Choices

by Haruka S Knight

This is an AU tale centered around Haruka and Michiru. An arranged marriage between the Kaiou and Tenoh families presents the Kaious with an unusual choice between the Tenoh "sons". Doctor Hiroshi Tenoh is less than trilled to have his "brother", race car driver, Haruka Tenoh home. It's all about choices, mostly those which aren't in their hands... Please read and review.

13. Finale and Epilogue

Choices:

By: Haruka S. Knight

Chapter Thirteen:

Finale and Epilogue:

Trigger Warnings:

Mentions of Character death, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse.

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Suguru and Saki met Maiko in the study after breakfast. The Tenoh Matriarch gave the two a welcoming expression as Ichiro carefully served them all tea. Only once the tea had been served and Ichiru had moved to wait near the wall, did anyone speak.

"I'm afraid, Tenoh-sama, that my husband and I have come to an unexpected impasse." Saki admitted, briefly shooting a slightly annoyed look toward Suguru.

"An impasse?" Maiko asked, mentally setting aside what she'd plan to say so she could hear their thoughts out. "An impasse regarding my grandchildren, I assume?"

"Yes, Tenoh-sama." Saki used one hand to massage her temple as if she were trying to ward off a headache. "While the clearly intelligent, and acceptable choice for our daughter's future would be Hiroshi." Again, her eyes darted toward her husband. "A promising young doctor with a stable career and a bright future." She stressed the word 'doctor' in a way that made clear what her main reasoning was. "My husband sees things differently."

"You prefer Haruka?" Maiko asked, turning her eyes to Suguru who appeared to shift very minutely away from his wife. Maiko hid her smile behind the rim of her teacup, she remembered a few marital disagreements that once left her own husband hesitant to reopen an argument. It seemed some things were universal.

"Of your grandsons I prefer Haruka-san for our daughter, yes." He confirmed this and Maiko's gray eyes did not miss how sour Saki seemed over the idea. "Saki has entirely valid concerns regarding the dangers of his career field." As he admitted this Saki seemed to relax just slightly. "However, Hiroshi is almost half a dozen years older, and he hasn't seemed to really click with our Michiru."

"Click?" Saki questioned his choice of words with a very unimpressed look. "How does one tell if they click, dear?"

"He doesn't speak to her unless spoken to, and he has expressed no interest in spending any time with her." Suguru shrugged as if helpless and gave Saki a beseeching look. "You must admit that Haruka-san has been very attentive, charming, and seems to have a great deal to talk with her about."

"What does a race car driver have in common with a world-renowned violinist and artist?" Saki asked, her voice was almost unnaturally level. Maiko decided to lend Suguru a hand in this discussion at least.

"It so happens Haruka is a trained concert pianist." Maiko informed them, drawing Saki's attention back to her and receiving a grateful smile from Suguru. "While he does not tour, I can assure you he still plays excellently. We have a little tradition, the two of us, where Haruka composes a new piano piece for my birthday and for Christmas. They are lovely, perhaps I could persuade him to play for you later."

"Where is Haruka-san?" Suguru asked, curiosity filling both his tone and expression. "He wasn't at breakfast this morning."

"As it so happens, that is what I wished to discuss with you this morning." Maiko set her teacup gently on the table between them and regarded them with tired gray eyes. "Late last night we received a call to inform us Hiroshi was in an accident after leaving the hospital." The Kaious' shock was visible as they each looked stricken by the news. Maiko made a placating gesture with her hands, giving them a half-hearted smile as well. "Hiroshi will be fine, I assure you. Haruka left immediately to be with his brother once visitation is allowed. I know my grandson well enough to know he won't wish for any visitors, however Haruka has always been Hiroshi's little guardian shadow."

"Don't you mean angel?" Suguru quirked a brow at the chuckle this drew from Maiko.

"Certainly not, Haruka often goes to great lengths to watch over Hiroshi without letting Hiroshi know. There have been times Hiroshi has welcomed or even requested Haruka's help, and other times Haruka has merely tailed Hiroshi." She shook her head. "When they were young Hiroshi welcomed the times Haruka would follow him about. Hiroshi was once immensely proud of Haruka, he used to carry Haruka about the manner insisting that was his right as a big brother."

"And you're certain Hiroshi will recover?" Saki asked, genuine concern filling her voice.

"Yes." Maiko did not dare touch her teacup, folding her hands in her lap instead to hide how they shook. "Doctor Mizuno called just after sunrise, she has taken over his care and assures me he is stable. She believes his recovery could take months however, and with that in mind I have re-evaluated my opinion on our arrangement."

"This is hardly the time to. . ." Saki began to stumble out some sort of reassurance but stopped at the look Maiko gave her. It was not angry; it was more akin to the look a teacher might give a student for speaking out of turn.

"I can say with confidence that when such an emergency takes place in a family, it causes us to re-evaluate our priorities. Even before Hiroshi's accident I had come to think that perhaps my grandchildren are not ready for such a serious step as marriage. While I of course believe they are both fine young adults, I think they need time to truly find their own way and really settle into themselves."

"Are you saying we should break the agreement?" Suguru asked cautiously, receiving a side eyed look from his wife.

"I am." Maiko favored him with a kind smile. "Over the course of your visit I've come to realize I want them to marry for love. I may have placed too much family responsibility on Hiroshi, and perhaps not enough on Haruka. I want them to find who and what makes them happy, life is too precious to waste on what only makes others happy." She looked toward an old picture, one of a much happier and more complete Tenoh family, and her tone became wistful. "It is a rather outdated tradition, after all."

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Haruka's teal eyes watched Hiroshi's chest rise and fall where he slept, though she was not sure this counted as sleep. Does it count as sleep when you pass out in the ambulance and fail to regain consciousness for hours on end? The officer who had met Haruka, and the family lawyer, when they arrived had made it very clear Hiroshi was lucky to be alive. At Haruka's inquiry the officer had described the fate of Hiroshi's car, which had ended up wrapped around a support beam in the warehouse district of all places. No one knew why he was there, but there had been reports of an erratic driver speeding about in a vehicle matching his luxury car. The car had lost control, flipped, and still slammed into the support beam with enough force to nearly bring that beam into the front passenger seat after knocking the engine out of place. By some miracle, and the wonder of finely engineered vehicles, the engine had jerked out of position diagonally. That small miracle meant the It had not entered the passenger compartment, had not crushed Hiroshi himself.

The vehicle was a complete loss, not that Haruka cared beyond what it could tell her about how lucky she was to still have a brother. The roof partly caved in, it had caught fire, all the windows were broken, first responders cut the driver's side open to pull Hiroshi from the wreck. It was still technically his property, but Haruka signed the paperwork to send what was left to the scrap yard. Then she had left the rest to the family lawyer, seeking out Doctor Mizuno once she had time to speak. Hiroshi's injuries would not kill him, but the list was still long. He had fractured both his left clavicle bone and wrist, they'd removed glass from various places, he had fractured one rib, would have a scar on his head where something had sliced his scalp open, had a minor concussion, and they'd had to close a severe bleed in his right leg after removing what was apparently part of the airbag inflator.

Hiroshi was alive however: The rise and fall of his chest, and the sound of various monitors all confirmed this to Haruka. This was not the first time she had seen someone hospitalized after a crash; her team had nearly lost a man early last season. This was not the first time she had sat vigil over a family member either, she had spent as much time as she could with her father in his final year. Doctor Mizuno had assured her Hiroshi would physically recover from this. The family's well-paid lawyer would handle the legal issue regarding reckless driving, and the issue out the drugs and alcohol confirmed by blood work to be in his system. And with Maiko's grudging surrender, it was up to Haruka to deal with Hiroshi himself.

"Taka." Hiroshi muttered fitfully as he tossed about, the monitors changing rhythm a bit, before everything settled back down.

Teal eyes glanced to the clock on the wall, that was the third time this hour Hiroshi had done that. Hiroshi had talked in his sleep for longer than Haruka had been alive, Yoshi had joked his son would make a terrible spy. Several times Hiroshi had gotten in trouble because Maiko had gone to yell at him, and in his sleep, he had exposed some secret that only made their Grandmother angrier. The name was familiar, and it echoed in Haruka's mind. Who is Taka? Haruka kept turning that question in her mind, sitting in a plastic chair in his hospital room. Taka? Hiroshi normally muttered things in his sleep which were important to him in his waking life, so Taka was important. Doctor Mizuno had denied knowing anyone at the hospital by that name, but it was a large hospital. The monitors continued to beep, and Hiroshi continued to breathe.

'Thank Kami for small favors.' Haruka thought warily. 'Thank you, Kami. I'll try not to waste this chance.'

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The first thing Hiroshi noticed when he regained consciousness was the pain. It was basically like his whole world was pain. Hiroshi's breathing was shallow, and he started to panic thinking maybe he was dying. A beeping sound pulled at his attention, and as it increased its pace the familiarity of it began to lend some grounding to his mind. Hiroshi clung to that sense of familiarity, the sound that assured him he was in a hospital. As his initial panic began to subside, he started to notice other things about himself and his surroundings. He could feel where an I.V. catheter entered his arm, and the disconcerting feeling of a cool liquid entering his veins and starting to circulate into his blood stream. Next, he realized he smelled that light chemical odor of disinfectants that permeated medical facilities. Eventually he managed to force his eyes open, slowly turning his head about to take in his surroundings. The hospital room did not surprise him, the quiet blonde sleeping awkwardly in a plastic chair did.

"Haru?" Hiroshi's voice was weak and dry. He began to cough and yelped in pain as it caused his bruises and one of his ribs to burn. The sounds caused the blonde's teal eyes to open, and she jolted to her feet as she saw Hiroshi coughing. He was vaguely aware of the fact that Haruka jabbed a call button attached to the bed. Not long after others rushed into the room, lights he had not noticed were dimmed came on full. Haruka moved back into the far corner, staying out of the way as medical personnel went about their tasks. Slowly the number of people in the room trickled down, until Doctor Mizuno stood over the side of Hiroshi's bed, ensuring he did not choke on the cup of water he was now drinking.

"How are you feeling, Doctor Tenoh?" Doctor Mizuno asked this once he set aside the cup. Haruka seemed to take that casual seeming question as her cue to make her way to the other side of the bed. Hiroshi grimaced and rested his less injured arm across his stomach, leaning heavily on his propped-up bed.

"Like I need morphine." Hiroshi responded, and noticed something in Mizuno's face tightening.

"No morphine, no heavy narcotics." She raised an eyebrow as Hiroshi's expression soured more so at the thought alone. "Considering what came up on your toxicology I cannot in good conscience approve any of the stronger pain medications."

"That's ridiculous, as a Doctor I could order the medication myself."

"Currently your license is under review, you won't be ordering anything from anyone." The older doctor narrowed her eyes at him, speaking in a very no-nonsense manner. "I understand you lost a patient on the operating table; we've all felt that loss, but this cannot be the way you handle it. Your family's name is the only thing protecting you from normal consequences. Please, don't waste that chance, Hiroshi-san. You are an intelligent young man; I'd like to see you live up to that intellect."

"Some bedside manner." Hiroshi muttered at the other doctor, she hitched one brow up.

"Would you like a Tylenol?" Her tone made clear the sarcasm in the comment, and Haruka stood in silent surprise. In her experience Hiroshi had never taken well to being verbally put in his place, but Doctor Mizuno had basically been Hiroshi's mentor as he worked through medical school. Mizuno's expression eased into a softer look, and her eyes moved to regard Haruka. "A little pain will not kill you, Hiro-kun."

"So, I guess you're here to tell Grandmother when I wake up?" Hiroshi asked Haruka once Doctor Mizuno had left the room, closing the door behind her.

"No, Grandma agreed to only handle the legal and career issues." The blonde crossed her arms and watched her brother. "I talked her out of whatever she would have done when she heard about the drugs and alcohol in your system."

"Why?" The question did not sound accusatory, just pained, and tired.

"Because you aren't the only one who doesn't want to bury their sibling." Haruka kept most of her frustration from her voice, but some leaked through. "I won't pretend to know what you've gone through, but I know it's been extremely difficult for you."

"You don't know the half of it." Hiroshi tried to growl, but it really did not fool either of them.

"So, tell me about it, maybe start with Taka." Haruka suggested and Hiroshi's eyes glazed over briefly. The blonde resisted her initial instinct to revoke the question. "Hiro, who's Taka? You kept muttering his name while you were unconscious."

"Sit down, Haru, I have a lot to tell you." Hiroshi's tone seemed to fill with surrender.

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It was midmorning when the Kaiou family driver pulled up to the Tenoh Estate. Everyone in the mansion was subdued considering recent events. The estate staff assisted the Kaiou's driver with loading the family's belongings. Saki and Suguru took the time to speak with Maiko, making arrangements to join her for the next holiday. With or without a marriage, they still felt it was time to rebuild the once strong ties between the families.

Haruka's shoulders sagged a bit with exhaustion as she walked quietly down the hall, pausing near a certain door, and hearing soft violin music. Haruka faced the door properly, raised her hand and hesitated, before tapping so lightly she was convinced she would not be heard. She was proven wrong when the door opened, and Michiru greeted her quietly. Haruka choked on any words she'd planned to say, and Michiru gestured for her to enter. Once she was inside and the door was shut behind them Haruka pulled Michiru into a tight hug. Michiru moved her arms around the blonde and squeezed her in as reassuring a manner as she could. They stayed that way for long, silent, moments. Haruka shut her teal eyes, and took a deep breath of Michiru's perfume, while listening to the soft music playing from Michiru's phone.

"How is Hiroshi?" Michiru asked once Haruka seemed more relaxed.

"He has a lot of healing to do, and not all of it physical." Haruka sighed heavily and buried her face in Michiru's hair. The violin player made an inquisitive sound and the blonde paused to think over her next words before she spoke them. "Hiroshi lost someone very close to him, they died on an operating table in front of him."

"Haruka?" The blonde made a sound somewhat like a hum, her breath warming Michiru's skin as she exhaled. Michiru moved one hand to play through Haruka's short, messy locks. "Are you okay?"

"I wasn't in an accident." The blonde mumbled and felt as much as heard the violinist sigh. After a few beats the blonde spoke again. "I will be okay, but not right now."

"I know I'm leaving today, however I'm only a phone call away." Michiru whispered then kissed her cheek, squeezing her just a bit tighter.

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When all was said and done, the powers that be decided Hiroshi would retain his medical license under the condition he attend an inpatient rehabilitation of his choosing. In the weeks he stayed in the hospital Haruka helped him investigate and vet several programs. It did not take long for Hiroshi to notice and question that each program Haruka added to their list of possibilities included comprehensive mental health services. The injured doctor was surprised when the blonde gave a very well thought out, researched, explanation for why she thought the mental health services might in fact be more important than the addiction rehabilitation alone. When the blonde finished speaking Hiroshi had stared blankly for long enough to cause his sister to fidget.

"I'm not calling you crazy, but I think Grandma and I would benefit from mental health care as well." Haruka added when she could no longer take his silence.

"I'm proud of you." Hiroshi said this and she looked about as if someone else had entered the hospital room. "I'm serious Haruka, I'm proud of you. That was a very scientifically based argument, I was expecting something more of a gut feeling explanation."

"I was expecting you to be offended."

"I was, before the explanation." He handed the tablet displaying the current recommendation back to her. "I kind of like this place, the trees look peaceful."

"They have art therapy too." Haruka pointed out and her brother sighed.

"I gave that up years ago." He muttered.

"First, that's a lie, you only cut back. Second, maybe you shouldn't have." She waved the tablet a bit as she spoke. "Running was always how I handled things, but you used your art."

"I'll think about it."

Weeks later Haruka herself drove Hiroshi to the rehab facility. He was still fighting himself internally about the entire thing, occasionally making passive aggressive comments at his sister that she let roll off her shoulders without comment. Every time Hiroshi started to feel truly belligerent, he mentally reminded himself this was a condition of both keeping his medical license, and per a judge, avoiding prison time. He was not doing this for Haruka, or Maiko, he was doing this for himself and for Taka. Hiroshi still firmly believed if he hadn't been on so much meth, he could have saved him. That guilt ate at him, roiled in his gut, and haunted his dreams. When Haruka's gold convertible pulled to a stop in front of the facility a few staff members were already waiting with a wheelchair.

"If you need anything, Hiro, just call." Haruka told him, as she handed his small overnight back to a staff member. What he could bring was extremely limited, something Hiroshi was bitter about but understood as a medical practitioner. He shifted his eyes toward the blonde, internally he was of two minds at that moment. One side of Hiroshi wanted to thank his sister, but another side that he was used to entertaining wanted to snap at her. Haruka seemed to sense that, shoving her hands in her pants' pockets, and doing her best to look casual. "You have my number, no pressure."

"Ready, Doctor Tenoh?" The woman who had introduced herself as the intake specialist offered him a smile and he silently nodded. Haruka watched them wheel him in, before turning back to her car. Considering how troubled their relationship as siblings had been for years, Haruka considered it a win that he had not snapped at her.

"One step at a time." The blonde commented, easing down to sit in her leather driver's seat. Teal eyes took one last look at the facility, from the outside it could be mistaken for a small resort. Appearances were particularly important to Hiroshi; they always had been. The calm atmosphere, somehow made Haruka think more of the inner turmoil her brother was in.

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Four years later:

Haruka Tenoh was finally able to step down from the first-place podium, hat still dripping with the champagne her pit crew had happily taken part in spraying at the driver. Camera flashes had slowed down but were still present as the blonde handed off her first-place trophy and gave a satisfied smile to the photographers. The Japanese driver ensured she caught both the second and third place drivers to congratulate them, exchanging back slapping hugs and strong handshakes. The blonde waded through the crowd slowly after that, accepting more handshakes, hugs from her crew, congratulations shouted over the noise. TV cameras followed each of the top drivers, broadcasting their actions to home viewers. Teal eyes scanned for one distinctive figure however, one person she always wanted to see.

"Haruka!" A shout from one of the crewmen brought her eyes right and standing beside him was an elegant young Japanese woman. Michiru smiled playfully, the hat and jacket bearing Haruka's car number clashing with her normal elegant style. Haruka reached her side and the violinist eagerly pulled her into a tight embrace, neither caring how many camera's trained on them at that moment.

"I'll get champagne all over you." Haruka protested but Michiru only giggled in her ear.

"Hush." Michiru admonished, humming happily when the blonde gave in and wrapped her arms about the shorter woman's waist. Both their hats ended up knocked off as they exchanged a loving kiss. Blue and teal eyes locked when they parted the kiss but kept their tight embrace. Camera flashes glinted off the rings on Michiru's left hand as she played a bit with Haruka's short hair. "Congratulations, my love."

Haruka's smile turned soft, as did Michiru's, as they stood amid the post-race chaos. Someone found more champagne, breaking the moment by dousing the happy couple. They laughed as they broke their embrace to try to shake off some of the bubbly alcohol. The sports page article about the race results would feature multiple images of the two, embracing, smiling indulgently for the cameras, Haruka lifting Michiru's hand to lay a gentle kiss above the engagement and wedding rings her wife wore.

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Tokyo in November was cold, but it hadn't yet snowed. Hiroshi Tenoh thanked the delivery man as he signed for the package, grateful once the transaction was done and he could close the door of his penthouse. He set what he knew were art supplies aside, unmuted the TV and moved to reclaim his coffee as the Entertainment News finally came to the story he had been waiting for.

"NASCAR topped our gossip columns this week with Champion Racer Haruka Tenoh taking the Sprint Cup by storm. The Japanese National arrived on the scene less than five years ago, having started his early career at just fourteen years old in professional motorcycle racing. His rookie NASCAR season he was a whopping 20 years old and not heavily favored. Since then, he has become a favorite of fans and sponsors alike. This year the young driver took home the cup a fifth time, but that wasn't the most important news to his fans the world over." The female reporter smiled toward the camera and was seconds later replaced by video from the track after the trophies had been handed out. The camera view captured Haruka striding over to Michiru and stayed on the two as they shared a kiss and a clearly loving embrace. The image was paused and zoomed onto Michiru's rings as the reporter's voice came back. "That's right ladies, Haruka Tenoh is off the market. Sources close to the racer have confirmed that the handsome racer and famous Violinist and Painter Michiru Kaiou tied the knot in a private ceremony approximately two months ago."

"They finally caught you, Haru." Hiroshi chuckled as the reporter continued a strangely upbeat lament about how the two avoided paparazzi and media attention. Hiroshi knew the answers to that, he had been present as Haruka's best man after all. He did not begrudge his sister her happiness, though sometimes it did bring twinges of longing that felt as if they struck his very soul. He had come to terms, with help from his therapist, with the fact that Taka's death was not his fault. Still, accepting that he was not to blame did not stop him from missing the man. He doubted he would ever not miss the man, but he was told that too was natural.

On an art desk, in the best lit corner of the room, sat a page of his graphic novel series. It was not the same series he'd created in high school, though that one had sold to an American Comic Company and been well received. No, the work on his art desk was a newer series, an anti-hero themed series. A dark fiction about the Tokyo underworld, inspired by real events but with almost all names and details changed. He was careful not to use the real likeness of anyone, save one person. The protagonist, Taka, a young delinquent who grew up to control a corner of the Tokyo drug trade. The detail most did not expect regarding the gang leader in the graphic novel, however, was the number of families he helped with the money generated from his illegal activities. In a rare interview Hiroshi was asked if the character of Taka had been inspired by such fictitious characters and legends as Robin Hood. The doctor turned illustrator had only said no with a quiet smile.

It had been risky to keep Taka's memory alive in such a way, but Hiroshi felt there were things about the man that deserved to be seen and known. Taka had been rough, violent toward anyone he deemed deserved it, but there were other sides to him as well. Hiroshi, for his part, had only ever respected the laws he agreed with. He was working on that now, working on accepting that the best of intentions or the most righteous reasoning did not necessarily excuse things he had long accepted. It was amusing to him how many people assumed that Hiroshi, with his wealthy upbringing, would be pro-establishment. If only they knew the thoughts the man kept in his head. Still, he had no intent of showing that side of his mind in anything more than his graphic novels, and the occasional argument with Haruka. They were siblings, it was their duty to occasionally challenge each other's thoughts and stances on things.

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Mid-November found Ichiro opening the door to welcome Haruka and Michiru back to the estate. The butler directed another servant to take the couple's bags to Haruka's room, as they moved to the lounge where they could hear familiar voices through the open door. Inside the room they found Maiko, Hiroshi, Suguru, Saki, Ami, and Doctor Mizuno. Suguru's keen blue eyes were the first to spot the two, and the man smiled widely.

"It seems my daughter and her wife have finally arrived." His cheerful voice called everyone's attention to the pair. Haruka was still getting used to Suguru and Saki knowing she was not male, though she'd felt it was important they know before Michiru and herself married.

"Did you bring that insanely large trophy with you?" Hiroshi asked as he came to Haruka's side and slapped her shoulder.

"No, the trophy on TV doesn't actually go home with any driver." The blonde laughed as she turned to her brother. "What about you? I heard your old graphic novel won some award in America?"

"The Eisner Award." Michiru corrected her wife, smiling at her brother-in-law. "Congratulations, Hiroshi."

"It was nice, though I didn't know I was even in the running. It's an American comic award, however since I sold it to Dark Horse for printing it counted as an American Graphic Novel in it's first run." Hiroshi rubbed at his left shoulder, though he didn't seem aware he was doing so.

"Cold weather?" Haruka asked quietly, as other conversations distracted the occupants of the room. Hiroshi gave a small nod.

"I feel like an old man, I know the weather well change when my clavicle and my shoulder doesn't want to work." He sighed and sort of wiggled his head, causing his sister to smile at the slightly silly motion. "I'm thankful I only broke the non-dominate side back then."

"Haruka Tenoh!" Maiko's voice snapped the attention of both younger Tenoh's to where she had moved to stand from her favorite armchair. Her gray eyes fixed on both her Grandchildren. "First Hiroshi does not hug me, and now you do not even say hello?"

"Gomen, Grandma." Haruka and Hiroshi said this in a unison that caused chuckles to fill the room. The siblings made their way over to her, each taking a moment to hug the Tenoh matriarch. It wasn't a completely new thing, just something Maiko had not been as insistent on until relations between the three began to improve again. She took her seat once she was satisfied, but she did not take her eyes off the two.

"Now, what were you discussing about Hiroshi's book?" She asked this and Hiroshi's face displayed his utter confusion.

"You want to know more about that?" He asked, looking at Haruka who gave him a shrug to convey her own confusion.

"I want to see some of it and have a copy to put on your Father's old bookshelf." She corrected him with a sly smile. "Your Father would have been tickled."

Haruka drifted away slowly, leaving the two in conversation. It was rare to find something they could talk to each other about, so the blonde was more than happy to leave her brother to the spotlight. The blonde came to Michiru's side, wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled at her. Life was not perfect, Hiroshi still had bad days where he dealt with paranoia, guilt, cravings, depression, and anger. If you watched Maiko, you could see sometimes when she was holding back a harsh rebuff she would have previously said. Haruka silently feared losing either of them, while also frequently finding excuses to avoid calls and visits. Michiru was patient, helping her work through her own issues and calling Haruka on things as needed. Things were not perfect, but they had greatly improved for the Tenoh family.