A Mother & Father... Were We?

Sunday - 7:32 p.m. - Kyoto, Japan - Heather & Clyde's Apartment

It was raining outside, the thick and heavy showers pouring down upon the city of Kyoto as the black clouds engulfed the sun and left a real bluish grey hue in the sky. On those wet city streets Clyde Gastin walked, marching through a puddle of rain of that developed at the curb of the street, holding his brown trenchcoat together with his hand to keep his clothes dry, his brown leather cowboy hat keeping his head dry as rain splashed and poured out from it's brim.

Eventually Clyde made it inside the apartment complex and let out a sigh as he stepped out of the rain and got inside where it was dry, shaking off his hat a bit in hopes to dry it a bit. Clyde then stepped inside the elevator and took it all the way up to the top floor, stepping out and going towards that first door on the right, happy to be home, but unable to shake off an uneasy feeling in his gut.

He then knocked on the door with 3 firm knocks, having left his key behind, Clyde expected and hoped Alessa or Heather to answer it for him. "Man I'm soaked..." Clyde would say aloud as he looked down at his soaked trenchcoat and boots, deciding to remove the latter before he got inside, revealing equally soaked socks. Clyde then sat himself in front of the door and began to remove those soaked socks while he waited for someone to answer the door.

"Soo..what is there to do around here?"

In the living room of the Sunderland/Gastin apartment, Heather was lying back on the sofa, wearing her newly bought clothes as she rested her head on her hands, staring up at the ceiling. "Alot, I just want to relax right now. You brought your games didn't you?"

Sitting on the floor in front of the sofa facing Heather was Alessa Mason, someone who's taken up residence in the apartment. She wore her usual schoolgirl attire and had quite the bored expression on her face. "You're crazy in the ring, but when you're at home you just sit around...I need a second player." "..I get sore sometimes alright? Just give me at least a couple hours or so..Clyde should be back soon so he can play with you."

As if timed by Heather's words, three knocks would ring out from the door. A smile would come over Heather's face as she would let out a relieved sigh. She would start to get herself up, but would be beaten by Alessa who would leap up and run to the door. Heather would let out a little laugh, sitting herself up as she looked over the sofa at the door.

Hurriedly, Alessa would unlock the door, opening it to see Clyde, not noticing how soaked he was, leading to her spreading her arms open wide and leaping to give him a hug. "Welcome back!"

After knocking on the door, Clyde bent over to begin removing his damp leather cowboy boots from his soaked feet, but just as he did this, he heard the door being unlocked and would readjust himself until he stood up straight against, thinking it was Heather who was so quick to answer the door. Was she still that worried when he went alone? Funny, he was the same way, perhaps way more paranoid and possessive though, but he didn't want to take anymore chances.

Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh as the door opened in front of him, Clyde let out a "Hmph." before he spoke. "Alright, yeah you were right, hun. I shoulda brought an umbre-...WAH!!" Clyde would begin to say before being cut off by Alessa's sudden leaping hug, glomping the Texan unexpectedly, catching him way off guard as Alessa jumped into his arms and most likely got her schoolgirl outfit a bit wet, stumbling back a little with Alessa away from the door.

"A-Alley!?" Clyde would let out before slipping on a small puddle of water in the hallway, losing balance and falling onto the floor with Alessa over him.

"Oww!" Clyde would let out before he opened his eyes up and tilted his eyes at Alessa curiously, blinking a bit before speaking. "...Alley... I'm wet..." He'd tell her in a dull manner as he informed her that her clothes were most likely a bit damp as well now.

"Wah!" Alessa would let out as they tumbled onto the floor from Clyde's slip. Alessa would shake her head a bit from the sudden shock, but immediately would forget about it, hugging Clyde tight. "Mhm! It's me!" She would let out, nodding her head before she would hear Clyde's next words about him being wet.

"Huh?? Ah! You are!" Alessa would say, getting up off him as she would look down at her clothes. A pout would come across her face a bit before she would shrug it off, offering a hand for Clyde to get up. The duration of this, Heather had gotten off the sofa, standing near the door with her arms crossed at the sight. She was tapping her foot at the scene before she would let out a sigh, shaking her head and smiling.

"Good to see you made it home. I told you it was going to rain.." Heather would say, a slight grin forming on her face as she tapped her arm with her finger as her arms remained crossed.

After being knocked down by Alessa, Clyde couldn't help but blush a tiny a bit at the feeling of the girl's body over him like that while she hugged him so tightly and affectionately. While Clyde truly felt that Alessa was nothing more than a friend whom he could almost consider to be his sister, he couldn't deny that the one incident they had in the Gym gave him few new but unneeded thoughts regarding Alessa.

Still, Clyde would hug Alessa back with an affectionate smile like every other day before telling her how wet he was. Laughing a bit at her cute pout before grabbing her hand to get back on his feet, looking forth to see Heather standing in the doorway tapping her foot, which made Clyde think he was in trouble or something, at least until Heather let out a sigh, shook her head and smiled at them, causing Clyde to let out a sigh of his own in relief.

Clyde then heard Heather's words towards him and would let out a nervous laugh while scratching the back of his head. "Ah...Well... You know... Heh..." Clyde would let out, trying to find a valid excuse before giving up.

"Okay you were right... Maybe you should be doin' the forecasts round here instead the regular Weather Lady... 'Cuz she don't know squat!" Clyde would let out with a clear pout before grinning at Heather, going up towards her in the doorway to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close.

"...But it's good to be home..." Said Clyde as looked Heather in the eyes, noticing how tired and worn out she appeared. "...You look tired, darlin'." Clyde would say, even though in truth, he was just as exhausted for putting himself into matches at least 5 times a week to help pay the debt off faster.

"Well, it was easy to tell if you just looked at the sky this morning...but I'll let it slide this one time for you." Heather would let out as she watched Alessa help Clyde up. As he walked towards her though, she would just stand there with the grin still on her face as well before Clyde would wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"H-hey, you just said you were wet!" Heather would let out, feeling the dampness seep through her clothes, especially her white dress shirt that was showing out above her suit top. "..haah you're lucky I love you." Heather would say with a little laugh, shaking her head as she hugged Clyde a bit before she would hear his words.

"Huh? Ah..yeah a bit. I've..been having more matches than usual lately. But it's fine, it's what I came here for." Heather would say, looking back at him. "Anyway, I don't think you should be the one saying that. I hope you aren't overworking yourself.

"Ah- Woops!" Clyde would let out, honestly a bit embarrassed and a bit angry at himself for forgetting about how soaked he was, but it just slipped his mind when he saw Heather, letting his desire for her embrace get the better of him once again. He was almost gonna back away from Heather, but she hugged him back anyway, teasing him again, saying that she loved him. Words that Clyde held onto dearly and never got tired of. He knew she was joking, but he felt really strongly about those words.

"Lucky is right. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve someone like you... To find you. Really do love you, Heather." He'd tell her softly in a slightly seriously tone.

Clyde then heard Heather's words regarding her matches which made him release a somewhat troubled and worried sigh. "I know..." Said Clyde with slight frown, knowing all to well about all of Heather's battles in Friction, many of which had made him rather uneasy since they became a couple.

Still, Clyde was just as guilty for overworking himself and Heather definitely caught him on that one, catching him red-handed. He Was overworking himself and Clyde would turn his head away from Heather reluctantly with a clear frown on his face, not really wanting to admit that the exact case to her. Among several other things that really bothered him. One of them, having been his main concern since before Avalanche, a subject that he would honestly admit he was afraid to talk about.

Heather would blink a couple times as she heard Clyde suddenly become serious, straight talking about his feelings. She would stare at him, tilting her head a bit with a worried look on her face. "Hey...none of that ok?" Heather would let out, leaning forward to give Clyde a kiss on the lips, breaking it as she would rest her hands on his shoulders.

"Wh...Clyde?" Heather would let out, her expression growing in worry as she heard the tone in his voice when he said he knew. She would shake her head, not knowing why he was acting in such a way before he would end up turning his head away from her.

"Clyde what's going on? What's wrong??" Heather would say as she would place her hands on either of his cheeks, turning his head back to facing her.

The tone of the conversation was shifting and Clyde's worries and concerns were now getting the better of him, but they would ease up a bit once Heather kissed him, melting into it and gazing into her eyes after she broke it, holding her close while her hands rested at his shoulders. She comforted him so much but he was still bit troubled.

He soon grow a bit frustrated with himself now that he realized he was worrying Heather and maybe even Alessa now. He would end up turning his head away from her after she caught him on overworking himself, but would face her again as he felt the soft touch of her hands upon his cheeks, turning his head to face his worried lover.

"It's..." He'd begin to say before he turned to Alessa for a moment then looked back at Heather. "...Why don't we go inside first? I need ta' dry off..." Clyde would tell Heather before turning to Alessa. "Alley... I need to talk with Heather for a bit... We can play a game or watch a movie later tonight though, I promise." Clyde would say to Alessa with a smile before he turned to Heather, grabbing her hands and leading her into the apartment, going through the hallway with her in the direction of the bathroom and bedroom.

"...One sec..." Clyde would tell her, leaving her at the foot of the bedroom before turning into the bathroom, closing the door behind him to change out his clothes, getting into another dry white T-shirt, blue shorts and socks, emerging from the bathroom to go into the bedroom now, closing the door behind him.

Looking over at Heather, Clyde would let out a tired sigh. "...I ain't tryin' to worry you, ya know?" said Clyde to Heather. "I'm just a little... Tired... Among other things..." He'd say before going to the bed and falling onto it, staring up at the ceiling as he laid there.

"...I have been overworking myself..." Clyde would say aloud as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. "...And I don't really know much about being a loyal husband, fiance or boyfriend here either..."

"huh? O-Oh alright" Alessa would lt out as he would walk back in the house, turning the television on as she would lie down on the couch that Heather was just on, relaxing and watching TV. Heather would watch Alessa do so before she would turn back to Clyde, who would grab her by her hands. She would nod her head before she would let Clyde lead her down the hallway before they got to the foot of the bedroom.

"Ok.." Heather would say before she would turn and stare at the bed in the bedroom, tapping her foot on the floor a bit before Clyde came back out of the bathroom, causing her to look up at him, watching him walk into the bedroom before she would follow him in, shutting the door behind her as she leaned back on it.

"Yeah..I can tell you're tired." Heather would let out as she watched Clyde lie himself down on the bed. She would stare at him a bit before she would walk over, sitting on the edge of the bed as she looked back at him.

"Clyde..you really shouldn't be.." She would say before she would hear his next words, causing her to tilt her head and curl her eyebrows. "...Clyde what are you talking about?"