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Chapter Text

WHAT SHE NEEDS - chapter one 

Haku didn’t want to be sitting on her brother’s doorstep in the pouring rain, but she couldn’t work up the courage to knock on the door like a normal human being. In fact, she knew that he wasn’t even home but it was not like she could control what time the Lyft driver dropped her off. Well, she could have… she just didn’t want to be rude. Would that even have been rude? She wasn’t entirely sure, but she didn’t want to cause problems for the driver so she just kept her mouth shut and now she feels like she’s causing problems for her brother and his family. God, she never wins. Now she’s sitting in the pouring rain and waiting for her brother or her sister-in-law to get home from work to let her in. Luckily, her suitcases were waterproof because the rain was honestly coming down. 

Noa, her brother, wouldn’t be home until five, and it was only half-past one now, meaning she’d be out there for a while. Sure, she could knock on the door and see if her nieces were home, but she didn’t want to impede them. This was just the best option for her, even though her cellphone worked and she was a simple text away from finding the spare key. Seriously, what was wrong with this woman? She’s in her mid-thirties and she still acts like she’s a burden to everyone around her! It was just another thing on her long list of problems to fix if she ever found an affordable therapist. Haku was pulled from her thoughts when the door opened up to reveal a tall male in white scrubs. He was young, probably only twenty, and he had relatively long blond hair with the tips a bright red, but Haku didn’t get much time to fawn over him because he was quick to help her onto her feet. She couldn’t make out the words that he was shouting, the sound of the rain drowning him out, but she was also stunned by his looks as he motioned for her to come inside. He grabbed two of her suitcases, leaving her to grab the last one and then he disappeared inside, and she followed him. Clearly, he was a nurse, but she wasn’t aware that Noa and Halo had an in-home nurse; Wait, does this mean that Mimi got worse? 

Haku hurried inside, shutting the door softly behind her to make sure she didn’t wake the sleeping bearded dragon sitting in his aquarium. She knew he was sleeping, Spike was always sleeping. Hurriedly, she kicked her shoes off and looked around for the slippers that her brother bought for whenever she came over. Not able to find them from her spot at the door, she faced forward only to be greeted by that cute nurse again, his eyes kind as he offered her some slippers. “Oh, thank you,” she mumbled out, leaning down to slip them onto her feet. “I-i’m Haku Kibe,” she introduced once she was situated, bowing to the blond. 

“You’re Mr. Noa’s sister,” he stated, letting her know that he had been made aware of her and her arrival. Haku nodded, taking this time to get a closer look at him. He was quite built, having an impressive shoulder width, which is weird for Haku to notice but still. She could tell that he took care of himself…and when he reached for her other suitcase, she noticed how nice his nails were. “I’m Kyojuro Rengoku and I take care of Mrs. Hadley,” he said before disappearing once more. Haku felt inclined to follow after him but she refrained from doing that, not wanting to drip a trail of water throughout the house. “What were you doing sitting out in the rain? Why didn’t you come inside?” Kyojuro called as he came back with a towel to drape over her shoulders. 

“I, uh,” she interrupted herself to thank him, taking the towel and wrapping it around herself. “I didn’t know if anyone was home so I didn’t want to just barge in or anything,” she spoke honestly, looking at him with wide brown eyes. Kyojuro nodded, looking at her and exuding a warmth that she had never known before. This boy was making her feel like a little girl and she didn’t know why. “Anyway, I thought that Mimi was put in a nursing home?” She tilted her head in confusion and Kyojuro just nodded. 

“Yeah, Mrs. Hadley was placed in a facility for a year or so to my understanding, but Mr. Noa told me that they decided to bring her home so they could be there for her. That’s when they hired me and I’ve been with them ever since; It’s been almost six years now,” he explained, nodding while he talked. Haku was slightly shocked, realizing that it’s been almost seven years since the last time she visited her brother. That was when their mother passed, she couldn’t believe this. “Anyway, Mr. Noa and Mrs. Halo told me that you’d be coming today, I just wish that you had come in sooner so that you weren’t soaked,” he was just the sweetest and Haku didn’t know how to react! 

“Yeah,” she mumbled out awkwardly, not sure what to say. It was entirely her fault that she got soaked by the rain, especially because she didn’t bring an umbrella! Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, Haku just stood there, hair sticking up in random directions after drying it with the towel. “Is there anyone else home? Besides you and Mimi, of course,” she asked, finally shrugging her jacket off after realizing that it was completely saturated. She hung it on her forearm before returning her gaze to Kyojuro. 

“No, it’s just us!” He beamed, a real ray of sunshine. Haku couldn’t stop the smile that forced its way onto her lips, her head tilting just the slightest in admiration. She shouldn’t be thinking about him like that, especially since her divorce wasn’t even finalized yet! Still, it’s not like she’s going to end up back with her ex-wife; they had both agreed that things weren’t working out for them. “I’ll make some tea while you change!” It was only then that she realized how loud he actually was, but she didn’t really mind it all that much. Her brother, Noa, was hard-of-hearing all his life so she got used to the loudness. 

Haku knew her way around the house, it hadn’t changed despite the years that passed by. The garage was a lot cleaner, most likely having been converted into a bedroom after her nieces got old enough to not want to share a room. Now, both of them were off doing their own things and she didn’t even know their favorite colors anymore. That was her fault again, she should have been in their lives more but she was always that person who put so much distance between herself and others that people just stopped talking to her altogether. Back to her new bedroom; it was definitely nice, she didn't expect any less from her brother and his wife. Haku didn't even care that the washer and dryer were in her room, she wasn't planning on spending much time in there, plus it was ventilated anyway. 

She opened up one of her suitcases, digging around for a good change of clothes. Some joggers and a loose-fitting shirt were fine, she didn't need to get all dolled up even though Kyojuro was totally hot. Haku didn't know the first thing about him, meaning she didn't even know his age. Certainly, he had to be older than twenty, he's an in-home nurse, but that doesn't really matter. The biggest thing is that she's not in the best position to even think about dating! It's only been two months since she filed for a divorce! She needed to focus on herself. 

As she left the room, she was typing away on her phone; sending a text message to Noa and also one to Halo to let them know that she had arrived and was getting situated. She made sure to ask her brother why he didn’t tell her about Mimi but she knew it was because she never asked. It was sad, she knew that her brother would never tell her the truth about her distance affecting him. Haku didn’t know why but she wished he was more honest with her when it came to hurting him. Instead of falling deeper into that hole of contemplation and self-reflection, she decided to think happy thoughts. Taking a seat at the dining table, she noticed that Kyojuro wasn’t in the kitchen. He must have been checking on Mimi or something, she didn’t know. 

"Mrs. Hadley is out! This must be a side effect of her new medication," Kyojuro spoke, that last part most likely meant for himself. "I'll have to inform Mrs. Halo of this development." The blond came walking from down the hall, turning the corner and entering the dining room. He smiled at Haku, who was looking at him with curiosity. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask him, so many things she would like to know and not just about him. “Are you hungry, Ms. Kibe?” He asked, that warmth coming off of him once more. Haku couldn’t help but cringe at the formality, suddenly feeling very aged. 

“Please lose the prefix,” she waved off, placing her phone against the table and smiling over at the nurse. Kyojuro just looked at her for a second, clearly wondering why she didn’t want him to use the prefix on her name. Haku felt embarrassed now, knowing that she’d have to confess that she had a fear of aging to this complete stranger. Though she didn’t really fear aging, she just hated that time was passing so fast. “It makes me feel way older than I am, it always has.” 

“Why, Kibe, you don’t look a day over twenty-two,” he complimented her and she felt her cheeks flush with heat. She shook her head at his words but Kyojuro just laughed and nodded, practically shouting his next sentence. “Truly! You look very young! I would have thought you were close to my age if you hadn’t corrected me!” Kyojuro held his stomach as he laughed once more. This opened the gates for Haku, allowing her the opportunity to ask personal questions. 

“How old are you, Mr. Rengoku?” She asked, resting her chin against her hand as she leaned towards him. The blond’s laughter died down, his gaze refocusing on her. Haku got a good look at his eyes this time, beautiful crimson ringed with gold; Kyojuro was a true wonder to her. 

“Just Rengoku is fine,” he smiled, tearing his gaze from her’s so he could search the cluttered table for his notebook and a pen. He needed to jot down a reminder for himself, despite having a practically perfect memory. It was good for keeping track when he went home that night. “And I turn twenty-six this Friday,” he added, glancing over at her before focusing on the search for his notebook. He found it, grabbing it and opening it to find his pen sitting inside, quickly scribbling his observations in it just as the electric tea kettle beeped. “That’s the tea I promised you,” he said, straightening up and heading into the kitchen. That reminded him that she never answered his question from earlier. “You never answered my question, Kibe; are you hungry?”

“I’m fine, Rengoku,” she assured him, smiling politely before quickly changing the subject while he poured the water into the tea cups. “What do you plan on doing for your birthday? Partying with friends?” She hummed, remembering her twenty-sixth birthday party. Her ex-wife, who was her girlfriend at the time, threw her a huge surprise party and invited all of their friends there. It was sweet, but they ended up getting into an argument later that night over Haku not wanting to drink because she had a job interview in the morning. She didn’t get the job anyway so, looking back, she should have enjoyed the time with her girlfriend because it would only get worse from there. 

“Oh, I plan on working that day. I might get a few phone calls that day but it’s nothing big,” he shrugged and Haku was surprised, but she understood that he likely didn’t enjoy parties. She wouldn’t have guessed that judging by the looks of him, he looks like the life of the party, but that’s okay. “When’s your birthday?” 

“Oh, it’s…August ninth,” she mumbled, clamming up at the mention of her birth date. She didn’t like to think too much about the dates. Kyojuro noticed this odd behavior, carrying her cup of tea over to her and offering her the brightest smile he could muster up. Haku chuckled, a grin stretching over her lips once more as she thanked him for the cup of tea. 

“I’m older than you,” he said, knowing that he likely wasn’t based on her reaction to his use of a prefix on her name. Still, he didn’t want her to feel bad about her age so he made a simple jest. Haku understood what he was doing, laughing quietly and playing along. 

“You know how to woo an old lady such as myself,” she laughed, her hand placed against her chest. Kyojuro’s thick eyebrows raised for the slightest moment and she realized what she said, her cheeks flushing with heat once more. Haku hated that she still acted like such a child sometimes but she honestly thought all shows of emotions were childish. “I didn’t mean it like that, Rengoku.” 

“What a shame,” he mused, taking a seat at the table. He moved a few things around so that the spaces before him and Haku were clear. “I’d love to woo a young lady such as yourself!” His tone was so cheery and loud that Haku couldn’t help but laugh and smile. Seriously, being around him made it practically impossible to frown! Her life was falling apart, she should be sitting there crying about all the terrible things that were happening to her! She couldn’t help it though, Kyojuro’s happiness was infectious and exactly what she needed. 

Chapter Text

TAKE YOUR TIME - chapter two

The setting sun was a beautiful sight, and Haku had the perfect view of it on her brother's back porch. She was sitting on the outdoor couch while he grilled, the smell of chicken wafting through the air. It had been so long since she got to enjoy some time with Noa, and this quiet moment that they shared was enough for them. They never had to say much to understand each other, they've always been so close. Well, they've been this close since they were twelve and thirteen.

"Rengoku's birthday is this Friday," she offered up a conversation, her finger tracing over the outline of the clouds in the sky. The blond was inside currently, sitting with Mimi who had woken up when Noa arrived home. Haku was certain that she'd become attached to Kyojuro, and she didn't know how to feel. "I'm sure you already know that, though."

"Yeah, Halo and I want to give him a nice little party. Kyo's been in the family for a while," Noa hummed, flipping the last chicken breast before shutting the grill and placing the tongs aside. He turned to face his sister, a gentle smile on his face. "We're gonna have sea bream, sweet potatoes, fried shrimp, most of his favorites. Like how you used to do for me," he explained, leaning against the wall near the back door. Haku didn't know why but she felt nice when he mentioned that she used to cook him huge meals for his birthday. Despite being the younger of them, she always made sure to take care of him. "He's not much of a gift guy, but we're planning on getting him a new set of scrubs or something. Want us to put your name on the gift as well?"

"Sure," she nodded, sitting up a little straighter. "I don't know him well enough to get him a gift on my own, but we did talk a lot today so I think it'd be polite," Haku finished, brushing her hair behind her back. She didn't miss the smirk on her brother's face, but she chose to just ignore it. She was far too old to partake in something as childish as her brother's teasing.

"You know, Kyo's single," he dragged out the last syllable in single. Haku just blushed, casting her gaze aside and gently nodding her head. She and Kyojuro had spent hours talking, learning about one another. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go after him, but there was no harm in flirting. "Oh," Noa jested, reaching forward to slap his sister's shoulder. For a moment, he felt like they were teenagers all over again, when he encouraged her to talk to the girl that would become her ex-wife. "I think it'd be nice for you to at least talk to him, you know what I'm saying. You don't have to be sad about your divorce."

"Noa!" Haku gasped, quickly quieting down when she remembered that the kitchen window was cracked. "Are you telling me to sleep with Rengoku to get over my ex?" She whispered loudly, her eyes wide. Noa just laughed at her, nodding his head and listening to her flustered rambling. "I'm not twenty years old anymore! I can't do things like that! That'd be so...immature!"

"Exactly! That's part of the point, Hachan! You're in your mid-thirties, you're not in a relationship, and you don't have any kids! Now would be the perfect time for you to be a little immature, that's part of the fun of being an adult!" Noa exclaimed, moving to sit next to his sister and throw his arm around her shoulders. "Plus, I've never even heard Kyojuro talk about a significant other so he'd probably appreciate the experience."

"You're so gross, Noa!" She shouted, pushing him away from her as he cackled and smacked his knee. "It's literally been less than a day, stop trying to hook me up with your mother-in-law's in-house nurse!"

"What the hell are you two talking about out here?" Halo asked as the window was pulled open entirely. The Italian woman offered out an opened bottle of cider, which Haku happily took. "No problem, Hachan," she smiled before fixing her black hair and leaning further out of the window. Noa stood on his knees on the couch, shuffling closer to the window so he could kiss his wife. "Why are you trying to hook Haku up with my mother's nurse? Stay out of her business," she spoke in-between kisses, which Noa only whined about.

"She's doing good on her own! I didn't even have to introduce them or anything," he was so proud of his sister, but Haku just sat there sipping her cider and falling deep into thought. She wished that things were easier, that she was younger. If the years hadn't slipped by from her, she wouldn't be so unhappy as a thirty-five-year-old. Perhaps things would have been different if she had finished school and gone to college like she planned? "I was just telling her that she should probably try some sex therapy or something like that."

"Sex therapy? What the hell, Noa?" Halo mumbled, shaking her head and pulling away from him to grab another bottle of cider and pop the top off. She took a swig and offered it to her husband, who accepted. "Haku, I think you should just do whatever the hell you want to do. After my first divorce, I was so worried about what people would think of me that I held off from moving on and it left me emotionally constipated. Just do what makes you happy, and if that happens to be my mother's nurse then get at him, girl."

"I don't know what it is that I want to do," Haku confessed, fiddling with the bottle in her hands before shaking her head. She was caught slightly off guard when Noa eased off of the couch and went for the grill, the bottle of cider held in his hand still. "I feel like a teenager again and I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing, so I'd like to take a moment to figure myself out before hopping into something. It doesn't mean that I won't go on dates and stuff, just nothing serious right now. The divorce isn't even finalized."

"Who cares? My third divorce still wasn't finalized when I got engaged to your brother," Halo waved off, motioning for Haku's bottle of cider. She handed it over to the woman, trying to explain that it wasn't the same because it had been years for Halo and only months for herself. "Who knows if you'll even get the divorce finalized? Maybe your ex-wife will refuse to sign it to make you miserable?"

"Why would you put that thought in my head? She'd totally do that!" Haku groaned, pulling her legs closer to her body as she tried to get rid of those bad thoughts. Her ex wasn't evil, but she sure tried to be. It left Haku wondering what had gone wrong between them that made the hate grow so strongly. There was no way of knowing, all she could do was sit and ponder. Even worse, Haku would put up with it simply so they could spend time together. She was still relatively in love with her ex-wife, she had spent the majority of her life with her after all. It's not like she could really forget about that.

"Hachan, I'm heading inside now! Dinner's ready so go get Kyojuro while Halo and I set the table," Noa spoke, a wink sent her way when she looked up at him. Haku rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. She knew he was only trying to help her get over the divorce, but this just felt...wrong to her? Kyojuro felt right, but using him felt wrong. From the little bit that she knew, he didn't deserve something like that. Sighing, she quickly collected herself as best as she could, jumping up from the couch and heading inside. Her phone was left on the back porch and her bottle of hard cider was taken by her lovely sister-in-law.

She knew where Mimi's room was, Kyojuro brought her to see the elderly woman lying in her hospital-issue bed. Haku was saddened when she saw the old lady laying there for the first time, and it furthered her fear of growing old. Gently, she slid the door open and stepped in, spotting Kyojuro sitting in a chair next to Mimi's bedside with a bright smile on his face. It appeared that the two were chatting, talking as if they were the best of friends. Haku smiled, shutting the door behind her so the atmosphere didn't feel disturbed. Clearing her throat, she caught Mimi's gaze, which prompted Kyojuro to look over. "Kibe! I didn't even hear you come in!" She couldn't help but apologize, awkwardly shuffling forward. "No, don't apologize! That sort of skill will most certainly come in handy one day! Perhaps it already has?" He said and she couldn't help but chuckle and agree. She knew that her footsteps were the loudest of her family's, she certainly wouldn't be able to sneak up on people unless they were deaf or hard of hearing.

Instead of telling him about dinner, she got sidetracked by seeing Mimi awake for the first time in years. The old Italian lady still looked relatively similar to what Haku remembered, but it was obvious that she had grown a little chubbier, likely due to being bedridden. "How are you feeling, Mimi?" She asked, approaching the foot of the bed and placing her hand on the bedframe. Mimi just watched her, confusion evident on her face. Haku frowned a little, realizing that she didn't recognize her. That hurt, especially because Mimi was like a mother to her. "It's Haku, Mimi. I-i used to have red hair and was a little bit skinner the last time you saw me? It's been a few years but..." She trailed off, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Mimi just looked at her and then at Kyojuro.

"I don't know who she is," were the words that Mimi spoke, cutting through Haku's heart and forcing a tear out of her eye. Kyojuro just sent her a sympathetic smile, grabbing Mimi's hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "Is she a friend of yours?" Haku knew that this would happen, she was so forgettable that it's no surprise she disappeared from Mimi's memory first. Plus, she hasn't been around in years, not even on phone calls.

"Yes, Mrs. Hadley, this is my friend Haku Kibe," he smiled, motioning for her to come around to the side of the bed. "She's really kind and her favorite color is yellow; you two already have so much in common!" The bright smile that spread across Mimi's face nearly made Haku cry, but it was so nice to see. Kyojuro stood when she came close to him, offering his patient's hand to her. "I need to get Mrs. Hadley's medication together, then it's time for cartoons!" Haku nodded, hoping that her thankfulness was portrayed in her wide, tearful eyes. Kyojuro was so sweet, truly.

She took a seat in the chair he once sat in, her hand wrapped around Mimi's as she got comfortable. No wonder Noa didn't tell her anything about Mimi, it would have broken her heart entirely. "Can I call you Mimi?" She asked quietly, looking at her motherly figure with a hopeful gaze.

"Of course, dear! If you're a friend of my Monte's then you're a friend of mine," Mimi beamed and Haku smiled and chatted with her. She understood now that the older woman's memory wasn't quite right, seeing as though she believes Kyojuro to be her deceased son. Still, at least she wasn't in pain, at least she wasn't hurting. After a few minutes, Haku was reminded of the task she was given by her brother and she couldn't believe that she had forgotten it! Her memory was never good anyway.

"Oh, Ren-" she stopped herself, glancing at Mimi for a second before looking over at the blond. He was standing in front of the large bureau along the back wall. She cleared her throat and quietly excused herself, standing and leaving Mimi to watch the cartoons playing on the television. Haku walked over to where Kyojuro was, looking in the mirror to see that he was collecting Mimi's pills. It also seemed that he was getting them sorted for the next day as well, placing them into one of those little pill containers with the days of the week on them. She cleared her throat and noticed that he didn't react right away. This likely had something to do with his hearing, which he hadn't told her about. "Rengoku," she spoke a little louder, finally getting him to look up in the mirror and find her reflection. She didn't like her own reflection, but it felt so juvenile to dislike her body that she acted as though nothing was wrong. "Noa wanted me to grab you for dinner. I got sidetracked with Mimi, my apologies."

"Don't apologize," he shook his head, looking back down at the pills that he was putting away. He picked up a handful, turning to give Haku a genuine smile. "I'll be out in a few minutes, Mrs. Hadley needs to take her medication before I leave." There was this strange sense of admiration forming in the pit of Haku's stomach. Kyojuro was someone she wished she could have been, but she got lost somewhere along the way and ended up as a completely different person. She watched him shut the tab on the Saturday container before heading over to where Mimi was. The nurse grabbed a cup of water from the bedside table, telling the elder that it was time for her to take her meds, to which the woman complied. It hurt a lot to look at Mimi and not recognize the person that she had become, but Haku had already gone numb to that pain. 

Instead of leaving, she stood and waited for him to finish what he was doing, partly because she thought he was adorable but mostly because she couldn't take her eyes off of Mimi. Haku's mother was never the greatest to her, forgetting all about the love in the tough love approach. Not many people could tell this though, seeing as though her mother was a master manipulator, but Mimi was there for her when she turned eighteen and her brother started dating Halo. Mimi listened when everyone else just wanted to talk, so it was very painful to be forgotten by her. However, it felt nice to see her after all those years away...she couldn't remember why she disappeared for so long. 

"Okay, I'll leave you to watch your Poppy Cat, now," Kyojuro said while patting Mimi on the hand. The elder simply hummed in response, too focused on her cartoons that she didn't fully comprehend what he was saying to her. The blond nurse stood and approached Haku, that smile still planted on his face. He slid the door open and motioned out of it: "After you, m'lady," he ribbed, prompting Haku's own smile to return to her face. She just waved his words off, stepping out of the room and starting on her way to the dining room, where Halo and Noa were waiting. It appeared that they had already tucked into their food, just a little bit, but they were most definitely talking about the two because they went quiet upon their appearance. "I had to give Mrs. Hadley her medication before leaving, that is why we're late." 

"How's my mom responding to the new medicine? No more vomiting?" Halo asked, setting her bottle of cider back on the table while Haku and Kyojuro took their seats. They were "coincidentally" sat next to one another, something that Haku knew her brother had a hand in but she refused to overthink it. Noa was just trying to show her that he cared about her, so she wasn't about to blow a gasket over a seating arrangement. 

"No more vomiting!" Kyojuro exclaimed happily, glad that Mimi was responding better to this set of meds. "She does get drowsy, but that's a rest that she's earned." He stated and Halo thanked him for taking care of her mother. Kyojuro told her that he loved caring for Mimi, but the pitch of his voice was so nice that Haku sort of tuned out everything else. She felt like she was being enveloped by that warmth again. 

Dinner was absolutely amazing; Halo always makes the best food and Noa's grillwork is never shabby. After all, they were co-owners of a restaurant downtown. That's a part that Haku almost always forgets, mainly because things constantly slip her mind, also because they come home at separate times. What's worse is that she's been to the restaurant on multiple occasions! She's just really scatterbrained and things don't stick sometimes. 

"The food was absolutely delicious, Mrs. Halo," Kyojuro praised, finishing off his sake with a grateful smile. Haku had to admit that eating next to him was quite the adventure, he constantly complimented the cooking! She didn't find it that annoying, though it was definitely something she'd have to get used to when eating around him. It seemed more like a...respect thing for Kyojuro. She obviously didn't say anything right then but she was planning on asking him about it some other time. 

"Thank you, Kyojuro," Halo hummed appreciatively, reaching for her half-empty bottle of cider. It was her third one of the night, so Haku figured that she needed the relaxation. "I didn't make anything for dessert tonight, but we have that chocolate cake if either of you is hungry," she offered, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her sister-in-law and her mother's nurse. She knew that Kyojuro could put some food down, but she also knew that Haku would deny food for herself unless there was someone else to eat alongside her; she never wanted the attention, yet she craved it. 

"I'll have a slice!" The blond excitedly answered, knowing that he didn't have much to do after this. He'd finish up with dinner, likely offer to clean the dishes only for Noa to decline his aid, then he'd go sit with Mimi until she fell asleep while watching her cartoons, and his shift would be over. Which meant he would head home to his empty apartment and call his little brother and his father before going to sleep. Then he'd wake up early to do his morning workout routine, grab a light breakfast, and head over here. It was a simple life that he had, there was nothing quite exciting about it and yet he never found it boring. 

"I'll take one as well," Haku practically whispered, but it was loud enough for the nurse to hear her. He announced loudly that she'd like a piece as well, which is something that would have embarrassed her if she wasn't with her family. She didn't like that Kyojuro could do the things that would typically annoy her and still not be annoying to her. Seriously, it was like he couldn't be hated or disliked. 

"I think I'll have a slice and then turn in for the night, babe. I gotta get up early tomorrow and meet with some people about some catering," Noa explained, clearly not affected by the fact that he had to do something tomorrow. If Haku had to deal with stuff like that, she'd be freaking out so bad that her nerves would keep her up all night long. She doesn't understand what went wrong with her; how come she couldn't be carefree like her brother? "Are you staying over again tonight, Kyo? I know you can't exactly sleep in a bed but the couch is relatively comfortable!" Haku caught onto her brother's words, connecting things in her head to come to the conclusion that Kyojuro most likely used to sleep in the garage on nights that he stayed. Now she felt bad for taking his bed, they could have put her on the couch. 

"Unfortunately not, I'm meeting my younger brother for breakfast tomorrow," he confessed, a sheepish smile on his lips. Honestly, when is he not smiling? Haku was certain that he'd probably even smile as he was dying! Not that she wanted to see him die, that's fucking weird. "I'll be leaving after making sure Mrs. Hadley is alright." She wanted to commend him for being such a kind person, but she refrained due to the fact that it would definitely embarrass her. Instead of saying anything, she listened to everyone chat back and forth about random things in their day. Halo placed a plate of cake in front of her and she honestly wasn't even hungry anymore. She still ate that cake though, afraid of making Halo think that she wanted to waste her food. It's not like Halo's ever given her a reason to be afraid of that, Haku's just a really strange person. 

When things were all over, Haku offered to do the dishes so that Noa and Halo could turn in sooner. She was in the process of rinsing off some of the utensils that she had just scrubbed when Kyojuro placed his plate in the sink. Once again, that's something that would have made her slightly aggravated if anyone else did it, but she just thanked him and carried on. Instead of walking off, he started taking the dishes from the drying rack and wiping them down with a nearby hand towel before putting them away where they belong. Haku noticed this, a chuckle bubbling out of her. "What are you doing, Rengoku?" 

"I'm helping you, Kibe!" He beamed, opening the drawers to put the utensils away in. She liked that he didn't ask if she needed his help, she didn't. It was just really kind of him to put things away for her. The quiet settled amongst them again, the sound of the water running interrupting it. It wasn't weird for them to not talk, Haku was never really good at speaking to pretty people anyway. Still, she kind of wanted to start a conversation with him...? 

"What's your younger brother's name?" She asked quickly, opting to not think too much about her words. That's one of her problems: self-doubt. Scrubbing away at the plate in her hand, she wondered if Kyojuro didn't hear her question. Knowing that he had trouble hearing everything, she tried to be louder when discussing stuff with him. Maybe he didn't want to talk about his brother? "I-if you don't mind me asking..." she added in a rushed manner, her words sort of jumbling together as she flushed with color yet again. She totally thinks she's too old to feel this way. 

"I love talking about Senjuro! He's the best younger brother that anyone could ask for!" Kyojuro declared, pride exuding from him. This made Haku smile fondly, knowing that she felt that same way about her brother. "He's got a great heart and his determination will bring him far in life, that much I'm certain about!" It was quite obvious that he loved his younger brother, which made her wonder if he had a similar family experience to her that brought him close to his sibling or if he was just always a kind-hearted soul. "Would you like to see a picture of him?" He asked after shutting the drawer and tugging his cell phone from his scrubs. Haku was curious, nodding and turning the water off so she could dry her hands. She gazed down at his phone after he pulled up a picture of him and someone who looked almost exactly like him, just visibly younger. 

"He looks just like you," she admitted, glancing up at him and suddenly being made aware of just how close he was to her. Over the strong lime-scented dish soap, Haku could smell hints of cedarwood, and she knew it was cedarwood because her ex-wife was obsessed with cedarwood candles, mixed with a faint sweet smell...almost like...brown sugar? It wasn't as odd of a mixture as it sounds, it smelled really good on him. Her cheeks were dusted with a soft pink as she met his stare, the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver up her spine. Kyojuro agreed with her observation, his large hand gently resting against her lower back. It was far less intimate than Haku was making it out to be in her mind, but it forced her to straighten up and she felt like she was back in high school. "I-i'm sure he's ju-just as kind." 

"He's far kinder than I am, Kibe," he assured her, a serious look on his face. She didn't know how to react, mesmerized by his entire face. "He had a big brother who loved and supported him all through his younger years! Of course, I still love and support him but I just see him less now that I'm an in-house nurse." Kyojuro explained, captivated by the glimmer in Haku's eyes; he had never met someone with eyes as beautiful as hers. 

"I get it," she told him, nodding just the slightest. She completely understood what he was talking about, knowing that her brother turned out better than her because he had someone to love and support him no matter what. Despite being younger, she definitely grew up quicker. "He knows that you'll have his back even if it means going against the ones you love." 

"Yeah! You do get it!" He grinned, rubbing her back tenderly. Haku watched as his eyes flicker down to her lips and she grew more flustered, her stomach fluttering nervously. "I just hope that he's not better than me when it comes to wooing you." He said so smoothly, his voice sounding like music to her ears. She was practically glowing a bright red that rivaled his irises and the tips of his hair. It was embarrassing that he could do those things to her when he was nearly a decade younger than her, but then again, she thought all shows of emotion at her age were childish. 

"I-i-i-" she stammered out, attempting to shrink in on herself now that it was so obvious he was looking at her. She felt anxious and kind of disgusted with her body. It's like all of the things she disliked about her physical appearance were now magnified by a million. There was always something wrong with the way she saw herself, but she never tried to fix it because no one ever told her that she could. "I-i doubt it's possible, b-being honest..." she confessed, her voice far quieter than before. Kyojuro didn't exactly hear her, but he was looking directly at her mouth as she talked and he just flashed that cute smile of his.

"I'm glad that you're being honest," he teased her, finally allowing his eyes to travel back to hers. He pulled his hand away from her, quietly apologizing for distracting her...as quietly as he could possibly speak. Though his hearing wasn't gone, it was just hard for him to always make things out. "I would like to get your phone number, Kibe."

"O-okay," she nodded, accepting the phone that he was offering her. Kyojuro had already opened it up to put in a new contact, which she shakily filled out. Her mind was racing with thoughts, mostly wondering what exactly this meant for her. Was he getting her number for personal reasons or did he just want it because he might need to get ahold of her if he can't make it over to give Mimi her meds? Haku wasn't sure because she hadn't dated anyone in the past decade and a half. She was with her ex-wife for eighteen years...it's safe to say that she had absolutely no clue how to approach the whole thing, nor did she even feel the need to. She sent a text message to herself on his phone before handing it back, smiling sheepishly. "I-i put it in under my first name, just out of habit. I like it when you call me by my last name though." 

"Understood," he nodded, practically glowing with happiness. "I need to check on Mrs. Hadley now! Join me after you're done with the dishes?" His head tilted to the side cutely and she couldn't bring herself to say no, not that she even wanted to. With a smile, he left and she just leaned against the counter for a few moments. 

Not too long after, her sister-in-law came out of her bedroom with a knowing smirk on her face. Haku grew more embarrassed, looking down in shame. Halo was quick to console her, hurrying over to check on her. "Don't feel bad about this, Hachan," she told her and Haku wished that it had helped. "You're never too old to have fun, babe. Honestly, it's not like he's asking you to marry him or anything," she rambled out, rolling her eyes playfully. "Just...take your time." With those words, Haku felt that she was able to breathe better. She didn't want to use Kyojuro to get over her ex, but she does like being around him. Being friends isn't going to make her feel guilty, and the flirting is harmless. "But if you get a little crazy and have like a quickie in my office, just make sure to clean up afterward," and there it was, that funny feeling that twisted itself into knots in her stomach. She didn't want to have sex with Kyojuro right now! Why is it that her brother and his wife were trying to push that onto her? "I love you, babes." Her sister-in-law pressed a kiss to her temple before grabbing some juice boxes from the fridge and heading back to her bedroom. Haku just sighed and went back to doing the dishes, wishing that she wasn't so fucking weird about life.