Disclaimer: Most of the characters in Morenatsu have been released into the public domain. However, the plot, character personalities, and other elements in Morenatsu are not of my creation, and do not belong to me.
December 15
Hiroyuki drew mindless circles in his notebook as he stared at the clock. Today was the last day before winter break. Time seemed to slow down the closer it drew towards the final bell. He glanced around the room. His teacher had settled in behind her computer, and her eyes had long since glazed over. Several of his classmates had already pulled out their phones to take advantage of her indifference.
Hiroyuki pulled his own phone out of his pocket when the lump of plastic vibrated. The screen greeted him with a flashing popup informing him of an unread text message. "Meet us after class. -Akemi," it read. He keyed out a quick response confirming his attendance and then returned his phone to its resting place.
He gazed down at the patterns he had drawn and started tapping the end of his pencil against the paper. The intention had been to run home as soon as school let out. He leaned back and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. Whatever conversation he had with his friends needed to be wrapped up quickly, he decided. His plans for winter break had to be set in motion as soon as possible.
The final bell's ring snapped him out of his thoughts, and he packed up his notebook and rose from his seat to go meet with his friends. He scanned the hallway, and then walked up to his friend when he spied her petite frame, sleek glasses, and long, light brown hair. As he approached, she greeted him with a smile and a small wave.
"Hey, Akemi-san," said Hiroyuki as he glanced around the rest of the hall. "Where are Kaden-san and Kameyo-san?"
As soon as the question left Hiroyuki's mouth, a deep female voice caught their attention. "Here we are!" Two well-built figures approached them.
Kameyo, the owner of the voice, wore a huge grin. Messy, medium-length black hair framed her cheerful expression. Her large but feminine build was only outmatched by the person standing next to her.
Kaden, the other figure, wore a stern look in sharp contrast to Kameyo's sunny demeanor. What little remained of his black hair had been shaved into a tight, orderly cut. His arms remained folded in front of him, and he nodded in accompaniment to Kameyo's verbal greeting.
"Oh, hello Kameyo-san," said Akemi as she waved at her other two friends. "You're looking happy today."
"Meanwhile Kaden-san looks… slightly less so," Hiroyuki flashed his large friend an apologetic smile. Kameyo's grin was enough of an answer as to why he was in a bad mood.
Kameyo let out a hearty laugh and slapped Kaden several times on the back, earning a stiff glare from the large male as he stumbled slightly. "Oh he's just brooding because I beat him in martial arts class. Again. He'll be fine after a little while." Kameyo's comments earned a 'Hmph' from Kaden as he recovered his balance.
"I'd like to practice my martial arts skills against you two during the break, if that's alright," said Akemi. "My fencing teacher's travelling for the winter, and I don't want to sit around doing nothing."
"Sure thing!" Kameyo grinned. "We won't go easy on you just 'cause we're friends, though. Right, Kaden?" She elbowed Kaden's arm.
Kaden glanced at Kameyo, and then to Akemi. "…Right." He leaned back against a set of lockers and shut his eyes. Hiroyuki and Akemi's eyebrows shot up upon hearing their friend's gruff voice.
"Well," Akemi was the first to recover from the light shock. "I wouldn't want you to!" She leaned forward slightly and smirked. "Besides, I can take the both of you easily." Hiroyuki chuckled at the thought of the smaller Akemi flipping his larger friends over her shoulder in combat. "What, you don't think I can?" said Akemi. She glared at Hiroyuki and placed her hands on her hips.
Hiroyuki took half of a step backwards and held up his hands. "N-no no! I don't doubt your ability, Akemi-san. It was just funny to think of…" Akemi's scowl worsened as she folded her arms against her chest. He glanced over at Kameyo and Kaden for help. The two stifled back laughter as they watched him flounder. 'Great, thanks a lot, guys.' "Ah, uh… Hey, didn't you want to talk about something?"
Akemi maintained her glare for a few seconds before she let out a sigh and turned to face the entire group. "Fine. Down to business, then," she said as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm thinking about what we should do over winter break, and I wanted everyone's input."
Hiroyuki's face fell. "Oh."
"Is something wrong?" Akemi's narrowed eyes settled on Hiroyuki again. "Don't tell me you already have plans."
"Well," Hiroyuki scratched the back of his head. "I'm supposed to have a friend visit over the break. It's his first time in the city. I told you guys about him before, remember?"
"Ooh, is this your boyfriend from Minasato?" teased Kameyo. Hiroyuki's blush and averted gaze answered her question. "Oh my gosh, it is!" She raised her hand to cover her mouth, half-surprised she had guessed correctly. "You HAVE to introduce us. You know that, right?"
"I must admit, I'm curious as to the details of this mysterious person you've set your eyes on," said Akemi while Kaden nodded in agreement. "You haven't told us anything other than it's a guy and he lives far away."
Hiroyuki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. While he had revealed his relationship status to his friends, he hadn't mentioned that his boyfriend had fur. It was apparent to him that some people didn't approve of interspecies relationships, and he hadn't found the opportunity to gauge how his friends would react. "Yeah, yeah. Look, I don't want to overwhelm him. If he's up for it we can all meet up and do something together. But I want to make it clear that I can't promise anything, alright?"
"Pff. Fiiine," said Kameyo as she rolled her eyes in mock irritation. "Anyway, me and Kaden have a club meeting to run to. We're organizing an unofficial martial arts tournament for our members. I'll text you two the details if you'd like to come watch."
"Sounds great," said Akemi. "See you guys later." The rest of the group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
The bus ride home seemed to take longer than usual, and Hiroyuki felt anxious as he approached his apartment building. To help ease his nerves, Hiroyuki decided to think of what he had to do when he arrived home.
First, he had to call Shun's family back in Minasato to make arrangements for Shun's arrival. There was little chance of the small wolf teenager being allowed to ride all the way to the city from Minasato by himself. Somebody had to be there to protect him from getting off at the wrong stop, or worse, protect him from some of the unsavory types inevitably attracted by public transportation.
Hiroyuki shivered at the thought of a stranger laying their hands on Shun's delicate frame. There was no way he would allow that to happen, even if he had to ride to Minasato himself to serve as Shun's escort. Perhaps a friend or relative would be willing to endure the two-way trip. Gaku might be willing to sacrifice a day for his cousin, if the older Kodori could spare closing the video game store for an afternoon.
Second, Hiroyuki had to ensure that Shun staying over for the winter break was okay with his mother. Admittedly he knew he should ask for her permission before setting everything else up, but this was too important to risk being told 'no' over. It was unlikely she would disapprove of his friend's visit, but forcing her answer did leave him feeling dirty.
Relatives, permission, both of these words reminded him of the biggest obstacle that stood in the way of his plans. Iwao Kodori, Shun's strict grandfather, might not allow Shun to visit the city in the first place. Although Hiroyuki had no issues with returning to Minasato for the winter, Shun probably had his heart set on coming to the city. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset if things went differently.
Hiroyuki eyed the familiar surroundings as the bus rolled to a stop near his apartment building. The decorative plants in front of the entrance seemed to mock the flimsy trees in the area that had long since lost their leaves for the season. A few people stood around waiting to board.
He paid the fare and stepped out into the chilling air. 'Man, it's times like these where it would be nice to have fur,' he thought as he pulled his clothes tighter and walked towards the building.
The inside of the building was no warmer than the outside. Hiroyuki walked past the empty front desk towards the set of elevators at the end of the hall and pressed the call button. As he waited for the elevator, he glanced around the rest of the first floor. The halls extending to the left and right were deserted, as usual for this time of day.
When the elevator doors opened up, Hiroyuki walked in and rode up to the fifth floor. As he stood in front of his apartment's door, he fished out his keys and undid the lock. The door creaked as it swung open. "Mom? I'm home. Are you-?"
A flash of blue, brown, and beige caught Hiroyuki by surprise, and what was even more surprising was the blur jumping straight at him. "Hiroyuki-san!" it yelled as he braced himself to catch the figure running at him.
The force of the impact caused Hiroyuki to stumble backwards and fall onto the ground to land square on his rear. The familiar beast-like scent of a childhood friend rose out of the bundle of clothes and fur that was hugging him. "S-Shun-kun?! What are you-"
Before he could get the words out, Shun pulled back and initiated a kiss. The young wolf's tail vibrated back and forth, occasionally hitting Hiroyuki's thigh with its uncontrolled movement. The spontaneous kiss lasted a few seconds before Shun broke it to let out a sob and resume hugging Hiroyuki. "Hiroyuki-saaan! It's really you… *sniff* I'm so happy…." Shun's words trailed off as he tried to calm himself.
A slightly confused Hiroyuki pulled Shun closer and started rubbing his back. As part of his attention turned back to his surroundings, he noticed his mother's slender figure leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. A cold wave of dread passed over him as he realized what just went on, and he wondered just how much she had seen.
Several moments passed, and Shun's sobbing slowly settled down until the hallway became silent except for the breathing in Hiroyuki's ear. "Shun-kun? We need to get up now." No response. "Shun-kun?" he repeated.
"Looks like the boy's fallen asleep," said Hiroyuki's mother. "Poor thing's probably exhausted after riding all the way from Minasato, don't you think? Pick him up and come on inside." She started walking back inside, motioning for Hiroyuki to follow her.
Carefully, Hiroyuki lifted himself and Shun up, supporting the wolf's back with one arm and his legs and rear with the other. Shun was just as light as he remembered, so supporting his smaller body was easy.
As he carried Shun to the couch in the living room, his mother continued speaking to him. "I'm sure you realize you've got some explaining to do, and your friend checking out like he did gives you plenty of time to start from the beginning." She had already settled on one end of the couch, so Hiroyuki placed Shun in such a way so that when he sat down next to her, Shun's head rested comfortably in his lap. There was no point in hiding their relationship now.
"Alright, but before I begin, what's he doing here in the first place?" Hiroyuki looked down at his sleeping companion and brushed his thumb over the still-damp fur on Shun's face. "I kept thinking about how I was going to get him down here safely, or if he would be able to visit at all. I'm still a little in shock after getting tackled at my doorstep."
Hiroyuki's mom laughed and closed her eyes in thought. "Hmm. Well, it all started a few days ago. I received a call from your grandparents in Minasato, and they handed the phone off to the boy sleeping in your lap. What was his name again? Shun?" Hiroyuki nodded. "They handed the phone to Shun, and he told me about this plan he had and how he wanted to surprise you."
Hiroyuki chuckled. "Well, he succeeded."
Hiroyuki's mom smiled. "Good. I wasn't sure just how important this was to him, but I agreed to participate in his little scheme all the same. From the way he sounded, you'd think I had just promised the world to him."
"Maybe to him, you did," said Hiroyuki as he gently played with the sleeping Shun's hair, sweeping it back in order after the disarray it fell into earlier. "So, what exactly was his plan?"
"He was to ride the morning bus into the city today, the day after his classes ended," she explained. "I was to pick him up at the bus stop and take him to our home, where he would wait until you got here."
"Wow, he rode the morning bus? He didn't ride alone, did he?"
Hiroyuki's mom shook her head, and Hiroyuki released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "No, he said some friends came with him. When I arrived at the bus stop, the only two people there were Shun and that tiger friend of yours… Tora-something?"
"Torahiko," said Hiroyuki. "I'm glad he watched over Shun-kun for me. Where did he go?"
"I'm not sure. I offered him a ride, telling him he was more than welcome in our home. He said he had other things to take care of and ran off." She shrugged. "By the way, you're cleaning the fur out of my car. Your friend there shed all over the seat."
Hiroyuki smiled and rolled his eyes. "That's fair."
Hiroyuki's mom straightened up. "I've said enough. Now it's your turn to explain things."
"Okay," said Hiroyuki as he took a deep breath. "First, did Shun-kun tell you anything? You two were alone here for a long time."
"Not much else other than what I've told you just now. It was hard to get him to sit still long enough to talk. I finally gave up and turned the television on for him to play with," said Hiroyuki's mom. "I did notice how tired his eyes looked, though. It seems like he was holding on to consciousness just to see you."
Hiroyuki looked back down a Shun with a slightly sad smile. "I keep telling him not to push himself so hard. This is just like back in Minasato…"
Hiroyuki retold his adventures in Minasato, carefully including more details about his relationship with Shun. "Shun-kun was bottling up all of his sadness, even as I stood there next to him that summer. Me leaving for those five years really took its toll on him. He collapsed the day after we went camping, and I took care of him while his family was busy preparing a ceremonial bonfire. He pushed himself too hard, just so he could spend as much time with me as possible."
His mom smiled. "That was sweet of you to take care of him like that."
A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed out of reflex. "Y-yeah, it was no problem. A few days later, the Bon festival arrived. I had made plans with Shun-kun for us to attend together. Only… things weren't so simple. Shun-kun was supposed to participate in a ceremony during the festival."
"Which he couldn't do if he wanted to go to the festival with you?"
"Right. Shun-kun's desire to attend the festival with me caused discord among his family. In the end, a relative stepped up to take his place. But the damage had already been done, and Shun-kun took it hard and blamed himself for everything. He tried so hard to hold himself together and go to the festival with me, but he couldn't bear it. I ended up carrying him down to the river, and we watched the fireworks together as I comforted him."
"Aww, that last part sounds like it would be romantic," said Hiroyuki's mom as she stood up and stretched. "You keep talking, I'm going to get us some tea."
Hiroyuki blushed, thankful that his mother could no longer see his face. "Maybe under different circumstances. Still, it was pretty nice with just the two of us."
Hiroyuki's mom returned with two small bottles of tea, and handed one of them to her son. "Okay, continue," she said as she sat down and crossed her legs.
"Alright." Hiroyuki cracked open the bottle and took a sip. "A few days after the Bon festival, Shun-kun ran away from home for a few hours." Hiroyuki's mom raised her eyebrows as she drank from her own bottle. "I searched all around town until I finally found him. Turns out his family had another fight, and he was trying to deal with it by himself again. I made it clear that I was there for him, and I gave him the best advice I could."
Hiroyuki's mom laid a hand on her son's shoulder. "Sounds like you're treating him right. I'm proud of you, Hiroyuki."
The lump from earlier resurfaced in the pit of his stomach, and he downed half of his tea in an attempt to drown out the feeling. He shuddered as the cold liquid raced towards his core. "After that, I learned just how much my absence affected Shun-kun. I stupidly joked that maybe I shouldn't have come back to Minasato, and I made him cry again." Hiroyuki's voice wavered as he wiped away the water that had formed in the corner of his eyes. "He thought I wasn't coming back to Minasato. For five years, I caused him so much pain…"
"Oh honey, it's okay now though, right?" Hiroyuki's mom squeezed his shoulder.
The lump in his stomach expanded into a ball of anxiety that radiated throughout his body. His arm trembled as he clutched at the area through his shirt. "It's not just that, mom. I…" Tears streamed down his face as the confession that had been boiling inside of him for the past three and a half months started to come out. "I screwed up!"
"That's not your fault, son. It was my idea to move us to the city." Hiroyuki's mom leaned back and sighed. "I thought your future looked brighter here. Without your father around, I wanted you to get a good education so you could support yourself. Turns out I took you away from a loving community in a village that had everything you needed."
"No, mom. You don't understand," said Hiroyuki as he covered his eyes. "Last summer, Shun and I… We did things. We did things I'm not sure he fully understood. It seemed okay at the time, but looking back on it makes me feel like a monster."
"You raped him?" A sob escaped as his mom uttered the word in disbelief.
"No! No…" Hiroyuki sniffed back the tears and looked directly into his mother's eyes. "Everything we did had love behind it. From both sides. I just… I think I brought him into a world he wasn't ready for. It wasn't fair to him."
His mother's concerned expression softened. "I don't think you're giving Shun enough credit, dear. He probably knows more than you think he does." Hiroyuki's head dropped to stare at the sleeping wolf's face. "What you did. It might not have been the right thing to do, and I'm glad you realize that your actions weren't appropriate." She sighed and pulled Hiroyuki over so that his head rested on her shoulder. She settled her own head on top of his and spoke close to his ear. "But, you're a teenager. You live, you make mistakes, and you learn from them."
"Mom…" His voice cracked again. Fresh tears clouded his eyes, and he buried his face into her shirt to wipe them away.
"You love him, right?"
He gave another sniffle before he responded. "Of course I do. I love him, and I always will. I want to be there for him. I want to care for him and make him happy. I want to make sure no one else hurts him. Not even me. That's why… That's why it hurts so much to think about last summer."
Hiroyuki's mom released him from her grip and stood up. "I think I've heard all I need to. You're a good son, Hiroyuki, and I trust you to take good care of Shun. Make sure you don't break him alright?"
Don't break him. For an instant, Gaku flashed through Hiroyuki's mind. The older Kodori wolf's overly thin body and the stare from his dull, ice blue eyes sent shivers through him once again. Hiroyuki let out a nervous laugh as he answered his mother. "Heh. You're not the first person to tell me that."
Hiroyuki's mom tilted her head. "Oh? Well then it must be important." She started to walk away towards the kitchen. "I'm going to start preparing dinner for the three of us. I'm sure you two need time to talk, anyway."
"Eh?" Hiroyuki turned to follow his mother's departure, and caught a glimpse of her sly smile as she sauntered out of the room.
"Hiroyuki-san…" said a voice from his lap.
Echoes of terror spread throughout Hiroyuki's body, and he slowly looked down. His heart skipped a beat, and it went into overdrive as his mind caught up to his eyes. Shun's bright blue eyes stared up at him. "O-oh, Shun-kun! Uh… h-how long have you been awake? How much did you hear?"
Shun moved from his resting position to sit upright beside Hiroyuki on the couch. "I've been awake for a while," he confessed. "Nishimura-okasan looked right into my eyes, but she motioned for me to stay quiet. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I pretended to stay asleep and... I heard a lot of things, Hiroyuki-san."
Innocent blue eyes continued to stare at Hiroyuki as his pulse started to return to normal. Hiroyuki stood up and offered Shun his hand. "Shun-kun, we need to talk." He led the wolf to his room and shut the door behind them.
Shun played with the drawstrings of his sky-blue hoodie. His eyes roamed the floor looking for something to stare at. Hiroyuki pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Before he could begin his explanation, Shun moved forward and pulled him into another embrace. "I've missed you so much Hiroyuki-san. These past three months felt even longer than those five years we spent apart." Shun buried his face into Hiroyuki's chest.
Hiroyuki smiled and wrapped his arms around the small wolf's body. "I feel the same way." The hug lasted for several minutes, and when the two separated, Hiroyuki continued to hold on to Shun's shoulders. "Shun-kun. Back in the living room, I…" His grip tightened. "I'm so sorry, Shun. I made our relationship move too fast. I wasn't thinking about what you wanted, and…" Hiroyuki trailed off as a tear leaked out.
"Hiroyuki-san, please don't cry," said Shun. He lifted a furry thumb to wipe away the tear sliding down Hiroyuki's face. "And… you're still not thinking about what I want!"
Hiroyuki's eyes widened at Shun's outburst and his arms fell to his side. "H-huh?"
Shun puffed out his cheeks and pulled down on the front of his hoodie. "Everyone treats me like I'm a kid. Even you, Hiroyuki-san. Well, I'm not a kid any more! So please." Shun lowered his head.
"Shun-kun…"
""Sometimes you have to say harsh things if you think it's something important." That's what you said to me last summer." Shun raised his head again to stare at Hiroyuki with slightly misty eyes. "I've done a lot of growing up these past few months. Gaku-san helped me figure out a lot of things."
"Oh, that's right. Gaku-san moved back into Minasato, didn't he? That let you guys talk a lot more, huh?"
Shun nodded. "I'm glad, too. I needed him after you left. I felt so alone again… But Gaku-san helped me realize I shouldn't be sad. He said the bond we formed that summer was unbreakable, and that I'd definitely see you again. Woof! Gaku-san is so wise!" said Shun with a huge smile as his tail started to wag. Hiroyuki couldn't help but to smile back and agree.
A more serious look returned to Shun's face as he continued. "We did those things together that summer because we love each other. So please don't feel sad about it any longer, Hiroyuki-san." Shun closed the distance between them and brushed their lips together before withdrawing again.
Redness dusted both of their faces as Hiroyuki smiled. "I still can't say no to that voice. I'll try my best. For you, Shun-kun." Shun grinned, and Hiroyuki collapsed backwards onto his bed with a sigh.
Shun tilted his head. "Are you okay, Hiroyuki-san?"
Hiroyuki motioned for Shun to join, and the wolf climbed onto the bed to sit cross-legged next to him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted after today. I got way more than I bargained for when I opened my front door a few hours ago."
Shun glanced to the side and scratched his face with a sheepish laugh. "Sorry for jumping on you. I got a little excited…"
Hiroyuki propped himself up with his elbows. "You don't have to apologize. Getting excited is what you do, and I wouldn't want any less. I was surprised to see you, though. I wasn't expecting you for another few days."
"I was so eager to see you that I couldn't wait," explained Shun. "As soon as school let out I asked my parents and Iwao-sama if I could visit you in the city."
"How'd you get them to say yes? I thought I might have to visit Minasato again for winter break," said Hiroyuki. "N-not that I would've minded that! But I knew you were looking forward to visiting me in the city, so…"
"It's okay, Hiroyuki-san. I'm happy where ever I am as long as I'm with you," said Shun as his tail picked up speed, though it returned to normal as he continued. "At first, Iwao-sama refused to let me go. He said it was too dangerous, and that I didn't need the distraction from tradition and the family."
"Pff." Hiroyuki rolled his eyes. "I knew he would say something like that. What made him come around?"
Shun laid back next to Hiroyuki and stared at the ceiling. "I'm not sure. I tried not to cry in front of my family after Iwao-sama refused my request. I ran away into the forest again…" Hiroyuki felt for Shun's hand and weaved their fingers together. Shun tightened his grip on Hiroyuki's hand. "After a while, Gaku-san found me and brought me back to everyone. Then Iwao-sama apologized and said he would allow me to visit the city."
"Maybe Gaku-san said something to him," said Hiroyuki. Shun shrugged. "By the way. Does your family know about us? About our relationship?"
Shun shook his head. "No. Gaku-san said it was best not to say anything to them about what we have. He didn't tell me why…" He frowned as he trailed off into thought.
'Of course Shun's family wouldn't approve. Can't exactly be a good heir if you can't have children,' thought Hiroyuki. 'I'll have to explain this to him later, but for now I should change the subject.' "H-hey Shun-kun. Mom said Tora was with you earlier today. What was that about?"
"Oh! Right." Shun looked over at Hiroyuki. "Iwao-sama said someone had to ride with me to make sure I stayed safe. I didn't want to bother Gaku-san since he has to run the video game store. I wasn't sure what I was gonna do. Then I bumped into Torahiko-san, and told him about my problem."
"And he agreed to ride with you? That was nice of him."
Shun shook his head again. "Not exactly… He agreed to ride with me, but said he had an idea. He told me to meet him at the bus stop the next morning and then he ran off."
Hiroyuki frowned. "Oh boy. What'd he do this time?"
"Well…" Shun rolled his eyes in a half circle. "When I got to the bus stop, everyone else was there too."
"Everyone?" repeated Hiroyuki.
"Yes," nodded Shun. "Everyone except Kounosuke-san. He showed up right before the bus left. He almost got left behind."
Hiroyuki chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me. Where's everyone now?"
"After we got off the bus, everyone else went off to explore the city. Kounosuke-san gave everybody an address to meet at." Shun pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper and handed it to Hiroyuki.
Hiroyuki studied the address for a few seconds. "Oh, I know where this is. It's a few blocks from here. I think it's an apartment building like this one. Why are they meeting there?"
"Hmm." Shun closed his eyes and used his free hand to play with his drawstrings. "I think Kounosuke-san said his aunt owns the building. She's letting everyone stay in some empty apartments for winter break. Oh!" Shun sat up abruptly, and Hiroyuki moved himself upright to match. "They wanted me to tell you that we're all supposed to be there around dinner time tomorrow."
"Huh. It'll be just like the beginning of summer, then." Hiroyuki grinned. "This is great!" He released Shun's hand and hugged him. He shut his eyes and filled his lungs with the air that had picked up the beastman scent. A tingling warmth spread throughout his body, and he sighed. "I'm so glad that I'll get to see everyone again. I'm starting to think that-"
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "Boys, dinner's almost ready. Are you two decent?"
"Mooom!" Shun and Hiroyuki's faces turned a deep shade of red as they quickly separated. "You're so embarrassing!"
Hiroyuki's mother opened the door and smirked at the two. "I'm your mother, I'm supposed to embarrass you. Now go wash up you two."
After washing up, the three settled down at the dinner table. Shun started to devour the meal that had been placed in front of him.
"Shun dear, slow down! You're getting food everywhere," said Hiroyuki's mom.
Shun paused eating for a second to look at the table, and then blushed. "O-oh. Sorry Nishimura-okasan, I'll be more careful."
Hiroyuki smiled. 'I never did get to teach him proper table manners.' "By the way, Shun-kun. How's high school going?"
Shun swallowed a mass of food before he responded. "It's great! Soutarou-san started school too, and we're in the same classes." Shun's huge grin returned as his tail slapped against the back of the chair. "I'm glad to have a friend in the same year as me. Kounosuke-san and Shin-san are in the year ahead of us, but I still see them often."
The conversation continued as dinner went on. Shun and Hiroyuki talked back and forth about what had happened during autumn while Hiroyuki's mother ate in silent observation. Shun said that after Hiroyuki left, Minasato returned to how it had always been. Hiroyuki's life had also returned to a state of dullness with the absence of all his friends in Minasato.
After dinner, Hiroyuki and his mother rose and started to collect the dishes. Shun followed their example and stood up with his own dishes in hand. Hiroyuki's mother stepped forward to stop him. "Oh Shun dear, leave those to us. Why don't you go take a bath to get ready for bed? You've had a long day."
Shun looked down at the dishes in his hand, and then back at Hiroyuki's mom. "But-"
"It's fine! You're our guest, we're supposed to take care of you." She laid a hand under the rim of the plate Shun held.
Shun continued to stare at the plate for a few seconds before he relented. "O-okay…" Hiroyuki's mom took the dishes out of Shun's hand and turned towards the sink. The wolf's eyes lingered on the empty spot in his hand, and after a few seconds he walked off towards the bathroom.
Hiroyuki's mom twisted the metal knob on the sink, testing the water with a finger until it had warmed up enough to plug the drain. As soon as she heard the bathroom door shut, she turned her head towards her son. "So, how'd it go?" she said as she squirted dish soap into the rising water.
Hiroyuki carried the last of the dishes to the spot beside the sink. "It went well, I think. I can't believe you let me say all that when you knew Shun-kun was awake, though!"
She laughed as she submerged a plate into the soapy water. "I'm sorry. I thought it was something he needed to hear." She placed a soap-covered dish in the empty basin for Hiroyuki to rinse. "It took a darker turn than I had imagined, I'll admit. But I felt like Shun was the only one who could help you get over this, so I let him listen."
"It could've gone so wrong. What if he hated me for what I did?" Hiroyuki covered his face with his hands and propped himself up on the edge of the sink.
"If he hated you, he wouldn't be here right now." Hiroyuki's mother placed another washed plate into the sink. "Listen, son. The worst thing you can do in a relationship is hide how your feel from your partner. If something's bothering you, you need to talk to them."
Dishes continued to pile up as her words sunk in. "Did… Did you hide things from dad?"
Hiroyuki's mother rested her hands on the edge of the sink and sighed. A few moments passed before she answered. "Yes. We stopped communicating openly with each other. I left so many things unsaid. When he… passed away, I had so many regrets over what could've been." She placed her hands on Hiroyuki's shoulders. "Please don't throw your relationship away like I did."
"Mom?"
"Yes, son?"
"You're getting soap all over my shirt." The liquid from the sink oozed off of his mother's hands and had started to sink into his clothes.
"O-oh, sorry dear," she said as she grabbed a dish towel and pressed it into his shoulders.
"And, thanks."
Hiroyuki took his own bath after Shun finished his. The two sat in Hiroyuki's room in their underwear as he toweled the rest of his body.
"I still feel bad about not helping with the dishes," said Shun. The wolf sat on the edge of Hiroyuki's bed as his slightly damp fur continued to air dry. His hands rested together in his lap.
Hiroyuki finished with his towel and dropped it on the floor next to him. "Don't worry about it, Shun-kun. We don't mind spoiling you." He moved forward and ruffled Shun's hair.
"Hehe, Hiroyuki-san, stop that!" laughed Shun as he fought off his attacker. He spent a few moments combing through his hair with his fingers to straighten it out again. "I'd like to help out where I can, if that's okay. I can do things, too!"
Shun gave Hiroyuki a bright, earnest stare. "Hmm. Alright, fine. We'll put you to work tomorrow. How does that sound?" Shun cheered at being allowed to help, and Hiroyuki ruffled his hair again. "You're too cute, you know that?" Shun pouted in protest as he brushed his hair back into place a second time. "Anyway, I think it's time for bed. I'm exhausted."
"Oh, alright." Shun stood up and started towards the door. "I'm gonna go- whoa!"
"Shun!" The small wolf hadn't noticed the towel Hiroyuki had left on the floor, and his foot caught on the fabric. Shun closed his eyes and held his arms in front of his face to brace for the impact.
Shun opened his eyes a few seconds later. "Are you alright, Shun-kun?" Hiroyuki had caught Shun halfway through his fall, and he now rested diagonally in Hiroyuki's arms.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, Hiroyuki-san." Shun stood himself up and gazed at the floor. His face had turned bright red.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left my towel on the floor." Hiroyuki picked up his towel and threw it off to the side. "Where were you going?"
"I was going to ask your mother where I would be sleeping. And then I tripped on the…" Shun's voice shrunk as the sentence went on until he trailed off. His eyes remained affixed to the floor.
Hiroyuki lifted Shun's chin with his index finger. The wolf's wide, bright blue eyes stared at him. "What do you mean "where you'd be sleeping?"? Aren't you going to sleep with me in my bed?"
"H-Hiroyuki-san! Is that okay?" Shun's blush deepened.
"Yeah, it's fine. Why wouldn't it be?"
Shun's eyes roamed around the room as he spoke. "Well… it's not something I usually do when I stay over at someone else's house. A-and the last time I shared a bed… with you…" His eyes resumed contact with Hiroyuki's, though the blush on his face persisted. "Is that okay even though your mother is here?"
"Ooh." Hiroyuki's eyes widened. "I wasn't implying… We don't have to… do anything." His face started to burn as he searched for the appropriate words. "We can just sleep."
Shun's face relaxed into a smile and his blush faded slightly. "Hiroyuki-san. You kept your promise, right? You said you wouldn't do anything dirty with anyone else."
"Of course I kept it." Hiroyuki smiled. "It's been the easiest promise to keep of my life." He leaned in for another kiss, and Shun responded eagerly. The wolf broke into a huge grin when the two separated. "You're better at kissing than I remember," said Hiroyuki.
The wolf's eyes shut briefly and he let out an embarrassed laugh. "It's fun, and I like it. As long as it's with you."
"We've got all winter break to have as much fun as you'd like. We'll have to make the most of our time together, just like during summer break." Hiroyuki grabbed one of Shun's furry hands with both of his own. "I love you, Shun-kun."
Shun moved his other hand to rest on top of Hiroyuki's and stared up into his eyes. "I love you too, Hiroyuki-san."