Stout hearted

Chapter 4

Wakasa had tried to pry any information from the girl, she had kept saying the same story. 'I fell down the stairs' even her brother would say a word about what had happened. After hours of trying he figured that if he couldn't pry it from the girl, maybe Shinichiro could figure out what was happening. 

He stepped out of the building and pulled out his phone, dialling Shinichiro's number. "Hey .. huh yeah I'm fine. No something happened.. calm down. It's (Y/n) … she got jumped again.  At Amelia's" 

Maybe he shouldn't have called up the black haired boy, of course he'd rush over to Amelia's. It didn't take long for the boy to show up "Is she okay!? "

"She dislocated her shoulder "

Shinichiro frowned, he already suspected that something was wrong, she seemed to always have an excuse whatever she had gotten hurt. This confirmed his suspension, she was being hurt by someone. 

'Sorry my Father he's strict….' 

Did her father hurt her? Shuuji didn't seem to have any injuries,but he seemed just as protective of (Y/n). Did she take the hits instead? He hoped it wasn't her father that hurt her.  Maybe this was a huge misunderstanding. 

---

" You fell down the stairs??" 

"Yeah? I'm fine really" 

"But what about your dad"

"You think he hurts me? He's never home, always away busy at work"

Shinichiro stared at the girl trying to look for any hint that she was lying, every fibre within him told him that she was hiding something. He sighed shaking his head "Stay with me tonight" 

"Huh?" 

"Spend the night at my house, we got plenty of place and you'll be safe at least "

It would be safer to stay somewhere else, especially with the mood her father would be in. She let out a sigh and gave him a nod which caused the boy to smile at her. "Want to go pick up stuff from your house?" 

Right they needed to get clothes at least. Dad shouldn't be home, he would be at work.  Shinichiro helped the girl off the bed and smiled at her brother "You'll get to meet Mikey. He's younger than you" 

~~ 

Shinichiro waited with Shuuji waited in the kitchen while (Y/n) was packing bags for them. "You're Nee-san's friend right?" 

"Huh yeah?" 

"..."

"Shuuji what's wrong?" 

The young boy glanced at him in hesitation before looking back at the stairs nervously "Shuuji is someone hurting your sister ?" Shinichiro asked, kneeling down to the boy's height, "Can you tell me?" 

Shuuji shook his head immediately when he heard his sister coming down the stairs. Shinichiro noticed and moved to grab the bags from her "I can-" 

"You can barely move your arm" 

"Bu-" 

"No"  

-- 

The grandfather watched the girl Shinichiro brought home talking to her brother and the younger sano siblings. Shinichiro didn't say much just saying he was worried about his friend staying alone. "You said she had gotten hurt before?" 

Shuuji seemed to try and hide behind his sister as the blonde boy interrogated her. Questioning why she was friends with his brother and why she would be friends with him. "He wanted to be friends after I helped him" 

"But you look cool! "

"Huh?" 

"You like a superhero!"

This caused the girl to start laughing at the blonde boy "Yeah but don't go tell anyone else okay?" She winked, smiling at the blonde who just stared at her amazed. "You gotta be friends with me then!" 
 
"Too late she's mine first "

"Nuhuh she's mine!"

Shuuji watched his sister laughing, he felt happy that she was enjoying herself. But both the boys were wrong, she was his sister and if they wanted to be her friend. They had to be able to protect her. 

--

The whole weekend (Y/n ) watched the Sano house hold, how they acted. They all seemed to get along, Mikey seemed to love picking on Shinichiro and influenced Emma to join in along with them. It was peaceful and quiet,  she felt out of place. 

Emma seemed to like the girl while Mikey and Shuuji were busy running around, the young girl wanted to hang out with her. (Y/n) was happy that her brother finally came out of his shell and played.

"Hey I'm going to go out, can Shu stay here?" 

"Where are you going?" 

"I wanna go buy Shu his gift for his birthday "

"Let me go with you" 

"I don't need a babysitter"

How could she lose an argument with him? She watched him checking out the toys in the aisle with a small grin, picking up a few to show to her "You said he likes Batman right?" 

"Yeah, he wants to be like him'

---

There was this feeling in her gut all day, something was off. She decided to skip a few days letting her shoulder heal, Shinichiro was kind enough to bring her work from school and let her borrow his notes. 

She hoped that Shuuji would enjoy the cake and gifts. She spent the entire morning baking him a cake and had wrapped his gifts  a batman action figure along with a lion king plush. Her dad shouldn't be home until late, so that should give them enough time to celebrate and clean up before he came home. 

"Nee San, Shin Nii got me a gift!" 

She turned around looking at the older boy than towards her brother. Who was holding a Gund plush close to him. She gave them both a smile letting them inside, leading them into the kitchen. Watching how Shuuji smiled at the decorated kitchen and cake, he turned back to his sister hugging her "Thank you!" 

"Thanks Shin" 

"Huh it's no big deal "

"No, it means a lot to me.  I just want Shu to be happy" 

Shinichiro watched the two with a smile,it really seemed that two would fight against the world for each other. (Y/n) has been revealing more and more, she had admitted that their father was a drunk but nothing more than that. Takeomi had learned that (Y/n)'s father changed after his wife had passed. He despised Shuuji and blamed him for killing his wife.

"Having a party? Thought you'd invite me" 

The Hanma siblings seemed to freeze on the spot, Shinichiro body moved on his own standing in front of them protective. The man smelt like a bar and had a glint in his eye.