Suddenly on a Leash (1)

Chapter ten

I sat tensely on the couch beside Sora, who wasn't reacting at all, as my dad sat on the couch opposite us, scowling viciously.
I gulped.
Don't screw this up, Sora... As much as I want to get out of living with you, I DONT want to have to explain all this crap to them.
My dad cleared his throat and I snapped into focus.
"So. 'Sora' is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sora... How long have you been seeing my daughter?"

"Five months."

That wasn't TOO little time to be moving in together... But of course I had yet to tell them that part... And I wasn't looking forward to it.

"Five months, eh? I see. Why is your hair so long?"

Oh yeah... Dad always hated boys with long hair. Sora having waist length fox colored hair probably wasn't going to win him over.
Sora quietly played with a long strand of his hair. "... I like it that way, sir."

I was honestly feeling a little awkward about him calling my dad "sir."

"Like it, huh? Humph."

I bit my lip. Come on, come on, bring this to a close.....
"... What's your favorite thing about our Ayano?"
My breath hitched and I felt my heart stop. What kind of question was that...!?
Daaaaad!
I could only wait in an awkward freeze until Sora answered softly.
"... Her smile."
I felt my cheeks go warm. He said it so easily... He was just faking, wasn't he?
Props to you, Sora... He had even me believing him. After a response like that, my father had nothing more to say. My mother stepped into the room and laid out a tray of tea before she sat down beside my father. "So then, Sora, what brings you by?"
I bit my lip, my arms shaking a little. This was it...
Cover for me, Sora...?
"We have something important to tell the both of you..."
I cursed inwardly when all eyes turned to me for an explanation. I sucked in a deep breath and tried to look as innocent as possible, trying to maintain eye contact.
"... M-Mom... Dad..."

"Yes...?"

They instantly looked worried, and I struggled to swallow my fear.
".. S-Sora and I... Are... M... Moving in... Together..."
What followed my words as they sunk in was exactly what I'd been fearing.
A silence.
I cringed and pleaded that someone would say something, anything...
The silence was screaming, and it hurt my ears.
Finally, to my relief, my mother opened her mouth. "... You... You what...?"
I struggled to swallow the lump that built up in my throat. This wasn't going to go well...
My father sneered. "Hah! So you showed your face here to ask for our blessing? Well too bad, son! My answer is no!"
My eyes widened, but before I could speak, Sora climbed to his feet.
"You're mistaken."
I stared up at him in surprise. Sora...?
"... Forgive me, but I have not come for permission. I have come to share the news. Ayano and I will be living together, and that's the truth. I understand that you're her parents, and you want to keep your daughter safe, but please, confide in me. Trust that I can protect her. That is all I ask."
I took his words to heart, then. Maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe I should've just taken his words as an argument, the fake argument. But even if common sense told me that, in the end, I had absorbed his perhaps false promise into my heart like a sponge.
My father looked at him with eyes that were unreadable to me. I could only hold my breath, awaiting some kind of response. At last, my father stood as well and looked Sora in the face.
"... Congratulations, my son."
Huh...?
"... You have gained my trust."
Sora and I both must've had sheer shock cross our face.
"R-Really?" I gapped.
That had to be about the craziest thing I'd ever heard him say. This man was my dad, right?
My father gave a sure nod, looking Sora up and down. "Please, Sora. Keep our daughter safe."

"... I will."

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could've sworn I saw Sora smile then... Just a little.
But it was probably nothing.