After Story: Potential

Chapter One: Hitting the Ground Running

I yawned as I opened the door to my house and entered it. I had been on my way to meet up with Kotomi when Kyou and Fujibayashi had gotten hold of me. I protested, but my usual spinelessness in the face of the older twin ended up with me dragged all over town, buying stuff for the girls – well, Kyou really.

I opened the door to my room and froze. "Where's my stuff?" I yanked the door to my closet open. Empty. "...the hell...?"

Had my dad finally kicked me out? Where was my stuff? I opened every door in the hall, including the door to my dad's room, trying to find anything that belonged to me.

Failing to find anything of mine upstairs, I ran downstairs and looked everywhere. "Where's my stuff?!"

With no idea where else to look I flung open the front door to find: "Kotomi-chan?"

My girlfriend stood on the front porch with her usual posture; very upright, with hands folded in front of her and a smile on her face. "Tomoya-kun..."

I think I barely registered her greeting. "I'm sorry; you've caught me at a really bad time." I drew a panicked breath. "My stuff is gone. Bed, dresser, clothes, everything...what's so funny?"

Kotomi was giggling uncontrollably; an unusual occurrence. "I know where your possessions are." She reached out her hand, which I reflexively took. "It will be all right, just come with me."

Despite her comforting words my head spun as she led me down several streets, turning several times. Since I was working on calming myself down, I wasn't aware of where we were going until she stopped and I found myself in front of her house. "What are we doing here?"

"Tom-" She cut herself off for some reason before leading me to the front door. I watched blankly as she retrieved her key and unlocked and opened the door.

"Kotomi-chan," I started as she led me up the stairs, "why are you bringing me here?"

A giggle was her only answer as she led me to one of the many doorways in the hallway. "Please, go in," she simply said.

I opened the door to find all of my stuff, furniture and all, arranged almost exactly the way I had them at home. I turned to a giggling Kotomi. "What's going on?"

"This," she composed herself enough to announce, "is your room."

Now that I had been reunited with my things, I finally started to calm down. I also had a question; maybe more than one. "Why is my stuff here?"

She looked at me the way a mother would look at a child who had asked a silly question. "Because you will be living here from now on." Her cheeks pinked. "With me."

"No, I get that's the result," I retorted. "What I mean is: Why am I living with you now instead of my dad?"

I mentally kicked myself as her face paled. I knew exactly what she was going ask next: "You do not want to live with-"

"D'ah!" I held up a hand to stop her. "You're jumping ahead. Go back two steps."

I watched as the gears turned in my girlfriend's lovely head.

Finally, she blinked in realization. "Oh! Um..." Her face returned to its previous crimson. "Kyou-chan suggested that this would be helpful to you..."

Kyou...I should have known...sonofa-

"I made the arrangements with your father..."

Waitaminute...how did-

"...and then Kyou-chan arranged for her and Ryou-chan to distract you while the move was completed." She tilted her head, causing one of her 'pigtails' to sway. "Are you unhappy with the arrangement?"

"It's not so much that as it is..." I had a flash of insight. "What does your caretaker have to say about this?"

She nodded with a bright smile. "He trusts you implicitly."

"Is that good?" What did 'implicitly' mean, anyway?

She nodded again. "Very, very, good."

I exhaled noisily. "Look, Kotomi...I really don't know what to think of this right now." I scratched at my head. "I mean, I go out for a day and come home to find my things gone, only to find them at my girlfriend's house." I gestured to her. "Try to see yourself in my shoes; how would it make you feel?"

I watched as, again, the gears turned as Kotomi ran the simulation.

Even though I didn't like seeing her upset, I was somewhat relieved when she paled again. "Oh, Tomoya-kun! I am so sorry!" She looked down at the floor. "I had not factored in the effect it could have on you."

I smiled as I rested a hand on her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm back with my stuff, and...well, you're here."

She visibly brightened at my words, though with some hesitation. "If you want me to have your possessions returned, I will understand."

I thought for a moment. Normally it wouldn't be appropriate for a boy and a girl to live like this...but then, Kotomi and I were hardly normal, for varied reasons.

I looked at her anxious expression. She had waited years for something like this, had the approval of not just my dad but her guardian as well...and she put me in a separate room, which put my mind at ease as far as her intentions.

I smiled in resignation. "All right, Kotomi-chan; let's give it a shot. But," I said, interrupting her happy gasp, "we're gonna have to have some rules in place. I don't want to give anyone any reason to think that we're up to no good."

"But we are not bad people, Tomoya-kun."

"Speak for yourself," I retorted half-jokingly before turning serious at her puzzled look. "Just trust me on this, okay? I've heard about...things...that high-school couples have done, and I don't want to be like them."

She studied me briefly before nodding resolutely. "Okay, Tomoya-kun. I trust you."

Hopefully I would be worthy of that trust...no, I would be worthy of that trust, no matter what it took.