Chapter 19

After watching his best friend walk around the apartment in a daze the entire morning, Yukihito Yashiro was dying of curiosity. Obviously things went well, but did they really go that well or was Kuon just as easy to please as he had been when he was younger? As said, the curiosity was killing him.

"So… How did it go? Did Shin like his gift?" He asked as he sipped his coffee and watched Kuon float about the kitchen, scavenging for a snack. Another more recent, unprecedented occurrence. Kuon looking for food.

"Mmhm…" He answered with a nod and a mouth full of salt and vinegar potato chips.

Okay… but what about Kyoko? Yukihito thought frustratingly. "Anything else?" He pried.

"Mmhm…" He answered vaguely, searching through the refrigerator for anything that might catch his fancy and sate his newly formed appetite.

Yuki's mind exploded in irritation nearly causing internal injuries from the frustration. Details, he needed details. His fanboy personality demanded details. After so many years of this fiasco, he needed the soothing balm of details to cover his injured heart. "Well?"

Kuon stood in a dazed state for several minutes, thinking of the kiss she had planted on him.

"Kuon?" Yuki stood from his seat and snapped his fingers in front of Kuon's face. "Hey!"Snap, snap.

"Hmm?" He answered, finally noticing his best friend standing before him with an irritated look on his face. Why was Yuki so irritated? What happened? "Something wrong?" Kuon asked cluelessly.

Yuki groaned out, grabbed his coffee and left for his room. "Nevermind…" He growled out, nearly slamming the door behind him.

"Hmm… Wonder what's got him in such a bad mood." Kuon pondered, then went back to searching for the perfect snack.

~xoxo~

Not too far from Kuon's apartment, Kyoko hadn't been much better off. For Shin, it was actually quite entertaining. He'd never seen his own mother so completely absentminded as she had been that entire morning. She had agreed to anything he'd asked of her. Double chocolate chip pancakes? Sure. A milkshake to accompany said pancakes for breakfast? Not a problem. Can I crush those cookies up and sprinkle them on top of those pancakes? Why not? He knew she was too far gone when he'd informed her of the ComicCon in Florida the next day and she'd approved his attendance without hesitation. Not that he would actually go, he was just testing to see how far he could push before she actually noticed. Apparently there was no limit and that's when he knew for certain he needed some assistance.

"I don't know why she's like this, Auntie Nae." He said exasperatedly into the phone.

Kanae groaned. "Mo… Get her on the phone, Shin. I'll wake her up." She had a hunch that something would happen after Kyoko had told her that she would be spending the previous day with Kuon, but she didn't know it would be this bad. She'd seriously wondered what exactly had happened between the two to make her best friend so completely muddled. They couldn't have possibly done… That. Could they? She wondered as she heard Shin summon his mother and hand her the phone.

Honestly, Kanae really didn't approve of Kuon in the least bit, but whatever made Kyoko happy would be fine. It was a matter of the heart and the heart knows what's best for it. She had taken care of her own issues years ago and been silently watching Kyoko's on the sidelines the entire time. She'd hated how Kuon had handled everything from day one and would have preferred that Kyoko's heart had settled on someone more deserving than him, but who was she to actually say who was most deserving? In her opinion, that person didn't exist. Kyoko was like a mystical creature, a Unicorn or a Phoenix. Where could there be another like her in male form? There wasn't, so Kanae would have to settle and hope for the best.

"Hm?" She heard Kyoko hum into the phone.

"Mo! Snap out of it! Tell me what happened to make you so stupid or I'll never call you again!" She barked out.

Shin watched as his mother's face flushed to a bright red and his eyes went wide.

She looked down at her son and took the phone into the kitchen. "Kanae… I kissed him." She murmured into the phone, almost in a conspiratorial voice.

Kanae's eyebrow twitched in irritation. This was what caused her to be like that? She wanted to reach through the line and smack her. What the hell? She had a child with the man for god's sake! Why would a little kiss send her into this state? Kanae groaned a little. "Why let something like that bother you so much?" She asked, not mentioning the obvious. She didn't wish to send her friend into a tizzy, thinking about her one night with Kuon years ago.

Kyoko let out a little whine. "I don't know. It's just… Do you think he hated it? Should I have kissed him? We only just started dating and I don't want him to get the wrong impression."

A little late for that. Kanae thought as she rolled her eyes. "Why would he get the wrong impression, Kyoko? You two have a child together. You've known each other for years…collectively. Has he really changed so much in your time apart that it would make you think he would feel that way?" She asked.

Kyoko was quiet for a moment. "No… I suppose not."

"Kyoko, let me ask you something… Do you really think he's that different from the other men you've dated in the past?" She paused. "Don't answer me off the top of your head. He's not the god-like entity that you thought he was when we were teens back in Japan. You have far more experience with men than you did back then. You know he's a normal man, for the most part… He's obviously attracted to you or he wouldn't have accepted your invitation to spend the day with you and Shin… By the way, how did that go?"

Kyoko really couldn't compare him to the other men she'd dated, because she'd only gone out with them as a work related obligation. Well, at least that's what she believed; however, Kanae had a hunch that many of them didn't feel the same way about the whole situation. "We spent the day together. He brought Shin a replica of the Enterprise and read him a bedtime story… I brought out the baby photos and videos… we talked for awhile and decided to start dating." She told her quietly in the end. "Th- then I kissed him and… Oh god! I shoved him out of the house!" She moaned. "I shoved him out of the house, Kanae! What do I do?! I don't want him to think I hate him!" She whined in a panicked voice.

Kanae bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing herself silly. Kyoko was being utterly ridiculous. "Mo! Calm down! I seriously doubt he thinks that you hate him." God, she could hardly wait to call Sho and spill all of this to him. It might just pull him away from his comedy show marathon. She sighed out, pulling herself together and calmly instructed her best friend. It was nice having her like this now and not a complete mess for other reasons, like before. She'd much rather have her silly than broken. "Just give him a call. You have his number and you are his girlfriend now, right?"

"Oh! I… I guess so. But, are you sure that's okay?" She stammered a little.

"Yes, Kyoko. It's okay. I don't think he would mind at all. Now hang up and call him." Kanae commanded.

Kyoko smiled softly and chuckled. "Thanks, Kanae. I don't know what I would do without you." She told her before ending their call and handing Shin's phone back to him.

"You okay now, Mom?" Shin asked with a voice laced with concern.

She ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Sweetie. Mommy's okay now. Sorry about this morning."

He giggled. "It's okay. I didn't mind what we had for breakfast. It was just a little out of the ordinary and I was worried about you when you told me I could go to Florida by myself tomorrow."

Kyoko looked at him in shock. "I did what?!"