その感情に名前はないけど、あえて愛と呼ぶことにしました。

I don't really have a name for that emotion, but I've decided to call it love.

-Katsuki Yuuri

Trip~

The very next summer after the surgery

"They have all the preparations in order," said Kaori. She kissed him once again before snuggling into his chest.

"Well," Kousei said. "I hope you have a good trip."

"What?"

Kousei blinked.

Kaori shot up and raised her head to glare at him from where she sat on his lap. They were in his house, where she'd been living since the surgery. Her parents had allowed her to stay with him for a while, pleasantly surprising him with their compliance after he and Kaori explained that they wanted to be together, and no, they couldn't wait until they were adults, and begged them to listen. Her father had regarded him with a more threatening expression than he could have thought the kindly man capable of, and he'd found himself shrinking under the older man's gaze. Doubtless, the impression the baker was going for had been made brilliantly. Kousei was not going to hurt his little girl or break her heart. The prodigious pianist had smiled weakly. Of course he would never do anything to harm her. He'd die for her if she asked.

"You're coming with us," she said.

"To Tohoku?"

"Yes, genius."

He scratched his head awkwardly. "No, I – I couldn't…"

"Yes, you can. And you will."

He looked away – he could not match the intensity of her gaze. "I wouldn't want to spoil your family vacation…"

"Now you listen here!" she said, and he looked back at her, finding in surprise genuine anger in her eyes. "Family vacation? What family do I have without you? You're more my family than anyone else! Or do you not feel the same way about me? Watashi meiwaku shika nai no?"

Am I just a burden to you?

His eyes widened. "Meiwaku janai yo!" he said hastily. "I love you! More than life itself! You know I do!"

N – No, you're not a burden!

"I was going to die! I am lucky to be alive! I had an incurable disease – I have an incurable disease! Doctors say it's a miracle I got better! I realize how much of a gift this life is! I realize how lucky I am! I want to spend time with the people I care about! I love my parents, and I want to spend time with them, but I love you more! I want to be with you as well! Would you take that away from me?"

Kousei opened his mouth to say something – anything – to reassure her that was not the case, but he froze, for in her eyes he found angry tears.

He closed his mouth, his eyes softening, and raised a hand to wipe away her tears. Then he wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her into his chest.

"Gomen, ne. Boku mo kimi no soba ni itai yo. Zutto. Tada… Meiwaku kaketakunakatta dake… Nakasete gomen."

I'm sorry. I want to be with you as well. Forever. It's just… I didn't want to impose or cause trouble. I'm sorry I made you cry.

"Meiwaku janai yo…" she mumbled, nuzzling into him, her voice muffled.

It's not trouble.

"Gomen…" he said. "Boku mo issho ni itai… Zutto. Zutto…"

Sorry… I want to be with you too. Forever. Forever…

"I'm sorry too," she said. "I overreacted."

He shook his head. "No~, don't worry about it. Of course I'll go with you. How could you ever be a burden to me? You're the reason I exist. I want to be with you every waking and sleeping moment."

Kaori was silent for a moment. "You know," she said finally. "You're really sweet."

Kousei blushed.

"Sorry…"

She shook her head. "No~. I love you for it," she said reassuringly, taking his hand and kissing his fingers softly.

He stroked her hair, and she hesitated.

"What is it?" he said.

"It's… My parents want me to come back home after the trip…"

"No!" Kousei said, sitting up. "I don't want to be separated from you!"

Kaori nodded quietly. "I know," she said, lowering her hands, which still held his between them. "I don't want to be separated from you either. I asked them, so many times, but… They're not listening."

Kousei sat back, feeling his shoulders slump. "What are we going to do? I – I understand this level of emotional dependence isn't healthy, but I honestly don't care. I just want to be with you."

"I know," she said. "I came up with an idea."

"You did?" he asked, voice slightly hushed, trying to keep himself from getting his hopes up again.

"Yeah… I'll ask them to let you live with us for a while. I'm sure they'll be much more inclined to let us be together as long as we want if they can watch over us."

"Live with you…" He hesitated. "It does sound wonderful not to have to part from you, but I don't know…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Meiwaku kaketakunai…"

I wouldn't want to burden you…

She smacked the back of his head. "Meiwaku janaitte!"

I said you're not a burden!

"Iya, sore wa boku deshita ga…" he said, sticking his tongue out at her.

No, I said that.

She smacked him again. "Shut up, wiseass. We're doing it. Plan is this: you come with me and stay with us as long as you can, then we come back to your house. Even if we're not technically living together yet, we'll just sleep over at each other's houses."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sleepovers every night?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "And we go to the same school anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem."

He settled back into the armchair, and held her closer, somehow feeling incredible better than he did a minute ago. "Wouldn't your parents just get tired of having me around constantly?"

"You're going to be around them a lot more when we're older and…" She stopped, seeming to have caught herself, and looked away, a slight pink tinge in her cheeks.

Kousei felt his face heat up as well, and tried hastily to find something to say to dispel the situation. "I'm sure it'll be harder to… Under their scrutiny…"

That was perhaps not the best thing to say to dissipate the tension in the air.

Her face reddened, but she did not look away. "I know, but what choice to we have?"

He sighed, but his face broke into a smile. "Dewa, yoroshiku onegaiitashimasu~"

Well then, I am in your hands, my Lady.

See why I use Japanese? There's kind of a joke in this chapter you'll only understand if you understand the Japanese dialog. Also, if you're wondering what in the world "No~" is, it was my (ingenious? no? okay…) attempt to say う～んin English. ううん(uun) is like no, but it's very hard to explain. It has to have a specific intonation or it'll sound like a hesitant yeah (yeah is うん – "un"). Anyway, when you say no like う～ん, it has a reassuring tone to it. The best way I found to render that in English was "No~". It's kinda like nah, but… I don't know – softer? Sorry if me using Japanese like this annoys you, but at this point you should already know. If you don't like it, you shouldn't be reading my fics.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing you all on Friday!