Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ 10 Years Later ❯ Chapter 6

"10 Years Later" Chapter 6

 

Started: June 2005.

Word Count: 2001

See previous posts for warnings.

 

 

 

"It's nice today," Karina declared, sucking in a lungful of the park air.

 

Despite it being only her second trimester, her doctor had cautioned her against any strenuous activity, threatening an order of bed rest if she didn't behave. She relented to Atobe's and Jiroh's generous gift of a maid--restricting the woman from entering her house more than three days a week was more strenuous a work out than cleaning the house herself, she thought, but she had come to seriously appreciate the extra help.

 

She absolutely refused to give up her daily walks, however.

 

She had started walking when Marika was an infant. Originally, it had merely been a means to work off some of the extra pounds pregnancy had saddled her with. Then it evolved into a daily necessity. Her walks were a chance to clear her mind; they were a chance to simply be. And they provided a refreshing opportunity to meet other people, mostly young mothers like herself.

 

In the month since she and Ryou had welcomed Chotaroh into their bed, her walks had become something else, as well.

 

"Ah, it's very nice today," Otori agreed. "But it will be hot soon."

 

Ryou worked all day, and Marika was either at school or at her friends' house, but Chotaroh worked on his own schedule. Thus she was able to call him up and cajole him into keeping her company for several hours a day. Sometimes he would join her for her morning walks; other times he came over in the afternoon.

 

He was kind, he was courteous, he was amusing and smart and witty and an absolute joy to be around, and, somewhat wryly, Karina wondered if she was falling in love with him. And she berated her husband for ever letting this man get away.

 

"Aren't you a handsome couple," an older woman came upon them and startled her from her mind-wandering. "Is this your first?" she asked, eyeing Karina's protruding stomach knowingly.

 

Beside her, she could feel Chotaroh stiffen and try to pull away. She wouldn't let him. Smiling at the well-meaning woman, Karina clung to Chotaroh's arm. "Thank you, no, it isn't," she answered, nodding her head pleasantly before leading Chotaroh away.

 

He was just too cute sometimes, she thought.

 

"You purposely left that woman to believe that--that we're, together," he hissed, trying to glimpse around to see if anyone else was watching them.

 

"We are together," she pointed out, feeling suddenly tired. It was becoming more and more easy to tire quickly she noticed absently.

 

"I'm not... I'm not your husband," he protested, and his cheeks were infused with color.

 

"No, you're not," she agreed, leaning her head against his arm and closing her eyes. "Let's sit for a little while?" she suggested, wondering if maybe they should have brought the car instead of walking there. She hated to be caught outside during the heat of the day and she could feel the temperature rising by the second.

 

He didn't argue, merely steered them closer to one of the many benches set up around the walk path. He left her there for a minute, returning with a cold, sweating bottle of green tea.

 

"Thank you."

 

They drank in silence.

 

"I won't be able to do this for much longer," she announced regretfully.

 

"Is it painful?"

 

"A little," she admitted. "But I hate to be trapped at the house all day long."

 

"Maybe we should head back," he suggested. "You look like you could use a nap."

 

Chotaroh's apartment was closer. She didn't argue when he took her there.

 

~~~****~~~

 

Without Otori really being sure how or why, the sable haired man had become a rather permanent guest at the Shishido household. He spent every night there, returning to his own apartment after breakfast. If he hadn't already returned by the afternoon, Karina made sure to call and remind him that dinner would be ready at six thirty and he was expected to be there.

 

It was a startling discovery one morning when he went to retrieve something from his closet only to discover most of his clothes were missing.

 

When he wasn't working himself, he spent most of his free time with Karina. With both her husband and daughter away during the day-- Shishido at work and Marika at school-- it was easy for the two of them to become closer. Otori liked Karina. She was a fun, insightful, and charming young woman. He found he could talk to her about subjects he had trouble talking about with anyone else, and he even found he could stand to be in silence with her.

 

When he didn't join her for her morning walks or she didn't stop by to nap on his sofa and listen to him play, they would spend the afternoons in the new nursery. They had spent a good portion of the remaining summer months emptying out the upstairs sitting room. As Karina had pointed out, she was the only one who used the room and it was mostly wasted space.

 

It was amusing to watch her pour over baby magazines and newspaper brochures, cooing and exclaiming over the patterns and designs. He enjoyed cleaning and redecorating the room, too. They had finally moved all the furniture and papers out and were in the process of putting the base coat of paint up when the doorbell rang.

 

Karina looked over at him, face half-obscured by the breathing mask, dark hair tired back but still managing to have scored a streak of white paint.

 

"I'll get it," he offered.

 

Otori wasn't comfortable yet talking about his relationship between Karina and Shishido. Although he knew Atobe and Jiroh knew, and by extension Oshitari and Mukahi (who so elegantly declared, "Well, it's about damn time!"), Otori wasn't comfortable talking to them. He hadn't even told his parents or talked about it to Hiyoshi yet. He supposed it was a strike of luck that it hadn't happened before really.

 

He did end up meeting Karina's father one night during dinner. If he had had any warning, he would have backed out of the affair. He suspected Karina had known that, though, and so it wasn't until her father showed up five minutes before dinner was served that he had any warning. (He berated himself for not having counted the bowls stacked on the table.)

 

He had gotten along rather well, though, with the elder man, and soon forgot his worries. And it was rather obvious that the other man suspected nothing untoward happening in his daughter's home.

 

Shishido's parents, however, were another matter.

 

Although Otori was never sure what exactly, if anything, Shishido had told his parents about them, it always seemed as though they didn't like him. Not Shishido's father, so much as his mother. Although the nature of their school life did not allow them too many opportunities to interact with each other's families, Shishido generally seemed to prefer going to Otori's house and hanging with Otori's family over his own.

 

Otori never minded, really. He was very close to his family and hardly kept any secrets from them. When he had first brought Shishido home with him back in junior high, his mother had taken one look at him and then hummed knowingly, saying, "So this is the one who's put a twinkle in my baby's eye, eh?"

 

At the time, both he and Shishido had been utterly embarrassed, although Otori realized now, if he had listened to her then and made a move faster, he and Shishido would have been together sooner.

 

Despite the years since the last time he had seen her, Otori would have recognized Shishido Mariko anywhere. Her youngest son looked remarkably like her, and currently, she was standing on his doorstep staring at Otori uncomprehendingly.

 

"Shishido-san," he started, surprised to see her there. He imagined what he must look like and hastened to pull the paint mask and bandana off. "It's been a long time," he greeted finally.

 

The older woman frowned at him, clearly not recognizing him.

 

"Chotaroh? Who is it?" Karina called from the top of the stairs.

 

"Chotaroh?" Shishido-san repeated suspiciously. Otori wondered if he should feel glad that at least his name sounded somewhat familiar to her.

 

"Please come in, Shishido-san," he offered, holding the door open for her to pass by. He could hear Karina slowly, carefully laboring her way down the steps behind him.

 

"Chotaroh?" she called again. And then, at the bottom step, she froze. "Mother."

 

"Karina," the woman greeted somewhat callously Otori thought. But then, the woman did just visit her son's home to find his wife in the house alone with another man. He wondered briefly how his mother would react.

 

"It's been a long time," the younger woman finally greeted.

 

"Yes, too long," Shishido-san returned, directing a pointed look at Otori.

 

"Mother, I think you might remember Chotaroh," Karina offered an introduction. "He went to school with Ryou and me. Chotaroh, I'm sure you remember Ryou's mother."

 

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you again," he replied.

 

"Chotaroh," Shishido-san returned, offering a brief nod. "I thought you left the country. Europe, wasn't it?"

 

Otori went to correct her, but Karina didn't give him the chance.

 

"Chotaroh studied in England before transferring over to New York. He speaks very good English now, too," she added proudly.

 

"I imagine so," Shishido-san muttered. "And what now? Are you finally tired of gallivanting around? Have you come back to Japan to stay? I hope you didn't expect to just pick up where you left. As you can see, Ryou's moved on with his life."

 

"Mother!" Karina barked reprovingly, but the other woman paid her no heed.

 

"He's married. He has a wife and a child and a decent job like any good, respectable man, and--"

 

"Mother! That's enough!" Karina shouted, red-faced and breathing heavily.

 

"No, it's all right," Otori stopped her, touching her shoulder and moving her away from Shishido's mother. "She's only stating the truth."

 

He turned back to look at Shishido's mother and took a fortifying breath. "Perhaps I deserve some of your mistrust, Shishido-san, but the truth is, when I left Japan, I told Ryoh to see other people."

 

He felt Karina start behind him and he realized, out of all the many things they had discussed, his reasons for leaving Japan, for leaving Ryoh, had never been one of them. "I didn't want to be dependent on him, and, I thought the best way to do that was to leave. I was wrong, I know that now, but it can't be changed."

 

"You're right it can't be changed! Ryoh has a new life! One without you. He's married. He's a husband and a father, and he has a good, respectable job like a good man should, and--"

 

"Mother! That's enough!" Karina shouted, red faced and breathing heavy. "I won't listen to any more of this."

 

"'Rina, please, calm down, it's alright," Otori soothed, brushing his fingers down along her arm.

 

"It's not all right," she hissed, fighting tears. "She--she has no right to--to say."

 

"Shh," he hushed, walking her back through to the kitchen, sitting her down firmly in one of the chairs. "It's okay. I'll just clean up upstairs and then I'll head out, okay?"

 

"Where?" she whispered, accepting automatically the class of lemonade he handed her.

 

"I think I'll pay my own parents a visit," he answered thoughtfully, before adding a little guiltily, "I haven't stopped by in almost a month."

 

"Oh. Okay. Should I call you for dinner?"

 

"No, I should be fine. I'm sure my mom will insist on feeding me, and I'll probably end up spending the night there, too, just so you know."

 

"Oh."

 

"You have my mobile number though. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

 

"I... I guess I'll let Ryoh know then."

 

Otori nodded and made a quick retreat; he was out of the house in little under ten minutes.

 

~~~****~~~

 

TBC