by Yai-tzu Hin
Warning: No part of this story or cast of characters may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the author, Yai-tzu Hin. If you do, a large family of swallows will nest right next to your bedroom and wake you up at dawn, gerbils will chew through your computer cables, the phone company will disconnect your phones for no reason,your favorite CD will become so scratched that you are forced to replace it, and your computer will develop the annoying habit of deleting the best part of every fic.
Haruka hung up the phone. As she tried to understand what had just happened, it rang. Picking up it up, Haruka took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.
"Moshi-moshi."
"Hi, Haruka. It's Yatsurugi."
"Good morning." Haruka replied glad to hear a familiar voice.
"I wanted to call and see if you'd spoken to Child Services yet." There was a long pause. "Haruka?"
"I can't do it Yatsurugi. I just can't let those people have him. I talked to a woman to find out about what would happen to him, I just couldn't let him go into foster care! The state would bounce him from home to home."
"Whoa, Haruka calm down. Look, I'm sure he'll be fine. He needs to be in the government's custody. Besides, what do you plan to do with him?"
"I'll keep him."
"He's not a lost dog."
"Look, I don't know how to explain it. Chalk it up to maternal instinct, but I just can't let some fat cow who won't give an iota about him have him. I'm going to trust my feelings and look after him myself." Yatsurugi sighed from the other end of the line.
"Haruka, be reasonable. I bet the boy has family somewhere."
"We don't know that for sure! And what if the government returns him to an abusive family? What then?" Her voice was beginning to take on a high fervor pitch that the guardian angel didn't like.
"Very well. I'm not going to argue about this any further. Keien is still asleep and I need to go run some errands. We should talk about this later."
"All right." Haruka hung up. Suddenly feeling drained; she pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and collapsed into it. "What the hell am I doing?"
From around the corner a pair of violet eyes watched. Slowly, Nodin inched his way into the kitchen. Glancing over her shoulder, Haruka noticed him and smiled.
"Hungry?" she asked. Nodin nodded his head vigorously. "Sit down and I'll make you something." Nodin nodded again, then crept over and crawled into a chair. He couldn't quite reach the top of the table, so Haruka had to find a phone book for him to sit on. Once he was set, she began cooking.
***
"She what?" Keien nearly choked as he spoke. Coughing, he reached for a napkin.
"She said she wanted to keep him." Yatsurugi replied moving Keien's glass of apple juice out of the way so he wouldn't knock it over. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she's being stubborn."
"That doesn't sound like Haruka at all." Keien muttered. His boyfriend nodded. "She wouldn't do anything illegal."
"Well, technically it's not illegal if Child Services never hears about it. But when the child is older she will have to explain herself. How is she to explain why he doesn't have a birth record for instance?" Yatsurugi said.
"As I said, it doesn't sound like her."
"I agree with you. The other thing is that she sounded a bit strange. It was like she wasn't completely there, if you know what I mean." Keien scratched his chin.
"I have no idea of what to do. We'll just have to talk to her."
"I agree." Yatsurugi stated. "Now I better let you get back to your breakfast before you kill me." He winked and stood up. He slipped out of kitchen, leaving Keien alone to ponder his sister's actions.
****
The young woman was asleep. Good, now he could go about with his business. Nodin climbed off the bed, careful not to wake Haruka. He gave the room a once over, looking for anything to give him a better idea of who this Nakabori Haruka was. From what he had experienced last night and this morning, she was a kind lady. If it hadn't been for the fact he'd been starving when he woke up, he would have checked out the apartment more thoroughly. Instead, he had been forced to wait until Haruka had insisted he take a nap. As she had been telling him a story, she'd drifted off.
Without hesitating, the little boy stole through the apartment, searching every room. When he came to the second bedroom, he noticed that it held a familiar air too it. He couldn't quite identify what it was, but he knew it from somewhere. As he tried to remember, he began to pace. There was some mail sitting on the bureau and he paused to look at it. Standing on his tiptoes he reached up trying to grab the envelopes.
"Kuso, I'm too short." He hissed irritated at the problem his height caused. Glancing quickly about to make sure Haruka wasn't around, he raised his hand. The envelopes floated off the desk towards him, gently settling in his open hand.
"Aisaku Kayumi." He read. "Must a roommate." Replacing the mail, he spun around and headed for the closet. Opening it, all he found were clothes.
Disappointed, he shut the door and left. Returning to Haruka's bedroom, he studied her sleeping form for a few moments, then gave up and crawled back into bed with her. He was just beginning to drift off when he heard a voice call out.
"Haruka, I'm back." Nodin's eyes flew open and he braced himself for what he knew would come next. "Haruka? Hum..she must not be in." the voice continued.
"Mmm.." Haruka opened her eyes and glanced about. She noticed Nodin and the fear frozen on his face. Stretching, she got up and gave the child a reassuring pat. "I'm in my room Kayumi. I was taking a nap." She called.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?" the disembodied voice asked.
"Not really. Listen, I need to talk to you. We have a guest."
"A guest?" Kayumi stood in the doorway with a curious expression on her face. A dark eyebrow lifted as she noticed Nodin. "Ah, I see. Where did get him?"
"It's a long story and it starts with a so called haunted house the university purchased." Haruka began. "First introductions. Aisaku Kayumi,this is Nodin. Nodin, this is my roommate Kayumi." Nodin sat up and stared at Kayumi wide-eyed. The angel smiled sweetly.
"Well, aren't you cute?" The boy didn't smile back. Instead, he scooted closer to Haruka.
"He's still pretty scared. We think he was abandoned."
"Who is this we?" Kayumi inquired still studying Nodin.
"Keien, Yatsurugi, Meiko, Reimu and Kagamida Imizu."
"Ah. Well, welcome to the apartment Nodin. You're safe here." Kayumi assured him, although she was getting the strangest feeling about this kid. Something was off with him. Kayumi quickly scanned for his guardian angel and found none. That was unusual for a child. Guardian angels never left their charges when they were this young for longer than a few minutes. Where was his? She extended her powers out, testing for any link from Nodin to his angel. Suddenly the boy jerked as if he'd been shocked by electricity. Startled he whipped his head about looking for the source. Kayumi could sense an energy about him that wasn't normal. Kuso, she thought swearing mentally. Who is this kid or maybe a better question is what is this kid?
***
Stepping into his apartment, Keien was glad that his day was over. His professors had been even more boring and condescending than usual. Now all he wanted to do was slip out of his clothes and into the shower.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. Yatsurugi was standing in the middle of the living room with Kayumi seated on the couch.
"Keien, oh good. You're home, we have something to tell you." Yatsurugi said. Suddenly worried Keien threw off his book bag and stood by the door waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.
"It's about Haruka." Kayumi said pausing. "And the boy."
"I think you need to go over and talk to her, she isn't listening to either Kayumi or I." Yatsurugi stated. Keien nodded.
"Tell me what has been happening on the way there."
***
With all the strength possible, Keien faced down his sister. Haruka was bound and determined to keep Nodin with her and Keien thought it best that he go to a foster home. Yatsurugi and Kayumi stood off to the side of the living room in Haruka and Kayumi's apartment watching the battle. It had been three days and Haruka had still not handed the child over. He needed to be with the proper authorities, Keien argued, but Haruka wouldn't hear of it.
"No, for the last time Keien. I'm not giving Nodin to some stranger."
"Haruka, he's not your responsibility. He may have parents."
"What if they're the lousy bastards who left him in that house alone? What if they're in prison? What if they're dead? There are a whole lot of what ifs Keien and until I get some answers, I'm not handing Nodin over to anyone!" Haruka was practically shouting and Keien was having a hard time not shouting as well.
"Still it isn't right to keep him. What if you're wrong and he had been abducted and abandoned by his abductors? If the authorities ever found him, then they would accuse you of kidnapping too! I don't want to see my sister in jail."
"We don't know anything about him and you're willing to throw him to the wolves!"
"Haruka! We wouldn't be throwing him to the wolves, he'd be in good hands." Haruka sniffed and threw her head back.
"Yeah right! With all that I've read about and seen on the news. No way! Not in this city will I hand him over to an uncaring person!"
"Foster parents aren't uncaring, not all of them! Some truly want to help and make a difference."
"I don't care!"
"Haruka, be reasonable." Keien began, but Haruka pointed to the door. "OUT. When you are willing to accept my decision, then you are welcome back. Until then, out!"
"Haruka." Kayumi growled. Haruka turned to her roommate. "I think you have a point, but your brother also has a point. You need to alert the proper authorities, but if you are that concerned about his well being, you could put in as the foster parent."
"That's a great idea." Yatsurugi exclaimed hoping the suggestion would pacify both siblings, as he didn't want any bad feelings between the two.
"I'm sure they would let you." Keien encouraged suddenly getting idea of what the two angels were up to. "Especially if Nodin insists." Please let this work, he thought, I don't want to see her in trouble with the law.
"It does sound…" Haruka abruptly stopped. As one everyone turned to look behind them. Nodin stood behind Yatsurugi staring at everyone with large violet eyes full of tears. Nobody had thought that the child would wake up from his nap, but they were very wrong.
"You'd let me stay?" he whispered. Haruka nodded. Nodin sniffed and trotted over to her and wrapped his arms around her leg. "Arigatou." Tears slid down his cheeks and he buried his face in her pants leg.
Keien turned to the two angels. They looked as surprised as he did, they were amazed by the bond that had seemed to develop over night between the two.
"It's a bit creepy." Keien muttered as he, Yatsurugi and Kayumi stood in the parking lot later. Kayumi nodded. "I've never seen anyone bond with Haruka that quickly. Normally she's more reserved than that."
"I know." Kayumi said as she prepared to drive them home. Digging into her pocket for her keys, she sighed. "On top of that, there is something about that boy."
"You mean besides the fact that he only seems to talk when Haruka is around. At dinner she left for the kitchen and he fell completely silent.
He hardly moved until she got back." Yatsurugi pointed out. "It's like he only comes alive when she is near."
"Did either of you notice that he doesn't have a guardian angel?" asked Kayumi.
"Now that you mention it, yes." Yatsurugi commented. Keien
"Sorry, I didn't. Although, I keep getting this impression that something is very odd about him."
"No guardian angel, ever?" Yatsurugi inquired looking directly at Kayumi.
"Over the past three days, I haven't seen one. Look, I'll keep an eye on him. Who ever or what ever he is, there is a connection between him and Haruka."
"You don't think he's human?" Keien demanded. Kayumi shook her head.
"It's hard to say. There is something similar to a seal, that is hiding his true nature from us. Until he decides to show us what he is, we can't do anything."
"Then we'll have to wait." Keien said. "Let's just hope he doesn't hurt Haruka."
"If he does, he'll have to deal with at least two guardian angels." Yatsurugi stated winking at Keien.
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