PPGZfic

Disclaimer: Me no own. You no own. Who own?

AU.

OOC.

I warned you.

Edited o8/11/o9

Empress

She wanted to be treated like a queen. She wanted to reach the sky. She yearned for so many things.

Momoko just wanted to be loved.

She envied her friends. Miyako had a throng of avid admirers that screamed out her name. Kaoru had her own fan club. She was a star. As for Momoko, she was the weirdo.

The hero-freak. Boy crazy. Hopeless romantic.

People loved her when she was Hyper Blossom, not just plain Momoko.

Momoko just needed someone...

Someone...

Someone...

SBAM!

"OW!"

Realization...

"Listen to me when I'm talking, hag!" a rough, high-rising voice snapped her out of her reverie.

Brick. Red ball cap. Flaming red hair. Childish grin.

"What did you call just call me?!" she shot back angrily, threatening to slap the infuriating person who dared call her a hag.

Momoko. Red ribbon. Flaming red hair. Whiplash. Childish heart.

"I said hag. H-A-G," the same boisterous voice repeated, even emphasizing the word he proudly called her.

The three-letter word that never failed to infuriate Momoko. And Hyper Blossom.

"Look, shrimp," Momoko began, obviously irked. "I'm not gonna go easy on you just because--"

"Yeah what? Because I'm a kid?" Brick shot back easily. "I've heard you say that a thousand times now, baka."

"I get it! I get it! Don't rub on it too much..." she said irritatedly, shaking her head.

"Stop stalling and get over it," he told her. She sighed and prepared. "Okay, okay. Again."

Rock... Paper... Scissors...!

Brick cursed out loudly as he removed his cap, threw it on the ground and began stomping at it. Oh, rage. He lost to the woman for the nth time already. He wanted to hit her. Kick her. Shout at her. Make her cry. Make her laugh. Make her smile.

Brick wanted to make her happy. Brick wanted to make her regret.

"Brick, don't be such a sore loser! You're the one who told me to get over it!" she said with a huff. He whiplashed wildly. "Shut up! I don't want to hear you talking!"

Momoko pouted. This is what she hated about kids. She hated Brick's guts. She hated his arrogance. She hated his spirit. She hated how cute he looks without his cap. She hated his cute, angry face...

Momoko hated Brick for making her like him.

"One more. If you lose, you're gonna have to do everything I say," she said with an aura of authority around her.

Anger...

"What?! Who said that you could make rules?!" he shot back again, wrath building up in his fist.

Fury...

"I did. Do you have a problem with that, twerp?!" her voice was annoying, but he couldn't help but feel so allured.

Twerp- a bratty kid.

Brick- twerp.

"Don't call me that! I'm only two years younger than you, so shut it!" he wasn't giving up without putting up a fight. He would never give up when it came to her.

He's eleven. She's thirteen.

"Don't yell at me! I'm older than you, I'll have you know!"

She's thirteen. Unloved.

"Just shut up!" he shouted at her violently.

"You shut up!" came the shrill reply from her. Same as him, she won't give up without putting up a fight.

"No, you shut up!" loud...

"Shut up, twerp!" louder...

"Hag!" louder...

"Shrimp!" she shrieked at him with her all. Success.

"All right! I give up! You win!" Brick was defeated. When it came to a battle of the witless, he would lose, all right. Momoko bent down and picked up his dirty and wilted cap.

"You said it. I win," she grinned widely. He rubbed his nose, trying to hold up his tough guy act.

"Yeah, yeah. You won already. What's the crap you're gonna make me do now?" he crossed his arms over his chest. Her answer came unexpectedly.

"Treat me like a queen."

"What?" he asked just to make sure that he heard right.

"You heard me," she said with a pout. He didn't get it. He just didn't get it. "I don't know how."

"You said that you would do everything I say."

"I never said that I would," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "I just gave up."

"If you can't treat me like a queen, can you at least..."she shrunk before him. Her heart was already calling out to him now. All he needed to do was to respond.

"At least what?" he pressed on. The reply was unforeseen again.

"Love me, Brick. Even for just now."

The last sentence left Brick miffed. "Love... you?"

"Yes," she said plainly. The conflicting feelings inside him that were entangled, with the threads and strings all knotted and tight, was loosened when he saw her smile. She was full of longing, so full of yearning... She only wanted such a simple thing and he was going to give it to her.

"Gimme your hand, Momoko," he held out his hand to her. She looked at him cluelessly.

"Why?"

"Just shut up and gimme your hand," he took her hand and began to pull her to the nearby ice cream stand. When they reached the ice cream stand, the ice cream lady gave Brick and Momoko a smile.

"Is she your sister?" she asked the two youngsters with a kind voice.

"No, lady. This girl is my empress. Now, can you give me a cone of strawberry ice cream. Make it snappy," the way Brick told the ice cream lady that he wanted a cone of ice cream was more of a command than a request.

. . .

"Brick, you called me your empress," Momoko began, walking side by side with Brick. He had laced his fingers with hers. His grip was strong.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?" his voice still sounded severe, but she could hear beyond his voice.

Trying to act so tough...

"No. I just... Well... I'm glad."

Found someone...

"Now, will you stop calling me a shrimp?"

Fondness...

"Of course, Brick."

And Momoko leaned down a bit. She pressed a soft kiss on Brick's cheek.

She wasn't really treated like a queen, but Brick made her feel like an empress. Momoko was loved. If not by everyone, she had Brick.

He was her twerp. She was his empress.

(Empress and Queen are both titles. No difference, really. Except that the title Empress is used when ruling an empire, and Queen is used when ruling a kingdom. Either way, they still rule.)

Empress- Imperial title.

Queen- Monarchical title.