Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ 10 Years Later ❯ Chapter 1

"10 Years Later" Chapter 8

By Andrea Readwolf [andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com]

 

Started: June 2005.

Word Count: 3246

See previous posts for warnings.

 

 

[thanks for ditching]

 

Ryou hit the [send] button over an hour later with a bit of savage satisfaction. Karina was asleep still and his girl was due home any minute. There was nothing ready in the kitchen and he was starved.

 

But at least his mother was gone.

 

He loved his mom, really, he did, which made it that much painful that he couldn't stand being around her. But his mom was just that sort of person. Even if she honestly meant well, she could help rubbing people the wrong way.

 

His mobile phone went off and he frowned at the caller ID.

 

"Why didn't you ring the house line," he asked in way of greeting.

 

"Sorry," Otori replied. "I wasn't sure if everything was okay, or even if you were home."

 

"Yeah. Well, it's okay. 'Rina's asleep upstairs, so I guess it's better anyway. The Wicked Witch of the West is gone and my kid's due home at any minute. Trying to figure out what to do for dinner."

 

"There's some rice still in the pot," Otori offered. "Open up a can of broth, slice some carrots. There's some peas and green beans in the freezer, too, that you can add. Add about a cup of rice and then grill up a couple of cheese sandwiches. There should be some mozzarella and cheddar in the dairy. There's also some pressed ham and a ripe tomato you can slice up."

 

"Geez, that sounds like a lot of work."

 

"Wimp. Anything else? Or can I go back to my dinner now?"

 

"Oh, man, you didn't have to call while you were eating," Shishido mumbled apologetically.

 

"Nah, that's all right," Otori answered, his voice softening considerably. "We were almost finished, and I wanted to know how things went. I.... I was a little worried," he admitted.

 

"They went okay, I guess. I... I told my mom, about us, I mean. That I love you, and you live here, and--"

 

"Ryou."

 

"Won't you come home tonight?"

 

"I already told my mom I'd spend the night, but... I'll be back, home, tomorrow."

 

Shishido sighed. "Okay, but you're the one who's gonna have to explain it to Karina."

 

"Ah. I got it. How is she?"

 

"She's resting now, but she was pretty strung out when I got home. Mom has that kind of effect on people, as you know."

 

"Ah, and you?"

 

"I'll live. Hey, I hear my kid clamoring in the front hall, so I'd better go."

 

"Yeah."

 

"Hey, Chotaroh?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"I missed you not being here when I got home. Love you."

 

"Ah, I know. Love you, too."

 

Otori hung up the phone before Shishido could say anything else.

 

"Was that Ryou-kun?" his mom asked from behind him, startling him badly.

 

"Ah, yeah," he blushed, wondering how much of the conversation she'd overheard. It wasn't like they'd said anything bad, though, right?

 

His mom finished wiping her hands on her apron and came over to give him a hug. "I just want you to be happy, baby."

 

"I know, Mama."

 

"Mmm. So, when are you bringing them over?"

 

~~~*****~~~

 

Karina shifted the skirt of her dress nervously. "Why're we doing this again?"

 

Otori shot her an amused grin. "Don't you want to meet my mothers?"

 

"Not if she's anything like Ryou's," she grumbled before she could stop herself.

 

"She's not, don't worry," Otori reassured her with another grin as he pulled onto his street. "I realized last night that I'd met your dad, but you hadn't met my mother yet, and she was asking about you, so... I thought it would be better if you two met instead of me trying to explain things."

 

Karina groaned. "Oh gods, Chotaroh, what did you tell her about me? That I'm fat and ugly and can't even get out of bed without help and can't even cook meals for my own family or clean my own house and--"

 

"You're not fat," Otori interrupted. "You're humongous pregnant; there's a difference. And really, you were stressed out yesterday. You need to recoup. No one knew Ryou would start a kitchen fire, and the maid already said she'd have the mess cleaned up before the end of the day and the house aired out, so relax. Take the day off, enjoy yourself. I think you'll really like my mother," he added shyly.

 

"Here we are."

 

He tried to look at his family's house with a strangers' eyes. It was larger than most Tokyo homes, well-kept and cared for. It was probably a little ridiculous for his parents to live in such a big house by themselves now that both their children had moved out, but they had no plans of leaving anytime soon. Sometimes his sister would visit with her children, but more often than not, it was just his mom and dad, and his dad still worked full time at the law firm.

 

"Come on," he said, turning the car off and getting out. He went to help her out, too. Before he'd even had the passenger-side door open, his mother was standing at the front door, holding it open for them.

 

"Mama, this is Shishido Karina-san. 'Rina, this is my mom, Otori Akisa."

 

"How do you do? It's nice to meet you," Karina began, bobbing awkwardly into a bow.

 

"Yes, yes, nice to met you, too, Karina-chan. You must be sweltering outside in this horrible heat. Come inside, I have the air set low and an extra fan set up in the living room. Come, come, sit down. Let me get you something cool to drink.

 

"Chotaroh told me your carrying twins, boys isn't it? They're the worst to carry, I think, and twins to boot! Well, you just sit down and relax off your feet some. There's a girl. Is there anything in particular you like or don't like? No? Well, good. I've just made a fresh batch of tea," she chattered on in a flurry, not giving her son or Karina much of a chance to speak until after she served up two tall glassed of iced tea and sat herself.

 

"There now. How do you feel?" she asked and waited for an answer.

 

"Better, thank you," Karina murmured politely, taking small sips of her drink.

 

"Good. Chotaroh, shame on you for not noticing at all that this poor girl was overheated! I bet you weren't even running the AC on high in the car, were you. Really!" his mother chided reproachfully. "And don't you have some place to be, something to do? You do still work, don't you?"

 

"Oh, but," he started, surprised at this seeming sudden dismissal.

 

"Go," his mother shooed, practically pushing him back out the door and shutting it on him.

 

He hesitated for a moment, wondering what he should do, before deciding to head back to the house. The weather was holding and they hadn't finished-- make that, "hadn't started"-- painting the nursery. Karina would be safe with his mother. He didn't need to worry.

 

"There," Akisa exclaimed satisfactory as she returned to her guest. "He's gone now, so you just relax. No need to put on an act around me. It might have been over thirty years ago, but I've been pregnant myself, twice you know, and I helped my girl get through her three pregnancies, too. They're a living hell, and I won't believe anyone who says differently."

 

Karina smiled despite her fatigue. "Some days are better than others."

 

"And some days are the absolute worst, so just sit there, relax, and cool down if you can."

 

"Thank you for your hospitality."

 

"Hospitality nothing. You're extended family here, dear. Ryou might have cut himself off from us when Chotaroh left to go overseas, but we didn't cut him off. That boy's like a second son to me, and you're his wife, so you're family, too."

 

"I would have thought you would have hated me because of that..."

 

"Hate is such a strong word, but, those boys made their own decisions and they're living with the consequences. That's what life is all about, isn't it? Making decisions and moving on to the next one, all the while living with the consequences."

 

"Decisions and consequences? That's true. Otori-san, did Chotaroh tell you about me? About us? What's going on?"

 

"Not in so many words, but I think I've an idea of what's happening. He cares about you, you know, and it's not just because you're Ryou's wife."

 

"I care for him very much, too, which makes everything so much harder.

 

"A few months ago, I honestly didn't care whether I lived or died, but... then Chotaroh returned to Japan and it's like my entire life has been changed, and I don't want to lose this feeling. Even Ryou has changed and Marika seems happier."

 

"Everything changes. Life doesn't just stop 'cause we want it to," Otori Akisa tried to point out kindly.

 

"No, I guess it doesn't, does it?" Karina sighed, relaxing back into the soft chair--it really was comfortable here. "Well, as long as Ryou and Chotaroh are happy, and my children are healthy and happy, I guess everything will work out. I've already made my decision, right?"

 

 

~~~****~~~

 

 

[will you pick Marika + Ryou up? Your mom's invited us all to stay for dinner. Love, Karina]

 

Otori grinned at the text message and shot off a simple reply of [ok]. He'd known Karina and his mom would get along, but he was still relieved to have some proof. Of course, he was also reasonably sure "invited" was more along the lines of his mother "insisted" and "wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," but Karina didn't sound upset. If she had been she would have called him.

 

He hoped.

 

He hit the speed dial for Shishido's mobile phone.

 

"This is I. Is that you?"

 

"Last time I checked. Have you heard from Karina yet?"

 

"No why? I thought she was with you. Is everything okay? Mom didn't show up again, did she?"

 

"No, Not that I know of anyway. But we're having dinner tonight with my folks. She wants me to pick you and Marika up."

 

"Oh. Jeez, that woman's so bossy. But look at you, taking a girl home to meet your mother. What will the neighbors think?"

 

Years of practice allowed Otori ignored to him. "What time should I pick you guys up?"

 

"I'm going to be here till at least six," Shishido sighed. "I have *got* to finish these Social Studies reports, but why don't you swing by and get Marika now so she can get washed up and presentable looking. I'm sure you don't want her looking anymore like a ragamuffin than she already is."

 

"Well, she is your daughter. I'm sure my parents would understand."

 

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

 

Otori grinned. "Be there in ten."

 

 

~~~****~~~

 

 

"She's a good woman. I like her."

 

Shishido looked up a little nervously. He'd managed to escape to the back yard for a little privacy only five scant minutes ago. But it looked like his solitude wasn't meant to last.

 

"Otori-san," he greeted politely, but the older man blustered.

 

"I'd thought we'd put away with that nonsense when you got here?"

 

Shishido flushed. "Sorry. It just feels a little wrong to call you 'dad' now, sir. It's been a long time, and so much has changed."

 

"That it has," the elder man agreed. "Did you know the divorce rate is rising?''

 

"Sir?"

 

"Used to be a completely unheard of thing, husbands putting their wives aside, wives leaving their husbands."

 

"Men also used to have more than one wife, and she would live in her parent's house," Ryou reminded him.

 

"Yes, well, as you said, things change," Otori-san grinned. "Some for the better; some for the worse, but always changing. But, I guess some things don't always change."

 

They were quiet for another moment. From inside they could hear the others laughing and talking.

 

"You know, my wife and I never meet before our wedding day," Otori-san said conversationally, then.

 

Shishido looked up, surprised at the seeming tangent.

 

Otori-san chuckled. "Yes, our grandfathers arranged the match while I was away at college studying law, but it worked out well. Akisa's a good woman; she's a good homemaker and mother, and she's an excellent cook, too, if I do say some myself."

 

He patted his stomach contentedly, and Shishido grinned in agreement. "Her tempura is the best I've ever had."

 

"Ah," Otori-san nodded. "I guess what I'm saying is, love doesn't have to be there for a marriage to begin or work. In fact, sometimes I think love can make things more difficult. If you love somebody, you want to make them happy; And so, sometimes, you'll do something that you don't like or don't want to do because you think it'll make the other person happy. And I don't think that's right. That's not good at all. That's why there's so many divorces now, you see. Love's gone and made people unhappy, and no one wants to be in a relationship where they're unhappy."

 

"Sir?"

 

"I like that girl. I think she's a fine young woman. And I hate seeing how unhappy she is."

 

Shishido looked away. "Karina is-- a very kind person. I wish there was something I could do to make her happier."

 

"You think there isn't?"

 

Shishido looked up at the evening sky above and took a deep breath. Softly, barely louder than his own breath, he managed to somehow say, "She's dying."

 

When Otori-san didn't say anything right away, he found himself pushing forward to fill the silence.

 

"She-- she didn't tell me until a few months ago. In fact, she, uh, told Chotaroh before she even told me," he laughed. "Guess he's always been the easier one to confide things in of the two of us, but... You know, at first I was a little jealous. Isn't that stupid? I mean, I care about both of them, so it should be cool that my-- my best friend and my wife are good friends, too, right? But, I mean, it's really stupid. I mean, you know how stupid girls are in junior high and high school. It's really annoying, always crushing on this guy or that guy, forming their crazy cliques. But, in a way, it's kinda cool, too, when a ton of girls all thing you're hot and all."

 

"I bet it can be a real self-esteem booster," Otori-san agreed.

 

"Yeah, it can. I guess. Anyway, when we first hooked-up, Rina and me, she asked if I wanted to know whose fan group she'd belonged to. I said 'no'. I mean, it really didn't matter, right? 'Cause we were getting married, either way, and there was Marika, and all. But it kinda did. I mean, I was a little curious, you know?"

 

"So you asked her and she told you?"

 

"Nah, that's crazy." Ryou grinned. "I asked my know-it-all, has-to-be-up-in-everybody's-business friend and *he* told me."

 

"And?" Otori-san asked, somewhat curious himself.

 

"Can't you guess?" Ryou grinned. "She had preordered every single one of his albums before I even knew they were coming out. I think she's even on his fan mailing list, too."

 

Otori-san's lips twitched into a small, sad smile. "And so you're a little jealous of their friendship?"

 

"No. I'm jealous because he's not the one who has to tell his little girl that he's responsible for her mother's death. Cause he won't have to explain to two little boys that he wasn't smart enough to realize something was wrong, wasn't smart enough to protect their mother. I'm--I'm-- pissed!

 

"'I'm pissed, 'cause I know if it had been Chotaroh and not me, he would've noticed something was wrong the first time. He would've damn well made sure it never happened again and--"

 

He was shaking uncontrollably, eyes squeezed tight against the burn of tears, closed tight to the point he couldn't breathe and was getting light-headed. A hand against his back pressed gently, and quickly he gasped in a lungful of the cooling night air.

 

"Ryou. You're a good man. But you're not perfect. I love my son, but gods know, he's not perfect either. Don't think that just because he might have made a different decision than you-- You'll never know for sure. He's never had a wife or a daughter. He's never had to be responsible for anyone else but himself. You can't compare yourselves. You're too different. You've had to experience different things and make your choices based on those experiences.

 

"Chotaroh can be friendly and open with Karina because she's your wife, and she cares about you, so they have that in common. But he's not the one who works hard to pay for the house you live in or the tuition to put that little girl through school."

 

"Karina thinks," Shishido tried, but his throat was still too thick and he had to start again.

 

"Karina wants us back together. She-- she says we still love each other, so we should be together, and we-- I do. Still love him, I mean. That really hasn't changed. I mean, I thought it would, because it's been so long, and, you know, we've both changed, a lot, but, gods, help me, I still love him, and--- and that's why I-- I don't want him here for this.

 

"I don't want him to have to deal with this mess 'cause it's my fault. I-- They're my kids, and, as you said, I'm the one who's responsible for them, not Chotaroh. And it's not fare. It's not right to expect him to have to deal with this mess I've created, but-- but it makes Karina happy to have him here, and maybe I'm selfish, too, 'cause I'm happy he's here, too, 'cause sometimes, I mean, I don't think about it too much, but when I do, I just can't see myself able to do it without him. I don't think I can, and I hate how weak..."

 

"Not weak."

 

Shishido looked up at him, but Otori-san wasn't looking at him this time.

 

"It's a very brave and strong man who can admit he needs help in a situation. To both admit it and accept help, that's a very brave thing. You're not alone, Ryou. Your friends and family are here for you and will continue to be there for you. As for Chotaroh, well, my son makes his own choices, and it looks to me like he's chosen you, Ryou; chosen to be a part of your family, if you'll let him. He loves you, too; he wants to help you any which way he can.

 

"It won't be easy. As you said, you've both changed in the years he lived away, and he has no practical experience being a parent." Otori-san grinned and clapped Shishido's shoulders. "But then, none of us do the first time 'round, eh? You'll have to work at it, the both of you. Really work at it if you want to succeed this time. And I mean it. I'm getting old. I don't like the idea of my son living so damn far away anymore."

 

Shishido laughed. "No, I don't like that idea at all, either."

 

"Good. Then I'll trust you to see that it doesn't happen again." Otori-san gave him a meaningful look before grinning again. "So, what's this I hear about you trying to set your house on fire?"

 

Shishido groaned.

 

~*~*~*~

 

TBC