Sighing, Aya pulled her gym uniform out of her open locker. It simply wasn't worth it to try to get out of playing volleyball with the rest of the class. Too much effort for too little gain.

Blech, this thing needs to be washed , she thought as she shook out the uniform. Suddenly, a pushing sensation from her abdomen forced her to double over.

"Tsuzuki, are you all right?"

Aya tried to nod, but instead had to cover her mouth before the contents of her stomach pushed thier way up. Gross!

The other girls got it before she had to say anything. "I'll take her to the nurse."

It was a slot, uncomfortable walk to the nurse's office. Every step made Aya feel worse. She and her companion, a girl named Yamazaki something-or-other, were forced to stop at the bathroom on the way. They arrived at their destination after ten minutes or so, only for Aya to go into shock as soon as she stepped in the door.

The "nurse" looked up. "Aya-chan, what are you doing here?"

"I go to school here! What are you doing here?!" she managed in a rush.

Her father face-faulted, and smiled at Yamazaki. "Thank you, but I think I can take it from here.

Yamazaki left, and Tsuzuki eased Aya into a chair. "Now, don't tell me you're here just to get out of gym."

"The thought never crossed my mind," she growled around her hand, which had gone back to her mouth for the time being.

Tsuzuki smirked. "I'm not stupid, Aya-chan." Finished with joking, he put his hand on her forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever. Is it just your somach, then?"

Oh, no, you're not stupid at all. "Hai."

Tsuzuki gave her a look, like he knew, or at least suspected, what she was thinking. "What did you have for lunch?"

"Nothing. I wasn't hungry."

"You know that's not good for you."

"Look, I didn't come here to be lectured," Aya snapped. She covered her mouth again, and dashed for the door to the adjoined bathroom.

Tsuzuki was looking at her with pity when she came back, and patted her shoulder. "Stomach medicine, then?"

Aya shook her head the slightest bit. "I just want to lie down."

"All right, but you're coming home with me today." He smiled. "Youre mother would have my head if she found out about this and she didn't get to take care of you herself."

Aya snorted and gingerly sat on the infirmary bed. "Whatever."

The rest of the school day passed wuietly. No one turned up to see the nurse, except one boy who claimed to have a headache. Aya watched him come and leave with disinterest. She half-listened to Tsuzuki talk with the same apathy.

What's wrong with me? was her main conscious thought. The very idea of eating anything hade her sick again, and when Tsuzuki took a break to eat his lunch, she made him go outside.

When he returned from finishing the bentou Ayaka had prepared for him, he looked over Aya again, asking her a string of questions that just gave her a headache on top of everything else.

"Is this the first time you've gotten sick like this?" You should know, you raised me. "What did you have for breakfast?" Nothing. I can't even look at food. Why do you think I made you eat outside? "And you didn't have anything for lunch. Hm, can't be food poisoning...Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"

Aya groaned. "Not anymore than any other working teenager."

Tsuzuki went inu and gave her puppy eyes. "You don't have to work, Aya-chan. You can always come back home!"

Aya made a face. "And have you and Okaasan babying me all the time? No thanks."

"But you are our baby!"

"Ha!"

Tsuzuki sighed. "Just for a few weeks, until you feel better? I'm sure Kaho would love to have her Oneechan around, and it's been so long since we were all in the house together."

She rubbed her temples. "Will it shut you up?"

"Hai!"

"Fine. But just for a week."

Aya winced with each ring of the phone, and let out her breath when she heard the click indicating her...roommate had picked up.

"Aya, where are you?"

She smirked. He sounded worried. "At home."

"Why didn't you call earlier? I would have gotten you."

"Otousan was substituting for the nurse at school. He insisted I come home."

"Why were you seeing the nurse?"

"Oh. I just...got a little sick."

"You weren't trying to get out of gym again, were you?"

"Why does everyone say that?!"

He chuckled. "Gomen. It wasn't as bad as last week, was it?"

"Not quite. I lasted the whole afternoon."

"Hn."

"Could you be any less articulate?"

"Thinking," he replied. "I take it you're spending the night?"

"Yeah, they're making me."

"I'll take you for lunch tomorrow. I'll come get you at school."

"See you then."

Aya flopped back on her bed. The door opened, and her brother entered, grinning from ear to ear.

"I knew it! Aya has a boyfriend!"

Aya glared, and mentally grabbed his collar and lifted him off the ground. "If you tell anyone," she growled, "I'll kill you. I don't care if you are my brother." She dropped him, and he righted himself, making a face at her.

"Who is she?"

"None of your damn business."

Wazayoshi smirked at her. "I bet that's what's wrong with you!" He grinned again. "Aya-chan messed around, and now she's knocked up!" He burst briefly into laughter, but stopped when he noticed Aya wasn't trying to beat him into a bloody pulp. "Oneesan?"

Aya didn't answer him. But what if I am? What'll I do?

Wazayoshi gingerly put a hand on her shoulder. "Oneesan?"

Aya snapped out of it. "A-ano..."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Aya shook her head.

"Is that what's wrong?"

"I don't know. Just...don't mention anything to them."

Wazayoshi nodded. "Your secret's safe with me, Oneesan!"

Aya imagined inu ears on his head, and face-faulted. "Hai."

Aya found it hard to sneak away the next day; Tsuzuki and her mother had both insisted she stay home after she had been unable to hold breakfast down. She went to her room, and passed the time trying to think of how to bring the subject up at lunch. Once she had decided, she managed to fall asleep, and awoke to her cell phone ringing next to the bed. It was twelve thirty. "Damnit." She reached over to pick it up. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

"Where are you?"

She rolled out of bed, still holding the phone to her ear. "Home. I'll need you at the restaraunt."

"See you there."

She hung up, and looked around. "Mattaku, this place hasn't changed since I left last year..."

Aya had to sneak out the back door while her mother was attending to Kaho, who, naturally, being one and a half, had made a mess of herself and her lunch.

Although neither had said where to meet, Aya nontheless knew to go to the restaraunt they had first met at. Well, not first exactly, but school doesn't count, she reminded herself. He'd essentially provoked her into getting herself fired-Not that he'd admit it, of course-and the following week, she had hunted him down to make him pay. He'd gotten her a job for one of his friends, one Aya had managed to keep, despite the owner seemingly not liking her very much.

Or maybe he's just jealous, she thought with a snort as she entered the restaraunt. She ignored the hostess-Ha, and two years ago, you were taking orders from me in the kitchen-and went to the table in the back they nearly always sat at.

"How was it this morning?"

"Better." Aya sighed. "I threw up about half an hour after breakfast, but I didn't feel too sick after that. I doubt I'll get anything here." She looked at the familiar menu with distaste, sensing faint tinglings begin.

When her companion didn't say anything, she looked up at him. "Kazu?" As always, she was ever so slightly unnerved by being caught in that silver gaze, but didn't let it show.

"Aya, have you considered that you could be expecting?"

Aya went red, but inside was relieved. At least I didn't have to bring it up. "It...crossed my mind," she muttered.

"Hn."

"That's all you have to say?"

Muraki smiled at her, sending a chill down her back. "Until we find out for sure."

"You won't be upset if I am, will you?"

He paused, glancing over the menu. Aya's throat tightened. He brought me here to dump me without me causing a scene!

"Say something."

He glanced up, and read between the lines, correctly interpereting the tense look on her face. He looked back down at the table, her hands quivering on the tablecloth for a few seconds before she noticed and swept them into her lap. "I must admit I'm surprised, Aya. I didn't ever expect to become a father."

She went red. "What did you think was going to happen if we kept doing what we're doing?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down. When he didn't answer again, she paled. "You were thinking of killing me, weren't you?"

His eyes shot up to meet with her green ones. "Never. I mean that, Aya."

"Then didn't you ever consider this happening?"

He leaned over the table. "I never imagined it would last long enough to result in children. I figured yuo'd leave once you got sick of making your parents worry."

This made her think. That had been her original plan, to hang around until they got sick of each other, and she was ready to return to the semi-normalness and safety of her family. When had that changed? "When did I fall in love...?" It came out in a whisper.

"In love?"

Aya covered her face. "Oh my god, I'm in love you."

He smirked. "Is that so bad?"

"It is when you don't feel the same!" Aya quailed under the looks from other tables, something she never would have done in a normal state of mind.

Sensing, and seeing, how unnerved she was, Muraki snatched her hands, now shaking worse than ever. "Listen to me." Still holding both of her hands in one of his, he reached forward with his free hand to wipe away the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "I care about you, and any children of ours, existing or future. Perhaps I feel the same, perhaps I don't, but as long as I care, that should be enough."

Aya shook her head. "But it's not! I have to know if you love me, too!"

"I can't tell you that."

The tears began. "But why not? Are you so cold as to deny me one word?"

"I can't tell you because I don't know myself, Aya. I don't know now, and I'm not sure if I ever will."

"But-"

"But I care about you, and I'm not going to desert you because you're pregnant."

She blinked. "I forgot about that."

Smiling faintly, Muraki patted her hand. "Try and eat something, won't you?"

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