After Story: Determination

Chapter Twenty-Four: Complications

"That was pretty intense," Tomoyo remarked as she plopped down on the other side of the kotatsu. After walking Kyou home, the three of us had headed to my place to finish our time together.

"Indeed," Kotomi said, sitting as well. "One could almost feel the emotion in the air, like electricity."

I noticed Tomoyo looking from me to Kotomi and back several times. "You okay, Tomoyo?"

"I'm fine," she said, waving a hand. "Just tired, I guess. Like I said, that was pretty intense."

I headed to the kitchen and started to prepare some tea. Hopefully the girls would be okay with green tea, since that was all I had. The place was quiet as the tea steeped.

Kotomi was the first to break the silence as I placed her mug in front of her. "Kyou-san was very brave, was she not?"

"Yeah," I grunted. "Amazing. I never knew she had it in her."

"I do hope Ashton-sensei accepts her feelings," she said as she lowered her mug. "He seems like such a good man who deserves to be happy."

I thought back on my little tirade over hating his god and started feeling a little guilty. "Yeah; he's all about others...kinda like Kyou."

"Why was she so nasty to you last year, though?" Tomoyo asked.

"I dunno," I admitted. "She still takes jabs at me every once in a while...but I don't see her as much as I used to, so she doesn't get many chances to."

"Thank goodness," she grunted.

We went back to quietly sipping our tea for the next few minutes.

"Well, I'd probably better head home," Tomoyo remarked as she got to her feet. "Got school in the morning."

"It is a shame you have to leave," Kotomi said sadly as I got to my feet.

"Yeah," my silver-haired friend said somewhat absently as she appeared to study us again. "Well, talk to you later."

"Hold up a second," I told her before turning to my childhood friend. "Be back in just a minute."

"Okay," she replied with a warm smile.

I followed Tomoyo out the door and stopped her. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

I crossed my arms as I studied her. "Something's been eating you since...since Kyou's confession, at least. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said evasively.

"Tomoyo, I don't like lying any more than you do."

She sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping. "All right; something is bothering me, but I don't know what it is."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just...be patient with me...please?" She turned sad blue eyes up at me, and I could swear she almost looked like a lost little girl.

So I uncrossed my arms to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Sure thing, Tomoyo. Take your time. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Yeah," she replied, laying a hand on top of mine. "Thanks. See you later." With that, she stepped away, my hand dropping from her shoulder as she turned and headed down the road in the direction of her home.

I re-entered my home to find Kotomi standing in the middle of the living room, squeezing her hands together repeatedly.

"I have been waiting for you, Tomoya," she said.

"Sorry if I took too long,"

"It is not that," she said, shaking her head with a smile. "I just..."

I watched her as she fidgeted, knotting and unknotting her hands repeatedly.