The Cat and the Crow

The Next Move

Tetsu tried so hard not to smile, but seeing Kei's face was priceless. He was equal parts surprised and confused, and by the way his eyes were shining, he was happy, too.

"Come on, love! We gotta get on the train!" he hollered above the noise of the train. He stopped at the yellow line, asking the attendants to wait just a little bit more.

He watched as Kei adjusted his backpack, and then turned to say goodbye to Keiji and Kou. They both hugged him quickly. Kou told him something and they all laughed. Just as the last whistle sounded, Kei turned and ran for the train, hopping on just after he did, and narrowly missing being caught in the door. They turned and waved at their friends as the train sped off.

"You have some explaining to do," Kei said first thing as they found their seats.

"You don't like my surprise?" Tetsu acted a little hurt, which was foiled by his smile.

"I love your surprise," Kei stated. "I had absolutely no idea."

"Such is the nature of surprises."

"Smartass."

"You love it. Admit it."

"Debatable," Kei muttered as they sat in their seats after arranging their stuff. "But true," he added with a smirk. "Maybe."

Tetsu laughed and relaxed in the corner against the window. Kei slid in next to him, and laid his head on Tetsu's shoulder. They stayed that way for the rest of the trip, lulled into a nap by the gentle rocking of the train.

[The Reason Why]

"Welcome home, you two!" Mom said as they walked in the door. "Dinner won't be ready for a while yet, so you can settle in." She came up to them, wiping her hands with a towel, as they took off their shoes and put on slippers. "Glad to see you're feeling well, Kei," she said after kissing his cheek and giving him a great big hug. "Your friends are anxious for you to come back, you know."

"If by friends you mean teammates, then I know. The team chat has been more active lately, and they've already decided I have to put in extra practice."

"Just be careful, okay?"

"Yes, mom," he replied. "I won't push myself, but I won't be a slacker, either."

"I doubt they'd think that, love," Tetsu interjected.

Mom went over and gave him a big hug as well. "Thank you for taking care of him, Tetsu," she said kindly. Then, she took a step back and let out a happy sigh. "It feels good to have you both home again. Tetsu, I made the guest bedroom ready for you to use," she told him with a grin. "Though I'm pretty sure you won't. Kei, I also cleaned your room and changed a few things around. Nothing too drastic, but... Well, I'll let you two go have a look." She gave them one more kiss and hug before going back to the kitchen.

Kei squinted at Tetsu, who merely shrugged. "You coming home with me was only a part of your surprise, wasn't it?"

"Indeed."

"Am I going to have to pry it out of you?"

Tetsu's eyes practically smoldered. "Think you could?"

"Are you daring me?"

"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not," he said, his voice low and deep. Tetsu took a few steps and stood as close to Kei as possible. "Think you could make your... interrogation... quiet?"

"Yeah. Do you think you could answer me just as quietly?"

Tetsu chuckled and took a step back. "Guess we'll have to find out." He picked up Kei's bags and handed them over, and then picked up his own bags. "Let's go see our room."

Kei perked an eyebrow, but eventually led the way, even though Tetsu knew where they were going. The door was cracked open, and Kei pushed it open the rest of the way. And then stopped. Mom had outdone herself. The bed, which had been just slightly bigger than the average twin-size, was now obviously larger, and made up with burgundy sheets and a black comforter. She'd had it moved into the corner next to the desk. His desk, which had also been smaller, was now more of the office variety, complete with a comfy looking chair. It had been placed against the wall facing the windows, so they could look out while studying. The closet had been emptied, as had his dresser, and a little note taped to the door told him that everything could be found in the guest room if he needed anything.

Dropping his backpack on the bed, he turned to face Tetsu, who had also put his stuff down, and was leaning against the closed door, watching him.

"What's the rest of your surprise?" he asked directly.

"I thought you'd have figured it out by now."

"I mean, I could make a few guesses, but I want you to tell me."

Tetsu pushed off the door and came to stand in front of Kei. At first he looked serious, almost angry. But then, he smiled.

"I decided to go to University in Sendai. They offer the same classes I wanted to take in Tokyo, so it was only a matter of transferring my credits to the school of my choice," he told Kei. "That's why I came with you today. I talked with Mom, and she pretty much told me that I was to live here while I'm at University. She also offered a bit of advice on another issue I was having."

"What's that?"

"What would you say if I were to sell my house and move here? Permanently."

"Can you do that?"

"Long story short, yes. The house has been mine for several years now. It was paid off and my name is on the deed. It's mine to do with as I please."

"Something about you I don't know," Kei murmured. "But that can wait for a bit. An answer to your question, I'd be happy."

Tetsu narrowed his eyes. "I can literally hear the 'but' hanging after that statement."

Kei shrugged. "Last time we discussed this, you weren't sure which direction you wanted to take concerning your career: work for the JVA or become head coach of Nekoma."

"Well, I did some homework, and while I still haven't made a firm decision, I do have more information to work with." An idea popped up in his mind and he took hold of Kei's hands. "Let's take a walk. I want to go to the park. Hopefully, our spot is still ours."

"It's so out of the way that I doubt anyone else has discovered it," Kei said as he picked up his jacket. Still, he followed Tetsu out of the room. They stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a snack and a couple bottles of water. "We'll be back later, mom," he told her.

"Okay. Don't be too long, though."

"Don't worry. We'll be home in time for dinner," Tetsu assured her with a grin. He turned to Kei and said, "come on, love. Let's go."