★ MINE ★
FATHER OF THE YEAR

         she was still pretty sweaty and out of breath when she managed to climb over the fence and landed unceremoniously in the garden. Kimiko was completely exhausted, just wanted to take a bath and then sleep, but as soon as she entered the large hall, the security guard who was always standing in front of her father's door came towards her.

     »Miss Kujou, your father is already waiting for you.«

     Shit. He had noticed that she hadn't been there? Even if he hadn't noticed, he would now realize that she had been somewhere else. She was sweaty. Strands stuck out of her braids. This wasn't what anyone who had sat in their room all day looked like.

     Kimiko nodded and followed him. He knocked on the office door and shortly afterwards they were invited in. Her father was sitting behind his large desk, signing random pieces of paper and Sara was waiting patiently, sitting in the chair opposite him. Had Sara told him that she had been away? Had Sara really ratted her out?

     The guard closed the door behind him and then her father stood up. »So young lady where have you been?«

     She had been in the forest, which she wasn't allowed to do. She had trained with Kazuha, which she wasn't allowed to do. She had had fun, which she wasn't allowed to do. She had felt comfortable with Kazuha, she had liked how gently he spoke to her and the reactions she triggered when she touched him... and yes, she certainly wasn't allowed to do that either.

     »I asked you something!« He walked around his table and only stopped when he was directly in front of her. »You weren't in your room, I had you looking everywhere.« He grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard. »So where the fuck have you been?«

     Overall, Kimiko loved her father. Really! She believed that he always wanted the best for her, even though she didn't always like his methods. But at times like this she was afraid of him. Not so afraid that she was shaking. But enough fear to keep her cheeky mouth shut and stand still.

     Sara cleared her throat. »I saw her.«

     »What?«, Kimiko and her father said at the same time.

     »She was at Kujou Chen's grave all day,« Sara answered. She stood completely still, completely straight, without changing her facial expressions, as if she were reporting. »No one but the family is allowed there, you certainly don't have the guards sent there, right?« Stop! Was Sara just helping her? That was new. »And since you probably forgot her birthday, you didn't look it up yourself,« she added, which made her father grip even tighter.

     Kimiko's wrist hurt. But she wasn't allowed to back away. She just had to endure it until he let go of her. »That's enough!«, he hissed. So he really had forgotten his late wife's birthday, but that didn't make Kimiko feel any better. She had even forgotten her mother's birthday. For the first time since... the first time ever. »So you really saw her?«

     »There are fresh flowers at the grave, her favorite flowers. Who do you think put them there?«

    Her father nodded briefly. »Good.« He finally let go of her wrist and without saying another word he left his office. He very rarely let the two of them alone in his office. So that could only mean that he actually felt bad. He sure would visit the grave.

     »Sara, I wasn't at the grave,« Kimiko whispered in case anyone overheard them both.

     »Which is a shame. You never forgot her birthday.« She crossed her arms and walked towards the door. »You should go there before you go to sleep.«

     »So you brought her fresh flowers,« she called after her, which made Sara pause. »That's nice.«

     »No need to get emotional.« There she was again. The Sara that Kimiko knew all too well. Honestly, she wasn't sure if Sara liked her or not.

     »And defended myself in front of father,« Kimiko added. »You have a heart after all.«

     Snorting, Sara turned to her. She looked down at Kimiko from above. »Just because I'm loyal to the Raiden Shogun doesn't mean I like how he treats you.« She turned back and reached for the doorknob. »But that doesn't mean I'll help you again. I have enough to do.«

     »Thank you,« Kimiko mumbled and from the subtle nod she saw that Sara had definitely heard it. However, Sara was and would always remain a mystery to her. She was still grateful to her. Everything could have turned out differently with her father.

     Even though Kimiko was sorry not to have been with her mother, she didn't go there that evening. Her father was surely there and then Sara's efforts would have been in vain. So the next morning she decided to go very early and well rested. Hiroki hadn't started his shift yet and and Nanami accepted that Kimiko wanted to go without her.

     She knelt in front of the grave and placed her bouquet alongside the other flowers. She placed the fresh lavender in the large empty vase. It was replaced regularly because her mother used to grow it in the garden.

     »Well, I'm sorry I wasn't there yesterday, my thoughts were somewhere else,« said Kimiko. »To be honest, I felt really good, like never before, but well, you know how your husband sometimes acts.« Kimiko sighed. »I know he's always had his problems, but since you left and he's acting like he's the Electro Archon, it's gotten a lot worse.«

    Kimiko had once felt uncomfortable speaking in front of her mother's grave, but now she chatted incessantly. It helped her somehow. She couldn't tell anyone else everything, really everything.

     »But enough about Dad,« she trailed off. »I met someone. To be honest, I haven't known him for very long, but I have to admit that I find him really fascinating.. His name is Kazuha and I don't know, but I feel really comfortable around him.«

     It felt good to talk about it. Not getting an answer wasn't great, but it was better for Kimiko to get no answer at all than for someone to tell her to be careful or to stop seeing him. Because she definitely wouldn't stop seeing him.

     »Of course he doesn't know who I am, but I think that's better that way. Not because I don't trust him, surprisingly I do, but I'm afraid of how he might react,« Kimiko continued. »I think I should get to know him more before I tell him that I'm part of the Kujou clan.. anyway, I thought you might be interested.«

    Kimiko brushed the dirt off her dress and stood up from her crouch. She smoothed the skirt and picked up the basket with the remaining lavender. It probably wasn't a good idea to sneak away again, without even telling Hiroki, but Kimiko went anyway.

     Hiroki would know where she was. So he could either look for her or simply make sure that no one noticed her absence. Either way, she'll have to hear again later that she shouldn't just leave without even saying something.

     With the basket in her hand she walked through the forest again. She walked faster than usual. She didn't want to be out for too long. On the one hand because she was hungry and on the other hand because she didn't want to give her father a reason to scream again. Her wrist hurts quite a bit and one dark red mark was enough for her.

     »That's a lot of lavender.« He was just coming out of one of the houses with an empty box under his arm. And immediately a smile appeared on Kimiko's face.

     »Admit it you're stalking me.«

     He shrugged and stood in front of her. »Maybe.«

     »And what are you actually doing here?«

     »It's embarrassing to say.« Kazuha placed the empty box on the floor and scratched the back of his head. »You weren't there this morning, at the harbor, and I thought that maybe I would meet you here.« He was embarrassed to say that, Kimiko could see that. And somehow that just made him even more adorable.

     »That's cute.«

     »So, so why you carrie so much lavender?«

     Kimiko shrugged. »To be honest, I don't know myself, but it would definitely make the village look a little nicer.« She also had enough lavender at home and talking to other people, apart from her narrow-minded father, was good for her.

     »It feels like you somehow different to day.« Kazuha tilted his head to the side and looked at her. Oh, was she really that easy to read? »What's wrong?«

     »Oh, nothing! I'm fine.« She gripped the basket full of lavender tighter. »Just a little tired.«

     »You can talk to me about anything, if you want.« A small, encouraging smile crossed his lips. »Other I can't guaranty anything else, I'm a very good listener.« He was really adorable. This word was invented for him. He was the word. Sure, if you looked up adorable in the dictionary, it would say Kaedehara Kazuha right there.

     Kimiko returned his smile. »Thank you but.« She wanted to walk past him, but had forgotten that the box was there. She kicked it, staggered forward a little and dropped her basket.

     »Are you alright?« Kazuha grabbed her hand and helped her stand upright again. She didn't want to flinch when he touched her, but he touched the place where her father had hurt her. Kazuha noticed this. He looked up her hand and then back into her eyes, »What happened?«

     »Oh thats nothing!«

     »Nothing?«

     Kimiko nodded. She pulled her hand away and went to pick up the lavender. »I can't tell you.«

     Kazuha knelt next to her. He looked at her sideways for a while until she had collected all the lavender again. »You can.«

     »I have to take this to the village and.«

     »I can do that later,« he interrupted her. He took the basket from her hands and placed it on the empty box. Then he grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. »So if you have no other matters to attend to let's go somewhere a little quieter, shall we?« Kimiko didn't think twice. She nodded and followed him. How could she not?

     She liked that he held her hand tightly and didn't let go. She liked how his steps synchronized with hers. She liked that he kept giving her side glances, as if he wanted to make sure everything was okay. Everything was really okay. At least with him now.