006. FRIENDS
"Tohma," whined Ryuichi into the phone. "I miss you. When are you going to visit?"
Tohma smiled and glanced at Eiri doing his homework in the next room. "I'll visit soon, Ryuichi."
"Come now!" The pout was evident in his voice.
"I can't come now; Eiri-kun is here. Maybe in a few weeks once he gets settled in a bit."
Ryuichi groaned. "But that Eiri kid lives with you. He's always gonna be there!"
Tohma couldn't find anything wrong with that statement. Eiri would always be there. Something about his fiancée's brother made him happy…. Maybe it was his innocence.
007. FOES
"Going to a musical, Seguchi?"
"Yes, and I'm taking Eiri-kun with me."
Kitazawa smirked and Tohma smiled back politely. It was Saturday; no lessons were scheduled today. Eiri was going to spend today with Tohma whether Kitazawa liked it or not. He helped Eiri into his coat and double-checked his pockets for the tickets.
"Gypsy, right?" asked Kitazawa.
"Yes. Eiri-kun is mature enough to see it."
"Front row?"
"Yes," repeated Tohma, growing weary of this conversation.
"Funny," said Kitazawa nonchalantly. "I'm in the front row, too."
"What?" said Tohma, nearly gaping.
Eiri practically hid his face. "Tohma-san… I invited him."
008. LOVERS
It had been three months since he and Eiri had moved to New York and today, Mika was finally visiting. She sat on the new sofa with a fair amount of distance between herself and Tohma. He smiled, feeling awkward. This was the woman he would marry in a couple years, but something in their relationship was lacking; that romantic spark.
"Mika-san, would you like to watch a movie?"
"A movie would be more entertaining than staring at a blank screen."
Tohma tried to laugh as he grabbed the remote and started channel surfing, hoping to find a romantic movie.
009. FAMILY
A few days into Mika's visit, she, along with Tohma and Eiri, went out to dinner. Tohma would have preferred a quiet meal at home, but Mika wanted to taste the cuisine of New York. It wasn't as though the food of Manhattan was any better than food he could cook.
"Eiri-kun," said Tohma in a soft voice he reserved for speaking to the blond. "In a few years, do you know what will happen?"
"What?" asked Eiri, curious.
"Mika-san and I will be married and I'll be your brother-in-law."
"Should I call you onii-sama, then?"
"I'd like that, Eiri-kun."
010. STRANGERS
The more time Eiri spent with Kitazawa, the more distant the teenager became. It wasn't as though Eiri acted as if he disliked Tohma, but it was clear that he definitely preferred Kitazawa over him. Eiri smiled more around Kitazawa. He was happier, more energetic… things Tohma seemed to be unable to make Eiri feel on his own.
Tohma knew his primary responsibility was taking care of and disciplining Eiri, but that didn't mean he wanted the boy to be unhappy. Still, some toys were dangerous and some movies were too graphic. Sometimes, he needed to be the bad guy.