[Action] The Big 'V'.
Touya watched a blur streak across campus and stop in front of the building he was heading for. He slowed his steps--giving his sister time to compose herself a little from the run. Geez. She never learned. He hitched his bag higher on his shoulder, warm despite the February cold. She still didn't notice him as he approached and so he dropped a hand to her head, pushing her down lightly. "What's wrong, Monster? Tired yourself out destroying another city?"
She stomped him.
Damn, he was getting soft and she...well, she wasn't exactly a tiny ten-year-old anymore. Ouch. Still...she was jumping to her feet so there was a chance for some payback.
"I...think...you...broke...it..." he managed not to laugh as he said it though the effort it took surely showed on his face. She was too easy to wind up and it was much better than any chocolate. He was just getting to the really good part when Chisato interrupted, snickering about selling tickets.
"Hey."
Chisato grinned. "Hey," he said. Which was almost as good as commenting on his (non-existant) sister complex. Touya rolled his eyes at him and turned back to Sakura.
"So, I take it you came to give me something to make me incredibly uncomfortable?" She could take that two ways--emotionally or physically. He wondered if she'd try and stomp him again and grinned. But it faded slightly when she didn't respond. She was glaring in his and Chisato's direction but not at them. He flicked a glance at his friend and got a meaningful flicker in return. "Sakura?" Her harsh 'what' only cemented things but he pushed down on the desire to push at her and repeated his question.
He was surprised when she held it out to him, arm fully extended. "Yes I made it myself," she started her voice was nearly as stiff as her arm.
Touya listened to her explain her chocolates with less than half of his attention. This was not how Sakura gave him his chocolates. Sakura gave him his chocolates with a scowl or a shriek or most memorably--and just the once--by throwing them at his face. Something was wrong and it wasn't the care she'd taken to make sure his chocolate wasn't too sweet. "Thank you," he interrupted her. He watched her face, trying to see into her and came to the conclusion that whatever was bothering her was a mystery to her as well. Then there was no point in making her sad. He smiled at her.
He dropped his bag off his shoulder to put his gift into it--more to keep from embarrassing himself by mooning over his sister than to keep his hands free. It was probably the flash of red that caught his eye but there were times that he was sure some faint remnant of his power clung to him, like an unravelled seam. Li Syaoran was across the courtyard, getting Valentine chocolates from a girl that Touya didn't recognize. A blushing girl. He might not have liked his sister having feelings for a boy who wasn't himself, his father, or Yukito, but that didn't mean anybody else was allowed to having feelings for that guy, either. He sent Sakura off to interrupt--with the strange desire to say...something.
"Do you know who that girl was?" he asked Chisato, waving to Sakura over his shoulder. Chisato's guess of 'your sister' made him smirk. Smart ass. But he was too preoccupied to appreciate it properly. "The other one."
Chisato shrugged slighly. "I haven't had her in any of my classes. She's probably not an Ed. major." Suddenly he frowned. "You said your brother there was tutoring math, right?"
"Exactly." She needed help with maths. Chisato chronically needed help with maths. There were good odds that Chisato should have known her anyhow.
"Has anyone every mentioned your sister complex to you?" Chisato asked kindly. Touya chased him the rest of the way to class after he made sure that he wasn't going to jostle his bag (and his chocolates) too much.
[Ooc: Taken with incredible glee from here.]
Escaping the treacly clutches of his afternoon students, Touya was immediately waylaid by Ono Mari--he was amused to see that she was in a bright red dress that, upon closer inspection, proved to be sewn together out of little red hearts. "Kinomoto-kun!" she snapped his picture quickly. "What a cute smile!" She handed him two pink boxes and dug out her light meter.
"Thanks," he said. "What are these?"
Her round face scrunched up in a smile. "Don't play dumb! They're my chocolates and Risa-chan's."
"Hayami?"
"You were so sweet to take her back to my apartment for Christmas. But don't worry! It's only obligation! And I got you just one dark chocolate truffle because I know you don't like sweets."
He ducked his head and rubbed a thumb over the edge of the boxes. "Thanks." And because he meant it, he reached out and touched her cheek, brushing one of the long tendrils of hair back from her face. "Go make Chisato end up owing you the best White Day ever."
She beamed at him and popped up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I will!"
He was waiting for the bus to Rika's when another pink box appeared before his eyes. "Huh?" he took it automatically.
"Aneeki's chocolates," Daisuke smiled at him as he turned. "I tried to talk her into something fancier but she said you've been too much of a pest to rate."
Touya grinned at his friend. "She'll rue the day, come March fourteenth."
Daisuke's eyes fairly twinkled. "Probably not, because it's you."
He thumped him companionably on the arm. "I'm heading over to Terada's now. You want me to see about a game of basketball this Sunday? He's got keys to the school."
"That sounds nice." Daisuke stepped back as the bus pulled up. "We won't be by Planet Okonomi later. Aneeki and I have dinner plans some place else tonight."
"You're going to owe her so much chocolate," Touya said, stepping on to the bus and waving.
He found a familiar face before he even reached Rika's apartment. "Hey."
Akashi grinned. "You must be the other guy she thought might be allergic to getting obligation chocolates."
"Geez, yeah," Touya fell into step with him as they headed into Terada's building. "I don't mind White Day--girls like to be girly..."
"But giving guys chocolates..." Akashi nodded. "There's a limit. I made my sister do hers before I even left the house this morning."
"Smart thinking. Except it only works until you move out."
"I've got time to learn and a line on a tutor," Akashi was grinning again as he knocked on Rika and Terada's door.
"Touya-san! Akashi-kun! What a surprise!" Rika's smile was brilliant.
"Since it's not actually a surprise that we're here, I'm going to take that you mean the fact that we're together. We ran into each other downstairs."
Touya let Itou explain, studying Rika. Her eyes were bright, her face clear but he just knew she'd been crying. He couldn't say how he came to the conclusion, but it was inescapable. He kept a smile on his face as he darted his eyes to Terada Yoshiyuki.
Terada's face was calm and composed and he met Touya's eyes squarely for a long moment. "Anybody want a drink?" he offered.
"I have work." Touya glanced at Akashi as they spoke in unison.
"We must have the same escape hatch," the other man offered him a wink. Touya grinned in response and then turned away.
"Can we get this over with?" he kept his voice light. Rika had gone to some effort to hide her tears and he wasn't going to push. Yet.
"Touya-san!" Rika laughed. "It's chocolate, not a firing squad!"
Akashi's met his eyes. "There was an option for a firing squad?" he asked, sounding pained.
Rika giggled and took two boxes from Terada, who'd disappeared briefly into their kitchen. "Maybe next year. For now, you're stuck getting obligation chocolates and affection."
"Aww, man," Touya muttered. "Terada, turn around. I don't want you watching." He bit back a smile as both Terada and Akashi whirled, presenting their backs. He held out a hand to Rika. "Do it quick," he said pleadingly.
"You don't fool me," Rika murmurred, putting a box into his hand. Her fingers rested warmly against his wrist for a moment. Her eyes were warm on his and he felt his smile slip out anyhow. "Okay, it's done."
Touya whipped his hands back, tucking the box into a pocket. "Want me to turn away?"
"Yes, please."
Once back out on the street, Touya turned to Itou. "Did anything about that stike you as off?" he asked.
"You mean the fact that she'd been crying?" Akashi asked. "Yeah."
"Call me," Touya instructed as he headed for Planet Okonomi.
Akashi flashed him a thumb's up as he went in the other direction.
"I thought we'd be busier," Naoko said. "It is Thursday."
Touya leaned back against table two, hands planted along the cool teppanyaki. He'd forgot that Naoko hadn't been with them last Valentine's Day. "Nah. People have more romantic plans than eating undercooked food while Suzuki bellows at us." He wasn't certain if Naoko was blushing or if she was just too warm. She had just come from flipping eight. "Did you have romantic plans?"
"Touya!" Haru scolded, coming up behind him from table six. "She'd never tell you because you'd kill somebody. I think."
Naoko did blush then. "I didn't do anything special," she said softly.
Suzuki bellowed before Touya could ask more.
"Kinomoto! Flip four! Moromoto get in here and get this batter!"
Touya pushed off with Haru. "All right--be honest," he said under his breath.
Haru beamed at him. "She's happy~!" he said in an excited whisper. "She's got a little glow!"
Touya glanced back. Naoko had a little smile lighting her eyes and putting roses in her cheeks. "That's what I thought."
"You can't kill him!" Haru warned, veering into the kitchen.
Touya flipped four and then went to the kitchen for more batter. "Hey, boss," he said, glancing out into the seating area. "Naoko-san--OW! What was that for?"
Suzuki brought the meat cleaver down and began dicing pork. "Yanagisawa is my best employee, so don't mess up her happiness."
"Your best--!" Touya stared at his boss.
Suzuki calmly continued to dice pork. "She doesn't give me any trouble unlike you and Moromoto. She's a good girl."
Touya glared at him. "She gave you chocolates, didn't she?" he asked. Suzuki pointed the handle at a small red box sitting on the pass-through counter. Touya shook his head and left the kitchen but felt his face soften as he watched Naoko smile at a customer. Sometimes there was just no arguing with his boss. Still. He waited until Naoko turned her back to him, cleaning table three. "Oi, oi," he said, coming up behind her. He laid a hand heavily on top of her head. "Those duty chocolates had better be something special if I'm getting spanked with the meat cleaver over them."
Naoko turned under his hand. "I don't think it's the chocolates that are getting you in trouble," she said solemnly, but there was a giggle in her voice that made Touya have to work hard to keep his mock-scowl in place.
"It was definitely the chocolates," he said.
"It was definitely Touya's mouth," Haru corrected. "I got my chocolates when I first got here and Suzuki didn't even take a swipe at me."
"Yanagisawa!" Suzuki bellowed. "I'm not paying overtime! Get out!"
"Yes!" Naoko called back. "Yours chocolates are with my things," she said to Touya as she untied her apron.
He followed her to the kitchen and narrowly dodged a half-hearted swing from the batter spoon. "This is the part where you thank me for being the most gracious, most wise, and best big brother in the history of big brothers," he said in his most unsufferable big-brother voice. He got an actual giggle for it.
"Something like that." Naoko's eyes were warm as she held out two slim boxes to him. "From me and from Aunt Amaya. Thank you."
He grumbled theatrically as he accepted them. The other option was hugging her and he didn't think either of them really wanted to have to survive that.
"Get back to work, Kinomoto!" Suzuki shouted.
"We're three feet away," Touya complained. He caught Naoko's sleeve as she slid into her coat. "Thanks," he muttered, embarrassed by the uncontrollable show of emotion.
"Good night, Onii-sama," Naoko said, and slipped out the back door.
Since he'd had the late shift, he knew Haru would expect him home late. He planned to take advantage of that fact to make a stop he knew Haru would not approve. He was grateful that the patchy clouds weren't sliding over the gibbous moon as he picked his way to his destination. He knew the way though he'd never been.
"Sir," he said, crouching before a grave marker still so new that the gloss hadn't worn off the engraving. Naoko's father. "It's Valentine's Day, sir," he said softly. "Your daughter just gave me her duty chocolates." He pulled his box from Naoko out of his coat pocket and opened it. A smooth, dark chocolate heart gleamed against a nest of white tissue paper. He took it out and broke it in half. "From Naoko, it's the same as love chocolate. And it's your own fault you missed out," he said, feeling the old anger bubble up. "You missed out on the chocolate and her smile and the way being happy makes her shine. If you're watching after her at all, I hope you realize that." He set half of the heart down on the grave. "But you at least waited until she had people to take care of her. You didn't just abandon her and for that...for that I can share with you this year."
He ate his share standing beside the stone and left with the bittersweet taste of chocolate in his mouth.
She stomped him.
Damn, he was getting soft and she...well, she wasn't exactly a tiny ten-year-old anymore. Ouch. Still...she was jumping to her feet so there was a chance for some payback.
"I...think...you...broke...it..." he managed not to laugh as he said it though the effort it took surely showed on his face. She was too easy to wind up and it was much better than any chocolate. He was just getting to the really good part when Chisato interrupted, snickering about selling tickets.
"Hey."
Chisato grinned. "Hey," he said. Which was almost as good as commenting on his (non-existant) sister complex. Touya rolled his eyes at him and turned back to Sakura.
"So, I take it you came to give me something to make me incredibly uncomfortable?" She could take that two ways--emotionally or physically. He wondered if she'd try and stomp him again and grinned. But it faded slightly when she didn't respond. She was glaring in his and Chisato's direction but not at them. He flicked a glance at his friend and got a meaningful flicker in return. "Sakura?" Her harsh 'what' only cemented things but he pushed down on the desire to push at her and repeated his question.
He was surprised when she held it out to him, arm fully extended. "Yes I made it myself," she started her voice was nearly as stiff as her arm.
Touya listened to her explain her chocolates with less than half of his attention. This was not how Sakura gave him his chocolates. Sakura gave him his chocolates with a scowl or a shriek or most memorably--and just the once--by throwing them at his face. Something was wrong and it wasn't the care she'd taken to make sure his chocolate wasn't too sweet. "Thank you," he interrupted her. He watched her face, trying to see into her and came to the conclusion that whatever was bothering her was a mystery to her as well. Then there was no point in making her sad. He smiled at her.
He dropped his bag off his shoulder to put his gift into it--more to keep from embarrassing himself by mooning over his sister than to keep his hands free. It was probably the flash of red that caught his eye but there were times that he was sure some faint remnant of his power clung to him, like an unravelled seam. Li Syaoran was across the courtyard, getting Valentine chocolates from a girl that Touya didn't recognize. A blushing girl. He might not have liked his sister having feelings for a boy who wasn't himself, his father, or Yukito, but that didn't mean anybody else was allowed to having feelings for that guy, either. He sent Sakura off to interrupt--with the strange desire to say...something.
"Do you know who that girl was?" he asked Chisato, waving to Sakura over his shoulder. Chisato's guess of 'your sister' made him smirk. Smart ass. But he was too preoccupied to appreciate it properly. "The other one."
Chisato shrugged slighly. "I haven't had her in any of my classes. She's probably not an Ed. major." Suddenly he frowned. "You said your brother there was tutoring math, right?"
"Exactly." She needed help with maths. Chisato chronically needed help with maths. There were good odds that Chisato should have known her anyhow.
"Has anyone every mentioned your sister complex to you?" Chisato asked kindly. Touya chased him the rest of the way to class after he made sure that he wasn't going to jostle his bag (and his chocolates) too much.
[Ooc: Taken with incredible glee from here.]
Escaping the treacly clutches of his afternoon students, Touya was immediately waylaid by Ono Mari--he was amused to see that she was in a bright red dress that, upon closer inspection, proved to be sewn together out of little red hearts. "Kinomoto-kun!" she snapped his picture quickly. "What a cute smile!" She handed him two pink boxes and dug out her light meter.
"Thanks," he said. "What are these?"
Her round face scrunched up in a smile. "Don't play dumb! They're my chocolates and Risa-chan's."
"Hayami?"
"You were so sweet to take her back to my apartment for Christmas. But don't worry! It's only obligation! And I got you just one dark chocolate truffle because I know you don't like sweets."
He ducked his head and rubbed a thumb over the edge of the boxes. "Thanks." And because he meant it, he reached out and touched her cheek, brushing one of the long tendrils of hair back from her face. "Go make Chisato end up owing you the best White Day ever."
She beamed at him and popped up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I will!"
He was waiting for the bus to Rika's when another pink box appeared before his eyes. "Huh?" he took it automatically.
"Aneeki's chocolates," Daisuke smiled at him as he turned. "I tried to talk her into something fancier but she said you've been too much of a pest to rate."
Touya grinned at his friend. "She'll rue the day, come March fourteenth."
Daisuke's eyes fairly twinkled. "Probably not, because it's you."
He thumped him companionably on the arm. "I'm heading over to Terada's now. You want me to see about a game of basketball this Sunday? He's got keys to the school."
"That sounds nice." Daisuke stepped back as the bus pulled up. "We won't be by Planet Okonomi later. Aneeki and I have dinner plans some place else tonight."
"You're going to owe her so much chocolate," Touya said, stepping on to the bus and waving.
He found a familiar face before he even reached Rika's apartment. "Hey."
Akashi grinned. "You must be the other guy she thought might be allergic to getting obligation chocolates."
"Geez, yeah," Touya fell into step with him as they headed into Terada's building. "I don't mind White Day--girls like to be girly..."
"But giving guys chocolates..." Akashi nodded. "There's a limit. I made my sister do hers before I even left the house this morning."
"Smart thinking. Except it only works until you move out."
"I've got time to learn and a line on a tutor," Akashi was grinning again as he knocked on Rika and Terada's door.
"Touya-san! Akashi-kun! What a surprise!" Rika's smile was brilliant.
"Since it's not actually a surprise that we're here, I'm going to take that you mean the fact that we're together. We ran into each other downstairs."
Touya let Itou explain, studying Rika. Her eyes were bright, her face clear but he just knew she'd been crying. He couldn't say how he came to the conclusion, but it was inescapable. He kept a smile on his face as he darted his eyes to Terada Yoshiyuki.
Terada's face was calm and composed and he met Touya's eyes squarely for a long moment. "Anybody want a drink?" he offered.
"I have work." Touya glanced at Akashi as they spoke in unison.
"We must have the same escape hatch," the other man offered him a wink. Touya grinned in response and then turned away.
"Can we get this over with?" he kept his voice light. Rika had gone to some effort to hide her tears and he wasn't going to push. Yet.
"Touya-san!" Rika laughed. "It's chocolate, not a firing squad!"
Akashi's met his eyes. "There was an option for a firing squad?" he asked, sounding pained.
Rika giggled and took two boxes from Terada, who'd disappeared briefly into their kitchen. "Maybe next year. For now, you're stuck getting obligation chocolates and affection."
"Aww, man," Touya muttered. "Terada, turn around. I don't want you watching." He bit back a smile as both Terada and Akashi whirled, presenting their backs. He held out a hand to Rika. "Do it quick," he said pleadingly.
"You don't fool me," Rika murmurred, putting a box into his hand. Her fingers rested warmly against his wrist for a moment. Her eyes were warm on his and he felt his smile slip out anyhow. "Okay, it's done."
Touya whipped his hands back, tucking the box into a pocket. "Want me to turn away?"
"Yes, please."
Once back out on the street, Touya turned to Itou. "Did anything about that stike you as off?" he asked.
"You mean the fact that she'd been crying?" Akashi asked. "Yeah."
"Call me," Touya instructed as he headed for Planet Okonomi.
Akashi flashed him a thumb's up as he went in the other direction.
"I thought we'd be busier," Naoko said. "It is Thursday."
Touya leaned back against table two, hands planted along the cool teppanyaki. He'd forgot that Naoko hadn't been with them last Valentine's Day. "Nah. People have more romantic plans than eating undercooked food while Suzuki bellows at us." He wasn't certain if Naoko was blushing or if she was just too warm. She had just come from flipping eight. "Did you have romantic plans?"
"Touya!" Haru scolded, coming up behind him from table six. "She'd never tell you because you'd kill somebody. I think."
Naoko did blush then. "I didn't do anything special," she said softly.
Suzuki bellowed before Touya could ask more.
"Kinomoto! Flip four! Moromoto get in here and get this batter!"
Touya pushed off with Haru. "All right--be honest," he said under his breath.
Haru beamed at him. "She's happy~!" he said in an excited whisper. "She's got a little glow!"
Touya glanced back. Naoko had a little smile lighting her eyes and putting roses in her cheeks. "That's what I thought."
"You can't kill him!" Haru warned, veering into the kitchen.
Touya flipped four and then went to the kitchen for more batter. "Hey, boss," he said, glancing out into the seating area. "Naoko-san--OW! What was that for?"
Suzuki brought the meat cleaver down and began dicing pork. "Yanagisawa is my best employee, so don't mess up her happiness."
"Your best--!" Touya stared at his boss.
Suzuki calmly continued to dice pork. "She doesn't give me any trouble unlike you and Moromoto. She's a good girl."
Touya glared at him. "She gave you chocolates, didn't she?" he asked. Suzuki pointed the handle at a small red box sitting on the pass-through counter. Touya shook his head and left the kitchen but felt his face soften as he watched Naoko smile at a customer. Sometimes there was just no arguing with his boss. Still. He waited until Naoko turned her back to him, cleaning table three. "Oi, oi," he said, coming up behind her. He laid a hand heavily on top of her head. "Those duty chocolates had better be something special if I'm getting spanked with the meat cleaver over them."
Naoko turned under his hand. "I don't think it's the chocolates that are getting you in trouble," she said solemnly, but there was a giggle in her voice that made Touya have to work hard to keep his mock-scowl in place.
"It was definitely the chocolates," he said.
"It was definitely Touya's mouth," Haru corrected. "I got my chocolates when I first got here and Suzuki didn't even take a swipe at me."
"Yanagisawa!" Suzuki bellowed. "I'm not paying overtime! Get out!"
"Yes!" Naoko called back. "Yours chocolates are with my things," she said to Touya as she untied her apron.
He followed her to the kitchen and narrowly dodged a half-hearted swing from the batter spoon. "This is the part where you thank me for being the most gracious, most wise, and best big brother in the history of big brothers," he said in his most unsufferable big-brother voice. He got an actual giggle for it.
"Something like that." Naoko's eyes were warm as she held out two slim boxes to him. "From me and from Aunt Amaya. Thank you."
He grumbled theatrically as he accepted them. The other option was hugging her and he didn't think either of them really wanted to have to survive that.
"Get back to work, Kinomoto!" Suzuki shouted.
"We're three feet away," Touya complained. He caught Naoko's sleeve as she slid into her coat. "Thanks," he muttered, embarrassed by the uncontrollable show of emotion.
"Good night, Onii-sama," Naoko said, and slipped out the back door.
Since he'd had the late shift, he knew Haru would expect him home late. He planned to take advantage of that fact to make a stop he knew Haru would not approve. He was grateful that the patchy clouds weren't sliding over the gibbous moon as he picked his way to his destination. He knew the way though he'd never been.
"Sir," he said, crouching before a grave marker still so new that the gloss hadn't worn off the engraving. Naoko's father. "It's Valentine's Day, sir," he said softly. "Your daughter just gave me her duty chocolates." He pulled his box from Naoko out of his coat pocket and opened it. A smooth, dark chocolate heart gleamed against a nest of white tissue paper. He took it out and broke it in half. "From Naoko, it's the same as love chocolate. And it's your own fault you missed out," he said, feeling the old anger bubble up. "You missed out on the chocolate and her smile and the way being happy makes her shine. If you're watching after her at all, I hope you realize that." He set half of the heart down on the grave. "But you at least waited until she had people to take care of her. You didn't just abandon her and for that...for that I can share with you this year."
He ate his share standing beside the stone and left with the bittersweet taste of chocolate in his mouth.