The two young women could only stare down in shock at the revealing garment laying there on the bed. Silence reigned throughout the bedroom as neither seemed to have the words to express the shock properly.

After a few awkward moments more of silence Miyuki finally found the fortitude for more words, even if all she could muster was a repeat of her previous stunned statements.

"What could oba-sama have been thinking?"

Her eyes darted around nervously, as if Tatsuya could walk in on them at any moment. Minami looked on her worrisome mistress with concerned eyes.

"I couldn't….no…..not that. Not with…..him. NOT WITH ANYONE!, but not…..with Onii-sama."

It looked as if she were trying to convince herself. Still, her eyes kept coming back to the controversial item.

Minami wasn't sure what was in Miyuki's eyes as she looked at it, but she was sure it wasn't revulsion she saw tinging those eyes. The curiosity still burned there, along with….

"Nope! Oba-sama must mean this as some form of humor. That's it!"

Miyuki suddenly turned away from the bed and the garment and looked out the window.

"That must be it! This is a "gag" gift! Of course Oba-sama didn't mean for me to actually wear this with Onii-sama."

The nervous laughter that accompanied this statement made Minami think even Miyuki didn't believe her own words.

Miyuki looked back over her shoulder once again, her eyes filled with uncertain curiosity. She slowly walked over to the garment again, and took the right leg of it in her hand.

"This material is very soft though. It feels pretty good. Is it some type of semi-transparent silk?"

Miyuki said this as she gently rubbed it with her thumb against her fingers and palm.

Minami also took up the material of the garment in her hands and replicated Miyuki's actions.

"It's very nice indeed, but I don't think it's silk. We can look at the label or online info about it."

"Um" was Miyuki's only reply.

For some reason Minami never got around to reading the label or looking up the info. Both she and Miyuki simply continued rubbing the material. Minami felt a slight warming sensation in her hand, and then gradually the smooth and delicate sensation of the material in her palm began to improve, dramatically. It was as if the garment was caressing her hand back. The material began to feel even better than before. It was the best thing Minami ever remembered holding in her hands. She had the sudden urge to slide the material along her arm and across her face. She was smiling uncontrollably at this point.

Beside her Miyuki made a sound normally reserved for a Tatsuya initiated head rub or hug.

"Ummmmmmmmm. It really is very nice."

"…..Ummm, indeed it is."

They both vacantly smiled at each other with glazed over eyes. Miyuki took the cloth in her hand and stroked it on her cheek.

"OH, oh my."

She seemed instantly lost in another world.

Only then did Minami's Guardian training kick in and bring her heavily distracted mind back to reality. She dropped the garment legging in her hand and gently removed it from Miyuki's hand directly afterward. Miyuki had never looked at her as angrily as she did at that moment. Minami moved to dispel her mistress's confusion.

"Forgive me Miyuki-sama, but this is no normal garment. There is something very odd about it. The sensation of it was too….too good."

It was then Miyuki's expression went from anger to interest. She looked down on the item in question with a cocked eyebrow.

"Now that you mention it, I have never felt anything like…that before."

Slight pinkness tinged Miyuki's facial features. Clearly the sensation of the garment was an equally…."disturbing" experience for her as for Minami.

It was then that Minami looked more carefully at the box and plastic bag that the garment came in. Likewise Miyuki picked up the invoice sheet she had previously held.

Miyuki spoke out first.

"Oh my goodness! That's outrageous!"

Minami stopped her search at Miyuki's sudden emphatic words.

"Look at this."

Minami leaned over to read the invoice as Miyuki held it with a wide-eyed expression. Soon Minami's eyes were equally widened.

The price of the garment was in USNA dollars but they knew enough about current exchange rates to know that the price was only slightly less than a base-level personal car would cost. Tatsuya's motor bike, which had been customized before delivery, wasn't as expensive as this garment.

Once Minami got over her initial sticker-shock she carelessly made a blunder of a statement.

"That price certainly clears up Toushu-sama's intentions in purchasing you this item."

Miyuki's sudden embarrassed expression was the first indicator to Minami that she should have kept her mouth shut.

"Miyuki-sama, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright Minami-chan, you are correct in your assumption. Even Oba-sama would not spend that much money on a "gag" gift. She clearly intends for me to…..use…..it."

Worry stretched across Miyuki's beautiful features as she once again looked down in mild terror and fascination at the seemingly harmless and fragile "outfit" on the bed. Minami was no mind reader, but the thoughts that flew across her mistress's mind as she looked down at the "thing" before them were not hard to ascertain.

She had removed a paper booklet from the plastic bag the moment Miyuki had exclaimed her shock at the item's purchase price. Now she hoped the booklet would not only explain the obviously "unique" features of this item; but she also hoped it would dispel some of the great concerns weighing on Miyuki's mind.

"Miyuki-sama, I found a booklet in the shipping bag. Perhaps it can explain a bit more about the odd sensation we both experienced."

Miyuki had drifted back down into her mother's reading chair. Apparently the stress of this gift had caused her to forget the sacrosanctity of that particular item of furniture.

Miyuki reached out her hand for the booklet; then pulled it away suddenly without taking the offered reading materials with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Would you read it to me Minami-chan? You've already been with me the whole way on this particular adventure, and you'll probably notice important things that I would miss in my current state."

Miyuki motioned for Minami to sit opposite on the bed from her. Under normal circumstances she would have refused this offer since it would be improper for a servant to sit on their master's bed; but in this case she thought hovering over Miyuki might intensify her already tense state, so she acquiesced and sat on the corner of the bed, a safe distance from the garment.

As she did so, she began to read.

"Thank you for your purchase of the latest in GenuFlex garment technology, our "PureTouch" line's elegant "DreamyNights" intimate body suit. The ultimate blending of sensuality and technology to help your partner and you achieve a new state of physical and emotional bliss. One touch of the "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" and your partner will never wish to take their hands off you again, and you certainly won't want them too either thanks to our patented…."

Minami could feel her cheeks redden with every provocative word she awkwardly read aloud. Across from her Miyuki wouldn't look directly at her. She also was well tinged pink in embarrassment.

"…nano-fiber filament capsule technology. Every touch, every caress, every sensation between your partner and you will be heightened beyond your most exotic expectations. The filament capsules line every two centimeters of every strand of your "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" body suite. Over 40,000 filament capsules transmit and intensify the physical sensation between two sources of body heat, namely your partner's touch and your skin."

Both young ladies would have been hard pressed to look more uncomfortable then they did at hearing these words.

"Powered solely from body heat, each filament capsule activates at the presence of two body heat sources in contact on both side of the fabric."

Miyuki whispered a comment then.

"So that's why if felt so good, because we were rubbing it between our fingers?"

Minami nodded in agreement.

"I would assume so, since we were technically applying body heat from two sides."

Miyuki looked on wide-eyed as she added her concerns.

"You felt what that was like on our hands. Can you imagine what it would feel like to….wear it…..all over?"

That thought truly scared Minami. That kind of sensation would be hard to fathom. She quickly added her assumptions.

"According to this it requires two sources of body heat to activate the….sensation. So you should only feel that…way, when someone else is touching it as well."

Miyuki timidly nodded agreement. Left unspoken between them was the fact they had already proved their own touch from the other side of the garment would also cause the sensation amplification effect. That conversation would be even more embarrassing and compile added stress to them they certainly didn't need at this moment. Minami soldiered on with her reading.

""PureTouch" "DreamyNights" is waterproof, sweat proof, and tear resistant. Take it into the shower, bath, hot tube, or for an intimate encounter in the swimming pool or secret skinny-dipping location to add intensity to an already exciting moment. Powered by your body heat, "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" is machine washable with your other delicates. Resistant to other forms of heat energy sources, "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" is machine dryable as well, though air dry is recommended for insurance of proper performance and long life of the garment. "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" comes with an automatic ten year warranty and ninety day guarantee. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with our product please return it within ninety days for a full refund. We hope you enjoy your experiences with your "PureTouch" "DreamyNights" intimate body suit. May it bring your partner and you many years of pleasure, joy, and more intense "togetherness"."

After Minami had finished the intro, she looked through the rest of the booklet for additional care instructions and details. As she did so, Miyuki simply stared at the garment laying on the bed. Her expression during this time was almost unreadable. It seemed to Minami that Miyuki couldn't decide if the garment was a burden, or if she were interested in it.

Having absorbed the rest of the booklet with her speed reading techniques, Minami had a sudden realization.

"Miyuki-sama, I believe I have heard of the history of how this garment came into existence."

Miyuki looked at her in curiosity.

"Oh, so is it something to be concerned about?"

Minami shook her head as she replied.

"I don't believe so, despite the militant origins of its creation."

Miyuki furrowed her brows as she replied with one questioning word.

"….militant?"

Minami nodded as she replied.

"I believe it was a residual technology developed from a military program, the results of which were more appropriate for civilian use. May I have a moment to research it for you?"

Miyuki nodded her agreement and Minami took her handheld terminal out to perform the search. Less than a minute later, Minami believed she had gained all the pertinent information and began her summation.

"The USA, before the creation of the USNA, initiated a contract competition between some of their suppliers to produce a combat suit with superior sensory abilities. In particular they wanted a combat suit that would heighten the sense of touch beyond the actual physical body of a combatant. A combat suit that would allow the wearer to know when subsonic objects were moving at or near them in a 720 degree environment and from enough distance to allow them to react before potential contact with those items."

Miyuki's eyes widened slightly at this information.

"Eventual, through the competitive process, GenuFlex proved to have the superior prototype concept and won the contract and additional funding to develop it further into a useful combat application. Since it was an entirely new technology several more years were needed to improve it to something that was practical for a combatant to use. Eventually they got it down to two types of suit. One with an inner and outer layer that could cover any type of existing combat outfit, and one that was single layered."

Minami looked up to see if Miyuki had any questions at this point. Miyuki looked intensely interested, but her eyes only conveyed to Minami that see wished her to continue, which she did.

"The technology was worked down to a size and efficiency that made it practical, unfortunately there were some flaws that could not be overcome. They were only able to get the technology to transfer two types of sensations to the wearer. That was warmth and touch. In addition, the higher the sensory amplification went, the more pleasurable the sensation became. Being humans, the pleasurable sensation that preceded a physical attack when wearing the technology actually slowed down reaction times, an obviously undesirable effect for combat."

Minami couldn't help but show her own interest in this unique technology.

"The greatest flaw however, and the one that eventually caused the USNA military to cancel the project, was that the remote sensory effect they had hoped to provide their combatants with, could never reach out further than half a meter from the suits. This was far too close, especially when combined with the delayed reaction caused by the unavoidable pleasurable sensation, to make the suit combat effective."

Miyuki looked thoughtfully on as she asked a question.

"So GenuFlex and the USNA military must have looked to a civilian solution to recoup the lost expenditures on this project?"

Minami nodded before continuing.

"Indeed. The obvious flaws of this design for combat purposes would be strengths in a particular type of civilian application of this technology."

Miyuki smirked at that.

"Particular type of civilian application indeed! It would be hard to ignore the civilian applications of this type of sensory enhancement technology."

They both looked at the garment lying on the bed again with trepidation.

After another long pause, Miyuki spoke up again.

"Did Onii-sama mention a specific time he'd be back from FLT?"

Minami shook her head at this.

Miyuki looked away with a strange look in her eyes. She bit her lower lip in thought. This reaction always made Minami worry.

Shortly after, Miyuki justified Minami's concerns.

"It's not the type of thing that…should be left to the actual moment to test out."

Minami's eyes widened.

"So….you wish to use the garment as intended?"

Miyuki looked back in shock at Minami, her hand quickly covering her mouth.

"Well I…..um…..well I have to…at least once…put it on. So that if Oba-sama ever asks me, I can be honest with her."

Miyuki's eyes drifted again with that combination of worry and anticipation toward the body suit.

"Plus it was….so expensive. It would be a complete waste not to try it…one time. And since we have a bit before Onii-sama should be home…"

Minami recognized Miyuki was trying to talk herself up into trying it on. Minami had been very uncomfortable with her mistress's blatant romantic desires for her own brother, and his interesting tolerances for it that he at least pretended not to notice himself. All that changed a few days ago though. She realized it was now her duty to help these two former siblings conceive children together for the benefit of the Yotsuba. That was clearly Maya-sama's wish with the gifts she had given them.

"That would be for the best Miyuki-sama. You wouldn't want to be unfamiliar with it when you wear it for the first time with Tatsuya-sama."

Miyuki's terrified and embarrassed gesticulations at Minami's suggestion would have been comical to a normal third party had they been there to witness.

"Minami-chan! I would…I…..what are you thinking?"

Normally Minami would back off recalcitrantly at Miyuki's stunned reaction, but having just instilled herself with a fortifying attitude on this very subject, she powered on through her mistress's doubts.

"But Miyuki-sama is in love with Tatsuya-sama and wishes to love him as a woman, as a wife. This is what Minami humbly thinks."

Miyuki was stunned by the unexpected boldness in her servant. Minami pressed on, determined not to allow the opportunity to further the Yotsuba cause to slip through her hands.

"I believe Miyuki-sama desires more…intimacy with her fiancé. Perhaps this garment can speed the process of making Tatsuya-sama more comfortable in a romantic relationship with Miyuki-sama. Minami humbly wishes to help Miyuki-sama further her goals in any way she can."

"I…I….well…."

Miyuki was clearly stunned by all of this; however, she could not deny her own desires.

"…..Minami is right. Miyuki does want….more with her Onii…fiancé."

They stood there looking down at the body suit together. It seemed that both were trying to find the courage to go on to the next awkward event, Miyuki putting on the body suit. At this rate they were eventually going to run out of time before Tatsuya came home. Neither of them would have wanted him to come home then, even if he would never have come up there with the two of them alone. His Elemental Sight alone was enough of a threat to blow up the entire super delicate situation.

Minami began thinking of words she could say to finally move the event along when Miyuki did that on her own.

"OK then, let's do it."

Minami slid her hands under the garment and lifted it up. She was extra careful to do this in a manner that prevented any part of her body from touching another and activating the technology.

Miyuki guided her down the hallway past the walk-in closets. The main bathroom apparently had been selected by her for this experiment. There was a chair in the room, which Minami gently draped the garment across the back of. Then once again she and Miyuki stared awkward in silence at it, all the emotions of the world seeming to war on Miyuki's face once again. Minami decided this time she wouldn't even try to speak first. Miyuki eventually found her tongue again.

"Well Minami-chan….."

With these first two words Minami began to shift toward Miyuki in anticipation of helping her disrobe.

"…..let's get you in it."

At first Miyuki's final words didn't register. Once her intent reached Minami's consciousness, all her greatest fears seemed to rise at once.

Had the world chose that second to self-destruct, Minami could have died happily in that moment knowing what a relief it would have brought her.


He wasn't quite sure why but he knew something had happened while he was gone. The way Miyuki and Minami kept avoiding eye contact, and their lack of their usual banter at lunch was the evidence of this. He had considered reviewing the Eidos log to see if something had indeed happened while he was gone, but the potential things that could cause these two ladies to act this way were likely to be things no man should see, so he kept telling himself it was none of his business so long as neither of them asked him to intervene.

Tatsuya had ate lunch at FLT, so all that sat in front of him now on the coffee table was another of Miyuki's delicious cups of hand ground Arabica bean coffee. It was exquisite as always, but from now on he'd have trouble not comparing it to Hayama's magic modified coffee he had a few days before. He regretted having ever tasted it, and felt a twinge of guilt for having done so and even thinking to compare it to Miyuki's.

He dispelled these thoughts and returned his gaze to the data terminal in his hand. The news articles about Miyuki and himself had now reduced to only approximately twenty percent of their original levels a few days before, but they were still troublesome and far too numerous. He particularly was concerned about the constant images of both being shown over and over, and the fact that their attendance at First High was always noted prominently.

"What is your plan….'mother'? Why expose your 'son' and your heir to the public this way?"

He was always on alert for potential threats to Miyuki, but now instead of being simply prepared for threats, he had to anticipate that threats were imminent. Not all of these threats would be from "hostile" opponents either. Curiosity seekers, fanatic fans, and of course the intrusive gutter Press would now confuse every situation. Going into public now would be an "adventure" instead of simply an excursion. They might even need to consider disguises as an option.

And of course there was the start of the new trimester on Monday to worry about. Surely the Press will be at the school's local cabinet station in force, plus at the school gates. Tatsuya had already inquired via email with the local authorities in Hachiouji about adding additional security to the station at least for the next week to prevent potential issues from arising. Their response was the typical governmental mush-mouth reply that attempted to mollify while promising nothing. Since they already knew he was a Yotsuba, he was surprised they didn't make some commitment to beef things up a bit. He considered replying while invocating his "mother's" name, but he felt that would bring additional attention to them they didn't really need.

"And I have no intention of relying on her, even her name only, if I don't have to."

She may now be his "mother" but he couldn't fathom her now suddenly becoming Miyuki or his true ally. He certainly wouldn't do anything himself to tie either Miyuki or him closer to Maya's influence and authority. The Yotsuba, especially Maya, was the option of LAST resort.

"I'll have to have a discussion with Minami about beefing up our security for Miyuki under the new conditions before Monday."

Minami was another issue all in herself. She had, so far, proven to be a reliable resource for both Miyuki and himself. She had shown no hint of any signs of betrayal, and Tatsuya was well equipped to note the typical signs of such activities. He had constantly surveyed her actions for the past year she had lived with them, and found nothing untoward in her. She seemed to be exactly what she claimed to be, Miyuki's loyal and trustworthy servant and Guardian.

But she was Yotsuba created, Yotsuba trained, and Yotsuba supplied; and that made it impossible for Tatsuya to ever fully trust her, no matter what she did.

Tatsuya had come to the conclusion, from watching her actions, that if Minami was a "Trojan Horse" then it was not something her conscious mind was aware of. She would have slipped up somehow in the last year and Tatsuya would have seen the signs of it. Yet there were no signs of external contact on Minami's part, either at home or from school. Tatsuya was convinced that Minami was at least providing Maya with info on Miyuki and himself, but how she got that info out was a mystery to Tatsuya. Either they had found some completely unorthodox method to get around his numerous observation talents, or she wasn't informing on them. The latter option was too unrealistic for Tatsuya to accept, not with Maya being behind Minami's assignment to Miyuki. Maya always had ulterior motives.

He remembered how tired Minami was during the New Year's ceremony just a few days before. Tatsuya, having experienced several forms of Yotsuba mind altering techniques, was well aware of their capability in that regard. He suspected Minami was subjected to some form of mind inducement during their visit, but it could have just been to add additional flash cast spells to her repertory. Tatsuya was of a too suspicious nature to accept that as the answer though. It had been the one time Maya could have Minami all to herself since she first joined the Shiba household. Having her memories of the last year forcibly extracted would certainly account for Minami's tiredness on that day; but as someone who has experienced Yotsuba mind techniques first hand, her ability to be on her feet so soon either indicated a much stronger, frightening so, physical constitution for Minami; or a superior mind technique that Tatsuya had never experienced before. Even he normally had to rest for a day or two after his previous sessions.

"I'm impressed that I haven't been able to deduce Maya's intentions with Minami being in our house yet. What am I missing?"

The possibility that Minami was not a "plant" in their home never was even entertained by Tatsuya. He distrusted Maya and the other family members that much.

"OH, um….sorry Miyuki-sama."

Minami's words brought Tatsuya back out of his thoughts.

"Oh, no….it's Ok Minami-chan."

Miyuki and Minami were both blushing lightly and avoiding direct eye contact. Even more surprising was the fact that Miyuki wasn't putting on a show of being angry at Minami for having dared to clear way Tatsuya's empty coffee cup.

"OK you two, what's going on?"

Both young ladies jumped slightly in surprise at Tatsuya's seemingly harmless question, and their faces seemed a bit more embarrassed than just before.

"Ah! So I HAVE caught you two in 'something' after all."

Tatsuya smirked at both of them.

"Um…no, Onii-sama, it's nothing…really."

Tatsuya nodded his head thoughtfully to his…fiancée's words, before following up.

"Alright, if it's nothing then you won't mind telling me about it."

Tatsuya said this as he placed his data terminal on the table and leaned back, extending his left arm casually along the back of the sofa. He smiled at both of the awkward looking young ladies that stood side-by-side across the coffee table from him, both looking a bit mortified at the moment.

Miyuki and Minami finally exchanged a worried glance with each other before Miyuki turned her eyes briefly toward Tatsuya, then looked downward in shame.

"I…..I snapped angrily at Minami-chan unnecessarily while you were gone."

Miyuki looked truly sad at this, however Tatsuya noticed Minami looked at her in mild surprise before adding on.

"So I'm to be treated to a performance? Interesting."

"It was…..something truly silly, about how she folded my clothes. I have no excuse. I feel so ashamed of myself."

"No Miyuki-sama, it was my fault. I should have consulted you before…"

"No Minami-chan! There was nothing wrong with how you folded…"

Tatsuya smiled on as the two before him ad-libbed a scene for him.

"I was at fault. I was just…..moody, and there's no excuse for my bad manners."

Minami looked like she was going to refute Miyuki's assessment again, but Tatsuya interrupted.

"And why was Miyuki in a bad mood?"

Miyuki turned toward Tatsuya then with big eyes full of concern, and then looked down embarrassed again.

"Well….honestly…I think Miyuki might have a mild case of…..'Cabin Fever'."

Tatsuya's left eyebrow rose slightly at Miyuki's "honest" self-assessment, but the entertained smirk on his face never faltered.

"Oh I see, 'Cabin Fever' is it?"

Miyuki briefly sent him an irritated look before returning to her previously contrite visage.

"Yes Onii-sama. I feel a bit…confined. We haven't left the house for days now."

Tatsuya nodded agreement while still smiling.

"Miyuki-sama is probably, and please forgive me for being so forward, but she probably is stressed a bit on top of that, considering all the recent events."

"That's right Minami-chan! Miyuki is a little stressed right now."

Tatsuya tried hard not to smirk even more at the acting going on before him.

"Surely the two of you are aware of the numerous reasons we shouldn't leave the house right now?"

Tatsuya pointed at his data terminal on the table. On the screen was a news article with one picture of Miyuki and another of Tatsuya from their first year Nine Schools Competition.

Miyuki looked down deflated now.

"Of course, Onii-sama….."

Tatsuya had had enough.

"There is the possibility we could go out for a little bit."

Miyuki and Minami both perked up at these words.

"Of course window shopping or dinner would be out of the question. Too many eyes."

Miyuki was not deterred by this.

"Then perhaps Miyuki has the perfect compromise!"

She fished out her own data terminal from the large pocket on the front of her apron and handed it to Tatsuya.

Even before looking, Tatsuya was once again having a hard time not laughing.

"We'll need to perfect your subtlety a bit more Miyuki."

He looked down at the terminal and responded after a few seconds.

"Ah! An old movie being played at a nearby cinema, interesting."

The screen shot listed the old movie as Doctor Zhivago. The description said that it was about "a love caught in the fire of revolution". It also noted that the film had won several awards when it was first released well over one hundred years ago, and that it was a part of a series being shown of old award winning movies at this theater. Since this was the local cinema that they had frequented the most Tatsuya was already well familiar with it and its environs.

Miyuki spoke again.

"It's a love story, about two lovers torn apart by war and circumstances."

Miyuki smiled with a slight longing look at Tatsuya, who simply nodded back with a smile. This was obviously not the type of movie he would find interesting, but he could see why two teen girls might think it had potential.

"If I may add, a movie theater is dark enough to conceal our faces, and I have already checked to make sure that we can secure seats in the back to help us avoid detection."

As she had said, Minami had her own data terminal in hand.

"Plus Onii-sama, since it's cold out, you and I have every reason to wear hooded jackets. Miyuki also can put her hair up so she doesn't look quite like the pictures in the news articles."

Minami piled on again after that.

"The wing 'couple' seats in the back are selected for us, I can sit in the last set by myself to watch from behind. Shall I proceed to purchase?"

Tatsuya shook his head with a smirk while replying.

"Why do I feel like the two of you have set me up?"

Miyuki smiled back with false innocence.

"Your Miyuki would never do that to her Tatsuya."

With a smile Tatsuya nodded to Minami, who purchased the tickets.

"If we're going to make it on time, the two of you should work together on dinner."

"Onii-sama is right of course!"

Both bowed to him and proceeded merrily to the kitchen.

Tatsuya went back to searching through the news articles; and as far as the girls were concerned, they both hoped sincerely that he wouldn't look any further into their awkward behavior from before. At least not for the rest of this night anyway.


Tatsuya had considered the movie to be adequate entertainment, but a bit long. He also thought that it tended to gloss over some of the brutalities of the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent Russian Civil War and the Stalinist Era afterwards. Tatsuya realized that the history of the time period the movie was set in was only significant as a backdrop to the love story, which Tatsuya also found a bit unrealistic.

Still, Miyuki had clearly enjoyed herself, so Tatsuya didn't discuss the finer points of his contentions with the film. Instead he focused on the story as entertainment, and more importantly on Miyuki being happy.

They freely discussed the movie on the short AI taxi ride home. Miyuki and Minami seemed very content, which was all for the better as far as Tatsuya was concerned.

Even though it was late, Tatsuya still took his usual handmade coffee from Miyuki and went downstairs to the lab when she and Minami went up to bathe and get settled in bed.

Despite the coffee, Tatsuya was soon yawning with fatigue. Once he realized he had read the same info three times without absorbing it, he decided it was time for bed.

Once he was in the bedroom with Miyuki he saw that she was watching news vids on the far wall.

"Oh! There you are Onii-sama. I was starting to wonder if you had fallen asleep at your chair."

Despite her bright smile, he could see she too was well past her bedtime.

"You don't have to wait up for me."

She shook her head lightly with a smile.

"Now that Onii-sama is my sleeping companion, Miyuki doesn't wish to miss a moment of time with him."

Tatsuya could tell that his face was fighting a mild blush at Miyuki's words. She was lying flat in the bed with the blankets and comforter pulled up tight around her neck.

"I'm going to shower before bed, so you shouldn't feel obligated to continue to stay awake. I'll be in with you shortly."

Miyuki shook her head again with a smile to indicate her disagreement to his words.

"When Onii-sama starts taking his evening baths with Miyuki, then he and his Miyuki can get in the bed at the same time."

Now Tatsuya knew for sure his face was red. It was unlike Miyuki to be so bold, but that had begun to change with the revelations of this week. Tatsuya assumed it was her own fatigue that allowed such a provocative statement to slip from her lips.

"Get some sleep, I'll be back soon."

He bent down and gently kissed her forehead. She let out a gentle and content purr in reaction.

The shower was quick and efficient as expected of Tatsuya and he soon was dry and ready for bed. When he came back into the room with Miyuki the lights were already off, but she was still miraculously awake. She rolled over and smiled at him. Then suddenly a little frown creased her beautiful face.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled again, but her eyes stayed a bit sad.

"It's nothing Onii-sama."

Tatsuya smirked at her answer before replying.

"Nothing, again, huh?"

She looked away a little embarrassed, but he wasn't budging till she answered.

"Well it's just, won't that shirt be a little warm?"

"My shirt again?"

Tatsuya was too tired to point out that not only was their home's air conditioning functioning perfectly, it was quite cold outside since it was January so a warm shirt was appropriate for bed, and finally, he was in bed with someone that could control the air temperature around them even subconsciously.

"That's not why she wants your shirt off Tatsuya."

He decided to acquiesce to her not too difficult to comply with request, instead of fighting his sleep any longer.

"Perhaps you are right."

With those words he took his shirt off, folded it, and placed it on top of a nearby table. As he slipped under the covers, he couldn't help but notice the slight look of apprehension on Miyuki's face.

He waited for her to roll over into his embrace the same way she had the previous three nights, but she hesitated.

This normally would provoke a question from him, but instead he yawned deeply and began to drift away.

Right on the edge of consciousness he detected her scooting herself into the 'spoons' position with him. Since it was awkward to not wrap his arm around her in that position, he placed his right arm around her slender torso. He left arm was now under the pillow where her head lay.

She was a bit cold to the touch, but that was not unusual for her. She had on sleepwear that felt very silky and shear that seemed to hug her skin. Tatsuya was only vaguely aware of it, mostly from a sensory perspective and not from conscious thought, since he was now almost fully lost in his sleep.

The outfit she wore felt….good. Really good in fact. So good he didn't notice that he was warmer now where his arm and bare chest touched her. He also didn't notice that his right hand was now caressing her flat tummy either.

What he was aware of was her reactions.

"Ummmmmmmmmm."

That wasn't her making that sound, it was him. She was making a completely different but related noise.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, Onii-sama."

She had begun to writhe slowly under his arm. It was as if she were trying to get every part of her body into him. He didn't notice his own body moving closer inward in response, or his hand drifting "northward" along the front of her body.

In this moment he was lost in a world where only she existed. When his hand reached its destination the sigh from her mouth was both pleasure and release.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

His lips now graced the back of her neck below her right ear.

"…..Miyuki…"

Somewhere in the back of his mind the voice of Miyuki's "Onii-sama" was shouting through the noise of sleepiness and whatever else had come over him a few moments before.

"She's your sister! What are you doing?"

But that tiny voice was so far away he wasn't even sure it was real.

"Something is not right! Wake up!"

But that tiny voice was drowned out by another voice much closer and much more pleasant.

"Oh Tatsuya, I love you."

He buried himself deeper into her and she wiggled even closer to him than before, and the world around these two melted into nothing but sensations and happy sounds.


Despite herself, Minami had enjoyed the movie. She tended to like movies that emphasize conspiracies and mysteries more than romances, but Doctor Zhivago was a compelling drama for her. If she wanted to be critical of herself she might have said that she could identify with being in love with someone that circumstances didn't allow her to be with. She consciously chose to not delve deeper into that thought if for nothing else then to protect her own heart.

From her observations of the row in front of her, Miyuki clearly enjoyed herself too, but whether that was because of the movie or her companion was up for limited debate. Miyuki glued her left side into Tatsuya's right side the moment they had sat down, and never moved except to snuggle into him tighter.

For his part, Tatsuya didn't seem to object to either the movie or his fiancée's proximity. Minami had considered that a good sign for the rest of the night.

Like the first morning after the three had returned from the main Yotsuba residence, neither of the two Shibas had beat her downstairs. Instead of the concern she had felt days before, now Minami took it as a positive sign.

She prepared breakfast since Miyuki had instructed her the day before to do so, but she didn't touch the coffee implements that Miyuki would use to prepare Tatsuya's morning beverage. That was sacrosanct after all.

She briefly worried that Tatsuya would beat Miyuki downstairs. That was the normal pattern of events in their daily lives, but since he also normally was up before her too, she knew things were different today.

Of course things were going to be different today though. She knew that Miyuki wore Toushu-sama's gift to bed, since she had helped her get in it while Tatsuya was down in the lab.

Still, the idea that she'd be alone with Tatsuya before Miyuki arrived was not something she would relish. He now knew she had helped Miyuki with the setup for the event, and then there might be some awkwardness or worse, questions.

An hour later Miyuki and Tatsuya came down together. Now the only question was how "did the night go" for them.

Minami only had to see Miyuki's face to know the answer to that question.

"Good morning Minami-chan!"

It was overcast and grey outside. Snow had fallen again the night before. Yet here inside the house it was as if the sun itself had entered the room and spring blooms were budding instantly. Miyuki's beaming visage radiated light and warmth behind the widest and happiest smile Minami had ever seen her mistress have.

It was a look of pure, unfiltered joy.

She had both arm arms firmly around Tatsuya's left arm as they walked side by side down the stairs and into the dining area.

Minami stepped out of the kitchen area to bow to both of them in greeting.

"Good morning Miyuki-sama, Tatsuya-sama. Did you both sleep well?"

When she raised up the delight in Miyuki's eyes was purely intoxicating.

"I can say, in all honesty, that it was the very best night's sleep I have ever had in my life."

The conviction which accompanied that statement was palpable. Minami knew that Miyuki was transmitting vital information to her in "code" about how the night went. However, Minami wasn't the only one who could read Miyuki's intentions. Tatsuya and Minami exchanged brief glances before turning away from each other.

"I also slept….extremely well."

It was plain to see that Tatsuya was searching for words that would neither disappoint Miyuki, nor reveal anything to Minami. In her heart she felt a twinge of sympathy for him. This whole week had resulted in his world being turned upside down. All in all in her judgment he was doing extremely well to adjust so quickly.

Truth be told he looked pretty happy too. He also didn't send Minami any crossed looks either. Perhaps he also liked the results of Toushu-sama's gift?

Miyuki beamed her face upward toward him as he shyly smiled under her amorous gaze.

"Did Minami-san also sleep well?"

He was looking to change the mood, Minami would throw him a lifeline.

"Thank you for asking. I did indeed Tatsuya-sama."

Miyuki pulled his left side further into her embrace.

"Take a seat Onii-sama and your Miyuki will have your coffee ready in a moment."

He nodded with a smile to her and she departed for the kitchen, but not before grabbing Minami by the arm and dragging her along with her.

Once "safe" in the kitchen area Miyuki took Minami's hand in hers and squeezed it while trying not to scream. She looked like a tea kettle about to spurt out steam.

Minami timidly inquired in a whisper.

"Did last night occur to Miyuki-sama's satisfaction?"

Miyuki bit onto her lower lip to regain her composure before responding in a gleeful whisper.

"It went even better than that! It was…perfect!"

Minami felt both relieved and awkward at hearing this. Once Miyuki let her have her hand back, she busied herself getting the last parts of breakfast ready as her mistress ground coffee with a happiness and determination that exceeded even her normal level of commitment to that particular activity.

She was no longer making coffee for her beloved Onii-sama, she was making it for her "Beloved".

Miyuki had finished the coffee and had it on her serving tray. Now she looked at Minami, who had just finished with Miyuki and Tatsuya's breakfast plates.

Miyuki bit her lip, this time in trepidation. She looked at her as if Minami had forgot something that Miyuki had noticed. Minami desperately searched the two plates before her looking for her error, but Miyuki stopped her with a whisper.

"Are you…..not going to ask me….?"

It took Minami only a second to get the idea. Miyuki was perturbed Minami hadn't asked for details of the previous night. She obviously wanted to talk about what happened in greater detail, but was too "lady-like" to volunteer the info unsolicited.

Minami could feel the mortification that clearly was showing on her face now. For her own part, Minami was too dutiful as a servant to ever pry into her mistress's personal affairs uninvited, or otherwise. Yet now Miyuki had indicated that was what she wanted.

Minami then found her own lifeline. She nodded her head sideways in the general direct of the dining room.

Miyuki was quick on the uptake of her gesture and frowned disappointedly. Tatsuya was just in the next room and there was no door to separate his ears from their words. Even if they whispered he might still hear them.

For the first time that day, Miyuki looked disappointed. Minami couldn't be the cause of ruining her mistress's "perfect morning". She whispered out to Miyuki then.

"Bath Time Rule, tonight?"

Instead of making Miyuki happy again, her words irritated her. Miyuki mouth back to her without sound.

"RULES!"

After Minami contritely bowed her understanding of her mistake, Miyuki smiled brightly again and nodded. Minami, relieved, followed with the breakfast plates.

The rest of breakfast went well. The only noticeable differences was that Miyuki sat directly beside Tatsuya in order to feed him from her chopsticks, and she was using every excuse to touch him.

Minami still had difficulty watching the former siblings doing "couple" activities, but she was gradually learning to ignore her discomfort in that area.

Miyuki was randomly touching his cheek and beaming happily up at his profile, or brushing his shoulder with her hand as she went to get more coffee for him. Tatsuya, for his part, looked both happy and embarrassed at this attention from her, which made the whole scene all the more "cute" to watch.

Minami did her best to NOT watch those moments.

But Miyuki was desperately happy, and that was the most important factor in the whole equation.

"OH Onii-sama!"

Miyuki called out as he finished his meal and wrapped her arms around his arm again.

"It snowed again last night, and it's so beautiful!"

She said this as her eyes looked past the living room out the large windows beyond.

She suddenly turned back with puppy dog eyes at him.

"Can we all go out and play again? I had so much fun with you the other day!"

Tatsuya smirked down at her.

"You can be such a little girl sometimes."

Minami's internal alarm suddenly began to ring in her mind. After the previous night, she judged the last thing Miyuki wanted to hear was that she was a "child" in the mind of her fiancé.

Minami locked her eyes onto Miyuki and waited for the devastated reaction. The smile had melted away and the "clouds" gathered. Had this state lasted for a few seconds more tears might begin falling, but it was Tatsuya the corrected the situation.

"Very well."

He leaned in and kissed Miyuki on the tip of her nose.

"Go get ready."

Miyuki was stunned by this, happily so. Minami was also stunned. She was pleased her jaw didn't drop open at this sudden, emotionally charged, reaction from the reserved and taciturn Tatsuya. However, she felt there was still a real danger one or both of her eyeballs might fall out of their sockets.

Miyuki was experiencing a similar issue, but suddenly she popped up in stunned delight and kissed him back on the forehead while cradling his head in her hands.

"Of course Onii-sama! I'll go get ready now!"

Miyuki never ran anywhere, it was not lady-like; but she could certainly walk at a similar pace when she felt the need. She glided from the room and up the stairs with a happy giggle of excitement.

At times like these she certainly could seem very girlish.

Minami went to rise to clean the plates, but Tatsuya's sudden words stopped her.

"Let the HAR get them. We need to talk."

It felt to Minami like the floor from under her suddenly had disappeared. There was nothing of the warmth his voice had held for Miyuki only seconds before in his instructions to her. She had allowed herself the comfort of believing everything was well and that he would not confront her. Now she sat back down in dread.

Tatsuya picked up his terminal and the HAR retrieval arms descended from the sudden opening in the ceiling above them. She watched as he looked on at the terminal through the working arms of the HAR picking up the items before them. As they took the last plate up into the ceiling opening she felt her own terminal vibrate in her apron pocket. She didn't judge it was a good time to start looking at her terminal though, so she waited for his next words in nervousness.

He then looked up at her. His eyes were neither warm nor cold, but they were probing and disturbing. He looked at her like she was a lab rat or a specimen to be examined. She would have preferred he be angry at her, than to see those cold, piercing eyes. A shiver ran down her back.

After all, she fully knew exactly who Tatsuya was.

She knew his full value to Miyuki, the Yotsuba, and Japan.

She knew he was "Silver" of Taurus Silver fame. The great magic engineer that had changed the world forever with his magic breakthroughs.

She knew of Loop Casting, Flying Magic, and the Stellar Furnace. She knew about Baryon Lance.

She also knew that he was Special Officer "Ogoru Ryuga" of the 101 Magic Battalion.

And she knew about his part in Scorched Halloween, and the Okinawa Incident.

Sitting across the table from her now sat the Demon of Okinawa.

Looking at her with those empty, analytical eyes, was someone so powerful that he could see everything around him and up to a day in the past as well. Someone who could break down everything he saw with his special sight and then rebuild it in the next instant.

Sitting across from her was someone that could bring the almost dead back to full life.

The seventeen year old looking back at her was, despite what he had been told by his family his entire life, simply the most powerful living creature ever conceived on this planet.

Sitting across from her was someone so powerful that his enemies named him after a god.

Mahesvara, the God of Destruction.

She knew that the best magic scientists the Yotsuba could procure had never been able to determine the upper limit of Material Burst. In theory, Tatsuya only had to be able to see an object to convert its mass into pure energy.

She knew a simple rifle bullet had been enough matter for him to wipe out a six ship attack fleet at Okinawa. Whatever he had used to take out the invasion fleet two Halloweens ago was not that much bigger.

He could potentially look up at the night sky at the moon, and eliminate any trace the Human race had ever existed.

"How many hundreds of thousands of worlds would die if he turned his angry gaze towards the Sun?"

And yet she didn't fear him for that. In fact she pitied him. She could imagine the terrible burden that lay on his shoulders.

She remembered the words she had heard her mentor Yonami say to her once after a particularly costly training session in which some of her "sisters" had perished. She knew that having survived this training, she would be advanced to the next level of aptitude within the Sakurai Program.

"The worst thing you can ever do to a God is tell him he's a God, and now there's a good chance that one day you will meet a God, Minami. Never let him know."

She hadn't understood Yonami's words at the time. She wished she still was so innocent of their meaning now.

"I just sent you some data."

Her thoughts had occupied just a few moments of silence. His words snapped her out of her mental reflections. She reached into her pocket and retrieved his message to her.

"I have updated our security procedures in light of Miyuki and myself being revealed as Yotsuba. Please examine it and let me know if you have any suggestions or alterations."

She dutifully did so. She found this type of activity much more conducive towards her temperament than her previous thoughts. She was also again relaxed, as it appeared Tatsuya still had no urge to discuss Toushu-sama's gift to Miyuki.

The list had basically subtle changes to their procedures to account for more notoriety of them. It was divided into "acquaintance" and "non-acquaintance" categories. Minami had applied some thought herself to how they'd deal with all the sudden revelations over the past few days. She was more concerned with how their "acquaintances" would react than strangers. Minami could simply throw up a shield to protect Miyuki from strangers, their friends and classmates though…

"I have no suggestions at this time Tatsuya-sama. I believe you have covered the potential threats well."

Tatsuya nodded in reply.

"Let me know if you think of anything else later."

It was Minami's turn to nod back acknowledgement to his statement.

"Yes Tatsuya-sama."

His eyes returned to looking at her then. They were still horribly empty.

"A package arrived here yesterday with the normal delivery."

Only one thought crossed her mind at that moment.

"…damn."

He placed his hands together on the table in front of him and steepled his fingers together.

"You chose not to inform me of the package or its contents."

She looked back at him with as much composure as she was capable of as he continued.

"Was there a reason for this?"

Minami fought hard not to swallow a gulp before responding.

"The package was addressed to Miyuki-sama alone. I followed standard procedure to determine its threat level and once I determined it posed no threat, I gave it to the addressee, Miyuki-sama."

Tatsuya's eyebrow rose only slightly at this.

"By then you had determined that it was from the main residence, of course. Yet you still chose not to inform me despite the fact that I am in charge of security for Miyuki and this house?"

Minami calmly nodded.

"That is correct, since it was a present, no threat, and also, not yours."

Minami said that it was "not yours" on purpose. She knew she was treading dangerously with that, but she also knew she had a point. The gift was for Miyuki and was hers to do with as she pleased.

The right corner of Tatsuya's mouth twisted upward in an attempt at a smirk, but no pleasure reached his probing eyes.

"Then let me correct this situation now. From now on all packages that arrive in this house will be inspected by me before Miyuki is to touch them."

Minami took a deep breath before steeling herself for the response.

"I can only comply with your request if Miyuki-sama orders me to do so."

Tatsuya blinked a few times before replying himself.

"Are you telling me you will not inform me of all packages that enter this house unless Miyuki orders you to do so?"

Minami nodded her affirmation.

"Tatsuya-sama, as Miyuki-sama's former Guardian, you are more aware of this fact than anyone else. Miyuki-sama is my Primary. I will do as Miyuki-sama wishes before all else, save for her personal safety. Baring direct instructions from Miyuki-sama, I will use my Guardian and servant training to determine her wishes and will proceed accordingly until I can confirm with her, her wishes and instructions."

Tatsuya had a genuine smirk now as he listened to her.

"Knowing Miyuki-sama did not wish for you to know beforehand about Toushu-sama's gift, and quickly confirming so with her once she had it. I made the correct decision not to inform you of it. I obey Miyuki-sama in all things save her personal safety. Therefore, I cannot comply with your request to see all her deliveries without her express consent."

Tatsuya took her words in stride before responding.

"Did you consider the intent behind this 'gift' when assessing its threat level?"

Minami nodded affirmation before replying.

"Of course Tatsuya-sama, that is part of our training."

He tilted his head slightly at that.

"And you still thought it was not appropriate to inform me of it?"

Minami blinked back at him then.

"Can I speak frankly with Tatsuya-sama on this matter?"

"I hope you feel you can speak honestly about all matters with me, especially those concerning Miyuki."

Minami looked down to gather her thoughts, then returned her eyes to him with an earnest expression.

"The intent behind this gift is clear, as is the gift of the new bed. Toushu-sama wishes her son to produce heirs with her niece and future successor."

For the first time in this conversation Tatsuya seemed to have a human response. He winced slightly and looked away awkwardly. Minami didn't let his reaction stop her.

"Miyuki-sama's intentions on the matter are equally clear. While she hasn't mentioned children to me, she clearly wishes to be Tatsuya-sama's future wife and romantic partner. Since Miyuki is my Primary, I will do what I need to do to meet her expectations of me. I will also do all I can to assist her to reach her goals."

Tatsuya was now once again focused on her words. Since he didn't interject at this point, Minami decided to elaborate on her position a bit more.

"As the son of Toushu-sama, and the fiancé of Miyuki-sama, as well as my predecessor as her Guardian; I will serve and obey Tatsuya-sama in all things, save when they contradict the wishes of Miyuki-sama. Last night Miyuki-sama wanted to surprise Tatsuya-sama with Toushu-sama's gift. I therefore preformed my duties and helped her achieve her goal."

Tatsuya smirked then and laughed lightly. When he saw Minami's confusion, he responded with a smile.

"Your statement reminded me of analogy I once heard."

She couldn't help showing mild irritation when it was clear he didn't plan to elaborate. Seeing this, he breathed a sigh and continued.

"When I am Miyuki's 'prey' and she the 'hunter' trying to capture me; then I must assume you will be her loyal 'hunting dog' and drive me into her 'trap', right?"

Hearing this comparison, Minami took a moment to absorb it.

"Well….um…..so long as Miyuki's safety isn't compromised I will assist her first and foremost. So…yes, I suppose that is a fair comparison."

She knew she didn't look convinced. That seemed to amuse him for a few seconds more, before his expression turned dark and serious again.

"And you never considered that Toushu-sama's intentions could have been anything else?"

She was genuinely perplexed at this question. Her eyes moved around in their sockets as she tried to figure out what he was asking of her. Finally, mentally exhausted by the exercise, she shook her head in response.

"With that…..particular item…what else could Toushu-sama's intentions have possibly been?"

Tatsuya looked away then, but his reaction perplexed her further. He seemed sadden by her answer. She couldn't understand this reaction from him. She also couldn't suppress her own angst at having apparently disappointing him. She would always put Miyuki first, but she respected Tatsuya and coveted his good opinion of her.

"And who would you obey if Miyuki couldn't give you orders…"

She looked up again at his odd expression.

"…..and your only choices were Toushu-sama or me?"

The cold eyes again bore into her. She almost felt like her soul was being eaten alive by the power of his presence.

"The worst thing you can ever tell a god, is that he is a god."

Those words again invaded her mind.

Was she looking into the eyes of a human being, or the endless abyss of an other-worldly power?

"Is this what it's like to be face to face with…a…..?"

She wouldn't allow that last thought "life" inside her mind. Once that box was open, no one could close it again. She focused on a response. It was the honest answer of her heart.

"I have, yet, to encounter a situation where Miyuki-sama would side with the family over Tatsuya-sama's position on a matter. If I were forced in a position to have to interpret Miyuki-sama's wishes without direct input from her, I would most likely have to side with Tatsuya-sama over the wishes of the family."

She thought it was a good answer and would mollify his concerns, but that sad look returned to his face. She couldn't help but feel she hadn't said anything right since the start of this conversation.

Then a smirk crossed his face, but the sadness never left his eyes.

"Then I had best hope that Minami-san never finds any reason to judge me unworthy of Miyuki's confidence."

The smile was there, but he still had those "god-like" eyes.

"No, it is I who had best hope that I never find a reason to oppose you Tatsuya-sama, ever."