Chapter Four: Initial Contact

"…and that's how you prepare Pork Cutlets," Kyou finished, presenting her creation to Ushio's wide eyes.

"Amazing…"

"I promise you; you make this for the boy you like and he'll fall in love with you, guaranteed," Kyou said with a confident smile.

"Kyou…" I warned, though halfheartedly.

"Hee hee," she replied as Ushio blushed while glancing at me. "Well, Tomoya? Ready to try my Love Potion?"

"Sure, I'll risk it," I said, settling down at my spot at the kotatsu. "I'm not a boy anymore, after all."

"You certainly aren't," Kyou cooed while giving me a catty look.

"Kyou…" I warned, more earnestly this time.

She burst out laughing as she turned back to the counter to retrieve our meal. "Jeez, Tomoya; you're so gullible!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her antics, "Seriously though, thanks for making dinner the last few nights."

"You're welcome," she said as she and my daughter brought dinner to the table, placing it among the plates I had set earlier. "It's nice to be cooking again; I already feel a little more normal."

"I figured you were okay after you started taking jabs at me," I quipped with a smile.

"What can I say?" she said, flipping her hair and sending a slight smell of smoke though the apartment. "You make it so easy."

As we shared a laugh I glanced over at Ushio, who appeared to be trying not to bristle. She calmed down, however, blushing with a shy smile when I sent a wink and a smile her way.

"C'mon," Kyou complained, "the food's gonna get cold! Let's eat!"

Ushio and I shared another smile as we all put our hands together. "Itadakimasu."

"So, are you ready to reconnect with your family?" I asked as we started to fill our plates. We had talked a few times about reconnecting with her sister, or even her parents. Initially, Kyou had been understandably hesitant, but since then she had been warming up to the idea. I figured it was due, in part, to her quitting smoking and starting to put her life back together. "I can make the arrangements, if it would help."

"I think I'm ready," she replied, grinning at my sigh of relief. "I can't stay here and keep mooching off you; I need to find out what's out there for me."

"I don't think of you as a moocher, but I think I understand," I replied before taking a bite of dinner.

"I've been very happy to have you here," Ushio remarked. "Thank you for teaching me so much about cooking and cleaning and…and boys."

"Only about half of which was right," I quipped, earning a dirty look from Kyou.

"Shut up," she retorted with fake annoyance. "Anyway, I think I'm ready, but I'd like to see about crashing with Ryou and her husband first; I've been sheltered so long that I'm not sure how the world works anymore, and I'd like to have family as a launch pad…if that makes any sense."

"I think so," I said. "Did you want to at least talk with Mom and Dad? They haven't heard from you in a long time."

"Mom and Dad?" Kyou asked with a puzzled look.

"That's right; I never told you." I put down my chopsticks and leaned back on my hands. "After our…second get-together? Third? Anyway, you know that after we got together a few times I started letting your parents know how you were doing, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, your mom and dad and I got along so well that we kinda unofficially adopted each other as family."

"What about Nagisa's parents?"

"We're still family," Ushio interjected. "We get together every so often, and I visit them a couple of times a week after school."

"That's good to hear," Kyou remarked.

"Anyway, would you like to at least talk to your parents? You could use my cell phone," I offered. "I think at this point it'd be good for all three of you."

I watched as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I don't know…"

"I'm not trying to push," I told her, then paused. "Well, maybe a little."

"That eager to get rid of me?" she said while smiling knowingly.

"Yeah," I deadpanned. "Pack your crap."

"D-Daddy!"

I burst into laughter. "It's okay, Ushio, I'm just kidding!"

"Your dad gives almost as good as he gets," Kyou quipped before laughing with me.

It felt good laughing with an old friend; being able to be even a little carefree took some of the ache away, however temporarily. "So, how about it? I can call Ryou and make the arrangements, and then you can call your parents. How about that?"

Kyou's eyes lost focus as her chopsticks paused halfway to her mouth. Finally… "Yeah…let's do it. I miss Mom and Dad anyway."

After dinner, I stepped outside with my phone while the girls cleared the table. I found Ryou's home number and had my phone dial it.

A familiar voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Fujibayashi," I greeted somewhat tongue-in-cheek; I knew darn well that she was married, but I still liked to call her by her maiden name on occasion…for old time's sake. "Can you spare a minute?"

"Tomoya-san!" she greeted, and I could hear her husband shout happily in the background. "Um, Kappei says 'hi'."

"Thanks. Tell him 'hi' for me, too. Listen, uh… Kyou wants to stay with family now, so we were hoping you'd let her crash there while she gets her life back together."

"Oh, we'd love to have her! When did you have in mind?"

"Honestly, we didn't talk about that. When would be a good time for the two of you? Maybe the soonest time?"

"Well, our weekdays are pretty busy, but…how about Saturday morning? Mika and Tadashi will be in school, and Kyou could be here to surprise them when they get home."

"That sounds good. Hey, what grade are your kids in now?"

"That's right; you haven't been able to visit in quite a while, huh?"

"Well, our schedules haven't quite lined up, and…well…"

"Yeah."

I knew that not all friendships stayed as strong after graduation. Ryou and I were on good terms, of course, but after we graduated and Ryou got married to Hiiragi Kappei shortly afterward, and then their first pregnancy…we just kinda drifted apart. While I had been trying to drink myself into oblivion over Nagisa's death, the Hiiragis had been busy with Kappei's career and raising their children. I'd only seen Mika once, and I couldn't remember when. I'd never seen their son.

"Anyway," she continued, "she'll be starting her third year of high school and he'll be starting his third year of middle school next year."

"Is she going to Hikarizaka?"

"Of course! How about your daughter? How is she doing?"

"Pretty good. She just turned sixteen recently…"

"How exciting!"

"…and she kinda received a birthday present in the form of your sister's arrival."

A giggle. "How neat. Will she be going to Hikarizaka next year?"

"That's the plan," I replied. "First-year student, Okazaki Ushio."

"You must be very proud."

"I am, thanks. She's earned it. Anyway, I'll check with Kyou, but I think Saturday morning should be just fine. I'll talk with her and give you a follow-up call to work out a time. Is that okay?"

"That sounds fine."

"Good. Well, thanks Ryou, and I'll catch you later."

"All right. Take care, Tomoya-san."

"You, too. Bye." I ended the call and tucked my cell into my pants pocket as I headed back into the apartment. Inside, I found the kotatsu cleared and the girls working on the dishes in the kitchen. "Hey, Kyou; would Saturday morning work for you? For going to your sister's, I mean?"

She paused in her scrubbing of a pot. "That should work," she finally replied, returning to her scrubbing.

"Ryou was saying that you'd get there while your niece and nephew are in school, then you could surprise them when they get home."

"Oh my god, you're right!" she squealed. "I haven't seen them since…wow, since they were eight and…five, I think."

"Well, they're not little anymore," I told her. "Or eight or five. She'll be going into her third year of high school at Hikarizaka and he's doing his last year of middle school."

"Wow…" she breathed, her scrubbing slowing again as her eyes became unfocused. "Where does the time go?"

"Well, if you ever figure it out, let me know," I told her. "I've got five years I'd like back."

"D-Daddy…" Ushio giggled from Kyou's other side as she rinsed a plate.

I watched the two for another minute, then took out my cell and placed it on the kotatsu. "Here, let me take over," I said to Kyou as I rolled up my sleeves. "I left my phone over there, so I'll take over for you so you can make your call."

"Thanks," she said, flashing me a smile of gratitude. "Is my folks' number in your phone?"

"Yeah, it's under 'Fujibayashi, R&R'."

"Got it," she said, retrieving my phone. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her nibble on a nail as my phone dialed her parents' number. "H-Hi, Mom? It's me."

I grinned as I heard a squeal come from the phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Yeah, I've been staying with Tomoya… Yeah… Yeah… I'm a lot better, thanks." Kyou drew a lock of her hair over her ear, and I could swear I saw her get a few of her lost years back. "Yeah, it was a really stupid choice, but… No… No, I didn't know… Yeah… That's true… Thanks, Mom; I really needed to hear that…. Yeah… Hey, is Dad there? Could I talk to him for a bit? Thanks." She must have caught me watching while she waited, because she gave me the happiest smile I'd seen on her in a long time. "Hiiiiiii, Dad!" she said suddenly, interrupting our exchange. "It's great to hear your voice again! Yeah…"

"I'm so happy for her," Ushio said quietly as Kyou continued to talk. "I can't imagine being away from you for ten years."

"Thanks," I said. "I know I'd miss you an awful lot if something like that happened to you."

"Well, you'll never have to worry about that," she replied confidently.

I was about to ask her what she meant when I noticed a change in Kyou's tone. "Y-Yeah… Y-Yeah, Mom said that, too… *sniff* Yeah…"

As I saw her cover her mouth with her free hand, I rinsed my hands and dried them before heading over to where Kyou stood trembling, my phone still to her ear. "Is everything okay?" I mouthed to her.

She nodded before blotting her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah… Yeah, Daddy, I've missed you, too…" "Mom and Dad started crying," she mouthed back. "Yeah… Well, look…I've got to go; I'll be moving in with Ryou and Kappei on Saturday, and I want to make sure I'm ready. Me and my few things," she finished with a shuddering chuckle. "It's so good to be able to talk to you again, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday… Yeah… Love you both… Bye, Daddy." She handed me the phone and let her shoulders slump as she turned her face to the ceiling; it was as though she was trying to look to the heavens. "I'm…exhausted!"

"I'll bet," I said sympathetically. "Did you want to take a bath?"

"Yes, please," Kyou breathed. "I could use one about now."

"I'll take care of it!" Ushio chirped. "I just rinsed the last plate."

"Thanks, sweetie," I said.

"Yeah, thanks," Kyou echoed.

"Would it be okay if I joined you?" Ushio asked. The two of them bathing together had become routine.

"Not this time," my purple-haired friend said, shaking her head. "I'd like to be alone for a while. I've just had….yeah."

"Maybe next time, then," my daughter said before heading down the hallway.

"So, how was it?" I asked as Kyou plopped down next to the kotatsu.

"It was…good," she replied. "It was hard, hearing their voices again after what seemed like forever."

"I'll bet."

She sighed, staring straight ahead before looking up at me. "Listen Tomoya, thanks for everything. I really don't know what would've happened if you hadn't given me someplace to crash."

"What're friends for?" I said softly, smiling at her.

"Giving losers like me somewhere to crash," she snorted. "I don't know what I ever saw in him."

"I don't know, either," I said carefully, "but I'm sorry you ended up dealing with all that. It's behind you now, though, right?"

A small, weak smile spread across her face; she looked so vulnerable. "Right."

"I'm off to bed," Ushio announced, squeezing the ends of her hair in a towel as she headed toward me.

"All right," I replied, tilting my head to receive her customary kiss on the cheek. "See you in the morning."

"Hey, what about me?" Kyou pretended to protest, a recent addition to our custom.

"Of course, sensei," Ushio giggled, leaning over to give her beloved teacher a kiss on the cheek as well.

As Ushio headed down the hallway to her room, Kyou turned to me. "Seriously, Tomoya? You've done an awesome job taking care of her. I mean, all by yourself?"

"I didn't do it alone," I told her. "Mom and Dad Furukawa have helped, too."

"But still…"

I sighed, leaning back on my hands and rotated my neck to work out a couple of kinds. "I did the best I could with what I had."

"I really do think you did an awesome job."

"Thanks."

After that brief exchange we watched TV for a little while, mainly catching up on the news and the weather reports. As we watched I could feel Kyou lean up against me. I didn't mind, figuring she was still suffering from 'affection-deficit disorder'.

"Well, I need to turn in," I announced, gently nudging her with the shoulder she'd been using as a pillow of sorts. "You can keep watching, if you want."

"I'm good," she said, raising the remote to shut off the TV.

"Good night, then," I said as I started to my feet.

"Hey, Tomoya."

"Yeah?-WHOA!" I yelped as I was suddenly pulled back to the floor. By the time I got my wits back I found Kyou straddling my lap. "I don't have time for games right now, Kyou; I've got work tomorrow."

"This isn't a game," she said in a silky voice and fire in her eyes, causing my blood to heat up as she kneaded my shoulders. "Do you remember what I asked a long time ago?"

I wracked my rattled brain, trying to think of when she ever asked anything of me. "N-No… The only thing I can remember was offering to let you stay here after your escape."

The chuckle she gave was low and throaty, raising red flags everywhere. "I made one request, but you turned it down at the time. I've been hoping that you've changed your mind since then."

I swallowed, even though my throat was dry. "Wh-What did you ask for?"

Her smile was mysterious as she leaned down to bring her mouth next to my ear, and my skin tingled at the tickle of her breath. "I asked you to have sex with me," she whispered.

"K-Kyou…?" Was she serious? "K-Kyou…I'm a married man."

"No, you're not," she purred. "Nagisa's dead, Tomoya….but I'm not."

I finally remembered that I had hands and grabbed her around the waist and somehow pushed her upright again. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, yet," she purred again, laying her hands on my arms, "but I was hoping you'd help me with that."

I swallowed hard. "No, I m-mean what brought this on all of a sudden?"

"I haven't been loved in almost a decade, Tomoya," she replied softly as she took one of my hands and laid it between her breasts, and I could feel her heart pounding. "My heart feels empty."

"A-And what makes you think I could…fill it?"

She fixed me with her gaze, and I found myself unable to look away. "I've wanted you since our second year of high school."

I blinked in surprise. "But that's…ten…fifteen…" I tried to do the math to ignore my own awakening libido.

"Almost twenty years," she answered. "Do you know what kept me from killing myself while I was with Sato?"

So that was her husband's name. "No."

She removed my hand from her chest to hold it in both of hers. "Knowing that, no matter what, you would take care of me after he got rid of me."

"Kyou, I…" I wasn't sure what to say; while my body was screaming for sex thanks in part to her behavior, my mind and heart still belonged to Nagisa. "I can't."

"I…I understand," she said sadly, appearing to deflate as she released my hand to lean forward and touch my forehead with hers. "I'm sorry for being so-"

"Is everything all-WHAT'S GOING ON?" My stomach slithered to my slippers at the sight of my daughter at the entrance to the hallway, eyes wide. "Sensei, what are you doing to Daddy?"

"Shio-chan, I'm sorry, I just-"

"GET OFF OF HIM" she yelled as she charged at us, knocking Kyou over and landing on top of her in the process.

"Ushio!" I bellowed, trying to regain some kind of control. "Get up!"

She obeyed, but put herself between me and her former teacher. "T...Daddy is not your toy to play with!"

"Ushio," I nearly growled as I got to my feet, "please go back to your room. We're fine."

"N-No!" she cried, though I could tell she had to struggle to defy me. "Not after what she did!"

"To. Your. Room. Now. We will talk tomorrow."

"Tomoya, she just-" Kyou started to say, but I cut her off with a glare before returning it to my daughter.

For her part, Ushio stood trembling before me for a moment before bursting into tears as she ran to her room.

The moment she was out of sight I sighed, putting my hand to my head. "Sorry, Kyou; she's never acted like that before."

"Tomoya, I was forcing myself on you…"

I sighed again. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Kyou."

"G-Good night."

I headed down the hall to my room, cringing as I heard my daughter crying as I passed her room. "What a day…"