Title: Piano
Rating: PG
Pairing: None, but features Nadeshiko and Touya
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS although I wish I did sometimes!
Story Summary: Memories of Touya and his mother.

Written for: ronandhissakura for a secret Santa fic exchange.

A dark-haired boy put the pen down on the table, stretching his arms above his head, trying to work out the kinks that had formed while he had been working on his history essay. He leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes and crossing his arms against his chest. His thoughts drifted to his mother. Touya could remember when he was younger, sitting at the piano with his mother. The times he spent with his mother at the piano were some of Touya's fondest memories, not that he would ever admit that. A small smile graced his face as he recalled some of his favourite memories of his mother.

"Try it again, but like this," Nadeshiko said, gently encouraging her young son as she arranged his fingers in the proper position.

"I'll never get the hang of this!" Touya said, letting his mom rearrange his fingers. "It's just too hard."

"You're giving up too easily, Touya," Nadeshiko smiled at her son. "Keep trying. You'll get it." The young boy sighed and tried again, and again, and again. Finally, after about ten minutes, he cried out in joy.

"Mama! I did it! I did it!" Touya looked up at his mother, joy radiating from his face.

"See, if you just keep practicing, you'll be able to do it." Nadeshiko looked down at her young son, pride and love shining in her eyes, instructing him to play the piece one more time before turning to another song in the book.

Touya blinked slowly, coming out of his memories. He shook his head as a small smile played on his lips. He missed his mother. The way that she would always gently encouraged him to accomplish anything he put his mind too. He missed how she would always be there with a hug or a kiss when he needed it.

The young man stretched his arms behind his head as another memory came to mind. It was not long after Sakura was born. Like any typical child, he had been jealous of Sakura after she came home. In his mind, his mother was spending too much time with the new baby and not enough time with him. So he did the only thing he could think of to get his mother's attention: he acted out in school. Touya vividly remembered one afternoon after he came home from school. Sakura was down for her nap and his mother was waiting in the living room for him.

Touya walked through the door, put his bag on the floor and took off his shoes, placing them gently on the mat. He picked up his backpack and headed towards the living room where they kept the piano. As he entered the room, he saw his mother sitting on the couch like normal, but he noticed a sad expression gracing her beautiful face. Touya could feel a sense of despair coiling tighter and tighter in his stomach. What was making his mama sad? Maybe it was the new baby and they would get rid of it. The thought put a small smile on the boy's face as he headed over to give his mom a hug and sit at the piano to start his lessons.

The lessons started off normally with the sole exception that Nadeshiko was quieter than normal.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Touya asked, concern heavily etched into his features. His mama never made mistakes on the piano and this was the fifth mistake she had made.

"Touya, you know I love you right? And nothing will ever change that." The young boy nodded. What was going on?

"Honey, is Sakura the reason you've been acting up?" When he didn't answer, she smiled, knowing she was right. "Touya, look at me please." She waited until he complied before continuing. "You know, babies need a lot of care. They aren't as strong as people like you and they need a lot of protection. That's what daddy and I have been doing. We've been taking care of her. I'm sorry if you feel that we've been ignoring you or don't love you anymore. That isn't the case. We still love you very much sweetheart."

Touya glanced up from where his eyes had been trained on the floor to look at his mother's face. They still loved him! They weren't going to get rid of him and replace him with the baby!

"I know that this is hard for you to adjust to, Touya, but if you ever feel like we've been ignoring you again, you need to come and talk to us instead of acting up in school and trying to get our attention that way, alright?" The young dark haired boy nodded before wrapping his arms around his mother's waist in a hug.

It was from that day on that Touya made it his duty to take care of his, at the time, fragile little sister. He just hoped that he would always be there when she needed him. He looked up from the table where his books where scattered across to see the ghost of his mother in the middle of the room, smiling at him.

"I love you too mom," he said softly, smiling back at her.