Shuichi's survival instincts kicked in, and he quickly buckled himself in. Just in time as the expensive western car peeled out of the parking lot. He also grabbed the handle on the door, and squeezed it, in hopes, he wouldn't be thrown around when the driver would make sharp turn. Which were sure to come, as he knew their driving style.

They drove a few minutes in awkward silence. Shuichi didn't even know what to say, should he apologize or even say something? He still didn't know if they knew, but the rigid posture and aura of annoyance said it all. So he stayed silent, waiting for the other person to speak up first.

And he didn't have to wait for long, as Mika glanced at him.

"So…" she started, her voice dripping in annoyance, "Why did you do it? Why did you lie?"

"I…" Shuichi started, but didn't know what to say. He knew some questioning would be coming, but he still wasn't ready.

"Well?" Mika pressed, "Did you enjoy his suffering?!"

"NO!" Shuichi interrupted her, but quickly closed his mouth.

"What then?" the woman shot back.

"I… didn't know," Shuichi whispered, "I thought… I thought I would be in way… that he didn't need me… that he… hated me…"

"What?" all anger left Mika, "Why are you saying this?"

Shuichi leaned his forehead on the door window, refusing to look at Mika.

"I begged him to take me with him… but he left me here. Here where I wouldn't bother him. With that…"

Shuichi shook his head.

"And then, when we met, I couldn't just say something. What could have I said?" Shuichi continued, "He was happy. He was married. I had no place in this equation."

Mika couldn't help but stare. Did Shuichi really think this way? She never saw this side of him.

"I guess, I really am shit at reading atmosphere," Shuichi chuckled darkly, then gasped, "Eyes on the road!"

Mika blinked and looked forward. She noticed the car was swaying into the opposite side and quickly turned the wheel, to get on the correct side. Without another word Mika hit gas pedal and turned her whole attention to the road.

After a few minutes of silence, Mika glanced at Shuichi.

"Did I ever tell you how I met Tohma?" she asked, and when Shuichi shook his head she took a breath and started, "Well, it was in Kyoto…"

- G - G - G –

Mika was sweeping in front of their family shrine. The school was out for the summer and her father didn't even give her time to recuperate after she came back home and put her to use. And here she thought that once she started university, she would be exempt from shrine duties. But then, her little brothers were too young to take up priest duties.

Mika sighed. It was so hot in the sun here priestess clothes. But it wont be long. She only has to sweep and then check on fortune telling for potentional customers.

As she walked towards the stand with fortune tellings, she noticed a lone figure standing by the well with bell. Usually there wasn't many people this time of year, and those who came, usually wanted here father, head priest, to perform some taks. So she changed here direction and headed to the man, to ask if he needed anything. As she walked, she looked the man over. From behind, she only saw that he was about her height, maybe a little taller. He had a hat, but she could see some blonde strands.

"Hello," Mika greeted the man, who turned around in surprise.

Now she could see he was a man in his early twenties with light blonde hair, which didn't seem died, as it went well with his forest green eyes. Which were also rimmed with red.

"I…" Mika started, quite mesmerized by the man's appearance, "I am a priestess here, can I help you with anything?"

"Ah, no thank you," said the man, "Am I a bother?"

'A Tokyoite,' thought Mika as she heard man's accent, "No no, I just. Most people want to ask my father to perform a service for them, but he is not here right now, so I can call him here, if you want."

The man shook his head, "Thank you, but there is no need. I just came here to clear my mind."

Mika was usually good at guessing someone's character and their mood. Her younger brother, Eiri, said it was almost scary with how much accuracy she could tell when there was something wrong. And right now she felt that this man had problems, which caused him so much sadness it was almost breaking him. His red eyes, his posture and even the soft tone of his voice, were telling her that he was almost at his limits and wouldn't mind if someone offered a hand.

Mika gripped the broom she was holding a little tighter. Then she walked to the well.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked and stood beside the man.

Then she pulled the bell gently, clapped her hands twice and started to pray. She prayed for her deceased mother, and asked her to watch over them. Especially after her youngest brother, Tatsuha, who took her death the hardest and refused to talk to any of them for almost a year. He was only now opening back up, when he started attending elementary school.

The man mimicked her and together they prayed.

After a few minutes Mika looked at her partner, whose shoulders were shaking "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. You just reminded me of my brothers, from when our mother passed, I didn't pray for her in so long…"

"That's okay," he said, "We were both praying for family members then."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Mika bowed a little.

"Thank you, my condolences to you too," said the man, "I… when… when did you lose your mother?"

Mika smiled softly, "It's already two years."

"Oh, my parents died five years ago and it still hurts," whispered the man, "Me and my… brother…"

The man started but suddenly got quiet.

Mika wanted to encourage him, so she smiled and asked, "So you have brother? How old is he?"

"I… had a brother," the man whispered, "He… got killed about two months ago…"

"Oh my god," Mika gasped, "What happened?"

She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. She didn't mean to pry. But it seemed the man didn't mind. It was as if the gates opened and his emotions flooded out into the open. His face showed sadness, devastation, anger, defeat and so much more.

"I… It was all my fault," he said, "I had to go on a… business trip for 6 months overseas. And a psychologist said it would be better for him to stay in school instead of hiring tutor and take him with me. So I hired a man, a babysitter so to speak, who was watching him while I was away. I thought I checked him thoroughly, but he.. he…"

The man confessed everything. How his brother was missing, when he came back. How the police got involved, and what they found in his apartment. And about how his brother had been declared dead.

By the end of it, the man was crying on Mika's shoulder, while she was holding him tightly. She didn't say anything. Sometimes silence and listening did more good than any words she could say. And she was sure her voice would have cracked if she attempted to speak, her eyes full of unshed tears for the man hugging her for dear life and for his little brother.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Then the man pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I'm not normally like this," he said, "I didn't want to bother you, a complete stranger, with my personal problems."

Mika put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, "It's okay. People tend to say that miko's are angels, so maybe I'm your guardian angel? Oh, my name is Uesugi Mika, by the way."

The man smiled softly, "I am… Fujisaki Tohma."

Mika grinned, "Now we are not strangers anymore. Hey, do you have a cell phone with you?"

Tohma raised an eyebrow, but hander her his phone.

She fuddled with it for a bit and gave it back.

"I put my number in it, so… if you need a listening ear, you can call me," Mika smiled again.

Over the next week Tohma started to come to the almost every day, mostly to pray but also to talk to Mika. And in the evening, they wrote each other short messages.

After a week Mika decided, that because Tohma was from Tokyo, she needed to show him around. And so she became his personal tour guide, almost dragging him to see the castle and other tourist attractions.

Tohma tried to protest, that his uncle and aunt, with which he was staying, were living in Kyoto, but Mika put her hands on her hips, and Tohma surrendered with nervous chuckle.

Before they realized, the end of summer was near. They went together to summer festival, to enjoy their freedom for a one last time.

"You know, it's shame I have to go back to Tokyo soon," Tohma sighed.

"Why is that shame? I have to go too," Mika blinked.

Tohma raised eyebrow, "You do?"

"Yeah, school is starting again, so yeah, I do have to go back," Mika said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait, you are attending university in Tokyo?" Tohma asked.

"Yeah, didn't I mention it?" Mika chuckled, "I study Law at Keio university."

Tohma let out an exasperated sigh. But then he smiled.

"Well then, maybe I can show you around Tokyo then and return your favor?" he asked hopefully, "And maybe, we can… have a dinner sometimes?"

Mika smirked, "Is the great Fujisaki Tohma asking a small priestess on a date."

Tohma looked sheepish, "Yes, I am, if you agree, but… I have to tell you something. My name is really Seguchi and not Fujisaki."

Mika was angry at Tohma for hiding his name. But when Tohma explained who he was, and that he didn't want to be bothered by hordes of rabid fans, she softened. A determined look appeared on her face.

"Okay, let's go on a date, but I have a rule," she pointed a finger to Tohma's nose, "No fans. And I mean, I want no fans, during our dates, to jump at us."

"Of course, I promise," Tohma nodded, "And… did you say dates? As in plural?"

Mika smirked, "Yes, of course. Or are you such dishonest man, that you would use a pure innocent priestess and then throw her away?"

Tohma chuckled, "Of course not, I will stay with you, until you get bored of me, my guardian angel."

- G - G - G –

Mika finished her story. She glanced at Shuichi, who was unusually quiet. She noticed that his eyes were all glassy, so she let him be. She hoped, that he realized, that if he thought he was unwanted, he was deadly wrong.

They arrived at the Seguchi residence. Mika parked and quickly exited the car.

Shuichi followed her inside, maybe a bit reluctantly. After all, he still didn't know, what to say to Tohma. If the blonde would be angry at Shuchi, for hiding, for lying, for running away. He was scared and wanted to run away. His feet felt like lead, but he forced himself to go after Mika.

As soon as they entered the house, Mika called, "Tadaima."

They heard a hurried footsteps, and soon Tohma appeared in the doorway, holding a small towel, wiping his flour covered hands.

Both men froze once they laid eyes on each other.

Then Shuichi gripped the front of his clothes, tears falling as a barrage of emotions hit him. This was his brother, whom he caused so much pain, when he let him think he was dead. When he was just a little brat and ran away from his problems.

"I…" Shuichi choked out, trying to stay calm, so he could apologize, "I'm sorry, Tohma-nii…"

Suddenly he was almost knocked of his feet, as Tohma's body collided with his, and all air was squeezed out of him, because of how hard Tohma hugged him.

"You are really here," Tohma whispered, "I thought you were dead, I thought I lost you…"

At this Shuichi's legs gave up, and both brothers sank to the their knees. Shuichi hugged Tohma back and cried out loud, and mumbled apologizes over and over again, between hiccups.

Mika smiled softly, and quietly left, letting the brothers have a moment to themselves. It was long overdue, with ten years since, they really saw each other.

Here I thought it would be short chapter, because I have reconsidered it so much, I kept thinking, should I put the Tohma/Mika here or later? And kept changing little tidbits.

Just so you know, Mika didn't introduce Tohma to her father or brothers yet. From what I gather, family introduction is pretty big deal between lovers, and sometimes you introduce them when you get engaged or something. Correct me if I am wrong.

In the flashback

Tohma - 23

Mika - 19

Eiri - 13

Tatsuha - 6