Clannad but Tomoya stayed close to Kotomi (Tomoya x Kotomi)

How We Got Here

My father was out drinking again. He got back late at night, as he always does. I wasn't there to greet him, so it doesn't really matter to me.

My name is Okazaki Tomoya. I'm a third-year in high school with no mom and a disappointing father. After getting into a fight with him, I ran away.

With a busted shoulder and no money, the only place I could think of going was the home of a friend I had made when I was little. We hadn't spoken much after her parents had disappeared, but she needed me. And with a home like mine, I needed her. So, I had continued visiting.

By the time I had decided to move in with Kotomi, these visits were monthly. Now, however, we see each other every day. We don't talk too much, but we have taken to just sitting together and thinking. If you couldn't already tell, we don't get a lot of company. Really, we just don't need it. Together, Kotomi and I have managed to work the system so that we can study at home without either of our parents present in her family's house. Here, we do math, science, language, and everything else at a pace unrivaled by any students attending public school. 

As for my dad, he's completely alone now. The house is probably even more empty and dirty than when I still lived there. One of the Ichinoses' family friends checks up on the place for me every now and then. Kotomi was scared of the guy at first, but he's actually quite nice. He was a good friend of Kotomi's father, and helped us work out everything we needed to set up our little school at home.

Really, I'm content with the way we are now. I live with my childhood friend and I don't need to deal with my dad. I still have a bad shoulder, but that doesn't matter since I rarely need to even step outside.

I wish things could stay this way forever.