On Unions Civil and Otherwise

by Kita-Ysabell

Ten years have passed- ten years to the day- and when Utena and Anthy's engagement party goes somewhat awry, Saionji finds that some things are not so easily forgotten, and faces the bitter possibility that to make good his escape from Ohtori, he must rescue his oldest and closest friend- whether that friend wants to be rescued or not.

35. Expectations

Except that they had been.

The memory was buried deep. I had tried very hard to pretend that it did not exist.

Touga was always an observant child, sharp-eyed and curious. He had a way of knowing secrets if he wanted to, of understanding things he took an interest in.

He watched me closely, I knew that. I could feel the focus of his scrutiny sharpen from time to time, particularly when I was handling money.

Everyone in the area knew who Touga was, and they were all happy to give him whatever he wanted on the promise that his father would pay them later. If there was a limit to this credit, I did not know what it was, and if Touga had ever reached it, he said nothing about it.

I, on the other hand, was given a regular allowance and instructed to use it wisely, to pay my own way and not to be a burden. I was very conscious of these instructions, and always did my best to follow them. I was sure that if I did not, my father would find out, and he would be very disappointed in me.

But it was not long before Touga began to make a habit of proposing things that were not in keeping with these instructions. When I protested, he would smile, and laugh, and say, "Why not? Aren't you my dearest friend?"

I did not want to think that we were anything but the closest of friends, and I was not yet wise enough to be wary of his charity. I told myself that my parents liked Touga, and my father might forgive me for being in his debt if I could convince him that it was what my friend wanted. But my father never found out.

Instead, after waiting long enough to be sure that I knew that the balance between us was in his favor, when Touga wanted something from me, he would not even wait for me to show any sign of reluctance, he would merely smile and ask, "Aren't you my dearest friend?" and there was no way I could refuse him.

He was careful, I think, never to ask for too much. Nothing that would have driven me away or settled the score between us. More often than not, the things he asked of me were things I would have been happy to do anyways; sparring matches and spending time with him. Even so, that phrase began to awake within me a slight inkling of dread.