Unlimited Psychic Squad....Bit different

Start of Family

Yugiri had quickly made an impression on the Catastrophe. She seemed content trailing behind the adults instead of joining the other kids in their games, and most members of P.A.N.D.R.A. had fallen at first sight for her small frame and her shyness. She would have been spoiled rotten if she hadn't insisted on sticking mostly to Kyousuke's side. For anyone else, earning her trust demanded treasures of patience.

Kyousuke couldn't say he wasn't flattered by the preference. He himself had a soft spot for the girl and took pride in his place as her favourite.

Which only made it more vexing when he was reminded he was just number two in her heart.

"Andie!" Yuugiri called, beaming.

She let go of Kyousuke's hand and ran ahead of him to greet the woman sitting on a mooring bollard along the pier. As was now their habit, Hinomiya plucked the brown baseball cap from her head to muss her hair. She wore that thing everywhere.

"Hey lovie. You doing okay?"

By the time Kyousuke joined them, she was engaged in a breathless recounting of something that had happened in the pool the day before. Hinomiya glanced up to address him with a cordial, if rather stilted, nod. Kyousuke gave an answering smirk.

It was their third pre-planned meeting and it was obvious Hinomiya still had no idea what to make of him. Which was just the way Kyousuke preferred it, especially since he himself had made little progress in figuring the woman out. Their time together was spent around Yugiri. They had yet to exchange a word that wasn't about the girl.

But this time ended up being different.

Hinomiya led Yugiri to a city fair, Kyousuke trailing behind as per usual during these little outings. For a while they wandered through the festival, sampling food and visiting booths, much to Yugiri's delight. Kyousuke had to grudgingly give it to Hinomiya: she was good to her.

They stopped to watch a puppet show. It didn't take long for Yugiri to join the ring of children sitting on the ground, entranced by the moving dolls. Kyousuke was so focused on the open happiness on her face he nearly failed to notice Hinomiya moving back to join him a little further away than most parents stood.

"So... the Catastrophe is a boat?"

Kyousuke wrenched his eyes away from Yuugiri with a disbelieving smirk.

"You're only figuring that out now?"

"Well, I had an inkling when you always proposed meeting at coast cities," Hinomiya grumbled with a light blush. "But it's not like you ever said!"

Kyousuke snorted. Then the corners of his lips stretched down. Despite her starting a conversation of her own volition, Hinomiya stood much further away than could be considered polite when talking to someone.

"Would you like to visit?" he baited.

Hinomiya goggled at him.

"You'd let me aboard?"

"Yoh vouches for you. And Yugiri would be happy to have you there. You're the closest thing she's got to a mother, after all."

"Isn't that you?" she mumbled, her cheek flushing again. "Every time I talk to her, it's 'the Major did this', 'the Major said that'."

"Oh?" he smirked, the smart to his pride fading some. "Well, we can share custody, I suppose."

"Does that make you the mother if she lives with you?"

Kyousuke's smirk could have given a shark a run for his money.

"Why, Hinomiya, so forward," he drawled, taking the opportunity to step well into the woman's personal bubble. "Something you're trying to tell me?"