Chapter Ten: A Warm Meal

"So," Dad started, folding his hands together as he leaned forward on the table. "How have you been adjusting to your new home?"

I cautiously glanced over at Kotomi, who gave me her usual encouraging smile. "It's been…different. It's taken some getting used to; getting on a new schedule so I don't miss school, having a new route to memorize – well, I guess there really isn't much to memorize, since Kotomi-chan and I walk to school and home together." I couldn't look my dad in the eye as I finished that thought.

"So things have been getting better for you?"

I mulled his question over for a bit. "Yeah. My attendance has improved, my grades have improved…" Outside of Dad's sight, I gently squeezed Kotomi' hand. "…and I get to see my best friend every day." I nodded as I thought a bit more. "Yeah, I've got it pretty good right now."

He smiled a gentle smile. "I'm glad to hear that, Tomoya. Please don't think that I'm boasting, but I had a feeling something like this would happen if I let you move out."

"Why did you let me move out? I mean, I heard what you just said, but you couldn't have known that this would happen."

"True." He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "I knew that you and Kotomi-chan were friends back when you were younger, and the Ichinoses weren't unknown around here. And…" He looked like he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "…I believed that she would be a good influence on you. Much better than your blonde friend, and better than I have been." He leaned forward again. "Remember, she has been through a lot, so she is a strong girl." He seemed to catch himself. "Forgive me, Kotomi-chan; I don't mean to talk about you as though you're not here."

"It is okay," she said. "Thank you for your kind words."

He smiled at her before returning his gaze to me. "So when she came to me with the suggestion that you move in with her, I agreed that it would be best. I normally don't agree with young men and women living together, but I also know that the two of you have come from unusual circumstances and you already have a history."

I looked over at Kotomi with an embarrassed smile. "Even though I managed to forget it all."

She smiled at me affectionately. "I am just glad that you did eventually remember me."

"Me too," I grunted.

"So…" Dad said, interrupting my thoughts. "…do you two have any plans for marriage?"

My face fell. "Did you tell him, too?" I asked Kotomi.

"She hasn't told me anything," he said with another gentle smile. "The way you look at each other speaks volumes."

Kotomi and I looked at each other and, if the burning sensation in my face was any indicator, I was blushing just as much as she was. "We…have talked about it," I admitted. "We just haven't set a date, yet."

"We wish to wait at least until after graduation," Kotomi added.

"Ideally, I'd like to have a job lined up, too," I said.

"Tomoya-kun, my parents still receive royalties from their patents."

"I understand that," I countered. "But this is not about just the money. It's also about me being a responsible member of society."

"You may not understand this, Kotomi-chan," Dad interjected, "but we men need to be able to provide for others. It's one of the things we are made to do."

I watched the gears turn in Kotomi's lovely head once again. "That is consistent with what I have read, though I do not understand it."

"I believe it will make more sense when you have children," my dad suggested, then smiled as Kotomi and I blushed again; I think he secretly enjoyed that. "In any case, Tomoya is correct; your parents' royalties will only take you so far. One or both of you will need employment to supplement that income."

'Well," I grunted, "Kotomi shouldn't have any problems there; she could teach college before she even attends it."

"Tomoya-kun!" Kotomi protested.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" I leaned back and crossed my arms. "I'm the weak link in this relationship when it comes to employment ability."

"But…but you are more than that…"

"I understand that, but most employers aren't going to see me that way." I then remembered that we weren't alone. "Sorry Dad; I didn't mean to argue in front of you."

"I am sorry as well," Kotomi added.

Dad shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm actually glad to see that you two care enough to work through your problems rather than bottle them up."

"Well," Kotomi said while smiling at my dad, "I love Tomoya-kun very much."

"Yeah, I don't want anything to come between us," I added. I looked over at her with a smile of my own. "I want her to be able to smile all the time."

Kotomi was awfully quiet on the way home as she stared at the road and it was starting to worry me. "You okay?"

"Huh?" she looked up at me like she just realized I was there. "Oh! I am sorry, Tomoya-kun; I was thinking."

"I can see that," I said. "Looks like whatever you're thinking about is really bothering you."

She stopped suddenly, still looking at the ground, and I stopped with her. "Tomoya-kun…I want to marry you."

I blinked. "Yeah, I know; I want to marry you, too. We talked about this bef-"

"No, no," she interrupted, shaking her head. "I do not want to wait anymore." She looked up at me with watery eyes. "I have been waiting for so long."

"What do you mean?" I protested. "We only talked about this a couple of weeks…ago…?" I trailed off as I remembered… "I have waited for ten years for this." A wry smile spread across my face. "I guess you have been waiting for a while, haven't you?"

She nodded wordlessly.

I sighed. "Well, I still think we should wait until graduation, but I guess that doesn't mean we can't set a date." I leveled my gaze at her. "You understand that this means the others will know."

She nodded tearfully as she trembled.

I chuckled softly as I gathered her into my arms. "Okay, Kotomi-chan; when we get home we'll set a date."

She didn't answer, at least not with words. The mind-blowing kiss she gave told me all I needed to know.