L-chan's notes: This is your flashback chapter, to answer the question of "Where did Reiji come from?" It's also the chapter that earns this story its R rating for sexual content, so if you are underage, please skip this chapter. In terms of plot, you won't miss much that won't be referred to later. If you do read, I thank you for that, and I appreciate any comments you care to send my way.
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Life to Bring You This Important Announcement
Chapter 2—Four Years Earlier
Tomoyo was glad she'd accepted her classmates' offer to go out and celebrate the end of term. It beat going back to her apartment and falling asleep during an old movie on television, and was a much more fun way of shaking off the stress from exams. The three girls were sitting around a booth at a cozy bar, sharing a pitcher of some fruity concoction that surely contained more alcohol than the taste let on, and spilling secrets about some of their professors. The stories were already starting to get ridiculous, with each girl trying to top the others with far-out tales that resembled truth about as much as a politician's campaign promises.
"Okay, I've got one," Tomoyo said, giggling as Kaede poured her a second glass of the strawberry punch. "You know how Akita-sensei always has—" She was about to spin her best fable when a familiar figure caught her eye. Sometime in the last few minutes, Touya had taken a seat at the bar to order a beer. Tomoyo kept looking at him curiously until he finally noticed her, raising his hand in a silent greeting. She waved back and tried to remember what she'd just been talking about.
"Ooh, so who's that?" Harumi asked, bringing Tomoyo's attention back to her friends.
Kaede was practically leaning over the table to get a better look. "Mmm, he's yummy. Have you been holding out on us, Tomoyo?"
"No, no," Tomoyo answered with a shake of her head. "He's just... my cousin."
"So, he's available?" Kaede asked.
"Not exactly. He has a boyfriend." That wasn't her business to tell, but one drink was all it had taken to loosen her tongue.
Kaede and Harumi both sighed with the unspoken lament of single women everywhere—why are all the cute ones gay? "Then we're completely harmless," Harumi said. "See if he wants to join us."
Tomoyo glanced back at the bar. "I don't know...." He didn't seem to be in a very good mood. She could practically see the dark cloud hanging over him as he frowned into his glass. Was something wrong? Why wasn't he with Yukito?
"He looks like he needs some fun. And we're fun, right?" Harumi prodded.
Her friends weren't going to let up, so Tomoyo finally gave in and crossed the room, perching awkwardly on the barstool next to Touya. "Hello," she said when he didn't look up.
"Yeah, hi."
He sounded distracted, and Tomoyo wished she hadn't bothered him. But now that she had, she had to say something. "How are you?"
Touya rolled his eyes and swirled the beer in his glass. "How do I look?"
Tired. He looked tired. "Like you've lost your best friend."
Her guess was met with a sardonic chuckle. "Give the girl a prize."
"Did something happen to Yukito-san?" she asked worriedly. Though, surely, if something had, Sakura would have called her.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry." Sufficiently chastised for intruding where she was not wanted, Tomoyo slid from the stool and prepared to slink back to her table.
"No, I'm sorry," Touya sighed. "You were just being nice. That's not something I get a lot of lately."
She didn't know how to respond to that without further invading his privacy. "Well, if you want some company, you can sit with us." She pointed to the booth, where her two friends were watching eagerly.
"Thanks," he said vaguely, but he didn't sound interested.
"You're welcome."
She turned to go back to her table, but he stopped her. "What are you drinking?"
"Excuse me?"
"If I'm going to intrude, I should at least spring for a round or two."
"Really? I mean, if you don't want—"
"No point in being alone and depressed. I'm sure Yuki's not sitting around waiting for me to call and apologize."
That sure made it sound like they'd split up, but she still didn't feel comfortable asking him about it. Instead, she let him buy them another pitcher of strawberry punch and thanked him profusely before throwing him to the wolves.
But her friends surprised her by being extremely polite, though they still managed to fawn over him as Tomoyo made the necessary introductions.
"You're Sakura's brother?" Kaede asked, and he nodded. "I had your father for history overview last term. He's really great."
"Yeah, I think he's the only professor we haven't made fun of," Harumi added.
"I'm sure he'd be touched," Touya replied dryly. "If you all go to Towa, then surely you've had Miwa-sensei for philosophy seminar?" he asked, and the girls all nodded. No one escaped Towa University without suffering through Miwa-sensei's coma-inducing lectures. "Does he still have the toupee?"
"That's a toupee?" Harumi asked.
Touya raised an eyebrow at her as if to say that it should be obvious to anyone with eyes. "And a pretty bad one. I remember this one time when he'd left the windows open to air out the classroom, and a bird tried to nest in it."
Kaede's mouth dropped open in a mix of amusement and horror. "You're making that up."
"It's the truth. I swear." But he shot Tomoyo a quick grin, which made her wonder if the toupee part was even true.
More drinks were served, and they continued to joke and tell stories about school or work or their families. Touya had visibly relaxed and seemed to be enjoying himself, much to Tomoyo's relief. She watched him as he told her friends about the magazine article he was researching, but she didn't hear anything he said. Instead, she was busy just looking at him. She'd never done that before. He was quite good-looking, as the girls had said, but maybe she'd just gotten used to that. Now it was like she was seeing him for the first time. His eyes were the deepest shade of brown she'd ever seen, and his dark hair was just disheveled enough to give him that carelessly sexy appeal. She mentally scratched out "quite good-looking" and replaced it with "perfectly gorgeous."
He caught her staring at him, but instead of being embarrassed, she gave him her best smile. He smiled back and held her gaze until Harumi asked him something about his research. It was only when the connection was broken that Tomoyo felt silly for flirting with him like that. But she realized she'd been flirting with him all evening, laughing at his jokes and displaying her most charming personality. It must have worked, because sometimes, he'd been flirting back.
After one last round, Harumi suggested going to a karaoke place she knew, but Tomoyo begged off, claiming that she was too tired. Her friends didn't even protest and immediately invited Touya to go with them, but he gave the same excuse and offered to take Tomoyo home. She tried to conceal the inexplicable happiness that bubbled up within her.
The walk to her apartment was much too short, and she found herself disappointed that the evening had come to an end. The countless strawberry drinks had left her with a warm, mellow feeling, and she didn't want that to end. While she was trying to figure out what to say, he said it first. "Thanks. I had fun."
"Really?" She didn't mean to sound so surprised, but it must have been funny, because he laughed. Plus, he'd had as much to drink as she had, which had loosened him up considerably. "Well, good. I know my friends can be a little... enthusiastic."
"They weren't so bad. And it was nice, hanging out with you. All these years, and we've never done anything together, just the two of us," he added.
She'd been thinking the same thing. She'd learned more about him in one evening than she had in all the years she'd known him. "It was nice," she agreed. "Nice" was usually a tepid word, but in this context, it was warm. Very warm. "Maybe we can do it again sometime."
"Yeah, maybe." There was something in his tone that made her study him carefully. He was looking at her, and though his features were deliberately schooled in an expression of polite interest, his dark eyes showed something else. The brown—almost black—color was brimmed with the ambiguity of conflicting emotions.
All evening she'd been experiencing a similarly complex barrage. She'd been curious about him, felt sorry for him, enjoyed flirting with him, and found herself attracted to him. As she met his gaze, all of these came flooding back. Maybe her emotions weren't as conflicting as his appeared to be, but they were confusing nonetheless. He was holding her there with his eyes, telling her something she couldn't understand no matter how much she tried. Maybe she wasn't supposed to. It was possible he didn't even realize what he was doing. And if he thought he wasn't giving anything away, he was wrong.
But that couldn't be it. Because she knew that whatever Touya was telling her, she was saying it back to him. And he was acknowledging it. All without words. All in total silence.
Except for the rapid pounding of her heart.
The moment was finally broken when Tomoyo looked down quickly. She'd felt something strong there, an electric current that sent a buzz through her body and left her tingling all over. There was no way this was happening. It was crazy. So, then... why did she want it?
Her eyes met his again, and he seemed a bit shaken, too. But he composed himself well enough that she wondered if it had been her imagination. "Well, I'll see you later," he said, just a hint of a wry smile playing at his lips. His hand reached out and almost brushed her hair before coming to rest on her shoulder, then sliding down her arm slowly until his fingers closed around hers in a gentle squeeze. It was the non-date equivalent of a good night kiss, but if he intended it to be just a friendly gesture, it felt like more.
She couldn't find her voice to respond until he'd almost moved past her to head back toward the stairs. "Wait," she said, and he turned around. She sent him every nonverbal signal she knew and asked, "Do you want to come in for some coffee?"
He held her gaze briefly before nodding and following her inside the apartment. She flipped on the entry light, and their shoes and coats were left neatly by the door in a way that belied the haste with which they were removed. The kitchen remained dark, and the coffee pot completely ignored. They never made it that far.
Tomoyo felt her back meet the hallway wall as Touya's mouth covered hers. He tasted faintly of beer and salt, and she knew she must taste like strawberries and cream. The contrasting flavors mixed together on her tongue like an aphrodisiac. Her arms wound around his neck, and her fingers slid into his thick hair as she kissed him back, first in awkward exploration, then with deeper passion as she gained confidence, learning the shape of his lips and how he liked to be kissed.
His hands were on her waist, pressing her back against the wall with just the gentle nudge of his body, trapping her there, though there was nowhere else she wanted to go. She pulled him closer to encourage him, and as she did so, the thought flashed through her mind that she shouldn't be doing this. She stamped that thought out, dug a hole for it, covered it with dirt, and stamped on it some more. She was an adult, and if she was attracted to someone, why shouldn't she act on it? It wasn't as if she expected anything from him. She knew that sex didn't always have to go with love and commitment. Sometimes it was just for fun, a way to share something special with someone and create a wonderful memory.
Of course, this was the first time she'd ever seriously considered putting that theory into practice. She'd never slept with someone she wasn't at least officially dating. But they liked and respected each other, and that was enough for her. It was simply a continuation of this night and the closeness they'd developed, and she wasn't willing to let go of that yet.
So when his hands moved higher, searching for her blouse buttons, she didn't protest. Her mouth was otherwise occupied, first with the kissing, then with slight panting as his fingers brushed over her pale skin, sparking heat inside her like the strike of a match. Once her blouse was hanging open, he slid a hand around her back, feeling for something before realizing her bra clasped in the front. He quickly remedied that mistake and pulled the hook free from its sleeve.
The kisses continued to build in frequency and intensity. Tomoyo found herself struggling to breathe and finally dragged her mouth away from his when he pushed the lace-trimmed fabric aside to curve his hands over her breasts. Like a string being pulled taut, she felt the tightening of her entire body as her flesh puckered beneath his circling thumbs. The sparks flickered again, and she gasped against his cheek.
Her own fingers went to work on Touya's shirt buttons, and when the last one was free, she ran her hands over his chest. There was a small part of her that was holding back giggles, having never imagined that she would ever be half-naked and undressing her best friend's brother, whom she'd known for ten years without ever noticing how incredibly sexy he was. It was funny and absurd and surreal, and at the same time, there was so much heat between them that it wasn't funny at all, and she couldn't laugh if her life depended on it.
Their mouths came together again in a series of fleeting kisses, sharing the same breath. His hands trailed down the sides of her body and came to rest on her waist again before sliding lower and finding the hem of her skirt. He pushed the fabric up and out of his way, and she wrapped her arms around him again as he pressed closer to her. She wanted him, so much that her body was crying, and she felt the unmistakable evidence that he wanted her, too.
But when his fingers wandered near the top of her panties, those earlier thoughts crawled out of the grave she'd dug for them. She needed to be sure before going any further. She wasn't the one newly out of a long-term relationship. "Wait," she whispered. It was the first word either of them had spoken since coming inside. His hands stopped but didn't move away. "Is this really okay?"
He looked at her, his eyes dark with lust but showing confusion. "Don't you want to?" he asked hoarsely.
"Why do you think I invited you in?"
"For coffee?"
"I don't have any coffee."
He chuckled at that and kissed her again, and she was relieved to know that he truly wanted to be here, with her. There was no hesitation, no sign of second thoughts in that kiss. It was all heat and desire as his tongue teased its way between her lips. She leaned against the wall and pulled him close, falling back into the moment so easily that it was as if they had never stopped. While one of her hands was rubbing his back beneath his unbuttoned shirt, the other traced a path along his zipper before gently cupping him, then squeezing him. His breathing became more ragged, and his fingers dug into her hips.
Her neck arched as his open mouth left a hot trail from her cheek to her shoulder, and the sparks inside her merged into a full flame. He began tugging her panties down, and she wiggled side to side in an awkward attempt at helping while grabbing his shoulders to keep her balance. She forgot about even trying to breathe now, since his hands were caressing her bare legs, lifting one up around his waist. She could feel the coarse fabric of his pants against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and she moved her leg again, reveling in the friction like she'd discovered electricity. His hand remained there to support her, and the other finally sought the place between her legs.
Words had no meaning. They didn't even exist. There was only pure physical feeling as two of his long fingers stroked her, slowly moving back and forth, priming her. She gasped, and he swallowed the sound as he kissed her again. The fire inside her burned with the intensity of the sun, and the heat pushed against the underside of her skin, fighting to get out. She started to whimper, and tears formed at the corners of her eyes. One of his fingers folded back, leaving just one dragging across her swollen flesh, back and forth, back and forth, and then slowly, slowly sliding to the front before stopping there, just the barest touch of the tip of his finger, until all of the sensation in her body was concentrated in that one tiny spot. As he slowly, delicately, relentlessly rubbed that spot, she moaned, clutching him to keep from drowning. With one last stroke, the sun burst, and its light poured from her.
She only had enough time to pull in one shaky breath as he hurriedly unzipped his pants and lifted her up. Her legs automatically clenched around him when he pushed inside her, hard and hot. His hand squeezed her bottom with every frantic thrust, and he breathed heavily against her neck. There was something desperate about the way he moved, driving into her again and again, deeper and faster, and all she could do was hold on tightly. She thought she heard him murmur her name, but the sound was lost when it dissolved into her skin. She was still reeling from the overwhelming pleasure she'd tasted, but before it could build again, he let out a low groan, and his body shuddered against hers.
The wall held them up as reality found its way back into their world. Tomoyo soothingly raked her fingers through Touya's hair, and she could feel his heartbeat become slow and even again. He finally raised his head and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry. It's been a while."
"I wasn't complaining," she answered. Though she couldn't help wondering if he meant in general or with a woman.
He was about to say something else, but a yawn interrupted him. "God, I need to lie down," he muttered.
"You know, I do have a bed, if you're interested," she teased, and he nodded. When her feet touched the floor again, she led him to her room, where they shed the rest of their clothes before climbing into her bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but she wasn't as lucky, unable to quiet the thoughts running through her mind. A few hours ago, she never would have seen this coming. What did it mean, if anything, and what was going to happen between them now?
Maybe she wasn't ready for a casual affair after all. In the moment, it was wonderful, but after, it was too confusing.
The next thing Tomoyo knew, a hand was tenderly brushing her hair away from her face. She opened her eyes then closed them again quickly when she was assaulted by the early morning sunlight streaming through her window. "Hey," Touya said softly. "Are you awake?"
"Kind of," she mumbled, braving the brightness. When her eyes had focused, she saw him crouching next to her bed, once again fully clothed.
"I have to go home and change for work," he said, "but I didn't want to leave without saying thanks for... well, just thanks."
"My pleasure," she answered.
His fingers gently trailed over her cheek, and he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "So, I'll see you."
"Sure. See you."
But when he left, she was wide awake and oddly disappointed, and her room seemed... empty.
---
Two weeks later, Tomoyo and Sakura were going through a pile of videos, trying to find something to watch for the evening. "I think my dad hid all the good ones," Sakura complained, frowning at the choices spread out on the coffee table.
"We could go out to a movie instead," Tomoyo suggested.
Before Sakura could consider that, they heard the front door open. "Hey, kaijuu!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Whatever," Touya replied dismissively as he came into the living room. He looked a bit startled when he saw Tomoyo, and she knew her expression matched his, though they both covered well. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the night they spent together. "So, kaijuu," he continued, smirking when his sister seethed at the name, "did 'tou-san tell you I could borrow his suitcase?"
"Yeah, it's upstairs. I'll get it."
"Thanks."
Which left them alone. Tomoyo had tried not to think too much about him lately, reminding herself that what happened was never about anything more than what it was. Still, when she remembered the way he'd touched her.... "How are you?" she asked politely, hoping her cheeks weren't flushing from the memory.
"Good. You?"
Clearly, they weren't going to address that subject. "Fine, thank you. Going on a trip?" She cringed at the stupidity of the question.
"Yeah, I'm leaving for London tomorrow, to see Yuki," he answered. He only appeared vaguely uncomfortable to be telling her that. "We're going to try to work things out."
"That's good," she said sincerely. "I hope you do."
"Me too."
She shouldn't have felt crushed, but she did. She'd known going in that it was just sex, just a one-time fling. She had no claim to him and no right to be upset that a man who was not her boyfriend was going back to a relationship with someone else. She did her best to hide her disappointment from him and continued to wear a smile all through their superficial conversation. Why did this bother her so much?
She tried to put the blame on her hormones. It was almost that miserable time of the month, and though she didn't usually suffer such moodiness, it was the most reasonable explanation. In a few days, she'd feel like herself again.
But a week later, she discovered she was pregnant.
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