Chapter Ten: Lessons

Just to be on the safe side I gave it a couple of days before asking Tomoyo about her availability.

"So, when will you be free on Saturday?" I asked as I watched her make breakfast.

The hand she was using to stir slowed. "I…should be free by one-o-clock."

"So should we try to meet with her at about two? Would that be enough time?"

"Tomoya…" she said in that pained voice again.

"What's going on?" I asked, starting to get a little annoyed. "You seem upset or something; did I piss you off?"

"No, it's not that…"

I struggled to my feet, cursing my still-weakened legs, and made my way over to her. "Look, whatever it is, I'd like to help if I can."

Her stirring slowed again, then she lowered the heat and put the spoon on the counter before turning to face me with haunted eyes. "I…I know you would." She reached out and laid a shaky hand against my cheek. "T-Tomoya, the truth is…I…we…"

Before I realized it I had put my hand on her face as well. "Hey, it's okay Tomoyo; I'm here for you."

"I-I know you are," she said, her eyes starting to tear up. "That's why we…"

"'That's why we' what?" I pressed. "Why is it so hard to say? Are we childhood friends, too? That'd be pretty cool!"

"No, it's not that. I just…don't want to influence you unfairly…"

I ducked my head down to get a better look at her downturned face. "What do you mean, 'influence me'?"

She pulled away from me and turned back to the stove. "I-I need to finish making breakfast."

I sighed heavily as I headed back to the kotatsu. Would she ever tell me what was bothering her?

"Ah! Tomoya-kun! Tomoyo-chan! Good afternoon!" Kotomi greeted as she rose from her seat at the café. She looked really pretty in her white dress and white hat.

"Good afternoon," I returned as I shuffled up to her. My legs were getting stronger little by little, but I still had a ways to go. "Thanks for being willing to come all the way out here."

"It is not a problem," she said as Tomoyo quietly took a seat. "I would have been willing to meet you at your house, but…" she glanced over at my silver-haired friend. "…I now understand that that might not look wholesome."

"Cool." I pulled out a chair and fell into it. "So, what are we filling my head with today?"

"?" At least it wasn't as bad as three.

"What are you going to teach me today?" I amended.

"Oh!" She chirped. "I think I understand! When you say 'filling my head' you are referring to learning, are you not?"

Tomoyo and I exchanged a stunned glance. "That…That's right," I managed to say. "Good job, Kotomi-chan!"

"Th-Thank you," she replied, looking up at me from under her eyelashes. "I have been working on my understanding of metaphors and similes, as well as hyperbole."

"I…don't get all that," I admitted, "but if it helped you understand what I was trying to say, then it looks like your work has paid off."

"I am happy to hear that…Tomoya," she said before blushing fiercely.

"Whoa, you okay?" I asked. "Your face is all r-" I cut myself off as it hit me: She called me 'Tomoya' without any honorifics. "N-Never mind," I said, feeling my own face heat up.

"What's going on?" Tomoyo asked, finally joining the conversation. "Why are you both all red?"

Without looking, I jerked a thumb toward my childhood friend. "Sh-She has always used honorifics, so stopping the way she did is just…." I shuddered.

"I-I am sorry, Tomoya," I heard Kotomi reply. "I-I f-feel so close to you now, that…"

"Could we just get on with the lesson?" Tomoyo griped. "What are you gonna be teaching Tomoya?"

"Teaching! Yes!" Kotomi squeaked. "I-I was thinking that we c-could work on your Japanese."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "Sounds good," I managed to say in an even tone.

"So remember; you are expressing concepts, not just words. Remembering this will help you when it comes to learning other languages."

"I think it get it," I grunted. "But why does it matter? I'm not planning on leaving the country."

"Weren't you the one saying you wanted more power or something like that?" Tomoyo interjected.

I blinked; I didn't remember saying anything like that and said as much.

"Oh, right; that was before….yeah," she said in a subdued tone.

"But now that you mention it, I could hear myself saying something like that," I admitted. "Sleeping away my time in school was probably one of the stupidest things I could've done."

"Learning another language at the conversational level will give you more options for your future than you would have otherwise," Kotomi pointed out.

I sighed heavily. "Fine. So, what were you saying? Concepts?"

"Different languages express concepts with not only different words, but different phrasing as well," she said while nodding. "So if you think of it as communicating a concept rather than trying to translate it word-for-word, you will have an easier time."

I mulled this over. "Okay, I think I got it. "Thanks, Kotomi."

"K-K-Ko…" I looked over in alarm to see Kotomi paling and sweating, and her eyes starting to roll back into her head.

I caught her before she could fall out of her seat; even as shapely as she was, she was really light. "K-Kotomi?! Hey, you okay?"

Her eyes fluttered open, and she focused on my face. "Y-You c-called me 'Kotomi'…"

"Yes, I did," I said, smiling down at her wide-eyed expression. "Is that okay? I thought you'd want me to."

She reached up and rested a hand on my cheek. "That is…perfect. Thank you, Tomoya."

The sound of a throat clearing drew our attention, and we both looked to see Tomoyo glaring at us. "If you're done there," she said through her teeth, "could we get back to the lesson?"

"S-Sure," I said. "Sorry." I helped Kotomi back into her seat, and I noticed that Tomoyo's hands were closed into fists; in fact, they were so tight that her knuckles had turned white. "Hey, Tomoyo; you okay?"

"Sure, I'm just fine," she ground out. "Watching my fiancé flirt with other girls is what I call a good time."

I could feel the blood drain from my face as Kotomi gasped. "Wha…"

Tomoyo slowly stood up, her eyes firmly fixed on the table. "Tomoya? I…I'm…your fiancée."

I kept my head between my knees, gulping huge lungfuls of air. "So that's…"

"I am so sorry, Tomoya," Kotomi said for the umpteenth time. "You told me about it, but I thought that-"

"You could steal him away while he's an amnesiac?" Tomoyo hissed; I'd never heard her talk like that before.

"Y-You were not even trying!" Kotomi countered. "I thought you had given up on him!"

"Is this what you were talking about when you said you didn't want to influence me?" I asked my…fiancée?

She nodded with a look of regret, though some of her glare remained. "I'm sorry, Tomoya. I guess I was hoping that your memory would come back and you'd remember me and everything would be okay. I guess I hadn't considered other girls making a move on you," she finished, glaring at Kotomi, who shrunk under her gaze.

…but only for a moment. "It should not have surprised you that others would find him attractive; he is a wonderful man with a good heart. He may not be very knowledgeable right now, but I know that he is smart and can learn anything he puts his mind to!"

"K-Kotomi…?" I felt a little overwhelmed by her faith in me, but I was also a little concerned about her sudden hostility.

"Maybe you do not deserve someone like him if you really think of him that way," Kotomi sniffed.

I sat back up to see Tomoyo with her mouth agape; apparently, no one had ever told her off like that before. "I…I don't think badly of him."

"Really?" Wow, Genius Girl was on fire. I'd never seen her so angry. "During our lessons I have heard you insult his intelligence, his morals, and his overall competence." She grabbed my arm. "I would never treat him in such a manner."

"You don't know him that well," Tomoyo countered, grabbing my other arm.

"That is true," Kotomi conceded, "I do not know all of the details of who he is, but…" she released my arm to stand and put her nose right to Tomoyo's. "…as his childhood friend, I know the kind of person he is, but it sounds as though you do not."

"K-Kotomi…" I warned as I saw Tomoyo's fingers flexing. "You're playing with fire right now."

"I am sorry, Tomoya," she said, settling back into her seat. "I have not liked the ways that she has spoken to or about you."

"I get that," I said, still feeling a little overwhelmed. "Thanks."

"Let us return to our lesson," my tutor said with another sniff. "But consider yourself warned, Tomoyo-chan; if I find out that you have mistreated him again, I will do everything in my power to protect him from you."

Tomoyo snorted at the threat, but was otherwise silent for the rest of the lesson.