Hikaru followed Kiri back into the living area shyly. Kiri was in his yukata and Hikaru was in what she thought of as one of her sets of guest pajamas. She hadn't wanted him to stop, but was embarrassed that his mother had probably heard them.

Kiri's mother had gotten out extra cups and made more tea. She surveyed them with a bland expression. Hikaru grabbed her school bag and pulled out her homework before she sat.

"No ring," she observed. Hikaru looked up uncertainly. But Kiri simply tapped his own ear and then Hikaru's.

"I see," said his mother.

Hikaru looked at her and asked shyly, recalling how Kiri's sister had reacted to onee-sama, "How would you like me to call you?"

"I expect you'd should call me oka-sama, if you're serious about my son," she replied.

"OK," agreed Hikaru.

Kiri kissed Hikaru's cheek and suggested, "Feel like dessert if I make something?"

Hikaru nodded. He hugged her and then stood and went into the kitchen. "Oka-san?" he inquired when she didn't volunteer an opinion.

"Sure, why not," she replied. "How long has this been going on?"

Hikaru blushed again as Kiri replied, "A bit over a month."

"Fast," she commented dryly.

Kiri looked at her and belatedly told Hikaru, "My mother's name is Tokiko." To his mother he said, "Why are you staying with me instead of onee-chan? And why didn't you warn me? And how long are you staying?"

Tokiko looked at her son and asked, "Who could sleep comfortably in that mob?" And then she answered, "I didn't warn you because if I warn you you take off on a business trip shortly after I arrive, and I plan to stay a week."

Hikaru looked up at that and said, "He's leaving again in less than a week." Kiri's mother looked at her and sighed and she quickly added, "But you can still stay for the whole week if you like."

Kiri asked from his position at the stove, "Are you sure? You don't have to agree to it if you're uncomfortable, this is your house too."

Hikaru stared at him. "Kiri, she's your mother," she protested.

He nodded and replied calmly, "And she has three other children she could go bother if she felt like."

Hikaru said uncomfortably, "It's fine, even if we don't wind up getting along well, we can manage for a few days."

"OK," he agreed.

Tokiko observed Hikaru quietly.

Hikaru worked her way through the assignment with grim determination. At one point she stopped and asked Kiri a question on the math formula.

He answered easily and added, "I wish all your assignments were math, math makes sense at least. I can help with it."

Hikaru laughed and said, "I'm just as glad it's not all math."

Kiri presented them with small warm chocolate cakes filled with a light fruit jelly and topped with melting cream. They were exquisite and delicious.

Tokiko quizzed her son and occasionally Hikaru while they enjoyed the dessert.

Eventually Hikaru finished her homework, then she asked, "Do you need anything before we go to bed oka-sama?"

Tokiko said she had everything she needed and had already prepared her bed. She indicated the couch which had been folded down into a bed.

Hikaru shyly bid her goodnight. Then she told Kiri, "I need to sleep, but if you want to stay up and visit, that's fine?"

Kiri kissed her and said, "I'll come to bed in a few minutes. I have to work too."

--

In the morning Hikaru dressed while Kiri laid in bed after mumbling, "Just a few more minutes."

She opened the hall door quietly and stared at the table. Then she ran back into the bedroom and said,"Kiri, you have to get up! Your mother made breakfast and it's amazing!"

Kiri sat up and stared blankly at her. "OK," he said at last.

Hikaru ventured back into the main room where Tokiko was just settling at the table.

Kiri's mother stared at her with a somewhat shocked look before resuming a neutral expression.

Hikaru complimented the meal and asked if it were OK to begin eating. After receiving approval she filled her bowl and ate enthusiastically.

After a few minutes Kiri joined them. He sat and began eating without a word. Hikaru elbowed him and he grinned at her.

"This is a normal breakfast," he told her.

"You are so spoiled," she replied. Then she asked his mother, "Oka-sama did you sleep enough? You must have gotten up so early?"

Tokiko replied, "Not so early, only about an hour ago. I slept well."

They ate in silence for a few minutes and then Tokiko looked at her son and asked, "A high-school girl?"

Kiri stopped eating for a moment and looked at his mother. He shrugged.

Hikaru said, "Only for another couple months."

Tokiko said, "Oh," and asked her, "are you already eighteen then?"

Hikaru shook her head and finished her mouthful before saying, "Seventeen until July."

Kiri's mother frowned at him darkly.

They dashed out the door together a few minutes later and Kiri delivered Hikaru to school and then somewhat reluctantly went home again, the first thing on his work schedule wasn't until 10:15 this morning.

When he returned his mother was almost finished doing dishes and ordered him to sit at the table. He sighed and sat.

She joined him a few minutes later and asked, "What do you think you're doing to that child?"

Kiri grinned at her and replied, "Everything she enjoys."

Tokiko snapped and said, "I'm serious you idiot. If you love her, you should be waiting for her."

Kiri regarded his mother soberly and replied, "No, the right time for me to be there for her is now. I hope that I'll always be right for her, and I hope to marry her, but only time will tell."

"How can this situation be right? What led to this?" she asked skeptically.

Kiri sighed. He said, "She's not a child, about some things she's smarter than I am. And stuff happened." His mother regarded him skeptically and he explained about how Hikaru had come to live with him before, instead of after graduation. He told his mother most of what he knew about Hikaru before it was time for him to leave for work.

She stubbornly refused to approve the situation.

Kiri told his mother bluntly, "I don't give a damn if you approve or not. I think you'll either love each other or hate each other, and I don't know which scares me more, but if you're staying with us, you won't bully her," he said firmly.

Tokiko asked her son, "When have I ever bullied one of your girlfriends?"

Kiri laughed and asked, "When have you ever not?"

She sniffed at him and said, "I won't pretend that everything is lovely and that I approve of the situation, but I'm holding you responsible, not that child."

Kiri laughed as he went out the door and called back, "That's fine. She'll surprise you."

Hikaru returned between school and Mirage's practice. She was shocked to see Kiri's mother curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book and belatedly said, "I'm home."

"Welcome home," Tokiko replied.

Hikaru grinned at her and confessed, "I forgot you were here." She asked politely, "Are you having a good day Oka-sama?" while she set up her homework at the little table.

Tokiko allowed that she was, and eyed the girl evaluatingly. Hikaru looked even younger and somewhat gawky in her school uniform.

Hikaru changed into loose jeans and a pullover for practice later, and started some rice in Kiri's fancy cooker. She politely asked, "Should I put in any for you? Do you want anything before I work on my homework?"

Tokiko suggested that she put in enough for supper since she was starting rice this late in the day.

Hikaru complied easily. She answered Kiri's mother's inquiry about her schedule a little apologetically. "Today I've only got a couple hours, then several hours practice, tomorrow I've got a job from four to seven, and Friday my band is entering a competition and we're holding a two hour concert in the park after."

Then she gave Kiri's mother an odd look. Tokiko raised an eyebrow at her. "I have this Saturday completely off, and there is nothing on Kiri's schedule yet," she said uncertainly.

"And you were planning a date?" Tokiko suggested.

Hikaru nodded and said wistfully, "It will be the first day we've ever gotten to spend together from morning 'til night."

Tokiko looked at her with surprise.

Hikaru explained, "We've only been dating for awhile, and I just moved in with Kiri a week and a half ago."

Tokiko said briskly, "Well, you may continue with whatever you had planned, you needn't cancel your plans to spend the day with me."

Hikaru sighed and offered, "I don't mind what we do as long as we're together all day, and Kiri leaves on Sunday morning while I'm at work, you won't have much opportunity to visit before he goes."

Tokiko shrugged and replied, "I'm used to hardly seeing my son these days."

After she finished her homework and ate a quick bowl of rice, Hikaru grabbed her guitar and prepared to leave. She laughed as a thought struck her and said in reply to Tokiko's curious look, "Everyone else has started out by saying I'm not Kiri's usual type, but you've never said anything like that."

Tokiko raised an eyebrow and said, "I find you to be exactly his type." Hikaru looked at her with surprise and she explained, "He seems drawn to strong personalities. Just as well, because while it makes for some stormy relationships, he'd probably overwhelm a meek and compliant woman." She took a quiet sip of her tea.

Hikaru grinned at her and asked boldly, "Like his mother?"

Tokiko grinned back and Hikaru went to her final pre-competition practice.