Ch. 23

(A/N): Hello everyone, after a long, long time the newest update has finally appeared. I had started this chapter a while back, but as you all know I had to start all over after losing my flash-drive. I also wanted to make this chapter a little longer to make up for not updating like I used too. I'm going to try to update three to four chapters once a month, or twice a month. However, this will only be the only chapter this month, but during my break I will be doing a lot of writing, and revising some of my old work. I will also be in the process of re-downloading everything I have written into new file. Anyway that's it for now, I hope everyone has a great Christmas (or whatever your Holiday maybe) and everyone has a Happy New Year! I do not own MK-LT

Ch. 23

Naoki looked over his shoulder to see Kotoko with a bit of nervousness he hadn't seen in a while. He figured if she was acting nervous around him, than something had to happen for her to act this way around him. "What's wrong?" he asked as he led her to her a corner to talk in private.

"Well today when I talked with Sahoko, she asked me if she could meet Yuga," she started to say. It was already clear to Naoki why she was nervous about this. "She told me once Yuga was okay with meeting her, she would make arrangements with your parents."

"You're living here now too, if you want to have a dinner arranged for anything, even if it's with us, you can make that happen yourself," stated Naoki realizing what happened when his wife and Kotoko had their talk. "Though I know my mom won't like it, and it's most likely going to really awkward when and if it happens."

Kotoko smiled a small smile until his last statement. "You know it was really awkward for us when we had to explain that you had another wife, and for a long time Yuga couldn't stand the thought that you chose another over his own mother. But he knew that if me and his father had never met his sister would not have been born, and he would have never had discovered his dream of owning his own flower shop someday."

Naoki felt the guilt rise in his chest of not being their when his own son was born, but the thought of even of not seeing Ayu hurt just as much. Naoki could tell that she really did love her husband, but he had wanting to know something for a while. "Can I ask a question?"

"You just did?" said Kotoko with a half-smile.

Naoki almost stepped back in surprise that Kotoko just joked with him, but he kept calm as he asked, "When did you forgive me?"

"What makes you think I have really forgiven you?" she asked as faint pink came to her face.

"Well we have been able to talk some after you punched me, and you said wouldn't ignore me at the hospital; so, when did you forgive me?" the cool man asked almost in a whisper. He had wanted to know for a while ever since his son told him about Kotoko always praying for him.

Kotoko took a deep breath to calm herself, before she spoke. "In all honesty I cannot remember when I fully forgave you," she started to say looking into his eyes. "Maybe it was when I looked at our son for the first time, and I wanted to thank you for helping me make him. Or maybe it was when I was ready to start a new chapter in my life without you, or when the day I said "I do" to the man I loved that helped me in my time and helped me raised my kids." Kotoko was almost in tears. "But I think somewhere deep in my heart I had already forgiven you, because even though you agreed to marry another, and even myself, you still had a place in my heart that I never could forget."

Naoki had another question but could not say a word. One day he would ask her right out, but for the time he would ask her other questions in due time. "Thank you for forgiving me."

Before he could reach out to touch her Yuki walked up to them. "Hey we are ready to eat, get your asses in there," said Yuki.

Kotoko looked at Yuki then to Naoki. A big blush was visible on face as she dashed off to the dining room. Naoki was about to follow her but was stopped by his brother. "I want to let you know that even though she has forgiven you, it doesn't mean she still has feelings for you," Yuki started to say. "Remember, even though she is now single she just lost her husband, and you yourself are still married. Heck your wife wants to meet your son."

"I know all these things, and like I told you before I can handle it. Besides my main priority right now is to bond with my son," stated Naoki as began to walk off to the dining area, without another glimpse to his brother.

Yuki starred after his brother before a small smile crept to his face. "I may not still be able to stand you half the time, but I will help you have some bonding time with your son.

After a pleasant dinner Naoki and Yuga set in the living room playing a game of checkers while everyone else was busy. Yuki had gone with Yoshimi to walk her home, and talk about certain things. Mrs. Irie was washing dishes while her husband and friend were watching something in another sitting room. Kotoko could since that everyone was trying to give her son and his father some bonding time, so she went ahead and took her daughter to get ready for bed.

Yuga had been surprised when Naoki asked him if he wanted to play checkers while his mother helped his sister get ready for bed. He had always thought that the man only knew how to play chess, or some other brain nerd type of game, besides tennis. However, he wasn't to surprise from the few stories his mother told him about his birth father. But the older male was no match for the younger male.

"King me, I win," said a smug looking Yuga.

Naoki could not believe that a young boy had beaten him, but in a way he was happy. Even though checkers was not that challenging to him as chess was, he was always great at everything he did. He could tell that he did defiantly get his brain power from him, and as he watched his son dance around at the fact that he won.

"You're really good at this," stated Naoki going ahead to put up the checkers. He had a feeling it would not take too much longer to fetch Yuga for his bath.

"Thanks, mom taught me how to play, but afterwards I became the champion," said Yuga smirking.

Naoki was more surprised when he heard that Kotoko was the one to teach her son on how to play checkers. "Really, no affine to your mother, but I thought it was your father who taught you."

"It's okay, dad did teach me some things before he got sick, like how to play tennis, but when my dad had to stay in the hospital for longer days mom kept me busy by playing checkers." Yuga began to chuckle as he told a story about how when Sara came home from the hospital to surprise them, Kotoko had blamed Yuga for cheating. "Mom can be a sore loser sometimes, but she stopped blaming me and ran to dad."

"I would have to agree with you a little about your mom, but I wouldn't say that's one-hundred percent true," stated Naoki trying to change the subject a little. Yuga being just as smart knew what he meant.

"She really cares about you." "Thank you for telling me about your mother, and if you're not ready to meet with Sahoko, then you don't have too," Naoki had no other idea how to really put that, but to just shove it into their conversation. Heck he wasn't sure there was a really big point in their meeting if…

"Is she nice?" Yuga asked in almost a whisper.

He had already ripped the band aid off, so he thought he might as well continue. "She is," not looking at the boy for a moment. He knew no matter what was going on she was a nice person in a way, even if things weren't the way they appeared, he didn't want there being too much conflict then there already was.

Yuga could tell that Naoki was thinking about something, but he had another question he had wanted to know for a while. "Why did you choose her over my mom?"

Naoki new this question was going to pop up someday, however, he hoped it wouldn't be this soon. "I know you will never do what I have done, but I thought what I was doing was for the good of my father's company." Naoki took a deep breath before he continued. "However, even after I realized my feelings for your mother, I thought I had to give her up."

Yuga knew at that point his sister's suspicions were right. "Naoki…"

"Yuga time for your bath," said Kotoko coming around the corner.

"Okay mom, but I need to tell you both something first," stated Yuga as he got up from the floor.

"I'll meet Sahoko."