Touru to Shidou/Touru and Shidou

From: Pilos
To: Thalin
Subject: Date :D
Date: Saturday, 0:56

Hey there, Touru. Wanted to say I enjoyed being with you :D YAY! I have a boyfriend :D :D :D Hope you’re happy about it, too. I’m looking forward to Wednesday. Hope I catch you before, either around school or online.
Later,
Shidou, your boyfriend (Yay!!)

~*~*~*Touru

I blinked at the screen for a long time. I was dumbfounded. He sounded almost giddy. I’d dumped my story on him, cried on him and he was excited, happy?

I propped my chin on my fist, continuing to stare at the words. My boyfriend, eh? I grinned then and sent him a reply. I took care of the rest of the email I’d neglected last night as well as those that came in while I slept. I had just enough time to get dressed and head out to work when I finished.

Swing had good points and bad. Often, they were the same. It was busy, so time went quickly. It was busy so I had no time to think. Sometimes, that’s good, sometimes it’s not. Today, I wasn’t sure.

From: Thalin
To: Pilos
Subject: Re: Date :D
Date: Saturday 8:34

I look forward to Wednesday, too. I hope it’ll be better than last night. It’s not like me to fall apart like that :S Thank you so much for your email. In my mind, I could see you grinning and it made me smile.
Later,
Your boyfriend,
Touru

~*~*~*~Shidou

I made him smile. A laugh rose from my chest. I made him smile! I sent a reply then started on my homework. I preferred to get it done early. Not that it really mattered any more. Ranks were final. I was already accepted to the school I wanted to go to with a half ride. My parents agreed to help with tuition provided I got a job to pay for food. Or, more like, if I wanted anything else, I’d need a job to pay for it.

Thinking of college made me wonder what Touru’s plans were. Dread began to settle in my stomach. Two more months of school, three months of summer, and then…what? I groaned aloud.

“What’s up?” Mama asked from my door.

I looked over at her, “It’s only five months until I leave for college!”

She grinned a little at me, “Why do I think this reaction has nothing to do with leaving your family?” Before I could answer her, she walked in and hugged my head to her chest. “Enjoy the time you have. Don’t panic. You’ll still have the internet at least, and school breaks. Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.”

I sighed and felt another set of arms wrap around us. Dad’s voice, “You know the four of us met in high school and went to different colleges before we figured out how to have our own type of relationship, Shidou. Trust that things will work out.”

“Ever the optimist,” I grumbled, but I did feel better.

“With good reason,” he answered back, peeking over Mama’s shoulder.

When they left, I thought about my family for a while. I take after all my parents. I have Mom’s hair, Mama’s smile, Dad’s eyes and Papa’s build. I know about genetics, how only two parents make a child, but I do take after all of them. It never even occurred to me until high school to question which were my “real” parents. I never actually did ask because I decided I didn’t want to know. They all were. With college entrance paperwork and all, I knew what my birth certificate said, but it doesn’t matter to me.

I was just about finished when Dad came in, “C’mon, we’re going out to eat.”

“What?” We almost never went out. Mom’s an awesome cook and loves cooking.

“We’re going out,” he repeated, grinning at me.

“Okay,” I said, my voice suspicious. I thought I knew what his plan was. But, I didn’t tell them where he worked. I got up from my desk and followed them out of the car, hanging back a little.

While we drive, they talked cheerfully about the last time they’d been on a date. I groaned aloud when we pulled into the parking lot of Touru’s work. “You guys, don’t embarrass me!”

Papa looked over his shoulder at me, “Looks like we already have.”

“How’d you find out?” I demanded.

“Well, Touru’s and unusual name,” Dad answered.

I groaned again, “Leave it to a lawyer.” He grinned at me and they all got out of the minivan. Sighing to resign myself to fate, I followed.

“Five, please,” Dad said when we entered. I looked up and it was the manager from last night. I blushed and smiled at him a little. I looked over his shoulder and see Touru in the doorway of the kitchen staring at us. I felt my smile grow wider. He blushed and gave me a sheepish grin before hurrying away with the plates he was carrying.

Mom was tugging on my arm, “Let’s go, lover boy.”

“Mo-om!” I wailed in agony.

She looped her arms around mine, “That was him?” I nodded, embarrassed like crazy to be with them now. “He’s adorable.” She let go of my arm to sit next to Papa in the horseshoe shaped booth, Mama on his other side. Dad and I had the ends, him next to Mama, me next to Mom.

~*~*~*~Touru

Shidou’s here? Oh, gods. He looked so embarrassed. Those must have been his parents, then. When he looked at me, though, that smile. I felt my heart skip a beat and my cheeks were hot. The manager sat them in my section and then came to me while I was picking up an order in the kitchen. “You okay with them being in your section? I can give the table to…”

“No, it’s okay,” I cut him off. I blushed and looked down at the plates I was adding final bits to.

He put a hand on my arm and I looked at him. “I hope it works out for you. He seems like a nice guy.” I nodded, my throat too tight to say anything. He turned to leave, saying over his shoulder, “Just don’t start dropping things ‘cause you’re in love.”

I dropped the salad tongs in surprise at that comment. The cooks laughed at me and I could feel my cheeks burning. One of the things I liked about working here was that several of the other waiters were gay and the manager was bi. This part of town was known as the gay district so it had a mixture of run down shacks and high end art galleries. But, here, at least, the guys from school wouldn’t bother me. They were afraid they’d catch gayness if they came here.

I delivered the order without dropping anything else and braced myself to go to Shidou’s table. A deep breath, “Hi, I’m Touru, I’ll be your waiter tonight.”

The man across from Shidou looked up at me, “Hi Touru.” He had Shidou’s eyes.

The woman next to him brushed her hair out of her face, Shidou’s hair, “Hello.”

The man on the other side of her looked like he would be the same height and build, “Hey.”

The next woman smiled at me and it was Shidou’s smile, “Hi.”

I couldn’t help but ask, “How does he look like all four of you?” I blushed and looked down, “I’m sorry.”

The first man laughed, “It’s okay. Family secret, though.” I looked up and he winked at me.

“Sorry about this, Touru,” Shidou murmured. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I didn’t expect them to do something like this.”

I put my hand on his shoulder, “I’m happy to see you, too.” He grinned at me. I turned back to the others, “What would you like to drink?” I left my hand on Shidou’s shoulder while they all ordered iced tea. I nodded, “Okay, I’ll be right back with those.”

~*~*~*~Shidou

I watched him leave. He didn’t look quite as thin in his work clothes as he did in the too-big clothes of last night. He looked pulled together. He was cute last night. Today, I could see why he appealed more than Schele had. He was gorgeous. I felt a silly grin tug at my lips. He’s hot and he’s mine!

“Ah, look at our boy, all grown up,” Papa teased.

“Yes, all grown up and in lo-ove!” Mama chimed in.

“Shaddup,” I muttered, turning to my menu with a vengeance.

Mom ruffled my hair, sighing, “If I were only eighteen again…”

“And a guy,” Dad added.

They continued to tease me while I continued to read the menu, trying to ignore my burning ears. I was a little startled when Touru returned with our drinks, giving him a crooked grin. My cheek felt so warm it was spreading down my neck, but when he smiled at me, a special smile, it made the teasing worth it.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked, his hand resting behind me on the booth. I leaned back and he slid his hand to my back. It felt good for him to touch me, like he was taking away some of my embarrassment. I felt my cheek cooling and I calmed as my parents ordered.

It was my turn to order and he asked, “What would you like?”

“You,” I answered, looking at him. He blushed, but continued to meet my eyes. I think there was snickering at the table

“I’m not on the menu. What would you like from the menu?”

“Same as last night is good,” I answered, but I didn’t want him to leave. I knew he had to, but I didn’t want him to. He continued to hold my back while he checked our orders. His hand slid up to my shoulder and he squeezed lightly before going to the kitchen to put or order in.

~*~*~*~Touru

My hands shook as I put in their order. The look in his eyes when he said he wanted me made my heart lurch. I don’t know why I kept touching him. Strangely, it felt right. He just made me feel so comfortable, accepted. I wondered if it was because my family rejected me so much that I responded so much to his acceptance. I sighed, leaning against the wall a moment.

“Touru, have you had your break yet?” the manager asked.

I frowned at him. I’d only been on for 5 hours and I was working a double. My shift plus the one I’d taken for Schele. “No, not yet. I wasn’t planning to until after the dinner rush slowed.”

“Okay,” he nodded and went back out front.

It was odd for him to say things like that. Usually, I could get through a whole shift without him saying anything about my break. What was he up to? My order came up and I didn’t have time to think. It really was too busy for me to stand in the prep area and daydream.

Shidou’s family’s order came up a few later and I almost dropped their plates when someone touched me. I looked over my shoulder and the manager was behind me with a plate on his hand. “If you folks don’t mind, it’s time for his break. Could he sit with you?”

I was glad I’d managed to put down all the plates. As it was, I dropped their silverware on the table. The man across from Shidou laughed, “That’s fine.” The rest of them moved to sit closer together, leaving me staring at them, at the manager and finally looking at Shidou. He was as red as I felt, sitting still, staring at me, dumbfounded. “Move over, Shidou,” the man was still laughing.

I looked over my shoulder, “But, my tables…?”

“I’ll take care of them and make sure you get your tips. Now, sit down.”

I felt so self-conscious as I slid next to Shidou. The manager set a plate in front of me, and it was what I usually got, same as last night, a plain cheeseburger with onion rings. “Enjoy you meal,” he said and left. I sat there, staring at my food, my ears burning, unsure what to do.

“Well, aren’t you going to introduce us, Shidou?” the woman next to Shidou asked. It sounded like she was laughing.

Very softly, he began, “Touru.” He paused and I looked over at him. He grinned a little, looking embarrassed, but happy, too. “Touru,” he said again, and then pointed across the table. “That’s Dad, and Mom, and Pop and Mama.”

“Boy!” the one called Mom groaned. “Try it again, and, this time, give him names he can call us.”

Shidou lifted his chin and put his arm around my shoulders. He pointed again, “This is Dad, Mom, Pop, Mama.” He grinned at me, “If I get my way, we’re adopting you or something.” He blushed and continued to hold my shoulder.

Mom, the one with his hair, sighed, “Well, it’s official.”

~*~*~*~Shidou

I couldn’t believe the manager sat him with us. It felt good to have him sitting next to me, to have my arm around his shoulder. “What’s official?” I asked Mom.

She ignored me and turned to Touru, “Well, Touru, it seems Shidou thinks you’re part of our family. Welcome then. I hope we don’t scare you too much.”

Dad reached across the table, “Welcome, Touru.”

Hesitantly, Touru reached across the table and took Dad’s hand. “Thank you?” his voice was so hesitant it sounded like he was asking.

I tightened my arms around his shoulders. “Don’t go shy on me again. They’re family. It’s okay.” He looked at me, his eyes a little pained, tears threatening again. Before he could say anything, “It’s okay, Touru.” I caressed his cheek with my other hand. “No one here is going to hurt you.” He continued to look at me, searching my eyes. I let him, giving him time to find an anchor.

Finally, he nodded, smiling at me. I let his cheek go and he turned to the rest of them, still smiling, “Pleased to meet you all. Thank you for letting me join you.”

After that, the meal went well. We talked about school, about work, about whatever came up while our food vanished. By the time we’d finished eating, he had their names down and smiling freely and confidently talking about whatever topic came up, asking questions, offering an opinion. I could see that my parents liked him and he seemed to like them, too.

It was too soon before we had to go. The manager came by with our ticket and a suggestion, “Why don’t you two go outside while this is taken care of?”

Mama pushed me, forcing both of us out of the booth. His expression was bemused as we walked into the early evening darkness. When we were away from the door, he turned to me. It was hard to see his face in the patchy artificial light and I was actually nervous, “This wasn’t really my idea. They told me we were going out. I didn’t know where we were going until we got here. I’m sorry we embarrassed you.”

“What did you tell them?” he asked, his voice too careful. I didn’t think he was mad at me, just maybe confused.

“I told them we went on a date, your name and that you’d lost your parents and boyfriend. Nothing else really, other than I had a wonderful time with you.” I think I may have been talking too fast. “Dad said your name was unusual. He’s the lawyer.”

~*~*~*~Touru

He sounded panicky. I didn’t mean to make him panic. I was happy I’d gotten to see him. “Shidou,” I said.

He stopped, “Yes?”

“It’s okay, really. I’m happy I got to see you. I was surprised.”

The relief that went through him made me laugh. “Can I have a hug?”

I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes, “Oh, I suppose.” It felt so good when he pulled me into his chest, his arms around my back and waist. I let my head rest against his shoulder. I liked that he was a little taller than me. I returned his hug. “I am happy I got to see you.”

He pressed his cheek against mine, “So’m I.” He held me a little longer before squeezing me and loosening his hold, “I’m gonna miss you until Wednesday.”

I smiled at him, “I’m gonna miss you, too. But, we have email and chat.”

He sighed, pulling me closer again, “I know, but it’s not this.” He pulled away and took my hand again, kissing the back of it, “Until then, Touru. Mind if I dream about you?”

I felt my cheeks turning warm again, “Only if it amuses you.”

He caressed my cheek, “‘tis a poor substitute for this, but it’ll do until we can be together again.”

“Okay, lover-boy, are you coming or are you walking home?”

He blushed, “Mo-om!”

I could feel my cheeks burning as I turned away to go back to work. He called after me, “Hey, Touru!” I turned and looked at him, “I like you a lot, okay?” He was laughing.

“I like you, too,” I returned, feeling lighter. I could see his family teasing him as he got into the van. I watched them leave before going back into work. The rest of the night was fairly quiet, and it stayed busy until about 2, which is really good. Sunday starts late, so the morning rush was just getting underway when my shift ended at 6. The manager was as good as his word, making sure I had the tips from the tables he worked for me. When we had a short break, I asked him, “What was that about?”

“Well, last night, he could have freaked out on you, or passed you off. I came out to see what was going on. You cried for a long time. But, he waved me away. He looked like he really cared about you.”

I blushed and looked down at the prep counter, “Oh.”

He put his hand on my shoulder, “He seems like a good guy, and it seems like you two really like each other.” He smiled, “Besides, you’re one of my best workers; you’re allowed a break every so often.”

I grinned a little, “Never pegged you for a romantic.”

He snarled, “Don’t let it get around.” His face relaxed, “You deserve a little happiness. Go after it and hold onto it with both hands, Touru.” He looked so sad, I wondered if he let go of someone.

“I will,” I said softly. He patted my shoulder and left.

~*~*~*~Shidou

He liked me, too! What could be better? Maybe less teasing from the parents. All the way home, Mom and Mama teased while Dad drove and he and Pop talked quietly. I couldn’t hear them, but they looked serious.

When we got home, Dad rescued me from Mom and Mama, “Shidou, let’s go for a walk.”

Dad would often take me for walks when he had things on his mind. I was a little nervous, given the timing. I followed him and we walked silently for a while. “You two seem to be off to a good start,” he said, looking at the wires overhead.

“Yeah,” I answered, unsure where he was going.

He stopped, “You wanted to kiss him. Why didn’t you?”

I found the overhead wires fascinating for a while before I framed an answer. “To him, a kiss means a lot. I’m not going to kiss him good-bye.” I sighed, “His first kiss was a good-bye kiss.” I rubbed my hands on my jeans, “I’m not doing that to him.” I finally met his eyes. He was weighing me.

“He’s been hurt badly,” the statement gave me pause. The tone…it was like I should know.

“What?”

“I thought you knew. You told him we wouldn’t hurt him.”

“I said that because his family, not his parents, but his relatives, rejected him. He has very strong associations.” I was beginning to feel a bit scared or nervous.

Dad began walking again. “Last year, a police officer found him being cut up by a group of guys because he was gay.”

“What!” I’d known things like that happened, but to Touru! I felt the muscles in my body tensing, wanting to protect him.

“He spent a couple of days in the hospital. The case was dropped because his relatives actively refused to press charges. They have connections,” he sighed. He stopped walking again and looked at me, “Things are better than they used to be, and we’ve protected you a lot, Shidou, but that’s only one incident. As I told you, Touru’s an unusual name.”

My mind was reeling in anger and fear and an overwhelming desire to take vengeance for him. Dad put his hand on my arm and I glared at him. “Shidou, don’t do anything rash. Things are better than they were, but his relatives have connections to a lot of the judges in this town. Your best course of action is to keep being with Touru and not to get yourself into trouble.”

“But, they broke the law hurting him and they didn’t pay!” I wanted to be a lawyer like Dad. How could he stand by and let things like this happen?

His hand went to my shoulder and he squeezed, “I know they did, Shidou. But, as much as I uphold the laws, I’m also bound by them. So are you. Don’t start anything. Don’t provoke it. Do you understand, Shidou?”

I took a deep breath. I didn’t want to understand. I wanted to make them regret hurting my Touru. They shouldn’t be able to get away with hurting people! “I don’t understand! I don’t. Why can they get away with hurting him? Why would they want to? He’s done nothing to them!” My eyes were burning and Dad pulled me in and held me while my rage and fear poured out of me.

After a while, I calmed. Maybe not so much calmed as my energy was lower and I couldn’t sustain such intense emotions. I felt drained. “I don’t understand, Dad, but I’m not going to start anything. Especially since it’ll hurt him. I don’t want to do that.”

“We thought it would be better if you heard this from us rather than from him,” he said, patting my back. He pulled away from me and ruffled my hair, “We know how much of a spit fire you can be.” He grinned a little bit at me and then turned very serious, “I expect you to keep your word.”

“I will. I don’t want to hurt Touru.” I turned away from him, “I think…I think I love him, Dad.”

He put his hand back on my shoulder, “Maybe you do. There’s nothing at all wrong with love, Shidou. It’s what we do with it that makes it right or wrong.” He tugged on me and we began walking home, “Keep not rushing things, Shidou.”

I sighed as I followed him, “I know. I don’t want to rush things with him. I want to get to know him, all about him. I want him to be happy, Dad.”

He ruffled my hair again, smiling at me, “Good. Keep that in mind when your temper gets ahold of you and you’ll do just fine.”

We walked home in silence. I had a lot to think about. I was pretty sure I knew who the guys that hurt him were. I think they were the ones glaring at me last night. I wouldn’t do anything to them. I wouldn’t do that to Touru. But, if they started something with me, I was going to finish it. We got home and I sent Touru another email before crashing.


A/N: Thank you anon for you review. *sigh* I would like more feedback....hope people like this...