Love is not Extinct

Halloween Special: Love Lies Bleeding

"Ani!"

Hinata turned around just in time to nearly be tackled with a hug, causing him to drop the flowers he had been holding in his hand onto the counter. He blinked and his eyes shifted down to the orange hair that was now tickling his nose as his sister tried to bury her face in his chest. Leaning his head back, so that he could speak without eating her hair, Hinata reached up and patted her head gently.

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

Natsu pulled back and looked up at her older brother with a pout and Hinata had to resist the urge to smile at how cute she looked. Now a second year student at Johzenji High, Hinata Natsu was really growing up; but her older brother still saw the little sister who would always follow him around as a kid. She had grown out her bright orange hair and wore it down, with a small section from the front of her hair pulled back into a beret in an attempt to keep it out of her face. She still had the same big, beautiful brown eyes, now framed with full beautiful lashes. Hinata knew that since junior high she had been very popular among the boys because of this.

"Boys are so stupid!"

Well, popular with boys, except the one boy she wanted attention from.

The corner of Hinata's mouth twisted up into a soft, knowing smile that was sympathetic but amused. Turning around, he picked the Jules Elie peonies he had dropped, and inspected them to assure they hadn't been damaged before he returned to arranging them in the vase of ivory dendrobium orchids and Queen Anne's lace that he was arranging for a wedding the following weekend.

"What did Takeda do?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, leaning forward and resting one elbow on the counter as she reached over, adjusting a few of the orchids in the arrangement. "He is just clueless. Are all boys so clueless?"

"Speaking as a former high school boy, I would have to say yes." Hinata chuckled. His poor little sister had been crazy about Takeda Minakami since their second year of junior high when they were in the same class. Takeda, or Kami as many people often called him, was a good kid, hardworking, nice, and energetic. But he was completely clueless that Hinata's little sister liked him. Natsu had even worked to get the position of the manager of the boys volleyball club rather than joining the girls team, because she wanted to be there to support him.

Being the nephew of Takeda Ittetsu, who was the youth program coordinator at the Karasuno Sports Center that he played volleyball at, as well as being a member of Yamaguchi's High School Volleyball team, Hinata had met the boy on many occasions. He was a talented player, a libro, and likely to be the team captain once the third years left. Hinata wished that he could give his sister some sound advice but, despite that he was nice and friendly, the boy's mind was filled with only volleyball and school. He had a plan for his future and, though he didn't think Takeda would be opposed to dating someone, he clearly didn't think about it.

Natsu sighed, standing up again. "Where's mom?"

"She went out with a friend," Hinata replied with a smile. He was happy that his mother could take time to do things like that these days. Running their family flower shop had been very taxing on her. She loved the work but it took up so much of her time. Since Hinata had graduated university, his mother had trusted him to manage things at the shop almost completely, which allowed her some much needed relaxation time. These days he hardly ever even needed her help in the shop. With Natsu helping on weekends and the few part time university students who worked there, he had everything under control.

"Well, I'm going to go home and do some homework," she said, as a bell rang, signalling that a customer had entered the shop. "Seeya!" She ran around the counter and passed the new customer as she left through the front door.