Atsuko-san stumbled from her room, smelling pancakes. She also heard something muffled, and far off sounding, yet so strong and vivid. Like… a glacier breaking loose, or even breaking, shattering.
Touya glanced up, hearing faltering footsteps. He wiped the tear frost from his cheeks. "Atsuko…" For once, he didn't bother to hide his misery, and Atsuko looked at him worriedly.
"Touya…? Are you okay?" Atsuko asked, sitting down next to him.
"…" Touya looked off to the side, shyly, before glancing back at Atsuko. "I know what the nightmare is about."
Atsuko-san frowned, thought a moment, and suddenly remembered Yusuke mentioning to her that Touya had been waking from a nightmare frequently recently. "Oh. Do you want to tell me? Or would it be easier not to?"
Touya shrugged.
Atsuko sighed. "Oh, you poor thing!" She hugged Touya warmly, and Touya was surprised to find he liked it.
"Thanks, Atsuko." Touya hugged back, feeling, for once, that Atsuko was a good mother. At least, she could be if she tried.
"C'mon, why don't you go get some more sleep, I'll wake you and Yusuke up later. You'll feel better if you can get a decent rest before you have to go out and face the world. At least, that's how hangovers work…" Atsuko trailed off, and Touya snorted. There was the Atsuko-san he knew!
"Thanks! You really could be a good mother, if you tried harder." Touya laughed softly.
Atsuko-san looked at Touya carefully. "I'll take that as a compliment, and not as a stab at my mothering skills, since you seem to mean it in a good way."
Too late, Touya realized his blunder. "Umm, sorry, Atsuko-san, I didn't mean… That is, I wasn't trying to imply anything!"
Atsuko nodded. "All is forgiven." Suddenly, Atsuko laughed softly. "I was just surprised to hear it from you. That's more like something Yusuke would say! I always thought you were better about being PC!"
Touya looked at Atsuko oddly, this time. "What's PC mean?"
"Politically correct…"
"oh…"
"Touya, you better stop being my son's lover, I think he's rubbing off on you!" Atsuko laughed again, hugging Touya again, before shooing him off to get some more sleep. While he left, she settled down to eat his pancakes! ((Shame, Atsuko-san! More like Atsuko-chan!))