When Hajime finally got out of bed and made it downstairs, it was just past noon. And when he did, it was to find Mutsuki sitting alone at the table, eating a bowl of microwave ramen and scrolling idly on his phone.

Mutsuki looked up when Hajime walked in. "Afternoon, Sleeping Beauty. I wondered when you were going to finally make an appearance."

For some reason, that made Hajime blush, and he briefly ignored Mutsuki to rummage around in the kitchen himself. He knew after sleeping so long and missing breakfast he really ought to make himself something decent for lunch...but he just didn't care. Reaching into the cupboard for a second bowl of instant ramen, he opened the top, added water, and chucked the whole thing in the microwave with a yawn.

Mutsuki was watching him. "So for all you went to bed so early, how long did it actually take you to fall asleep?"

Hajime stood in front of the microwave, watching the timer count down. "Late," he admitted after a moment. "I had trouble falling asleep."

"Hmm. You want to talk about it?"

Hajime looked at him, then over at Kinu's closed bedroom door. Following Hajime's gaze, Mutsuki chuckled.

"Kinu's been gone for over an hour. People have things they do on weekends, remember?"

"Hey, I do things," Hajime protested. "And sleeping in is a valid 'thing,' it's not like I get that many chances these days."

"True," Mutsuki admitted. "And you look so cute when you're sleeping," he said, giving Hajime a mischievous smile.

"You spied on me, didn't you?"

"I checked on you about an hour ago, yes," Mutsuki admitted easily. "You might have been sulking, after all."

"I don't sulk," Hajime said shortly. "Being annoyed and sulking aren't the same thing."

"No," Mutsuki agreed, "but they can be. And they sometimes are, with you."

The timer on the microwave beeped, and Hajime brought his bowl of ramen to the table and sat down in his usual spot at the end of the table. He wanted to argue with Mutsuki's point, but he had the aggravating feeling the Mutsuki might actually be right on that, damn him.

But if they were trying to talk about things, fine. He could talk about things.

"Don't you think you should've talked to me before telling anyone about us, Mutsuki? Especially my grandpa?" Hajime asked, scowling slightly as he looked across the table.

"What, you would rather I have talked to either of my grandpas? That sounds productive," Mutsuki answered, but in response to Hajime's annoyed look he sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry, ok? But I wanted to ask for his help, and there really wasn't any other way I could think of to do it."

Hajime sighed. "You could have asked my opinion, Mutsuki. You should have asked my opinion, seeing how it's my grandpa and my problem."

"Our problem," Mutsuki reminded him, and Hajime sighed again.

"Fine. Our problem. But you didn't have to do that, especially not totally out of the blue-"

Hajime was cut off by Mutsuki. "What upset you when Aunt Tohru called the other day, really? Did she get weird and 'you can tell me anything' you and I just missed it somehow?"

Hajime blinked, then frowned. "Don't worry about it, Mutsuki, it was stupid and unrelated."

"I doubt it," Mutsuki said. "And I doubted it then, which was part of why I went and talked to Master Kazuma. Do you know what I think?"

"I think you're going to tell me," Hajime said, his voice incredibly dry, and Mutsuki laughed.

"Well, yes. But I also think that it upset you that your parents were having a 'meet the parents' thing with Katsuro's girlfriend."

Hajime blushed. "Why would it bug me that they're meeting Katsu's girlfriend? I already told you, I'm sure I'll get to meet her next time I'm home, if they're still dating. It's not like I feel left out or anything."

"Liar."

Hajime's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Mutsuki-"

"Not about meeting her, no. That I believe you on," Mutsuki said, laying his chopsticks over the top of his empty bowl. "But I think it bugs you that Katsuro is introducing his girlfriend and your mom is all happy and fluttery about it when you haven't."

"In case you've forgotten, Mutsuki, you know my parents."

"Yes, but not like that. Not as the most favored apple of their sweet son's eye."

Hajime cracked a smile at that. "Please don't ever call yourself that again."

"Why not? It's true," Mutsuki said with a twinkling smile. "And you're deflecting. So, tell me I'm wrong. Look at me," he continued, "and tell me I'm wrong."

Hajime stared at his bowl, then said, "And you figured telling Grandpa would help with that because...?"

"Because you said you went to Master Kazuma to psych yourself up to tell your parents about you. So I figured if Master Kazuma was what you needed then, he'd be what you needed now, too. You want to get this out there, Hajime, you've said so and we both know it. All you need is a little nudge."

Mutsuki looked so confident in what he was saying that Hajime had to smile in spite of himself. "Yes, well, Grandpa's not exactly that nudge, Mutsuki."

"What happened?" Mutsuki asked, looking at him. "I figured you two talked yesterday and that was what made you so surly last night, but I couldn't figure out why you were surly. Even if you're mad I told him, you weren't acting all that mad at me."

"Because I'm not mad at you. Annoyed, yes, but not mad." Hajime wanted to get that out of the way before anything else. "And we talked...for a while. Grandpa told me a lot of stuff about him and his past, then basically told me that he's never told Dad about them because 'it wasn't necessary.' He says he's confident that Dad and Mom won't have a problem with me, but at the same time, he's never said anything to them himself. And I told him that I think he's afraid," Hajime said quietly, "just like me."

Mutsuki processed that, then sighed. "So now what?"

Hajime was still. "Well, I guess now Grandpa knows about us, for starters. He's happy for us, by the way," he said with a slight smile at Mutsuki, "so I guess that means you haven't annoyed him too much yet. And he knows we know about them. Though I guess I don't know about Kunimitsu, I didn't think to ask."

"That's something, I suppose," Mutsuki said at last. "Though even if Kazuma hasn't told them, Hajime, I still think he's right about your parents."

Hajime's parents...that reminded him.

"Mutsuki, you haven't talked to my mom again recently, have you? Or my dad?"

Mutsuki gave Hajime a curious look. "I talked to Aunt Tohru on Friday, why?"

Friday?

"Did she say anything about them coming here?"

Mutsuki looked at him in surprise. "Coming here? No, she was just telling me about dinner with Katsuro's girlfriend. Have you worried her enough that she's thinking of checking on you in person?" he asked teasingly, and Hajime's eyes narrowed.

Then he sighed. "Dad called me this morning. Apparently he and Mom are going to be in town this weekend."

"Huh. Did he say why?"

"Nope."

"Huh." Mutsuki repeated, looking thoughtful. "Did he say anything else?"

"Not really, just that they want to see me while they're here, which, no kidding," Hajime said with a shrug. "And they're staying at the dojo, of course."

"Do you think everything's ok?"

"I think so," Hajime said after a moment's thought. "Dad didn't sound upset or anything, he just wanted to let me know. It's still weird, though, Dad doesn't like to take time off if he doesn't have to."

"Maybe someone else needed to switch shifts and he ended up with a free Saturday," Mutsuki suggested. "And since Aunt Tohru clearly has been missing and worrying about you-"

"Don't even go there, Mutsuki," Hajime said with a growl. "The last thing I need is to worry about this being some sort of damned intervention."

"I hate to break it to you, Hajime, but it sounds like it might be a damned intervention. What are you going to do if it is?"

Hajime was quiet, and he looked down at his bowl before looking anxiously at Mutsuki. "I don't know."


"Aunt Tohru, hello!"

Mutsuki sat crossed-legged in the middle of Hajime's bed, phone held up to his ear and a cheerful smile on his face. Beside him, Hajime leaned close, listening in.

"Oh Mutsuki, hello! It's so nice to hear from you, how are you?"

"Good, good," Mutsuki said affably. "Just enjoying my weekend, but feeling a little bit adrift; this is the kind of day where I'd normally like to be out in the garden, but since it's November-"

"-Oh, I know! I doubt it's as nice up here as it is down there, but it's always so sad this time of year, isn't it? I've been looking at some seed catalogues, but it's not really the same."

"No, it's not," Mutsuki agreed. "That's what we get for living in places with growing seasons, I guess. But I figured, since I had a little free time, that I'd call one of my favorite aunts and see how things are going! Did your dinner go well the other night? Inquiring minds want to know."

Tohru giggled on the other end of the phone. "You're very sweet, Mutsuki, and the dinner did go well, thank you! Asuka is a very sweet girl, and we like her very much. Though it still feels a little strange for Katsuro to be dating at his age."

"At fourteen?" Mutsuki said, laughing. "In middle school?"

"Well, we didn't start dating until we were seventeen, you have to remember," she said, and Mutsuki smiled.

"I'm believe you had extenuating circumstances, Aunt Tohru, quite a lot of them."

"Perhaps. But this is all new to me, any of the kids dating at all." Beside him, Mutsuki could feel Hajime tense, and he placed a hand reassuringly on Hajime's knee.

"I'm sure you're handling it like a pro, Aunt Tohru. Asuka had to have loved you, you're one of the most loveable and non-threatening moms in the universe."

"Aww, that's so sweet, Mutsuki, you don't have to say that!"

"Of course I do, I have to speak the truth," Mutsuki said with a grin. "But so, the dinner went well, and that's good. Do you guys have any other exciting plans coming up?"

"Well, now, that you mention it, we do! I don't know if Hajime's mentioned it to you at all, but we're actually going to be in Tokyo this coming weekend, Kyo and I!"

"Really!" Mutsuki made sure he sounded suitably surprised. "What's the occasion?"

Tohru hesitated. "Well, it's not exactly an occasion, I wouldn't say." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Mutsuki, Hajime hasn't mentioned anything going on with Master Kazuma lately, has he?"

"Master Kazuma?" Hajime and Mutsuki were exchanging a look, surprise and concern mingling in both of their eyes.

"Yes. Master Kazuma actually asked if we could visit, so we are. And he told Kyo it was nothing to worry about, but when you get a question like that-"

"It's hard not to worry, naturally," Mutsuki said understandingly. "Well, if it helps at all, Aunt Tohru, Hajime was at dinner with Master Kazuma yesterday and at karate class last Tuesday, and he never said anything about anything seeming wrong. Maybe Master Kazuma just misses you guys and wants to see you!"

"Maybe," Tohru said, her voice thoughtful. "Still, that's good to know, thank you, Mutsuki. And I'm looking forward to a chance to see you both!"

"I'm glad to hear I'm included in your visit!"

"Of course you are, you know Kyo and I are always happy to see you."

"Well, you maybe," Mutsuki teased, and Tohru laughed.

"Kyo too, I promise. And we're planning to see your parents, too."

"Mom and Dad'll be happy to see you guys, Dad was just saying recently how much he was looking forward to your New Year's visit."

He could almost hear Tohru's smile over the phone, and that made him smile, too.

"Well, I'm glad. But now, I'm sorry, Mutsuki, but I need to get going. We're about to start a game, and everyone is waiting for me."

"Don't let me keep you, it was nice talking! And it'll be great to see you this weekend."

"Have a good day!"

As Mutsuki hung up the phone, he exhaled, then looked at Hajime, who was frowning.

"So they're coming because Grandpa asked them to?" Hajime asked, his brow furrowed. "Grandpa never said a word to me about that yesterday."

"Maybe he hadn't asked them yet, or made up his mind. Or maybe he asked them a while ago and forgot?"

"Maybe, but I doubt it, unless it took Dad a while to sort out work stuff. They would have let me know they were coming as soon as they knew, I'm pretty sure." Hajime's brain was working a mile a minute, wishing Tohru had said when Kazuma had issued the invitation.

And why.

"What do you think it's about?" Mutsuki asked, looking at Hajime, and Hajime swallowed.

He wished he had a better guess, he really did. It was possible Kazuma had something else he wanted to talk to his parents about, something else he'd want to discuss with them. Something completely unconnected to Hajime.

But he didn't.


"Grandpa?"

It was Tuesday afternoon, and karate class had just wrapped up. Kazuma had been speaking with a couple of his students, but turned when he heard Hajime's voice.

"Yes, Hajime?"

"I was just wondering, do you have a couple minutes to talk?"

Kazuma looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Of course." Excusing himself from the other students, Kazuma and Hajime left the practice room and headed down the hall together, eventually ending up in Kazuma's office. As soon was the door was closed, Hajime looked up at him.

"Why did you ask Mom and Dad to come to Tokyo?"

Kazuma hadn't expected Hajime to start out on the offensive, and at first, he was caught off guard by the question. But he recovered quickly. "I wanted to talk to them, and I felt it would be best to have this particular conversation in person."

Hajime took a breath, then asked him, "Is it about me?"

Kazuma was silent for a long minute. He hadn't told Hajime he'd asked Kyo to come, and he hadn't intended to, either. While he'd made up his mind, actually telling Hajime made things seem much more real.

But maybe 'real' was what he needed.

"No," he said quietly, looking at Hajime, "It's about me."

Hajime's eyes widened, and he stared at Kazuma. It was still possible Kazuma was going to talk to them about something unrelated, but...

"After our conversation the other night, Hajime, I was thinking about what you said, for a very long time," Kazuma said. "And as distressing as it is to admit...you were correct. Not about everything, mind you," he said, giving Hajime a little smile. "But you were right that I've perhaps been...unfair. That keeping my relationship with Kunimitsu away from them might not have been the best decision. So," he said, looking at Hajime, "I've decided to tell them."

Hajime was stunned, and at first he couldn't say anything. Then finally, he blurted out, "Just like that?"

Kazuma laughed. "Well, not just like that. I'll be slightly less blunt, I'm sure."

"That's not what I meant, Grandpa," Hajime grumbled, and Kazuma's smile faded into a more serious expression.

"I know, Hajime. But honestly...yes. I've been telling myself for a very long time that I didn't need to say anything, because it didn't matter. Now, though, knowing how much it does?"

The look Kazuma gave Hajime was meaningful, and Hajime blushed and looked down.

"I don't want you to feel you have to do anything on my account, Grandpa," he said quietly. "I know I said some things the other night, but-"

"It's not just because of you, Hajime, and on that you have my word. I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope this helps you, but after talking with you, and talking with Kunimitsu, and thinking about it quite a bit myself, this is something I need to do. Your father has never hesitated to share things with me, and to give me a chance to be happy for him. I owe him that, in return."

Kazuma's voice was largely controlled, and almost as placid as ever. But Hajime knew his grandfather well enough to tell that something was a little 'off,' and after a minute, he silently reached out and gave Kazuma a hug. And as Kazuma returned it, he had to smile.

This was the right decision. It had to be.


That night, Mutsuki and Hajime both lay on Hajime's bedroom floor in silence after Hajime told Mutsuki about his conversation with Kazuma. Hajime's eyes were downcast, looking at his textbooks without seeing them, and Mutsuki's were on Hajime, his expression thoughtful. Neither one of them spoke, for a very long time.

Finally, Hajime sighed. "I just...can't believe it, you know? After going so long without ever saying anything to anyone, Grandpa spends one night thinking about things, and suddenly he's ready to talk?"

"Well, Master Kazuma's always been a pretty decisive guy, hasn't he?" Mutsuki asked? "Once he's made up his mind on things, he tends to follow through."

"Yes, but...I don't know, I would have thought he'd spend more time thinking about it than this."

Mutsuki sat up. "Don't you think that's a good sign though, Hajime?"

Hajime gave him a confused look. "How?"

"Because it means he believes what he told you," Mutsuki said, pulling one knee to his chest and looking at Hajime. "If he's so ready to talk, just like that, then he has to think your parents are going to take it well."

"Or he doesn't, and he just wants to get it over with quickly so he can deal with the fallout," Hajime said glumly.

Mutsuki rolled his eyes and scooted over to Hajime, resting a hand on his back and rubbing it. "Hajime Sohma, when did you become such a pessimist?"

"I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist."

"No, you're a pessimist, and a worry-wart. It's not even you talking to them, and you're still freaking out."

Hajime was quiet again, and Mutsuki sighed. "This is a good thing, Hajime. Master Kazuma wants to do it, and you be able to see yourself that it's not a big deal to your parents. Then you can come out, tell them we're dating, we can all have dinner together, your mom can gush about what great taste you have in men..."

Hajime was smiling in spite of himself, and Mutsuki grinned as he leaned down and kissed him.

"You know none of this is going to be that easy, right Mutsuki?" Hajime asked when Mutsuki sat up again, and Mutsuki shrugged.

"Not necessarily. I'm not trying to downplay your worries, Hajime, really, I'm not. But knowing your parents, I'm pretty sure it all could be that easy. Especially that last part, Aunt Tohru loves me!"

Hajime chuckled, propping his head up on his hand and looking at Mutsuki. "Well, there's no accounting for taste, I guess."

"Says the guy who's actually dating me. What's that say about you?"

"It says I take after my mom, duh." Hajime was grinning, but then his expression got serious. "I just hope that Grandpa is doing this because he wants to, not because of me. That's what he told me...but I don't know if I can believe him."

"Sometimes you have to just take people at their word, Hajime. And honestly, I think it'd do you good to try and do that more, especially people who you've always been able to trust. I mean, clearly you should take anything Sora tells you with a grain of salt," Mutsuki said, earning a chuckle from Hajime, "But Master Kazuma? Your dad? Me?" He said, giving Hajime a puppy-eyed look.

Hajime shoved at Mutsuki with his elbow. "Even you don't trust what you say half the time, Mutsuki."

"I do when I'm being serious," Mutsuki said solemnly, and Hajime chuckled again. "But seriously, Hajime, I mean it. Try to be a little more trusting, and you might be surprised at how much happier you are."

Hajime thought about that, then gave Mutsuki a little smile. "No promises...but I'll try, ok?"

"Good enough, for now."