They Grew

"Everyone gets hurt eventually Kisa. It's just another way to show we care." -Hinata Honda

Out of everything that Momiji encountered, he had never felt this uncertain.

Only a few years ago, Kisa and Hiro followed himself and Hinata around like ducklings. But that was a long time ago. He had never meant to lose touch with them, never, he had always planned to go visit them but the days all blended together until years had gone by and he still hadn't seen them.

He steeled himself and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" A woman's voice called. "Kisa could you get the door?"

"Yes ma'am." A quiet, gentle voice called before the door swung open.

In front of him, stood a girl that barely stood at his chest, her orange hair pulled into a braid that rested on her right shoulder with bangs gently framing her face, chocolate eyes had a golden sheen that seemed to give them a cat like quality.

"Hello, how may I-" She froze mid sentence and brought her hands up in shock.

They stood there in silence for a moment, the only sound was that of birds chirping quietly.

"Kisa? Who is it?" Her mother called, breaking the spell.

"M-Momiji-nii?" Kisa whispered in disbelief.

"Hey, little tiger. Miss me?" Momiji smiled shakily as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Dummy!" She cried before throwing her arms around him, "I missed you!"

Momiji chuckled and hugged the smaller girl tightly, feeling warmth bloom in his chest.

"I'm back." He mumbled in her ginger hair.

"Welcome back Momiji-nii." Kisa beamed.

🐰🐑🐯🐰🐑🐯🐰🐑🐯🐰🐑🐯🐰🐑🐯

"Kisa you've gotten so big!" Momiji said in awe, remembering the tiny girl who had evolved into the sweet teenager before him.

He knew Hinata would be proud.

"I don't want to hear that from you Momiji-nii." Kisa grinned as he laughed sheepishly.

"I really shot up, huh?" He chuckled.

"That's an understatement." Kisa rolled her bright eyes.

"I went from 5'1 to 5'10, at least I didn't grow another foot."

"It hurts to look at Momiji-nii now." She complained lightly, "I have to crane my neck."

"Then why don't you grow a little?" His brown eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Hey," she whined, "I went from 4'10 to 5'4."

"You still have ways to go." Momiji ruffled her hair as she smiled sweetly.

Suddenly the door was pushed aside.

A tall teenage boy, with sandy hair and chocolate eyes, walked inside. He eyed Momiji with a tint of distaste.

"Who are you?" He asked rudely, eyes blasting dangerously.

"Hiro!" Kisa exclaimed.

"Eh?" Momiji startled before jumping up with a wide smile. "You're Hiro? Prissy lamb Hiro?"

Hiro startled before eying him more closely.

"Momiji?" He choked out.

"Oh my gosh it is you!" Momiji looked at him in pleasant surprised.

"You grew up too!"

"Of course I did. It's been three years and you didn't even try to contact us." Hiro spat.

Momiji' face fell and his bright smile wavered.

Kisa tugged on Hiro's hand but said nothing to deny his words.

"Ah, that's actually what I came here to talk to you about." Momiji smiled weakly.

Kisa sent him a concerned glance and scooted over so Hiro could sit next to her.

"You remember Hinata right?" Stupid question, of course they did. But he had no other way to lead up to what he was going to tell them.

"Are you seriously that stupid, even today?" Hiro snapped, voice dripping with poison. "As if...as if we'd forget her." No one mentioned the slight waver in his voice.

Kisa placed a hand on Hiro's knee, smiling sadly, "We'd never forget Hinata-nee."

"You know how she lost her memory and was taken to America right?" Stupid, stupid, stupid, they'd never forget.

Kisa wavered and Hiro snapped, "Get to the point!"

"Hinata came back." There, it was out. A huge load lifted off his chest, but that was soon replaced by hurt from the look on their faces.

Hiro looked at him like he was insane and Kisa looked like he had just killed a kitten in front of her.

"Momiji-nii, I- we know you didn't it easy when Hinata left." Kisa said softly, "We know it must have been lonely, suddenly being without her when you were together as much as you were, but you need to start letting go."

They didn't believe him.

"I'm not making this up." Momiji snapped uncharacteristically. "She really is back!"

"Momiji-nii please listen-" she tried again but he interrupted her.

"No, both of you listen to me. Hinata's back! She came back! She's at my home." He slammed his hand on the table, rattling the tea cups, making Kisa flinch.

"Hey," Hiro snapped, "you're taking this too far."

Momiji took a deep breath and composed himself before trying again.

"She's back, I can prove it." He said calmly this time.

He pulled out his computer out of his bag and Skyped Yuki.

It took a minute for him to accept, took another for it to connect, and a moment to see Yuki's gentle face.

"Hello Yuki-san." Kisa murmured uncomfortably.

"Hello Kisa, Hiro. Did you need something Momiji?" He asked, not unkindly.

"I need you to show them Hinata." Momiji said calmly as Kisa and Hiro exchanged concerned looks.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea Momiji." Yuki sighed.

"She has an extremely high fever, she's delirious. And we have no idea of knowing whether or not they could spike a memory."

"Please Yuki. She doesn't have to see them, they just have to see her."

Yuki stared at him for a moment before consenting.

The camera shuffled a bit before showing Hinata, brown hair loose, face a dark red, wet cloth on her forehead, and chest heaving with the force it took to breathe.

Yuki set down the computer, the screen facing away but the camera on her as he helped her sit up as she struggled weakly.

A heaving cough wracked her body as Yuki rubbed her back and pushed her hair away, finally the painful episode ended and she smiled hazily up at him.

"T-Thank you Yuki-san." She murmured softly as he absentmindedly stroked her hair.

"Just worry about getting better Hinata-san." He said kindly.

Momiji tore his eyes away from the screen when he heard a heart wrenching sob.

Kisa was caving into herself, tears dripping down her cheeks as sobs wracked her body, her hands were on her mouth as if to quiet her cries but that was quickly given up on when Yuki moved and the screen gave a perfect image about the girl they thought was gone.

"Hinata-nee!" She cried as all her walls crumbled down and left her bare.

Hiro was still staring at the screen, his eyes were turning shiny as his chest hitched with every breath he took.

"Hinata...she's back. She's, really back." Was all Hiro said as Kisa fell to her knees crying and Momiji watched the two comfort each other in a raw and vulnerable embrace.

"Yeah, she's back."

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