Their Weekend: Start

by Tempest35

Disclaimer: I am not Izuru Yumizuru, nor anyone affiliated with the IS Project - if I was, there might actually be a concise story to all of this... I'm kidding - don't sue me!

Ugh, thank God for the weekend.

Unlocking the door to their house, Chifuyu stepped inside and braced herself against the wall with a hand to take off her high-heels. Whoever invented these things sure made one hell of a torture device, she thought ruefully. With a sigh of relief, she dropped the shoes next to the step. Sure, she and many other women had the benefit of having perfectly sculpted calf muscles because of them, but that still didn't stop her from grumping about the pain they sometimes caused. Let the men who complain about women having more power in this day and age wear those things for a few days - then maybe she'd listen to them. Not really but she could always pretend to.

Looking back at the step, she noticed another pair of shoes – a male pair. Taking in a deep breath, her nose picked up the warm, spicy scent coming from the kitchen and she found herself giving a smile. So, he made it back here already...

"Is that you, Chifuyu-nee?" The familiar voice of her younger brother came from deeper within the building. "Welcome back."

"Tadaima," she replied with a small yawn as she walked to the living room. Letting her briefcase down on the couch, she glanced around the cleaned living room. Coming home to a clean house and a delicious meal…she definitely missed this while she was away at Germany for that year. While the military accommodations and food she had received weren't bad at all; they just couldn't compare to Ichika's personal touch. "Is that curry you're making? I haven't had curry in a while." She undid her jacket top and tossed it over the arm of the couch as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's still going to be a while though, I just put the curry and chicken to cook and the vegetables are still steaming." He walked out from the kitchen still wearing the blue apron that she had gotten him a year ago. "Probably another 30 minutes," he told her, rubbing his hands on a towel. Chifuyu had to suppress a chuckle at seeing him – he looked so domesticated like that. That didn't lessen Ichika's worth in her eyes one bit.

He blinked when he saw her own appearance and made a slightly apologetic face which confused her slightly. "Wow, Chifuyu-nee, you look beat." She gave him a half-glare. Just because she might have felt as bad as he had pointed out, didn't mean he had to say it – baka Ichika.

"Urusai," she gruffed at him with just a bit of heat in her words as she began to loosen her tie and blouse. "It's your fault anyway," she continued as she made her way to the fridge and took out a can of beer. "Having to deal with all the chaos you bring to the school... If it was anyone else, they would have quit." Plopping herself down on the stool by the kitchen counter, she deftly opened the can with a finger and took a long drink. A small drop of the alcohol escaped from the corner of her mouth and rolled down her slender neck to her collarbone. "Puaaah~ Now this is the way to start a weekend," she exclaimed, slamming the can down on the counter with slightly more force than necessary.

Ichika winced at her antics, also being momentarily distracted by the alcohol drop's small journey down his sister's neck. "Don't spoil dinner now," he reminded her, to which she just gave him an annoyed glance and purposefully took another long drink from the can. "If all those girls who admired you could see you now, they'd have a fit," he sighed in response. And then they'd blame me for it too.

"It's not as if they don't throw spaz attacks over every little thing anyway," she finished the beer and placed the empty can on the counter, where he took it away and threw it in the recycle bin for her. "Ugh, I just want be lazy and not wake up until noon tomorrow," she lifted her arms above her head and stretched, her body shifting beneath her clothing.

"Oh? My sister's slovenly side is starting to rear its head again," he teased as he turned back to face her. His eyes widened as he saw her in mid-stretch and he distinctly heard the sounds of camera shutters mentally clicking in his head. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her in worse 'states of dress' but Chifuyu had a knack of being distractingly gorgeous no matter what she wore. If she were a model instead of a teacher, she'd be making ten times what she was getting from ISA easily and that was not an exaggeration. More than once had she complained about modelling agents trying to get to to sign on, especially after she won the first Mondo Grosso and participated in the second.

"Ichika," she growled darkly, ignoring the faint prickling sensation on her cheeks. "You have gotten braver to be talking back to me like this. Seems like you're tired of living." A gargled cough caused her to open an eye and she caught her brother's cheeks flushing as he tried to look away in time. She glanced downward and saw that she was apparently giving him quite a display of her cleavage. A small smirk appeared on her face for a moment before she dropped her arms. "Hnn? What's wrong? Is it too hot in there for you? Your face is pretty red."

"N-nothing, it's nothing," he hastily turned back to the stove, his reaction made her chuckle grimly. It wasn't a big secret to either of them that she enjoyed teasing him. She had, however, all but given up on teasing the female students since they heard only what their hormones wanted them to hear. A certain trip to a seaside resort cemented that for her.

"Fine, fine, I'll go take a shower before dinner then. After that, I want a full massage from you tonight." She stood up a bit shakily, putting a hand on the counter to steady herself. Maybe she was a bit more tired than she realized for only one beer to unsettle her like this.

"As my elder sister wishes," he made a 'dramatic' bow towards her before turning back to the stove. Feeling a bit annoyed at his casual dismissal, she walked behind him, pulling off her tie and draped it around his neck like a garrote wire.

"Eh," he blinked, surprised when she tugged on it, cutting off his breath for a moment. "Ch-Chifuyu-nee?" He turned around and looked at her, his eyes searching her face…

Something must have been off about her expression because he leaned forward and touched his forehead against hers. To say that she was surprised was an understatement. "Wh-what are you … doing!?" She tried to pull back but he just leaned closer, his hand snaking around her waist to hold her close. "I-Ichika..!"

"Now releasing 'Otouto Core' Bypass. Core Energy Transfer Protocol – Engaged." He gave her a childish grin as she realized what he was attempting. His words just now were the vocal commands for the Core Energy Transfer between IS cores. She managed to calm down after she realized it for herself, not stopping the very slight smile that appeared on her face as they stood there in the kitchen, their heads touching one another. By all rights, she should deck him for doing something like this but she couldn't deny it – the feelings of familiarity and comfort that radiated from him.

"Thanks Ichika," she whispered softly as he pulled away from her, still holding her waist. Imagined or not, she did feel better, as if he really did transfer some his energy to her.

"No problem, Chifuyu-nee," he replied in a deep yet gentle voice, causing a shiver to race down her spine.

Damn, he's good. She reached up and cupped his cheeks with her hands, causing his eyes to widen slightly. She then pinched and yanked on them at the same time, causing him to cry out comically.

"Uwaah~ Chifuyu-nee?!"

"Hmph. Surprise me like that again and I'll make it ten times worse," she threatened him, leaving her tie around his neck as she turned and headed towards the stairs, her gait strong and sure once more. His eyes followed her every movement until she disappeared from view and he turned back to the stove.

"She's a bit odd today, I wonder what's up," he mused, glancing down at her tie left around his neck. He left it there as he continued on, humming lightly to himself.

She slowly ascended up the stairs, undoing the rest of her shirt buttons and pulled it off. Upon entering her room, she tossed it into an empty hamper, her sharp eyes spying the neatly folded piles of her finished laundry on her bed. She took a moment to look over her clothes, noting the almost military-like precision of the folds.

Exhaling loudly, she wondered just how many times had he done this for her? How much time out of his life had he supported her with things like this while she was out, earning enough money to keep their tiny family together? He knew – he had to know – that she appreciated what he did beyond what she was willing to show. It just wasn't her nature to be 'affectionate' like that. Still... she sometimes wished that she could be like Tabane with how easily she could display her emotions. Ichika certainly deserved to feel more appreciated than what she displayed, despite telling him constantly what a pain he was.

Pulling out a pair of white shorts, a cropped, blue tee shirt, underwear and a towel, she left her room and entered the bathroom that had been remodeled to have a western style shower in place of a furo. Turning the water to very warm, she let the streams of heated water drum incessantly against her tired body, a groan escaping her lips in blessed relief. In her mind she was already relishing the promised massage, and drinking away the remainder of her 6-pack in the fridge.

She'll let Ichika have a can tonight - a sort of unofficial payment and allowance between them. She had shared beer with her brother before, not out in public, mind you. It was something private - between them. She'd rather him drink in front of her than behind her back with some lowlife friends of his. As strict as she was with him during school, the house was pretty much Ichika's domain. He ran it as efficiently as any hotel staff member, so she let him nigh free reign. He already knew what she allowed and didn't allow so she enjoyed the freedom that not having to deal with the chores that were expected with owning such a house.

Tilting her head back, she let the water slowly seep into the mass of hair, feeling it become heavy over her shoulders and back. "I really do rely on you a lot in my own way, don't I, Ichika," she murmured, closing her eyes as the water began to cascade down over her face.

After fifteen minutes or so, she descended back down the stairs barefooted, her hands frisking the towel through her mane of hair in a pathetic attempt to dry it. Not even a minute and the lower back of her small t-shirt was already damp with moisture.

"Ah, I was about to come get you," Ichika finished laying out the last of the dishes at the table for the both of them. He looked up with a smile that turned to a look of surprise and then a half-lidded glare, his cheeks dusted with a faint pink. Only the knowledge that it was Chifuyu in front of him didn't have him turning around shouting, "I'm sorry," out of impulse.

Or was it a habit by now...

"Really Chifuyu-nee? Coming down dressed like that? You should stop teasing me like this."

"I can always come down in just a bra and panties you know, 'Mother'," she muttered, shifting her hips and gave her mane of hair a shake, faint droplets of moisture were flung into the air. A large bang fell across her right eye, giving her a rather wild and sultry appearance, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the young man in front of her. "But that would be too much of the wrong kind of stimulation for you, wouldn't it?" Her smirk, while making her look quite a bit sexier, both embarrassed and infuriated him to no end.

You're not even wearing a bra, he shouted at her mentally. As if compelled by his hormones, his eyes were irresistibly drawn towards her robust chest - the thin fabric of her blue top clinging tightly to her body... He wisely decided not reply to her provocation, despite the slight increase in the intensity of his blush. Instead, he pulled out her chair at the dinner table for her. "If you would please," he kept his eyes averted from her.

Giving him a coy smile, she sat down at the table, letting him push the chair closer. It was so easy to tease him - she probably shouldn't do it that way anymore - he was a young man now despite his lack of mental maturity. Still, it felt too good to pass up; she was a woman after all. At least she did it the right way, unlike those little chicks that clung to him. Well maybe one or two did have an idea of how to flirt. She really shouldn't be so dismissive of them all the time. They would eventually come into their own as women - but in the case of Ichika, she had quite the head start. None of them knew him as well as she did...wait one darn minute.

She paused, frowning inwardly at the direction her inner monologue was heading. She was not back in highschool, competing with the other idiots over men - she had never done that before. So why did it sound like she in a competition over Ichika with those little girls!? Her answer hit her like a morning hangover.

*"Try to get to my level, you brats."*

Twitch.

Damn it... why did she have to drink two and a half beers while talking to them?! Yes, she wouldn't hand Ichika off to just any pretty face and nice body (she had those two things in spades), but to blatantly challenge them like that was just asking to be misunderstood. So much for being the adult there. The look of self-loathing on her face must have been strong indeed since it caught his attention from across the table.

"Um, you okay, Chifuyu-nee?" Really, she was looking down at the plates of food in front of her as if she hated life itself. "I know I haven't cooked curry in a while but it should still be edible."

"I'm...fine. It's not that, I just remembered something unpleasant," she glanced over the table at him. He wasn't buying it. "Don't worry about it," she told him, already forestalling the question plainly written on his face.

"Okay," he pressed his hands together and bowed his head. "Itadakimasu~" they both chimed together before digging in.

"So, got any plans this weekend," she asked, putting a few slices of the meat in her rice bowl.

"Not really," he replied, adding soy sauce to his rice. "Other than studying for your test next Monday, no one said that they were going to do anything special so I'm all yours."

"..." she caught herself before the piece of chicken in her mouth went too far down her throat. When will he learn not to say such things so carelessly? "What are you talking about, you idiot," she began, willing herself to not show a blush on her cheeks. "You belong…"

You belong to me already.

"… with your head in that manual that you threw away at the beginning of the year. You really need to hurry and graduate before you become -"

…a temptation…

"- a shut-in, living at home all alone. I won't support a useless man, even if it's you."

He looked at her with a slightly pained expression on his face. "Oh c'mon Chifuyu-nee, I'm not that bad. Is that what you honestly see in me now?"

Yes, her automatic reply was on the tip of her tongue but something in both herself and his expression made her stop and consider for a moment. "...no, I don't," she admitted, much to his surprise. "I already know you won't disappoint me, Ichika. You do try hard, even if it's for stupid things half the time."

"Hey," he made a face, to which she gave him a smile that was rare to see outside of their home. Yeah, going back and forth like this - this was the Chifuyu-nee he was used to.

"At the very least I can get you into a culinary school so you can learn how to cook even better," she threw the jab at him.

He shook his head with a bemused expression. "Now Chifuyu-nee, while I do like to cook, I don't like the idea of cooking for complete strangers. Right now, Chifuyu-nee and the other girls are the only ones that I'll cook like this for." Ah, that dazzling smile again – someone as dense as he was shouldn't be able to smile like that.

Chifuyu had nearly dropped the rice she held with her chopsticks, mentally cursing his ability to easily find those annoying 'brother-sized' cracks in her guard. "Your wife won't appreciate that," she managed to get out in a half-hearted attempt to have the last word but for some reason, Ichika wasn't letting anything go tonight.

"Oh? Why would I like a girl that doesn't like me cooking for Chifuyu-nee?" he asked innocently. "That's not good. I can't have a wife that doesn't like you. At the very least I need to make sure that Chifuyu-nee's future husband can cook."

"Tch!" That damned smirk of his! Such an obvious zing to her well-known weakness; a zing and he had also managed to make her blush as well. He really was improving however; she had the pride of the older sibling to uphold. Allowing him to gain the upper hand like this was unforgivable. "Just for that I'll make sure to bake your first cake for you – and you will eat it too." A threat to force him to eat her latest culinary disaster – it was rare that she used that one but since she was so close to home… That and having him clean up the resulting fallout disaster would be another form of punishment.

Ichika felt his own left eye twitch in response. Being forced to eat Chifuyu-nee's 'attempts' at cooking should have been one of the articles that were covered in the Alaska Treaty as an affront to world peace. His face contorted to a wince as he was subjected to her glare. Really, Chifuyu could start the next Ice Age with that glare, alternatively fixing the global warming issue as well. If only there was a way for her powers to be used for good.

A piece of sliced bell pepper landed smack in the middle of his face, courtesy of a rather cutely blushing Chifuyu. "Will you quit with the annoying comments already," she growled at him. Oh yeah, she can read his mind, can't she… Yet another power wasted in the continued tyranny of one Orimura Ichika... This time, it was a still warm piece of chicken landed on his cheek.

"Don't get full of yourself, Ichika!"

After cleaning up the kitchen and dinner area, Chifuyu found herself in the living room, her remaining beers near to her as her brother began working on her. "Still tense as ever, Chifuyu-nee," his voice teased her ears, making her tilt her head away from him. Partly because his breath on her ear did 'things' to her that she'd never admit out-loud to him, and also because it was just plain annoying to think that he could ever arous – oh yes~, that hit the spot.

"I wonder who I have to thank for that," she muttered, her head resting on her arms as she lay on her stomach. Ichika had already begun her long-awaited massage, thumping his hands up and down her back, creating a dull yet pleasant sensation throughout her body. She definitely didn't want to give up daily access to this at all.
"You kids don't know the pain of being adults yet - be grateful."

"I am," he chuckled, moving his hands over across her shoulders, driving his knuckles into the taunt, firm muscles of her back, causing her to groan. "I know this is only a small way to repay you for it."

"Hmmm," she purred as he finished 'prepping' her back and began to slowly work on her shoulders. The feel of his fingers expertly digging into her unresisting flesh, working away the knots and tension was an experience quite unlike any other. Forget the perks attached with being called 'Brunhilde', this is what made her feel that being an 'Orimura', no- a woman - was the best thing in the world. And even better, there was no chance of this massage being interrupted by brats with overactive imaginations. Probably a good thing too since she obviously tended to be quite 'vocal' when he did this to her. She never really thought about it until that day when she caught five curious rabbits out by their shogi door, listening in on their private time.

Wait, she shouldn't call it their 'private time' like that… The way it sounded implied something being there in the first place; but there wasn't anything there, right?

"Ooh, d-damn it, a bit gentler there," she winced; knowing that the pain she was feeling was his fault anyway, both literally and figuratively.

"Ah, sorry, sorry," he replied easily, adjusting the angle of attack and pressure to her left shoulder blade. "How's that?"

"Mmm, you can be a bit…rougher there… Ahhh~" Damn, it's just not fair; how come he knew all the right places to make her squirm like this? The way his fingers danced over her body was marvelous, as if he was playing her like an instrument, her gasps and moans sounding anything but her usual controlled self. The thought didn't seem all that bad to her actually…

"Chifuyu-nee, it's like you become a masochist every time I give you a full service massage." Oh she could hear the grin in his tone; that idiot. "You like these sorts of things almost too hard and too rough for any normal girl."

"God, Ichika, don't say stuff like – ahhh – like that..." The last part of her statement came out as a whimper, much to her consternation. His incessant humming clued her to that he was going to attempt something that she probably would enjoy but at the same time, wouldn't.

"Like this," he applied pressure on her spine with his palms, leaning forward to put more of his body weight down on her and pushed up from her lower back up towards her shoulders and then out along her arms. She managed a long, strangled cry as she felt her vertebrae realigning forcibly from his ministrations. Damn it, that hurt! And yet it felt so good…

Maybe she was a masochist.

"Or this," he murmured, working on her right arm for a few minutes, massaging everything from her shoulder, to elbow and even between her fingers, pulling and resetting the bones like a skilled chiropractor. She gasped when he turned his attention to her other arm and repeated the same thing, her body shuddering as he continued. Chifuyu wanted to move; the sensations were beginning to get a bit much, but he had straddled her waist, preventing her from moving as he continued to work on her despite her cries of protest. Being in the rare position of dominance with her, he took advantage of it every time and this was no exception. She was at his mercy and … and it was… great. It was a private bane of hers…but also a guilty pleasure. He felt his weight shift to the back of her thighs as his hands lightly scratched down her back in a very teasing motion, her back arching against his touch as if a string.

She felt Ichika lean his weight forward and felt his breath teasing her sensitive ears, whispering to her, "We're not done yet, Chifuyu-nee." She barely had time to suck in a quick breath of air before his fingers found that one spot on her lower back that always turned her to mush…

"Hmmnnnnh! That's not…no, not ther – ahh... Ahh!… Ichi-kaa!" Her hand grip threatened to tear the pillow apart as her cries and gasps continued from the increased intensity of his massage. He was making her body writhe beneath him in a way that she both loved and hated at the same time. No, this shouldn't be…done… it felt too much like… like…

Twenty minutes later, Chifuyu had been reduced to a gasping, trembling wreck, clutching the cushion with a look of absolute mortification on her face. How dare that cheeky brat make her … 'react' like that!

"Hah, Chifuyu-nee held out well tonight too." His self-satisfied grin was evident in his tone of voice.

Squeezing her thighs together, she sent an accusatory glare at the young man who was rotating his now-sore arms in small circles, totally unaware of what he had forced his elder sister to endure. Normally she would have stopped it long before it got nearly that good – bad, before it got that bad – but for some reason she didn't… He better not be giving these same sort of massages to that Sarashiki brat, or any of those girls for that matter! There was no way they were ready for one of these massages.

In a way, she was thankful that he was actually just as dense as he is.

"Damn it, I'll have to take a bath again," she muttered into the pillow, still not trusting her normal voice just yet.

"Yeah, I might have to take one too," he agreed, oblivious to what had transpired for her. He earned a pillow to the head courtesy of her embarrassment. "Hey, what?"

"…shut up," she grumbled, opening a can of beer and downing half of it in the first go, glaring at him from over the can. "For some reason, you were definitely in a teasing mood. Why is that?"

"Ah, I'm not sure," he blinked; suddenly aware that his next few words could be his last, judging from the sudden drop in the room temperature. "I just wanted to get you back for all that teasing earlier." He gave a sigh of relief after she turned her head away from him.

So, it was just payback. She could live with that.

His face got pensive as he was lost in thought for a moment. "You seemed to be feeling that one a lot more than usual, Chifuyu-nee," he told her, not noticing her flinch ever so slightly. "Is it really that stressful at the Academy for you?"

"Uh, y-yeah…in a variety of ways," she mumbled. The stress of being a teacher dealing with teenaged girls was one thing; dealing with the stress of being a single young adult woman was an entirely different issue, no thanks to the densest man on the planet being her brother. Males have it so easy...

"Ah, I know! During our break time, I can give you a massage there at the school as well." He struck his fist against his palm to punctuate what a good idea it was. "How about it?" His sister had other ideas.

"No, I'm not so weak that I need you looking out for me like that," she finished her beer and leaned back against the couch. It might have sounded cold but in truth, she did not want to be caught making any sort of reactions like the ones she did at home in the school – she'd never hear the end of it. It was best to kill that kind of idea swiftly and without mercy.

Ichika visibly wilted. "Oh," was all he replied with but Chifuyu knew better, having gone through this very scenario so many times in the past.

She already knew that he'd be a little upset that he was rejected like that, but it was for his own good. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea - far from it, but certain implicating scenes should not be played out where it could be witnessed - this wasn't some cheap eroge. Besides, his little flock that followed him everywhere wouldn't let him hear the end of it either if they found out that he was spending his lunchtime massaging her. They were already very wary of her as things stood, since they took every single interaction she had with her little brother and construed something so blatantly misinterpreting; she was hard-pressed not to literally knock their heads off. While a –very– small part of her wanted to flaunt the power that she held over him to all those annoying little girls, she shouldn't completely crush their hopes and aspirations like some sort of (brocon) tyrant.

Chifuyu grabbed a beer that was still cool to the touch and placed it against his face, causing him to pull back in surprise. "But thanks for the thought. I appreciate it otouto." She gave him a small smile before dropping the beer in his hand and resuming her own. The last thing she wanted was to make her brother unhappy tonight and have it be her fault.

His entire face brightened considerably, taking the can from her and opening it with practiced ease using the same technique Chifuyu used. "Alright, Chifuyu-nee. Anything for you," He took a few gulps as she watched him before starting her last can herself.

He's just like a puppy – so eager to please me… Her brain quickly performed a 'strikethrough' on that last word with an exasperated mental sigh. Some evil monk or priest somewhere must have cursed the Orimura family to forever speak in double entendre. That must be the source of their misfortune – both hers and his. Why else would so many women lust after the both of them? Yes, she did have her moments but that wasn't the point here.

"Puah~ But seriously, whenever you need a 'recharge session', let me know, okay Chifuyu-nee?" He leaned his head sideways against her shoulder, a contented smile on his face. She glanced over at him for a moment, taking in his relaxed expression. Whether she was still feeling the effects of his massage or she just didn't care by that point, Chifuyu didn't react beyond letting her eyes drift close.

"Yeah, I got it," she replied, bumping her head gently against his. Were it anyone else, they would have interpreted his words in a very wrong manner but she knew better. Yeah, they themselves knew – better than anyone – what they meant. "Now then, you better go get my bath ready. I want a nice long soak too."

"Eh? Is this 'Pamper Neechan Night' or something?" His eyes held an amused light in them, which was reflected in her own.

"Baka, that should be every Friday for you," she retorted, brandishing her can in the air and launching a kick after him. "Now go!"

"Hai~" Ichika got up and ran laughing towards the first floor bath. While the bathroom upstairs was considerably smaller and was little more than a shower, the bathroom downstairs had everything inside it's spacious interior complete with quite a large in-ground tub, more than enough for two full grown people to fit in comfortably.

"Hmph, ano baka." She relaxed back against the couch, sipping on the last of her beer as she heard the water being turned on. Next week, we get paid, she thought to herself. I guess I should give him some allowance to go out and enjoy himself. I need to go buy some clothes as well. Maybe I'll take him along for that too. Regardless of being a guy, he can pick out some tasteful clothes. It was the reason why she let him him pick out so much of her clothing, even down to what she wore on a daily basis.

Another thought surfaced in her mind about the yearly gala held at the Academy but she resisted it full force. She didn't want to spend money on a dress for one night of brushing shoulders with the 'influential and powerful people' in the IS world – her shoulders might rot off from the mere contact with all of their hypocrisy, double-dealing, and lies. Still, it would be a good experience for Ichika to really see the kind of world that existed outside the influence of the Academy and the one she constantly had to deal with along with teaching. No, she couldn't. The Academy needed its protector to be on alert at all times. Not to mention that they were still out there.

Her eyes narrowed as the almost empty beer can was unceremoniously crushed in her iron grip.

Oh yes - them. The mere thought of the bane of her existence; the major source of suffering for the Orimura family, ignited the ball of patiently cultivated anger within her. Even with all that he had accomplished, Ichika still lived in that shadow of the past of when he got kidnapped that day of the 2nd Mondo Grosso by that damned organization - Phantom Task. There was absolutely nothing that he could have done to prevent it, shy of being some crazy competent child soldier, and yet he still blamed himself for something as trivial as her forfeiting the championship match. She still hadn't told him that she was also forbidden under the Alaska Treaty to set foot in an IS ever again but quite honestly, she wasn't eager to get into any other IS other than her own. The Revives that the school used wouldn't be able to keep up with her even if she was allowed to use them, especially with the evolution limiter placed on them. It would be like a professional race car driver trying to drive one of those little 'Power Wheels' toy cars.

"The pain of being an adult, eh," she leaned her head back over the edge of the couch, bouncing a well-sculpted leg over her knee lazily. To not be able to protect the one existence she held above all others was the most painful thing for her. The Gospel incident tested her to the very edge of her patience and fortitude. If she didn't have that last ounce of self-control, she would have stolen a teacher's Revive and challenged the Gospel on her own, despite being in a severely out-classed machine. Only Yamada-kun and the other instructors bore witness to the silent, raging blizzard that consumed her at the thought of not being able to take part in the operation in a more direct manner. To leave the potential fate of thousands of people in the hands of mere children who were not yet ready. She felt as if she was the real hypocrite, allowing them to do so. And yet… she knew better.

That day over ten years ago - a day filled with explosions, pain, and fear for a mere fourteen year old girl trying her best to protect her little brother and subsequently a nation...

It's why she trained them as intensely as she did. They never would know if they would be called upon to repeat such a feat on their own. At least they would have the benefit of prior training, unlike her...

She thanked Tabane to no end for helping her remain incognito after that incident, even as the super genius herself was essentially carted off to decide the fate of the world because of that. She had literally broken the world so of course they were more than eager to return everything to a semblance of their status quo. Those idiotic politicians created the very problems that they blamed people like her for causing. It was one thing that both she and Tabane agreed wholeheartedly on – those idiots could go get vaporized by a particle cannon for all she cared. Extra points if they let her be the one firing.

"It's ready now," his voice rang out, breaking her out of her morbid thoughts.

"Ah, alright," she replied back, slamming the can against the table to form a crushed disc. She made her way towards the bathroom entrance, where Ichika stood waiting for her. "I'll bring you a change of clothes in a minute," he told her. She gave a little grunt of approval as she stepped past him into the room. "Anything else you need?"

All of her previous thoughts had her feeling a bit down so she decided one last tease for the night was in order. "Hnn, sure," she shrugged, grabbing a towel and a scrub rag and handed them to a stupefied little brother. "Scrub my back for me."

"E-eh!?" His shock was evident on his face.

"What? I did it plenty of times for you – you should be thankful to me for letting you pay me back." With that, she took a step onto the tiled floor, beginning to work her shirt up over her slender torso.

"Bu-but I can't see you naked," he all but shouted as he turned his back, fully embarrassed and red in the face. She raised an eyebrow at him with her trademark smirk prominently on display. So easy to bait him, it was almost criminal.

"Ho~, but I never said I'd be naked, you dimwit." She tsked her tongue at him, "Such eagerness to see your neechan's naked body? Just what sort of pervert have I been raising all this time?" That sent him stuttering back, red-faced and she stepped forward for the final blow - a line delivered in a cutesy voice that she had overheard from the Dunois girl a few weeks ago, "Ichika no ecchi~"

The blank look on his tomato-red face was priceless. "Not you too!" He turned and stomped out in a huff, causing her to finally laugh out loud. Wow, that really was effective; she just might have to keep that one.

"Love you Ichika~" her voice carried her obvious amusement, to which he stuck his tongue at her as he closed the door forcefully. Chuckling to herself she looked up and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "…matta ku, this guy…" Scented candles were lit with an assortment of bath oils and lotions already lined up along the edge of the furo, not to mention the low tunes of jazz playing through the speakers. How did this guy do all of this – was he trying to make her fall in love with him? She shook her head ruefully as she finished disrobing, placing her clothes in the hamper. Easing into the water, she let out another sigh as she sank in up to her chin, feeling her cares disappear once again. Yeah, there's no way she'd ever give him up to some random girl who thought the world of herself – Ichika belonged to her, students and teachers and rivals be damned.

Or at least until this weekend was over.

She stretched lazily in the bath water, a small yawn appearing. "Hnnn, what to do tomorrow..."

Thoughts:

Well, took me long enough to churn out another one for the Chifuyu side. And before anyone asks, yes I do like the idea of Ichika and Chifuyu together - the sheer amount of tease these two have while they do mostly normal things is incredible - and Season 2 isn't helping by making Chifuyu all tsundere for Ichika. The way she gets embarrassed when someone finds out how much of a softie she is for her little brother is 'kyaa' inspiring. Yamada falls for it so routinely but she's learning how far to push it.

I do plan on creating a series of one-shots that can be loosely tied together but they don't have to be. I hope that you'll enjoy those as well once they come out. I do know that this literally covered just one night out of a weekend but I don't feel like writing everything out right now... maybe with a few reviews I'll be convinced to finish out the rest of the weekend, but for now, it's fine, right?

EDIT:

12/4 - Updated the story yet again for more grammar and spelling issues. Yes, I am a perfectionist and Chifuyu demands it. :D This will be the last update, I promise.

Random Thoughts:

- The new light novel artist for IS is okay. I mean, he's a pro, don't get me wrong but he seems a bit to fanciful in his illustrations. He draws the older women great (Carbon Fibre Chifuyu FTW), but the younger girls, not so much...

- The new manga for IS: I know Yuuki Homura's 'usual line of work' and it just tickles me that they got such an artist like him to draw this. It definitely explains Houki's increased bust size...

That will be it for now so I'll be waiting. If you guys have ideas for some Orimura Goodness, let me know and I might do something. I already got two more short stories in the works right now but after Christmas, I should be good to take on a few requests.