home?
starring ; tentten, hitari.
23/02/25
hitari had never been one for emotional drama. her life was neatly curated—a steady job, an orderly apartment, and a simple routine. she liked it that way. her days followed the same pattern: wake up early, make coffee, go to work, return home, and repeat. people came and went in her life, but they never lingered. she didn’t need anyone, and she preferred it that way.
that was until one chilly autumn evening, when a knock came at her door.
hitari had just finished her evening tea, enjoying the rare quiet moment in her otherwise busy day. she wasn’t expecting anyone. the knock was soft, almost tentative. she frowned and set her cup down, padding to the door with a sigh.
when she opened it, she found a little girl standing on her doorstep. she couldn’t have been older than six, wearing a thin coat far too small for her frame, and carrying a worn-out stuffed bunny clutched tightly in her arms. her hair was long and messy, and her eyes wide and wary, as if she didn’t quite know where she was or what to do next.
hitari blinked. “can i help you?”
the girl didn’t answer immediately. she seemed hesitant, looking up at hitari with uncertainty. finally, her soft voice broke the silence. “i… i don’t have anywhere to go.”
hitaris heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm. she wasn’t the maternal type, never had been, and the situation was uncomfortable. but the girl was standing in front of her, clearly cold and alone. hitari wasn’t sure what she could do, but even in not trusting herself with children, she couldn’t just.. send her away.
“come inside,” hitari said, stepping aside and letting the girl enter. she didn’t know what else to say. “you can stay here for the night. we’ll figure things out tomorrow.”
the girl hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the apartment with a quiet, unsure step. hitari shut the door and led her into the living room.
“do you have a name?” she asked, trying to keep the situation as neutral as possible.
“tentten,” the girl whispered, her voice small. she hugged the stuffed bunny tighter, her eyes on the floor. “are you… are you going to send me away?”
hitari frowned, her usual nonchalance slipping for a moment. “no,” she said, her voice softer than she meant it to be. “you can stay for tonight. do you want something to eat?”
ten nodded, her eyes lighting up just a little. hitari went to the kitchen, her movements slow and deliberate. she didn’t know what she was doing, but she was already committed. she heated up some leftover soup, careful not to rush, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. when she returned, she set the bowl down in front of tentten, who looked up at her with a mixture of relief and hesitation.
“thank you, miss.” the timid little girl said quietly.
hitari nodded, taking a seat on the other side of the room, careful to give the girl space. she didn’t know how long this would last, but for the time being, it seemed as though there was no choice but to let the little girl stay.
the next few days felt like a strange new chapter. hitari hadn’t planned for this. she didn’t know how to take care of a child. but ten needed her, and that was undeniable. she made sure tentten had food, a warm place to sleep, and quiet company. she didn’t ask too many questions about where the girl had come from, and tentten didn’t volunteer any answers. hitari simply assumed she had her reasons.
over the course of the next week, hitari found herself adjusting. It wasn’t much, just little things—like leaving extra food in the fridge, making sure tenttens coat was buttoned up properly when she went outside, or offering her a kind word when tentten seemed a little too quiet. she wasn’t used to being gentle, but something about tens presence brought out a side of hitari she hadn’t known existed.
tens laughter, though rare, became something hitari treasured. it was the sound of something light and unburdened, something that softened hitaris otherwise stern demeanor. hitari found herself becoming more aware of tenttens needs, of her little habits—how she liked to play with her stuffed bunny, how she hummed little tunes while she coloured, how she always insisted on sleeping with the nightlight on.
hitari never let on how much it affected her. she maintained her cool, her calm distance. but it was impossible not to notice how much more alive the apartment felt with tentten in it. the silence that once hung in the air like a heavy blanket was now filled with small sounds—tenttens voice, her little footsteps, the soft rhythm of her breathing at night.
hitari found herself growing accustomed to the quiet sound of tenttens footsteps in the mornings, the little hums she made as she played with her toys. hitaris apartment, which had once felt vast and empty, now felt fuller, warmer, even with the occasional mess of crayons scattered on the floor or a drawing taped to the refrigerator.
then, one evening, as hitari was reading on the couch, tentten crawled up beside her, as she often did. she rested her head on hitaris shoulder, her small hand reaching for hitaris.
“hitari,” she whispered, “can i stay here… forever?”
hitaris heart tightened in her chest, but she remained calm, her voice even. “you’ll be okay. i’ll take care of you.”
tentten smiled, the trust in her eyes unmistakable. “I know you will.”
and, in that moment, hitari realized she wasn’t just taking care of tentten—she was beginning to fall in love with her. it wasn’t the kind of love that happened all at once. it was slow, quiet, the kind of love that built itself around the everyday moments, the shared silences, and the unspoken understanding that they were both there for each other. the warmth.
weeks turned into months, and hitaris world changed. the woman who had once been indifferent to the chaos of life now found herself softened, more compassionate, even toward herself. tentten had a way of making her see the world differently, reminding hitari of things she had long forgotten—how to care, how to be gentle, how to open her heart even when it felt like the hardest thing in the world.
one evening, as the winter snow fell outside, hitari found herself sitting with tentten on the couch. the girl was curled up next to her, her small hand resting on hitaris. without thinking, hitari gently brushed a strand of hair away from tenttens face, a simple gesture, but one that meant everything. as their eyes met, hitari felt a warmth inside her chest, a love so deep and undeniable that she couldn’t help but lean down and press a soft kiss to tenttens forehead.
“i’m here,” hitari whispered, her voice full of tenderness. “i’m here for you, always, my baby.”
tentten smiled up at her, her eyes bright with the trust she had placed in hitari. and for the first time in hitaris life, she realized that she wasn’t just keeping her distance from the world—she had found someone she could love, someone who had changed her life in the most unexpected way.
in that quiet moment, hitaris heart was full—of love, of softness, and of the warmth that comes with finally letting someone in.
even if she was just a little child.
she was the perfect child.
hitari gently ran her fingers over tenttens tender and delicate lips, staring at them, then into her eyes, and back at her lips again. "you're beautiful, tentten. so beautiful." she whispered, in a state of infatuation that noone had ever seen her in before. and all for nothing but a quiet, timid kid who couldn't even explain where she had come from.
as the years passed, hitaris life with tentten blossomed into something she had never imagined for herself—rich with laughter, tenderness, and a bond that deepened with every shared day. what had begun as an unexpected and uncomfortable encounter at her doorstep had grown into a love that filled the spaces of their lives in ways hitari couldn’t have predicted. the woman who once kept herself at a distance had become the mother figure and wife that tentten had never known she needed, and in turn, tentten had softened hitaris once guarded heart. together, they created a marriage and home built on quiet understanding and unconditional love, proving that sometimes, the most beautiful relationships are the ones that find you when you least expect it the least.