It started out like any other Friday in class. Everyone was talking amongst themselves as they waited for the lesson to begin, chatting excitedly. Sheimei turned to Kimiki just as Rin walked into the classroom, barely on time.

"Ah, what are you getting your mother for mother's day..?"

The girl sneered slightly. "Don't ask such a personal question."

Sheimei blushed and nodded. "Right, I'm sorry! But I'm going to get my mother a nice Toshi-kun."

Kimiki made another face, but before she could respond Rin interrupted, plopping down messily beside the two. "Mother's day, huh? What do you do for that?"

"Have you never celebrated it?" The girls asked in unison, receiving a blank look from Rin in return.

"Nah, Yukio and I- we just had the old man! So we only got him stuff on Father's day..."

Sheimei clenched her fists, looking determined and excited at once. "Isn't... Isn't Shura a little bit like your mother?"

Rin looked flabbergasted. "No, she ain't- it's more like, a teacher, right? And..." He moved his hands around ineffectually, as if he could explain by body language alone.

"Mothers can be teachers," Kimiki interjected, looking surprisingly serious. "It's their job to teach and protect their children, so they can grow up properly."

Rin rubbed the back of his head, looking away with a faint blush. It did kind of sound like what Shura was doing for him...

Sheimei beamed. "You and Yukio should get her a gift, Rin!"

The boy flustered, flailing slightly. "I guess I could-!" Before he could say anything else, Yukio walked in and the lesson began.

When class was finished for the day, Rin stayed after as was usual to pester his twin. "Sunday is Mother's Day!"

"I'm aware of this."

"Sheimei said we should get Shura a gift."

Yukio's eye twitched. "What?"

Rin was undeterred. "Yeah! Eyebrows says teachers can be mothers and that it's their job to protect their kids, that's kinda what she does, isn't it?"

The younger boy pinched the bridge of his nose. "I suppose..."

"So let's go to town tomorrow and get her something!"

Yukio sighed. One look at his brother told him that he wasn't going to budge on this. If he went with, he could at least be sure Rin didn't get her something awful. "...Alright."

The next day Rin and Yuki arrived at the nearby mall, their allowances in tow. Rin darted back and forth, peering into every shop window with all the excitement of a child. Yukio trailed behind at a much more reserved pace.

"What should we get her? We're too young to buy alcohol-"

"Perhaps we could simply purchase flowers from Sheimei's family store?"

"Nah, Shura ain't girly like that! Besides, I bet you just want to see Sheimei more~"

Yukio hid his blush with a scowl. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Sure, sure... Big brother knows, though!"

"Focus on the topic at hand, Rin. We were discussing what Shura would like."

"Oh yeah!" Rin scampered a few feet forward, looking into the next shop. "Maybe we could get her a- nah, she keeps her swords in that seal... Maybe a hair tie!"

"That seems a bit... inexpensive, don't you think?"

Rin sulked. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly get much for my allowance, so..."

Yukio stopped outside a shop, looking at the mannequins in the storefront. They were dressed in long-sleeved, fashionable tops. He'd also wished Shura would wear more if only for the sake of representing the True Cross Academy better- he knew she could take care of whatever trouble her (lack of) clothing might get her into. He motioned for Rin to come back and pointed to a sky-blue shirt. "Why not that one there?"

The older boy scratched his chin as if in deep, considering thought. Then he nodded, giving a thumbs-up of approval. "Perfect!"

"Right, then..." The two entered the store, leaving a few minutes later with a wrapped parcel in tow.

Sunday morning found the twins with Shura in their usual meeting spot, right before Rin's training. Like most Sundays, Shura was wearing her Exorcist coat- the one compromise she made on the holy day, when she attended church with many of the other Exorcists. Rin looked positively giddy with excitement as his teacher approached, holding the package behind his back

"Yo," she called out, waving to the pair as she neared them. "What're you so excited about, idiot?"

Rin ignored the pet name, holding the package out with a grin. "Happy Mother's Day!"

Shura blinked, looking to Yukio with the expectation that he would explain his twin's sudden, bizarre behavior. When the younger boy only smiled half-sheepishly, half-earnestly, all she could manage in response was, "...What?"

Rin's smile didn't falter. "Happy Mother's Day! Yukio and I bought you a shir- a gift!"

Shura reached out and took the package, still completely dumbfounded. "Uh... Thanks."

"You're welcome," they chimed in unison, although admittedly Rin's enthusiasm nearly drowned out Yukio's response.

Without another word she opened the gift, blinking at its contents. Shura opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again without a word. It wasn't so much the gift itself as the fact that they had actually gotten something nice for her. She wasn't sure how to respond, and yet she could practically feel the anxiety rolling off the twins the longer she stayed silent. Finally she looked up and corralled them both into a headlock, hugging them tight. Almost simultaneously they began to splutter and flush.

"Y-You like it?"

Shura laughed, pulling them closer. "You damn idiots. Of course I do."

...Even if she never would wear it.