#ayakoi

HIM AS RINGMASTER!!!!

Me asf :

Protagonist/MC: my OC, Hydrangeas

Note: This is a platonic fic where Hydrangeas adopts Haru. Nothing more, nothing less.

She had a fight with Kagemaru. That too, over a child. Hydrangeas did not know why she cared so much.

As Mototaka tended to Futaba's arm, that was covered in rashes, Hydrangeas sat with Yura and Gaku in a corner.

"He's just a child." She mumbled these words with a sigh.

"Aye, Sir Kagemaru-"

She interrupted him. "He'd have killed the boy, Yura. I simply could not watch."

"Lady Hydrangeas, could it be that thou understand how the child feels?"

"Just shut up. You babble too much." It was very unlikely of her to snap. Hydrangeas didn't care for anything, usually. But this time, she was in a rage. Over what? Nobody knew.

"Hydrangeas, you're being rude to my brother!" Gaku, as always, came to his brother's defense.

Without a retort, Hydrangeas stormed out of the room, into the garden, a hint of a frown on her face. She stared at the flowering bushes, with a glare so fiery, it could burn the plant down in a split second. Her eyes, usually bluish-green, had turned a deep, deep purple.

Nachi, back from a shopping trip, stepped into the threshold of the house, and seemed to notice that something was off.

"Dad! Futaba! Here's the fish-!" Nachi was a little confused. "Dad? What happened? Why is Lady Hydrangeas standing outside? Futaba, did Haru hurt you?"

"He never meant to, Nachi. Kagemaru says that the child is too young to have complete control over his strength." Futaba was strangely calm, and stood up, as her father finished wrapping a bandage round her arm.

"I'm sorry, I just, couldn't focus for a second there. Apologies, Yura." Hydrangeas turned back. Her eyes were green again. But everyone knew, deep inside, her heart was warring with itself.

"Thou need not apologise, Lady Hydrangeas." Yura said with a smile.

"Futaba, I apologise for the rashes on your arm. I should have handled things better."

"You did your best, Hydrangeas. Poor Haru, he only wants a family to call his own..."

"Family, huh?" She returned back to the hall, contemplating.

Back at the Senkitai hideout, Haru stared at the woods outside the large window blankly, as Kagemaru and Zantetsu talked about plans to get rid of him, in a way that would not anger Hydrangeas. After all, Hydrangeas, whatever she may be, was now a member of the Senkitai too.

"Tch, what a bother. She could've taken the kid in if she cared so much anyway." Kagemaru inhaled a puff of smoke from his kiseru.

"But what can we do? There is surely no way that kid would just exist without unintentionally hurting people around him."

"I say, we turn him into a plant. That's best for us all, he'll still live-"

"There she comes, the lady herself." Hisui observes, entering the room. Kagemaru and Zantetsu could feel Hydrangeas' presence approaching the hall.

"Oho, then she's not too late." Kagemaru took another puff off his kiseru.

They could hear her footsteps, as she walked in the spacious manor, looking for Haru.

Hydrangeas was worried. Haru should probably have been playing with Oboro, or perhaps, talking to the plants in her garden. But he wasn't anywhere to be seen. She paced the halls, opening every door, wondering where the child could be.

Had Kagemaru already...? No, it couldn't be. Hydrangeas knew Kagemaru would break her trust in him so easily.

She finally reached the hall where Kagemaru and Zantetsu were discussing matters, where Haru sat, staring at the distant trees, and where, Hisui stood at the entrance."

"Hisui! Where is Haru?" Hydrangeas tried to appear indifferent, but panic had begun to creep into her voice.

"Inside. He's alright."

"Then get out of my path, old hag."

"How insolent... I was just telling you the boy is fine."

Kagemaru spoke up, a curious look in his eyes.

"Well, look who came runnin'... And we were just talkin' about offing the-"

"Silence. You don't get to speak of it."

At that moment, while Hydrangeas looked at Haru, he, too, looked back at her. Haru's face was expressionless as always, but even he could feel that something was different about the lady.

"Come here, Haru."

Nobody spoke. Haru hesitated.

"I said, come here." Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

Haru stood up, then walked slowly towards the woman.

"From now on, we're family." She knelt down so she was at the level of Haru's face.

"...Family?" Haru quietly uttered the word. It was something he had always wanted. But it was so confusing to him. He'd only hurt people, trying to love them. Why would this strange lady care?

"Yes." Hydrangeas smiled. Even Kagemaru couldn't help but notice the gleam in her eyes.

"...Family." Haru repeated the word, as if questioning if he had heard her right. Then without hesitation, he slowly walked towards her.

The lady wrapped her arms around him, in an awkward embrace.

"Uh, I will hurt you, Miss-"

And they both seemed to notice, at that moment, that the boy's poison did not seem to affect her at all.

"I was like you once."

Haru tilted his head questioningly.

"Back when I was young, I could not control my strength either. Even my mother would not touch me. I was a cursed child. But look at me now."

"Thank you." Haru said quietly, as he returned the embrace.

Thank you for reading!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Bawling my lungs out, this baby deserves that best.