Meal Time~

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

The two boys had never really paid attention to each other before. They weren't even in the same clubs. And were not studying the same thing. It was easy, when the school was this big, to have sudents going there with you that you knew nothing about. It would have remained the case had Hideo not slept with his friend and got her pregnant.

Kyousuke felt sorry for Ryoko. She could never completely forget about the guy, with her son there to remind her of him, but she did a very good job at not thinking about him and living her life. She was still affected in the sense that she was not trying to date anyone, might even be a little on her guard with regards to men, but she could live her life without him being constantly on her mind. Yet, right now, he was all she could talk about. True, it was fresh, but it was sad that he came back in her life to torment her in such a way. He hoepd she could get over him. She may end up resenting Taiki at times in return, and he knew she would hate herself if that were to happen.

Whether Kyousuke was dressed as a man or a woman, Taiki seemed to trust and like him. After a moment, he stopped playing with Taiki to smell the air. "You smell that?" he asked Taiki. The kid might not know what he said but was looking at him to try and understand. "Come here," Kyousuke added as he grabbed the child and brought him towards the table. For now, he sat Taiki on his lap. "Say it Taiki, Mama, is dinner ready?" He was hiding his face as much as he could behind the child as though to make it seem like Taiki was the one saying it. It certainly smelled like it was under way to being served.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko would never be able to completely forget Hideo. Not when he was involved in her life again. She had done a good job at it so far but his friends had to be in the way and remind her of her mistake. She didn't want to bring that sort of drama into her life and yet it came back at her like a slap in the face. She had had enough to deal with her family that to her, it felt like reviving the past and she didn't want to live it again. Luckily, his parents weren't like hers and accepted the fact. They even wanted to be part of Taiki's life and wanted him to have the best he could have she had to consider it.

She continued to cook the meal and smiled as she heard Kyousuke pretending to have Taiki "talking" and asking about the food. "It should be ready in a few moments." she assured them. They were going to have a good meal and enjoy their time together and she was ready to let go of the darker thoughts and wanted to have fun with her friend and her son. She finished prepping the meal in a few minutes and when she was done, she turned the oven off.

"You can take as much as you like." she said to her friend. After all, he was the one who bough the food.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke turned Taiki slightly so they could face each other. "You hear that?" Hearing, probably. Understanding it was a whole other matter. But Kyousuke set Taiki at his place properly so he could be with them and eat whatever Ryoko had prepared for her son. It might not have been something planned, but Ryoko was a good mother. She never took her hatred for Hideo on her son. She worked hard for him, did all she could for him. Kyousuke liked being around them. He had wished for his family to be together all his life, to have a father and a brother. He got one but it wasn't quite as he had hoped. As close as he felt to them, there was still a huge part of him that felt completely different from them. That part liked being around his mother more. And Ryoko.

"Yay. Thanks for the food!" he exclaimed as he grabbed some of it to put on his plate. After one bite, he did bother to look at Ryoko's side of the table and make sure her glass was full and that she would eat. Funny how they could look like a family sometimes, and yet Kyousuke never considered seeing Ryoko as a potential girlfriend. She was his friend. She had always been his friend. They fit well together but Kyousuke felt no romantic inclination towards her. Maybe it was enough for a relationship if all you were looking for was a partner, but she had turned him down before when she was in need. He doubted she'd want that kind of relationship now. Besides, Kyousuke couldn't envision marriage anyway. Instead, he focused on making sure Ryoko enjoyed her meal and was in a better mood than when he picked her up at her workplace.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko liked that Kyousuke came to spend time with them. It was better than eating her meal alone while watching over Taiki. It gave her also someone she could talk with. Sure, she had girls that were her friends who were helping her a lot with babysitting her kid and she would thank them with homemade sweets. It wasn’t much, but for now, it was all she could do. She would make sure to pay it back to them all one way or another when she would get the bakery of her dreams. If only...though, sometimes it felt like that was a dream she wouldn’t be able to reach.

“I’m the one who should thank you.” She said as they started getting their plate ready. She sat down and tasted a few bites, smiling at him as he looked at her. She did know that they could look like a couple at times, her friends sometimes even questioned her on the matter but she always said that they were friends. Besides, he was more a brother to her than anything. Kissing him would only feel like incest and weird. She didn’t want that, even if she could have used him as a fake father. She didn’t want to do this to him, no matter what. She was the one who got herself into the mess, not him.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke looked at Ryoko when she objected she should be the one thanking him. He swatted the air with his hand to brush that comment away. "No, no. I just wanted to eat meat and thought of someone who was a much better cook than me." Kyousuke hated being alone. He always looked for people's company, even if he didn't necessarily wanted to talk or interact with them.

Then again, dressed as he was now, it was clear he wanted to be away from this new world he got in since middle school. He could come here as a man. His father would not disapprove. His mother still lived nearby after all and he had never been forced to cut ties with her. He never would have been able to. But as Shishido Kyousuke, he had an image to maintain, even when seeing his mother in a 'poorer' part of town. Sometimes, it was too much for him and since dyeing his hair was not rebellious enough, he did this. As a woman, he could do and say whatever he wanted. It was liberating. And Ryoko never said anything mean about it.

He was grateful for that, really. He needed a way to express himself and that became it. Whether she fully understood or not, she accepted it and that was what mattered. So he could focus on them both to have plenty of food and for Taiki to eat his meal as well. He would leave Ryoko to handle her son, sure, but he could help too. Taiki was not phased by him. Well, as long as Kyousuke did not removehis wig in front of him, that is. But he was fine remaining a woman for now.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko smiled a bit at Kyousuke’s compliment on her cooking. “You know I would do that for my friends and it’s better-having company than being on my own even though Taiki is filling that gap quite nicely.” She loved her son dearly, but she couldn’t have that kind of conversation with the kid around. He wasn’t at age to understand most of what she was saying at times, she thought that he was lucky that he didn’t. It would spare him the ache that Hideo would give him knowing that he was the father. She would rather avoid that from her son. She still didn’t want to believe that his parents seemed to treat her better than her parents had! It was such an odd sight she couldn’t just get over it that easily.

Now that they were both served, she sat down and watched her son as he was tasting the food that was on his plate. He seemed content with it and when she knew that he was eating it, she smiled and paid attention back to Kyousuke. “Did you just come here to get news from the latest events of my life or do you have news to share too?” She asked him curiously. She was thankful that he was there for her like this and could tolerate him more as a father figure to Taiki than Hideo but she never felt that way much. He was a close friend, a brother she never had. She wouldn’t burden him with the mess she’s had in her life if she could not do it.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke smiled, happy to be this friend keeping her company. They had been like this for so long. Kyousuke loved having people around him but he could be a bit guarded. If he had to pick someone who knew him best, it would be Ryoko. He felt like he couldn't hide anything from her. They just knew each other too well. "He doesn't have as much conversation though," he pointed out teasingly as he looked at Taiki. The kid was busy eating and didn't pay too much attention to the adults, at least unless he felt their gaze on him and then he would stare back.

She was questioning him. He shrugged in answer, making sure his mouth was empty of food before answering her. "I sure wanted to get the details, but I also needed a change of air. My father invited some important people from the hospital yesterday. Fine and all, but I got tired of being paraded around." In truth, it made him feel like it was a way of reminding him the path he would have to take and only made him wonder more if he wanted to. Kyousuke didn't know how rebellious he could be until he joined Ouran. He had to carve his place there, when he was an illegitimate child who had not been recognized before, and one who lived as a 'commoner' until then. He built his strength, he dyed his hair, but that was the kind of stuff that seemed expected out of teenagers. His father clearly didn't mind, and that meeting made Kyousuke feel that way even more. Like it was the man's way of telling him that he could do that all he wanted now, this would be his life afterwards. Maybe it was because he discovered a rebellious streak in him that he wanted to get away from it. But where? It wasn't like he disliked all this, which made his desire to fight back all the more confusing. Maybe it was just the feeling it was imposed on him as opposed to him choosing it by himself.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko didn’t care that Kyousuke had more money now that he knew who his father was. He was still the same person and that was all that mattered to her. She might have minded if he turned out to ditch her because he had to please a new crowd and that involved not talking to her anymore because of her status. She understood that the world that Hideo and now Kyousuke were in was completely different from hers. She doubted that Hideo would ever understand how she was feeling and why she kept Taiki away from him. He probably didn’t even care at this point. Kyousuke on the other hand would have been a more painful loss because he was there for her. He could have been a great father figure for Taiki but she didn’t want to force that on him.

She nodded as he talked of his father. “Ah, must not be always fun when he has important clients over. Are they conventional like most rich people are?” She asked referring to Hideo’s family now that she thought about it. “You can stay here as long as you want.” She added after eating another bite of the meal. It was good food, she couldn’t deny it and it felt good to eat something fancy once in a while but she would never ask for Kyousuke to buy her food all the time.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke didn't know what he would have done had he not been allowed to see his mother or his friends when he moved in with his father. His mother might have tried to convince him it was to give him the best of opportunities, but he was cetain she would have been heartbroken. He wouldn't have liked his family as much, for sure. As for Ryoko, he probably would have run away to meet with her. He was doing that, in a way. Although it wasn't the fact he met with her that forced him to be more discreet, it was the clothes he was in right now.

He was reminded of that while talking of his father and his guests. He nodded, looking more serious now that he had to think about it. "Very duty-bound, I would say. We're talking people running private hospitals and on boards." The kind of person it was nice to be known by should you want to end up working at their hospital and treating the nation's elite, but all this talk bored Kyousuke. He had to act a certain way in front of them. His brother was good at it. He was able to easily move from serious to laidback and bring a conversation where he wanted to. Kyousuke preferred to avoid it altogether.

He smiled at Ryoko as she said he could stay for as long as he wanted. "Thanks. I might have to change before I go," he warned. He could remove the skirt and had leggings underneath. Then it was only a matter of taking the wig and makeup off. Sure, it would be quite an androginous look, but he would go from woman to man just like that. "I'll wait until Taiki goes to bed though. Wouldn't want to confuse him." Taiki was a bit young to understand that he was not two people.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko was thankful that Kyousuke was part of her life; he truly helped her to stay sane during the toughest times. She told him countless times that he didn’t have to do what he had done but he still remained by her side. He was a true friend and certainly a nice change compared to what Hideo was to her. She listened to Kyousuke as he talked about what they were discussing when his father had guests at home. “Sounds like a dull kind of conversation.” She commented, mostly because it wasn’t her cup of tea to talk of such things. She could tell why Kyousuke preferred to be out of there. “Can’t blame you to come here, plus you get a good meal.” She added the last part teasingly since he paid for it.

She nodded, agreeing with him there; it might indeed confuse Taiki but she wanted her son to be an understanding person and not a selfish brat. It might not be the time to do that though considering how young he still was and there were concepts that were probably too complicated for him to understand at his age. “That works; you know where the bathroom is anyways.” She said. Funny how she could talk makeup tips with him and they both knew that he was a straight man.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke never imagined leaving Ryoko. She was his childhood friend, the one who knew him the most, he thought. Then again, so much hda changed in their lives. Maybe they didn't know each other nearly as much as they thought. But he wanted to believe that if they didn't know everything going on in their lives, they knew each other's personality the most and being able to tell when there was something wrong. Or maybe he didn't want that. He wouldn't want Ryoko to feel like she had to do something for him when she already had so much in her hands.

He shrugged.He too found it dull. "They talk politics and economics too. Shun likes that, but that's not my thing, and I haven't heard one of them being interested in music shows or baseball games," he said, mentioning his brother. Having a dad and a brother was the reason why Kyousuke chose to live with them. He didn't like that his mother couldn't also be there, but she insisted he went, to give him a better chance. But the people invited by his father tended to be pretty boring to him. Kyousuke had yet found how to properly talk and behave around them. He was going back to his older self, when he barely talked to people. At least they were willing to excuse him. They were not bothered by his 'teenage rebellion', with the hair and all. They must think, like his father, that he would grow out of it. They didn't know there was something else his father wished more that he stopped doing.

He smiled, pushing those thoughts aside as she mentioned the good. Sure, he paid for a lot of the ingredients, but he wanted to treat Ryoko in a way he could, especially since he was still asking her to cook that food for them. He laughed again at the obvious fact that he knew where the bathroom was. The place wasn't that big either, so it would be weird to get lost in there. He nodded, agreeing with her. As he said though, he planned on staying like this until Taiki had to go to bed. So, for now, he focused on Taiki. He could help the both of them forget about their issues for a moment.

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko was glad that she had Kyousuke around; he helped her a great deal back then and was still doing now. He was the closest father figure that Taiki could have at the time being and she would rather have him be influenced by him than by someone like Hideo. Lord knew how her son would have turned into if he ended up with a lot of his father’s genes! What was the luck on her part was that she had chances to tone down that side of him if he ever decided to be a flirt in the future. She would tell him to treat girls right and not to think only of himself if he wanted to go that far.

She nodded her head and smiled at Kyousuke. It must have been weird for him to find a family like this. Hers on the other hand…she’d rather not mention them. They shamed her for being pregnant at a young age and not having done what was necessary to protect herself. She cut the bridges with them and while it hurt her to think of it, she thought it was the best solution; they wouldn’t be grandparents to Taiki. Speaking of which, it was quite odd that Hideo’s parents were willing to aid in that sense. You’d think that her family would have been the one acting that way and his shaming her! She’d never get over that fact.

“You know the weirdest about this situation? Is that his parents are accepting me in the family without judging me while my parents would have thrown rocks and shamed me in public if they could.” She said, unable to keep that thought to herself.

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Kyousuke could still remember when Ryoko first told him that she was pregnant. He had no idea who the father was then, didn't even know that she slept with anybody. He didn't care for it, he only cared on what she wanted to do. He tried his best to be there for her. Ryoko was his childhood friend, the one who knew him the best, the one person he never felt like he had to fake it to be around.

He grew to like Taiki. He felt sorry for the two of them. But Ryoko was a stubborn one. Not only would she not let people take care of her, she intended to give everything she had. It made Kyousuke wonder what he was doing. He couldn't say he liked Ouran. It was too competitive and elitist for his taste. He liked his father and brother but was not sure he fit in their world. He wasn't even sure in what world he wanted to be in. But seeing how much Ryoko had to put up with, he didn't want to burden his friend further. Instead, he would come over with good food and entertain the both of them for a while. It did help him as well, it allowed him to ignore all of his responsibilities for a bit.

Maybe it was odd that Hideo's parents wanted to help her, but Kyousuke thought there was some logic to it. If it was found out, they could have their reputation stained by people implying they ignored her. He didn't know them, so he couldn't tell whether there could be more reasons for them do to that. "That just shows that not everyone think only of themselves. Or if they do focus on their reputation, they still understand about what is the right thing to do," he pointed out. To him, he thought Ryoko should take advantage of that. Not abuse it, of course, but if they could help and make it easier for her, why not? "I say you should take advantage of it while it lasts. You can always say this is too much for you and refuse. What are they going to do? Now that it is known, they might end up looking bad if they treat you badly. You can still tell them to sweep you under the rug and each go back to ignoring the other, if things don't go as planned. It's not like they are in a hurry to an heir." If anything, their son proved he could have some, so why go for an illegitimate one now when there were chances to get proper successors in the future?

[WATANABE RYOKO]

Ryoko knew that she could trust and count on Kyousuke; he was the only one who stayed with her despite the fact that she was pregnant and was still talking to her in the present. Taiki enjoyed his presence and she wouldn’t mind if he was the ‘father figure’ for the time being until he grew older. He’d have time later to understand that he wasn’t his father and that Kyousuke was a great uncle. She’d rather prefer that over a father like Hideo who would only not give a damn about the son he had. He didn’t even remember her! It was frustrating as it meant that she was far from being someone memorable even if for one instant, he made her feel like the queen of the world. She felt dirty for thinking that back then, knowing quite well that she wasn’t the only one he did that to. She’d rather keep those thoughts for herself though, and spare Kyousuke from those thoughts too. They didn’t need that now.

She liked it when Kyousuke came to visit, it changed her mind and she was able to vent a bit even if he asked her for some details of how it went with Hideo and his family. She didn’t hate his parents, she tolerated them, but it was weird that they wanted to help her son. It’s not like she yelled on the town’s roofs that she got herself pregnant with their son. She would have kept that a secret until her death if that was possible.

“I’m not sure I’d consider that the right thing to do if it’s an attempt to shut me down from causing any scandal.” She said with a sigh. It’s not like she was looking for that! “I spent so many years away from him, and able to hide that and now that his friends found out, I’m stuck facing my mistake once again.” She admitted to him. “I’m just not sure I want that kind of life for Taiki.” She said after Kyousuke mentioned the possibility of her son being the proper heir. Boy would Hideo hate her even more if that were to happen!

[SHISHIDO KYOUSUKE]

Taiki looked like he really enjoyed them eating all together, all the more a reason for Kyousuke to spend time with them. He was not trying to be the boy's father, nor was it a ploy to get closer to Ryoko. He was close enough as it was without the need of such a ploy. Ryoko helped him deal with the Ouran and its students when he first joined. At some point, he tried looking tough. It was more than his dyed hair and the boxing club, he could have been friends with whatever yakuza kid there sometimes were in the school. His father was outraged but it took Ryoko and his mother to understand that he should be himself and not pretend so much. They didn't quite prevented him from dressing up like he did now, but it apparently wasn't as bad, probably because he was able to be himself that way. Kyousuke only thought he was paying her back. Besides, he never considered breaking his relationship with her just because she got pregnant.

His visits to them also helped him change his mind. He was in his second year of university and he was starting to wonder more and more if medecine was what really interested him. He never really thought about what he wanted to do in his life. He wanted to be with his father, have a family. The man was a doctor, so why not be a doctor. Plus it made him so happy ad he pushed for it. But Kyousuke started to wonder.

He pushed those thoughts aside to focus on Ryoko. "These people value their reputation the most. If people found out you had a child with their son, paying you a certain sum for the wellbeing of your kid could cost them less than what they could lose from the gossips if they tried to hide it." Perhaps it explained why they wanted to be there for her. Or perhaps they were genuine in wanting to know their grandson better. Kyousuke couldn't tell.

He knew what she went through thanks to this 'mistake'. She did not hate her son, far from that. She disliked the situation it happened, but she did not hate her son for her mistake. "Well, maybe it's time he faces it too, no?" If only by taking his responsibilities towards his child. "It does mean taking him to Ouran if that happened..." he conceded, not sounded like it was necessarily a good thing. He knew how hard it could be when people talked of you. He wasn't sure it would be any easier just because he'd join from the start.But he also realised that even without being an heir, if they took an interest for Ryoko and Taiki, they might still wish for the boy to go to the private school.