a/n- Wrote this after chapter seven, so all you guys in the future who are reading this can laugh at how off my predictions are for chapter eight, or marvel at the fact that I'm actually a time-traveler.

"I want you to need me. Could you do that?" Mei wore an empty smile of a broken doll as she hovered over Yuzu, hand sliding up the blonde's shirt. "You want to do… many things with me, right?"

Yuzu's heart couldn't make up its mind whether to stop completely or beat straight out of her chest. Mei's hand trembled briefly where it rested right below her breast. Or was that Yuzu trembling?

"Please, answer me..." Mei whispered, a note of pleading entering her voice as her she lowered her face to Yuzu's neck. Her breath against the column of her throat made Yuzu lose the ability to breath.

Which was convenient because more than anything Yuzu wanted to scream.

She wanted to get up and hit things, cry and tear her hair out because of how ridiculously unfair this was!

Her body wanted Mei's touch so bad it made her dizzy. And yet Yuzu knew that she had to push Mei away. There was no question in her mind that she was going to. Because Mei wasn't even seeing her right now. She was hurting so much she would've taken any warm body in her proximity. And there was no way Yuzu would take advantage of her in this state!

Yuzu's mind whirled with intense emotions but the hand that grasped Mei's wandering hand was firm and steady. Mei looked surprised as Yuzu pulled her hand out of her shirt. She was even more startled when Yuzu pushed her off and forcefully rolled them over so that she was on top.

But eventually Mei smirked slightly and closed her eyes, convinced Yuzu had finally given in and was going to take her right here and now on their shared bed. Yuzu's hands were holding hers above her head as she straddled her, and she sounded out of breath as if she had been running. Maybe now Mei would finally feel like someone cared for her. She only hoped Yuzu was more gentle than her predecessors...

"I already need you..!"

Mei's dark eyes snapped open in surprise. Yuzu's gaze was fixed firmly on her, and the blonde looked two sparks away from becoming completely incensed.

"I need you way WAY more than you know!" Her voice was shaking from strangling the urge to cry. "Which is why I need you to pull yourself together!" Yuzu used her grip to shake her a little. "It hurts to see you like this!"

Mei almost sneered in disgust and she turned her head away. "Why are you even bothering playing sister again?"

"Is it really that hard to believe that I actually care about you?" There was even more of an edge in Yuzu's voice this time. "As a freaking person?"

Mei scoffed, looking back at Yuzu with lifeless eyes. "I know exactly how much you care for my person." She arched her back, pressing herself against Yuzu. "This is what you want from me, right? This is what I need from you."

But Yuzu was going to have none of that. She pushed Mei back down flat onto her back. "You clearly don't know what you need!" The older girl was livid, and Mei couldn't help shrinking away like a child being scolded. "You've been so busy pushing me away that you don't even see that I want you to need me!"

Mei just stared up at her after that admission. "Why?" She asked simply. She sounded so much younger in that moment. Her expression was so open and vulnerable as she tried to understand the abstract concept of someone needing her.

"Because I..." Yuzu swallowed thickly, feeling her hands trembling where they held her sisters. She was so weak. She wanted nothing more than to kiss the girl under her in that moment. She almost couldn't resist, Mei was like a flame and Yuzu was the moth. But she bent down and settled for tenderly kissing Mei's forehead. "Because I love you." Yuzu whispered.

Mei's eyes widened. Only shock and awe registered on her face as she slowly processed those words. But she could tell that Yuzu was being completely honest. Mei didn't know what love looked like, but… she imagined it probably looked like the way Yuzu was looking at her right now.

"But that's okay, because I know that what you need right now... is family." Yuzu managed a small grin. "So that's what I'll be. That's how much I care." The blonde released her hands and got off her, giving her space all at once. She got off the bed and stood facing away from her younger sister, taking a deep breath to recover from her confession.

"You got that? Did we clear that little issue up?" Yuzu said shakily, trying to regain some attitude. It was an uphill battle though. She just openly admitted that she loved Mei! And right after she had resolved to get over her feelings and be a good big sister!

'Well, that's what I'm doing!' Yuzu thought to herself sadly. 'Even if I can feel my heart breaking a little as I try to fix Mei's. But she's worth it. She deserves a break. My heart can still handle a little more damage! ...I hope.'

The raven haired girl slowly sat up, glancing at the other girl's back. "Yuzu..." Mei whispered the name, not knowing what to say.

"Things aren't over between you and your dad." Yuzu abruptly turned back to her. "I promised I'd help you repair things with dad, remember? Learn to rely on me a little more!" Yuzu was all smiles now, clearly covering up what just transpired.

Mei looked at her lap, an unidentified feeling settling heavily in her chest. Yuzu might as well have just literally slapped her a good few times. She felt dazed and a little confused from the roller coaster of emotions Yuzu presented to her in the span of a few moments, but… she also felt comforted. She had been desperately grasping for someone, anyone to need her, like someone starved for affection. But what she got was an unexpected source of strength and support and… love. From Yuzu.

She still couldn't quite process what Yuzu had admitted but… She silently acknowledged that maybe she should learn to rely on the slightly older girl. Despite the way she acted, she was actually more mature than Mei had given her credit for. More mature than how she pretended to be herself.

"I talked to him a little," Yuzu went on, starting to pace the length of the room as she considered Mei's predicament. "He may not be the same guy you remember, but he's not a bad person. I think you could still live for his sake, just... In a different way. He told me there was no one right way to live. And you're smart enough to know that. You just need to talk with him!" Yuzu concluded, fist in her hand.

Mei glanced at her demurely before looking away. "I... don't know how to talk to him anymore."

"That's okay! I'll help you. And he's your dad, so… talking to him should be natural!" Yuzu said, trying to be as reassuring and hopeful possible.

Mei smirked faintly. "Being related doesn't necessarily mean communication is possible."

"Right…" Yuzu muttered sheepishly. Mei would know about that more than her. "Doesn't matter! You've worked too hard to let it end like this! Right now we're going to sleep, then tomorrow we'll talk to your dad! And then after that, we're going to have fun at the amusement park together! Sound good?"

Mei was watching her steadily as Yuzu spoke, looking more and more like her usual calm self. Except now there was a hint of warmth in her gaze. "Alright. That sounds good."

Yuzu breathed out a huge sigh of relief and smiled widely. "Great! I'll, uh, take a bath now. Or, you can take a bath first, whatever!" Yuzu babbled uncontrollably.

"I've already taken a bath." Mei informed her quietly.

"Right. should've known that, because you smell good. Not that you don't always smell good! And not that I'm always sniffing you or anything, I just mean..! I'll shut up now."

Mei seemed to brush off everything she said and slowly stood up from the bed and approached the blonde. "Yuzu," Her dark serious eyes prompted Yuzu to freeze up and hold her breath. "I've been acting selfishly. I didn't think about your feelings at all. And for that, I'm sorry. You've... been more family to me than my actual family."

Mei offered her sister a small sincere smile that made Yuzu want to punch herself in the face for openly staring. "So... thank you. For helping me realize what I really need. As for my father...I'll leave that to you, I suppose."

Yuzu's heart was melting and she smiled warmly. Mei was finally counting on her as a big sister. "Yeah, leave it to me."

If Mei needed her, than that was enough for Yuzu. She was satisfied with just this. She had to be satisfied with just this. For both of their sakes.

After she had taken a bath and got into bed, she almost shrieked when Mei rolled over and cuddled up against Yuzu. The older girl dared not move for fear this wasn't real. Eventually she worked up the courage to wrap an arm around Mei and she smiled giddily to herself. They could make this work.

As family.