There's an Ace up my Sleeve

Ikki walked into the math lab with a bit of a stride and a smirk on his face as he opened the door. “Your life is mine today, Ken.”

“I see.” Kent said, getting up from the desk. Papers were strewn everywhere along with books with post it notes sticking on the pages. “My death was imminent, wasn’t it?”

“From the moment you challenged me, you sealed your fate.” Ikki agreed, watching his friend walk around the desk. “Any last words for your family? Kazuko even?”

Kent thought about it for a moment before sighing. “Tell them that I did the best that I could. I died with no regrets.”

“I will. Now! Check me!” Ikki proclaimed as he shoved the paper that he had been holding in his hands into Kent’s face. Kent took the paper without too much fuss and looked it over. “Did I solve it?”

“Correct.” Kent answered and Ikki grinned brightly. “You’re getting better. Next time I won’t be so hasty as to underestimate you. I will give you my all.”

“I look forward to that,” Ikki smirked and then it faded. “I’m surprised. I was expecting Kazuko to be here.”

“Why would she be here?” Kent asked, going back to his desk and pulling the keyboard close to him as he sat down. “She’s in school, you know.”

“I know that, but I was expecting…I don’t know. Her in your domain so to speak.” Ikki shrugged and flung himself onto the couch, propping on of his legs up on the table. “Are you still just walking her back and forth to school? You should see if she’s willing to take a weekend with you.”

“As a date? That would be optimal.” Kent placed his hand on his chin, clearly thinking about it. “You told me yourself that dating is one of the requirements to see how one would progress in a relationship. Just walking her back and forth isn’t going to offer much stimulation.”

“See there we go.” Ikki gestured, “I know you guys like to walk around, and the town has a bunch of things to do when you know what to look for. I’m certain that you’ll be able to find something nice to happen with your ti-“ His eyes were suddenly covered and he let out a sigh. “Good afternoon Meg-chan.”

"Aw and I thought you’d be a little more fun.” Megumi sighed as she let his eyes go and she looked down at him from behind the couch. “You’ll never guess what I found out today.”

Kent pushed his glasses up, mentally preparing himself.

“What did you discover?” Ikki asked.

“Oh just a few things here and there.” Megumi said airily as she pulled away. “Is it true you don’t know where Tsume goes to school?”

Ikki’s expression changed. “What do you know?”

“What don’t I know?” Megumi retorted back, her smile widening. “Random fact of the day about your girlfriend, she doesn’t know how to be subtle. Her subtle is your subtle which is loud as hell.”

Well he knew that, but if Megumi knew that too then. “You met her? Where?!” He pushed himself up from the couch and turned to face her.

“Who said I met her?” Megumi asked sweetly. “What if I heard it from your fans? What if I know about it from some other source?” She made a theatrical gasp.

“Heaven forbid I might go through your phone every once in a while.”

“I have my phone, you haven’t been able to steal my phone since you were nineteen.” Ikki pointed out to her. “You don’t have friends besides me and Kent too so what other source could you possibly look for?”

“I have friends other than you and Kent.” Megumi stared at him in surprise. “I know Nhil.”

“Wait you know Nhil?” Ikki spluttered.

“I help him sometimes with his papers, but that’s so not the point right now. Is it true that you and Tsume are trying to set him up?”

No way. There’s no way that she knew that. Ikki made a move to grab Megumi, whether to shake her vigorously to take her down to the ground, he wasn’t certain yet. She moved away from him quickly, but he managed to recover before making another lunge. Megumi cracked up as she moved away again. “Are you that desperate to know how I know?”

“Damn it Meg, I’ll make you /beg/.” Ikki snapped at her.

“Are you sure it’s me that’s going to be begging and not you?” Megumi retorted.

Kent watched in high amusement as Ikki this time grabbed Megumi into his arms and pinched her sides making her squeal with laughter. It had been a while since Ikki got rough with her after the heart attack happened. He had worried that Ikki feared that she might just drop dead from over excitement or something of the sort, and was kind of pleased to see that Ikki was easily taking her down a few notches by forcing her to the couch to manhandle her into submission.

“What do you know?” Ikki shouted over Megumi’s laughter, trying to pin her down so he could get a better aim at her. “Come on Meg, you know you want to tell me.”

“Notonyourlife.” Megumi howled. “Oh my god stop! Ikki! AH!” They both fell off the couch.

It was surprising neither of them smacked into the coffee table yet. Kent wondered if he should try to move it right now, but knew that if he went anywhere near the two of them he’d get dragged into and it’d be game over. He was stronger than Ikki after all. Ending it so soon wouldn’t be fun.

“Kent!” Ikki yelled, “Help me out!”

“No! No! Kent please!” Megumi pleaded.

See what he meant? He wasn’t even close by and they were begging for his help. “You know where my loyalties lie, Megumi.”

“Ah Ha!” Ikki smirked, “So you better tell us what you know or this will go so much worse for you.”

“Oh my god then let me go! Truce fucking hell! Truce!” Megumi shouted and Ikki immediately let her go. She crawled away for a bit, laughing and crying. She was wiping tears away from her face as she managed to sit up.

It was amusing for them to be sitting on the ground like kids rather than adults. They both looked like a rumpled mess. His suit was wrinkled and his hair was fly away. Megumi wasn’t much better. Her hair looked like someone just ruffled it a thousand times and her braid was coming a little undone from the half-ponytail she kept it in.

“Truce.” Ikki reminded her, making a move to grab her again.

Megumi let out a splutter of nervous laughter and moved backwards quickly, nearly falling back down onto the ground, “Okay! Okay! Tsume goes to our college.”

Ikki blinked at her.

“She goes to our college and she hangs out over on the east side sometimes. I run into her there a lot but I don’t really say hi.” Megumi continued, wiping her eyes. “I was helping Nhil edit his paper when she came up to us and started making weird demands to know where his second job was and when he’d be working next. My sides hurt. Ow.”

That explained why Megumi knew that Tsume didn’t have a grasp on subtle then. He wondered how Nhil felt about being bombed like that. Though then again, it clearly worked in their favor. “See? If you had told me this before, you wouldn’t have to be tortured.” Ikki said after a moment.

“Ha. Ha.” Megumi said dryly, coughing a little. “When was the last time I could annoy you enough to actually take me down to the ground?”

Kent knew the exact minute, second, day and month. Ikki on the other hand just sighed and ran his hand down his face. “Ukyo needs to figure out that you’re a very physical person.” He said after a moment.

“That’s why we let her out on the playground.” Kent reminded Ikki. “The kids know how to tire her out.”

“I’m not a pet!” Megumi’s cheeks turned red.

“I could’ve sworn you’re half dog half monkey.” Ikki retorted.

Megumi let out a strangled yell and they both scrambled upwards. Kent looked up at the ceiling. Of course Megumi was going to try to wrestle Ikki after that.

He heard them crash to the ground and a yip. He was quite surprised Tsume had yet to see Ikki act like this. He kind of wondered how she’d take it, seeing her boyfriend wrestle a smaller woman.

Jealousy wasn’t something Kent condoned. However, wasn’t it part of the relationship stages for them to see each other at all angles? He heard another loud smack and he sighed softly.

Where was the first aid kit?

~*~

"Oh! It's a yogurt shop!" Kazuko gaped in surprise as she, Megumi, and Sawa rounded the corner.

Sawa was doing her best to keep her breath even, "That sounds delicious right now. Wanna take a break? Who has their wallet? I dunno if I can pay for everyone but I can try if I need to."

"I have mine." Megumi had a belly strap around her underneath her clothes just for that very reason. She hated leaving the house without money. "I can help cover...if need be." She ran her hand over her forehead, swallowing thickly. Even if they were doing this to be brats to Nhil and Sawa, she couldn't deny that this was probably a good idea regardless.

"Awesome. We could all pay for ourselves, I have mine." Kazu agreed with a grin, making headway towards the shop and slowing to a walk, reaching it first and holding the door open, "Ah man, feels great and I haven't even stepped inside."

Megumi had to quietly agree. The air was nice and cool against her sweaty skin and she looked around the parlor. There was a lot of people who were sitting down, eating and drinking with a bit of ambient chatter. Nhil was working the cash stand and next to him a counter filled with toppings. There was a wall filled with levers and spouts too so she knew how this was going to go. "Smoothie sounds so good so I'm probably going to get that." Megumi said after a moment as she looked at the drink menu that was hanging above the cash stand. "It's a do it yourself yogurt thing too. Just grab a cup and fill it. You pay by the ounce it looks like. That's cool."

Sawa had entered the building only to bend over and breathe heavily, trying to catch her breathe. She barely even took in the surroundings, feeling lightheaded. She swore she was coming down with something, with how weak she'd been feeling ever since the sleepover. Hell, she could've caught something while at the cafe, too. Finally feeling like she had air in her lungs, she stood straight again, only to freeze up at who she spotted. What kind of coincidence was this? She felt suspicious suddenly, too. It had been odd for Megumi to suggest taking a different route just for fun, but neither she nor Kazuko had thought anything of it. This had to be set up, but she also felt...strangely happy, seeing the pizza delivery boy again, and a portion of whatever weight she'd been feeling on her shoulders lifted just a bit, too.

Kazuko had noticed, too, but she just arched a brow and didn't say anything, just trotted over to grab a medium sized cup and hm and haw over what she wanted. Sawa stared for half a minute longer before she finally moved, joining her in the line, but she kept glancing over. It was funny, seeing her face get redder and redder as well as they got closer to the end goal of the cash register.

Nhil blinked in surprise when the three girls came to his stand. He wasn't surprised at Meg, he knew she was going to come. But the girl who pushed the tip at him. He remembered her like they spoke yesterday. She looked out of breath and clearly had been in a run. He was a little worried about her, considering she looked like she could faint at any moment.  "I remember you from Hisako's home." He couldn't help but to say the moment she got in front of him.

"Yeah...I remember you, too. Um...Nhil?" she tasted his name on her tongue as she read his nametag. She liked it. She could say it over and over again and wouldn't tire of it. Easy, rolled off the tongue, sounded just as cute as him and she could turn it breathy and sexy if she wanted to. Oh /Kami/ why was she thinking those kinds of thoughts? This wasn't fair. Now she would want to come here as often as she could just to see him. She didn't want to turn out to be some sort of stalker, but literally the idea of walking out the shop door and not being able to see his face made her gut twist in a not-so pleasant way. "I'm...Sawa. It's nice to actually, you know, meet you. Properly, without you having a time crunch."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I wanted to thank you for the tip that you gave. It was...it was really nice of you. It helped me out." Nhil said with a light blush on his cheeks as he took the yogurt cup and placed it on the scale. After telling her the number he waited for her patiently. "I didn't realize that you knew Megumi and um...Ikki's girlfriend. Tsume I think she said her name was. It's nice to have a connection finally."

"Oh man, if you know Ikki and Tsume...and apparently /Megumi/, too, you're in for a whole new world of /connection./ That's just three people out of...what, a dozen? I might be adding more people than there are, or missing some. I really don't know, but I'm not too far off either way." Sawa handed him her cash from her fanny-pack and /really/ wanted to touch him again, but in a place like this, and his position behind the counter, it would be a bit obvious if she tried. Ah, fuck, should she be forward and ask him when his shift ended? What did she /do/? She didn't /date/ her standards were /way/ too high, but damn it she wanted to get to know this one!

He took her money, handed her back the change and also handed her the yogurt cup, letting their fingers brush. "My brother would say I could use the bunch of friends considering I do nothing but work. I said that before to Tsume as well. She asked me about when I have days that are free. I'm certain she was thinking about trying to get me to hang out."

Sawa's heart jumped in her throat and her stomach had a fresh bloom of butterflies. Her world sharpened and brightened and she could only just look him in the eye. His were so gorgeous, a silvery blue and his hair framed his face so perfectly. What was /happening/ to her? "Hanging out would be fun." Well. She said it. She dove, might as well keep going. "You popping over to do your delivery job after this one? Or going home to do schoolwork?"

Kazuko had gone before Sawa, knowing full well this would happen, and she was sitting next to Megumi. "We might as well be eating popcorn at the movies." She mentioned casually around a mouthful of yogurt.

"At least this time I'm not ditching anyone." Megumi agreed as she took a drink of her smoothie and watched them. Her eyes soft and caring. She took out her phone and randomly texted Ukyo an "I love you" before putting it away.

"Schoolwork and being with my little brother." Nhil answered easily. "He's in grade school so I have to see if there's any projects or events I should start scheduling ahead for. Ah, did you..." he scratched his cheek. "Here." He quickly pushed a button and grabbed some receipt paper before writing down his number and handing it to her. "For when I can hang with you."

"Don't think you're supposed to do that while at work." Sawa teased but she was quick to hide it away. She could look at it and add it to her phone later. "You have a little bro? That's sweet! What's his name? You'll have to tell me about him later!" She grinned wide, "That makes a lot of sense now, why you're working so hard."

Nhil blushed, "His name is Orion and...well...I won't tell if you don't." He smiled at her warmly. "Text me when you get a chance."

"I sure will! I can't wait for you to meet my friends, and to meet your little bro, too!" Sawa gave him a small wave as she turned around, "Sayonara, Nhil-kun!" she chirped and she barely felt her feet hitting the ground as she walked over to her friends, stuffing her face with her yogurt that had melted a little, but tasted amazing all the same.

"We should probably head out of here before you end up talking to him through his whole shift." Kazuko teased Sawa, loving how she seemed to be on cloud nine. She had her phone out and she snapped a photo of Sawa with her eyes closed and grin wide and noticeable around her spoon. She sent it to Hisako with the caption 'we found Nhil' and put it away.

"You're probably right, I don't want him to get in trouble for slacking off." Sawa nodded. Nhil needed his job and she would be the last person to risk it.

All Hisako had to write to the picture was: /STOP TAKING AWAY MY JOB/

~*~

It had to be the sixty-ish time Megumi had opened her cellphone to look at her time and to see if there was any text messages that came. It was ten at night and Ukyo wasn't home yet. He couldn't be caught up at work, he'd be home right about now. He could be trying to get some scenic photos of the city lights, but wouldn't he have told her that he was going to do that? What if he got hurt? What if something bad happened and all she was doing was sitting at the couch, drinking tea, checking her messages, and praying that wasn't so? She couldn't exactly just /wander/ the city. What if he came home and wondered if something happened to her? She resisted the urge to text him again. She was being stupid. Surely. Surely he was going to come home and he was going to be in a panic for her worrying, and he was going to admit to leaving his cellphone somewhere.

Just as Megumi closed her phone, there was a /slam/ of the front door, some shuffling around, and then she barely saw the black coat and green hair as it disappeared into the kitchen, snapping obscenities at seemingly no one in particular, just the air. Soon following were the banging of cupboards and clanging of dishware. Shocking there wasn't any sounds of things crashing to the floor.

Megumi blinked in surprise as she saw the green and the black and she followed him into the kitchen. The sound woke her up a little and so did the banging in the cupboards. She walked into the kitchen and leaned against the entry way, her heart beating wildly. She had been so /scared/ that he was hurt or worse that just to see him clamoring about was soothing to say the least.

"I'll just rest here for a few /minutes/ he says! Two hours later and the sun set and the temperature dropped! We have a HOUSE! It's not even /winter/ and what do you do?! Nearly give yourself hypothermia! Not like you haven't walked a further distance, you should've just come HOME! Old habits die hard, yeah sure, but it's been /weeks/! You have the girlfriend you died a billion times over for! A bed! Friends!" he smacked the cupboard he had been grabbing a cup out of particularly hard. He was obviously cold from the occasional teeth chatter and the hitch in his breath from shuddering as his body got used to the sharp change in temperature. "Out so late you missed DINNER, too! Trying to /starve/ yourself on top of freezing to death?!"

Megumi couldn't help but to let out a soft giggle at the rant and pushed herself off of the entry way to go over to him. "Go take a shower, sweetie, and get into something a little warmer." She said, her voice wavered with laughter. "I'll heat something up for you, okay? You're cold and I don't want you to catch sick."

He turned around to face her and he had the dark circles under his eyes, "If I shower I'll pass out. Too cold, too hungry. I'll change, but I need to /eat/." He told her, voice clipped. He wasn't supposed to be hostile towards her anymore. There was no reason to be. She wasn't a threat. In fact, if he hurt her in any way it would go against the whole reason he was /here/. To stay /alive/. There wouldn't be a wish this time, just a swift death.

"I'll heat you up something." Megumi repeated, watching him calmly, like he wasn't being mean to her. She never really interacted with this side besides the occasional death here and there and being chased around through the school. It was a little surreal he wasn't grabbing a knife from the kitchen and threatening her, but she took what she could. "Tea too. You're shivering too much."

"Feel like I'm going to break my teeth..." He muttered in agreement, but didn't take any longer to go around her and leave her to her own devices. It was hard to peel out of his clothes, feeling colder as he did so, but he managed to slip into pajamas and then do a quick brush and braid. The adrenaline was wearing out, so he returned to the kitchen as fast as possible. He first saw the teacup, and it was definitely an effort not to just drown it. He held it in his hands as he hauled himself onto one of the bar-stools at the island counter and was more or less in a half-curled up position, hunched over with his feet on one of the rungs on the stool. His body was heavy, and he tried to keep his eyes open. While his tongue didn't burn, the tea felt like it was /scorching/ his insides.

"I bet you feel like a human being now. Kind of." Megumi said as she pressed a button on the microwave and leaned back into the island counter. Now that he was here, she felt so much better. It was kind of hard not to just curl up and fall asleep. She refused to leave him alone though and she refused to go to sleep. She had made her own tea and was drinking some again. "I think I blew up your phone so...I'm sorry about all the random weird, insane text messages that I sent you. Maybe not as weird as I think..." She trailed off. "I'm sure we sent weirder. I sent weirder."

He had to remember to chew his food after getting it in front of him. He listened to her ramble, secretly glad for the focus or he might just fall asleep face first in his dinner. "I didn't look at the phone." He said finally when he didn't feel like his stomach was going to rip him apart from the inside out. "He'll probably say something about it when he wakes up in the morning."

"I'm probably going to have him panic or worse." Megumi agreed, walking over and wrapping her arms around him. He was /still/ cold, it made her shiver a bit but she was kind of glad that he was slowly warming up. "You scared me. I thought you were dead or worse."

It was a sudden movement, his chopsticks clinking on the plate and he crossed his arms to grab both of hers, his grip accidentally harsh. His whole body shuddered so hard he shook them both, and he gasped and panted, feeling disoriented. She had made a noise, but it wasn't pain or his other side would have started struggling. No, just discomfort and surprise at the movement. "You do realize I'm not him right now, right?" he asked, a tightness to his voice.

Megumi would've said something a little sarcastic about it, but it was the way his voice sounded when he asked the question that made her swallow it back. She tightened her grip a little and pressed herself a little more closely against him, hugging him. "I know. You don't have the same voice. You don't have the same body language either. Of course, it helps that you came slamming into the living room, telling me without telling me /why/ you were late."

"I didn't take much stalk in my surroundings when I got inside. I didn't know you were there." He admitted, still slightly shivering, but he finally let one arm go to pick up his chopsticks and start eating again, slowly this time and leaning back against her. She couldn't offer him a whole lot of warmth, females often weren't nearly as warm as males, but it was enough after a time that he didn't feel like an ice cube where he sat. "I still can't understand why you aren't afraid of me."

Megumi tightened her grip around him when he said that. "You wished for me to live." She said after a moment, letting the silence drop. "You wished for me to live. I could forget everything about you, if I just lived. Of course you were going to get tired of it. Of course you were going to start to want to get off the cycle, that maybe...just maybe I was better off dead. That maybe I was better off a memory. I can't blame you for that." She felt her voice choke and she pushed through. "I won't blame you for that. But if we're talking about what the other is supposed to feel then by god how come you don't hate me? Why don't you hate me? I had my wish granted every time you murdered me. I couldn't /even/ grant yours. I couldn't even try."

"It's hard to hate when I love you too damn much. I tried to hate you, but every time I did my chest would hurt. I'd feel the pain down to my bones, like this chill. It was just a cover-up for the fear, anyway. You were the reason I kept dying, yes I was afraid of you." He sighed through his nose at her disbelief, "I'm not afraid of you anymore. I don't have any reason to be. Yet, at the same time, it's hard...I hesitate to love you just the same after what happened."

Megumi nodded, she could understand that. "That's why I don't ask you or push you to do anything. We're together right now and that's more than enough for me. Us talking like this is enough." She gently pulled away to press a soft kiss against his cheek. "But I'd like to at least try to make you fall in love with me again. It'll take time, a lot of time, but I'd still like for us to try to love each other. I'd like it if I could have both, instead of always worried about the one."

He stared at her in a bit of awe and wonder, and it was hard to resist touching his cheek. Through dozens of worlds, kill or be killed, he really didn't expect her to love /this/ side of him. "Baka." He muttered quietly, with no heat behind the word, looking away from her and going back to his food. He wasn't nearly as cold, which was good. He'd warm up the rest of the way in bed. Finally he finished up both his dinner and his tea and stood up, watching her take care of the dishes. She was just as at ease with him as she was with Ukyo, if just with more concern. Having her, let alone anyone, be concerned about him was such an odd feeling. Here he was, created through Ukyo's subconscious to protect himself, and she was protecting the protector. Just...odd. "Uki." He'd never even considered his own name before, he just was, but it tumbled out and he watched her start, since it had been so quiet.

Megumi had to pause in her washing when he spoke. At first she was a bit confused as to what he was saying, but when it registered, she smiled warmly. "Good to finally have a name. It's better than the dozens I came up with." She said as she put the dishes away to dry. She walked over to him and held her hand out. "Come to bed with me? I'm not going to school tomorrow so don't be alarmed if I just throw my phone to the ground or something. It's been a long night."

"It really has." Uki nodded, eyeing her warily still, but he tested the waters, just brushing his fingers with hers before his whole hand. "I'm not going to be the same kind of lover as him, you know. Just as long as you're aware...I'm going to be rough, like I was when you hugged me. I will try, though...not to hurt you ever again. There's no point in it, but he still worries, understandably. Since coming to this world, I've been trying to avoid coming to the surface, but I might more now, like I used to, just not as harshly."

Megumi looked at him and squeezed her hand with his. "I know you're different from him." She reminded gently. "You loving me a little rough isn't going to break me. If you bruise me, that's fine. I might bleed a little too and that's alright. As long as it's you marking me, I'm okay. I'll be more than okay. But as try as you might you will hurt me in other ways and that's okay too. We'll fight, cry, we'll go through some painful times too I'm sure. You and Ukyo are worth that to me. Every painful memory, every bit of happiness. It's completely worth it."

/Marking/. Now wasn't that an idea, thinking of it that way. It made him feel a bit hot, but he shook his head at her. He was too tired to muster up that kind of interest. Another day, another time. "Let's go to bed, then. I don't have anything else to say, as long as we have an understanding."

()

"He said to meet him here..." Kazuko looked at her phone again, worrying her lip as she looked up. Did he want to meet inside? Was he going to come to the gate? She had no idea the layout of this school. She could easily get lost, and that would just cause trouble for him. "Might as well just wait at the gate..." she sighed, closing her phone after texting a quick 'I'm here' and went to lean against the wall that surrounded the university like the one at hers did. She didn't bring her whole bag, just her fanny-pack and she vaguely debated on eating a granola bar. Would they be going somewhere to eat? She didn't want to ruin it if they did.

It didn't take long for Kent to reply to the text saying that he was on his way. It took only a few more moments before he showed up at the gate. "Ikkyu reminded me that you don't know the school even though you're friends with Tsume and Megumi. I should've been more specific about the meeting place. I'm sorry. Let's go. Are you hungry?"

"Mine-chan also comes here, but yeah. I wasn't sure what we would be doing, so I held off on snacking on a granola." Kazuko nodded. It was good to see his face. His hands stayed by his sides, though, so she kept hers to herself as well. Maybe he wasn't a PDA person like Shin? Or he was too awkward about it, still. Either way, she wasn't going to /make/ things awkward by making moves too soon or at all for his liking. He only just asked her out on Monday and this was their first date. "I'm up for anything, I'm not all that picky."

"Good, that leaves for efficiency." Kent turned around and started walking off at a brisk pace.

Kazuko was surprised that he suddenly took off, and had a quick thought that there was no way in hell she would ever beat him in a race. She barely kept up with him using the full length of her own legs, and maybe any other day she would be able to last longer than ten minutes. It barely ticked to fifteen when she finally called out to him, "Kent! Slow down, good god! I already had a morning run, I don't need another one!" she was breathing heavy and starting to feel lightheaded. Her legs were going going to /kill/ her when she finally sat down anywhere. She needed to eat and if he was going to make her exorcise it probably wouldn't have mattered if she'd scarfed down a delicious bar of oats.

Kent abruptly stopped and looked at her with concern. "I didn't realize that I was walking so fast for you. I'm used to Ikki and Megumi keeping up with me. You exercised this morning? That explains why you told me you couldn't meet me today. I was wondering about that."

"Yeah...I don't need to run on weekdays because the walk to and from school is enough, also beating feet all over the compound to get to classes, up and down stairs and all that." Kazu kept her breathing even, but was glad he stopped so she could properly catch her breath, "Saturdays and Sundays I run in the morning with Sawa and Megumi to make up for not going to school."

Kent nodded his head a few times. "Are Sawa and Megumi friends or acquaintances to you? Ikkyu mentioned to me that it's important to know whose related to who in relationships."

"I go to school with Sawa, Hisako, Maya, and Toma. Megumi became a running partner since we go roughly the same way, and Hisako's kind of our main connection while Megumi became our touch stone." Kazuko listed off, "They're all good friends. I'm grateful to them, especially the company they offer after I lost my dog."

"I heard about that." Kent shook his head from side to side. "Hisako is a trouble maker to the core, I'm not surprised that she's everyone's main connection. I'm almost certain that if she pulled resources together, she could make a great agency. Shin is already an observer and is good at deduction, meanwhile Toma is already in the legal field of study. I presume Hisako would be a spy."

Kazuko burst out laughing at the notion. "She would be so happy to hear you say that. I dare say she'd even be flattered. Have you /seen/ her with her knives? In fact, have you seen the /hole/ in her doorway from when someone, I forget who, knocked instead of coming in?"

"I presume that would've been Toma." Kent raised an eyebrow. "So Shin was serious about getting a knife set for Christmas, I had taken it for sarcasm. I recall that she and Megumi share the same values placed on their households, only I'm assured I won't get stabbed if I so much as knock on a door. Has anyone thought that Hisako might be a little unstable? It's been a thought."

"I think Shin said she's been like this since he can remember. Freaks Toma out even though he should be used to it by now. There's been a few theories she was an enlightened soul in a previous life or something, which is why she does readings so well. Might've /actually/ been an assassin? Would surprise /no one/." Kazuko motioned to the sidewalk again. They'd been standing there for a while.

"I am aware that she believes in reincarnation. She's quite firm about that and her beliefs." Kent shook his head, "but I don't take much stalk in her reading abilities. I won't say it's a waste of time or anything of the sort, but Hisako understands my position about her and her cards. Much like how Ikkyu understands my position about his eyes. Supernatural things can happen, but evidence is where the proof is. Without that you can't even begin to hold water."

Hence why 'love' was just a chemical imbalance in the brain. Kazuko rolled her eyes at the thought, but she didn't comment. "I believe in the Supernatural, but I see your point of view." At least there was some sort of truce about the matter. She didn't have anything else to add to that conversation, and as they walked, trying to find a place to eat, the silence between them grew. She was a bit unnerved by it. If he was busy or something during research she would get it, but this was a date, right? Did he have /anything/ to say? To ask? Did she have to be the one to start it every time?

"Here is fine." Kent said after a moment of the silence and walked into the restaurant. He understood that they needed to continue to talk, but he wondered what kind of topics were best to discuss. They were doing well with the friends and acquaintances. They spoke about Hisako at length, which was shocking. It made him wonder if there were other people she'd talk about too. The data that she gave him for Hisako wasn't anything substantial though, besides the fact that she had always been weird since the beginning. Perhaps he should mention his friends? Ah, but what was there to say? Kazuko knew them pretty well since they were all so well connected and established. Hmm this was harder than he thought.

"Who's...paying?" Kazuko asked carefully. She wasn't entirely sure if Kent was going to be a traditionalist and pay for them both or if they were going to pay for themselves. She had to be careful with her money, she only got so much in allowance since her parents paid for everything. She didn't want to tell Kent that, in case he felt obligated.

"We can either do it fifty fifty or I pay for the entire thing." Kent answered simply. "Though I had been lead to believe that since I was the one that did the invite I was the one to pay. I'm certain that's how it works."

"That sounds fine. I can run by that rule. If I do an invite I'll pay." At the same time, she would have to be careful to make sure he didn't pay for everything all the time. So they would have to do dates that /didn't/ involve any money spending, or plan them out ahead of time. "Might have to alternate, that'd be best..." she hummed, mostly to herself as she read the menu on the big board.

"Alternate?" He questioned.

"Hmm? Oh, alternate dates so there's no unintentional monopolizing." Kazuko explained easily, "It wouldn't be fair to either of us if one or the other paid more."

"That's a fair assessment." He smiled warmly as he looked away and back to the menu. "I can agree to those terms. It'll be good to plan things for the other as well. I believe that will give us a good boost in probability."

"I was thinking the same thing," Kazu grinned at him, feeling happy he smiled that way because of her idea. "It's beneficial to be technical about some things, especially about money. Spontaneous outings are fun and all, but planning is better for the bank account, especially then you can /make sure/ you can handle expenses."

"Ikkyu would be pleased. He's studying to be an accountant. He's thrifty with his wallet as well." It was kind of a relief that the conversation flowed between them again. He had worried about it. "He and Megumi used to do budgeting challenges a lot with each other and trying to be as thrifty as possible. Money is his expertise so he had the upperhand. It was a way for him to study how it worked without opening the textbook too much."

"That's adorable. It's nice hearing you talk about Ikki like that. You're really fond of him, and you sound just as fond of Megumi, but kind of in that brotherly way. Why do you call Ikki by his full name? Just to irritate him?" Kazuko asked curiously, finally deciding on what she wanted and stepped up to give her order.

Kent stepped up as well and after they ordered, they went off to find their seat. "Sort of." He said after a moment. "It had the benefits of annoying him and confusing Megumi as she didn't know his name was Ikkyu. She had been led to believe, by me oddly, that it was a nickname of sorts that I must have come up with on my own. She believed us to be good friends though we were mere acquaintances then. However as time goes on, it /is/ a nickname of sorts now. I believe if I were to start calling him Ikki, he would be concerned."

"When it's supposed to be the other way around. That's so funny." Kazuko snickered behind her hand. Slipping into a booth, she abruptly became acutely aware of how fucking /tall/ he was. She considered herself tall, five foot six, almost five foot seven, and it wasn't all that noticeable standing next to him. Yet he was about six foot four, and he practically towered over her sitting down across from her. His legs brushed against hers they were so long, but she tried not to make anything of it. "You know, a lot of people might think you a bit monotone, but your voice gets lighter talking about Ikki, and you still have a fairly straight face, but it's softer. You're always so serious."

"I have been told that I'm quite robotic." Kent pressed his glasses up his nose, a slight blush dusted around his cheeks. "He's one of my few friends who actually understands how my mind works. It's difficult sometimes to convey meaningful information. He understands perfectly. So I'm not surprised that my voice shows my admiration. Though that's observant of you to notice. I wasn't aware."

"You started opening up and relaxing during our morning walks, even if we don't say a damn thing. I noticed the shift and got curious so I started watching you more." Kazuko told him slowly, "Usually people watch for facial cues and a person's eyes for emotion, but your voice is a definite tell. You got gentler when you talked about Megumi, kind of in the same way Toma does talking about Hisako, which is where I made the 'brotherly' connection."

Kent could believe that. "Have you thought about studying to be a psychologist? If you go into forensics, Shin and Toma would adore you for it." It was something to think about though. Brotherly connections. He hadn't defined a relationship between the three of them like that before. Ikki and Megumi were clearly siblings easily. One just had to listen to them talk for five minutes. But himself? It was something to think about.

"It hadn't really crossed my mind. I'm interested too much in history and researching that like you research math theories and stuff. I want to work at a museum eventually, study old things, talk about ancient history with other people. I take chemistry just in case I might have to carbon date something. I guess that's why I did well during that study group." She blushed a little at the admission.

Kent blinked in surprise. "That's an ambitious career goal. Is there a specific type of history you're trying to study from?"

"Um...I've studied Egyptian and Greek mythologies pretty hardcore." Kazuko explained to him, tapping her finger on her chin, "I'm kind of 'meh' about Rome, but it's part of how the Greek pantheon fell so I kind of had to. I looked deep into the Feudal Era as well, a dabble here and there occasionally for the Chinese dynasty. Along with these I'm taking a religious course and looked into Hindu and Buddhism, too. There's so much and it's all so fascinating."

"No wonder you would get along with Hisako, a lot of those things are up her alley. I believe her faith steers towards a mixture of Greek and Buddhism, but I can't be certain." Kent was pleased with this. "So you have a lot to choose from, it's good to have options. I always tend to have a back up in case something falls through."

"Sounds just like you. I did want to be an archaeologist for a while, but I can't sit still for that long digging up a fossil." Kazuko admitted with a soft laugh. Their food arrived and she tore it open, "Ne, Kent, would it be too soon to tell my parents I'm dating you? They're not on my ass about getting married and having kids like Tsume's are, but I haven't...dated anyone since high school Prom." Also, if she did that, they /might/ give her a bit extra in spending money as well so she could relax a bit.

"I don't think so, as long as you're doing it for yourself and not out of obligation." Kent answered as he also started working on his. "I'm lucky I don't have that issue as well. Though I may hold off on telling my parents about you yet. They're a little much, as Ikkyu would put it."

"Everybody seems to say that about their parents." Kazuko laughed a little, "That's fine. Everybody else knows, we're all like family anyway. That's enough for me."

~*~

She was so late! She had been working so hard last night on her homework that she fell asleep on it and hadn't set an alarm at all! She had only woken up about twenty minutes ago do to a text from Hisako, asking where she was. First class was ringing that it was over, but if she hurried she could turn in her assignment and then get to her second class before the bell rang again.

Just as she was nearing the corner she barely saw the tell-tale blond hair and orange sweatshirt before she crashed right into the solid body. Toppling to the ground with a shout, she ended up sprawled on top of him. "Ow..." she whimpered, her knee throbbing from where she'd smacked it to the wood flooring, then gasped, "Toma! Gomen'nasai! Are you okay?!" the boy she had been avoiding besides texts was the one she had been so unfortunate in running into.

Toma had smacked the ground pretty hard and winced as he felt the weight on his stomach and chest. He winced and blinked when he saw who it was that was on top of him "Maya! I'm fine. What about you? Is everything okay?" He sat up and carefully moved them so that they were both sitting on the floor. "I didn't even see you."

"I shouldn't have been running in the halls. That was my fault." Maya rubbed her knee, "Ow, ow, ow...I'm going to have a bruise there pretty good. I don't think I hurt anything else. I mean, you did break my fall." She bit her lip, "I passed out doing homework and didn't set an alarm. Hisako texted me. I was trying to get to my first class to turn in my work and then I was going to go to my second class."

Toma shook his head from side to side and helped her up. "I'm glad you're not hurt too badly." He said lightly. "Though you should get ice on that knee when you get a chance. Are you okay to walk? Do you want me to come with you?"

It was nice to see him, to be near him and hear his voice. Maya didn't want to take advantage of him, though, and gripped her bag tight, "I think I'll be okay. I don't want you to be late to your classes. That wouldn't be fair to you." Yet when she went to take a step she flinched and limped, wobbling. With a sniff, she thought about just how awful today was already and it had barely started.

"Come on." Toma gently wrapped his arm around her waist. "You hit it pretty hard. If you're still like this after an hour or so, maybe we should get it checked at the doctors. You could've cracked a bone or something."

"Why don't we...change course then and go to the nurse's office and get some ice? It doesn't /feel/ broken, but it would help." It would make him feel better for one thing, "I'm /really/ sorry to do this to you." Maya hesitated to let him take her weight, but the more she tried to walk on her leg the more pain she felt, so she let him half-carry her and not for the first time thought about stopping her snacking habits.

"It's fine." Toma easily took her weight and they both started walking slowly towards the nearest nurse's station. He was thankful that their university had one. "I've been hoping to see you again, but our schedules haven't been working out really. I feel bad."

Maya's chest felt tight at the mention, and she chewed her lip a bit more, "It's not...entirely your fault. I acted badly and felt shameful, so I...avoided going to the Cafe. I didn't know what to do." He had been appreciative of her honesty before, so she would continue to do so.

Toma sighed softly. "I thought I did something wrong. I thought maybe I should've stayed with you longer or something."

"No...This is all on me, Toma-kun..." Maya drooped, frowning deeply. He was so strong, not even phased by this. She didn't want him to let her go. "I don't have any excuses for how I acted. It was childish and I'm sorry. I don't expect things to be perfect, but certainly better than /that/. I know our group can be unpredictable and rowdy. I'm really not mad at Meg-chan anymore, or Ukyo-kun. I was just...so nervous..." she blushed, "Even you knew it was a setup from the moment you got the text. I was a fish out of water."

"Our group is always trying to one up each other. It's like our thing." Toma agreed. "We all have these egos and we all feel like we need to do something to prove. We're never trying to hurt each other. We're never trying to make the other look bad. It's just a game we play. I'm glad you're not angry with us anymore. At her or them or me even for knowing something you didn't."

Maya shook her head firmly, pausing to breathe and hold her knee for a second because damn it hurt, before she looked at him, "I had a feeling you would know, so I was never mad at you, even for a second. It was out of the blue, and you didn't really talk to me beforehand, but it so wasn't me. I'm a rapid-fire texter because I get so excited I don't have the patience to write a whole paragraph."

"I notice now." He laughed. "You respond so quickly and when you have a bunch of things to say I have to wait a bit so I don't accidentally cut you off."

Maya nodded, feeling shy again, "So...yeah, it was nothing you did. I've been wanting to see you, too. I'll make sure to come by the Cafe when you work this week, and this time...we can actually have some small talk, and we'll find time for another go at a date."

"I'll look forward to it." Toma grinned happily.

~*~

“Come with me.” Hisako said as she came out of their bedroom, tying her hair up. There were covered up bruises on her neck from where he had enthusiastically bit and sucked at her during their love-making. Her make up was done on point and she wore tight fitting clothing that would look good during the day, but at night it sent a different kind of message. It was sexy enough to give off a hint, but casual enough to not seek too much attention. “We’ll grab a bite to eat along the way. I’m feeling a mood.”

Immediately seeing her show off his marks instead of hide them made Shin know for a fact tonight was going to be an interesting one, ignoring her makeup and state of dress. She wanted people who saw her to know she was taken, but she was still going to try and poke a bees nest. "Here's to hoping I don't get stung." It wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten in a fight, but Hisako usually scared people off with her knife skills. He set his laptop aside, closing the lid and letting it go to sleep on it's own, getting to his feet and he searched for his socks.

"I swear to you I'm not looking for a back alleyway fight." Hisako said as she leaned against the back of the couch, watching him with a smile. "So you won't get stung too much. Seriously though, it's been a while since we done anything in the city. I'm a bit bored."

"I was busy studying for exams all last month to get into yours and Toma's college, so yeah it has been." Shin agreed, going over to put his shoes on next, "I'm the only one who does anything entertaining with you anymore, though with how Tsume has become your new horror friend I wouldn't be surprised if she likes a little bit of danger, too."

"She might be," Hisako mused, tapping her chin with her finger. "Toma would be fun to drag along with us as well. But he has Maya now so he won't be able to do that for very long. I wonder if Ikki's the jealous type. That'd be fun."

"That's very possible." Shin finished tying one boot and did the next one, "He's even admitted he's never been with anyone this long before, and according to Kent he got physical with Megumi for the first time since her heart attack when she told him she knew something about Tsume that he didn't. Which means he's getting greedy. If you're thinking of dragging her along and seeing if he does get jealous, at least make sure he's getting jealous over you. He can't stay mad at his women very long."

Hisako's eyes softened. "Did he really. I had wondered if he was going to coddle her for the rest of her life. As scary as that heart attack was, even the doctors said it was just a freak thing. He acted like it caused permanent damage. Kind of glad really, I don't know how long I could've stood his version of a mother hen." Her smile turned sly. "Though since when were /you/ interested in a threesome with another woman?"

"I'm more of a voyeur, thank you. I'd prefer just watching you suck on another woman rather than join in. I'd be too scared they might /lose/ their hands if they put them on me, anyway. Just like I'll punch any other man outside our group for making a move on you." Shin finally stood up and grabbed his jacket.

Hisako followed him and after he put on his jacket, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It wasn't too passionate, she wanted to /leave/ the house damn it, but there was no harm if it was a little teasing. She nipped his lower lip just to hear him groan and to feel his fingers grip her back.

Shin had to take a breath before he did anything, knowing it would be against the whole point of getting dressed just to take it all off. "Careful, or we might get acquainted with a back alley anyway. Or a love hotel....you liked that idea way too much." Her facial expression had spoken volumes for her and he rolled his eyes, "Did you have anywhere particular in mind you wanted to stake out or just see if we can find a hopping bar?"

"We're going to go hopping." Hisako said though she wasn't going to deny that a love hotel would be fun. It was a nice place and it wasn't uncomfortable like a back alleyway though if that was his mood she'd obligate. She took his hand and they walked out of their house. She locked the door and smiled warmly as she took his hand in hers again. "I'm thinking deep in the heart of the city this time. Every time I'm there, I feel like I find more alleyways I never gone down on."

"What a shame. Let's rectify that, then. Got your pocket knives?" Shin chuckled as she just flashed a wicked grin at him, "Of course you do. I had to ask. I feel like we're not making it back here until well after morning. Shall I call the taxi service or are you going to?"

"You. You can choose where we start our adventure and we'll see where we wind up after." Hisako decided with a bright smile. She felt so giddy, it's been so long. She was really happy that Shin didn't have to study and that he was in a mood too. She /knew/ waiting after they had sex was a good idea.

~*~

They ended up going to one of /Shin's/ favorite bars. Nothing like a damn good band playing to get the blood pumping and ready for an all-nighter that didn't involve forcing yourself to stay awake for homework. Shin knocked back a single shot and then rotated in his seat to lean against the bar and watch the scene. Even if they didn't have fake IDs, Hisako was quite acquainted with most of the bars they frequented, and if any of the people they knew from school saw them, they were smart enough to either party with them or pretend they never saw a thing.

Hisako was out on the dance floor in Shin's sight. She made sure that she danced with the girls, grinding against them rather than the men. She promised no back alleyway fights, and she intended to keep that promise. She broke away from a dance and walked back over to the bar, sweaty and more pleased than a cat with cream. She slid into the stool and ordered a drink. "Come here often?" She asked, fluttering her eyes at Shin, a seductive smile curving at her lips. She liked flirting with him. "The music's good tonight."

"The music keeps bringin' me back, but finding good company is always a plus." Shin replied smoothly, giving her a devilish sideways smirk and glance. "You seem familiar yourself. Get lost in the crowd much?" It was so easy to flirt back with her. If he had to flirt with anyone else he would probably drive them away in a heartbeat, but there never /had/ been anyone else and certainly never would be if he could help it.

"Lost in the music is more likely which is probably why you're able to find me." Hisako said easily as she murmured her thanks to the bar keep and took a sip of her martini. It wasn't anything fancy. Just midori and vodka. "So what's a man like you alone here at the bar for?"

"Don't dance." Shin shrugged at that, "I prefer watching. It's relaxing in a way, watching the rhythm and sway." She liked it when he talked like that, but really, just /knowing/ where this was gunna go made him unintentionally turn his bedroom eyes on her, "You seemed pretty friendly with the ladies. Why you /talkin/ to a guy like me, hmm? I'm not all that interesting."

Oooh now wasn't that hot. Hisako bit the corner of her lip and pushed her hair out of her face. She sipped her maritini and placed it down, "I think it's because you're playing a better song the band." She said her voice low. "Almost like a siren. There's no way I convince you to come try to dance with me tonight? Or are you better at another kind of dance?"

"If you don't mind workin' on warmin' me up, I could possibly be convinced. I like a good challenge, and you look like you do, too. No harm in tryin', is there?" Shin practically purred at her, slipping off the stool and using his full height, peering down at her.

Hisako swallowed a little and her eyes darkened at how he used his height against her. Normally she'd feel threatened, but it was him. It was him and she knew too well that the only times he ever used anything to his advantage was when they both knew it meant they'd wind up on the floor, or against the wall or their bed. "Come with me." She purred, pressing her hand onto his chest and backing him up, letting her get off the stool. "Though a challenge isn't fun without a little...incentive is there?" She licked her lips. "How about if I can work you up, I take you home and let off some steam? And if I can't, you show me how it's done? I won't even say no."

"Keep talkin' like that, and we might not even make it back to your place." Shin hummed, his eyes becoming half-lidded at the feel of her hands on his chest and the way they glided down over his torso to hook in his belt-loops and start walking him to the dance floor, "That bet's a sort of win-win either way, so how about if you can't, I treat you to a good hotel bed and I show you my kind of dance?" He really wasn't any better. Sex was in the cards, just location was different. He knew she wanted to go to a Love Hotel anyway, so he would probably throw all the stops and be extra stubborn about it. The build-up and watching her sweat would be entertaining.

"I like the way you think." Hisako cooed. She slid up against him, ran her finger across his chest as she walked past him. She made sure to swing her hips, not too overly exaggerated, that was too slutty, but enough to let her hair sway and to give off that sexy vibe. Hair up or down? Ah, she could leave it up for now. The music had a good bass, so let's see what she couldn't do to work at it. She looked over at him, and tilted her head, her eyes dark and inviting. She made sure to bit her lip in /that/ way. Her heart raced and she could feel it go in time with the music. She wanted to /win/ goddamn it. She wanted him against her, pressed. She wanted to see him beg. She bet he'd be pretty when he begged too. But god, the way that he challenged her, she knew that it wouldn't be easy. He was going to make her /work/ for it and by god did that turn her /on/.

That was his girl. If he was going to be stubborn she was also going to throw everything she had into it. That's what made it so much sweeter, but they damn well weren't going back to the house tonight. Not after they just got here. After a round in the Hotel they could even walk out and repeat the process, just go right back to the room they paid for instead of stand around with sparks between them. /That/ made this a lot more appealing, coming up with multiple ways to spice things up. Deciding to reward her efforts a little bit, keeping up with the current game, he ghosted his hands over her sides, coaxing her to rub up against him and /feel/ him, but she wasn't anywhere close to winning.

Hisako knew that this was going to be a challenge, so she made /sure/ that every move left him burning and every glance his way made him feel it. She always made sure to look at /some/ part of him. His face mostly, but she'd occasionally give him a once over and grin. She knew that she was hot in his eyes. She knew that she if she worked just right, just right, she could have him gripping her hips and slamming them into the nearest bathroom if they so desired, but for some reason she felt like she should hold back /just/ a smidgen. After all, the game was only fun when it was being played.

In the end, it came down to stamina. Shin was just starting to feel frayed at the edges when he noticed the change in her breathing. She had already danced a round before she came up to drag him into it. They were nearly done with the second song since they started and Shin knew if he could keep his head on straight a while longer, she wouldn't make it all the way through the third, or her forth, song.

Hisako knew that Shin was a stubborn bastard and even more so one that didn't like to lose. It was one of the things that they had in common even if it was a "win-win" either way. She was pulling out everything by now, and she was /trying/ not to be too desperate, but come /on/. He's hot. She already knew she's hot, she didn't need the ego boost, and it would be /fantastic/ to get him hard and promising. No. She didn't know what he was thinking off, but he wasn't turned on too much and he was certainly making things a lot harder on /her/ instead. Instead of warming him up, it was /him/ that was turning her on. It was /him/ that was giving her the bedroom eyes, the sweep of his hands, the press of their bodies. She thought about whispering something filithy in his ear but that was /cheating goddamn it/ and she wasn't about to do that. There was /sex/ at stake here, and he was /winning/.

Shin certainly wasn't against cheating, but he didn't have to use /words/ to do that. He was half concerned, half impatient, so as the second song was drawing to a close, he teased the hickey he had made earlier with a light scrape of his teeth. Then he brushed his nose the rest of the way up her neck to press his cheek to her hair and breathed hotly into her ear. Yet, he waited for the very end of the song to /nip/ the sensitive flesh at the tip.

Hisako let out a soft gasp and her eyes fluttered. It was too easy for her to melt and feel hot. She knew she lost instantly and she knew it from the grin on his lips and the promise that was spoken in his eyes. "I suppose you get to show me your dance." She said hotly, admitting defeat as gracefully as she could. "Though I wonder if you're just as good at it as you think you might be." He challenged her. Only fair she challenged /him/.

"There's only one way to show you, now isn't there? Give me a minute to look one up on my phone, and you can catch your breath. You did better than you think." He praised sweetly at the end, kissing her neck and prying himself away from her, taking her hand and leading he back to the bar where he made her sit down and waved the bartender for two more drinks before they left, whipping out his phone and searching for what he was after.

Hisako still felt her pride hurt, but she smiled softly as she took a drink as she watched him look. "I love you," she said knowing too well that he might not say it back, but it was nice to say. It was nice to let him hear that she was proud of him. Proud of him for winning against her. "I should add that since you win, I'm your slave for the time we have."

Shin clicked his tongue, still focused on his phone, "Now that might be a little much for tonight. We're still going to go to this hotel and bar hop. I'll pass and use it later." He'd never use it in a way that was degrading, he didn't have to use her as a 'slave' for one thing at all, but he could always use it instead when /she/ was being a shit and not /listening/ to him. A humbling mechanism to knock her down off her high horse if necessary.

()

"Meg-chan! That's right, I just remembered something! We're not going to the Cafe today!" Ukyo announced as he rinsed out his mouth from brushing his teeth. The bathroom door was open and Megumi was currently getting dressed, "We're going on a date to a new place I found!"

Megumi paused from slipping her shirt on before she rolled it down her body. This was going to be new. "Okay." She called to him. Should she change out of her jeans and into a skirt then? It was rare for him to be spontaneous about a date. Then again, maybe it wasn't? She shifted and started looking through her closet. "Should I wear a skirt or should I wear jeans?" She called to him.

"Jeans, we might sit outside. The place we're going has an outdoor patio!" Ukyo responded, shutting the water of the sink off and coming out, "So maybe something warmer?" He went through some of his own clothes, debating on the purple jacket he hadn't worn in ages, but hmm, maybe he should save that and put the ring in that pocket instead. It was nice, and abnormal. It would also probably boost his confidence because if he got dressed and wore that then he would feel like he had to. Humming he nodded to himself before he pulled out a simple shirt and then ruffled through his dresser for a simple pair of pants to go with it.

Jeans and a low-cut sweater then. Megumi got dressed and she decided to leave her hair down, but tie a braid on the side like normal. She wondered when she started doing that. She shrugged. Regulus was quietly watching them like normal, he rarely talked anymore she'd bet it's because she couldn't hear him. There wasn't a need to be heard or be seen for a while now. It was nerve wracking....no, stop that train of thought. She breathed out first, letting go before inhaling slowly. Day date. That's what she needed to focus on. She touched the braid again and moved away from the mirror. She already had her make up on, it was natural and light. Since she was wearing jeans, she decided against heels.

"Should probably text Hisako and tell her we're not going to the Cafe today. That way she doesn't worry. I know she does, since we told her everything." Ukyo grabbed his camera from where it had been charging and they headed downstairs where he could put on his usual boots and throw their jackets on. "I'm excited to see what they have to eat there!"

Megumi had to smile as she slipped into her shoes. When in doubt sneakers. "I'll text her though she'll probably just tell us that it was about time we left her alone or something like that." She took her phone from her pocket and sent out a quick text. "It's been a while since I accompanied you on a picture scout."

"Usually gotta leave you behind because I take too many of you." Ukyo kissed her quickly on the cheek before grabbing his keys, "You're just so photogenic I can't help myself."

Megumi's cheeks turned a bright red as she walked out of the house and waited for him to lock up behind them before setting off. "So I'm a distraction then?" She couldn't help but to tease as she held her hand out for him to take.

Ukyo took her hand in his happily, "Yes. A good distraction, usually, but not when I need photos for work." He slid his arm around her waist, guiding them the direction they needed to go. Thankfully, it really wasn't very far. Just down by the park. "The way the light catches your hair, how serious you look when you're writing an article or editing one of Kent's thesis'. Your expressions speak volumes and it's just the little things like that I look for. I'd never get anywhere if I took a picture of the same thing over and over."

"Maybe I should go into modeling. Be one with the outdoors or something." When was he able to be so smooth? That was...that wasn't what she was expecting at all and she had a feeling that her ears were red now. She knew he was being honest. There were plenty of times when they were home where he'd suddenly just...snap pictures. Sometimes she playfully stole her camera to snap some back at him, but...damn.

"If you went into modeling it would be forced." Ukyo made a face, "Ew, no. You'd be put on a horrible eating diet even /he/ would cringe at, and they'd make you look like...not you." He fumbled at the last bit but he was just so off-put by the thought.

Megumi burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. She knew that there was a reason why he went into scenic photography. Now she knew why and it wasn't just because he was captivated by the sky first. Models weren't good looking and natural and...well...she could see it. Ukyo was an artist first. He'd want the most natural not the most fake.

"Honestly...I've been thinking of starting to photograph people lately yes, but /natural/ situations. Like Comic or Anime-cons, when you can /feel/ the excitement and laughter through their smiles, or weddings when the love is so thick you feel sappy yourself..." Ukyo let out a content sigh, "I wouldn't do sports, too high-stakes and with /my/ luck I'd get hit in the face with a ball. Probably dancing instead."

Megumi could see it happening. His photography would get a wider audience for both of them. Cosplayers were always looking for someone to shoot photos with and look their best. Couples were looking for a photographer to capture moments that they couldn't capture on their own. "Weddings seem to be more your speed." She said thoughtfully after a moment. "You have the personality for it and I would think you would work really well with the couples too. You have an eye for capturing things that they'd want to capture."

Ukyo's cheeks dusted pink at the thought of the one he wanted to throw with her. "You think so?" he asked, voice a bit breathy and in-awe, his imagination turning. "Most would be patient with me, let me set things up the way I need or compromise if they want something specific. Since I'm with a good magazine it'd be easy to put my foot out there and find some customers."

"You're a romantic, too." Megumi squeezed his hand. "You probably would have several scenes already planned and have an idea for and they might go for it and you'd listen to their own ideas too. You would be able to do so much with your photography since I know you consider it an art, you'd make them an art too. They'd appreciate that the most. You could do the cosplayers as well, but you'd get more income doing the weddings."

"There's weddings throughout the year when cons are only scattered here and there." Ukyo agreed. That was certainly a logical assessment. "If I announce that to the others, everyone's going to call dibs. Who do you think will get married first? Hisako and Shin?"

Megumi shook her head from side to side, "I don't think so. He seems to really want to go slow with her even though they're not the "slow" type. I think he just wants her to understand that if he does this, there's no...take backs. It's done and forever. No if anyone's getting married first it's Ikki and Tsume."

"Now why is that? Because their family will push for it? Or are you just certain about Ikki saying 'yup she's it for me'?" Ukyo arched a brow at her. They were getting closer to the park, and now he just had to find that little hole-in-the-wall he'd come across before.

"Ikki doesn't know patience if it hit him across the face with a baseball bat." Megumi said instantly. "Also you haven't met his mom. She married his dad just after a month of them getting together. Once he figures out if Tsume's sexually compatible with him, that's when he's going to start thinking about the question."

Ukyo snorted, "Of course that would be the deciding factor. Never-mind the fact he's been enamored with her since day one when she sat apart from his fanclub but still within his section. The first thing they talked about /was/ a wedding. He told me all about it on one of his drunk-call nights when I became a part of the group, and he told me he hoped she'd last."

"That's the way to his heart." Megumi laughed a little. "I wouldn't doubt he had conversations with her about ours and everyone else's too. Families too I bet."

"So, with your logic, Shin and Hisako could be last. That would mean Toma and Maya would be before them. I wonder if they'd be okay with that." Ukyo chuckled, amused. He spotted the patio and lit up, "Ah, there it is!"

Megumi blinked and looked over at the location that they were going to eat. It was a cute little place that had an outdoor patio and the food smelled amazing. But, hadn't it been there before? Megumi puzzled over that for a bit before shrugging. Well, she never been so, she followed him towards it. "How did you find this?"

"I saw it while I was watching some kids play. Their ball got knocked into the patio area and one of the workers sweeping out front helped them get it from under the chairs." Ukyo explained, "It was adorable. The food smelled good then, too, and I knew I wanted to come back."

Now that she thought about it. Megumi wondered if they had this conversation before. They were living together in this world, but in the last world they really didn't get a chance to...know each other. She kind of wished she had Kent's stages of relationships right now, because she didn't know if this was a bad conversation or not. But she was /curious/ goddamn it. "Doyoulikekids?""

Ukyo wasn't phased at all, just tapped his chin. "I like to say I do. They don't always like me, sadly. Back when I was sleeping in the park, they'd try and wake me up and sometimes they'd get him, sometimes they'd get me. A couple times it would become a game to them when one didn't believe the other, depending on which side they encountered first. I would try to avoid them, really. I never wanted the parents to get mad at me for something I couldn't control. They make me smile, though, with how innocent they are and with the way they see the world."

"Is it something that you want in the future?" Megumi asked carefully, knowing that this was where the topic could get tricky.

"Oh! Can you imagine the children we'd have?!" Ukyo gushed. They weren't even married yet, but the mental pictures that flooded his mind made him feel so happy, "So many combinations! My hair, your eyes, your hair, my eyes. Maybe green hair with orange streaks or the flipped of that. A male version of you would be so precious...everyone would probably joke that I'm already a girl so a girl version of me would be no different." He huffed a little at that, "Sharp features or soft features...they could be tall like me or I could easily tuck them under my arm like you..." he hooked his arm over her neck, getting a squeak out of her, and he nosed her hair, "They'd look so cute no matter what, because they're part of you."

Megumi's heart felt fuzzy and warm as she listened to him talk about their kids. He had it all thought out. Male, female, the different combinations, their heights, he wanted them. He saw her as the mother of his children already and it made her tear up just a bit. "I love you." What else could she say to that? "You really thought all about it. Do you have a preference on male or female?"

"No! Not at all! Though if you have twins I'm probably going to lose what's left of my mind." He was half joking half serious. He kissed her cheek as they finally got inside, "I love you, too. Honestly, I don't care what we have in the future. We could always have more than one over the years and get both, anyway."

"That's true." Megumi's eyes softened. "I never thought that would get you so excited. You're really looking forward to that. It'll be a fun adventure to share with you. Going back a bit though, what kind of wedding do you think we'd have? Indoor? Outdoor? We're both kind of the outdoor type and I can't imagine putting Hisako in a church, she'd burn."

"That's so mean." Ukyo laughed a little, trying to be quiet since it felt like they had stepped into a library and shouting even with laughter would be obnoxious. "Spring..." he blushed darker than before, wanting to finger the ring in his jacket. "A spring wedding in April when the cherry blossoms bloom. Popular, hard to book, but I'm sure some of our coworkers from the magazine would snatch that chance right up and help us out."

"We really do look good underneath the cherry blossoms. That was where I first met you, and that's where you took your first picture of me." Megumi smiled warmly. "You really thought about all of this. I feel a little bad. I just recently started thinking about all of it and was wondering about you, but you're light years ahead. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

"Gomen...I had a lot of...time...to think, when I didn't have you. While you were with the others...Kent, Ikki...your memories lost...I could only think of what I could've had with you." Ukyo kissed her cheek, gripping her side tightly since he had moved his arm from her shoulders, "I only want you to be with me, to look at me. I love you so much, Megumi."

"No don't apologize." Megumi's cheeks warmed. "I just...I'm happy. I'm happy you see me as this. That I'm permanent. I love you just as much. You make me so happy. I wish you knew how much. Ah I should be careful saying that. Sorry!"

Ukyo bit his lip, going red and he tilted his head down, letting his hair and his hat hide his face. Ah, it wasn't fair. Talking about children, the wedding he wanted to have...he could make it all a reality, but how much was too fast? "Let's order something, yeah? I'm going to get one of those meat buns..." he cleared his throat a bit.

~*~

Tsume was sighing as she looked out the window of the school, the rain pouring down. It was rainy season from now until mid-November at least. Still, it had been unexpected, and while it had nothing to do with the storm, one of her teachers had cancelled class and now she was /bored/. She felt everyone else's boredom on top of it, or their distaste for the rain. It didn't make it any fun.

What /would/ be fun is if Megumi found her and decided now was the perfect time for a study session or something. While she /did/ know Ikki also went here, she didn't know his schedule, so she couldn't go surprise him out of the bl-

"TSUME!"

Was that...? Glancing over her shoulder she spotted her boyfriend who, among the doom and gloom, seemed to be the brightest beacon in the hallway and he was looking right at her. Pulling away from the window, she smiled back at him, blushing a little shyly, "So you found me at last." She called back to him as he was walking briskly to her, "I was wondering if we'd ever meet up."

"Megumi told me where I could find you." Ikki said with a smile. "We're all bored so we're hanging out together. Here, let me take your bag. You haven't gotten a chance to be around Kent or my sister yet so this is a good opportunity to see how you fit with the nuts."

"You testing me?" she teased but let him take her bag anyway and since he said she could cling to him, she held onto his arm before he even had a chance to offer it, "Everyone's just so miserable because of the rain. I'm glad you came along."

"Maybe a little." Ikki admitted as he held her close. "The rain's awful. I don't mind it too much. It's kind of soothing to me. Now, if it'was a typhoon, we'd have other problems."

"I like the rain." She kept her body loose so she could turn down different hallways as he guided her along, "I was named after a Tsunami, actually."

"Really? At least you have an interesting background for your name. I think my mother picked mine from a book that she read or something like that." Ikki made a face, but he schooled it back to calmness.

"I like that, when you slip from that demeanor." Tsume grinned up at him. It was one thing to read his emotions, it was another to see them. "It's always a sort of treat when you do."

Ikki blinked in surprise, he hadn't expected her to think that it was a treat. "I wouldn't want you to think badly of me."

"It's been four months, Ikki." Tsume brushed her nose against his suit jacket, breathing him in with a sigh, "I think you can relax at least a little bit with me. Sure, when we're in public you don't have to, but like when we had the movie night. That was nice."

"When you flipped me against the counter and proceeded to make my life a living hell?" Ikki teased lightly. "That was nice?"

Tsume bit her lip, hardly suppressing her smile, "You seemed to like it at the time. I was referring to after that, though, when we watched that Paranormal. You were so opinionated about the people I thought I was watching it with Hisako."

Ikki laughed a little, "I get that from Meg and Kent." He admitted. "Hisako rubbed off on me for the horror movies and it made me jaded. Especially after the fact she put a knife to my throat once. Once you have that happened, everything else is less terrifying."

"I keep hearing about all these things she's done. Like some sort of initiation or something. Not all that looking forward to it happening to me. I've had a few sleepover parties with her anyway, so she likes me well enough." Tsume nodded and they finally reached Kent's little office area he'd taken over for himself. She smiled and waved to Megumi, "What made you decide to sick him on me?" she asked as she pulled away, going to sit down on the couch.

"He was sulking." Megumi answered as she book-marked her book and set it aside. "So I told him where he could find you."

"I was not sulking." Ikki rolled his eyes. "She's imagining things."

"Oh? What's Kent-san got to say about that?" Tsume asked the blond behind the desk.

"I have nothing to say to that." Kent answered, "Because it was true."

Ikki gave his friend a hurt look. "Seriously? I'm being thrown under the bus right now?"

"At least it's the bus and not a train." Megumi said under her breath as she reached over on the table and picked up her tea that she had brought with her. She took a sip as Ikki gave her a look.

"You sound like Hisako, talking about past lives." Tsume arched a brow at Megumi, then both brows went up to her hairline as she only shrugged and took another drink. Well, that was an interesting emotion that filtered through. "Well, anyway. Are we just killing time before our next class? Mine was canceled so I'm quite free for the next like, hour or two."

"I don't have class so I'm just working on a project. You're more than welcome to stay as you like," Kent answered as he clicked his pen and started writing something down on a notebook.

Megumi wondered about the expression that went across Tsume's face, but had a feeling that it wasn't the time to ask. "I don't have class for another hour or so as well."

"Same." Ikki replied. "So chilling it is."

"Wonderful." Tsume nodded happily and then looked at Megumi, "I don't get to hang out with you nearly as often. How are things with Ukyo?"

"Things are going well." Megumi's cheeks blushed a little. "I don't think he's gotten used to living with me yet, though we're working on it. We cleared up some stuff, so...that should help a bit."

"You two were having issues?" Kent asked glancing up from his papers.

"Not issues." Megumi quickly shot down. "It was...more like we forgot what the other had planned for the future and we weren't sure anymore if we were on the same page. And he's waaayyyy more ahead of me than I thought. So. I feel a little bad about that."

"How far ahead is that? You must've thought about it quite a bit, right? Every girl imagines their perfect wedding at the very least." Tsume tilted her head at her curiously.

"Imagine." Ikki snorted, "I remember the dream journal."

Megumi's cheeks flared a bright red. "Ikki!"

"Don't feel bad. I never wrote a dream journal, but I'm signed up on wedding sites with fake accounts so I can save and favorite dresses and ideas." Tsume grinned.

"You did not." Ikki stared at Tsume flabbergasted. "I want to see those when you get a chance."

"I've had them before I met you!" Tsume quickly said, her cheeks going bright like Megumi now, "So don't go getting any fancy ideas. I had a look last at those sites after my cousin's wedding. You'll have quite a list to see."

Ikki sighed. "It'll be fun. Anyway. You were saying something about Ukyo being ahead of you?" He prompted.

Megumi laughed lightly. "I hope you still have some of those sites. I get a feeling I might need to look at them for later. But it's not...really the wedding that I'm thinking of. I mean. I just /started/ to think about it again. No. Ukyo's mind isn't just on a wedding. It's us having a family. He has it all thought out and I'm just over here going "I never even thought of this...." I mean I thought of it! But not into the great detail he did."

Ikki raised an eyebrow up. "That's really surprising to you?"

"I...no." Megumi admitted. "It's just...we talk about it and he clearly has an idea and a plan but we're just not...jumping through? And while I'm used to plans taking a while, it's...I'm wondering if I'm not getting a hint."

"You might not be. You might be thinking about it too hard." Tsume told her soothingly, reaching over and rubbing her back, "It'll all come together. You just need to relax and enjoy the ride. Ukyo certainly wasn't thinking about any of those things for pressure or anything. He probably was just cloudgazing and let his mind wander or something. You've been busy with work and you just got a house, and really you're more of a day-to-day type of person."

"Ukyo's well known for doing that." Ikki agreed. "But I think it's sweet he's thinking about you in his future permanently." When the fuck was he going to propose? He didn't say that aloud, but the question was there. "I think he's trying to get a feel for something on his own. You're a touch stone, Meg. He needs you for that a lot more than the rest of us do. I swear."

"You're probably right." Megumi laughed a little. "That'd make a little more sense wouldn't it?"

"It's our nature to overthink things." Tsume also pointed out, "You just need to take a deep breath. Ukyo will take care of you no matter what."

Ikki walked over casually and picked up the cup from Megumi's hands and set it down. "Exactly." He said and poked her nose. "You still do the rabbit thing!" He exclaimed as Megumi's nose wrinkled up.

"I do not!" Megumi covered her nose, her ears turning red. "You still squeal like a girl if I grab you."

"Only if you were able to." Ikki taunted and backed away quickly as Megumi scrambled off of the couch to tackle him. Kent just sighed.

Tsume squeaked and picked her feet up so she wouldn't be the reason either of them tripped and fell. As it became apparent not even the couch was safe, she scrambled over the back of it and made her way to Kent's desk, "This seems to be the safe zone. Do they do this often?" she giggled.

"Only lately." Kent replied, ignoring the two of them as they struggled with each other. Megumi shrieked as Ikki took her to the ground and got on top of her. "He stopped after her heart attack. He feared that the damage that was done to her heart would cause another cardiac arrest should she get too overworked."

"Oh...oh damn. I only heard about that through the grapevine. I wasn't really part of the group yet. Just started dating Ikki and all." Tsume covered her mouth to stifle her laughter and not break the adorable spell if Ikki heard her. She had just been talking about him about letting loose a little bit, and here he was wrestling with Megumi like they were ten. It had barely taken any effort at all to get them going and she was so grateful for it, Megumi didn't even know. Ikki's glasses had come off as soon as they were in the room, so she got to see how bright and wide his eyes were, the smirking grin flitting over his face.

Kent placed down his pen and watched them. "It was terrifying." He said after a moment. "But Megumi must have gotten tired of his mother-henning, or perhaps she missed him. Sometimes, I forget that both Ikkyu and Megumi come from a place of loneliness that they only understand. So...I wouldn't doubt that Megumi missed this. I'm certain so did Ikkyu, but he'd choose her health over his fun any day."

"Of course." Tsume nodded, enjoying this more and more. "I feel special, you know. Seeing him like this. He's too uptight. You're serious, but you're usually focused. He has this facade and mask he puts on and has to keep it up all the time. He gets too tense."

"I believe that's why Megumi is considered his sister. It's more than just a thing." Kent agreed. "She's the only one that I know of that can make him drop it in a hot second. Of course it took me sometime to do the same. Math puzzles and our antics aside, I had to observe Megumi and Ikkyu's relationship to get even a smidgen of an idea of where to proceed with our newly found friendship. What I discovered is something valuable and treasured. I never thought that I would have a friend who would understand me. Let alone two of them as unlikely as they are. Kazuko was right. I do consider them family and it took me years to come to that fact alone. But I can't imagine not having this in my lab every time I turn around."

The blue haired woman hummed, trying not to squeal outwardly. This was just too cute. Instead she decided to use this moment. "I feel like I'm being a bit self-centered asking about things like this, but...does Ikki talk to you...about me? I mean...we were just talking about marriage and children for Ukyo and Meg-chan. I also know what I said, but I also may have lied a bit. There's plenty of dresses and things I've certainly looked at /since/ meeting him."

"He does." Kent said easily. "Before he figured out that you came to our college, he lamented over the fact that he couldn't see you as often as he might've liked. Of course the moment Megumi found out that you were here, she used it against him to try to get him to play with her. He was desperate to know more and whatever information Megumi had on you, he wanted just as much. I'm almost certain that if Megumi wasn't satisfied with being wrestled with, he would've done more. He probably would've humiliated himself for it. Not that Megumi would ever let him. He does that just fine on his own. They both do."

Rolling her eyes a bit, she just shook her head with a soft little smile. So he wanted to spend more time with her? She would have to ask him for his schedule later, then, to see what was best. "I would drop an extra class for him, if he wants to be with me more." She admitted quietly to Kent, "Or even skip classes. This moment here is too precious. Even if Meg-chan isn't here with us, we can always study together. I knew we went to the same school a while ago; Rika mentioned it offhandedly in a conversation we had at the Spa, since she goes here. I was curious to see if we'd run into each other naturally. I'm glad Meg found out, instead."

Kent nodded for a moment and watched the two of them. He leaned back in his seat and thought about it before he spoke. "Ikkyu wanted you to meet us. While he was sulking, I told him to give you an open invite here. I know Ikkyu wants you to be apart of our group. I know that he wants you to see what we're like and what type of people that he surrounds himself by. But most importantly, I believe he's hoping you'll be Megumi's sister. If my prediction is correct, there's a high probability that you're his forever so to speak. I wouldn't doubt if he decides to try to make the four of you spend more time together. I wouldn't doubt double dates will be in your future as well."

"I don't have any siblings, so that sounds like the perfect opportunity." Tsume admitted, feeling filled with love for the man she was dating all over again. She watched Ikki finally pin the wiggly worm Megumi to the ground and she patted Kent's shoulder, "Speaking of, let me go help her! Where's Ikki ticklish?" she grinned.

Kent patted his sides and watched in high amusement as she walked around his desk to go over to the pile. The loud /shriek/ that Ikkyu let out the moment Tsume grabbed his sides was so rewarding that Kent nearly fell out of his chair laughing.

"Run, Meg-chan! Get out while you can!" Tsume called while the tables were turned, Ikki's focus now on her.

"Traitor to the cause!" Ikki cried out laughing. "You're supposed to be on my side Tsume!"

"I made no such promises!" Tsume countered, "I saw a damsel in distress that needed saving!"

"I won't forget your sacrifice!" Megumi called as she scrambled up wards and ran over to Kent's desk breathing heavily. "I think i'm about to die."

"You call that a damsel?" Ikki pointed over towards Megumi. "I think you misunderstood what exactly she is."

"That." Megumi air quoted. "I just got called a "that"."

"At least you weren't called an it." Kent replied pushing his glasses up.

"I'll get him back for you! Such a big meany, he is!" Tsume tried her luck at attempting to find more ticklish places on her boyfriend.

Ikkyu's loud scream made Megumi and Kent howl with laughter on the sidelines.

"No! No get back! Away!" Ikki cried out. "No stop!!! Meg! Kent!"

"Fuck no." Megumi snickered. "This is gold. I'm taking pictures."

"NO YOU ARE NOT!" Ikki shrieked.

"HISAKO FIRST!" Tsume beamed, jumping and grabbing Ikki by the legs, making him land on his chest with an 'omph' as Megumi had her phone out, pressing buttons to take pictures.

"What has become of my life?" Kent asked after a breathless moment of trying to keep himself from dying too much on his desk.

"Very eventful. But we told you that when we met you." Megumi said with a soft smile as she placed her phone away. She sent the pictures to Hisako as promised, but she also sent them to Ukyo with a bunch of crying laughing emojis. "You weren't ever going to be bored again with us around."

"What a promise." Kent agreed, wiping tears away from the corner of his eyes. "But you two managed to keep it. What are your thoughts about this?"

"I'm glad he doesn't just have me." Megumi replied softly. "He has her now he can physically be active with. I told him he'd find a girl he wouldn't have to be constantly gentle with. How annoying is that?"

"Says the woman who has an extremely gentle boyfriend." Kent countered lightly.

"Oh is that what people think?" Megumi teased. "He has as a side to him you don't know."

"His dark side? We're well acquainted." Kent replied.

"Oh that's awkward then." Megumi blinked. "Wait, are you thinking /he's/ gentle too? No way. He came home a few nights ago banging away at cupboards cuz Ukyo fell asleep outside again."

"I should be alarmed that's a common occurrence, but considering we're talking about Ukyo...I'm not too shocked. So that's why you had the bruise on your arm. I just figured you did something stupid." Kent answered.

Megumi just stuck her tongue out at him.

()

Normally Hisako's home was just randomly weird but today was special so the weridness was actually attractive. There was a strong scent of food that wafted around the home, baked goods and bread along with cooked curry that was being stirred in a pot. The house was covered in Autumn leaves and dimmed lights so that the mood was set. Wine was poured into glasses and set out so that people didn't have to go fishing for it as well as bottles of water since she knew there were some who just didn't like alcohol, even if it was part of the season. She was kind of glad no one had plans. Kent certainly didn't mind sharing a holiday with his birthday, though Hisako had a feeling it had more to do with that he didn't want the fuss.

"Hey, Kent! Welcome!" Tsume was one of the first to greet Kent as he came through into the living room once Hisako brought him in. Of course he didn't want to just barge in, not like Ikki who was in the kitchen ooing and awing over the food and the special gift Kazuko was finishing up, "I'd advise not straying from this room."

Kent raised an eyebrow. "Okay." He said easily enough though his curiosity was expressive on his face. "I'm going to presume that Hisako and Kazuko are being annoyed by Ikkyu and it's safer for me to /not/ be in the way should Hisako decide that a knife is a good thing to throw."

"That, among other things." Tsume grinned at him, "We're waiting on the other couples now. Ukyo and Megumi should be showing up next. Shin's upstairs grabbing candles Hisako wanted to set. Toma wanted to do some finishing touches on a report and Maya was having a fashion crisis; couldn't decide what she wanted to wear."

"Are they going to be arriving together do you know? Or will they meet here?" Kent asked curiously. "I haven't heard much from them since the disaster."

"According to some texts from Maya, she made up with Toma and apologized to him. She was avoiding him because she felt awkward. Hisako confirmed when she stopped by the Cafe yesterday they actually chatted like normal people." Tsume shrugged, "I don't know if they'll be arriving together, but they very well could be considering Maya was freaking out. She's probably going to be on the 'I want to look good for the guy I like' stage for a while, I think. She wants to impress him when the rest of us already know Toma's okay with whatever."

"I see." Kent hummed and turned around when the door opened behind him. "We just mentioned you two might be the next ones to arrive."

"It smells so good in here!" Ukyo groaned, gripping Kent's birthday present as he practically melted in the doorway. "Did Hisako make bread?!"

"I would think that it's both her and Kazuko though I'm not certain. I'm stuck here till further notice." He answered. "Though I know Ikkyu is already inside and probably is annoying the girls with his commentary."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Well if that's where the wine is then that's where he'll stick to the most till dinner's ready. Maya and Toma aren't here yet?" She questioned as she took off her heels and set them aside.

"No. Fashion crisis and a paper." Kent said promptly. "They should be here soon though."

"Only Toma would be late to Hisako's party because of a paper." Megumi sighed.

"He is going to become a workaholic." Shin's usual drawl quipped easily as he came in, arms full of candlesticks and candles of a multiple color variety. He didn't call for Hisako, just dumped them in one of the chairs and began setting them up around the place.

"Shin, the man of many words." Tsume said sarcastically.

Megumi snorted, "Careful. He has a witch for a girlfriend I heard."

Kent sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I wonder which one of you will get cursed."

"Probably me first. Megumi's the favorite. But then so is Ikki so it might be a coin flip." Tsume admitted.

"Here you two." Ikki gently moved Tsume out of the way and handed them a wine glass. One was pure red while the other was a golden color and smelled of spiced apples. "Careful with that, I don't know what Hisako made it with." He warned Ukyo. "And I have no idea how well you can hold your liquor."

"Like I'd poison him!" Hisako called from the kitchen.

"I wouldn't put it pass you." Ikki called back.

"She likes Ukyo too much to poison him too much. Get him delirious to spill secrets, maybe, but nothing too hazardous." Shin said as he placed the last candle and finally came over to the couches.

"That's...so reassuring, Shin..." Ukyo looked at his drink skeptically.

"I think that's the best you're going to get." Kent said and watched in amusement as Megumi took his drink and took a sip of it. "Or have Megumi taste test it first."

"Meg-chan! You don't have to do that!" Ukyo laughed, pulling his drink away from her, "Get your own poison! We can be like Romeo and Juliet, make everyone lose their minds uncertain if they should aw at the romance or tsk at the tragedy."

Ikki cracked up at the face that Megumi made. "There's a reason why I brought you wine. You hate apple cider. What were you thinking you were going to taste?"

"Ukyo's in a /mood/!" Tsume would clap excitedly if her hands weren't full, so she just took a sip of her red wine instead.

"I don't know." Megumi stuck her tongue out. "but if my wine's poisoned at least it'll go down better than that. I think they'd tsk at the tragedy. People would tear our relationship apart if they were focused on the romance."

"Hmm...speaking of romantic..." Tsume reached up, since Ikki was behind her, and tugged his tie to bring him down, kissing him more or less upside-down, then asked, "How's /it/ coming along? Almost done?"

"Awwww so cute." Megumi gushed into her wine glass.

"Almost. I think she's putting the candles on now." Ikki answered, looking at Tsume as he flipped his sister off without looking at her.

Kent raised an eyebrow. "What are you two planning."

"Not us." Tsume winked at Kent, absently stroking Ikki's cheek before she settled forward again.

"We can't do anything without Toma and Maya, though!" Ukyo pouted, looking towards the door.

"I texted Toma and he forgot." Hisako snickered as she came over to the living room and draped herself over the back of the couch. "I don't know about Maya. She's probably going to barge through the door soon."

"If she doesn't don't grab a knife and fling it. I will stop you." Megumi warned. "No one needs to die tonight."

"Considering the two of you thought I was going to /poison/ you like the /girl/ that I am." Hisako rolled her eyes.

"Kazu-kun must be /very/ focused in there." Tsume arched a brow at Hisako, "She gunna hide away until the right moment?"

"She's dramatic like that. Also nervous." Shin snorted.

"Shut /up/, Shin!" Kazu called from the kitchen.

"I wasn't aware you could /hear/ me!" Shin barked back, "You could join the rest of us! It won't hurt it!"

"NO!" Kazu denied fiercely.

"What an interesting combo." Megumi said sipping her wine. "I didn't think you were into dramatic people Shin."

"Hisako is dramatic, only in a different way." Shin countered.

"And let's not get started on the two of you. Romeo and Juliet." Hisako grinned gesturing to the two of them.

"Describe Hisako in one word." Tsume pointed at Ukyo suddenly.

"Knives." He answered promptly.

"A superhero name!" Hisako gushed.

"Shadow Knife sounds better than just Knives, but if we're going to go for an assassin nickname you might as well go all out and call her Thousand Knives." Toma said as the door closed behind him. He walked over to the living room after taking off his shoes.

"I like that!" Maya chirped as she followed after him, her shoes haphazardly kicked off at the front and she immediately went for Hisako, throwing her arms around her, "Happy Autumn!" she cheered, "It smells good! Looks great!"

"Thank you!" Hisako hugged her back. "Aw, Toma she likes the name you gave me." She teased, enjoying her brother's blush.

Toma rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're so smitten." Shin jabbed, more amused than anything.

"IS EVERYONE HERE FINALLY?!" Kazu called from the kitchen.

"SHALL I GET THE LIGHTS, PRINCESS?!" Shin snapped.

"IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND!" Kazu shrieked.

Megumi cracked up so hard, she fell against Ukyo's side.

"It's like I'm looking at a new person." Ikki sounded amused. "That somehow took over Shin's body. It's a little weird."

"I like this side of him." Hisako beamed.

"You like all sides. Let's not lie." Toma rolled his eyes.

Shin huffed, but he was clearly enjoying himself, and walked by Megumi and Ukyo to the light switch, "Can everybody sit down? Kent, you stay standing."

"Yeah yeah." Everyone moved besides Kent to sit down somewhere.

Shin stayed by the lights once they were out, and since none of the candles he'd put out were lit, when Kazuko came walking out a minute later it was the brightest thing in the room. Besides her blush, maybe. That was also the cue for everyone to start singing /obnoxiously/. There was a silly 'happy birthday' sign stuck in it and six candles to signify Kent's twenty-sixth birthday.

Kazu set it down on the coffee table and looked up at Kent, watching his face while they all finished of the 'happy birthday' song. Her face felt super hot, but it had nothing to do with the heat of the flames. She'd been blushing and nearly dying in the kitchen since she'd started icing the cake. Her stomach was fluttering wildly and she /really/ hoped he liked it.

Kent was also blushing like wild and after the song finally died out, he blew the candles out. The cheers were loud though he was pretty certain that Hisako's screaming was what really made his ears bleed. The lights came back on and he looked at Kazuko with a gentle smile, a blush still on his cheeks. "Thank you." He said sincerely. "That was sweet of you to do for me. I wasn't expecting this or anything."

Kazuko bit her lip and smiled through it, shy at the way he was looking at her. The blush looked good on him. She had thought so before, at the little restaurant they'd gone to, but for him to blush at something she did was different. It made her happy. "Your welcome." She murmured in response, "I enjoyed making it. I hope it tastes good. I certainly didn't know what to buy you, so instead of buying a cake Hisako suggested I bake it."

"So /that's/ why it smelled extra good!" Ukyo beamed, "You just baked other things to cover it up! Smart."

"So before we cut into that, we should eat something that's normal." Hisako said, hip checking Shin since she /knew/ that look. "And then we'll cut into that and then...well....I have a fun surprise for you all."

"Oh god that sounds terrible." Toma winced.

"Games!" Maya wooped.

"Two different kinds of people." Tsume glanced sideways at Ikki.

"They'll make it work." Ikki promised.

~*~

After food was demolished and the cake practically inhaled, Hisako finally topped off everyone's drinks again before passing around strips of paper and a writing tool. "So the name of the game is called ice breaker." She said. "Everyone writes down a question, and put it in that jar. We'll randomly pick from the jar and /everyone/ has to answer it."

"What if we don't want to answer it?" Toma asked looking at Hisako.

"Well you get a choice of drinking something that I make or taking a dare." Hisako replied smoothly.

"Anything goes?" Ikki questioned, twirling the pen around down his fingers and back up again.

"We're all adults. Make as weird, sexual, or whatever you want." Hisako beamed. "Oh by the way, honesty is the best policy so...no lying guys." She glared over at Shin and Toma.

"Are we going to have multiple rounds?" Tsume asked curiously.

"Some questions might spark ideas for new ones." Kazu pointed out.

"If that happens, then we'll do another round." Hisako assured. "We'll do this till we're too drunk, too tired, or bored if that's what floats your guys boat."

"I get this feeling that this is just going to give blackmail to all of you, but I'm game." Ikki said, already writing down his and folding it up into the jar.

"I'll go innocent first round, but I'm sure after /yours/ I'll think of something." Tsume promised Ikki, jotting hers down and tossing it in.

Toma tossed his in without a comment as well as Kent.

Megumi looked torn. "I'm so bad at this. I just listen to people. I don't ask questions. I ask the why questions and they're specific."

"It's okay Meg just write something random. We'll love you anyway." Ikki promised.

Ukyo clicked his tongue in thought, "Not exactly innocent but certainly not /that/ kind of terrible..." he mused before he thought of what he wanted and wrote it out, wincing a little before he dropped it in the jar.

"I feel ya, Meg-chan..." Maya made a face, but as she looked at everyone and squinted, her face lit up and she was fast, "This is perfect!" she bounced in her chair, throwing the paper in.

Once everyone dropped theirs into the jar, Hisako shook it a few times before thrusting it at Ikki. "Pick."

Ikki sighed softly as he covered his eyes with his hand and reached into the jar. He moved the pieces around a bit before picking one and pulling it out. He unfolded it and read, "If you had to pick a favorite wedding season, what would it be?"

"Summer." Toma answered instantly.

"I'm torn between Summer or Autumn." Hisako tapped her finger to her chin. "Late summer or late fall like October or August if I was going to be specific."

"I'd go with winter myself." Ikki frowned. "With the snow and how beautiful it would be with it as a back drop. It'll look good with the blue and silver color scheme."

"I like the snow!" Tsume grinned wide at Ikki, "December or January, smack dab in the thick of it!"
Maya looked horrified, "But that's so cold! Summer! July, probably."

Megumi shivered like she was already in that cold and pressed herself against Ukyo since he was warm. "I don't like the cold all that much..."

"That's because you're a reptile we talked about this." Ikki answered. "What would you be then?"

"I'd choose Autumn, I think...I like the colors?" Kazu shrugged, "Honestly no big preference."

"I don't mind either." Kent frowned. "Though if it's about preference, I would think that Autumn would be less popular than spring or summer. It'll be easier to book and go to."

"Of course you'd be practical." Hisako sighed.

"I'd just do whatever you want, but August is the height of Summer, so maybe October." Shin arched a brow at Hisako.

"October." Hisako nodded her head firmly.

"...." Meg looked torn for a moment. She tilted her head to one side, made a face and then tilted her head another. She finally sighed. "I think that I'd go with either Spring or Fall. Early spring or early fall. I don't want to be too hot, but I don't want to die of the freezing cold like /someone/ over there."

Ukyo seemed to struggle for a moment before he held his hand up, "Hisa-chan...I'll pass, because everyone already /knows/ my answer. Are you going to /actually/ poison me?"

"No because you're right, everyone does know your answer." Hisako sighed dramatically. "April. With the cherry blossoms in bloom and the romantics and all that jazz. It's actually not fair to dare you or poison you so to speak when you're so honest about it. You're free for this round."

"Take a breath now, you managed to escape her clutches only for this." Ikki warned.

Ukyo blushed, "That's kind of you. I don't expect to be passed twice if I skip again, don't worry. I'm kind of curious so I might do it on purpose next time rather than because I don't /have/ an answer."

"We'll find out." Hisako shook the jar before thrusting it at Toma. "Pick!"

Toma covered his eyes and reached into the jar and picked out the question. "If someone made you chose between two people to kill, who would your choices be and who would you kill-WHAT KIND OF FUCKING QUESTION IS THAT?!"

"DAMN!" Hisako laughed hysterically. "Someone went hard core!"

"Ukyo?!" Tsume gaped at the green haired one as he covered his face.

"I wasn't expecting it so soon!" Ukyo whined.

"Jesus." Ikki whistled.

"Something we don't believe in here." Hisako replied.

"How the fuck to answer that...." Toma scratched his cheek.

"I don't know honestly. That is hard." Hisako tapped her finger to her lips. "Huh..."

"If I was on a shopping trip and I had to pick Rika or Tsume I'd choose Tsume. If anyone tells her that I hope I kill you before she gets to me." Maya said solemnly.

"I'm so touched." Tsume put her hand on her chest.

"If I had to choose between Shin and Hisako, I'll kill myself." Toma said after a moment of thought. "No hesitation."

"That comes at no surprise to me." Shin shook his head, but his expression was soft, "Unfortunately for you, I'd shoot you. Hisako would kill herself if I shot myself, and I'd kill myself for killing her."

Hisako nodded her head, looking just as upset. "I would do the same."

"Ouch. No love for Toma-kun." Maya pouted.

"But accurate." Toma said gently to Maya. "I'd rather them to choose me than to lose all three of us."

"I believe that if I had to make the decision between Ikkyu and Megumi, I would choose Ikkyu." Kent said after a moment. "I know very well that he woudl want me to make that choice. However if it was down to Megumi and Kazuko. That is another matter entirely. I would probably will have to say farewell to Megumi if that's the case."

"Sawa and Megumi...I'd probably shoot Sawa?" Kazuko winced, "I'm not as close to her, but that's the most likely situation is if I got caught running with the two of them."

"I would kill you too Kent." Ikki answered, looking upset. "If it was down between you and Meg or Tsume. If it was both of the girls, I think i'd do what Toma would do and just end myself."

"If this was end-game I feel as though everyone would just say 'nope do your worst Hisako I'm going to bed'." Tsume's smile was pained. Everyone's amusement had been quickly diminished by such a heavy topic. She had to lighten the mood somehow with her chest so heavy, "Ikki vs Megumi...I'd choose to kill you." She looked at Ikki, watching him carefully, "You'd trust me to find someone after you, even if it was hard. You'd want Megumi to be happy and live on."

Ikki couldn't help but to press his lips against hers after that. That made him so happy and sad, but mostly loved that she knew how much he cared for his sister.

Megumi looked troubled. "Everyone's dying because of me and I'm over here wondering what the fuck is going on. I'm not that special guys. You can kill me off I'm not going to come back and haunt you. My god."

"No but a certain green-haired man might." Hisako jerked her head over at Ukyo.

"It's either your a martyr or a pariah here there's no in between." Toma said, a little amused.

Ukyo winced, "You're very special, Megumi. To a lot of us, as you can tell. I'd rather kill myself over any of you, and anyone vs Megumi is an obvious point. So...I'm sorry I'm so boring."

"I don't want this." Megumi sighed loudly. "I'd pick me over any of you hands down and I'll throw myself in front of the gun to do it."

"Okay now that we're done being depressing." Hisako shoved the jar in front of Shin.

"From death to sex." Shin covered his mouth to hide his smirk, tossing the paper in the discard pile, "Where's the craziest place you've had sex? If you're a virgin, what's a crazy place you'd /want/ to have sex?" He looked at Hisako pointedly, "Caziest place...back alley behind a bar or the Love Hotel? That's a tie."

"You two have no fucking shame." Toma stared at them.

"Back alleyway had more people in it, love hotel's more private." Hisako continued like Toma didn't even try to interrupt. "I'd say back alleyway."

"Train station bathroom was surreal." Ikki said slowly, running his teeth along his bottom lip as he thought about it. "But I think the elevator would be fun."

Tsume turned suggestive eyes at Ikki, "Haven't, but a clothing store changing stall sounds fun."

"That's mine!" Maya gaped.

"OH my god..." Toma ran his hand down his face.

"I would think that the craziest place to actually /attempt/ would be the math lab." Kent said slowly.

"OHMYGOD." Ikki and Megumi shrieked.

"Haven't, but...a...library..." Kazuko sounded quite hesitant, her face beat red.

"You are so adorable." Tsume said fondly.

"I never either." Kent answered, his cheeks pink.

"We have multiple times!" Hisako beamed.

"Obviously!" Ukyo finally moved his hand from his face, "Kami...haven't...you all know that as painful as that is...I think...craziest place..." He froze as his other side casually whispered in his mind /Getting bites from tree bark sounds like fun.../ to which he stuffed his face back in his hands, "Forest, maybe?" he squeaked.

Toma knew that it was either pass and get drunk or suck it up. He let out a loud breath. "I think the most interesting place a girl's ever gotten it on with me was in a janitor's closet."

Hisako cracked up so hard at Ukyo, she slipped off the couch.

"Is Meg going to be our first pass?" Ikki teased.

Megumi finally pulled her face out of her hands, her face a red hot tomato. "I'm going to be the one's the boring. IthinkshowersexwouldbefunokayIsaiditcanwepickanotherquesutionPLEASE!?"

"I'm quite impressed no one passed." Shin hummed peering down at Hisako who was laughing again.

"I think we're all Stockholm Syndromed with Hisako." Toma said dryly. 'We know better."

"Okay. Okay." Hisako wiped tears away from her face and she handed the jar to Kent. "Go."

Kent reached in and picked one out. "If you could travel to another country, where would you go? London, England." Kent answered as he discarded his.

"Aw, man! My question feels so boring after all that!" Kazuko laughed, "I kind of want to go to Greece! Or Egypt!"

"Spain." Ikki answered.

"Take me with you, we can probably tango." Tsume winked.

"Dear god." Toma rolled his eyes. "I think America would be fun."

"Uhh.." Hisako frowned. "Probably....South Korea."

"I might want to go to Paris..." Maya sipped her water, "I feel like that's so typical, but it's so pretty there!"

"You do fashion, it's almost a crime not to go." Ikki pointed out.

"Someone's on your side." Shin looked at the ceiling, "Russia...Moscow or something."

"I'd be terrified of you getting along with Russians." Ukyo admitted. "America doesn't sound so bad, either. Lots of scenic places to go."

Megumi hummed as she thought about it. "China."

"Alright," Hisako handed the jar to Ukyo. "Your turn."

Ukyo ruffled the papers around a bit before pulling one out, "If you had to make one wish, what would it be? Last time I made a wish, things didn't go so well. That's hard. I'll play it safe and say I'd wish we'd all stay a family? Even...ten-twenty years from now?"

Ikki noticed the expression that was across Tsume's face. It was the same kind of expression she had when Megumi mentioned something about a train and a bus. He smiled warmly at the wish Ukyo made, "I know the feeling." He said. "I'd wish that I'd never wished to be popular with the girls."

"I think my wish would be that my home will always be a home." Hisako said quietly. "That Shin and all of you will be apart of it."

"Another practical answer from me. I'd wish I end up being successful in my career endeavors." Kazuko nodded.

"I would wish the same." Kent nodded.

Toma thought about it. "I think my wish is that I'll be apart of a loving family."

"I'd wish...for along the same lines. A successful family, if not a big one." Shin agreed with Toma.

Hisako gripped Shin's shoulder.

"I feel like this is a cop out, but my wish is that everyone finds happiness and love." Megumi's cheeks flushed. "No matter what it looks like, or what it entails. I want you guys to have it."

"Similar to Kent's and Kazu-kun's...I'd wish my fashion line with Rika takes off and gets popular." Maya smiled.

"Alright," Hisako turned to Tsume. "You going?"

Tsume's face had actually twisted into one of displeasure. She frowned, staring at her glass, then drank the rest of it in one long gulp, setting it quietly and smoothly on the table. "I feel the same with Ukyo. You have to be careful what you wish for. So. Dare me."

Everyone sucked in a breath and someone in the background muttered "ooooh" and someone got smacked in the chest for it.

"Fine." Hisako grinned with the most feral grin. "I'm going to dare you to come with me at night. I'm not going to tell you what happens. I'm not even going to give you a hint. I'm going to send you a text when I'm in the mood, and you're going to drop everything and come with me."

Shin's head snapped to Hisako. He knew /exactly/ what she meant. "You're really...? That was /my/ idea!"

"Which is why it's a dare." Hisako grinned. "I could have her do something worse if you prefer?"

"Hmm...no need to ask him. I'll agree to that dare, but can we go a little further for the here and now?" Tsume tilted her head.

"Here she said /I/ was in a mood." Ukyo's eyes were wide.

"A double dare? Since you asked so nicely." Hisako grinned brightly. "Let's see...." She looked around the room, eyeing everyone curiously.

"Hm. Your choice since you asked so nicely. You can either french Meg or you can kiss Ukyo." Hisako looked pleased.

"You /did/ say Green and Blue look good together during the slumber party." Tsume cooed at Hisako, giving Ikki a quick glance and a promising smirk before she stood up slow and deliberate, making her way over to the two. Cocking her hip, she made like she was having second thoughts, before she slipped her fingers along Ukyo's cheek and cupped the back of his head, her other hand bracing on his thigh and she leaned in, teasing him with a ghost of her lips before she tilted her head and slotted their mouths together, a soft 'mmph' leaving Ukyo, but this was a dare. She wasn't about to do a quick peck and walk away. Hisako might as well have asked her to french either of them, because that was what she did once Ukyo gripped her arm.

Megumi was nearly dead on the couch, her cheeks red hot and Ikki was watching this. He knew that dares were free game. No matter what happened, everyone was a victim and /everyone/ played a part. He couldn't help a twinge of jealousy though. So when Tsume pulled back and away, leaving the two of them gasping, he waited just till she got close before pulling her onto his lap and kissed her deep and sensual.

"Okay wasn't expecting /that/ outcome." Hisako whistled. "But damn girl. Getting kissed by two guys in one night? Lucky bitch."

Tsume curled against Ikki, staying right where he'd tugged her down, and winked at Hisako, "I think you should pass the jar."

"Yeah sure." Hisako grabbed the jar and pushed at Kazuko. "Good luck."

Kazu didn't waste any time, since more than half of them were uncomfortable by that sort of display. "If you had to be something other than what you're currently studying for, what would you be?" She quoted off of it, then hummed, "I...might go with Kent's suggestion of a Psychiatrist?" she shrugged, blushing, "I really don't know."

"I like accounting though." Ikki frowned as he leaned his head back, and played with the fabric on Tsume's hip, running his fingers along it and pinching the material. "Um...model I guess?"

"Detective though Shin would make a better one than I would." Toma answered.

"You and I would just switch and take each other's career." Shin nodded to Toma.

"I would be the best informant." Hisako grinned. "Help you win your cases and get you the evidence that you need."

"I did want to be a therapist before I decided on massage therapy." Tsume admitted, shifting so his next brush of his fingers would tease her skin. It was fun, feeling him tense beneath her, but no one looked twice.

"Go full-blown artist!" Maya beamed.

"Chemist." Kent said after a moment. "Rather than being a full blown Mathematician."

"Mom would love you." Ikki sighed.

"I'm aware." Kent's lips quirked a bit.

"Um...other than Photography?" Ukyo struggled a bit, still brain-fried from the kiss, wishing it had been Megumi instead and boy did Uki run with /that/ idea. "What do you think I'd be, Meg-chan?"

That was hard. Megumi frowned a little. "Maybe something to do with advertising? Or picture manipulation?"

"Graphic design sounds fun." Ukyo agreed. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, though he felt a little awkward about it, as if she was upset about it.

Megumi leaned into his hold and looked troubled. "Pass."

"Wait what?" Hisako blinked.

"I said pass?" Megumi's cheeks reddened. "I don't want to be anything other than a journalist. I'm kind of good at it. What would I be?"

"No wait! Meg wait think. You could be an author." Ikki said, trying to save his fate.

"Being a journalist is like being an author?" Ukyo pointed out in confusion.

Ikki made a gesture like he was trying to get Ukyo to stay down or something.

"Ukyo has a point. That's no different." Hisako pointed out. "Okay then. What do you want to do? I recommend taking a dare, Meg. That drink I might cook up? That can go very badly for you."

"Don't threaten to kill her!" Ikki groaned.

"Hey. I take no responsibility for what happens if she decides to pick the drink." Hisako held her hand up. "Unlike the guy with the Suicide, I'm at least /telling/ her that she's taking one."

"Ukyo really might go Romeo and drink whatever you make her, you realize that right? No fair to threaten just one." Shin raised a brow at Hisako.

"Please don't." Megumi said, placing her hand on Ukyo's lap like that was going to stop him. "I'll take the dare. I don't really feel like going to the hospital tonight."

"Good girl." Hisako beamed and then she frowned. "Jeez, what can I dare you with? Out of everyone here, you're the /hardest/ one because things just don't /work/ on you."

"I'm glad to have some sort of resistance?" Megumi bit her lip.

"Okay. Come with me." Hisako said holding her hand out and taking Megumi's. She yanked her up and led her to the bedroom. "Sit down on the bed." She ordered and she rummaged around, looking for something before pulling out a blindfold. "I'm going to tie this on and send someone in here. Your job? Make out with this person like how Ikki taught you."

"I'm supposed.....okay." Megumi sighed and closed her eyes as Hisako wrapped it around her head. "This is going to be hella awkward."

"You asked." Hisako grinned as she tied it tightly and smirked. "Don't worry, I'll set a timer and everything." She patted Megumi's shoulder. "It's okay. You won't have a clue who it is because they can touch you, you can't touch them. That's another thing."

"Oh this is sounds lovely." Megumi said sarcastically.

Hisako walked out of the bedroom and she said casually. "Okay so I blindfolded Meg. I told her what she needed to do. What I'm going to do to is pick the person who gets to go in there. The rule is simple. Make out with her and you're allowed to touch. She cannot touch you back. Ukyo since I made you a victim already I won't do that to you again. Let's see....Ikki or Shin...."

"Incest if it's me." Ikki warned.

"Fine. Shin love. Be a dear?" Hisako asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

Ukyo felt torn about this, watching Shin get up with no trouble at all. He felt his hands twitch, but he gripped the couch instead of going in there instead. Uki was growling inside as well, but really...how had she felt watching him twist tongues with another? This was a dare. It was all free game. They all knew that and agreed to the terms when they tossed their papers in. He closed his eyes and gripped his cider, defiantly needing it now. Yet, as he stared at it and listened to the door close, he looked up at Hisako, face set firmly. "I want one of your drinks. Hit me as if I passed."

"You and Meg tonight. Jesus." Hisako blinked but went into the kitchen.

In the bedroom, Shin knew he was on a timer, so he stalked towards Megumi and he actually felt like he was recharging in the dark and the quiet. Everyone was so high-strung in there. He didn't do crowds besides school much. He wasn't like Toma, or Hisako. He liked being alone. Sighing through his nose since his vocal tenor would be a giveaway, he ran his hands over her arms, trying to sooth her while he kissed each cheek, warming her up. Not a whole lot of time, but he wasn't going to be like Tsume and just dive head-first.

Megumi felt herself relax. Whoever it was, was trying their best to get her to calm down. Toma maybe? Ukyo would be so nervous. His hands were steady on her arms, and the way he ran them down was assured.

Satisfied with her shoulders losing their stiffness, at least just a bit, Shin pecked her sweetly, letting her know where he was silently. Then pressed harder, one of his hands teasing the hair at the back of her neck. He wore his gloves, so he didn't feel it, but he knew how to build the mood. Not to mention, with how Ukyo reacted, he was getting close to his snapping point. They all had one. Ukyo had been valiant so far, but Megumi needed to be ready for when he was going to take her for his own. A good make-out session to show her just what to do would help.

Megumi shuddered, the way that his hands were in her hair was like he /knew/. She felt her lips open and he took the invite to slip his tongue in and it was like she was dealing with a whole other person. It wasn't like watching Tsume who decided that a head-first fire was the way to go. No, this person was building it up brick by brick. She followed his lead the best that she could and decided to take her own initiative. When he made to pull away, she caught his lower lip with her teeth and she bit. Not too hard, but enough and let him go with a soft gasp.

It was difficult to swallow down his growl and hum of approval. Licking his lip, sure his eyes were dark and seductive, he ruffled her hair instead in praise and headed for the door before the timer could go off, easily schooling his features and returning to his seat like nothing ever happened, glancing over at Ukyo and seeing he had half a glass of what looked like Hisako's Death Drink in his hand where his cider should be. "/What/ did I just miss?" he asked with a surprised brow arch at his girlfriend.

"Jealousy." Hisako answered, pursing her lips together. "They're going to have fun tonight I will bet you."

"Don't make bets you can't win, Hisa-chan. You always seem to lose them." Toma said sweetly.

Megumi came out as the timer went off, red in the face. She sat down next to Ukyo and just placed her hands on her head. "What's the next round?"

"Maya-chan picks!" Hisako grinned taking the jar and thrusting it at Maya.

Maya picked it out from the remaining four and read it before she she said it out loud, "Another moral question! Would you save your family or your own neck?" She tossed it in the discard pile, "How's that a question? More like who /wouldn't/ pick their family?"

"I wouldn't." Hisako raised her hand.

"My family sucks." Shin shrugged, "Even if it was /this/ family, you can all take care of yourselves."

"Aw." Toma said sarcastically. "I would pick my family over me."

"Same." Kent and Ikki said together at the same time.

"Um...I'd...chose myself? I'm kind of a survivalist if anybody /didn't/ notice. Survival of the fittest? I'm of the same philosophy as Shin. You are all pretty capable." Kazu looked at Kent a little worriedly. Would he think badly of her?

"I'd choose family, as irritating as mine are. Also chose this family over myself, too." Tsume answered simply.

"Ugh...I feel like I am actually split down the middle for this one?" Ukyo made a face, "My...dark half would save me from me, really, while I'd sacrifice myself to save my family." Been there, done that, but he would do it again.

"I would." Megumi said after a moment, reaching over and taking Ukyo's hand tightly in hers. "I know we're talking blood and all but I...don't really have blood to worry about. I just got you if we're being honest. So. Protecting you? I'll do it in a heartbeat."

"Saps." Hisako muttered under her breath.

"Next question!" Maya pumped the air.

"Okay." Hisako handed the jar to Megumi. "Your turn to pick from the jar."

"Yay..." Megumi reached in and closed her eyes tightly before pulling one out. "If you were challenged to cross dress, what would you wear?"

"YES! MY QUESTION!" Maya cheered.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about. I steal Shin's clothes sometimes when I'm too lazy to put something on." Hisako frowned. "Boyfriend clothes man. Comfortable as fuck. And smells real good."

"If I cross-dressed I'd wear 90s gunge fashion /spikes/." Tsume grinned wickedly, "Thick boots, belted or chained pants, that whole thing."

Hisako looked over at Tsume. "You should raid my closet someday."

"I /know/ but we wear different sizes!" Tsume whined.

"Um...polos?" Kazuko tilted her head, "Or old school suspenders and button-down shirts?"

"You and Maya have the mother bearing hips. I think mother nature knows to well that I'm not ready for that kind of thing so my hips are slim." Hisako rolled her eyes fondly.

"I think I would just raid your closet Ikki." Megumi said after a moment of thought.

"It's funny you said that because I was thinking about saying that about you." Ikki snickered.

"Not fair, Meg-chan! You already wear suit-like outfits!" Maya pouted, "I'd probably go the suit route and find something like Ikki's with stripes or polkadots or something /fun/ and not /flat and boring/."

"I...don't even...Shin do you have a clue?" Toma asked, looking at his best friend slash brother.

Shin pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'd wear a female kimono if I /had/ to choose."

"You know back in the olden times, they used to make boys wear female kimonos in order to strengthen their spirit." Kent intoned.

"Well then." Hisako coughed a little.

"I bet you have a hard time finding a /yukata/ that fits your tall ass, never-mind a kimono." Kazuko stared at Kent, "I can't see you in /anything/ girly. Ikki might be able to pull of the drag look."

Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Why did you think I chose to raid Meg-chan's closet?"

Kent frowned. "I'm not exactly interested in figuring out how women wear the things that they wear to begin with. I suppose this might be the first time I will say pass."

"I..." Toma pinched his nose. "Pass too. I don't...this is bad."

Hisako stared. "My god you guys. Ukyo are you passing too?"

"I might go kimono with Shin." Ukyo admitted, but whether his face was flush from embarrassment or the drink no one knew anymore.

"Okay so you two what are your choices?"

"The drink." The two of them said quickly.

"You guys suck." Hisako groaned before she walked back into the kitchen.

"Aw..." Kazuko muttered.

"They know better." Ikki said. "Kent's smarter than most of us."

"What does that make me?" Toma asked.

"The semi-smart one."

"I like you more and more." Toma said dryly.

"You do react by instinct sometimes rather than your head, so semi-smart works." Shin quipped.

"What and you act with cool rational all the time? When it comes to Hisako, you're just as hot headed. Don't lie." Toma pointed out.

"I make his blood go south that's a different story." Hisako called.

Shin just shrugged, "I'm not going to deny or agree to anything."

Kazuko was feeling antsy from sitting in one spot too long so she got up and took her water with her, going to sit between Kent's legs instead.

Hisako came back with the drinks and she handed it to Toma and then to Kent. "Before you leave tonight those glasses better be empty. I will hold you hostage here."

"Fine by me. Whose next with the jar?" Toma asked.

Hisako happily walked over to Shin, "Here."

"I am going to laugh if I get my own question..." Shin snorted and reached in, pulling out the piece of paper and clicked his tongue, "If you could chose how to die, what would it be? Suicide, old age, or some incurable sickness. You're stuck with me, Hisako."

"Anything but water." Ukyo said immediately.

Both Kent and Megumi leaned back into their seats looking thoughtful.

"This is the weirdest question. Like...whose going to pick something /painful/? You know I /really/ feel like getting run over by a train. I think that'd be fantastic." Toma's sarcasm knew /no bounds/.

Hisako looked thoughtful. "I'd like to die peacefully. Or if I had to die with something exciting, I'd like it to be a moment everyone would remember."

"I think I would like to die as young as possible." Ikki said slowly. "Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse as my mother's motto goes."

"I am kind of scared of meeting your mother now." Tsume's brows knitted together. "Damn. Okay. Well...I'd like to die painlessly. Something quick. None of that 'feeling your body grow cold' or 'your life flashing before your eyes' crap. Maybe blunt force trauma, get knocked out first then die."

Megumi winced at that.

"....Poison would be the most efficient way to die. So long as it was fast acting. Though there's no guarantee about the pain." Kent said after a moment.

"Something exciting. If I survive I'd have a story to tell. So I guess I'm with Hisako." Kazu shrugged, "Tomb exploring or cave diving."

"How would you kill me?" Megumi asked after a moment of thought. "There's so many methods..."

"We're not writing a crime scene." Ikki looked at her appalled.

"Pass. Pass Megumi. I'll give you the last half of this just /pass/." Ukyo urged.

Hisako was laughing so hard she snorted.

"That...was the /cutest/ thing I've heard from you in ages." Shin stared.

"Shut up!" Hisako's cheeks reddened.

"Aw." Toma gushed.

Megumi blinked in surprise because, Ukyo was begging her to /pass/. She wondered if his dark side would get super protective if she chose so she did the right thing. She plucked the drink out of his hands and instead of sipping it like the boys were doing, she downed the rest of it.

"Um, I think I'd die by train, too. We can always jump together, Toma." Maya looked sheepish. "Just get it over with, right? Besides that, just old age."

"I was being sarcastic. Old age sounds fine." Toma choked.

"Okay. Okay last one." Hisako wiped tears from her eyes and read the thing before laughing. "Oh my god. Okay. What is the wildest sexual fantasy you've had and would you do it in real life?"

"It ends as it begins. Death and then sex. Is there a theme we missed?" Ikki asked sarcastically.
"No that was just what was on your guys mind." Hisako answered.

"L-Lolita..." Maya's face /flamed/.

Tsume was okay with everyone's emotions turning horny again with this as the last question, "Catsuit. I blame Black Widow."

Ikki let out a purr for the fun of it.

"Handcuffed, blinded folded, in a public place with no idea if I'm being sold or not." Hisako answered instantly.

Shin paled and then flushed. It was an interesting sight. "I'll roll with that."

"Would you be Hawkeye then?" Tsume purred right back at Ikki.

"Maybe. I don't know archery though, but for role play purposes we can do that." Ikki kissed her cheek and then thought about his own. "I think the wildest fantasy I had is having sex on a train. I wouldn't actually do it, but it was fun to think about."

"Being ridden." Kent said, his cheeks flushing and he took a drink after that.

"So sex in general. Ditto." Kazu coughed.

"...." Megumi looked like she was about to die again. "Um..." She thought about it. "I have so many..."

"C-Can I just...repeat my earlier answer?" Ukyo swallowed thickly.

Toma looked thoughtful. "I think the most wildest sex dream I had was getting dragged into the employees only area and being given a blow job."

Hisako thought about it. "Okay but would you do it?"

"Maybe? Possibly?" Ukyo reached for the rest of his cider. He was /so/ tipsy right now, but he was sure if he stood up it would turn into full on drunk.

"You're scandalous, Toma." Tsume was amused, "I think you could pull that off once you get to know an area well enough, shift changes and schedules."

"Fine." Hisako grinned and then turned to Meg. "What's your wildest sex dream? Please be original than the shower."

"No that's the wildest place I could have thought of at the time." Megumi pointed out. She thought about it a little more. Tilted her head, nodded and she said. "I think the wildest dream I had was being shoved on the counter top, knocking things over, skirt hiked up, and...yeah."

Shin pressed his mouth into a thin line as Ukyo made an indigent noise at the back of his throat. At least he'd made out with Megumi and got her semi-ready. Ukyo's boundaries and buttons were /all/ being pushed.

"That's...actually kind of hot." Hisako whistled. "When was the last time we did that?"

"Before you graduated, wearing your dumb high school outfit." Shin grunted. "If you were so inclined you could easily buy a short skirt, Hisako."

"School uniform is part of the charm." Hisako reminded. "I thought it might've turned you on, but don't worry. I got an idea for next time."

"I hope no one's expecting to go home, I think only three of us are still sober, drinking water instead of alcohol." Tsume looked at everyone, "Sleepover and more questions?"

"Sounds like a plan." Hisako beamed. "I'll get more paper."

()

It was still way too early to be waking up, but as soon as he shifted and felt the tightness of his pajama pants, and rubbing against the mattress, Ukyo knew he was done for. No more sleep for him. He'd have to nap or go to bed early. Shifting and hauling himself out of bed, he shed his clothes as soon as he got into the bathroom, making sure to /lock/ the door even in his sleepy state. He hadn't made that mistake yet, but he would be mortified if it ever did happen. Slipping his hair tie off his braid he turned the shower on and let it warm up before he adjusted the temperature and stepped inside.

It was torture. This was a completely different kind of torture than what he'd been through, but honestly? With how hard and throbbing he was, it was just as painful. He let the water run over his body, his eyes closed and the images of the dream he'd been having flooded his mind. Sleeping next to Megumi, sharing a bed with her, their mixed scents were all over the sheets and it drove him wild. Sometimes it took no time at all to pop an erection, and he would have to turn around and sleep the other way. Other times he woke up like this with his cock settled between her ass cheeks and /that/ friction was even worse than when he'd just woken up now, grinding the bed.

He didn't know if she ever felt him. She hadn't acted on it if she had and he was so thankful for that. Yesterday had sucked, that was a hangover he would never forget, but he had remembered what happened during that party. Questions were asked, Maya got dared and ended up making out with Tsume, but Tsume had never left Ikki's lap. It had been interesting, seeing the white haired man grip his girlfriend's hip like that, and by the end of it, Ikki's eyes were dark and dangerous. Toma had been stone-faced, but there was no mistaking the change in his breathing and the flicker in his orange eyes like a real flame. Hisako was certainly pleased with herself. There had been a joke - was it Kazuko that said it? - that there should've been a game of 'spin the bottle' instead.

As if to prove Kazu right, even, when Kent looked at his empty Death Drink from the last time he passed, he reluctantly told Hisako to give him a dare. Ikki had venomously protested that it would be incest if he kissed Megumi, but he didn't seem to have any qualms about Kent. Tsume hadn't bothered moving, just shifted to give them room, and Kent had shocked everybody but Megumi by being rather thorough with the kiss, too. No frenching, but a good hard press and lip movement, making soft and alluring smacking sounds. Ukyo wasn't /entirely/ sure if there had been lip sucking, but there could've been. Kazuko seemed about ready to pounce Kent after that, but she had been quick to school herself so he didn't see.

After they all finally gone to bed, Tsume shockingly the first one to be out like a light and Ikki pleased as peaches, he had cuddled Megumi as possessively as he wanted. He didn't remember the sleeping arrangements, because he had stolen the couch the two of them had been on. After stretching out on it and wrapping her up in his arms, he kept her on the couch and glued to him by sheer force of will. He had woken up later to a photo on his phone of the sight.

He wanted to have her, Kami, he wanted to so badly, and some /days/ since living with her were insufferable. Was he ready, though? He had no idea anymore. He didn't even know if Megumi was. Did it matter? That was the question, wasn't it. Was he willing to take what he wanted and have her bend to his will?

He had to stop that train of thought.

Hair finally soaked, he reached for the shampoo and tried to blank his mind. Only focus on the smell of the suds, the scratch of his nails against his scalp. When his hair was all slathered, he reached for the soap and scrub brush, focusing now on the burn of the bristles on his skin, the sound it made. He was doing alright, he was calming down slowly but surely. After popping on the handle and then scrubbing his back, Ukyo washed it out and then his hair. As soon as the shampoo was out, he took the conditioner and did that next. Hair twisted over his shoulder so the water wouldn't wash it away, he grabbed the body wash and put enough in the palm of his hand and started caressing his skin.

Apparently, this was a bad idea and he should've skipped this part of the process.

His skin was overly sensitive. He had already figured that out when using the scrub brush, when it was nearly painful. Now, with the gentle glide of his hands over his own skin he hissed this time in pleasure, gripping his biceps and he tried to breathe. No. Blank mind. He tried to coach himself and had to keep taking deep, controlled breathes, but as he finished his lower legs and moved up his inner thighs, he nearly collapsed. He couldn't just leave his groin unwashed, but as he did so he realized all his efforts to relax and /make it go away/ were fruitless. He was still so hot and heavy and Ukyo pressed his forehead to the shower wall.

Suddenly there was a slam and he gripped his cock firmly, "I swear, why do I have to take care of you for /this/, too?" Uki hissed at himself, feeling his other side shrink from the harsh tone, but he didn't stop him, didn't even try. There was usually a fight to get back in control, but Ukyo leaving him to do what he seemed incapable of, the fantasies he had been shoving back came crashing forward and full force and Uki smacked the shower wall again as his whole body shuddered. As much as Ukyo wanted to be the tender sweet one, there were mental images of pressing Megumi to the wall, or holding her so tightly he nearly crushed her and made it hard for her to breathe as he kissed her senseless. Pressed over her back to front, molded so close as one hand was over her hip for leverage, the other under her and pressed to her abdomen to keep her ass up and against him as he thrust into her. Having her hook her legs across his back and he gripped her hair as he sucked at her neck and gripped her breast.

There were even images of Megumi's fantasy played out, her in a slutty little school uniform she got from a sex shop with Hisako, gripping the back of their couch as he hallowed her out with his thrusts, her sweet little whimpers and whines filling the air.

Uki had his own, of course, starting with the damn forest scene from last night he'd tried to tease Ukyo with. Holding her against a tree trunk while they were out camping or even in the park late at night, hooking one leg over his strong arms and plowing into her, his other hand supporting her by the hip, while one of her own hands was over her mouth trying to stifle her sounds. Another one was both hands on her shoulders, pinning her down into the mattress, a pillow under her hips and going fast. Maybe one arm hooked under her waist and the other teasing at her throat, threatening to choke her but only holding his hand there, her own weight pressing into his fingers as she was fucked from behind...

There wasn't much time to think of any other fantasies as he shouted and his vision went white, his body jerking and he had to hold onto the metal handle so not to fall to his knees in the tub as his legs shook hard. Uki was dizzy and panting, but it was about time. He lazily shifted back and let Ukyo deal with finishing up his shower.

It took a little while, mainly he just sat at the bottom of the tub while he regained his senses, but Ukyo eventually washed everything out of his hair and made it out of the shower. He stepped back into the bedroom just as Megumi's seven o'clock alarm was going off. Hair wrapped up high in a towel, he went over and sat beside he, stroking her cheek and marveling at her beautiful face. Would kissing be a good idea? It should be, he felt better now, but his mind was still fuzzy. Humming, giving into it just a little, he leaned down and kissed her nose first before pecking her lightly, "Might want to turn that off, Meg-chan."

Megumi sighed softly as she heard Ukyo's voice gently telling her to turn off her alarm. She opened her eyes a little and reached over and across the bed to grab at her phone. She missed a few times, but the moment she got it, she pressed a button and the sound stopped. She stayed like that for a moment before pushing herself up. "Morning." She said tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was in disarray and her night gown strap was hanging off of her shoulder. "Are you going to work?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you that. It's only seven. The Cafe doesn't open until ten." Ukyo knew Megumi could just work off her tablet, but sometimes she did have to go to the office for a few hours, at least once or twice a week. He tried to ignore the strap, but it made his throat tight. He felt his body try to offer up a second wind, but he had barely woken up and it died quickly with his usual stubbornness.

"No." Megumi rubbed her eyes again. "I got a paper that I need to write and submit and then I need to do a run a few laps or something since I ditched it yesterday cuz of the hangover Hisako gave us. Shower is most definitely on my list, I feel dead. I probably look worse."

"Oh, right, your running. I'm still getting used to that, too." Ukyo nodded to her, "I'm still thinking of you getting up at nine every day. Gomen. I can get things out to make breakfast? Uki might take over for the actual cooking."

Megumi blinked looking at him in surprise. "You two talk now?"

Ukyo froze and then looked away quickly ,not entirely sure what to tell her. It had just slipped out. Uki seemed impressed, though. "Um...he...kept talking during the party. I guess...I've been getting used to him, too. He's not trying to hurt you anymore." Quite the opposite, but still. "I was just scared for you with him around, before."

"We talked before when you came home late. He told me that he would try not to hurt me anymore, but I reminded him that there's other ways to hurt and that no one can promise that we wouldn't." She smiled gently. "But it's good you two are getting along, even if it's just a little."

"We have an understanding, at least." Ukyo agreed, leaning in for another kiss now she was more awake, "I'll go make breakfast for you now, then after your run and shower we'll go to the Cafe for a nice coffee."

"Sounds like heaven." Megumi murmured, happy with the kiss and pushed the covers off of her so they could start the day somehow.

~*~

"Is it just me," Hisako said as she watched Ukyo and Megumi at their table, "or is it really steamy over at table eight?" She wasn't sure what happened, but...something had to have. There was a tension between the two that she couldn't believe. She knew it wasn't a fight, Ukyo was acting way to strange for that and Megumi a little too oblivious so it was clearly another kind of tension. The fun kind. The kind that she was kind of wishing she wasn't apart of right now because it's one thing to be turned at work. It's another /entirely/ when said person is working /with/ you at that moment.

Shin stopped washing dishes and looked out with an arched brow. Ukyo was holding Megumi so close, his arm around her waist, his body slightly turned, but she might as well be in his lap. His nose was practically buried in her hair and his eyes were lidded as she was showing him something on her tablet. He seemed only half paying attention, replying when he had to verses his animated excitement and complete attention. He looked at Hisako who seemed a bit hot under the collar by her usual tells. "I'd like for there not to be much steam in here as well besides from washing dishes. Is there a point you're trying to make, Hisako? Ukyo looks like he's finally cracked. It's just a matter of time."

"Not much of a point, but a little bit unclear." Hisako admitted as she pursed her lips together. "It's like watching another person, only worse because I feel like this is a third personality and he doesn't have three. He can't have three. It's almost impossible to have three." She sighed softly, "I also feel a little bad for him because I don't know if Meg even has a /clue/ of what's going on. Telling her to go home and get undressed sounds awful and what if /she's/ not ready and he is? This could put a lot of pressure on her."

"It /is/ your fault you know." Shin drawled and shrugged, "I tried to make her ready the best I could when you had me do the dare kiss. Maybe you should try and drop some hints? Hell, Hisako, if you're so concerned snap a picture and text it to her. You know I never see anything around here." He rolled his eyes and pointedly went back to the sink. More customers were leavin and coming and Mine, Sawa, and Toma counted on him to make sure things were cooked and washed.

Hisako stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, but she had to admit he had a point. She walked back out into the fray, helping and serving other customers as she kept an eye out on the table. Maybe dropping hints would be a good idea. Though she wasn't certain how well that could go. She decided why the fuck not, if it backfired it could only go one way no matter which so she went to the table and raised an eyebrow at them. "You know, I'm used to the sickening sweetness coming from you guys, but I wasn't expecting the heat."

Megumi's cheeks flushed such a bright crimson, Hisako wondered if they could stick her in a dark spot to see if she glowed red. It was probably the first time in Hisako's /life/ she made Megumi speechless.

Ukyo, shockingly, didn't appear that phased and was ridiculously relaxed. He gave her a sort of sideways glance as he rested his cheek on Megumi's head, "Am I not allowed to hold my girlfriend close?" he asked a little cooly, his voice a slight rumble. "Am I making people uncomfortable?" Ah, there was the usual concern, but it took a moment for him to pull his head from it's position. He certainly didn't appear like he was going to move any further away.

"Just a bit." Hisako said, holding up her hand and showing how much that he was making them uncomfortable. She wasn't certain if this was a third personality or not, but she had to admit she kind of liked that Ukyo was actually trying to stand toe to toe with her. That hardly ever happened, if at all. "You guys should have an indoor date." She advised. "Light up candles. Do the romance. You know. Actually attempt to do more than smother her into a booth."

Ukyo did crack a smile at that, "Megumi's gotta finish this article and turn it in for work at the magazine, but after that I don't know if she needs to do anything else? We could always do an indoor date for the evening time, if she's busy."

Megumi wasn't certain what was happening anymore. Sure, Ukyo was a bit closer than normal, but he had been pretty touchy-feely all morning that morning as they got ready to come here. She didn't mind that he was pressed up against her, but she had to admit Hisako might have a point. It was a bit strange. She wondered if she should ask him if something happened. Was it a nightmare? No, Hisako would've already be arranging things with the girls if that was the case. Maybe she was neglecting him? She felt a little shamed. She did have things to do today. They needed to go get groceries and some other stuff. "Probably the evening." She agreed.

Hisako wondered how exactly Megumi went from cheerful to troubled in a span of five seconds, and back to cheerful again. Clearly. Clearly something was happening here and she wasn't certain. Hisako wondered if it had something to do with that “breaking point” Shin told her about. Maybe Megumi was feeling it too and was nervous. "You two." She sighed shaking her head fondly. "I love you both, you make my day. But seriously? Please get laid tonight."

Megumi's cheeks flared up so hot red, Hisako mentally high fived herself. Maybe ice cream or something sweet would be awesome to go grab tonight, and binge watch a movie. Maybe Shin would like that.

Maybe he'd like that a /lot/.

~*~

If they were going to have a stay-at-home dinner, they needed to do some grocery shopping. While it wasn't unusual for Uki to switch when he stepped into a grocery story, getting focused and thinking about needs rather than wants, he didn't switch back when they were done, their arms full of meats, bread, fruits and vegetables along with eggs and milk since he'd used the last of both making breakfast. They definitely called a taxi for it, but it was only lunchtime as they put everything away. What /else/ could they do to pass the time? "Do you want to go anywhere?" he asked slowly, feeling odd for thinking about someone else.

It was a little...concerning. Ukyo was all over her that morning, but the article was submitted easily enough and the conversation was light. Grocery shopping had been fun since they had a list and they had talked about what they wanted to make for dinner that night. However, with Uki still out and the energy that was around him and Ukyo today felt like popping fireworks, Megumi was a little worried. She'd chalk it up to cabin fever, but they weren't locked in. Maybe it was left over from the party? She ran her hand through her hair and tugged a little as she thought about it. Where would they go? A walk? Would fresh air help? They needed a distraction, more like he /needed/ a distraction.

"Is-" Megumi started but then broke herself off. She knew she caught his attention from the way he changed his posture. She fought with herself for a moment and finally sighed, tugging her hair again. "Should we wander?"

"Wandering sounds fine. The park is a typical choice, but should we go there? Just around town is alright, too." Uki sighed through his nose, looking annoyed but not at her, "The mall? Clothes shopping? Do you need bath stuff at all?" She liked her baths, maybe she was running low of bubble soap? Just /anywhere/.

Megumi raised an eyebrow up and tilted her head to the side. "Let's go." She said after a moment. "We'll figure out things as we wander." She promised. She had to be missing something and it had to be about the party. Was it the dares? Was he jealous? Or was Hisako right and this was sexual tension?

They were rather quiet for a while as they just walked around. They window-shopped some random stores that were near the Cafe, since that was the first place they ended up. Eventually they ended up going to the mall as well. He didn't mind crowds. The people gave him weird looks, but he was just focusing on Megumi. Because Hisako had pointed it out, he kept his hands mostly to himself, stuffed into his jacket pockets and settled for admiring instead. There hadn't been a worry for imminent danger in a while, and that made him wonder. "Is Regulus still around?

"He pops in every once in a while, but I think unless something big happens or if something needs his attention, we're left to our own devices." Megumi said, her hands behind her back, her hand gripping her wrist as they walked. "I guess since we're all connected now, he's not too worried yet. I guess that means the events that we're supposed to prevent aren't happening any time soon. Which gives us some time to breathe."

"I see, that makes sense. I was just wondering." Uki shrugged. "We might have to worry more closer towards the winter season. Shinano might be offered as a holiday retreat, and the roads get slick."

Megumi winced, "I don't think we've dealt with a car accident before. I mean, besides getting pushed in front of one. If we all end up dead that'll be both tragic and probably something that'll be a win win for us all? Of course, I wouldn't mind living. That'd be nice too. I forgot that we had seasons."

"Considering you kept going through a cold August? Yeah." Uki nodded, "All of you walk to your collages, so a car at any point is a possibility. I'm just not looking forward to Shinano. We both hate that place as much as I hate the well."

"You and the well." Megumi laughed. "If you hate it so much, then what made you decide on it to begin with? You didn't fall down there did you?" Her eyes went wide at the thought.

"I was lamenting, and I was wandering. I found it behind the shrine and was looking into it one second, drowning the next. As far as I remember, anyway. I did that a few times, on purpose after that, because the water is thicker than say, jumping into the river." Uki grunted, "Not only is there no chance to escape in case I have second thoughts and wanted to die a different way, suffocation would knock me out faster."

Megumi stared at him for the longest time before putting her her hand to her face. and she shook her head from side to side. What was she supposed to say to that? She supposed that was why he pushed her down as well. He couldn't save her and he wouldn't have a chance. "I know the words "I'm sorry" /barely/ begins to cover that, but I am."

"It /won't/ happen again. We were /promised/ that, so what does it matter now to dwell on the past?" Uki reached and gripped her arm, though not nearly as harshly as he had before when he was freezing. He turned her towards him and gripped her chin, making her look up at him, "You're mind now. We don't have to watch you jump between other guys and then die knowing you're happy. We'll die together this time if we do. Grey hair and in each other's arms in our sleep. That's sixty-seventy years from now. We got so much time ahead of us. All we have to do now is make sure the others get that chance, too."

Megumi hadn't expected him to grab her like this, but she had to admit she kind of enjoyed that he was a little freer with his expression. It felt like if she had made a move to touch or to hold him or anything, that something would snap. Something was snapping though, it was in the way he was looking at her. It was...much different than how she was used to being looked at. Admired? Sure. Loved? Most definitely. But the way Uki stared at her was much different. Love wasn't a sentimental word and action, it was something much stronger and heated. Admired? Sure, there was that, but she was pretty certain the word /desire/ matched better to the way he looked at her. But there was also a vulnerability. He said those words, he meant every sentence. She knew better than to question it. So she did what she always did when she saw him hold his heart out on a platter and beautiful. She stepped forward into his space and tugged him down to her level to kiss him.

Uki's eyes went huge for a split second. Hugging sure, but he hadn't expected her to kiss /him/. The stiffness melted quickly and he kissed her back fiercely, sucking a breath through his nose. His hand slipped from her chin to caress her jaw and cheek, tilting her up further as he bent down. His arm wound around her waist and the world melted away as he pressed her flush to him. His body felt like it was burning, and he hid away a thought as quickly as it came. Ukyo wouldn't let him near her otherwise.

She liked that Uki was a little more aggressive with his feelings. She was certain that she surprised him with her boldness, but he responded to her easily enough. When they pulled away, the world felt like it was spinning a little and she had to remind herself that one, they were in a public place and they were /not/ Hisako and Shin who would take the moment running. "I should do that more often with you." Was her only, coherent thought. Which turned into a spoken sentence.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that." Uki rumbled back and then pulled himself away from her. It felt like he was ripping himself in half again, but when he did he also felt like he could breathe. "Let's find a directory and see if we can find an ice cream parlor. Desert before dinner sounds just like me."

"I can roll with that." Megumi laughed a little. She could use the cool down. She hadn't expected the heat of his kiss...among other things.

~*~

"Are you falling asleep on me?" Uki asked as the credits rolled on the screen, "Or am I starting to bore you? I know I don't talk as much as Ukyo, and you were supposed to have that dinner with him..."

"Huh?" Megumi blinked when Uki's voice softly spoke to her and she stretched, "No, you're not boring. The quiet's different, but not bad. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off to you as bored. I know I normally...point out the flaws, but I wasn't sure if that'd annoy you or not."

Uki shook his head, "You can annoy me if you want to. I can't fix anything if I don't know what the problem is. If there is a problem. Hisako suggested this dinner date for you and Ukyo, is all I'm saying. I just...switched and I haven't wanted to switch back."

"You and Ukyo have the /same/ panic. He screams though. At least you're...trying." Megumi let out a giggle. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's not supposed to be funny. But I just...oh god." She shook her head fondly. "Uki. I promise you. If I had a problem, of any kind, I'd tell you or Ukyo okay? I know what Hisako suggested, but...like Tsume pointed out to me, I kinda live day-to-day hour by the hour. If my plans change, or if something comes up, I'm pretty flexible. Nothing's ever really set in stone. You don't want to switch, then don't switch. If Ukyo wants to switch and you're being mean, then that's another story entirely and I'm not getting in the middle of that."

Uki nodded slowly, letting out a soft breath, "I am trying." He agreed, "I'm glad you at least noticed that. You'll also tell me I don't have to, but I'm going to because I want to." He nodded firmly, more to himself than anything, and stood up, turning the TV off, "Ukyo woke up pretty early this morning...about six or six-thirty. Shocked we weren't the ones to fall asleep on /you/." He snorted, "If we watch another movie I'm sure we would. So, let's start getting ready for bed, huh?"

Why so early? Megumi had wondered about that, but she nodded and stood up and stretched again. "Sounds good." She headed off to the bedroom humming softly to herself as she grabbed her nightgown and headed to the bathroom to change and to brush her teeth as well as pull her hair into a braid.

She switched off with Uki and climbed into bed, bringing a book with her since she knew that she wasn't going to fall asleep too quickly and Uki would probably pass out immediately. Today was just...so weird on so many different levels. Uki staying out, Ukyo allowing him to wander. The day was filled with electric signals and pulses and she wasn't sure what was going to happen tonight. One hand, sleep. Sleep was more of a possibility than any other. However, would it really shock her if something more was to happen? Would it be mean to think that it could? She blinked a few times. Come on, Meg. Focus. It's like she didn't even know her own boyfriend.

It was fine. He could climb into that bed and not touch her. She wouldn't even expect him to cuddle with her, but he could always just lay close. He /was/ exhausted. He'd been awake for a long time already. Slipping the band on the braid he made, he gave himself one last look before he headed out of the bathroom, turning off the light on his way.

Only to stop dead, his mind blanking out on him.

It was unfair. She was unfair and she didn't even know what she was doing /wrong/. Not that this was wrong...but /damn it/. Her lovely lace white gown was not only practically falling off her shoulder, but it was also hiked up on her hips, pooling around her torso. Her legs were propped up, the book perched between her thighs and she seemed to have gotten absorbed right into it. She didn't even see him staring at her, or even the fact he was looking at the fact her underwear was a sweet white just like her gown.

He was moving before he realized it, but he didn't stop even when his knee hit the edge of the bed and he climbed on top of it, crawling over to her and plucking the book right from under her nose, smacking it onto the nightstand as he surged forward and swallowed her surprised gasp as he kissed her roughly.

She barely had a chance to open her mouth before he pushed his tongue in. His kiss swallowed her surprised moan. She couldn't move much because she was pinned by his strength, but just like that night with Shin, she didn't just follow him. She let out a surprised sound when he pulled away to drag her down from their sitting position into a lying down one. He got between her legs and she felt her abdomen grow warm and hot as she spread her legs a bit more to accommodate him. Her heart stuttered with nerves as she looked up at him, his eyes dark and glazed with desire. She said nothing, did nothing as she leaned up for her own passionate kiss, nipping his bottom lip before dragging him in. She was a little slower, and exploitative with her own kiss, but no less passionate.

Uki moaned into her, the anxiety he'd felt before melting away as she returned as good as she got. This was going to be okay. She liked this. She was okay with him doing this to her. His hands slid up and down her thighs, massaging the skin before he reached her hips and ran his thumbs over her hipbones She was so soft, so pliable. It was easy to bruise her, to mark her, but it took more than he expected to make her say anything in pain. Their tongues rubbed and swirled, and he played around, running his tongue along her teeth, sucked on her tongue, bit and sucked her lip. She loved him and this was /happening/.

Megumi let out a soft whine when he sucked her lip and whimpered when he ran his hands down her legs, and gripped at her hips. She brought her hands up and trailed them down his chest, her fingers skimming the fabric. She could feel his rapid heart beat under her fingers for a moment before she continued on to the end of his shirt. She played with hem, lightly skimming skin with her nails, teasing the idea of maybe she should, maybe she shouldn't.

"You want this?" Uki's voice was rough and deep, "You want me? Us? I'm only asking once." He gripped the hem of her gown as well, careful not to rip it and make her upset. It was a nice gown...he may or may not want to see it on her again.

"I always wanted you. Both of you." Megumi answered breathlessly. "But do you want /me/? The both of you?"

"/Yes/...I do, obviously, but so does he. Asked for a Death Drink when Hisako took you to the bedroom and you had to kiss someone that wasn't him. I suggested the forest and he could barely control himself. Then /you/ had to go and mention getting your skirt hiked up and /fucked/ like that and he was done. He...we...have been trying hard all day." Uki explained, nipping at her jawline and then getting her earlobe between his teeth next. He rucked up her nightgown even more and managed to get it off of her next, pulling back enough for her to take his shirt off. It was only fair, after all.

Megumi blushed, though whether it was from his voice or from only being down to her underwear now, she didn't know. All day. No wonder today had been weird. She leaned up and kissed his cheek and made her way down his neck. She raked her teeth against skin before she sucked a kiss at the pulse point. She enjoyed the sound he made and how he gripped her tight, like he wasn't sure if he was going to shove her away or pull her closer. She leaned against one of her hands to keep her balance, but the other trailed it's way down his chest, finding a nipple and flicking it.

Uki hissed, jerking, the nerves hot and his brain confused. That wasn't something one normally did to a guy, so he didn't know what to think of it, but if /she/ was going to do that, fine. He started sucking at her own neck and ran his index finger in a circle, teasing the fabric and the skin beneath it, when he felt her perked nipple. Smirking, he pinched it as well and his blood /sang/ and traveled right to his cock as she keened, arching her body into his. His other hand palmed the neglected breast, enjoying torturing her and refusing to take off her undergarments. That wasn't what he had planned. Rolling and toying with the nipple a little more, he moved on, skimming his hot fingers over her stomach and hooked a finger under the band of her panties, running the rim of it, but then moved away and to her thigh instead, searching for the sensitive line of nerves on the inside so he could follow it, his blunt nails trying to make her /burn/ just as he did.

Her breathing was labored as he ran his finger through the hem of her panties. It was so mean of him to make her think, but then he then raked his nails down the inside of thighs and it made her throw head back with a hitching gasp. Her body rolled like she was trying to get some sort of friction, or trying to get away. It was really hard to tell especially for her because she was /sensitive/ there goddamn it and god when he did it again she let out a sharp sound. God this was torture. He was so good and terrible at teasing her. It was like he already knew how to play her, he was just warming up. "Uki." She whimpered.

"You want me to touch you there?" Uki purred at her, switching to do it to the other thigh, but he leaned down enough to kiss and sooth where he'd scratched her, "You gotta tell me, sweet thing."

That had to be the hottest thing she heard. She bit her lip, flushed a deep red at the nickname. Dear god, if that turns out to be a turn on, she was going to be done for. "Touch me. Please, Uki."

"You ask so nicely." Uki praised, shifting his body and moving her more towards the middle of the bed instead of one side, then he covered her body with his since it was a cold spot on heated flesh, warming her up by hooking an arm under her back, splaying his fingers between her shoulder-blades, and kissed her hot and passionate as his fingers teased the swollen folds on either side of her center before his middle finger pressed and rubbed. A groan was punched out of him as he /felt/ just how /hot/ she was and how she /soaked/ her underwear already, a thick sticky wetness coating the tip of his finger, "You're so /naughty/, sweet thing." He growled against her mouth, their breaths mingling.

Her breathing was hitched when he pressed against her center and she felt her cheeks warm when she felt herself get wetter. Him saying that was /no/ better. She knew. She knew that it was taboo to say another man's name in the bedroom. But it slipped when he pressed harder and she gripped his shoulders, "Ukyo. /Please/."

Uki's eyes widened a bit, but he traced the shell of her ear slowly, hiding his disappointed expression, "Wrong one, sweetheart, but that's okay. I can grant your wish. I'm not mad." He cooed and closed his eyes. He was planning on it anyway, but he had been enjoying himself. Oh well. Another time.

The man above her froze and gasped, the pitch of his voice already different. His forehead pressed against her shoulder and a heavy, heady moan rippled out of Ukyo's throat. His fingers were slick with her juices, but the only part of him that moved was the hand on her back, turning and curling into a fist in the sheets.

"Ukyo?" Megumi questioned, swallowing a bit. She felt nervous. She felt bad that she did that to Uki, but...she'll make it up to him. She knew that he'd let her too. "Love?"

"Shh..." Ukyo murmured, his breath shaky and quick, "Wait...please just...give me a second..." he pleaded desperately. His heart was pounding so fast he felt dizzy, her scent filling his nose and he didn't know what to /do/. All he /could/ do was pry his hand away from her mound and hold onto her hip instead, continuing to pin her in place.

She ran her hand up his side and over to his shoulder, letting him take it in. She traced patterns down his back and up again to his shoulder blades. Some of it was kanji. Some of it was just small patterns that she thought of randomly. She stayed quiet, the mood heavy and hot still.

Ukyo whimpered after a moment, finally sagging against her and he pressed his hips to hers, panting at the relief to the pressure in his pajama pants. His nose brushed against her neck and he didn't bother trying to hide as he took as deep a breath as his lungs would allow, "You smell so good..." he whined, "So warm, so soft...I want you...I do, I /need/ you..." This time when he moved his hand to her most private and sensitive area, it was shaky and hesitant, but he found her clit first and started rubbing her, "So hot here...m'sorry, didn't mean to leave you hanging..." he was obviously babbling, only half coherent at this point, desperate and needy. "I'll take care of you...thought of this, thought of you..."

Megumi let out a soft sound as he started teasing her again and she gripped his shoulder nails accidentally digging into skin. "I know." She whispered, wincing when he made a sound. "Sorry..." she loosened her grip and whimpered when he pressed her a little harder. "Take off your pants honey. You'll feel better without them on."

"Mm-Mm..." Ukyo huffed and stroked along her collarbone with his tongue, using the hand that was behind her to find the hooks of her bra and he popped them, freeing her of the confines, "You...all about you...always you..." he mumbled, moving just enough to pull the bra the rest of the way off, making it disappear off the side of the bed and then gripped her breast. He tugged and rolled, but didn't punch. Mouth travelling down he kissed her everywhere he could reach, finally latching onto the nipple Uki had abused earlier, flicking and sucking the bud eagerly.

She let out a sharp gasp and her body rolled hips trying to find more friction than what she was getting. She twisted the sheets in her grasp as she felt him respond to her thrust with a small one of his own. She was pretty certain that she couldn't get any /wetter/ than this. She let out a whine when he let her go, letting the cold bite it and sent both chills and /heat/ down there.

Switching breasts, his hands shifted. The one gripping her breast held onto her hip instead and lifted her up so the one that was cupping and rubbing her could grip and tug off her underwear, making them join the bra in the abyss. Her scent, pure and unadulterated, wafted up to him and his eyes practically rolled to the back of his head. He shifted further down, kissing and licking and sometimes sucking across her stomach and abdomen. Reaching where he wanted to be most, he didn't hesitate to lick a hot stripe up her folds and flick against her clit. Then he began to suck and tease here too, the fleshy mound, her labia, just barely teasing her core, and right back to her clit where he stayed, his index finger ghosting the same areas and in the middle of her whimpers and whines, he slid slowly inside her.

When he slid inside of her, she let out cry that wasn't in pain. She felt hot, and her breathing labored as she felt him pull out and then slowly push back in, making her keen again. She whimpered as he teased her with his tongue, overloading her on senses, she wasn't even certain what was happening anymore. She closed her eyes and just...surrendered. She made another cry when he slid in another finger and then /hooked/ just right. "Ukyo." She hissed, but it wasn't to stop him. By god, no. "Sweetie. So good." She whimpered. "Fuck."

"There?" He purred, but the question was rhetorical as he did it again, his eyes blown and heavy-lidded as he watched her arch off the bed hard, "You can grind against me, sweet love. It's okay. Take what you need." He was fascinated by her reaction to his voice against her clit, but he hummed again and pressed his fingers deeper, hooking and scissoring, stretching her and feeling her. So hot and slick, smelled so good...he was going to slip even /further/ into insanity with this woman.

Fucking /hell/. She thought Uki with the sweet words was hot, but this? This? The vibrations made her flush deep and made her keen. He wanted her to take what she needed. It was hard not to when he gave the invite like that. It was even more difficult when he was teasing her so well, stretching her walls, feeling her up and making her slicker with every movement. It didn't help either that he was doing his best to tease her clit with his tongue. She didn't have a choice but to take what she needed to get the relief that she craved.

When her bucking made it difficult to do what he needed, he hooked his arm under her thigh and moved up just a bit, guiding her leg over his shoulder and he got just a little more aggressive in time with her movements, but now while she could still move she had to fight a little harder to throw him off track. His hand twisted and started moving faster in and out, simulating what he wanted to do desperately, but not yet. Her first. Always her first and he moaned for her in encouragement, "C'mon, sweet love..." he rumbled, pulling away to breathe as he continued to use his hand, "You want me, don't you? Can't...have you...can't have me until you cum, sweet love..." he accidentally used a little teeth and scraped her clit as he went back to suckle on her, but her scream shot right down his spine. It wasn't /pain/ and he /moaned/ as she bucked, doing it again.

She let out another shout as he scrapped his teeth once more against her and this time she /whited/ out. Her brain had went blissfully blank and she felt /relief/ from the fire but it was just easy to start back up again just from watching him pull away from her, eyes dark and seductive and his movements hurried like he was wasting time and there was no /time/ to waste. She felt her stomach clench in fear and nerves and she felt her heart stutter as he moved over her again, draping his body over hers like a work of fucking art. She leaned up and kissed him, not caring if she was tasting herself on his tongue, she pushed deeper, dragging him down closer to her. She needed him. She needed him so badly. This man. This beautiful, wonderful, crazy man.

He didn't ask if she was ready, just kissed her hard. Now was the best time, with her so loose and pliable and /soaking wet/. He rubbed himself up and down her folds, using the slick on his hand as well to coat his dick before he pressed forward, the head of him popping inside followed by the rest in one smooth slide, sinking deep and /deeper/ until he bottomed out and he practically sobbed, kissing along her jaw and then pressing his forehead to her shoulder. He held her still, needing just a /moment/ so he wouldn't blow right away, but after that moment passed he realized there was /no/ calming down. He was too pent up, too desperate and needy and by god he /needed/ her. "Can't...sweet love...gotta...I'll make it up to you, okay?" he babbled to her rapidly.

"It's okay." Megumi said her voice hitching with the same amount of desperation. There were tears at the corner of her eyes, but she was glad that he wasn't seeing them right now. It wasn't from pain, no. But from the fact that they were like /this/ now. It was cliche to say "they were one" considering....but....never. Never in her life did she feel more connected to Ukyo than she did at this exact moment. She knew. She knew that it would be over fast. It couldn't be helped, this was a flame that they had unknowingly let burn out of control. Honestly? She would've been surprised if he could starve it off. "Go as fast or as slow as you want. I can handle you love."

So tight...so /tight/, so hot, gripping him like her body didn't want to let him go, and he was able to marvel for just a second as he pulled out and moved back in twice before he went faster, taking no time at all before he was coaxing her legs around his waist and holding her where the heel of his palm pressed to the small of her back, urging her to tilt her hips /just right/ and she rubbed the underside of him more. Groaning and heaving, he was wound so tight. He could barely breathe, felt like he was choking, drowning in his passion and love for her. He saw a drop of water hit her cheek as he stared down at her before he felt the next one tickle his own, and he realized he was crying. "I love you." Was all he managed now, the words heavy with his emotion, "I love you...Megumi..."

Megumi's breath hitched when she heard him say it. It was the same way, the very same way he said it in the hospital when she had burned alive. She reached up, and cupped his cheek and gently wiped away his tears with her thumb, stroking the underside of his eye. Her heart broke and mended, and broke again. He always showed her his heart. Always. Without fear or hesitation she was always given it. It always amazed her that he was someone that couldn't fear it. She squeezed his hips with her legs since it was the only movement she was pretty much allowed. "I love you." She said, and she prayed he could hear it in every vowel and consonant. "My love, my light, I love you."

That was it. He was done. With a shout and a sob, he slammed her hips towards him and pressed as deep as he could, fumbling to kiss her as he felt his balls draw up tight and his cock throb as he poured everything he had into her. It was much stronger than the orgasm he had in the shower. His body jerked and shuddered and his length pulsed with the time of his heart. He was so tense, but as the shaking subsided it was all he could do to hold onto her around the waist and rolled them so she was on top of him, laying on his chest, and as soon as his head hit his pillow and he didn't have to worry about crushing her, his world went black.

()

"Ah, so an actual restaurant this time, huh? Getting sick of coffee?" Maya smiled at Toma as the taxi that had dropped them off drove away. She tried to look nice but casual in a simple yellow dress that flowed around her. She would have to start wearing pants and shirts, but she was going to hold out as long as possible. Right now she was darting from one warm spot to another, so she was alright.

"More like I was getting tired of the cafe environment." Toma explained as he helped open the door for her when they approached the building. "Also, you're dressed up nicely. It wouldn't do for a casual background."

"I always try to dress for the occasion." Maya admitted as she went in, looking around the place with curiosity. He had picked a good place. The lighting was warm, the colors inviting. "You been here before?"

"Just once." Toma admitted as they went to the host stand. They were lead to a table and they sat down. "I didn't want it to be overly fancy. That'd just be uncomfortable for the both of us."

"Yeah, you're right." Maya took a deep breath through her nose and let out a small sigh, "I think this is already going better than last time. I honestly don't feel comfortable drawing in public. It was a suggestion as topic bait so I used it."

"I got you to talk for a while." Toma laughed, "It was fun and interesting to learn about. I doubt I would've gotten so much without it. Though I guess I could've asked Hisako to throw that party early. You certainly didn't back down on the questions besides once."

"I like challenges, but that one I was at a loss. I had no idea what to say. It was nice to learn about everybody else, too. Even if I thought I knew them before, everyone is just so full of surprises." She opened up her menu and glanced over it, "Oh, they have good food here. It's going to be hard to choose!"

"I swear she comes up with some of the games that she comes up with just to get blackmail material." Toma said as he opened his and glanced over it as well. "It could've gone a whole lot worse."

"I believe that. It was also fun to see the whole lot so relaxed in her home." Maya giggled, "I know Kent and Kazu haven't been dating long, and their blushing during the sex questions could rival mine but they were adorable. Ikki was rather touchy-feely on Tsume since her kiss with Ukyo but Tsume obviously didn't mind considering she fell asleep on him."

Toma shook his head from side to side. "That was a disaster in the making. I was waiting for something to happen. Ikki's jealousy is worse than /mine/ at times."

"Then...when I kissed Tsume...?" Maya's face turned red, "Or was it easier to ignore since it was another girl?"

"Considering that it could've been anyone else, it was a little easier though not by much." Toma said, coughing a little into his hand. His cheeks brightly tinting. "I'm not about to murder a woman. Hisako would get me first and we both know how that'd end."

"Lots of knives?" Maya winced, but grinned, "Walking in and giving her a hero name was fantastic, but I doubt it's a hero name. More like a villain one. I feel like she associates with Black Widow."

"She'll love you forever if you tell her that." Toma grinned. "The villian part and the Black Widow. That's her favorite superhero I swear. She loves people who can associate her with that kind of thing just as much as she loves people who can be underhanded."

"I think she already likes me, but I'll send her at text later. I just want to focus on you." Maya murmured. Was she going to pass out from too much blood to her face tonight? She did fine at the party the other day, so she should be fine. Still. She didn't flirt much. She started fiddling with the rolled up silverware as she focused on the menu, or tried to, glancing up at him every so often.

"Um okay?" Toma blinked a little surprised. He wasn't sure if that was her flirting or if that was her gently telling him to shut up about Hisako. It could go either way honestly. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Is it bad I keep thinking of things that were said at the party?" Maya bit her lip. The waiter came just then, she ordered a Sprite and once Toma give his drink order the waiter walked away to give them more time. "I mean...yeah, nothing was off limits then, but it's different if it's just us...I don't want to ask something super embarrassing."

"Well. How else are you going to get to know someone?" Toma asked curiously, leaning forward and putting his chin on his hand, his elbow resting on the table and his other arm resting completely on it. "If it's too personal, then it's too personal and the topic can be changed. Will I be upset? No. Not really. I mean, chances are you had no idea what you were asking. Now if you knew about the situation, that's different, but you're not that type of person."

Maya licked her lips nervously, nodding slowly and Kami, his eyes were her kind of memorizing. Like topaz, deep orange with flecks of yellowy gold. He'd gotten closer, too, which made it hard to look away. "So...then...you've done it with a high school sweetheart?" she dropped after a minute.

"Out of all the questions I was expecting, that one wasn't it." Toma pushed himself back and rubbed the back of his neck. "I had a few girlfriends. Senior year in high school and a few in college. None really stuck. Mostly because I'm so invested in my college career and trying to get my legal degree. Also a lot of them were put off by Shin and Hisako. I swear those two..." He muttered the last part to himself. "But...uh...in answer to your question. Yeah."

"What's one of the worst dares Hisako's made you do? Like...did she ever make you kiss Shin?" Maya asked next, feeling relief that she could be open with the things swimming in her head.

"Only once and we made her swear on blood never to do it again." Toma said vehemently, eyes wide and his expression horrified. "Never doing that again. That was the worst dare."

Maya laughed and nodded, stifling the noises she was making with her hand, "Hisako's a big part of your life, so it's ok if we talk about her. I'm sorry if my earlier comment gave off the wrong message. So, um...speaking of your jealousy, have you ever been jealous of Shin?"

"Only once and that was when he managed to date Hisako and I lost my chance." Toma admitted after a moment, looking sheepish. "He was faster than I was, and a lot more blunt. I was more...hesitant. I wasn't sure if I could move from being her older brother to her lover. Shin was very certain."

"They're very comfortable with each other, and so natural. I don't know if I could see you with her instead. Opposites attract but that's a little too much. You're a bit too terrified of her, too. Shin just reminds her not to kill anybody but lets her have her fun." Maya hummed, "Has she hurt either of you before? During knife practice or anything like that?"

"She threw a knife at me when I forgot that I wasn't supposed to knock at her home's door." He winced, "It's still there at the door frame. I told her that some day she's going to do that to a friend and she retorted that's why she has the rule that no one /knocks/ at her door unless she's asleep and you texted a head of time to let her know you were heading over."

"I've seen it, I didn't know it was you." Maya stared at him, "She always just said /someone/, but wasn't specific. I'm glad she didn't actually cause any damage." She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, "I think it's fair you ask me questions, too, you know."

"Hmmm." He thought about it. "I know that you and Hisako run into each other in the college and I know that since you're friends with Rika that's how you got with Tsume. How about Sawa and Mine? Were they in your classes? I know that Ikki and Kent you met at the cafe. Did you ever meet Megumi or was that your first time? What about Ukyo?"

"Haha, so your first question is about my connections." Maya grinned, "Sawa was a classmate, Sawa knows Mine through the Cafe and that was how I met her, too. Ukyo and Megumi I met through two different sleepovers. Same with Kazuko. I learned Kazuko goes to our school and started associating with her there, too. I spend more time with Rika over the summertime since she goes to Ikki's school. Honestly, since Kent works in the kitchen, I think that might've been the first or second time I've met him."

"Kent is more of an introvert than Meg is. I swear those two." Toma shook his head from side to side. "Much rather stay inside or stayed holed up in the math lab. Though I hear that he's focused on his research rather than for "fun"."

"Oh! That's right, I did meet Kent through a study session he took Ikki's place for!" Maya nodded, "I forgot about that. It was such a disaster. People who came for Ikki were so mad and kept disrupting. Kent just ignored them like a pro. Kazuko scared a few, so did Sawa."

"I loved the fact that Ikki threw Kent in front of that bus." Toma snorted, "Best thing I heard. Ikki normally tries not to disappoint his fans. He /knew/ he was requested, but I think he saw more problems than solutions. I think so did Kent. It was a valiant thing. Even Shin was impressed."

"Hmm..." Maya didn't even look up as Toma's and her drinks were set down in front of them. When she realized it, however, she looked at her menu and picked something random she thought would be tasty before turning her attention back to Toma. "Do /you/ have any hobbies or are you like Kent and always doing paperwork?"

"I play poker. I go gambling sometimes when Hisako's in the mood and drags all three of us to the dangerous parts of the city." Toma admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Shin and I usually pocket the money since we're both really good at it."

"Could travel Japan surviving off of money from poker and pool. I see Shin being really good a pool. I know Ikki is." Maya giggled, "I couldn't do any of that. No poker face. I also don't understand how pool works. Take me to a gambling place and I'll sit in front of the slots machines."

Toma melted a little at how innocent she was. He'd let her believe they were talking about a gambling polar. It was better than letting her think that they were doing this under the table and fucking illegal. "He's on par with Ikki. I think they have a re-match to deal with. I know that Ikki's kicked his ass at darts so that's another match he might get challenged too as well."

"So do you have a good drink you like on top of your gambling? You're starting to sound like a real tough guy underneath your preppy boy facade." Maya got in a position just like the one he had done earlier, chin in her hand and half draped over the table, "I like the creamy type of drinks. Kahlua and Baileys. I also like sweet sake, fruity wines. I'm not a lightweight but I can't drink a whole lot, either. Which is why I just had water at the party. I didn't want to beat Tsume for the first one out."

"It depends on what I'm doing. I don't actually drink. Shin and Hisako are the ones that do so I kind of have to watch out for them if they're off doing god knows what." Toma leaned forward again, taking a drink and setting down. "Unless it's for a celebration like Mabon or something, I don't touch it. Hisako makes better drinks anyway if I'm honest."

"So you're the 'designated driver' type. You just had one death drink, so I only saw you swaying tipsy. I wonder what you're like drunk." Maya mused. They were so much closer now. Her heart was hammering, but she tried to stay calm. "Speaking of the death drink, I can't believe Ukyo and Megumi actually ended up Romeo and Juliet-ing! Offering her his drink like that!"

"I guess the question was too painful for him. He went with anything but drowning, but he couldn't for the life of him want to imagine her dead." Toma mused, "So he forced her to pass and made her drink his drink. Though I think something deeper was going on there."

"Things were getting a /lot/ more heated than Ikki and Tsume that night. Kami, Toma, I fully expected Ukyo to pull her in his lap like Ikki did and kiss her right then! His will power is /amazing/. Hisako was certainly giving them odd looks and Shin didn't seem surprised at all." Maya ran her hand through her hair.

"I wondered about that." Toma admitted. "I was a little confused as to why he didn't. Just the same as I wondered why she didn't...get jealous when Tsume kissed him like that. It was weird, but...I wonder if it was obliviousness, her promise or both. She...tends to do that. Make promises to herself then keeps them like they're a binding blood oath."

"I'll probably send them a check-up text, too. See if they're alright. Ukyo's jealousy was pretty obvious, and I haven't experienced but I know about his other side." Maya sighed. "Another question for me?" she wasn't sure what to ask herself, but they seemed to be bouncing off each other fairly well.

"Am I your first date?" Toma had a feeling, but he wanted to ask anyway.

"Y-Yeah..." Maya looked down at her drink, frowning at it, "No one wanted to...when I was in high school because I was too...fat. I went to prom Junior year and went home crying because I was just ignored. I only went Senior year because Rika convinced me."

"You went to school with Rika and Ikki? Oh that had to be interesting." Toma blinked in surprise, though he inwardly seethed. That was cruel, but he said nothing. He knew better than to let his anger show.

"I only found out Ikki attended because he was at graduation. I had no idea the whole time. I was very focused on myself and my art and fashion, and he was always surrounded by his fans so it's not like I could see him in the first place. I'm too short." Maya laughed just a bit, "Rika tried to get me in her fan club but when I told her that she laughed and was so amused by it. Can't be in a fan club for somebody if you don't even know him."

"I wonder if you ran into Meg and never even knew it too. From what I understand though, Meg ditched her graduation so I doubt she went to Ikki's. Too loud and not enough books." Toma was highly amused by this. "I'm kind of surprised you had no idea he was there. I guess you weren't one to pay attention to the rumor mill."

"No, not really. I just focused on my schoolwork and let the days go by. Eat, sleep, school, work. Repeat. I was actually pretty glad when I made friends in college so I could start having /fun/." She admitted, taking a sip of her soda, "I haven't been part of the posse for very long, but everyone's so nice and friendly. I may not associate with you all very much, either, but the party wasn't awkward at all with the whole 'I don't know these people' vibe."

"That's good that you were comfortable with us. It would've broken Hisako's heart. Her and Ikki are the only ones that really know how to throw a party and I'm sure her pride would've been on the line if anyone was made uncomfortable. I mean, despite the questions asked." Toma laughed a little and then grinned when their food arrived. "Looks so good."

"Let's dig in!" Maya cheered happily, grabbing her chopsticks and popping them apart.

~*~

Maya thanked Toma for holding the taxi door open for her, but then as they were standing outside her apartment complex and she was staring up at it, she bit her lip. "Do you want to see my paintings?" the question was out before she could stop it. She knew asking a boy up to her place could get people talking. Would it really be so bad? She didn't want their date to be over so soon.

Toma raised an eyebrow up. Did she know what she was doing? "Sure. That sounds like fun."

Nodding, feeling her breath get caught in her throat, she fished for her keys and got them inside, up the elevator, and into her apartment. It was a simple place. One bedroom instead of a studio since she had so much stuff. Easels and sketchbooks and tables set up everywhere. There wasn't a TV, just a computer over by the window. Obviously set up so the sound would reach her while she could work, or she could turn her easel around and watch a tutorial and copy it. The couch against the wall was very cushioned, two blankets and pillows on either side. It was all so colorful, too. Patterns and bright, happy colors along with warm tones like browns or deep reds so balance it out. The kitchen was adjacent and set up so it wasn't a separate room, you could just walk right into it with a cut-out wall.

"Wow." Toma whistled as he took off his shoes and wandered further in. There were a lot of paintings that were up against the wall, clearly waiting to be sold. He liked how warm her home was too and how much natural light she let inside of her apartment. It was a bit of a mess, but it was organized. "I like your home."

"Gomen, I should've cleaned up a bit...anytime this week, honestly. At least I know where everything is?" Maya laughed softly out of embarrassment, "Would you like some warm tea to relax, Toma? Feel free to go wherever. Bathroom's on the left, if you need it."

"Thanks and tea would be lovely." Toma said with a smile. "It's alright, I've been in worse. At least yours is artistic. When I walked into Hisako's and Shin's home for the first time, I thought I walked into an occultist house. I was kind of thankful I didn't find an Ouija board. That's...a lecture I never thought I'd hear Hisako give."

"Really? I really liked it when we went there for the party. I always thought it was pretty inviting." Maya hummed as she grabbed the kettle, filling it with water and setting it on the stove. then she opened her cupboard and tapped her chin, "Oh dear...I forgot Hisako and I could rival for tea collection."

"I'm actually not that picky with tea." Toma said as he walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter to watch her. "Oh damn you do have a huge collection." He whistled when he saw what she was looking at. "You're right, you're on par."

Maya blushed deeply and went for a specific sleepy-time tea, "Caramel okay then? I like exotic and unusual teas just as much as your everyday kind. Fruity flavors are my favorite, usually they're green teas." She set the box on the counter and moved to get some cups.

"Caramel sounds perfect." Toma grinned.

She was fairly quiet as she made the tea, putting a few sugars in hers and then went to show him the paintings more closely. Some were simple flowers, those were smaller and clustered as if she had a painted garden on her wall. The medium paintings were people. Serene. Women in water, profile and face shots, obviously study-type painting she made sort of abstract so any flaws were easily overlooked. Larger paintings were mountain and forest 'scapes where she practiced using the pallet knives for snow or leaf effects.

The silence was stretching between them and Maya wasn't sure if he was busy admiring the paintings or /what/ was going on. Sighing, she set the tea in her hand down and shifted uncertainly. "Gomen, this was a bad idea. We just talked so much about my art and I wanted to show you. I didn't want to watch you leave after just dinner, either, but I don't watch TV because it's too distracting from work and I really don't know what to do. I can just pour out your tea if you want to leave..."

"I don't mind staying." Toma blinked at her with surprise and smiled at her and looked back at the paintings. "Honestly I'm just...I'm used to girls inviting me up for more ulterior motives than just to actually show me what they're talking about." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I like your lifestyle. I like your art. I like how this actually feels like a breath of fresh air. My apartment honestly doesn't feel like a home. It feels more like I just live there, more than I do anything else. I'm positive if I just go home after seeing how you live, I'm just going to be a little miserable. But it's not like I can just suddenly throw my stuff down. I'd lose things."

This was probably simultaneously the stupidest and bravest thing she'd done in her life. Hands free, she turned to him, completely open, and raised her hand up to brush her fingers over his cheek. "So then...stay the night."

"Like...stay the night or...?" Toma's cheeks reddened. "I mean I'll stay either way. I just wanted to know."

"I never had /ulterior motives/, but what you're suggesting doesn't sound so bad, either." Maya murmured, "It crossed my mind, because of what others would think and say of me bringing a man to my home. I brought you here, anyway, because what matters is between us. I really like you, Toma..." Feeling her stomach twist she put her hand down and fiddled with the ruffles of her dress, "We don't have to do /anything/. We can just sit and I'll move my laptop to the coffee table and we can watch youtube videos and talk about random things. My couch is pretty damn comfortable, so I wouldn't feel bad if you slept there. I know I sleep there about as often as my own bed, anyway..."

"You know that's not good for you." Toma couldn't help but to gently lecture. "Though, that doesn't sound bad. Not the couch and sleeping on it, but taking you to yours." He reached and gently stroked her cheek, stopping at her chin. He paused, debating, before he swooped in and pressed his mouth hungrily against hers.

()

Hisako sighed as she walked back into the kitchen. Today just felt...long. Like hours were ticking by rather than minutes and minutes were seconds. It didn't help that if she moved the wrong way, she felt herself cramp up and she wanted to kick a table. Or a wall, it was either way. She was kind of thankful that Shin was working with her. He made the day go by a little quicker though not by much. Maybe by a fraction.

"Ah, there you are. I just finished this. Here." Shin had only glanced her way, but when he saw her he frowned a bit. They'd both been a bit groggy that morning, so he hadn't really done anything. They'd just gotten dressed and showed up. However, now, he feigned giving her the tray so he could lean in and try and kiss that frown she had away. Only...he ended up kissing her cheek instead. His chest squeezed and he pulled away a bit, eyes wide. He registered her miserable expression a bit more and then his own frown appeared. "I see."

"Sorry." Hisako sighed, looking upset. She hated that look on his face. The kicked puppy look. It made her feel like she just took his heart and ripped it out and that was the one thing she /never/ wanted to do to him. He already been through a lot and she been through a lot and they deserved happiness damn it. But, she was hurting. She wasn't feeling good and she didn't want that kind of affection. She wanted to be on his lap, with him stroking her hair and she'd fall asleep. That's it. Today sucked.

Shin just shook his head and handed her the tray for real this time, "If you feel too bad then go home, okay? Promise? We can call in Ikki or Toma to fill for you. They'd both understand."

Hisako smiled softly, "I promise." She said gently, taking the tray. "Thanks sunshine." She leaned in and kissed his cheek before walking away. She could tough this out. She did it before. She could do it again, and right as she came out, she was met with an interesting sight. Oh good. The doubles were here. She made her rounds for the drinks and the food before heading over to their table. "Soooo." She said teasingly. "You finally came out of the rock that you two were hiding under huh?"

Ukyo's face flushed hot and Megumi didn't fair much better. "Glad you knew at least and must've told everyone not to bother us. Only person who sent us a worried text was Maya." He didn't know what else to say. He could only play it cool so much, but he'd certainly done what a lot of people would call 'the walk of shame' on their way into the cafe. Everyone was giving them weird or, like Hisako, knowing looks.

"I tried breaking into your house but you guys were smart and locked the door so I knew you guys were super busy." Hisako said, placing the tray on her hip. "I'm glad that you guys finally took the leap. I was kind of worried about the two of you. You mostly Ukyo. Meg can handle herself."

"Jeez, thanks for your concern." Megumi said dryly, though the blush on her cheeks didn't fade too much.

Ukyp rubbed Megumi's shoulder, "You and my other side might've had a knife fight if you'd been successful. Holes in doorways seem to be a thing, after all." He smiled at Hisako gently, "You seem to be having a bad day, on the other hand. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be alright. Just a red moon and me not paying attention and forgot to grab pain-" Hisako nearly started laughing as Megumi dug through her purse. "Of course you'd have them on hand."

"You look like you're about to keel over." Megumi said as she took out two and handed them to Hisako. "I'm surprised Shin nor Waka haven't just kicked you out the door yet."

"Too stubborn." Hisako shook her head as she dry swallowed them.

"Take them with water! What is /wrong/ with you!" Megumi stared at her.

Hisako gave Megumi a surprised look before she blinked, "You sound just like Ikki....oh right mom for a doctor." She snapped her fingers.

Ukyo winced, "I couldn't do that. Well. I hope you feel better after a little while. You looked so pale I was worried you're going to pass out. Um, anyway I think I'm going to have my usual at least?"

"Cool. You too Meg?" Hisako asked and when Meg nodded. "Coming right up guys. Nice job the way." She winked and enjoyed their red blushes as she headed to the back. "Hey guess who finally came out their cave."

"So they didn't die after all." Shin quipped, "Here we were wondering if they remembered to eat."

"Meg's a lifesaver. She had painkillers." Hisako said dreamily. "Though you should see that hickey on Meg's neck. It's impressive. Damn. You already know what they want, there's really no point in me telling you." She laughed a little.

"I still say you should go home if they don't work. Sometimes they don't. It is a good thing she came, in any case, since she was able to give you some." Shin nodded, starting to get the things ready, "I remember, though, after I mentioned Toma. I haven't exactly heard from him in a day or two. I was expecting him to call me about his date."

"Goddess, is everyone getting laid? Did I actually manage to /do/ that just because of the ice breaker game? Damn I'm good. Forget everyone stealing my thunder I got them /laid/." Hisako punched the air.

Shin looked at her, his own form of amusement written all over his face. "I'm glad the frowning Hisako went away. I much prefer happy Hisako." He reached for her hand and when she let him, he brought it up and kissed it. With her on her red moon, he had to change tactics. Which was fine. "I'll have their order ready in a minute."

"I prefer you looking happy too." Hisako said, her heart melting. "Thank you."

~*~

"Nhil~!" Sawa's long call of the silver haired man's name was more of a whine than a sing-song as she came into the yogurt shop. She was utterly alone and she had a pout on her face, "It's not fair!" she came over the the counter, leaning on it since there was no one there in line.

"What's not fair?" Nhil asked, a little surprised that she suddenly came to his counter though inwardly happy and concerned. She looked so upset and cute.

Sawa let out a huff through her nose, her bottom lip jutting out a little more, "No one wanted to come running with me this morning! Kazu /never/ outs on me! Meg-chan was also /too busy/!" she put her chin in her hand.

Nhil wondered if the girls had ditched because they thought they were giving Sawa a chance at alone time, or if something really was going on. "That sounds awful." He said shaking his head. "Do you three always go running?"

"Every weekend! Since that's when we don't have school and Meg-chan can do her journalism for the magazine on her tablet." Sawa nodded, "I don't know how comfortable you are with stuff. I wanna say what I think, but I won't make things awkward for you."

"Um. Let's hear it first and if it's too uncomfortable, I'll change subjects?" Nhil offered, wondering what on earth she was going to say. He braced himself for the worst.

"Well, Kazu-kun only ditches me like, once every two-three months. She's irregular, so if that's the case then I won't say anything." Sawa shrugged, pulling back from her half-draped position over the counter. "I think Meg-chan and Ukyo-san are /finally/ taking care of that tension between them."

"That would make sense. Running while in pain is only fun if your a masochist." Nhil said slowly, though his cheeks were flaming red at the other part. "I...don't think I would like to imagine the other scenario, but I'm happy that they're finally...um...together in a way that makes more sense."

Sawa inwardly swooned at Nhil. Outwardly she just grinned, "Everyone was waiting for it. Still, it's so lonely and boring running by myself. I was glad I remembered you worked here weekends. I know this is only the second time we've seen each other, but I've enjoyed texting you!" she admitted, "We really should discuss a study group or something between us! That way you can still focus on your schoolwork, and honestly it might keep me from procrastinating, too." She rubbed her neck embarrassed, then perked again, "I'd get to see Orion, too!"

"He has been asking me about you." Nhil said with a small smile on his face. "He likes some of the gifs of cats that you send me here and there. He thinks you have good taste. I would like that too. It'll be nice. Maybe next week I can arrange something with my managers about taking a day off so that I can focus on my studying. They do let me do that from time to time."

This was like a dream! Sawa felt herself bouncing in place, "That's a great idea! I can talk to my manager, too, or ask someone to switch shifts with me! You just text me what day and I'll figure it out!" She took a medium bowl for yogurt and happily jogged over to the flavors, filling it quickly and dumping a bunch of toppings on it, too, before shoving it towards Nhil to weigh so she could pay for it, "I'm gunna stay here a while! I can also come back after you get off work. What were you planning on doing? If anything I can just join you on your walk back to your place so I know where it is!"

"I get off around three. I'll pick up Orion from the baby sitter's and then head home with him if you don't mind the extra stop." Nhil said, scratching his cheek. "I know you want to meet him and he wants to meet you so..I think you'll hit it off."

"Perfect! I hope I'm not bothering you being so forward." Sawa realized she very well could be and her cheeks turned red, her eyes shifting, "I just get so excited. I hope Orion likes me in person."

"I'm sure he will. I like you." Nhil offered with a smile.

It made her so happy to hear that. "I'm glad." When he rung her up, she took her yogurt to the closest seat she could find, and tried to find neutral topics she didn't mind raising her voice for so they could continue talking. She loved his voice. He was so gentle. How did she get so lucky?

~*~