[ A/N: the Hikaru mentioned here is the Asahina Hikaru ]

The next morning- Saturday morning, Natsu woke up rather late, at 11:24. She probably missed breakfast or something. Natsu snorted. Not like they would miss her presence or anything.

The girl got up and stretched, making her bed like she normally did. She slept much better than the previous nights before, clocking in a nice consecutive six hours of sleep. She didn't wake up once. It was amazing. When she walked over to her closet to get ready for the day, she started with binding her chest. Her eyes widened in alarm when she reached up to a shelf to grab a roll of bandages, only to feel empty space.

This can't be happening to me.

She forgot to stock up, didn't she?

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no," Natsu whispered, rummaging through her closet. In her room, drawers were thrown out. The girl frantically searched through every container she had: every space, every nook, and cranny. After an hour of searching, she slumped onto her bed, defeated.

"I'm gonna cry," she muttered into her hands, feeling tears well up in the corner of her eyes, "I'm actually going to cry right now."

She couldn't think. Her mind was blank. She couldn't step out of the house at all to buy more bandage, not to mention her room. Her brothers were down there, she would get caught before she reached the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't even ask Masaomi to lend her some bandages, because then he'd be 'concerned' and ask about what was wrong. She really backed herself into a corner this time.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Natsu's eyes quickly flicked to her bedroom door. Slipping on a white tee, she scrambled to the door. Opening the door just a crack, the girl slipped her head out, making sure her chest wasn't seen. It was Louis. She glanced down at the cardboard box in his hands, wondering what could be inside.

"Can I help you?"

"Oh." Louis looked startled by her sudden appearance. "Hikaru-niisan... dropped this off for you last night."

"You can leave it there," she told him, not daring to show more than her face. Louis did as told, setting the box by the door. Before he turned to leave, Natsu called out, "Wait!"

Louis sent her a confused look.

"None of the others did anything to the package, right?" Natsu asked, obviously skeptical. And she had a right to be. Tsubaki or Yusuke or Fuuto could've been douchebags and tampered with the box. What did they do it when she wasn't there?

"No," he confirmed, "I kept it... so nothing bad happened. I promise." Natsu would take his word for it. For now. Louis wasn't one to lie anyway. She watched him leave for downstairs. Only until she was 100% sure that no one else was around, did Natsu open the door all the way and take the package inside. Once she was inside, Natsu set it on her desk (and it was relatively light) and paused, staring the object down. The box was about the size of a shoebox, tape sealing its sides shut. "Only for Natsu" was inscribed on the top in Hikaru's distinctive handwriting, a unique cross between print and cursive.

Well, not like it was going to open itself.

Natsu took the end of a very sharp pencil (because she had nothing else) and stabbed it along the tape, dragging it along and ripping a jagged line through the cardboard. Yes, she was one of those people. When she opened the flaps, inside revealed a mystery item wrapped in tissue paper. On the top lay a note. It read, which made her heart stop beating:

Dear Natsu,

I feel like you could use these. Do stop using those bandages. Did you know that they can cause nerve damage and fractured ribs when used for long periods? You need to stop using those.

Start using these instead. They'll seriously benefit your health.

XOXO, H

Natsu dropped the note and immediately rushed to her phone, dialing Hikaru's number. She willed him to pick up. Please, pick up, pick up. Her heart dropped when she heard his voicemail.

 "Hello! This is Hikaru Asahina! I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment, so please try again later!" Her panic levels quickly rising, the girl tried another time, to no avail. She clenched the phone in her hand, resorting to texting him instead.

[ NASA ]

i swear to god you better pick up your damn phone if you don't want me to slap your face off at the next family reunion

answer me right noW

[ READ ]

[ NASA ]

aRE YOU LEAVING ME ON READ?

HIKARU IM SERIUOS

*SWFIOUS

*SSERIOUD

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

Take your time.

[ NASA ]

SERIOYS

DAMN

SERIOUS

finally, jesus christ

JSUT PICK UP YOUR PHONE pLEaSe

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

Relax, Natsu, it's gonna be okay

For now though, I suggest you wear those binders if you're not already. Bandages can seriously hurt your nervous system you know?

[ NASA ]

I AM THE NERVOUS HERE

do you want to know why i'm nervous? do you?

BECAUSE SOMEBODY KNOWS MY REAL GENUINE

*GENERAL

frick

GENDER

I swear you better pick up your phone right now

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

You know what, I'm in town right now.

Why don't we discuss this over lunch?

How does that sound? My treatt

I'll even pick you up

[ NASA ]

Hikaru please i just want answers

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

And answers you shall get.

[ NASA ]

Why ya gotta make this so hard for me?

I mean we could just talk over the phone

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

It's better to talk in person, isn't it?

[ NASA ]

You're being very insistent, aren't you?

Argh fine get ur ass over here

[ THE SUSPICIOUS ONE ]

That's not very nice.

[ READ ]

Natsu clenched the phone in her hand with rage, exasperation, anxiety- some mixture of the three. She tore the tissue paper off the chest binders, bringing them close to examine them. There were three in total. There were three: two that looked like sports bras and one strapless one. All of them were in different sizes. The fabric was elastic, meant to secure and flatten.

She tried one on, and when she did, it was like some sort of magic.

The binders were not at all like the bandages she once wore, giving here much more room to breathe. She could move freely and even take full breaths. It didn't constrict her chest like the bandages, it let her breathe. She could breathe, she could move. She would have to thank Hikaru later when he comes to pick her up.

She layered a navy blue windbreaker over a cream-colored hoodie she owned, along with a pair of black, tattered jeans and her every-day black sneakers. Stuffing a 1000-yen bill and her phone, she headed downstairs. Everyone was either already done eating breakfast or finishing up. Today was Yusuke's turn to wash the dishes. He stood at the sink with a pair of rubber gloves on, looking irritated (as always).

Ema, who sat at the couch, petting Juli (and I just realized he been absent for like ten chapters wtf) waved to her. "Good morning, Natsu!"

"Hello, Natsu," Juli smiled (can squirrels even smile?), his tail swishing back and forth.

"Mornin'." Natsu reached the bottom of the stairs. She headed towards the front door when Subaru called for her. He was also getting ready to out like her, probably because he was stuffing a change of his clothes in his duffel bag. He held a basketball in his left arm and a large water bottle in his right.

"Uh... aren't you gonna eat breakfast? Where are you going?"

"Nah, it's fine," Natsu brushed him off, making sure she didn't forget anything, "Besides, I'll be eating while I'm out."

"Wait, what?" Ukyo stuck his head out from the kitchen. "You are? Are you going out by yourself?"

"Nah, I'll be eating with Hikaru," She responded, "So yeah if that's it I'll be leaving!" Before anyone else could utter another word, Natsu left and slammed the door closed.

"Ah. Perfect timing," The girl whispered, spotting Hikaru's sleek red Honda Civic pull up to the sidewalk. She slid in the passenger seat before one of her brothers decided to go outside and confront her. Just as she shut the door closed, Subaru stepped out of the house, eyes scanning the driveway for her. It was obvious he wanted answers. Hell, all her brothers probably wanted answers. Why would Natsu eat breakfast-lunch- whatever it was, with Hikaru? They never did anything together, so why...?

Hikaru turned to her, his hands resting on the steering wheel. "Ah, nice to see you again, Natsu." He wore a navy blue halter neckline dress with a beige trench coat. His orange-red tresses flowed down his shoulders, bouncy and curly. Natsu couldn't help but notice how the color of his dress matched her windbreaker, as his coat matched her hoodie. That's fucking weird. She looked outside to see Subaru approaching the car.

"Gun it, Hikaru," she ordered, to which Hikaru smirked.

"As you wish," he revved the engine, speeding off and leaving Subaru in the dust. She peered in the side mirror, watching Subaru's figure get smaller and smaller. "So," Hikaru started, keeping his eyes on the road, "Any reason why you're avoiding Subaru?"

Natsu shrugged. "I told them that I was eating food with you. And I don't feel like explaining anything to them right now, to be honest. I'll tell them when I get home, I guess. Hopefully, they forget about it by the time I come home."

"That is so like you," the auburn-haired man chuckled, glancing at her outfit. "Hey, don't you think it's weird that we match today?"

Natsu peered down at her clothes, then back at his. "It is pretty freaky."

"It must be fate."

"That's weird."

"Don't give me that look!" Hikaru pouted. He glanced at Natsu, noticing how her hair grew a little longer since the last time they met. Instead of ending at her chin, they reached a little bit below her shoulders. It got longer, but not enough to be considered girly. "Hey, your hair's getting longer. Are you going to cut it soon?"

Natsu shrugged, toying with a strand of her hair. "I dunno. I've never kept it this long before. I kinda want to keep it, maybe tie it up in a half-pony or something. Switch it up a little."

"Hmm. Try it, it might suit you."

"Maybe..."

. . .

The rest of the ride was silent. Natsu kept on shifting in her seat, feeling uncomfortable. She's never ridden in Hikaru's car before. Obviously, she was wary, and she had a damn right to be. The man was never home, so she never really got to see him that much. Hikaru always had that cunning look in his eyes, like he knew something he shouldn't have. Natsu should've known. The whole ride, the girl kept on wondering about Hikaru and how much he knew. How did he know? How long did he know? Who else knew? These questions kept on running through her mind and wouldn't stop.

Finally, they parked by a quaint cafe, with cute yellow and white umbrellas perched outside. There was a yellow awning at the entrance, with a sign that read "SOLSTICE BISTRO" in hard-to-read cursive. Obviously, the restaurant had based itself around the sun, if it weren't obvious with the reoccurring theme of yellow everywhere, along with the sun logo.

As they stepped inside, Natsu eyed the room, stuffing her hands in her pockets. The counter was modern and sleek, a cashier standing behind it. Sparkly lights hung from the ceiling, resembling... you guessed it, the sun. There were tables all around the room, varying in different sizes. Some customers sat at them, having waiters and waitresses tend to them. Natsu whistled. "Wow. Nice joint."

"Ah, w-welcome to Solstice Bistro! Would you like to sit inside or outside?" The cashier at the front, a pretty blond guy with freckles, perked up once he saw the pair. The way he looked at Hikaru made it seem like Hikaru visited this place before. The way that blonde looked at Natsu made her feel like he hated her for some forsaken reason.

Hikaru turned to Natsu, who merely shrugged. "Well then," Hikaru gave the cashier his best smile, "We'd like to sit outside, please."

Natsu swore she saw the cashier melt a little. He then proceeded to grab two menus from behind the counter and led the two to the outside area. There were pretty plants lining the fence, butterflies fluttering around. Natsu wouldn't lie, it was gorgeous. "Please wait here for your waiter or waitress to attend to you!" he turned to Natsu, a forced smile on his face, "And would you like a booster seat, sir? Should I get you a kid's menu?"

The couple sitting behind Hikaru and Natsu choked on their orange juice.

"Ahem," Natsu coughed into her fist, obviously irked, "No thank you, I'll be fine."

"If that's all," he smiled, placing the two yellow menus down, "I'll be leaving now."

"I hate that man already," Natsu sighed, flipping open the menu and scanning through the items, "I think he has a thing for you. The guy has no idea that you're actually a man, does he?"

Hikaru shook his head, orange tresses bouncing as he did. "He has no clue. Poor guy, he probably thinks that you're my date." Hikaru wasn't wrong. With the way those two were dressing and how they matched, it wasn't exactly hard to come to that assumption.

Natsu almost gagged. "That's nasty."

A few minutes later, a waiter tended to them, asking for their orders. Hikaru ordered some avocado toast with a large americano. Natsu asked for a plate of eggs benedict with a glass of iced tea. After the waiter left (he was overly cheery for some reason better left unknown), Natsu turned to Hikaru. "Okay, let's cut the chase. How much do you know? When did you figure it out?"

"My, aren't we straightforward." Hikaru rested his chin in his palm. "The only thing I know is, well, your gender. I actually had an inkling of a guess when Mother adopted you. My suspicions were confirmed when Masaomi and Ukyo told me about the picnic in the park. He mentioned that he saw you had bandages wrapped around your chest, and you got defensive when he offered to help you."

"Great. That's just great," Natsu sighed, burying her face into her hands. She removed her face from them, peering up at him, looking absolutely exasperated, "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not! What kind of brother would I be if I did that?" Hikaru asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He then gave Natsu an all-knowing smirk. "Besides, it's much more fun to sit back and enjoy the show."

"You're the devil," Natsu remarked.

At last, the food came. Natsu and her stomach couldn't be happier. She immediately dug in after thanking the waiter. Unlike Hikaru, who ate his toast peacefully, Natsu wolfed the whole dish down, not sparing a single crumb. And boy, was it delicious. She would forever savor the taste of those eggs, and she would definitely visit this restaurant again when she had the chance.

"That was delicious." Natsu wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Who knew a place like this existed?"

"I know, right?" Hikaru agreed, finishing off the last of his avocado toast, "I love this place."

"Hey," Natsu called after a bout of uncomfortable silence, causing Hikaru to look up from his dish. "Do you know when I should tell everyone about my identity? Mom's been pressuring me to tell the boys, but I really don't know when I should do it."

"Honestly, just do it when you're ready, Natsu. I can't tell you what to do, neither can mother." Hikaru sipped his americano. "It's bound to happen someday, whether you want it to or not. Secrets don't say secret forever, you know. But, when yours gets out, I'll be here to catch you if you fall."

Natsu sent him a weird look. "Why?"

"God, you sound like you've lost all faith in humanity," Hikaru remarked (as if it weren't true), "It's because you and I are the same. We're both crossdressers. Not to mention, we're brothers. It's what ties us together, in a sense."

"That was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard."

"Your words cut me like a knife."

In the end, Hikaru paid at the front. The cashier looked at Natsu like he was the bane of existence. Natsu glared back at him. After Hikaru gave the cashier his credit card, the fucking guy had the audacity to say, "Wow, and you're making your girlfriend pay? Some kind of boyfriend you are." The blond man turned to Hikaru, wearing a shit-eating grin. "I bet I could treat you better than he ever could."

So. Natsu didn't know whether to be offended or laugh.

God, people were staring now.

Natsu and Hikaru exchanged a look. Placing his elbows on the counter, Hikaru gave the cashier his best sickly-sweet smile. "First of all, sir, I'm sure you're not aware that he is my little brother."

"I- Wait- you're his brother? But your clothes match!" The cashier stammered, pointing a shaky finger at the two.

"So what if we're matching? It was just an accident. Just like your existence. " Natsu spat, cracking her knuckles to add to her act, "I hate you already. If you marry into this family, you deal with me."

"Don't mind him, he's always like that," Hikaru smiled, close-eyed, holding his hand out. "My name is Asahina Hikaru, nice to meet you."

"Hikaru... wait, you're a... a dude?" The man looked absolutely mortified.

Looking back at it, Natsu should've taken a picture of that man's face. It was a cross between embarrassment, rage, constipation, and chronic pain. His face was scrunched up like a raisin and his face burned with humiliation. Hell, even the tips of his ears were red. The rest of the restaurant got a good laugh out of it too. Natsu would guarantee that the cashier would quit his job if he saw Hikaru again.

"Do men like that... happen to you all the time?" Natsu asked on the car ride back home.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "All the time."

"I can see why. You're really convincing, you know." Natsu stuffed her hands in her pockets, wistfully looking out the window. She watched as cars varying in size and color zoomed by. More of a woman than I could ever be.

Hikaru looked at her, his eyes softening. "Don't say that."

Ah. She must've said that out loud.

"And what are you? You're more of a man than I could ever be," Hikaru smiled, patting her head. Surprisingly, Natsu didn't pull away from his touch. She couldn't remember the last time someone patted her head so freely like that. Surely, if it were any of the others, their hand would be cut off before they even touch her. Hikaru wasn't that bad. "Even if you're a boy or a girl, whatever. You'll still be my sibling regardless."

Natsu smiled. "Thanks. I really needed that."

Huh. Natsu didn't hate this as much as she thought she would.

[ A/N: whoA 3300 words i've never done that much hoLY SHIT! is hikaru ooc? i felt like he was?

also, i'm probably gonna change Natsu's hair to THIS

i think it'd look really badass, i mean just look at it hoW COOL

AND! idk if you know... but i made a discord server! please join it, you'll find it in the previous chapter! we have snacks and crackhead energy for yall

ok that's all! stay safe in quarantine you guys! ]