eyes blushing.

Suddenly her eyes widen and she almost jumps out of her seat.

"Wait! If the girl is me....then the woman....is probably....my..." Sam says and stares at the woman.

No one says anything because they see the look on Sam's face.

There is a mix of excitement, curiosity, confusion and an undefined emotion on her face.

"You're strong, you will protect him. I know that our little Jacky will be safe with you,"

"Is that your...brother?"Steve asks, he and the rest looks at her.

But Sam doesn't answer, she stares at the little boy with a very sad expression.

The excitement and curiosity disappeared all that's left is a very sad and guilty look on her face.

Sam unconsciously leans closer to Wanda slightly in searching of comfort.

Wanda looks at her and rubs her back softly.

"You'll be safe here and no one will hurt you in here. This is the only way you two will survive. Goodbye, my babies," The woman sobbed and ran away without looking back. As if she was afraid, that if she would stay there any longer, that she would change her mind.

"Jinxed it," Sam mumbles under her breath.

Wanda hears it and looks at her she realizes that something bad happened to her brother.

She puts an arm around Sam's waist and kisses the side of her head gently.

Sam lies her head on Wanda's shoulder.

[A few years later]

The inside of the Orphanage looked very old. The furniture, the toys...everything looked so broken and old. This place didn't seem safe for children to be here...And yet...there are children in here. There weren't as many as in the more modern Orphanages. But still quite a number of children.

Despite the old look of the Orphanage, the old and strict looking ladies (Iknow that there is a word for that but I forgot it). The children look healthy and happy.

A little five-year-old looking girl walked into a room.

"Hey! Look that's the freak of our Orphanage," An older boy (maybe 10-12 years old) says grinning.

"What did he just said!?" Alexa exclaims angrily and leans forwards.

"Did this little shit just called you a freak?!" Clint says angrily.

"HOW DARE HE?" Thor roars angrily as he almost jumps up.

While the others didn't say anything it was clear that they were all angry (understatement).

Bruce clenches his fist he tries to hold the big (Hulky) guy inside.

Steven sighs and shakes his head disappointed but also clearly pissed.

Pietro looks almost disgusted at the little boy as he clenches his jaw and glances between Sam and his sister.

Wanda closes her eyes and breaths slowly, trying to calm her down.

There are almost no emotions on Natasha's face except for the murderous look in her eyes.

Everyone is ready to kill this boy.

Sam looks at the others she slightly gulps, she almost feels bad for the boy.

The only thing she can think of is calming Wanda. She softly rubs her arm and smiles at her softly with the hope that it helps.

It does help...Wanda relaxes slightly. (slightly is the keyword here)

"Ah, yes! Hey, freak do you wanna use your freakish power on us again?!" Another says.

"Ohh! I am a scary Monster and I will kill you all by glaring at you," A third one mocked her.

"Oh, no, you little shit. I am the one who can kill you by glaring at you," Alexa growls angrily and her eyes glow red.

Nat puts a hand on her hand and calms her down. Before Alexa melts down the screen on accident.

Nobody but Wanda notices how Sam slightly flinches at the word "Monster"

Wanda looks at her with a concerned look.

Sam looks back at her and smiles slightly at her.

Wanda smiles back at her.

The boys surrounded her but there was no sign of fear on Samantha's face.

"You know, that you'll never be adopted because of how much of a freak you are?" One boy said laughing.

"Well...actually our little Sammy is adopted by us already," Tony says smirking.

"Don't call me little Sammy!"Sam exclaims.

"Actually she is basically adopted by Nat and Lexi," Clint says grinning at both them.

Alexa and Natasha both shrug with a small smile on their lips. They both don't even try to deny it.

Which is not surprising to anybody. Both of them immediately took the parents roles them moment Sam joined the Avengers.

They are ridiculously protective over her. It's actually quite funny to see them both trying to be parents. Especially when one of them is way more childish than their "own" child. (*Cough* Alexa *cough*)

"But your little brat of a brother would have a chance if it weren't for you, you know? Many parents are asking about him but once they realize that they have to take care of a freak as well, they take another child," Another one said

The young Sam clenched her fists but still looked coldly at the boys.

"You're standing in his way, Sammy," The third one added and he sounded slightly dangerous.

"If you want him to be happy and find a family. Then you'll have to take a leap from the top of the roof. Maybe then he'll at least will have a chance to get a family," The three said and laughed.

Oh, boy. Here we go, Sam, thinks as she looks at the shocked faces of her “almost” family.

"Did...did this little...peace of shit...just said that you should...commit suicide?" Tony says angry.

" I'M GOING TO KILL THIS LITTLE SHIT!" Thor yells angry as he grips his hammer angrily.

"Get in line," Alexa says.

"I'm gonna help you with that," Clint tells her.

"Me too," Pietro adds growling.

Even though Steve is not okay with killing children or civilians in general but only this time he'd make an exception.

Bruce takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Come on, guys. You can't just kill a little idiotic boy...besides, it wasn't the first time someone said this to me...or called me names like „freak" or„Monster"," Sam says shrugging and mentally facepalmed herself.

"Sam..." Nat says with a calmly but angry and deadly voice.

Sam feels the shivers run through her body as she looks at Nat.

"Where is this sucka now?" Nat asks further.  [1]

"Ehh, probably dead," Sam says unsure.

"Good," Wanda says which slightly shocks Sam.

Natasha nods before she leans back slightly relaxed again.

Samantha looked at them angrily as they walk away laughing.

"Sam!" A young boys voice yelled her name.

Samantha immediately turned around with a smile, the anger inside her immediately melted away.

The little boy ran up to her.

"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you," He said grinning.

"I...I was walking around...and while walking around. I found something for you," Sam said as she took a Comic out of her shirt and gave it to him.

"A Superhero Comic! Wow! Thanks!" Jack said and hugged her happily.

"Aww," Everyone exclaims.

Sam looks with a small sad smile at the screen.

"Hey! There you are. Come on, it's dinner time you two," An older lady said as she walked closer to them.

"Karla look what my sister found for me?!" Jack yelled and showed her the Comic.

"A Comic, wow. Your sister spoils you, soon you'll become a Superhero yourself and that's only because of your sister," The old Lady named Karla said and smiled towards Sam who had a sheepish grin on her lips.

"Now, go. Your sister is going to help me put the toys away right, little Sammy?" Karla said with a soft smile.

"Of course, miss Karla," Sam said as Jack ran off.

"And when I call you little Sammy you lose your temper," Tony says teasingly.

"She is the only one who is...was allowed to call me that....and I do not lose my temper," Sam says.

"So, you stole the Comic again, huh?" Karla asked Sam as they started to put away the toys.

"No, I didn't," Sam said with a small blush.

"Of course you didn't. You know usually, you would be scolded for stealing. But I'll close my eyes on it, again," Karla said and messed up Sams's hair. "Your brother is lucky to have you."

Sam smiled at her.

[At night]

"Sammy?" Jack asked quietly.

"Hmm?"Sam looked at him tiredly.

"Do you think I would be a great Superhero?" He asked her.

"You would be the best Superhero," She answered grinning.

Jack grinned at her before frowning slightly.

"Do you think we will ever be adopted?" Jack asked her.

"Someday...probably," Sam said.

"Tim was adopted yesterday and now all my friends are gone," Jack said sadly.

"Well, you have me," Sam said with a small smile.

"Sam, we always gonna be together right?" Jack asked her.

"Of course we will. I promise you that," Sam said.

[Time Skip]

"Jack?"Sam walked around the Orphanage looking for Jack.

"Hey! You little runt! Watch were you're going!" She heared someone yell.

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw how a few boys were pushing Jack around.

"Goddamit! This vhole Orphanage is full of little shits!" Pietra exclaims angrily.

"Hey! Not completely full," Sam says.

"Did the adults didn't saw this happen? And did they ever done something to stop it?" Steve asks her.

"No...or at least I was the one who was punished the most of the time...cause you know me being a freak," Sam says, "Only miss Klara was the one who believed me and who treated me as a human being and not as a...monster,"

Alexa tries to calm herself down it's very rare for her to be angry. But the things that she sees on the screen makes her blood boil.

Nat puts her arm around her.

Sam froze for a moment before her eyes turned black and she walks towards them with a deadly expression.

Sam shudders slightly at her own deadly expression. Jeez, is that how I look when I'm angry? No wonder that people call me a monster.

One boy was about to punch Jack but Sam pushed them away and stood between them.

"Don't touch him!" She said in a deadly voice.

"Or what?" They said as the took a step towards her.

Sam notices how everyone tenses up slightly as they see the group coming towards her.

"Please, tell me that they didn't touch you...or your brother," Wanda looks at her.

"Don't worry, they didn't. I mean it," Sam says softly trying to calm everyone down.

Sam glared at them with her deadly black eyes.

She growled at them and a few very sharp fangs were seen in her mouth.

The boys took a step back startled as they noticed how angry Sam looked at them.

"Sammy?"Jack called her slightly scared.

Sam looked at him and her anger melts away immediately. Her eyes turned green again and her fangs disappeared.

"Are you okay?" She asked him calmly.

"Is it me or do you seem calmer here?" Clint points out.

"I only saw Wanda being able to calm her down so fast...and that's only after they started dating," Alexa says.

"That's true before that she was only able to calm her down while messing with her head," Tony adds.

"Guys, you do know that we're sitting right here, right?" Sam asks them.

"Well, before that it was almost impossible to calm her down. She went berserk for almost a month once. So, we had to keep her closed in an isolated room," Clint says.

"But why can Jack and Wanda calm her down while no one of us can?" Nat asks curiously.

"Eh...guys?" Sam tries to catch their attention.

"Well, she loves both of them," Clint says.

"Does that mean that she doesn't love us? Or not as much as them?" Pietro says playfully pouting.

"I guess so," Alexa says shrugging. "But why though?"

"Maybe, because they're not ignoring me when I'm in the room?!" Sam says slightly pissed.

"Ahh! There's a short temper again," Pietro says grinning.

"Shut up you overgrown Sonic! I do not have a short temper!" Sam exclaims.

A few people laugh at Pietro's new nickname while Pietro looks at her shocked.

Sam crosses her arms and smirks at him slightly.

"I'm fine," Jack answered smiling at her.

"D-Did you just saw h-how she looked at us?" A boy asked.

"Y-Yeah, she is really an m-monster!" Another one added.

"More like a demon! H-Her black eyes and fangs. She is a beast!" Another kid added.

Sam looked around at the kids who now called her names like "Monster", "Demon", "Best" and so on.

Samantha looks at her hands she refuses to look at the pitty looks of the others.

"Sam?" Wanda asks her softly but Samantha refuses to look at her.

"Just keep watching," Sam mumbles quietly.

Wanda caresses Sam's arm gently and kisses her cheek.

"What's going on here?!" An older lady yelled but this wasn't Karla this Lady looked very angry and didn't have the happy twinkle in her eyes.

"Sam tried to use her powers on us. She is a monster!" The boys yelled and pointed at her.

"Again?!You little freak! I swear if it weren't for Lady Karla I would kick your ass out of here! Come on!" The lady yelled at her.

She took her arm and pulled her after her.

"Sammy!"Jack yelled after her.

"What is she doing? Where is she taking you?!" Nat asks Sam.

Sam doesn't answeres she stares sat the screen.

"Sam?" Pietro asks her.

"You'll see," Sam says in an emotionless tone.

Everyone looks at the screen highly concerned except for Sam who has an emotionless look on her face.

A loud slap was heard through behind closed door and a painful yell.

"....Sam? Vhat exactly did she did to you?" Wanda asks her almost in tears.

Sam looks at her and frowns at her expression. "She was punishing me," She says calmly.

"Punishing you? For vhat?"Pietro asks her.

"For being a freak, for being amonster....for being born," She answeres.

Everyone's looking at her horrified.

"...And the worst thing is...At some point, I even believed I deserved it," Sam says looking at her hands.

"No, you didn't," Wanda mutters quietly as she holds Sam closer to her.

The "Punishment" went for a few minutes and all of the Avengers had a deadly look in their eyes.

[At night]

It was a quiet night. Everyone was fast asleep.

Sam sat up suddenly and hissed slightly.

She looked around everyone was asleep including her brother, who was asleep next to her.

Sam sniffed a bit and her eyes widened as she saw smoke coming from underneath the door.

"Jacky! Jacky! Wake up!" She shook her brother awake.

"Hmm? What is it, Sammy? What's that smell?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I don't know... but it's smell like...somethings on fire," Sam said.

"Sam...please, don't tell me...," Bruce says worried as he looks at her.

Sam doesn't answer she's really worried that the other will flip out and smash the screen.

Suddenly a loud screaming was heared and everyone jumped up in the sleeping room.

"What's going on?" A kid asked.

"I don't know!" Another exclaimed scared.

One kid walked towards the door and opened it.

A big fire flame burst through the door setting the kid on fire.

"Oh, my god!" Everyone exclaimed as the looked at it.

Almost all of the kids yelled or squealed scared.

Panik broke out and the kids tried to run out of the door.

"Sam! What are we going to do Sam! Are we going to die?!" Jack asks her in tears.

Sam looked at the fire completely shocked by what she just saw.

"That's not the time to freeze Sam!" Clint yells at her through the screen.

"Move! Get your ass out of there!" Tony yells.

Everyone is yelling at the screen except for Sam and Wanda.

Sam looks at her Family completely freaking out even though she is right there.

Wanda tightens her grip on Sam's hand while she still stares at the screen with wide eyes.

"No, we won't! Come on, we have to get out off here!" She said as she took his hand and tried to go through the panicking crowd.

"Yes! Move your ass!" Pietro exclaims.

They both were running through the Orphanages towards the exit. Thick Smoke and big, hot flames surrounded them.

The other children were yelling and crying but the only thing that Sam could hear was her own heart beating.

She tightened her grip on Jacks's hand slightly.

Suddenly she heard a cracking sound and she looked up.

She saw a wooden beam fall towards her and Jack. She quickly pushed him out of the way.

The wooden beam fell down on them.

"NO!" Everyone exclaims loudly as a few of them jump out of their seats.

So, here it is! The first (real) Chapter.

I hope you liked it.

[1] sucka (RUS) = Bitch

Who's your favourite Avenger?

[andromeda-rising]

Long Way Home

Summary: It startled her, the way he looked at her, with something like wonder, as if she were a star in the sky, far away enough to admire, but never close enough to touch. [Or: the awkwardness of adolescence, of first crushes, ice cream dates, and learning new coping mechanisms.]

AN: This is just a tiny Daikari snippet from a longer piece I’m working on. It doesn’t fit into the other story’s timeline so... I hope it stands on its own, but it’s just kind of an experimental short. It’s very nostalgic. I’m not sure if there’s anything else to say about it.

(Cross-posted to my fanfiction account.)

--

“He likes me, doesn’t he?”

“You're telling me you've never noticed?” Miyako’s hand stilled as she was pulling a brush through her long locks. She set the brush down on her vanity and tossed her hair over her shoulder, twisting on her torso to face her, draping her arm over the back of the chair. “Hikari. I'm not stupid, and neither are you. Let's not pretend.”

“I mean, I guess,” Hikari says, blood rushing to her cheeks. She sat forward, nearly falling off her bed, elbows digging sharply into the flesh of her thighs. “I thought he was just... Watching out for me, I don't know.”

“You're telling me you've never noticed that he liked you. Like liked you.”

“That sounds so... silly,” she said with a sigh.

Perhaps she had noticed it, and hadn't wanted to acknowledge it—because it wasn't real until she had. Because she didn't have to decide if she reciprocated her feelings (decide wasn't the word—but either way, she didn't want to confront it, she wanted things to stay exactly as they were).

That summer, she'd grown into a body that she almost didn't recognize. The changes happened so slowly she didn't notice, and then all at once—her mother taking her shopping for a training bra, and later for tampons. It changed how she saw herself, and how others saw her, even if she tried to hide behind cutesy cardigans adorned with bows and frilly pink frocks.

She was told it was natural and that it was all a part of growing up, and she reddened with shame that she never saw it approaching. She was something of a late bloomer in her group of friends, so she should have known this by now, since most of her them have already gone through it. But there some things she couldn't have known about before she'd experienced them herself.

She hadn't noticed, for instance, that Daisuke like liked her until the day before (really, it such a silly way to describe it, such a slippery distinction).

Summer had come early that year, reaching unprecedented heights. The air conditioning unit in their classroom had broke down and to be in that room for more than half an hour was stifling; the fans at the front of the room did little more than stir the air around. He sat by the window, looking out at the soccer field, a wistful gleam in his eye as he stared outside instead of at the front of the room where their teacher was scribbling equations on the board too complicated for him to figure out. Maybe he would have been able to if he didn't spent all of math class daydreaming about being anywhere but there.

Sometimes, she caught him staring at her, but he always seemed to be gazing through her, at something else very far away from her.

She tended to be more focused, but even she couldn't concentrate that day. She was sweating just sitting still in her seat in her polyester summer uniform, and for once, she also gazed longingly out the window, willing the hand of the clock to jump forward or for someone to pull the fire alarm to liberate them. After the last bell rang, they both decided to skip their after school commitments—soccer practice, for him, and for her, working on some photographs for the school newspaper—to walk home where there would mercifully, finally, be an air conditioning unit.

Still, he was dragging his feet as they walked along, taking the route by the water; he always insisted on taking the long way home. The air was still thick with humidity, but it wasn't as heavy as the one in their classroom—the sun was beginning to set, and a cool breeze game them some relief. She turned to say something and realized that he'd fallen behind; she was so used to his endless chatter that she almost automatically tuned it out sometimes without even noticing, as if it were as much a part of the background as the scenery. It wasn't something she did on purpose, but she kept thinking of the math test they had at the end of the week and how unprepared they both were for it.

“What are you doing?” She turned around, swinging her book bag in front of her and gripping it with both hands.

Even from afar, even after he quickly turned away to stare out over the water reflecting the setting sun, she saw something in his eyes that she'd never noticed before—the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking. It startled her, the way he looked at her, with something like wonder, as if she were a star in the sky, far away enough to admire, but never close enough to touch.

“Daisuke,” she said. “Iknow you don't want to study, but dragging your feet isn't going to make it go away.”

“Aw, c'mon,” he said. “Can't we just get ice cream instead?”

He was exploiting her weakness for sweets. She shuffled her feet in the dirt, looked back at the road ahead of them. “No, Daisuke.”

“You're no fun.”

“And you're going to fail,” she said. She meant it to be teasing, but he didn't seem to take it that way.

He looked crestfallen. “Ichijouji would never do this to me.”

“Well, I'm not as kind as Ken, and I'm not as smart, either, so I'm going to fail, too, if we don't study.” This time, she said it in singsong to make it obvious she is teasing. “But if you want to get Ken to tutor you, then I'll get going…”

“N-No—Wait.” He jogged to catch up to her, giving her a worried smile that falls quickly. “I don't feel like taking the train to his place. Let's just do our homework together.”

“That's what I wanted to hear.” She smiled. “We can stop for ice cream on the way.” She started walking, and he feel into step quickly. “But you're buying!”

“Aww, man.”

Still, he brightened visibly as he launched into his plan to prove himself as the most valuable player in their soccer team that year. She made sure to listen and encourage him this time. His grades had been slipping, and though he didn't show it, she could see how it placed stress on him from the consternated look on his brow whenever they did their practice entrance exam tests—she should have kept her eyes on her paper, but she couldn't help but glance around when the teacher wasn't looking. She knew he didn't want to be left behind when they applied to high school.

When they got to the ice cream shop she asked for strawberry, two scoops, while he asked for three scoops of mint chocolate chip. Hikari dug around for some change from her wallet but he waved her off.

“It's my treat.”

“Don't spend all your allowance on me.”

“It's okay. I want to.”

“Okay,” she said, relenting. “We can sit on the terrace for a few minutes, we don't have to go just yet.”

She had originally planned to eat it on the way home—she didn't want her mother to worry, though she could often be absentminded about these things—but it was just too beautiful outside to go home. Far too hot, but still, beautiful; the intensity and the brevity of the summer made it her favorite season.

They sat near the edge of the terrace; the sun was just sinking below the horizon, glittering orange on the waves. His skin seemed to glow in the half-light, but it was the fire in his eyes when he looked at her—that was it, that look—that she had seen earlier that made her squirm in her seat. She wasn't sure how it made her feel, only that it made her feel… something.

His mouth relaxed into a slow smile. “What?”

She looked down and lifted her spoon, pretending to be interested in her ice cream, then discreetly pointed at her chin. He picked up a napkin to scrub furiously at something that wasn't there, and she had to stifle a laugh by biting her hand.

She stopped when she noticed the whiskers have begun sprouting on his upper lip, and his chin—he'd before lamented about Jun making relentless fun of him when she first noticed it, chasing him around the apartment with shaving cream and one of the girly razor blades she used to shave her legs. That made Takeru laugh and laugh, only for Daisuke to accuse him of being unable to grow a beard and therefore of not being a man.

They were all growing up. She could try to hide behind childish, girly clothes when she was lounging at home or with her friends, but she hadn't bought a new uniform yet, and it now clung to places it hadn't before.

“You got it,” she said, seeing no reason to draw out the torture. She shook her head, propping her head on her hand, and she couldn't help but smile.

And for once, once he was silent. There was nothing to tune out. Perhaps that was why she became hyperaware of his every movement, of their positioning: he'd thrown himself into a chair and sunk down into it, one leg propped on the chair between them. She sat across from him, legs demurely crossed, back straight. She leaned forward, chin still cupped in her hand.

“You look like don't have a care in the world.” She lifted her spoon to her mouth with her other hand, and the cold, tart taste of the strawberries—and the sweet after taste—was a relief against the heat creeping up her collar.

“I really don't. I'm happy right where I am,” he said, and the light in his eyes didn't dim, even long after the sun had finally set.

“How do you do that?” she said.

“What?”

“It's just... You don't ever seem to be worried.”

He closed his eyes for a minute, then opened them. “Like that.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“Close your eyes.” When she didn't, he said, “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, allowed her eyes to slip closed.

“Now picture all your worries as a dark cloud. Or a white cloud, it doesn't matter. Whatever. Take a deep breath, and puff your cheeks out.” When she cracked open an eye, he insisted. “Do it. I know it feels ridiculous, but just… Okay. Now blow the clouds away. Picture them going far away from you. Open your eyes.”

She did. She blinked, sunspots dancing in her eyes.

“See? It's not that hard.”

Maybe things were not as complicated as she always made them out to be.

She let him take her hand in his when they ran home—ostensibly because their parents would be mad that they hadn't returned for dinner before the sun had set, though she knew that wasn't the real reason now. She could have let go, but she found that she didn't mind, even when his hand became clammy and she wanted more than anything to reach up to wipe the sweat running down her temples. She arrived home out of breath and strangely exhilarated, her heart beating a staccato rhythm against her breast.

“What are you going to do?” Miyako said presently, turning back around to fix her hair in the mirror, looking at Hikari’s reflection. “Do you like him?”

Hikari didn't know how to answer that. She couldn't deny, after that, that she had felt something—but she didn't know what it was, she had no name for it, saying she like liked someone seemed an inadequate and inarticulate way to describe the feeling.

She wanted things to stay exactly as they were, but that was impossible. The future, though, was full of possibilities, and that was a consolation for that small, sad truth about growing up.