Chapter 5

"You have a lot of nerve coming to her like that Tsuruga." Hiro told him calmly, with arms crossed and leaning against the wall. "She doesn't need someone in her life that isn't going to put her first. I've heard a lot of stuff about you I don't like, from other people."

Kuon clenched his fists at the upstart's words. "Who the hell do you think you are? What do think you know?"

Hiro smirked. "As her brother... I know enough. If you want to be with her, you'll have to go through me." Yes, she definitely had an overprotective big brother and he would be flexing his muscle in her life. He wasn't about to let a using ass like Fuwa, back into her life.

Kuon stood in shock. This was something that Lory failed to mention. "Brother?"

Hiro nodded.

"Her real brother?" He clarified.

Hiro smirked. "Half-brother, but brother just the same, and my sister deserves the best." He told him.

"I know she deserves the best... I know... I need her more than she needs me." Kuon sat on the small bench in the hall where they'd confronted each other, and raked his hands through his hair. He chuckled wryly. "So... You're her brother." He stated as he looked up at the surprised younger man.

Disarmed and surprised at Kuon's humbled behavior, Hiro chuckled. He'd expected another arrogant ass like Fuwa. "Yeah... Sucks."

Kuon looked at him a little confused.

"Never mind." He told him. He didn't need one of her many suitors knowing that he had a thing for his own sister, no matter how hot he thought she was.

It didn't matter. After playing the part of Cain Heel, he could guess correctly what Hiro was thinking. He looked up at him. "So... How's she been doing?" He'd decided to leave that little feeling of male sympathy alone.

Hiro sighed a little. "I got her to take it back. It's pretty common in our family. Our grandmother helped, but Fuwa might be a problem."

Kuon snorted. "When is he not?"

Hiro nodded. "Granny's already cursed him, but I'm not sure that'll be enough. He won't be able to get within a meter of her without feeling its effects. Hopefully we won't need to get Dad involved." He commented. That was something they all wished to avoid. The man had changed greatly over the years and didn't surface very often. Hiro hadn't seen him in years until Kyoko, and he knew the man would probably kill anyone that harassed Kyoko. They really didn't want missing celebrities drawing attention to the coven. Kyoko's dead-spot had been enough of a scare to catch his attention, and draw him out. The man was unsettling, but the fact that Kyoko had him wrapped around her little finger immediately, was even more so.

Kuon furrowed his brow. Was that really a thing? He'd heard Kyoko and Maria talking about things like that every now and then, but could it really be done? Were all of those mystical things actually possible? After seeing her heart himself, he was pretty sure these things were facts.

"I don't expect anyone outside of our coven to understand, but he won't be a very happy person for a few years, and he'll be a little busy." Hiro told him casually.

Remind me never to piss off her family or her. Kuon thought.

Hiro looked down that hall and smiled. He turned back to Kuon. "You might want to be honest with her or she's going to put you in the same category as Fuwa." He told him, standing straight.

"She doesn't already?" He asked dryly.

Hiro smirked. "The fact that you don't have a nasty curse hanging on your future, says she doesn't."

Great, that's all I need, another weirdo to deal with when it comes to her. He thought. He nearly lost his breath when he saw her walking towards them.

"Hiro, coming to pick me up again?" She asked, glancing at Kuon. "Ren..." She acknowledged.

Well, at least she'd dropped the formalities between them. That is a good sign, right?

"Grandma wants you there tonight. We don't need a repeat of that again." He gave her a poignant look.

She groaned, and rolled her eyes. "Fine... It won't happen again." She reminded him. She enjoyed the time without her heart, but she had lost a lot of her original self during the process, far more than she'd lost when she'd left Sho. She was meeting with the coven and her paternal grandmother weekly to check on her state of mind and progress.

Yes, a lot had happened since Hiro discovered the truth of everything. She'd met and been brought into the coven and family. She'd met, and worked things out with her father. Grandmother had subdued her the evening that that Hiro had taken possession of her heart and it had been placed back where it belonged as she slept. The next morning their grandmother had been enlightened of everything that had gone on in Kyoko's life.

If anyone thought Lory Takarada was a LoveMon, they would have been shocked to know that Kyoko and Hiro's paternal grandmother was infinitely worse. In her opinion, a witch would not reach their full potential unless they accepted love into their heart. What made things worse, was the fact that there were spells, charms, talismans, potions, and elixirs that would remedy that little situation faster than Kyoko could tell anyone that she wasn't capable of love, and she'd been bombarded with them all, without her knowledge. Hiro was witness to that fact as he observed the sudden change in Kuon; although, he didn't need to know that Kuon was more like Kuu than he cared to admit when it came to his sister, and had been for awhile. Even the slightest nudge from Granny would have sent the lovesick fool tumbling over the edge, he didn't need any help in that area.

Kuon sat in a haze as he stared at the beautiful, radiant, goddess-like angel speaking to her brother. It almost felt like he was completely intoxicated. His mind seemed to be clouded by something, and words were coming out that he meant to keep to himself. "I'm Corn..." He blurted out with the truth.

Kyoko furrowed her brow, turned, and looked at him a little surprised. She sighed. "I know."

Hiro stood in the background, with a raised brow. He knew for sure what was going on now. He'd seen that look before. Granny strikes again. He mused, and shivered a little in fear, hoping that the elderly woman never set her sights on matching him with anyone, in earnest. The thought that her true love spells and potions were quite effective, was terrifying. He was not quite ready for something like that; although, the thought that Kyoko's little friend Chiori was a bit interesting, but the thoughts certainly did not alert him to any outside forces at work. No, he was pretty sure Granny wouldn't do that to him too, not that the person she decided to "help" would be aware of it anyway.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away. I didn't want to ruin everything." He told her as she sat next to him and her brother mouthed that he would see her later.

She nodded to Hiro and turned her attention back to Kuon. "What about your girlfriend?"

Kuon shook his head. "I don't have one. Haven't since I met you again." He told her honestly. "I wanted it to be you. I can't stop thinking about you, Kyoko."

She sighed. "I'm Bo... What about the girl you're in love with?" She asked.

He gave her a soft chuckle and smiled. "It was you. I should have told you sooner." His mind was quickly clearing. "Shouldn't have let this go on for as long as it did. I'm not a fairy prince, sorry."

She smiled. "I'm not an innocent princess either." She stared down at her hands. "I'm a witch." She whispered.

He smiled softly and caressed her cheek, guiding her face up to look at him. "I know."

She frowned a little. "I've changed. I lost a lot."

He moved closer to her. "You're still you. The Kyoko I'll always be in love with." He told her and gave her a gentle kiss to her lips. "Nothing will ever change that for me."

On the center of a mantelpiece sat a small chest. It closely resembled that of a small treasure chest made of mahogany, banded in gold, with intricate little carvings around the edges and lined in soft purple silk. No longer did it contain the broken heart of a disillusioned witch, but now the gift from a fairy prince and equally as treasured. The stone nor the chest were needed, for the fairy prince now personally took care of the witch's heart, and she of his. Gone were the silent prayers to rid themselves of the pain caused by others. Gone were the misunderstandings, the secrets, and gone were the lonely moments without friends or loved ones. They had both gone from being alone in the world, without family and friends, to having more than either of them knew what to do with.

~fin~