Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa.

A/N: You know, it's very annoying that Tsubasa never gives you the names of Kurogane's parents! I wish I knew their names! I made them not dead for this fanfic because I really do love them that much.

Chocolate and Confessions

Tomoyo was absentmindedly kicking her feet back and forth as she sat on a tire swing in the dead of winter. Her coat was wrapped around her and a scarf around her neck, but the chilled air still bit at her ears and her nose. Her boot-clad feet didn't touch the ground; she was too short to reach it. The swing barely moved back and forth with her tiny movements that didn't exert enough force to get her anywhere.

She heard heavy footfalls in the snow behind her. Normally the winter snow masked anyone's steps, but whoever was behind her was heavy enough to sink into the snow and cause a sound. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see someone lean with their back against the tree. The person was dressed all in black.

"What are you doing out here, Tomoyo?"

The voice was familiar. Tomoyo smiled and hugged the top of the swing. She stopped moving her feet and let them hang a few inches above the ground. "Nothing," she answered.

"You shouldn't be out here. You'll catch cold," he said.

"I thought you said idiots can't catch cold, Kurogane," Tomoyo replied. She heard an exasperated noise from behind her, and knew that she was pestering the older boy. Tomoyo and Kurogane had gone to the same school since they were kids, and she knew just how to push his buttons.

"That's what I tell Fai," he finally said. She leaned back a little, holding onto the rope at the top of the swing and glanced up at his face.

"Speaking of Fai, weren't you supposed to be working on a science project with him?" she asked. Kurogane frowned.

"He blew me off. Said he was going out to eat with his uncle Ashura and his brother," Kurogane paused and sighed, "what kind of high school senior is he?"

Tomoyo chuckled. "The lazy kind."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're one to talk. You're always making frilly dresses instead of doing your homework."

"Well I'm only a sophomore, I don't have as much homework. Anyway, you'd just better be glad I don't force you to wear those dresses like I did when we were in kindergarten," she pointed out. He shuddered, or maybe it was just from the cold.

"So, are you going to stay out here and freeze or will you come inside? You're in my yard anyway, I refuse to let you freeze to death here," said Kurogane. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her out of the middle of the tire swing. "Come on."

She sighed. "Whatever you say."

The two teenagers walked back inside the back door of Kurogane's house. Tomoyo took off her boots and coat at the door, but left her white scarf wrapped around the neck of her deep red turtleneck. She brushed a little snow off of her black jeans before following Kurogane into the kitchen.

"You're home early," said a voice from inside.

"Yeah, the moron went to dinner instead of doing schoolwork," Kurogane told his mother. She laughed softly.

"Well, that's Fai, I guess," she said. Tomoyo didn't enter the kitchen, but she could hear a chair being moved across the floor as Kurogane sat down.

"Tomoyo, you know, standing there eavesdropping isn't nearly as interesting as actually being in the conversation." Tomoyo jumped when she heard the voice from behind her, and turned around to see a man who looked like an older version of Kurogane standing behind her.

"Ah, hello," she greeted Kurogane's father.

"Yeah, get in here already," Kurogane said from the kitchen. Tomoyo walked inside, and was greeted by Kurogane's mother. She politely returned the greeting as she slid into a chair next to Kurogane.

"You know, it's not often that Kurogane has girls over. I think you're the only living female who can stand him, Tomoyo," Kurogane's mom said, laughing a little.

"Cut it out, Mom," Kurogane grumbled, his cheeks dusted pink.

She laughed again. "Would you two like some hot chocolate?" she asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," was all Kurogane said. Tomoyo just nodded. Kurogane's mother set two steaming mugs in front of them before walking out of the kitchen and dragging her husband out with her. It was obvious that she wanted to just leave the two alone together.

There was a long, awkward pause for a few moments. That is, until Kurogane's cell phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket, swore darkly, and turned it off.

"Fai?" Tomoyo guessed.

He nodded. "Moron wants to work on the project now of all times. He already told me he wasn't going to!"

"You probably should," Tomoyo said. Kurogane sighed and ran his hands through his dark hair.

"I'd rather… y'know, I'd rather stay here… with you," he said.

"You usually are annoyed by girls. Especially super girly ones like me," Tomoyo pointed out.

"Well, it's better than being stuck with Fai for the whole night. Girly men are even worse than girly girls. Besides, you aren't that bad. I don't mind you, Tomoyo," he said. "That is, unless you're trying to force me to wear something with frills or cook or do anything else you do when you're bored," he added. She chuckled and held her mug of hot chocolate more tightly, letting it warm her hands.

"I'll try not to do that very often," she said in reply.

"Tch. Good. You'd better not," he said.

Another long silence.

"Why were you outside on my tire swing?" Kurogane asked.

She shrugged. "I was bored. Sakura's out of town, and I don't really want to talk to Chi or Himawari right now. I just kind of wanted to talk to you." Tomoyo took a drink of her hot chocolate.

"Didn't you know I was going to be with Fai?" Kurogane asked. Tomoyo looked down at her hands. "You were going to wait until I got home?"

She muttered an almost inaudible "yes".

"Tomoyo, wouldn't that tire swing get cold after a while?" Kurogane asked.

She took another drink. "Probably."

He sighed. "Tomoyo… you're crazy. Why would you do something like that?"

"I told you, I was bored! And also… I kind of figured Fai was going to bail on you. Yui told me that they were having dinner together tonight," she said. Kurogane sighed.

"The moron."

Tomoyo laughed and started kicking her feet back and forth out of a nervous habit. Kurogane swallowed and then glanced at her. She was staring at the opposite wall, and then gently tucked her hair behind her ear absentmindedly. He toyed with the sleeve of his shirt. "Tomoyo?" he said hesitantly, his heart pounding in his chest as his throat became instantly dry.

"Hm?" she asked, glancing at him calmly. He let out a deep breath.

"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while," he said, staring down at his hands.

He glanced back up at her and took another deep breath. Tomoyo was staring at him curiously. He steadied himself, forcing his eyes back to hers.

"I love you."

"Well, he finally told her. Sheesh, that boy took forever!"

"Don't you feel bad to be spying on our son?"

Kurogane's mother shrugged and ducked back behind the doorframe as her son glanced in the direction of the door.

"You'll be spying on him for his first kiss too, I bet."

She grinned. "Something tells me we won't have to wait too long for that."