Domestic Girlfriend: RE

Remember?

Hina lay on Natsuo's chest, her breathing steady, as Natsuo looked down at her. Her hair part where her bangs fell to her face was the same as ever, and her nose was just a little crooked from the time Rui threw a plate at her in a fit of childhood anger. He chuckled at the idea of Rui being a Gordon Ramsey wanna-be from birth. Hina looked up with her emerald eyes gleaming, "Natsuo-kun? Is everything alright?" 

"Yes, everything is as it should be." 

Natsuo no sooner responded than did he jerk up to see his table, empty plate, and TV re-run playing, realizing he dozed off after his morning errands. Rubbing his head, face feeling swollen, he stared at the clock for a while before realizing it was already nearly 5:00 pm. The hands ticked on as he dragged himself up, realizing he felt abnormally normal. No weight on his chest, so sinking feeling, no light pressure around his temples, as there was when he feels bothered. However, the feelings gradually came back as reality sank in. He looked forward to getting his feelings off his chest, but still dreaded Rui's response. He still loved her, and did not want to hurt her, but the excitement of a new relationship was gone. Natsuo felt he grew alot in his time with Rui, and had alot of great times. However, within that growth, he felt that he had begin to outgrow the teenage relationship with Rui, and cherished now the playful, fun, friendship with Rui. The honeymoon period came and went, and he still wants his child to be born to a proper mother and father parenting unit, but Natsuo did not feel that Rui was his soulmate. 

This wasn't the first afternoon he dreamt of Hina, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. However, the past is gone, and he has to move forward. Natsuo thought of what a sleaze of a father he would be, leaving Rui to confess to her sister yet again, who is finally on her two feet and happy, away from any drama concerning the taboos that come with being in love with a former student, and a new step-sibling. He decided then, that it would also be unfair not letting Rui know the truth of his feelings. Yet, he still knew he would fulfill his responsibilities as a father. With these thoughts of the hard road ahead stewing in his mind, he felt at strangely at ease, finally being able to form words with the feelings he had been wrestling with in his head for months. Picking himself up, he washed his dishes, as he dreaded possible reactions Rui may have. As negative as things may be, the truth is the truth, and Natsuo felt that if he truly respected Rui, he'd tell her everything.

Although a hallway apart, the Tachibana sisters are getting dressed for a sister's date to the mall, both are in what seems like parallel universes, both with something bubbling in the backs of their mind.