❝𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥?❞
╰┈➤ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 a girl who has grown up under cold eyes and an absent father learns to love again- and perhaps how to forgive, as well.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐜𝐚𝐧...
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And we sit there, talking of the past
『AHIKO』
I PACE BEFORE MY COUSIN'S HOME NERVOUSLY, fiddling with the small present in my hands. It's wrapped in plain, sky-blue paper with a white ribbon neatly putting it all together.
I turn and look at Father, who's standing next to me. He has his own present in hand, wrapped neatly. He didn't tell me what it was, even when I had asked on our way here. He said it was a secret. I was suspicious at first, but quickly let it go. His demeanor is calm and aloof, nothing about him hinting nervousness at the thought of attending his first family gathering in years. He gestures towards the door, so I take a deep breath and knock on the sliding door twice. The strings of laughter and chattering from inside immediately stop as someone shrieks, "Everyone be quiet! I think Ahiko is here!"
I grimace, taking a step back as thunderous footsteps pound towards the entrance. The door slams open, revealing a grinning Hanako. I almost have to squint to see his blinding smile.
"Ahiko!" He exclaims, lurching forward to give me a hug, which I hastily sidestep. He almost topples over, but catches himself in the nick of time.
"Sorry. I don't feel like getting my ribs crushed today." I explain with a shrug. If there's anything my cousin is infamous for in this family, it's his bone-crushing hug; only rivaled by his wife, who, arguably, gives stronger ones.
His jaw drops, eyes growing wide before he dissolves into laughter. "Now, now, when did you get so snarky?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "It hasn't been that long since I saw y-"
I can guess by his silence that he finally spots his dear uncle.
"Oh. Um." Hanako seems at a loss for words for a couple seconds, before blinking and clearing his throat. "We weren't expecting you, Uncle. Please come in." I purse my lips, pondering the shift in my cousin's attitude.
Father nods and silently enters the house, slipping off his sandals by the entrance before stalking towards the room filled with our family. His footsteps are silent, as catlike and graceful as ever.
"Well, that was unexpec-"
"AHIKOO!" A happy squeal cuts Hanako off as a blur of blonde dashes out of the house and crashes into me.
"Tsuna!" I land on the dusty ground with an undignified oof, my niece laughing as I groan and hold my aching butt.
"Ahiko! I missed you! It's been years and years and years since I saw you!" Tsunade gushes, brown eyes twinkling with excitement as she waves her arms wildly to symbolize the 'large' amount of time we went without seeing each other
"It hasn't been that long," I remind her, getting up and dusting myself off. "Hmm... But it does look like you got a little taller..."
The top of her head now reaches my mouth, a feat for someone who is several years younger than me. I'm not exactly tall, but I'm not that short either.
