[Fic] "Irritating People" -- Angel Sanctuary, Kira/Setsuna/Sara, Theme 13
Author: Elizabeth Culmer edenfalling
Fandom/Pairing: Angel Sanctuary, Kira/Setsuna/Sara
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Kaori Yuki, Hakusensha, VIZ Media, et al. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Theme: #13 - Irritating people
Warnings: spoilers!
Note: Pre-manga. Setsuna tries dating like a normal person; Sara hates his girlfriend. Based on the little story Sara tells Kurai before she leaves for the airport.
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The Transient and the Eternal: Irritating People
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Mother had been getting stranger and stranger about not letting Sara and Setsuna be alone together, but she and Father were gone for the weekend, patching up their marriage with another romantic vacation. Sara knew that sooner or later things would fall apart so badly nothing could paper over the arguments, but until then, she kept her mouth shut and prayed. Besides, this way she got to spend time with her brother.
They ate breakfast together and then went shopping; he looked suitably poleaxed by her choice in sundresses, and she managed to hang onto her temper when he asked her advice on what chocolates to buy for Takako. Being with him -- having him to herself again -- was so wonderful that she almost didn't mind when Kira dropped by after lunch without bothering to call and warn them he was coming.
Kira, at least, didn't care if she sat right next to her brother on the sofa and leaned her head on his shoulder. Kira didn't go white and angry and start yelling. Instead, he sighed, dropped into an armchair across from them, and asked if they had any good movies in the house.
"The Princess Bride," Sara said. She'd rented it because it was romantic, but she'd heard it also had swordfights and jokes, so it shouldn't be too boring for boys.
Kira raised an eyebrow, but he fished around by the tv and stuck the tape into the VCR. Pretty soon he and Setsuna were mocking the flashy swordfights and laughing over Americans' weird sense of humor. By the time the swordsman confronted the man who killed his father, though, and the pirate came to stop the princess from killing herself, both of them were completely absorbed in the story.
"I want someone to love me like that, someday -- to death and beyond," Sara said as the credits rolled. She hugged her brother's arm, nestling against his side to absorb his body heat.
Setsuna made an uncertain noise, and Kira snorted. "You're pretty. You won't have any trouble getting some sap wrapped around your finger. You've already got Setsuna under your spell."
"Sempai!" Setsuna protested. Sara added her glare to her brother's, and Kira obligingly changed the subject to all the stupid things his gang had done over the past couple weeks.
Five o'clock rolled around all too soon, and Setsuna tried to pull his arm out of Sara's grasp. "I have to clean up and change -- you know I'm taking Takako out for dinner, and she'll be here at six!" he said when Sara clung tighter.
"She doesn't deserve you, Oniichan," Sara grumbled.
"No one's bad enough to deserve Setsuna," Kira said, "but you're right, she's a pushy bitch. Guys are supposed to pick girls up at their houses, not the other way around." He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette.
Sara threw a sofa cushion at him. "No smoking in the house -- Mother will know."
Kira tamped the cigarette back into the box, but he flicked his lighter on anyway, cupping his hands around the flame and watching it dance. "Speaking of bitches..."
"Leave our mom out of this, Kira-sempai." Setsuna poked Sara in the ribs, and slid his arm out of her hands while she squeaked. "What do you two have against Takako anyway? She's cute, I guess, and I like that she can stand up for herself. And I'm thirteen -- what's wrong with having a girlfriend?"
'She's not me, that's what's wrong with her,' Sara wanted to say, but she bit her tongue and spun her red glass ring around her finger instead. If her brother wanted to be normal, wanted to forget that he'd always loved her best, then she'd let him. If that would make him happy, she wouldn't stand in his way.
But Takako was such a pushy bitch! Setsuna hadn't even liked her better than the other girls who'd confessed love to him -- she just wouldn't take no for an answer, and stalked him until he gave in. Takako wanted Setsuna for his looks, and because he was hard to get, so she could flaunt him at all the girls he'd turned down. Now she thought she had him -- he was taking her out for romantic dinners, and buying her presents -- and it was exactly like Mother and Father, the way they tried to act like they were still in love but everyone could tell there wasn't anything real underneath the gestures.
"Well? I'm waiting for an answer," Setsuna said.
"There's nothing wrong with a girl, but you could do a lot better than Takako," Kira said, twirling a lit cigarette between his fingers. Sara scowled -- when had he sneaked that past her? "Take Sara, for example. Make sure your girlfriends live up to her, and you'll be fine."
Sara's face burned. She didn't dare turn and look at her brother.
"Kira!" Setsuna squawked, diving across the room to tackle his friend. The armchair tipped backwards, spilling the boys onto the floor; Kira's cigarette flew from his hand and smoldered on the carpet.
Sara scrambled up and grabbed it before it started a fire or left too much of an ashy mark. Then she took the stupid cigarette into the kitchen and washed it down the sink. "If you break anything, I'm telling Mother you tripped over furniture chasing me, Oniichan!" she called back into the living room. "You know how she'll take that. Then I'll have to hurt you, Kira, because this is all your fault -- Oniichan was a lot nicer before you corrupted him!"
"I just showed him how to have fun," Kira called back, but the scuffling sounds trailed off and when Sara ventured back, the boys were tipping the chair upright.
Her brother checked to make sure they hadn't moved it -- the legs had to be in the exact same spot, or Mother might notice the indentations in the carpet -- and then dropped into the chair with a sigh. "Now I really need to clean up for Takako," he said. "Thanks so much, Kira."
Sara glanced over at Kira and caught him rolling his eyes. Then he looked straight at her, like he could feel her attention, and for a heartbeat she felt like they were reading each other's minds. Kira knew, just like she did, that Takako was all wrong for Setsuna. And she knew, now, that he'd help her push until Setsuna realized it too, or until they drove the bitch away.
Setsuna didn't belong to Takako, no matter how much she tried to steal him, no matter how much she wanted him to ignore everyone but her. Takako couldn't make him forget Sara and Kira. She was years too late for that.
"Go take a shower, Oniichan," Sara said, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him to his feet. "Kira and I will keep Takako company if she gets here early."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Setsuna muttered, but he ran his hand through Sara's hair before he headed upstairs, so she knew he wasn't really angry.
She looked speculatively at Kira. He grinned and pulled out another cigarette. "Let's wait on the front steps to make sure we don't miss her. It'll be easier to stall if Setsuna can't hear us." He fished out his lighter, but hesitated before striking a flame -- he turned the doorknob instead. "I bet I can make her scream or cry before you can."
Sara flicked his lighter and held it up to his cigarette. "You're on."
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End
Fandom/Pairing: Angel Sanctuary, Kira/Setsuna/Sara
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Kaori Yuki, Hakusensha, VIZ Media, et al. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Theme: #13 - Irritating people
Warnings: spoilers!
Note: Pre-manga. Setsuna tries dating like a normal person; Sara hates his girlfriend. Based on the little story Sara tells Kurai before she leaves for the airport.
---------------------------------------------
The Transient and the Eternal: Irritating People
---------------------------------------------
Mother had been getting stranger and stranger about not letting Sara and Setsuna be alone together, but she and Father were gone for the weekend, patching up their marriage with another romantic vacation. Sara knew that sooner or later things would fall apart so badly nothing could paper over the arguments, but until then, she kept her mouth shut and prayed. Besides, this way she got to spend time with her brother.
They ate breakfast together and then went shopping; he looked suitably poleaxed by her choice in sundresses, and she managed to hang onto her temper when he asked her advice on what chocolates to buy for Takako. Being with him -- having him to herself again -- was so wonderful that she almost didn't mind when Kira dropped by after lunch without bothering to call and warn them he was coming.
Kira, at least, didn't care if she sat right next to her brother on the sofa and leaned her head on his shoulder. Kira didn't go white and angry and start yelling. Instead, he sighed, dropped into an armchair across from them, and asked if they had any good movies in the house.
"The Princess Bride," Sara said. She'd rented it because it was romantic, but she'd heard it also had swordfights and jokes, so it shouldn't be too boring for boys.
Kira raised an eyebrow, but he fished around by the tv and stuck the tape into the VCR. Pretty soon he and Setsuna were mocking the flashy swordfights and laughing over Americans' weird sense of humor. By the time the swordsman confronted the man who killed his father, though, and the pirate came to stop the princess from killing herself, both of them were completely absorbed in the story.
"I want someone to love me like that, someday -- to death and beyond," Sara said as the credits rolled. She hugged her brother's arm, nestling against his side to absorb his body heat.
Setsuna made an uncertain noise, and Kira snorted. "You're pretty. You won't have any trouble getting some sap wrapped around your finger. You've already got Setsuna under your spell."
"Sempai!" Setsuna protested. Sara added her glare to her brother's, and Kira obligingly changed the subject to all the stupid things his gang had done over the past couple weeks.
Five o'clock rolled around all too soon, and Setsuna tried to pull his arm out of Sara's grasp. "I have to clean up and change -- you know I'm taking Takako out for dinner, and she'll be here at six!" he said when Sara clung tighter.
"She doesn't deserve you, Oniichan," Sara grumbled.
"No one's bad enough to deserve Setsuna," Kira said, "but you're right, she's a pushy bitch. Guys are supposed to pick girls up at their houses, not the other way around." He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette.
Sara threw a sofa cushion at him. "No smoking in the house -- Mother will know."
Kira tamped the cigarette back into the box, but he flicked his lighter on anyway, cupping his hands around the flame and watching it dance. "Speaking of bitches..."
"Leave our mom out of this, Kira-sempai." Setsuna poked Sara in the ribs, and slid his arm out of her hands while she squeaked. "What do you two have against Takako anyway? She's cute, I guess, and I like that she can stand up for herself. And I'm thirteen -- what's wrong with having a girlfriend?"
'She's not me, that's what's wrong with her,' Sara wanted to say, but she bit her tongue and spun her red glass ring around her finger instead. If her brother wanted to be normal, wanted to forget that he'd always loved her best, then she'd let him. If that would make him happy, she wouldn't stand in his way.
But Takako was such a pushy bitch! Setsuna hadn't even liked her better than the other girls who'd confessed love to him -- she just wouldn't take no for an answer, and stalked him until he gave in. Takako wanted Setsuna for his looks, and because he was hard to get, so she could flaunt him at all the girls he'd turned down. Now she thought she had him -- he was taking her out for romantic dinners, and buying her presents -- and it was exactly like Mother and Father, the way they tried to act like they were still in love but everyone could tell there wasn't anything real underneath the gestures.
"Well? I'm waiting for an answer," Setsuna said.
"There's nothing wrong with a girl, but you could do a lot better than Takako," Kira said, twirling a lit cigarette between his fingers. Sara scowled -- when had he sneaked that past her? "Take Sara, for example. Make sure your girlfriends live up to her, and you'll be fine."
Sara's face burned. She didn't dare turn and look at her brother.
"Kira!" Setsuna squawked, diving across the room to tackle his friend. The armchair tipped backwards, spilling the boys onto the floor; Kira's cigarette flew from his hand and smoldered on the carpet.
Sara scrambled up and grabbed it before it started a fire or left too much of an ashy mark. Then she took the stupid cigarette into the kitchen and washed it down the sink. "If you break anything, I'm telling Mother you tripped over furniture chasing me, Oniichan!" she called back into the living room. "You know how she'll take that. Then I'll have to hurt you, Kira, because this is all your fault -- Oniichan was a lot nicer before you corrupted him!"
"I just showed him how to have fun," Kira called back, but the scuffling sounds trailed off and when Sara ventured back, the boys were tipping the chair upright.
Her brother checked to make sure they hadn't moved it -- the legs had to be in the exact same spot, or Mother might notice the indentations in the carpet -- and then dropped into the chair with a sigh. "Now I really need to clean up for Takako," he said. "Thanks so much, Kira."
Sara glanced over at Kira and caught him rolling his eyes. Then he looked straight at her, like he could feel her attention, and for a heartbeat she felt like they were reading each other's minds. Kira knew, just like she did, that Takako was all wrong for Setsuna. And she knew, now, that he'd help her push until Setsuna realized it too, or until they drove the bitch away.
Setsuna didn't belong to Takako, no matter how much she tried to steal him, no matter how much she wanted him to ignore everyone but her. Takako couldn't make him forget Sara and Kira. She was years too late for that.
"Go take a shower, Oniichan," Sara said, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him to his feet. "Kira and I will keep Takako company if she gets here early."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Setsuna muttered, but he ran his hand through Sara's hair before he headed upstairs, so she knew he wasn't really angry.
She looked speculatively at Kira. He grinned and pulled out another cigarette. "Let's wait on the front steps to make sure we don't miss her. It'll be easier to stall if Setsuna can't hear us." He fished out his lighter, but hesitated before striking a flame -- he turned the doorknob instead. "I bet I can make her scream or cry before you can."
Sara flicked his lighter and held it up to his cigarette. "You're on."
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End