ă€ŠTakumi no Eriă€‹


 1: At First Sight

    They got separated at the stairs. The restaurant the group had chosen was obviously a popular one. Chisa neatly side stepped in one direction, while Eri chose the other, and then they were separated by the metal handrails and the press of people moving in and out of the wide doors.

    Eri was reluctantly letting Chisa drag her along to a group date for the afternoon. It wasn''t the first time, but she usually tried to decline because she didn''t like the unspoken expectation that everyone would pair up at the end. It was difficult for her to explain her own reluctance; even to her best friend; even to herself. Maybe it was a form of rebellion against the command to "find a good guy". Maybe she was too critical, or too picky, or looking for something that didn''t exist. Or maybe she just didn''t want to admit, especially to herself, that she was looking for him.

    Chisa disappeared through the restaurant doors at the top of the stairs, just as Eri came to a forced halt in front of a man trying to come down the stairs. He was stunning. She stared up at him in amazement instead of trying to move around him, and he grinned down at her.

    After a moment he pulled the lollipop from his mouth and asked lightly, "Want a kiss?"

    She nodded wordlessly, without trying to analyze why.

    His grin widened. He pulled a wrapper from his pocket, and then stuffed it back into his red leather jacket with the lollipop inside. He reached out to the handrail at either side, and then leaned forward and down, to drop a soft kiss on her lips.

    She simply gazed up at him when he withdrew. The person behind her protested her immobility, but somehow she couldn''t move. There were other people who were trying to follow him out of the restaurant too, and after another long breathless moment passed, he released his hold on the rails and stepped down beside her.

    He drew her into his arms and pulled her to one side against the rail. People began squeezing past and he glanced down at her, to find her eyes still locked on his face. He grinned again and asked with amusement, "In or out?"

    "What?" she asked blankly.

    "Are we going in or out?" he asked as he returned her gaze questioningly.

    "Oh," she responded after a moment. "I need to go in."

    "Okay," he replied agreeably and turned around with her still tucked under his arm. He guided her gently up the stairs, into the restaurant that he had just exited.

    Eri quickly located Chisa at a table midway along the noisy dining area. She glanced at the man whose arm was now wrapped familiarly around her waist, and indicated her friend with a small gesture. He smiled and shifted in that direction, and they walked over to the table together, without exchanging another word.

    Chisa was questioning the pair of girls across the table in an outraged tone, "What is she doing here? I told you that I was bringing Eri today!"

    The most handsome of the three young men seated at the near side of the table responded laughingly, "What does it matter, the more pretty girls the better!"

    "Group date?" the man holding her murmured into Eri''s ear softly.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Eri blushed and nodded. She quickly interrupted Chisa as she started to speak again, and said, "Chisa, I don''t mind, I didn''t really want to come anyway."

    Alarmed by Eri''s complacent withdrawal, Chisa spun back toward her friend and then gasped in surprise when she discovered the stranger beside Eri, with his arm wrapped around her waist. "Who are you!?" she demanded.

    He grinned at her and replied promptly, "Takeshi Takumi. And you don''t have to worry about the numbers in your gathering being off, because I''m taking the best girl away before you start." He pulled Eri against him and hugged her tightly.

    Eri blushed and looked at Chisa uncertainly. Chisa stared back at her with such utter surprise that Eri blurted, "Is it okay for me to go now?"

    Chisa quickly looked the guy over. He was a little over medium height and really pretty, if you liked that kind. She preferred men with stronger features and more muscle, but she''d been trying to get Eri to take interest in anyone for so long now that she wasn''t going to complain. His jacket was rather flamboyant, but the color suited him, and the quality of his clothing was good. After a moment she nodded to Eri, wordlessly giving her permission. Then she took a seat at the table beside the other two girls, pulled out her phone, and began to write an urgent message.

    The guy who had spoken up before was still laughing, as he turned and asked Takumi incredulously, "The best one?"

    Eri felt the notification vibration as Chisa''s message was delivered to her own phone, while Chisa looked up from her phone and glared at the guy across the table.

    The guy smirked back at her, before adding, "This one is cuter."

    Takumi replied confidently, "Absolutely the best, not realizing it is your loss."

    Takumi attempted to pull Eri gently away from the table, but she resisted for a moment and asked Chisa, "Are you sure that you don''t need me to stay with you?"

    "I''m sure," Chisa insisted.

    The girl beside her added, "I''m here too."

    Chisa couldn''t help rolling her eyes, but she nodded in agreement, and Eri returned her nod before turning to follow the man who had introduced himself to her friend as Takeshi Takumi. He didn''t hesitate, and gently guided her back out of the restaurant, down the steps outside, and onto the pavement. After following him away from the restaurant, Eri came to a halt, and he stopped and looked back at her questioningly.

    Eri asked uncertainly, "Where are we going?"

    Takumi arched an eyebrow at her and suggested, "Somewhere we can talk? On a date? What''s the rest of your name Eri-chan?"

    He grinned at her again as she blushed, and she replied quickly, "Mitsui Eri."

    She avoided his gaze to pull out her phone and read Chisa''s message. Her blush intensified and she shoved her phone back into her pocket. He was watching her quizzically, although his smile hadn''t disappeared.

    Eri just shook her head and then asked abruptly, "Why did you kiss me? I mean, why did you ask?"

    Takumi grinned at her and replied questioningly, "Because you got excited just by looking at me?" She gasped and took a step backward. He let her go, but he added a bit sardonically, "You asked."

    "How could you even think you know something like that!?" she demanded, with something between anger and fear.

    He gazed back at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "Are you asking seriously or are you just embarrassed by your own reaction?"

    She looked up at him uncertainly, caught off guard by his reaction. He was only about six inches taller than she was when standing on flat ground, and his expression looked honestly confused. She swallowed and replied, "I am really embarrassed and I really don''t understand."

    Her gaze dropped to the pavement at their feet, and he watched her for a moment before gently reaching for her hands. She let him take them but glanced up at him nervously, and he explained quietly, "Your pupils expanded, and your breathing changed." He dared a smile and glanced at her chest before adding, "Among other things."

    "Really?" she asked dubiously. "And you could see that?"

    He grinned at her and suggested, "Let me kiss you again, and maybe you''ll be able to see the same changes in me?"

    She stared at him for so long that he wondered if he should withdraw the suggestion, and then she nodded.

 2: Take You Home

    Takumi pulled Eri closer and kissed her again gently, until he felt her warm response begin to affect him, and then he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

    Eri gazed seriously at his face, and told him, "I can''t tell if your eyes changed."

    He bit his lip and tried not to laugh as he replied, "I''m a guy. I''m pretty sure that if you look down, you''ll be able to tell, even if you missed the change in my pupils."

    She couldn''t help glancing downward, and then blushing again, because she knew what he meant even if she wasn''t sure that it showed. She looked away in embarrassment instead of meeting his eyes.

    He pulled her closer to hug her, and she didn''t resist, so he whispered, "I''d really like to keep kissing you. What would you like to do?"

    She looked up at him and replied uncertainly, "I''m kind of hungry?"

    He blinked at her. Then he laughed and said agreeably, "I guess you were on your way into the restaurant. Do you want to go back?" She only shrugged, so he asked, "Is there anything in particular you''d like to eat?"

    She shook her head, but then suggested tentatively, "Maybe something sweet? Those taiyaki smell delicious."

    She pointed out the stall when he started to look around, and he tucked his arm back around her waist, and then pulled her over to it. The man tending the stall winked at her, and smiled at them both, making her realize that she and Takumi must look like they were on a date already.

    She ordered one of the fried sweets, and hesitated because he''d already eaten, but then asked anyway, "Do you want one too?"

    He shook his head, so she paid and accepted the piping hot paper wrapped taiyaki. They found a place to stand in the shade nearby while she nibbled at it, and he pulled the lollipop back out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth again.

    It was a warm day for the season and she asked abruptly, "Isn''t that jacket hot?"

    He grinned at her and shrugged it off. "A little," he agreed. "It''s my riding jacket."

    He was wearing a button down shirt beneath the red leather jacket, and a tie. Puzzled, she looked at him and asked, "Riding jacket?"

    He explained laughingly, "For my motorcycle." Then he asked her teasingly, "Want a ride? Can I take you home?"

    She looked at him consideringly and he waited for her response. "Okay," she agreed, feeling a little disappointed by such a quick ending, but unwilling to ask for more time.

    He didn''t know quite what to make of her tone, but when she''d finished eating he found a bin for her paper and his candy''s stick. Then he guided her to where his bike was parked and asked, "Have you ridden before?" She shook her head, and he told her lightly, "Alright, then we''ll start with the helmet."

    "Okay?" she agreed questioningly.

    He had two, one hanging at the front of the bike and a second strapped to the passenger seat. He tried the extra one on her first, but then swapped it for his own. "It really ought to be more snug for safety, but this will be okay for a short ride," he told her seriously.

    Then he zipped her into his jacket and laughed at her when she complained after a moment, "It''s hot."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    He met her offended look complacently and replied, "I know, but the wind chill on the bike will surprise you, and it''s much safer if anything does happen. I''d love to promise that you''ll be perfectly safe, but that would be the one time that something did happen, and sometimes the other drivers do some stupid things. When we''re moving, keep your arms around my waist. Centered low, not up high." She looked anxious then, and he hugged her and assured her, "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine."

    He pulled on the other helmet and then instructed her on how to mount the bike behind him. She climbed on awkwardly and settled her arms around him. He laughed again and looked back over his shoulder at her.

    "Not that I dislike it, but if you hold onto me like this we''re not going anywhere safely," he said with amusement.

    Confused, she asked, "Why?"

    He reached down and pressed her fingers against him, so that she could clearly feel his response. She gasped and let go of him entirely and he bent forward and laughed helplessly.

    She wanted to writhe with embarrassment as she told him accusingly, "You said to keep my arms low!"

    He sat up again and nodded, while agreeing with far too much amusement for her comfort, "I did! And you should! But maybe you could aim for my waistband?"

    She very hesitantly wrapped her arms back around him, and he patted her hands reassuringly before he started the bike. A moment later he pulled sedately out into traffic.

    At the first light he asked a little anxiously over his shoulder, "Are you doing okay?"

    She nodded her head against his back and then replied enthusiastically, "It is noisier than I expected, but it isn''t nearly as scary as I was afraid it might be!"

    At the second light she asked with puzzlement, "Where are we going?" He hadn''t asked her for an address or any instructions yet, but it didn''t feel like they were just driving for the pleasure of it, since he had switched lanes for this turn before it had even come into view.

    He replied questioningly, "Home?"

    "Oh," she said so quietly that he could barely hear.

    "Is that okay?" he asked.

    After a moment Takumi felt her nod against his back, so when the light changed he went ahead and made the turn. They pulled directly into the underground parking area when they arrived, and he had her dismount before he finished parking. Then he helped her remove the helmet and jacket. Once she was unencumbered he put the helmets back onto the bike, pulled his things out of the side case, and locked it down before turning back to her.

    Eri looked at him with an uncertain expression and told him, "When you said you were taking me home, I thought you meant my home."

    "I don''t know where you live," he pointed out dryly.

    She blushed and replied quickly, "I know. I just thought at first that we''d be able to talk more along the way, and you''d ask as we went. I didn''t know how noisy it was going to be when we were moving, and expected it to be more like riding on a bicycle?"

    He reached out to touch her cheek gently, and asked, "Do you want me to take you to your home instead?"

    She shook her head, and then shrugged and started to speak, but stopped without actually saying anything. She started over, and told him with embarrassment, "I don''t mind coming here, and I''m curious, but I don''t want you to assumeˇ­" She looked at him and blushed and looked away again, but he just waited patiently, and she finished quietly but firmly, "I don''t want you to think that I came here to do ''that sort of thing'' with you."

    He smiled at her and replied with gentle amusement, "I''m not going to tell you that I wouldn''t love to, or that I wasn''t hoping for it, but I''m not going to force you into anything. If you don''t want to do anything, we don''t have to."

    "Okay," she agreed.

    He waited a moment, but the matter seemed to be settled to her satisfaction, so he slid his arm around her and guided her over to the elevators. After they entered the small enclosed space, he selected the eighth floor and the doors closed smoothly.

    She looked up at him nervously and he asked teasingly, "Scared?"

    She was startled, but she replied honestly, "No, but I am a little nervous. I''ve never visited anyone that I haven''t known for at least a semester." He looked at her with such surprise that she added nervously, "I haven''t really dated very much."

    That made him laugh again and he told her, "I can tell." She winced and he hugged her against him and said reassuringly, "Don''t worry about it. I''ve probably dated too much, so between us we''re just average."

    The elevator opened before Eri could think of a reply.

 3: Embarrassing Weakness

    Takumi led Eri through the open elevator door, out into the corridor and around the corner, where he came to an abrupt halt. Eri looked up at him in surprise and then followed his gaze down the hall to where a woman was sitting against one of the doors.

    The woman adjusted her skirt and started climbing to her feet when she caught sight of them, and Takumi''s arm tightened on Eri uncomfortably, as he demanded rather harshly, "What the hell are you doing here Kasumi?"

    When she turned to face him, Eri could see that Kasumi was both pretty and curvaceous. Even her expression was cute when she pouted at Takumi, and asked petulantly, "You''re replacing me with a little girl?"

    "I''m not replacing you! You broke up with me three months ago!" he exclaimed angrily.

    Kasumi looked away guiltily, but then looked back and declared, "That was partly your fault!"

    "Um, should I leave?" Eri asked anxiously.

    "No!" Takumi exclaimed with alarm. But then he looked down at her worried face and added, while loosening his grip on her, "I mean, you can leave if you want toˇ­ but please stay?"

    Kasumi gasped and practically shrieked, "You''re asking her to stay!? We were together for a year! And you still wouldn''t ask me to stay whenever I said I was thinking of leaving!"

    Takumi lifted his head and looked at her for a long moment, and then took a deep breath and replied almost calmly, "I''m sorry Kasumi. Why are you here waiting in front of my door?"

    She stomped toward them angrily and stopped right in front of him, before she replied, "Because I thought maybe I''d been wrong! But you are such a jerk!"

    Eri had been afraid that Kasumi was going to strike him, but she didn''t even wait for a reply, she just stomped around the corner and into the elevator. Eri turned and looked after her anxiously before turning back to look at Takumi.

    He was looking after Kasumi too, but he met Eri''s eyes when she turned, and then sighed and ran his hand through his hair before asking hesitantly, "Will you come in?"

    "What?" she asked blankly.

    He offered her a tremulous smile and clarified, "To my apartment?" He let the smile fade and added, "I completely understand if you don''t want to."

    She knew that he had felt her try to pull away from him. He probably thought that she was angry or upset, but she mostly felt painfully embarrassed on his behalf, so she just shrugged and replied questioningly, "Well, we''re already here?"

    He suddenly leaned in and kissed her forehead, before releasing her and walking over to unlock his door. She followed him after a moment, and once inside, she stood still and looked around curiously. He hung his jacket up and then watched her for a bit.

    "Do you want anything to drink? Are you still hungry?" he asked a little abruptly.

    She glanced at him and then grinned, and asked, "Do you have any soda, or tea?"

    He replied a little regretfully, "No soda, but I do have tea. I''ll make you some."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    She watched him while he put the things he''d carried in away, and then started hot water. "This is a really small apartment," she commented.

    It was basically one room, although she noticed that it at least had a private bathroom partitioned off next to the door. His bed occupied most of the far end of the room, with a TV mounted on the wall at its foot. The area where he was making tea had a single counter with a sink and a little stove top. A small refrigerator and some other appliances were crammed in below the counter, and above it were a set of narrow raised cabinets. A small traditional square table was pushed up against the wall on the other side. The far wall, beyond the bed, was all glass and opened onto a tiny balcony.

    He smiled hesitantly at her when he handed her the cup of tea and said, "I chose it for the view, and the bath."

    "The bath?" she asked.

    He gestured to the bathroom and she walked back to it and peered in. "Nice," she commented after briefly examining the deep soaking tub, complete with jets and a variety of controls.

    When she walked back out he was sitting on the edge of the bed and she stopped and looked at him.

    He shrugged and said, "There isn''t really anywhere to sit besides the bed. If you''re uncomfortable we don''t have to stay here."

    She asked, "Is it OK to go out on the balcony?"

    He nodded, but then added a caution, "It''s windy."

    She edged around the bed and looked out across the city. "It must be amazing at night," she offered.

    "It is," he replied with a sudden grin. "You''re welcome to stay and see it then?"

    Eri blushed and gave him a small noncommittal shrug, before sliding open the door and stepping out. The wind hit her face almost hard enough to sting, but it was the way the deck of the balcony vibrated beneath her feet that made her shriek and grab the rail.

    Takumi was off the bed and holding her a moment later. He examined her with concern and asked, "What happened? What''s wrong?"

    It took her a moment to unclench her teeth enough to answer, and then she said, "I don''t know, it vibrated and I suddenly got scared."

    He frowned and told her, "It vibrates in the wind, but it''s perfectly sturdy." He stamped on it to demonstrate and the whole structure vibrated again.

    "Please don''t do that," she begged.

    He laughed a little and suggested, "If you''re scared, let go of the rail and come back in?"

    "I can''t," she almost wailed.

    "What? Why not?" he asked with alarm.

    She shivered in his arms and explained a little tearfully, "I can''t make my hands let go!"

    He bent forward and asked quietly against her ear, "If you''re this scared of heights, why did you come out?"

    "I''m not scared of heights!" She refuted his accusation immediately, but then added anxiously, "But apparently I''m afraid of balconiesˇ­ I really can''t let go."

    He smiled at that, but moved his hands down to cover her tightly clenched ones. Then he kissed her cheek and said reassuringly, "I''m right here, you''re fine."

    She took a shuddering breath and then somehow managed to transfer one hand from clutching the bar to clutching his hand.

    They stood like that for a moment and then he suggested, "Now the other one?"

    "I know!" she insisted. "Give me another minute?" she asked faintly.

    He replied with obvious amusement, "Take your time."

    After a moment she managed to transfer her other hand from the bar to his hand, and he pulled her back into the apartment and down onto a corner of the bed.

    "I feel so embarrassed," she complained after a minute.

    The wind from the open door was still tugging at their hair in random gusts, but he leaned in and kissed her before standing up to shut the door. When he turned back to her he said more seriously, "Don''t worry about it. I''m pretty sure that I feel just as embarrassed about the scene in the hall."

    She opened her mouth and then shut it again.

    He crawled onto the bed behind her and leaned against the padded headboard. Then he stretched out his legs, and asked, "You''re not going to ask?"

    She turned and looked at him. "There are a million things I want to ask, but I don''t know if I should."

    "A million?" he repeated laughingly. "Just start by asking one at a time?" he suggested with the arch of an eyebrow.

 4: Quick Confession

    Hesitantly, Eri crawled onto the bed and settled beside Takumi''s knee. He gave her a rueful look, and she decided to ask what she''d been wondering since the two simple words, ''please stay'', had set his ex off. "She said that you never asked her to stay, why not?"

    "It''s a silly reason." He looked away from her doubtful expression, and swallowed before attempting to explain what suddenly seemed embarrassingly childish, "I always thought it was cool the way my mother''s bandmate, Rin, always said that he would never ask a woman to stay. Especially since according to his wife, he really never has."  He looked back at her before admitting, "So I decided I''d never ask either, even though my father insisted that it was stupid."

    "But, you askedˇ­" she started to object.

    He interrupted, "I didn''t care if it was cool or not when I asked you to stay." He met her eyes before adding, "I guess my father was right, because I just really didn''t want you to leave, and I felt like if I didn''t say it I''d regret it later."

    She looked at him dubiously. "Are you trying to say that it didn''t matter to you if she stayed?"

    "No." He shrugged though and admitted, "I don''t know why it''s different." After a moment he suggested lightly, with a quick grin, "Maybe I fell in love with you at first sight?" She made a face at him and he leaned forward and touched her cheek for a moment, "My parents probably aren''t the best examples either, my mother insists that she did fall in love at first sight, and my father has always said that if my mother ever decided to leave him he''d beg her to stay on his knees."

    That made her smile a little, even though she suspected that his words were designed to get her into bed. Especially when he told her a moment later, "I really want to kiss you again."

    She examined his face and then asked directly, "Why did you bring me to your apartment?"

    He shrugged again. "I thought it would be comfortable, private, and I might cook you a real dinner later."

    She shook her head at the unspoken implications that seemed to confirm his intentions, but then she remembered that he''d already directly admitted that he was hoping for it when he''d told her that she didn''t have to do anything if she didn''t want to. "How many women have you dated?" she asked obliquely.

    He winced and replied, "Lots. Do you really want me to answer that?" She nodded and he asked doubtfully, "Do I need to include one night stands?" Her shocked expression made him add a quick apology, "Sorry."

    "I don''t want to be a one night stand," she told him with surprising firmness.

    "Marry me then?" he suggested teasingly.

    "That''s not funny," she replied unhappily.

    "It''s not completely a joke either," he said softly. "I really haven''t ever asked a girl to stay when she wanted to leave before."

    She stared at him for a long moment and then objected, "We don''t even know each other!"

    He grinned and scooted closer to her and insisted softly, "That''s why you should date me until we know each other well enough to get married."

    She leaned in until their noses almost touched and replied seriously, "I am feeling way too anxious to agree to anything right now."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    He sat back and replied ruefully, "I''m sorry. What can I do to make you feel less anxious?"

    She examined his face thoughtfully for a moment and then suggested, "Tell me about your dating history?"

    "That will take a long time," he said reluctantly.

    "Do you have other plans tonight?" she asked curiously.

    He grinned at her again suddenly. "No. Okay, I will tell you everything, if you''re sure that you want to know," he agreed conditionally.

    She nodded, and replied firmly, "Yes, I''m sure."

    Takumi started at the beginning, with his first girlfriend. After he''d covered high school, he stopped and asked, "Should I make you dinner or would you rather go out?"

    "I''m not hungry yet?" she replied uncertainly. "And didn''t you eat already?"

    "Yeah, but I usually eat a snack before bed. And if I''m cooking for you, there are some things I want to start now, so that they have some time before I actually make you dinner," he explained.

    "Okay," she agreed.

    "Okay what?" he asked laughingly. "Should I cook or should we go out?"

    "Cook," she replied.

    "Testing my skills?" he asked lightly.

    "Maybe," she answered seriously. "If your food is good, I can put that in the plus if-I-date-you column?"

    "Is there anything in that column yet?" he asked dryly, as he crawled off the bed.

    She laid back and gazed at his ceiling for a moment before answering. He started rummaging through his cupboards and his refrigerator for the ingredients he wanted.

    Finally she told him, "You are really pretty. I like it when you kiss me. You''ve answered everything I''ve asked you so far. And you seem to be telling me the truth I think?"

    He stopped what he was doing and told her, "I''d really like to kiss you again right now." She looked over at him and he added, "And I have been telling you the truth, which I would probably say if I were lying, but I''m not."

    Eri laughed and crawled off the bed. He looked surprised when she walked up to him, and stunned when she kissed him. After a moment he set down the bowl he was holding, pulled her up tight against him, and kissed her thoroughly. She gasped when he let her go and picked up the bowl again.

    "You really should agree to at least date me if you''re going to let me kiss you like that," he said with a grin.

    She blushed and retreated to the far side of the bed without answering. He sighed and resumed the narrative of his dating history, while she looked out at the city.

    "It''s almost sunset," she commented after a little while.

    "Are you even listening anymore or am I rambling on about ancient history for no reason now?" he asked a little plaintively.

    She regarded him dryly and replied, "You just finished telling me about your 18th girlfriend, not counting your one night stands."

    Takumi asked uncomfortably, "You''re keeping count?"

    She just nodded.

    "Why does it matter who I''ve dated or for how long?" he asked.

    She answered seriously, "It probably doesn''t. But you started out by kissing me, then you brought me to your apartment, and then there was that scene... And then you say something like you want me to marry you? I don''t know what to think. And it may not make any sense, but it does make me feel less anxious to know your history?"

    He replied wryly, "I''m a little surprised it doesn''t make you feel more anxious."

    "How many people have you asked to marry you?" she asked suddenly.

    He looked at her, and then replied soberly, "You''re not going to believe me."

    She gazed back at him doubtfully.

    "I don''t want to tell you," he said unhappily.

    "Okay," she agreed.

    "Is it really?" he asked.

    "Yeah," she replied calmly. "I''d much rather have you say that you don''t want to tell me something than tell me a lie instead."

    "Alright," he agreed. A moment later he added with a laugh, "I''ll tell you someday though."

 5: Decision

    After a few minutes Takumi resumed his narration, while Eri internally questioned her own motives.

    She had kissed him before even knowing his name so maybe her desires really weren''t much different than his. The embarrassing message that Chisa had sent about using protection implied that even her best friend had assumed that they might end up doing more than kissing. Her gaze focused on him again, and she wondered how you were supposed to tell someone that you wanted to kiss them more too.

    When Takumi had finished his cooking preparations, he climbed back onto the bed and sat against the headboard again. He looked startled and then smiled at her when she cautiously crawled over and cuddled against him. She didn''t explain, and he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, letting the short soft curls bounce as they slipped off his fingertips.

    He kissed her hesitantly at first, and then more warmly when she didn''t pull away. But after kissing him for a little while, she couldn''t help pointing out, "You haven''t finished telling me."

    He told her the rest, while she laid against his shoulder and enjoyed the soft hum of his voice. And finally he told her about the woman who had been waiting in the hall.

    "Kasumi really seemed to like me at first, and we had fun, but after about half a year she decided that I was too boring," he paused and looked at Eri a little anxiously.

    "Okay?" she replied questioningly.

    "I thought maybe it was partly my fault, and maybe I was being unbearably boring. I like routine. I like having a job where I go to work at the same time everyday, I like getting to plan my vacations and visit amazing places, and then come home and sleep in my own bed and resume my ordinary life." He added bitterly, "I tried to go to more places she liked, and tried to work it out instead of giving up. But now I wonder if I only tried to meet her expectations because I wanted to be in love with her."

    "And now you want to be in love with me?" Eri asked uncomfortably.

    He reached out and touched her face lightly, and laughed a little. "No," he replied firmly, but with amusement.

    "You don''t want to be in love with me?" she asked with confusion.

    "I was joking about first sight, mostly, but there''s definitely attraction and more," he replied seriously. "I really want you to like me as well as want me."

    She shrugged and replied uncomfortably, "Sorry, I don''t know yet."

    "It''s okay." He smiled at her and then sobered again as he continued, "Anyway, it''s different. I think I wanted to be in love with her because she was beautiful and she could make me laugh, but I wasn''t really. I just thought if we could adapt to each other, if I gave it more timeˇ­" he said wistfully.

    Eri looked at him unhappily and he said, "I''m sorry. Anyway, she just got more frustrated with me." He closed his eyes and grimaced. "And the way she broke up with me was horrible. I got home early one day and found her in my apartment with another man. She claimed I was being annoyingly clingy, and that I didn''t own her and that at least he wasn''t boring." The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    He opened his eyes and looked at Eri and said, "If you ever want to break up with me, just tell me. I''ll believe you."

    "Okay," Eri agreed uncomfortably.

    He touched her cheek and then kissed her lightly. Her eyes darkened a little and her lips reddened from just that much, and he grinned and told her, "You''re so cute. I really could fall for you."

    "I don''t see how you can think you might be able to fall in love with me already," she protested unhappily.

    He looked at her and replied thoughtfully, "I don''t know, but I''ve known plenty of women. This feels a little different?"

    "Twenty-four girlfriends and nineteen one night or one weekend stands," she listed.

    He winced and corrected, "Twenty-one then, I um, added a couple more after Kasumi left." She sighed, and he said unhappily, "I really don''t think telling you all this was a good idea."

    "I do," she replied firmly.

    "Well, maybe it is a good warning for you, butˇ­" he began again.

    She leaned in and kissed him. He gave her a confused look. "Even if I think you''re wrong about being able to start falling in love so quickly," she reached up and touched his face, "you''ve slowed down on dating as you got older, and it sounds like you really did make an effort to make things work."

    He nodded uncertainly, and she lowered her fingers and kissed him again.

    "And you never said you cheated on anyone," she added.

    "No," he agreed, and leaned in to kiss her more deeply.

    She shyly reached up and pulled him closer as they kissed again.

    He trailed kisses along her jaw and then murmured against her ear, "Please at least agree to try dating me."

    "Okay," she agreed calmly, since she had already decided that much.

    He grinned at her and kissed her again. After a little while he shifted uncomfortably. When he did it again a few minutes later, she sat up and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    He wordlessly reached out and moved her hand. She blushed and snatched her fingers back like they''d been burned.

    "It''s okay, I know you''re not ready," he said reassuringly.

    She looked away and admitted uncomfortably, "I''d kind of like to try it, I think."

    He laughed and pulled her up tight against him, but he warned her seriously, "It''s not something that you''re going to be able to try a little of and stop."

    She bit her lip and said shyly, "Okay, then I mean I''d kind of like to do it?"

    He told her a little roughly, "Don''t say that unless you mean it, I''m serious!" Then suddenly anxious he asked, "How old are you even?"

    She looked at him and laughed. "Are you worried?" She asked teasingly.

    He nodded and told her, "My father got arrested when he was dating my mother because she was still only seventeen when they started dating. They just laugh when they talk about it, but I think it would be awful."

    She grinned and replied, "I''m already twenty-one."

    He examined her face carefully, but then he hugged her tightly and whispered, "I''m glad."

    "You must be about twenty-five?" she asked uncertainly. He raised an eyebrow at her and she added, "You don''t look any older than that, but you said that you got your degree several years ago."

    "Twenty-seven," he corrected. Then he released her and she looked at him uncertainly. He leaned over the edge of the bed and sat up with a distinctive packet between his fingers.

    She blushed and stared at it.

    "Shall we?" he asked.

    She bit her lip, and then nodded.

 6: Now

    Takumi kissed Eri and pulled her closer, but then he stopped and examined her with a worried expression. "Have you done this before?"

    She winced and asked, "If I say I haven''t are you going to stop?"

    "No," he replied firmly. "I already warned you I wasn''t going to stop if you were serious," he reminded her and then kissed her again.

    She didn''t have the words to describe the pull his kisses created within her. And she felt like complaining that his actions weren''t matching his words when he stopped again to ask seriously, "Why did you decide you want to all of a sudden?"

    She could only respond laughingly, "I don''t know? Maybe it''s from kissing you so much?"

    He abruptly slid his hands under her shirt and started to pull it off. "I''m not going to stop," he warned her again.

    She grinned and replied, "Okay."

    "You''re sure you want me to?" he asked as he removed the next piece of clothing.

    "I want you to," she agreed.

    "Gods you''re beautiful," he whispered as he looked at her.

    She shook her head and replied shyly, "I think you''re way prettier than I am."

    He started removing her jeans and replied with a wry grin, "If you tell me you think you''re fat, I''m going to laugh at you and make you cheesecakes."

    She gasped and said, "I''m really tempted to tell you that I think I''m fat now."

    He bent and kissed the tops of her feet as he slid her socks off and told her, "You are lovely from head to toe, and you can have cheesecakes if you want them."

    Eri glanced toward the windows and said, "We''re missing the sunset."

    Takumi slid his hand behind her head and assured her quietly, "I''m not missing anything. I''m watching the light on your skin."

    She glanced down and blushed, and he followed her gaze and grinned. After a moment she whispered, "Protection?"

    "I won''t forget," he promised.

    Eri stopped being able to think clearly after a while as the intensity she felt from his kisses was written across her body, but Takumi kept his promise.

    She stared at him wide-eyed when he withdrew a while later, and he asked her a little anxiously, "Was I too rough? I wasn''t able to hold back much."

    She laughed, and he glanced at her with surprise. "It did hurt a little, but it was amazing, no wonder people like it so much," she replied when she''d stopped laughing.

    He smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

    Then he got dressed, filled the tub for her, and cooked supper while she bathed. She dressed and came out, and then watched him as he arranged their plates. "Are you a chef?" she enquired after a moment.

    He laughed and told her with a grin, "No, but my father taught me to cook, and my mother''s uncle is a chef and I worked for him a little during some summers. Do you cook?"

    She shrugged and replied, "A little, but not as prettily as this."

    He smiled and said, "I like to cook as long as I don''t have to do it every day."

    "What do you do for work?" she asked curiously.

    He glanced at her and replied a little warily, "I''m a business accountant."

    She blinked and told him, "You don''t look like an accountant."

    He laughed and then asked teasingly, "What does an accountant look like?"

    She shrugged and replied, "Well the stereotype doesn''t wear red leather jackets and ride motorcycles?"

    He grinned again. "It''s probably a defensive reaction to our parents jobs. My little brother is a lawyer."

    She gazed at him questioningly and he explained, "My mother is a musician and my father is a manager at a publishing company. Neither of them have ever had the same schedule for two weeks in a row. They somehow managed it so that one or the other of them was always there whenever we had a school event, or got sick, or anythingˇ­ but you could never guess which one would come, so both of their children chose predictable boring careers."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Eri pondered for a moment and then said, "One of my uncle''s is a lawyer, I''m not sure boring or predictable is a good description for his job. How is a business accountant different from a regular accountant?"

    He shrugged and replied, "It''s not very different. It pays a little better. Since it''s mostly dealing with accounts at a corporate level there are a few differences in which government schedules we file under and such, but it''s still pretty similar to the accounting done on smaller scales."

    "Why did you choose accounting?" she asked after a moment. "Do you really like math?"

    Takumi laughed and then replied cheerfully, "Most of the math is done by computers. I chose my career by looking up jobs that paid enough to go on the kind of vacations I wanted and gave enough time off to do it. Then I just selected the one that seemed easiest." Then he shrugged again, and asked, "What do you do?"

    Eri replied reluctantly, "I''m still in college, and even though I''m already in my third year, I have no idea what I really want to do."

    "Your parents are paying for it?" he asked curiously.

    She nodded and replied, "Yes." She was embarrassed about it though, so she added quickly, "But I don''t make them pay for anything else anymore. I''ve taken jobs during the summer and I work a few hours each Saturday."

    He asked a little hesitantly, "Are you just going because they want you to?"

    She shook her head, but then admitted, "They do want me to, but I''m going because I promised Chisa that I''d go with her." She glanced down at her plate and added, "But she doesn''t really need me there anymore, she loves it now, and has made a lot of new friends. She also belongs to a couple of clubs, besides taking classes."

    Takumi asked neutrally, "You haven''t made any new friends or joined any clubs in your three years?"

    Eri shrugged without meeting his eyes. "I''ve met a lot of people, and during the first couple years I joined the same clubs as Chisa. But I didn''t really enjoy it, so this year I refused and didn''t join any." She glanced at him and added quickly, "But I do have a hobby."

    "Oh?" he enquired with interest.

    She blushed as she admitted, "I play a keyboard. My mother''s elderly musician friend arranged a couple of background music recordings that I actually got paid for while I was a teenager, but it''s really just a hobby."

    He suggested, "You could turn it into a job?"

    She shook her head again, and then met his eyes as she told him seriously, "I tried taking some of the music courses at our college, and I hated it. I don''t think I want to try to make it into my job if it means playing becomes a chore."

    "OK," he replied easily. She looked at him with surprise, and he said with a grin, "That''s exactly how I feel about cooking. I like it, but I don''t like doing it as a job." And then he stood up and collected their dishes.

    She stood up and said, "I''ll help wash."

    He gave her a searching look and asked, "Are you feeling OK?"

    She looked at him blankly and replied, "I''m fine? Why? Did you poison our supper?"

    He laughed, and set down the dishes before he pulled her close and whispered, "Down there, I meant, are you in any pain?"

    She blushed and shook her head. They washed the dishes together, and then sat on the edge of the bed closest to the balcony and watched the city lights.

    "It''s a beautiful view," she complimented after watching for a while.

    He reached over and ran his fingers through her hair and replied, "Not as beautiful as you are."

    She glanced at him and suggested, "Or you''ve just become used to it?"

    He pouted at her and asked, "Why do you dislike being complimented?"

    She shrugged. "I don''t know, it''s uncomfortable."

    He slid his hands around her waist and asked, "Does that mean I should keep complimenting you until you get used to it, or stop?"

    "I don''t know," she replied as she leaned into him.

    He kissed her and then asked, "Are you spending the night?"

    Startled, she withdrew and asked hesitantly, "Do you want me to?"

    "Absolutely," he replied firmly.

    "You want to do more?" she guessed.

    "I do," he agreed and leaned over to kiss her again. "I want to sleep beside you too, and you could stay even longer than just one night."

    "You don''t even know if I snore yet," she pointed out grumpily.

    He grinned and informed her, "I don''t plan to find out for hours yet either."

    She couldn''t help smiling, and he leaned in and kissed her, and then ran his hands down her back. When he slid his hands under her shirt again, she told him, "Wait a minute,"

    "Okay?" he agreed curiously.

    Takumi grinned at her without saying anything as Eri called her parents. She quickly told them that she was not coming home, and then blushed and glanced at Takumi as she added, "Maybe not until Sunday."

    She listened for a moment and then she looked up at him again and asked, "What''s the address here?" He told her and she repeated it to her parents. Then she turned even redder and answered firmly, "I will."

    After she ended the call Takumi asked, "What will you do?" Eri just looked at him with her cheeks flaming and didn''t answer. "Use protection?" he guessed.

    She looked at him in surprise and nodded. He shrugged and she leaned over and started to take off his shirt. He grinned at her and slid his hands back under her shirt.

    After a moment she stopped him and requested, "Can you turn off the light first?"

    He kissed her again before asking, "Why? Are you feeling shy now?"

    She shrugged and looked at the windows and told him, "With the lights on, people can see in."

    "I don''t care," he told her laughingly.

    "I care," she protested.

    He grinned and stood up. He pulled back the covers on the bed, moved the pillows and shut off the lights.

    They didn''t sleep until several hours later.

 7: New Boundaries

    When Eri woke up in Takumi''s arms, he pulled her tighter against him. She responded to his wordless demands and with her movement, his eyes snapped open and he asked, "Protection?"

    She abruptly moved away, and replied anxiously, "Sorry, I think I wasn''t quite awake yet."

    "Neither was I," he agreed ruefully. He turned and gathered up what they needed, adding, "I need to go buy more when we get up."

    Once proper safety measures were applied, Takumi coaxed her back to him, and began to caress her. After a minute Eri shyly asked him to change what he was doing.

    He paused and questioned, "I thought you were enjoying it? You don''t like it?"

    "I do," she assured him. "But it feels different, I don''t know why?"

    He moved his hands. After a moment he smiled and said, "You really do like this better."

    She agreed, and a while later they collapsed in a sweaty tangle.

    "Gods," he breathed into her hair, "what a way to wake up!"

    "Sorry," she mumbled into his shoulder.

    "I''m not complaining!" he exclaimed. "I loved it! I love you!" He rolled her back off of him far enough to kiss her.

    She smiled at him uncertainly, and he sat up and told her with a grin, "Get used to it, I''m going to keep repeating it until you believe me. You are so freaking sexy and I love you already!"

    Instead of arguing, she suggested tentatively, "Maybe I should start some kind of birth control?"

    He agreed laughingly, "Probably, if this is how we''re going to start mornings very often." He disentangled himself cheerfully, and then stood up and walked into the bathroom.

    She shifted around until she found her phone, looked at it, and gasped. "We slept all morning!"

    He called out, "Is that a problem?"

    "I have to be at work in an hour," she replied anxiously. She grabbed her clothes and followed him to the bathroom, but then stopped in the open doorway and looked away with embarrassment.

    Takumi finished emptying his bladder, and looked at her with amusement. "You''ve already seen it all, what''s there to be embarrassed about?" he teased.

    Eri shrugged and he reached for her. She didn''t avoid him, but she didn''t look at him again until he said, "Sorry. I should have asked when you worked, and offered to wash your clothes last night."

    She shook her head hard enough that her curls bounced a little and replied, "It''s my fault, I didn''t imagine we''d sleep all morning." She blushed again as she added, "And my clothes don''t matter, I''ll change into my uniform when I get there."

    "Should I make you breakfast? Where do you work? And can we continue this after you get done?" he asked in a rush.

    "If it''s quick," she said to breakfast. "I work an eight hour shift at the Delphoi," she said of her job.

    "Posh," he commented.

    "Only if you''re a customer," she replied laughingly.

    "Eri, can I bring you back home with me when you''re done?" he asked again.

    "Okay," she agreed.

    She laughed at the bowl of cereal he presented her after she was dressed, and he shrugged and pointed out, "It''s quick."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "It is," she agreed.

    --

    He drove her to work on his motorcycle.

    When he helped her remove the helmet and jacket he said, "I need to buy you gear that fits properly." She looked at him in surprise and he told her, "I might be able to borrow a helmet that would fit you better, but I''d rather just get you your own."

    "Um, Okay?" she agreed hesitantly.

    "Do you not like riding with me?" he asked.

    "I like it," she replied quickly.

    "Alright, let''s go shopping tomorrow," he said decisively. "I''ll pick you up here tonight?" he added with a grin.

    She nodded and started to walk away, but then ran back to him. He looked at her with surprise and she asked shyly, "Your phone or message contact?"

    Takumi actually blushed, and apologized quickly, "Sorry, my brain must not be working."

    They made the data exchange and then Eri ran to the employee entrance. In the locker room she pulled on her uniform in the changing cubicle.

    Sato Kyohei blocked her way when she tried to exit the cubicle, and she gasped involuntarily, and then straightened her spine and complained, "Move, I''m going to be late."

    He laughed and reached out and tugged her hair. "Agree to go on a date with me and I''ll let you go," he said coaxingly.

    "No," she replied shortly.

    He frowned at her and complained, "You always say no."

    "Move," she repeated.

    His expression tightened but Mina came up beside him and said, "Stop bothering Eri-chan or I''ll report you for sexual harassment."

    He looked over at Mina and replied mockingly, "Somebody needs to get laid."

    Eri slipped around him, and out into the corridor, while he was distracted.

    --

    Her shift went pretty normally. She was relieved when Sato worked with his usual efficiency and didn''t bring it up again. On her lunch break she quietly scheduled an appointment for birth control after her last class on Monday.

    When Eri was finished, she changed out of her uniform, and then hurried out of the employee entrance. She nearly screamed when someone stepped out from behind one of the cement columns and grabbed her arm.

    Sato said seriously, "Geez, you''re so jumpy! It''s just me."

    "Let go of me," Eri demanded quickly.

    Instead of letting go, he pulled her closer and demanded, "Stop playing hard to get, it''s getting old."

    She kicked him in the shin, and he let go of her with an offended expression.

    "No need to get violent!" he protested.

    "Don''t ever touch my girlfriend again!" snapped Takumi, as he walked up to the entrance and wrapped his arms around Eri.

    Sato stared at him and asked, "What the hell!?"

    Eri heaved a sigh and relaxed into Takumi''s embrace. "You can put this in the plus column," she whispered.

    He glanced down at her and started to laugh.

    Sato announced in an offended tone, "She never said she had a boyfriend."

    Takumi stopped laughing and glared at him again. "Saying no should have been enough. I''m serious, don''t ever touch her again!"

    Sato raised his hands and protested, "No need to get pissy pretty boy."

    Takumi didn''t respond, and simply swung Eri around and walked her back to his bike. She couldn''t explain why his apparently possessive and dominant actions actually felt comfortable and reassuring to her, while Sato''s behavior made her extremely uncomfortable.

    "Feel like going out to dinner?" Takumi asked as he fastened her buckles.

    Eri gazed at him and wondered if the difference was in his pretty face or in the way he was always asking what she wanted. She responded to his question with a shrug.

    He paused and asked, "Would you rather eat at home?"

    She nodded, but then added as he tugged the last fastening snug, "But you said you don''t like to cook everyday, so if you want to go out, it''s fine."

    "I want to buy a set of couple''s rings tomorrow," he replied seriously. Her whispered words about her imaginary plus and minus columns for dating him, and the way she had relaxed into him, made him feel protective of her. Sometimes she seemed strangely innocent, but the way she''d woken him up hadn''t seemed innocent at all, like a delightfully complicated puzzle that he didn''t want to let go of.

    She looked up at him with a confused expression and he told her, "I don''t want creeps like that thinking you don''t have a boyfriend anymore."

    "Oh," she replied faintly. She wondered what he''d say if she admitted that it hadn''t occurred to her that she actually had a boyfriend now.

    "Will you wear one with me?" he asked plaintively.

    "Alright," she agreed shyly.

    "And I don''t mind cooking every night on weekends," he assured her and kissed her. "I even went shopping in case," he told her with a grin.

    She smiled back at him and then they arranged themselves on his bike and he drove them back to his apartment.

 8: Night and Day

    They were still kissing when the elevator doors opened and revealed an older woman struggling with two laundry baskets, who laughed and said cheerfully, "I see you''re enjoying your youth Takeshi-kun."

    Takumi grinned and handed Eri his key and his jacket. While she watched him with a confused expression, he took one of the baskets and said, "I''ll just walk Hiroshi-ba-san to the laundry and be right back. I''ll have laundry to do tonight too, so we can wash your things as well."

    "OK," Eri agreed shyly.

    It seemed embarrassing to have your laundry mentioned during your first meeting with someone, but the laundry baskets made it an obvious topic. And Takumi hadn''t really made any introductions, but the two of them were obviously quite familiar with each other. After the elevator closed again, she turned and walked down the hall to let herself into Takumi''s apartment.

    She had been a little afraid of getting the wrong door, but she had chosen correctly. She hung up his red leather jacket after successfully fumbling the lights on, and looked at the kitchenette counter with surprise. Next to the little jar of lollipops, like the one Takumi had been sucking on when she met him on the stairs, was a vase full of roses.

    They scented the room strongly enough that she could smell them without walking over to sniff at them, but she walked over to them anyway and touched one. She grinned at the soft texture of the flower petal against her finger. Then she looked around the room and wondered where Takumi kept his dirty laundry. The things they''d discarded the night before had been picked up and the room tidied.

    When he returned, it was the first thing she asked him and he laughed, and beckoned her into the bathroom. He opened the tall cabinet where he kept towels and things and gestured to the bottom half which was filled by a tall square spring basket.

    Takumi leaned down and kissed her neck, and then told her, "I''ll find you something to wear, and take that down to start."

    Eri blushed at his casual intimacy. But like the roses waiting on the counter, she was enjoying these small romantic gestures, even if they highlighted the differences between this quick warm romance and the slow cool love of her past like day and night.

    Takumi was shocked when Eri couldn''t squeeze into even his loosest set of pajama pants. She shrugged and asked him with embarrassment, "Want to change your mind about me being too fat?"

    "Absolutely not," he replied quickly. "I love your hips and tonight''s dessert is cheesecake." He pulled her closer and kissed her belly while she laughed, then released her and rummaged in another of the drawers that lined his bed frame and pulled out a faded yukata.

    He was relieved when he wrapped it around her and it overlapped sufficiently. She removed the t-shirt she''d put on first, and then shrugged into the yukata and fastened it properly into place. She looked like she was dressed for a festival despite the worn material.

    He wrapped around her and whispered, "You''re so freaking cute right now."

    She blushed again and he kissed her. They clung together for awhile, but finally he released her and reluctantly carried off their laundry.

    After a few minutes of sitting on the bed gazing out at the city, she tried to turn on the TV. After several puzzled minutes of being unable to get it to show anything but a blank screen, she gave up and turned it off again. When Takumi returned again he immediately started working on preparing dinner.

    After watching him for a minute she told him, "I tried to turn on your TV but I couldn''t get anything but a blank screen?"

    He looked up with a short laugh, and told her cheerfully, "I don''t have a subscription, or even have it hooked up to the net. I''ve got a bunch of music videos and movies in storage that I stream to it if I want to have something on. If you want live TV or games we can hook it up and subscribe."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She shook her head quickly. If he needed to be conservative, she didn''t want to add to his expenses. She replied reassuringly, "I don''t watch things very often, I just felt a little weird sitting and waiting for you with nothing to do."

    "I''ll show you how to stream to it later," he promised.

    "OK," she agreed, and he grinned at her affectionately.

    It didn''t take Takumi long to finish cooking, and he set the little table up with the flowers in the center, flanked by two candles.

    "Pretty," Eri complimented, as she settled at the table.

    Takumi grinned at her and shut off the lights. Eri blinked at him in the soft candlelight. The scent of the roses and the food filled the little apartment.

    As they ate by candlelight, he mentioned, "I also picked up a few types of soda for you, hopefully flavors you don''t dislike, since I didn''t think to ask before."

    "Thank you," she replied quickly. "I don''t think I''m very picky?"

    "I like sweet things, so I don''t mind drinking them if there are any you don''t want, but I usually try not to keep too many around," he replied.

    She commented, "I noticed your container of lollipops."

    Takumi grinned at her and said, "Those are sugar free."

    Eri made a face at him and asked, "What''s the point of sugar free candy?"

    He laughed and suggested with a teasing grin, "It''s the same as using protection? It isn''t quite as wonderful, but it''s still very good and it''s much better for you."

    She blushed and they fell silent for a little while.

    Takumi asked after a bit, "What''s your favorite color? What kind of music do you like? When''s your birthday?"

    Eri laughed and replied, "I want to know those things too. My favorite color is green, I like a little bit of everything but not everything of any particular category of music, and my birthday is the 20th of March."

    He pouted at her and complained, "I missed it, you should have met me two months ?ago."

    She giggled and replied, "I have one every year like everybody else."

    "We''ll do something fun for your next one," he promised. Then he answered his own questions, "My favorite color is red, I prefer classical or instrumental music, and my birthday is on July 22nd."

    Eri grinned and replied, "I think I should have been able to guess the color."

    Takumi laughed and took her plate. "Should I turn the lights back on or would you like to continue by candlelight?"

    She blushed without answering.

    He grinned at her and didn''t ask again, he just finished clearing the table, and then scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He trailed kisses down her body as he unwrapped her, and then moved his hands back up to her chest with delight.

    She laughed and commented, "You really like to do that."

    He glanced up at her and asked, "Do you want me to be doing something different?"

    She shrugged and told him what she''d like best so far with embarrassment. He moved to follow her suggestion, and commented teasingly. She looked away with embarrassment.

    He scolded her gently saying, "Eri, I want to know what pleases you most. I love making you feel good."

    She looked back at him and replied quickly, "Me too."

    They exchanged quiet fragments of pillow talk, and when Takumi teased her, she scolded him. They used protection and it was still very good, but he grinned at her afterward with such a smug expression that she hid her face against his shoulder.

    "I love you," he said quietly and stroked her hair.

    "I''m sorry," she mumbled.

    He tensed and she continued unhappily, "I really like you a lot. And I love being with you. I just don''t know yet, it''s too fast."

    He relaxed and cuddled her, and said softly, "It''s okay Eri, you don''t have to say you love me until you''re sure. I don''t mind."

    "Are you sure?" she asked.

    "I want you to fall in love with me, I don''t want you to lie and say you love me when you''re not sure," he replied after a minute.

    She pushed up and looked into his face and told him anxiously, "I really do like you very much."

    He grinned and said, "Good." Then he rolled her over, held up another packet and asked, "More?"

    "Already?" she asked faintly.

    He frowned. "Am I doing too much to you? You haven''t complained even though it was your first time last night."

    "I like it," she insisted quickly before confessing, "but I feel sort of stretched? I don''t know how to describe itˇ­"

    He kissed her and put the packet down. "Let''s take a bath," he suggested.

 9: Water under the bridge.

    Eri asked dubiously as the tub filled, "Will we both fit?"

    Takumi bent and scooped her up, and then placed her in the tub without answering. The water rose, and he climbed in behind her. He pulled her into his lap, making the water slosh over into the overflow, and he reached out and turned the water off.

    "We fit like this," he pointed out.

    They exchanged teasing words as they washed, until she responded to one of his more suggestive complaints with, "Stand up then?"

    He leapt to his feet and she bounced her head against the side as she tumbled off his lap. He gasped, pulled her into his arms, and apologized anxiously, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to."

    "I''m OK," she assured him. "You can let me down."

    The suggestion he''d made was fulfilled before Takumi sank back into the water with a contented sigh, and cuddled Eri against him.

    After a moment he questioned, "How on earth have you never had a boyfriend before?"

    She turned in his arms a little and protested with surprise, "I''ve had a boyfriend before."

    Her face was unhappy, and he caressed her gently and asked diffidently, "Feel like telling me about it?"

    She shrugged and replied, "I made you tell me about all of your dating history."

    He kissed her cheek and said more firmly, "Asked, you asked me to. I''m only asking, you don''t have to tell me."

    Eri laid her head against his shoulder and explained unhappily, "I loved him."

    Takumi tightened his arms around her and didn''t ask anything else.

    --

    After they climbed out of the tub and dried off, they crawled back into his bed and she cuddled up against his side with her head on his shoulder.

    Takumi kissed her gently, and when the kiss ended, Eri said, "We dated for two years, sort of."

    "Sort of?" he asked.

    "We only ever met at school," she explained.

    "Why?" he enquired gently.

    She shrugged and told him, "I don''t know, but I have guesses."

    Takumi raised an eyebrow and Eri sighed.

    She started at the beginning. "I used to say ''hi'', when I saw him. The first time it was just because I never saw anyone else say ''hi''. He said ''hi'' back to me very politely. He acted like one of those guys who''s always getting into fights and usually winds up joining a gang, except he didn''t really. He never started anything the whole time I knew him, he just never apologized for anything to anyone either."

    Eri looked up at Takumi for a moment, so he kissed her.

    After a minute she continued, "One day he told me I''d better stop saying ''hi'' to him or people would start assuming we were dating." Embarrassed, she looked away and added quietly, "I asked what was wrong with that, and if he was worried about his reputation."

    Takumi moved his fingers in a reassuring motion, and Eri continued more firmly, "He told me rather harshly, that it wasn''t his reputation he was worried about. So I said, ''Let''s date then.'' He asked, ''Why would you want to date a loser who''s going nowhere?'' And I was so shocked, that I just asked, ''Where do you want to go?''"If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    She took a deep breath and said, "And he told me he just wanted to do the same things everyone else does, to go to college, to live a real life, but that it was impossible. I asked why it was impossible and he told me, ''Because the pretty world you live in takes money, just live happily and stay away from people like me.''

    Eri didn''t notice Takumi''s frown as she continued, "And I argued with him, told him if he really wanted to he could get a scholarship. And he got angry and told me to leave him alone. And that made me so mad that I shouted, ''Nobody else can believe in you if you won''t believe in yourself!'' And I left."

    Takumi ran his hands down her back until she relaxed, but he didn''t say anything. After a minute Eri admitted, "But I kept saying ''hi''. And he kept replying. Finally he asked, ''Do you really want to date me that much?'' And I told him I did. And he told me, ''Fine, but I can''t meet up with you outside of school, I don''t have time.'' I told him that was fine."

    Eri thought for a moment and asked, "Do you even want to hear all of this?"

    "Yes," Takumi replied promptly. He wanted to point out that she''d listened to him for hours, but he didn''t want to remind her that he''d mostly skimmed over the details. And he didn''t want to admit that he felt irrationally jealous that she''d once been so certain and persistent toward someone else. He felt like he''d pushed her into agreeing to date him, even though he''d been surprised by her willing desire once she gave in.

    "OK," she agreed. She wasn''t sure that she''d ever told anyone else so much, even Chisa, who had known about it at the time. She continued. "The first time I made him a lunch he told me, ''Don''t do crap like this. I can''t do anything for you.'' But when I suggested we take turns, and alternate between him buying lunch and me bringing lunch he agreed."

    Eri paused, and blushed again, before admitting, "After a few months I asked if I could kiss him. And he just said, ''Do whatever you want.'' So sometimes I''d kiss himˇ­ But I never realized he wasn''t really kissing me back, until the last kiss." She swallowed hard. "The day he graduated, he asked me to meet him at the gates."

    Takumi reacted to her expression more than to her words, and he held her closer as Eri said bitterly, "And he hugged me really hard and then told me, ''You are the only good thing in my life, but I am going to change that.''"

    His last words to her were written permanently in her mind, and she simply repeated them all, "I got the scholarship, just like you said I could, and I''m leaving. This is goodbye, the end, we''re finished. Don''t wait for me, don''t come look for me. I have to leave everything at once. If I hold on to you, I won''t ever be able to completely leave behind my stupid addict parents and the stupid sluts who pay for sex like it''s just another drug, so I''m leaving you too. But I''m going to go and try to become the kind of guy you should have been dating, I just can''t be that guy for you. Don''t date any more guys like me. Find a good guy who will take care of you and love you properly."

    Eri stopped and cried against Takumi''s chest, and he clung to her tightly. She gulped and said agonizingly as she cried, "And then he kissed me, really kissed me, like you kiss me! And then he left."

    Takumi didn''t know what to do, so he just held her tightly while she cried.

    After a while she mumbled, "Sorry."

    "Why?" he murmured gently.

    "Crying over another man in front of you," she whispered.

    Takumi swallowed, and then said softly, "Eri, don''t ever be afraid to cry in front of me, okay? I''ll always want to be with you to hold you while you cry."

    She raised her face and then kissed him hard with an urgency that hadn''t been there before, and he responded hotly. It felt like her tears had washed away the uncertainty that had remained between them.

    Her demands melted into his, and when he held her pinned beneath him, he demanded, "Say my name Eri! I want you to cry my name."

    "Takumi," she said breathlessly.

    "Again," he demanded.

    "Takumi," she repeated.

    "Again," he replied.

    In the end she sobbed, "Takumi!"

    And he responded breathlessly with, "My Eri." When his breathing slowed, he told her, "Eri, I love you, I don''t think I''m falling in love with you, I''m already completely in love with you."

    And he kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her again until she laughed a little, and insisted, "Enough. I believe you." She wanted to say more, but she could only whisper honestly, "I like you so much."

    "How can I make you fall in love with me?" he asked a little plaintively.

    "I don''t know," she admitted unhappily. "Can you just wait for me?" she asked uncertainly.

    "I will," he said firmly, and he kissed her again.

    "Okay," Eri agreed. Her eyes closed as she snuggled closer, and she fell asleep a moment later.

    A soft snort of amusement ruffled her curls after Takumi realized that she was already asleep, but he only pulled the blankets up over her and adjusted himself so that they were both comfortable.

 10: Sunday Dreams

    When they woke up, Takumi reminded Eri that he wanted to take her shopping for gear and rings.

    Sleepily Eri asked, "How much do you think it will cost?"

    He grinned at her and replied, "Don''t worry about it, I''m paying for it."

    Shocked fully awake, she sat up and protested, "If it''s going to be so expensive that you don''t want to tell me, I''m not sure that I want you to buy it!"

    Takumi hugged her and replied soothingly, "Eri, I have no idea how much it''s going to cost, other than that a good helmet will be at least a couple hundred."

    Eri stared at him and then suggested, "Maybe you should try to borrow one after all?"

    He kissed her before asking seriously, "Are you breaking up with me when today ends?"

    "No!" she replied with alarm. Then she added shyly, "I set up an appointment for birth control tomorrow afternoon."

    "Then I''m getting you a good helmet that fits you properly," he replied calmly, and after a moment he kissed her again.

    "Shouldn''t I at least buy the rings then?" she questioned doubtfully.

    "You can if you want to," he agreed. "But I really don''t mind, and I''m the one who asked for them." She sighed and cuddled against him, as though she had decided to let him do as he wished, without putting it into words. He slid his hand down to her hip and asked softly, "Can we?"

    She nodded and he rolled over and got out another condom.

    --

    After they finished he looked at her with alarm and she asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "I forgot all about our laundry!" he exclaimed.

    She laughed and he pulled on clothes quickly before he banged out the door.

    --

    Takumi came back to find Eri cooking breakfast, dressed in the yukata he''d lent her. She looked so cute.

    He carried the basket full of clothes to the bed, and told her with amusement, "The other residents were friendly this time. Everything seems to still be here, and nothing is ruined."

    "That''s good," she replied with a grin.

    Takumi walked over to her and looked at the eggs she was cooking, and then kissed her cheek. When she smiled at him again he suggested, "I could get used to this, want to move in with me?"

    Eri blinked at him and said, "I can''t."

    "Why not?" he asked seriously.

    She blushed and replied questioningly, "We''ve only known each other for three days?"

    "So?" he asked.

    She shrugged, and after a minute of him watching her intently, she pointed out doubtfully, "You said you''ll wait for me?"

    "I will," he agreed promptly.

    "Then don''t ask me that yet?" she requested.

    "OK," he agreed, and kissed her again. "I won''t ask again soon, but it''s an open offer, whenever you feel ready," he added.

    She dished up the food and handed him the plates without commenting.

    While they ate, Takumi asked, "Do you want me to go with you to your appointment tomorrow?"

    Eri looked at him with surprise, and asked, "You wouldn''t mind?"

    "I don''t mind," he replied calmly. "What kind are you thinking of getting?"

    "I don''t know," she answered uncertainly.

    "When is it?" he asked, pulling up his schedule.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    She told him when, and where, and when he asked, which college she was attending.

    They agreed on a plan where he would pick her up after her last class, and they would go together. When they finished breakfast they did the dishes, and then went shopping.

    --

    At the motorcycle gear store, Takumi instructed, "Don''t choose black or grey stuff. Everyone thinks it''s cool, but it''s not as visible. If something does happen and you wind up laying in the road, you''re more at risk for getting run over after the accident."

    Eri looked at him nervously, and he added, "I don''t want you to be afraid of riding with me, but I want you to understand what the dangers are, so that you''ll be as safe as possible."

    "Have you been in accidents?" she asked worriedly.

    "Only a few very minor ones, mostly during the first couple of years that I was driving," he assured her.

    After they looked around for awhile, Takumi asked, "Have we looked at any jackets that appeal to you? We can go to a few other places if you don''t see anything."

    Eri told him uncertainly, "The only one that I thought was pretty is really expensive, but it doesn''t need to be pretty does it? Although I''d rather not have yellow or orange."

    "If you saw one you think is pretty enough to wear apart from riding, let''s get that," he replied.

    "Why?" she asked.

    He grinned at her and told her smugly, "Because if you like it, and don''t mind wearing it when you''re not with me, then I can pick you up without needing to carry it on the bike all the time."

    "But if it''s like yours it''ll be too hot to wear it soon," she objected.

    "I''ll put the luggage case on for the summer," he assured her.

    "It was really expensive," she warned him.

    "If it''s too much, I''ll take you to the other shops or we can look on the net, but it''s better to be able to try it on," he said.

    "OK," she agreed and showed him the white suede leather jacket that she thought was pretty.

    "White?" he questioned with a dubious expression.

    "Is that bad? It''s bright?" she asked in return.

    "It''ll be expensive to keep it looking clean is all," he explained.

    "Oh," she replied, and hung it back up.

    He reached over her shoulder and pulled it down again. She looked at him questioningly, and he opened it up and read all the tags and examined each zipper carefully.

    "It''s really good apart from that. Do you like it enough to wear it daily?" he asked.

    She hesitated and questioned, "Is there a mirror I can try it on in front of?"

    He looked around a bit before he finally spotted one, and then nodded. He lead her over to it and she tried the jacket on.

    "It''s pretty, but even though it feels soft to touch, it''s stiffer than yours," Eri said uncertainly.

    "It will relax as you wear it," Takumi assured her.

    He reached over and pulled it open, and then tugged at various interior adjustment straps until he was satisfied. She didn''t struggle against his adjustments, but she felt like it must seem like she was being dressed like a small child if anyone was watching them. He closed the jacket and zipped it up before stepping back.

    "It adjusts to fit you pretty well," he said approvingly.

    "It was more comfortable when it was looser," she complained mildly.

    "It''s safer like this, but you can loosen it when you''re just wearing it off the bike," he replied reasonably, and he reached out and touched her cheek.

    "I like it, but it''s really expensive," she said again.

    He grinned at her and assured her, "Don''t worry, you''re worth it. Trust me."

    She blushed, and he pulled her close and kissed her.

    --

    Finding a helmet took even longer, and they did visit another store, because Takumi insisted that they keep looking until they found a style that didn''t pinch her anywhere, and still fit snugly enough to suit him. They couldn''t find it in white to match the jacket, so he chose silver.

    Eri asked him doubtfully, "How is that different from grey? Wouldn''t the red one at least match yours?"

    "Silver is more reflective at least. Would you rather have red?" Takumi asked.

    She laughed and replied, "I''d choose green, but we''d look like a Christmas decoration."

    The clerk offered, "I can order that one in pink, if you can wait a week? Or two days if you want to pay for shipping."

    Eri asked doubtfully, "What shade of pink?"

    The clerk pulled up a catalog and showed them.

    Takumi said, "That''s not bad."

    "Do you like it?" she asked.

    He grinned at her and replied, "Do you like it, is the main question."

    She shook her head and answered swiftly, "No it''s not. I''ll see the jacket a lot, but I''ll only see the helmet when I''m putting it on or taking it off. It''s okay, but I don''t like it any more than the red or silver, so you pick."

    He glanced at the other helmets and replied, "It''s better than those, though I was hoping to have one today. Let''s get it."

    "Okay," she agreed.

    --

    They went to lunch before tackling shopping for rings.

    Eri received a message from Chisa while they were eating, and muttered, "I don''t know how to answer this."

    Takumi asked curiously, "Can I see?"

    She blushed, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "I guess," she agreed nervously. He held out his hand and she passed him her phone. He read the message and laughed. Then he scrolled up the history and Eri complained, "Hey!"

    He grinned at her and told her soothingly, "Don''t worry, there''s nothing embarrassing about having friends who care enough to worry about you."

    "I guess," she agreed doubtfully.

    "It''s all good advice," he said with another grin. She covered her face with her hands. "Why don''t you just reply, ''I am.''" he suggested cheerfully.

    She blushed again.

 11: Mark of Intent

    Takumi took Eri to a jewelry store that she''d admired sets in when her sister and her brother in law had been looking at wedding rings.

    It was too fast, it was all ''too fast'' even if Eri knew others who jumped into, and out of, relationships just as quickly. Her own parents had met on a weekend fling, well, her mother''s weekend vacation spent at the place her father had been working. But even though she couldn''t quite get comfortable with the speed of the intimacy they seemed to be developing, she felt like choosing couple''s rings together actually made it seem more real.

    "Do you have any other siblings?" Takumi asked suddenly. "What''s your family like? My extended family is pretty large, both of my parents each have three siblings."

    "I just have the one older sister, but my mom has five siblings. My dad doesn''t have any," she replied curiously.

    He shrugged and said, "I just wondered."

    They browsed the catalogs at the couple''s ring display and Takumi laughed and said, "We could have done this on the net if we''re just looking at pictures."

    Eri glanced at him and pointed out, "They have some of these in stock." She pointed at the flag that indicated one that was immediately available, and asked, "Would you have rather looked from home?"

    He shrugged and paged through a few more sets.

    She watched, and then asked, "Go back one?"

    "What did you see?" he questioned.

    She pointed to a set that looked like a weave of flowering vines in pastel and copper tones. "It''s probably too flowery for you though," she commented.

    He shrugged and replied, "I don''t mind wearing flowers for you." She glanced at him in surprise and he grinned at her and said confidently, "Most people aren''t going to look that closely." He marked that set, and they paged through more until they reached one that he stopped at and asked, "What do you think of this one?"

    She looked at him and said doubtfully, "It''s very pretty, but it''s got emeralds and diamonds in it."

    He grinned at her and replied, "So? I like it better than the pastels."

    She nodded reluctantly. "It is prettier," she agreed.

    He marked that one too, and then paged through the suggestions that two floral designs had prompted.

    The only other design that they both liked made Eri complain uncomfortably, "It looks too much like a wedding ring."

    Takumi laughed and opened his mouth, but closed it again without saying anything.

    "What?" she asked him.

    "Nothing," he replied quickly and kissed her. She looked at him doubtfully and he insisted, "Don''t worry, I''ll wait for you to fall in love with me before I ask about wedding rings."

    She blushed again.

    He kissed her fingers and asked, "Can we get the one with emeralds and diamonds?"

    She looked at the price again and he said, "I don''t care how much it costs."

    She grinned at him suddenly and asked teasingly, "So you don''t mind if I pay for them then?"

    "Will it be too much for you?" he questioned in return with a doubtful expression. He''d noticed how she had winced at the prices of the gear they''d bought, and she had described these as expensive.

    She shook her head and replied, "It is a lot, but I''ve been saving up for something else and I can afford it. And it''s still less than the jacket and helmet."

    "What about the thing you''ve been saving for?" he asked.

    She shrugged and explained, "It will take me at least another half a year anyway, this won''t push it back more than a couple months."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "OK," he agreed after a moment.

    Luckily the set was available in store in both of their sizes. Eri was a little surprised.

    The sales person said mournfully, "We expected this set to be more popular. It''s actually being discontinued because sales on it are so low."

    Takumi grinned and said, "Cool."

    When both Eri and the sales person looked at him with surprised questioning faces he shrugged and explained, "That means that not as many people will have the same set. I like not following the trend for something like this, makes it feel less commercial somehow?"

    Eri nodded.

    He kissed her and asked, "How much longer can I keep you?" She gave him a startled look and he pointed out, "You told your parents you''d go home today?"

    "Oh," she replied. Then said uncertainly, "I should probably go home soon, I still have assignments to finish."

    He kissed her again and agreed reluctantly, "Okay."

    --

    When they reached the bike Takumi asked, "Where is it?" And then he entered the address Eri gave him into the navigation system.

    When they reached the building she told him apologetically, "You''ll have to park on the street, we don''t have a parking space."

    He looked at her in surprise and asked, "At all?"

    "The building only has a few spaces, and neither of my parents drive, although my father does have a license," she explained.

    When they walked in, he was surprised again as she waved her key to unlock the security at the entry. "Fancy," he commented.

    She shrugged and replied, "It''s new, but everyone''s pretty happy with it. There''d been a lot of solicitors coming because there are quite a few elderly people living here. There''s not a lot of turnover."

    He looked at the antique looking brass and glass elevator in the center of the building when they came out of the entry hall and exclaimed, "That''s beautiful! Is it safe? Does it actually run?" He leaned in and looked up along the open space around the shaft at the mechanism, at the center of the glass domed ceiling six stories above.

    Eri laughed and replied, "the pulleys are just there for show now. It actually runs on modern hydraulics under the cage, although they are all brass plated to match. My father had it switched over when I was about three."

    He blinked and asked, "He owns the building?"

    She nodded, but added, "He had to get my grandfather''s help with the loan though, so he always says it belongs to my mother really." He looked at her in confusion, and she clarified, "My mother''s father. My father''s parents died in a car wreck when he was six and he was raised by his grandmother."

    "Oh," he replied. "That''s kind of a weird coincidence."

    "Why?" she asked.

    "My mother''s father died in a car wreck when she was six too," he replied.

    "Oh," she said in a subdued tone.

    He hugged her and told her, "Nevermind, that''s all ancient history."

    They stepped into the elevator and as soon as it started moving he said uncomfortably, "I''m kind of nervous now."

    Eri looked surprised and assured him quickly, "It''s really safe."

    Takumi laughed and kissed her and corrected, "Not about the elevator. I just realized you''re basically taking me home to meet your family."

    "Do you not want to?" she asked unhappily, with a glance at the matching rings on their fingers.

    "I will. I don''t mind. I just feel unprepared," he insisted, and gripped her hand tightly.

    The elevator stopped and she looked at his expression and asked, "Do you want to go to the roof for a few minutes first?"

    "Would you mind?" he questioned hopefully.

    She shook her head and pressed the button. He pulled her close and kissed her again.

    --

    When they reached the top and stepped through the glass doors to the roof he looked around and exclaimed, "Good gods, I wish my parents'' building had had this kind of playground! We just had a pool."

    Eri laughed and said agreeably, "It''s much prettier than it was when I was little, but I''d have loved having a pool." Then she asked, "Want to look around?"

    He nodded, and she led him over to the path that circled the edge of the building. Everything was fenced but it was a light net that didn''t really block the view. She pointed out the laundry and told him, "My parents said that when they moved into the building, the laundry was in the basement and closed a lot due to plumbing problems. Moving it to the roof was one of the first things they did after they took over."

    "Cool," he commented.

    On the other side of the laundry was a small garden with a center of raked sand. She led him over to one of the benches beside it and he sat and pulled her into his lap.

    Eri kissed him and said suddenly with excitement, "I saw it happen!"

    Takumi looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "What?"

    "Your eyes dilated, when I kissed you" she explained and blushed.

    He grinned and kissed her again. After a little bit he said quietly, "I really want to lay you down and mess up that sand."

    She laughed and protested, "You can''t, kids could come through at any moment." She kissed him again and added, "We can mess up the sand if you want to though. Want to dance with me?"

    "You can call it dancing if you want to," he murmured.

    "Takumi!" she protested again.

    "Oh, were you serious?" he asked a little regretfully. She nodded and he told her, "Sure, I''ll dance with you."

    She slid off his lap and opened the rear door of the laundry, stepped inside and activated the speakers. Then she chose a song on her phone and propped the door open.

 12: Home Sweet Home

    Takumi laughed when he heard the song Eri had chosen. She pulled him over onto the sand and he slid his arms around her waist. They danced on the sand and after the second chorus he sang along softly with the verse.

    Eri came to a halt and gazed at him with wide eyes as she exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

    "What?" he asked uncertainly.

    Eri was in awe. "Your voice is amazing, and you know this song?" she asked incredulously.

    "Yeah." He shrugged uncomfortably, and told her a little anxiously, "I hate being asked to sing."

    She thought about that for a moment. "I can see why people would ask you. I love your voice when you''re just talking, and when you sing it, it makes me shiver." She told him a little unhappily, "I''ll try not to ever ask you to sing though."

    "Thank you," he said softly, and pulled her back into the dance.

    She melted into him as they moved, but she regretted having said anything because he didn''t resume singing along. After a bit she whispered, "I''m still surprised you know this one."

    He blushed, and told her quietly, "This is my mother''s band."

    Eri froze in shock and stared at him open mouthed.

    Takumi chuckled and reminded her, "I did mention she''s a musician and in a band."

    She protested immediately, "You didn''t say your mother was a pop star!"

    "I''m not sure pop star is a definition I''d use, but aside from that, does it really matter what my mother does?" he asked a little plaintively.

    She blushed and shook her head. "No, of course not, but isn''t it ok for me to be shocked that your mother is in one of my favorite bands?"

    He nodded and kissed her until the next song started. They started dancing again. After the third song she sighed and said, "I love this, but we should stop." She looked at him a little anxiously and asked, "Do you feel up to meeting my parents for a few minutes? now?"

    He kissed her again and replied reassuringly, "Yes. Thank you for giving me a little extra time to get used to the idea."

    Eri shrugged and said, "Just a minute. Let''s fix the sand." She pulled a couple of small rakes out of a closet in the corner of the laundry room and they raked the sand quickly, according to her quiet instructions. Then she shut everything down and took his hand.

    He smiled at her and squeezed her hand and they walked back to the elevator.

    She led him to her family''s corner apartment, took a deep breath and unlocked and opened the door, calling out softly, "I''m home."

    Her mother, Miyuki, looked up from where she was standing on a short stool at the counter in the small kitchen section beside the entrance, and grinned. "Welcome home! Did you enjoy your weekend? When do we get to meet him?"

    Eri blushed and replied, "Yes, and now." She tugged gently on Takumi''s hand and he stepped into the room behind her.

    "Oh my," her mother replied a little faintly looking at the pretty young man in red leather.

    He said, a little shyly, "Hello, how do you do?"

    Miyuki relaxed a little at his polite greeting and set aside the vegetables she''d been working with. She quickly washed off her hands while Eri said, "This is my mother, Miyuki. Ka-chan, this is," she blushed more deeply, "my boyfriend Takeshi Takumi." Then she asked, "Where''s to-chan?"

    Miyuki took Takumi''s hand and replied cheerfully, "Nice to meet you. He''s fixing something on a sink in C3. I don''t think he''ll be very long, if you can stay for a little while?" She directed the question toward Takumi.

    Eri looked at him hopefully and he smiled at her and replied, "I can stay as long as you want me to?"Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Eri took his jacket and hung it up next to where she''d hung her new white one. Then she looked at what her mother had been preparing and suggested, "Stay for supper?"

    Miyuki immediately repeated the invitation, and Takumi agreed to stay. They removed their shoes at the entrance and stepped in while Miyuki returned to her food preparation. He looked around the small apartment curiously, and Eri asked, "Want me to show you around?"

    At his nod, she showed him the small bathroom with a tile shower occupying the corner opposite the kitchen, then stepped up onto the tatami floor of the main room, she walked over to one of the antique silk screened doors and slid it open to reveal a raised cubby with a futon set up on its floor, another rolled up behind it, and either end lined in drawers.

    A little embarrassed she explained, "This is where my sister and I slept until she got married, now it''s just me." She waved to the screens on the other side and added, "That is my parents, it''s basically just a mirror image of this section."

    Takumi grinned at her as she scooped up her school tablet, and she asked, "Do you mind if I start on my assignments while we wait?"

    He shook his head. Eri took his hand again and pulled him over to a padded raised square in the corner where the two walls of windows met. She scooted onto it and he looked at her for a minute, then climbed on and coaxed her into moving so that he was settled against one window sill and she was tucked up under his arm.

    "This view of the river is gorgeous," he commented after a moment.

    Eri glanced up at him and said shyly, "When I was in grade school, my parents let my sister and I choose whether we''d move into this corner apartment where you can see the river, but is only a little bigger than the one we started with, or into one of the larger three bedroom ones on the back side of the building."

    Miyuki watched them cuddle up together quietly, and she grinned as she worked.

    Takumi said, "If this place had a tub, I''d apply for a corner apartment like this. The building is beautiful and the view is even better than at my place."

    Eri laughed and told him, "We''re sitting on the tub."

    "What?" he asked with confusion.

    She slid out of his arms and pulled him off the little platform. Then she showed him how it lifted away to reveal a square soaking tub with walled overflow drains along each outer side.

    He laughed and asked, "Where do I sign up?"

    She covered the tub again and replied, "There''s a waiting list, but it''s like five years."

    Her father had slipped into the apartment quietly while they were distracted, and he spoke up, "Seven years probably for one of the corner apartments." He kissed his wife and looked at his embarrassed daughter and her visitor with amusement.

    Eri introduced Takumi to her father Mitsui Minami. He was barely taller than his daughter and had the same curl to his hair where it was long enough to show. Looking at her parents after the introduction, Takumi grinned and whispered to her, "you have your mother''s pretty green eyes and your father''s hair."

    Eri nodded and blushed. They curled back up in the corner and Eri tackled her assignment again. After a few minutes Takumi said, "That answer is wrong, but should I interfere or just let you do it?"

    Eri looked up at him with surprise. "I''ll take any help I can get, but you don''t have to. What''s wrong with it?"

    He showed her where she''d gotten the formula wrong and she laughed and said teasingly, "You secretly really like math don''t you?"

    He shrugged and replied, "I don''t like it, or hate it, but it''s easy for me. Thankfully I take after my father rather than my mother where math is concerned. She hates it and I think it really doesn''t make sense to her sometimes." He laughed and told her, "Once while my father was away on a longer trip, she was driven to actual tears while trying to help my little brother with his assignments. I had to do it instead."

    Eri shrugged and told him, "I don''t hate math any more than any other subject."

    Takumi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are there any subjects you like?"

    She was quiet for a long time before answering, "Not really. I guess my language classes are the most interesting, but I can''t really say I enjoy those either."

    "It''s OK," he told her comfortingly, "school doesn''t last forever unless you decide to become a teacher."

    She laughed and cuddled into him before remembering that her parents were watching them from the kitchen. She pulled away a little again and blushed. "Sorry," she whispered.

    He shrugged.

    They ate dinner with her parents, and he calmly replied to their gently teasing questions. When he suggested that it might be time to go, Eri walked him out to his bike.

    They kissed for a while, standing on the pavement beside it. When he felt her shiver he hugged her and said, "Silly, you should have pulled on a jacket. Go back inside, I''ll see you again tomorrow afternoon."

    She let him go a little regretfully, and went back inside.

    Her parents grinned at her and her father said, "He seems nice. How''s his driving?"

    Eri blinked, then shrugged and replied, "Um, conservative? I guess. We''ve only driven around a little in town. Why?"

    "Motorcycles aren''t exactly the safest form of transportation," he complained.

    Eri blushed and explained, "That''s why he insisted on buying me my own jacket and helmet today." She gestured to the white leather jacket. "And he was really picky about getting ones that fit well enough to suit him," she added.

    "Good," her father replied simply.

 13: Quick Apologies

    The next day, Eri reluctantly approached Chisa before their first shared class. She was dreading the barrage of questions that she knew her friend was going to ask. Chisa greeted her with excitement, and her eyes were practically sparkling. Eri braced herself.

    But Chisa didn''t start with questions, instead she exclaimed, "Your new jacket is pretty! And you''ll never believe who I wound up with after the group date!"

    Eri blinked and then asked with confusion, "Who?"

    Chisa giggled. She seemed so exuberant that Eri knew that she''d started dating whoever it was. She always threw herself into things with enthusiasm, whether relationships, classes, clubs, or hobbies, and never let the failures keep her down for long. Eri admired that about her friend, even though it was occasionally annoying.

    Chisa didn''t just flit from thing to thing. She carried through on everything she started, whether it was finishing a class or completing a handicraft. She did go through a lot of relationships, but Eri knew that she put her heart into each one, and cried when they ended.

    "You know that really hot student teacher that came to our chemistry class?" Eri gave her a blank look and Chisa added with a little irritation, "About a month ago?"

    "Oh." Eri nodded.

    "One of the guys who were at the group date turned out to be his younger brother, he came to pick him up when it ended, and we started talkingˇ­ We had a date yesterday, and it was amazing!" Chisa bubbled with enthusiasm. Suddenly she remembered Eri''s guy, and asked, "What happened after you left with that pretty guy in red leather? Did you go on a date for real?"

    Eri blushed and replied hesitantly, "Not exactly, we went to his apartment."

    Chisa smirked and asked, "How was he?"

    Eri didn''t reply immediately, she was embarrassed, but she didn''t want to hide anything from Chisa. Her friend wasn''t perfect, but she was always open about things. And for once, she actually could answer that kind of questionˇ­ but she didn''t know what to say. Warm? Fast? Amazing? Different? Hot?

    Chisa looked at Eri''s hand and exclaimed, "Oh wow, did he give you that ring? It''s really cute!"

    Eri shrugged and nodded.

    "Are you reallyˇ­" Chisa began, but she was interrupted by the arrival of the muscular young student teacher that she was probably dating now.

    Eri hadn''t really liked him, but she was doing poorly in chemistry, so she couldn''t really blame him for the scorn he''d shown her either. He leaned over Chisa''s shoulder and whispered something in her ear.

    Chisa blushed and told Eri apologetically, "Sorry, I''ll ask you more later. Go on to class without me, I''ll be there in a few minutes."

    Eri just nodded again, and Chisa tucked her hand into his arm and they both hurried away. Eri looked after them with mixed feelings for a moment, and then turned and went to class.

    --

    Chisa slid into her seat breathlessly just before the teacher took attendance.

    Eri looked at her flushed face and decided uncomfortably that they''d probably just had sex. She wasn''t sure why the idea bothered her. Given what she''d done over the weekend, she felt like a hypocrite, so she didn''t say anything.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    She tried to focus on the rather bored tone their teacher was reciting his lecture in.

    --

    Chisa didn''t wind up quizzing her more about Takumi at lunch. Instead, when they met up again during the break between the two classes they didn''t share, Chisa apologized again.

    "I told him I usually have lunch with you, but he asked if he could have me Monday and Friday, and I agreed." Chisa explained. "But if you really mind I''ll tell him I can''t after all?"

    "I don''t mind," Eri assured her calmly, and Chisa grinned at her happily. Eri couldn''t help asking, "But is it really okay, I mean, this is where he works?"

    Chisa laughed and insisted, "Don''t worry so much! Neither of us are going to miss a class or anything silly."

    "Okay," Eri agreed uncertainly, and shrugged.

    Chisa hugged her and said, "I''ll see you after our last class."

    Eri shook her head in negation, and Chisa looked at her questioningly.

    Eri explained shyly, "I''ve got an appointment after classes are over."

    Chisa examined her face for a moment and then asked wryly, "An appointment? You mean a date?"

    Eri denied it. "It''s not, it''s a doctor appointment."

    "Why? Are you feeling sick? What''s wrong?" Chisa asked with alarm.

    "Nothing!" Eri replied quickly. "It''s for um, birth control."

    Chisa gazed at her with a stunned expression, and Eri blushed. She wanted to look anywhere else, but there were other people seated at the tables, and the thought that some of them might have heard her only increased her embarrassment. After a moment Chisa laughed and reached out to ruffle Eri''s hair.

    "You really are cautious, but I''m glad you''re finally dating on your own," Chisa said with amusement. She hugged Eri again, and then ran off to meet her new lover.

    Eri got her food, then chose a table, and sat. She started eating, but stopped again and looked up in surprise as her youngest uncle dropped into the seat on the other side of the table. He set down his own plate, stretched out his long legs, and grinned at her.

    "Are you ready for my test on Thursday?" he asked.

    Eri grimaced at him and said formally, "I''ll do my best Toriyama-sensei."

    He stuck his tongue out at her.

    She laughed and complained, "Oji-chan, you''re the one who told me to always call you that at school. Why are you eating with me today?"

    "I saw Chisa-chan abandon you, and I haven''t talked to you in weeks outside class," he replied. He looked her over and added, "And your grade is falling lately, so I guess I sort of am interfering as your teacher. So, what''s up?"

    Eri shrugged.

    "Too busy dating to study?" he asked, with a glance in the direction Chisa had departed in.

    Eri went scarlet and he looked back at her and then laughed. "Really?!" he enquired with a voice full of mirth.

    Eri protested quickly, "I have started dating someone, but you can''t blame my grade on Takumi! I just met him on Friday."

    "Oh? What should I blame your grade on then?" he asked more seriously.

    Eri shrugged again and looked at him unhappily.

    He sighed and reached across the table to ruffle her hair, the same way Chisa had. "Alright, just do your best."

    They finished lunch quietly and went to their classes.

    --

    After her last class, Eri hurried to meet Takumi, who was waiting near the entrance with his bike.

    He kissed her and then grimaced and said, "Sorry." She looked up at him with a worried expression, and he continued, "I''ll have to go back to work for awhile as soon as we''re done."

    "Oh," she replied.

    "I wanted to have dinner with you tonight," he complained. "Have dinner with me tomorrow?"

    "Okay," she agreed.

    He smiled and kissed her again, and then insisted on tightening the straps in her jacket. He also fastened the helmet for her. She felt like she should learn to make the adjustments and how to fasten the odd combination of buckle and snap herself, but she didn''t want to make him wait while she struggled with it.

 14: Impossible is Nothing

    At the clinic the attendant told Eri, "I scheduled you with a female doctor that you haven''t seen before, since Rioko-sensei is out on leave for a few weeks."

    Eri nodded and said "Okay."

    The attendant turned his attention to Takumi and asked them both, "Are you here for STD testing too? This just says birth control."

    He looked at their embarrassed faces and then firmly advocated that they add the testing to their visit since they were both there. Eventually they gave in, and both of them had their blood sampled and peed into a testing cup before it was time for Eri to be called in to talk to the doctor.

    Takumi laughed at Eri''s blushes, but he also hugged her comfortingly and told her, "It''s not a big deal. Don''t worry everyone goes through this stuff, it''s just that no one likes to talk about it."

    When they called her in, she clung to his hand for a moment and he asked quietly, "Want me to come with you or wait for you?"

    She replied shyly, "Come with me?"

    He nodded and they followed the doctor''s assistant into the consultation room.

    After a few minutes the doctor came in, and flipped through the waiting notes. Then she looked up and asked, "You came in to choose a birth control method according to the appointment notes?"

    They both nodded.

    "Both of you are clear on the STD tests, but I can''t put you on birth control," the doctor replied.

    Eri protested, "Why not?"

    The woman frowned at her and said, "You''re already pregnant according to your tests."

    Takumi froze in surprise, and Eri stared at her in disbelieving shock. After a minute she squeaked, "That''s impossible!"

    The doctor looked at them with a sardonic expression and asked, "You''ve never had sex?"

    Eri just stared at her. Takumi was the one who replied calmly, "We have, but it seems very unlikely, and it hasn''t been long enough that it should necessarily show."

    "It''s from a previous partner then," the doctor said with a disgusted tone to her voice.

    "It is not!" Eri wailed with distress.

    The doctor looked at Takumi and suggested, "Maybe you should let me talk to her alone for a few minutes."

    Takumi looked at Eri''s white face and said, "No, you can talk to both of us." He scooped Eri up into his lap and hugged her tightly. Then he looked at the doctor and said, "I think you should run the test again."

    The doctor glared at him and insisted, "The test is very accurate."

    Calmly he asked, "Accurate enough to be certain after only three days? When condoms were used?"

    The doctor snapped, "That''s really unlikely, so let me talk to her about her other partners."

    Eri shook her head violently and stared up at Takumi and protested, "No one else!"

    He kissed her forehead and told her, "I know that."

    The doctor gazed at them with exasperation.

    Takumi looked back at her and said firmly, "Please run the test again, or I''ll just take her to a different doctor."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Angrily, the doctor called her assistant back in, and ran the blood test on Eri herself. She showed Takumi the result with a sneer. He paled a little but Eri burst into tears, and he cuddled her gently.

    The doctor rolled her eyes, and Takumi stood abruptly with Eri in his arms and walked out of her office.

    Halfway down the hall another doctor stepped out of an examining room and halted in shock. "Eri-chan?" he questioned. "What happened?"

    Eri looked up and gasped, "Wei-sensei!" Tears were still pouring down her face.

    Takumi jerked his head in the direction of the room they''d just left and said angrily, "That doctor doesn''t believe Eri, and was looking down on both of us!"

    Wei looked at the doctor who''d just exited the room behind them, and said calmly, "I''m just a pediatrician, but why don''t you come into my office and tell me what''s going on."

    Takumi shrugged and followed him when Eri nodded.

    The doctor led them into a tiny room that was obviously an administrative office, rather than one set up for patients. Takumi sat gingerly and rebalanced Eri in his lap.

    Eri tried to speak, but she was crying too hard to be understandable, and after a moment Takumi asked, "Do you want me to tell him everything Eri?"

    She nodded and he explained the situation. When he finished Eri had mostly stopped crying, and Wei said gently, "It sounds like you''re very lucky."

    They both stared at the man incredulously. And he grinned at them and said, "From what you''ve told me, you seem to have hit a 1 in 10,000 chance."

    Eri protested unhappily, "I don''t want to be pregnant."

    Wei told her reluctantly, "If it really has been only three days, you might be able to use a morning after pill. But since you''re already testing positive, it''s not very likely to work."

    Eri asked shakily, "Are there any bad effects if it doesn''t work?"

    Takumi tensed and looked at her with alarm.

    Wei replied, "No, if it doesn''t work it won''t have any effect on the baby."

    Eri desperately wanted to unhear his words. ''The baby.'' He said it so calmly. But she only nodded and said, "I''ll try it."

    Takumi''s expression tightened, but he didn''t say anything, he just held her and watched her take it when the assistant brought it in. They scheduled another test for Friday, to see if it would be successful, and then they left.

    --

    When they reached his bike Takumi asked, "What should I do, are you going to be okay if I go back to work?" Eri looked up at him and he hugged her again and said, "I want to spend more time holding you and talk about it."

    She shook her head and he loosened his hold a little. "I don''t want to talk about it. I don''t want to think about it. I don''t want this," she told him plaintively.

    He hugged her tighter and asked a little desperately, "What do you want? What can I do?"

    She clung to him and said anxiously, "I just want to date you normally. Go to dinner with you tomorrow. Not think about it."

    He bit his lip and after a moment he agreed, "Okay Eri, I''ll try."

    She looked up at him anxiously, and he kissed her gently. He cupped her cheek in his hand and she leaned into it. "Is it okay to forget about it until after the test on Friday?" she whispered.

    "Yes," he agreed. "Want to go get a cup of tea before I take you home?"

    Eri sighed and said, "Takumi, I''m sorry, I don''t want to look at you right now. Can I just meet you tomorrow?" She looked at his expression and repeated, "I''m sorry."

    He took a deep breath and said, "It''s okay." Nothing was okay, and they both knew it, but she needed him to tell her that it was okay.

    He kissed her again gently, then fastened her up and took her home.

    Before she walked away he asked hesitantly, "Can I call you later?"

    She just shrugged and stared at him wordlessly.

    "I''ll call," he told her. "But you don''t have to answer."

    After a moment, she nodded, and then walked away.

    He went back to work, and Eri went up to the roof and sat beside the little sand garden until sunset. Her parents noticed that she was subdued, but they didn''t pester her about it, other than asking if she were okay.

    Takumi called her after dinner and after staring at her phone for a minute, she answered, "Hi."

    "Hi," he replied gently. "Do you want to go somewhere fancy, or keep it low key tomorrow? Any preference on type of food or anything?"

    Eri stared blankly out the window for a moment then replied, "I don''t know. I don''t like fish very much, except for shellfish."

    "Alright," he replied after a minute.

    He suggested several restaurants and Eri hesitated for a while before asking, "Can you just pick one? I''m sorry, I have no idea."

    He laughed a little and replied, "Sure."

    They talked for a while longer and then Eri crawled into bed. She stared blindly at the ceiling in her sleeping space and thought about how strangely numb she felt. She hadn''t really thought about anything while staring at the sky, and she wasn''t really thinking about anything as she lay staring at the ceiling. Finally she closed her eyes and slept.

 15: Interval and Reconnection

    Eri felt more normal in the morning. She smiled at Chisa when she talked excitedly about her club activities scheduled for the afternoon. And Chisa teased her when she admitted that she was going out to dinner with Takumi.

    At home, she finished her few assignments, and dressed. When Takumi picked her up after he finished work, the first thing he did was kiss her as though he hadn''t seen her in a week.

    After the kiss ended, she asked nervously, "Is this okay for the place we''re going?"

    "What?" Takumi asked blankly.

    "My clothes," Eri explained, she felt a little upset even if his confusion was reasonable.

    He laughed and slid his hands around her hips as he told her belatedly, "You look beautiful."

    She gave him a dubious look and he reached up and let his finger slide along one of her curls, down her throat and along the low neckline of her shirt, and told her seriously, "I mean it Eri. You look so sexy that I''d rather take you home than out to dinner. But I promised I''d feed you, and I didn''t buy groceries."

    She blushed and admitted shyly, "I would have worn a dress but figured we''d be riding."

    He nodded. "If you want to wear a dress, just let me know the day before, and I can arrange to bring a car." He adjusted her jacket and held out the new helmet for her.

    She regarded the helmet with astonishment. "I forgot. It''s prettier than it looked in the picture, kind of pearly."

    He grinned and helped her buckle it. "It looks good. It goes with the white better than I expected too. How does it feel?"

    "More comfortable than yours," she told him with a little surprise.

    "Good," he replied with a pleased smile.

    --

    Takumi took her to a mid range restaurant, with booths instead of tables. When Eri hesitated in front of the booth, he reached out and pulled her into the same side with him.

    The food was very good, better than the restaurant''s appearance suggested to her. Takumi ate one handed, the other arm he kept around her waist.

    When they finished he asked, "Want to go for a walk?"

    Eri leaned into his side and asked with quiet embarrassment, "Can we go to your place instead?"

    He looked at her with surprise and then grinned. "Absolutely," he whispered.

    They hurried out of the restaurant together, and Eri laughed as Takumi pulled her along after him. He still drove carefully and sedately there, despite the rushed feeling. Though after he''d parked the bike, he walked her to the elevator so quickly that it was almost making her run.

    He unlocked his apartment with impatience, and after they were inside he kicked off his shoes, and then scooped her up and carried her to the bed.

    "This is what you meant?" he asked hopefully.

    Eri nodded, and Takumi laid her back against his pillows and kissed her hotly, while siding his hands under her shirt.

    His mouth wasn''t idle as he undressed her, but he didn''t speak until he finished, and then he told her, "You''re so beautiful."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Eri blushed. She didn''t know how to respond with words, so she used her mouth to communicate her feeling of desperation directly to his mouth. The intensity of her own desire embarrassed her even more.

    He responded to her urgency, and she helped him shed his own clothes. But when he pulled out  the familiar wrapper her face twisted when she looked at it, and he stopped.

    "Eri?" he asked uncertainly.

    "Does it even matter if we use it?" she asked unhappily.

    He kissed her softly and then told her just as unhappily, "Yes, if the pill works, it matters."

    She closed her eyes and nodded. He sighed.

    She opened her eyes and demanded, "Takumi, don''t stop."

    He kissed her gently and she closed her eyes and kissed him harder, trying to erase the cold bitter moment that had softened the urgency between them. He responded by biting her, and her eyes popped open. He kept his eyes locked on hers and he didn''t hold back at all.

    They were hammering the connection between them back into place. He never stopped looking into her eyes and she couldn''t look away.

    --

    Afterward he asked uncertainly, "Eri, are you OK, did I hurt you? Am I crushing you."

    "I want you to crush me," she replied quietly.

    He pushed up enough that he could look into her face and she was crying silently. Horrified, he started to pull off of her, but she wrapped her legs and arms around him and held him down on top of her.

    "Eri?" he asked anxiously.

    "Let me feel your weight on me for a little while?" she begged.

    After a moment of resistance, Takumi relaxed against her and then used his mouth to taste her tears. She relaxed under him and kissed him again. He probed her mouth with his tongue and her tears stopped.

    --

    Eventually they lay still again. Takumi was cuddling against Eri''s side, while she stared out into the city lights and said, "I should call if I''m not going home."

    He stroked her hip and murmured into her damp hair, "I don''t want you to go home."

    "Okay," she agreed.

    He kissed her shoulder and held her. After a while she got up and called her parents, and then used his bathroom. He watched her walking carefully and winced. When she finished he took a turn, and then started the bath.

    When he settled on the bed beside her he asked again, "Eri, did I hurt you?"

    She looked up at him and blushed, and replied, "I''m okay."

    Hesitantly he asked, "Are you sure?"

    She nodded and told him, "I''m really okay, I just feel moreˇ­ stretched sort of."

    "Okay," he agreed and bent to kiss her.

    She pulled him down against her and they kissed for a while. Then she sat up and said, "Takumi, I know I''m the one who said I don''t want to talk about it, but I want to talk about it for a minute?"

    "Okay," he replied calmly.

    Eri lapsed into silence for a long moment, before asking, "You didn''t want me to take the pill?"

    He was silent for a little while, and she looked at him anxiously as the silence stretched.

    "No," he agreed finally.

    "You didn''t say anything," she said unhappily.

    He looked up at her and then reached up and caressed her face. "It''s your body, and you don''t want it," he explained miserably.

    "You want a baby?" she asked incredulously.

    His expression tightened and he shrugged. "I don''t know, maybe, I never really thought about it. But I want you, and your baby. And I didn''t want you to try to get rid of it. But I''m not ever going to tell you that you can''t or you shouldn''t," he said a little roughly.

    "I''m not ready to have a baby," she whispered guiltily.

    "It''s okay," he insisted.

    He sat up, pulled her close and kissed her for a while. They took a bath. Takumi changed his sheets. He rinsed her underwear and hung them over the sink to dry.

    Eri watched him finish and said wryly, "You''ll make a good wife."

    He looked at her and then replied with a real smile, "Then you should snatch me up before some tall handsome fellow sweeps me off of my feet!"

    She gasped and asked, "Are you bi?"

    He laughed and replied, "No, but why does that matter?"

    She shrugged and replied uncertainly, "I guess it doesn''t?"

    He cuddled up to her again and she finally smiled.

    In the morning, he dropped her off at the college on his way to work.

 16: Reality and Fiction

    Eri spent Wednesday evening studying for her test. She met Takumi for another date on Thursday, but she asked him to take her home afterwards.

    When she saw his disappointment she told him anxiously, "It''s not that I don''t want to go to your place. I just don''t feel like it''s normal to sleep with you everytime I see you, and I want to date normally?"

    He replied, only a little ruefully, "It''s okay, we can do things at your pace."

    --

    On Friday Takumi picked Eri up for the appointment. When he saw how tense she was he tried teasing her, "You look like a kitten that knows it''s going to the vet."

    "I know exactly how that kitten feels now," she responded rather miserably.

    He reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek and told her gently, "It will be okay Eri."

    "What if it''s not?" she asked anxiously.

    He pulled her close and kissed her. "I meant no matter what the result is, it will be okay," he said firmly.

    The trip to the clinic felt too short. The wait for the test to be processed felt too long. Doctor Wei, who had been Eri''s pediatrician, quietly informed them of the result.

    Takumi looked at Eri''s white face and asked, "Can we have a little while alone before we continue?"

    Wei nodded and left them together.

    Takumi pulled Eri into his lap and hugged her. She didn''t resist or respond, just sat passively.

    "It''s okay Eri," he told her softly.

    She started to cry, and then turned her face and pressed her nose into him. "I''m sorry," Eri sobbed into his shoulder.

    "It''s okay," he repeated quickly.

    "It must be, from that morning," she said tearfully.

    He shook his head and denied it. "No. Not necessarily. I didn''t examine any of the condoms against a light or anything. And it really doesn''t matter why, all that matters is what you want to do about it."

    Eri froze and paled again, tears still poured down her face.

    He hugged her anxiously, and asked, "Eri?"

    After a long moment she asked in a choked whisper, "Do you want it? Really want it?"

    "Eri, it doesn''t matter what I want," he replied quickly.

    "It does!" she protested. She swallowed hard and said, "I don''t want it, but I think it will be okay to have it if one of its parents really wants it."

    He was quiet for a few minutes and she cried against his shoulder while he thought.

    Finally he replied, "I want it, and I want you. Honestly, I felt happy for a moment when he told us."

    She looked at him in surprise. "Why?" she sniffled.

    He admitted with chagrin, "Because I''m apparently really possessive of you. My first thought was, ''Now she won''t be able to leave me.'' And I know that is stupid and untrue, but that was my first response." He caressed her cheek and told her, "But even if you won''t stay with me, I don''t want you to get rid of it. I do want our baby Eri."

    She examined his face intently and he waited. After a minute she asked, "Are you sure?"

    He nodded and kissed her gently and said, "I''m sure."

    "Okay," she agreed.

    He hugged her tightly and whispered, "Thank you."

    She tried to smile for him but it was a fragile, wavering attempt and he cradled her gently and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of you both."

    She swallowed and replied anxiously, "Babies are really expensive aren''t they?"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He laughed a little and told her, "This is going to sound like a stupid little rich kid response, but money really doesn''t matter. I''m pretty sure that I can take care of you on my own, but if I can''t, I can just ask my parents for help. You don''t have to worry about anything like that Eri."

    She stared at him silently, unable to process his assurances.

    He blushed and then shrugged. After a few moments he asked hesitantly, "I don''t want to add any more stress for you right now, but will you at least consider marrying me?"

    That provoked a response, but she only sat up straighter and gazed at him with distress.

    He tried to hug her again and told her more reassuringly, "You don''t have to decide or worry about it right now or anything, I''d just like you to consider it before the baby is born."

    "Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I''ll think about it. But I don''t think getting married just because I got pregnant is a good ideaˇ­ I don''t think I should marry you unless I''m sure that I love you."

    He winced but he nodded.

    "Sorry," she whispered.

    "It''s okay Eri," he assured her gently. "I already told you that I''ll wait for you, and I meant it."

    She cuddled into him, and he hugged her tighter.

    When the doctor returned, he gave them lots of information on pregnancy and development to read later. He prescribed vitamins for Eri, and then suggested that she find a doctor or midwife who specialized in that field to oversee her health in the coming months.

    Takumi told him sharply, "Not that doctor we saw on Monday."

    Wei grimaced and replied, "I''m sorry. She really is a very good doctor, but I''m afraid she let her own troubles with her family color your visit."

    "I don''t care, that''s too bad, but not her," Takumi replied firmly.

    He gave them several other recommendations to contact and then they left.

    --

    Takumi looked at Eri as he helped her with her jacket and said suddenly, "Let''s celebrate."

    "Celebrate?" she replied doubtfully.

    "You don''t want to?" he asked wryly, and was unsurprised when she shook her head.

    He reached out and cupped her face and suggested, "Then let''s go do what we should have been doing to get you pregnant this fast."

    "What?" she asked.

    "Come with me and find out?" he suggested with a grin.

    "Okay," she agreed trustingly.

    He kissed her deeply and buckled her helmet on.

    He took her to a love hotel. She gripped his hand tightly and trailed after him as they walked in. They surveyed the display of rooms on the wall, and Eri looked around in confusion.

    "It''s all automated?" she asked after a moment.

    He nodded, then grinned at her and asked teasingly, "See any rooms you like, my little innocent?"

    "Why didn''t we just go back to your apartment?" she asked instead of answering.

    He pulled her close and whispered, "Because I''m going to make you scream and cry." Her eyes widened in alarm, and he relented a little and added, "With pleasure, I hope."

    She blushed.

    He kissed her again and asked, "So, any preference?"

    She looked shyly at the displays again and pointed at one of the darker ones. He held his hand up to it and asked doubtfully, "This one?"

    She nodded and he selected it. It charged him and issued their key and room number, and he led her to the elevator.

    When they entered the room he looked around and commented, "This is better than I thought." It was a solar system theme, and the dark walls and ceiling twinkled with thousands of tiny lights representing stars. Curiously he asked, "What made you choose it?"

    Eri pointed at the bed shyly and said, "It looked so round and it''s covered in clouds."

    He looked at the bed that represented a blue planet and grinned at her. "It is," he agreed, and tossed his jacket onto a small red planet that was either a stool or a table.

    He undressed her slowly, and she shyly undressed him in return. Her face was already flushed with desire when he removed the last piece of her clothing and he abandoned his plans and simply laid her down.

    --

    Much later, Takumi gathered Eri into his arms, petted her, and covered her in little kisses.

    She gazed at him and begged, "Stop touching me please."

    He looked at her with shock and surprise, and released her.

    After a moment she said, "You can hold me, but stop moving, I can''t stand any more."

    "What?" he asked, hesitantly pulling her back into his arms.

    "My whole body is vibrating everytime you touch me," she complained.

    He caressed her and she arched and shuddered, and he stared at her with wide eyed surprise.

    "Don''t move," she pleaded.

    He froze and she closed her eyes and lay limply in his arms.

    "Wow," he whispered.

    After another minute she said, "I think I''m okay now and you can move a little."

    He tucked her into his arms more securely and petted her gently and she relaxed and sighed and cuddled against him. He scooped her up and rolled her over. She gazed at him with wide eyes and he kissed her.

    He grinned at her and said, "And this is how I should have knocked you up." She gazed at him silently and his grin faded as he asked, "Did you hate it?"

    She shook her head quickly, although she replied doubtfully, "I''m not sure I want to do this much very often."

    "Okay," he agreed, and kissed her gently.

    A tone rang through the room and Eri looked around with a puzzled expression.

    "That''s our time warning," he told her. "If we stay more than another thirty minutes it charges for the night."

    She sat up and he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers before asking, "Do you want to stay?"

    She looked at him and shook her head. "I''m kind of hungry," she complained.

    They showered quickly and left.

 17: Frozen Happiness

    Takumi kept grinning at Eri while they ate and after a while she told him, "You look really happy."

    His grin faded, and he swallowed before asking apologetically, "Sorry, are you very unhappy?"

    She immediately regretted having commented on his smiles. She didn''t feel happy, but she didn''t feel sad either, and watching his smile fade hurt somehow. "I don''t want you to be sorry, I like seeing you happy," she insisted.

    He smiled a little hesitantly, and replied, "But you''re not happy."

    Eri hesitated for too long and his attempt at holding the smile failed. She knew that he had wanted to cheer her up and distract her when he took her to the love hotel, and she really thought that it should have been quite fun. Her body had responded to him, but her mind still feltˇ­ blank. She struggled to explain, "I''m not unhappy either. I think I just feel numb." Takumi looked more worried then reassured, so she added, "But I really like seeing that you are feeling happy, and I''m sorry I said anything."

    He stood up and leaned over the table to kiss her forehead gently. When he sat again he said thoughtfully, "I was feeling pretty happy. I''m worried about you though, I want you to feel happy too."

    She swallowed, and asked uncertainly, "Do you think you can just feel happy enough for both of us until I get used to the idea?"

    He didn''t answer right away, and that actually reassured her a little when he finally answered, "I''ll try, if that''s what you want."

    "Please," she agreed quietly.

    He summoned up another real smile for her somehow and said, "I love you."

    Eri blushed and looked down at her hands. Her eyes focused on her new ring, and her gaze moved across the table to where its mate wrapped around Takumi''s finger. After a moment she said quietly, "Now I''m really glad that you wanted to get rings and tried to tell me that you were falling in love with me right away. If we''d found out first, I think I would have thought you were doing it because I''m pregnant."

    Takumi stuck his tongue out at her and she focused on his face with surprise. "I''m glad I rushed you then," he told her wryly. "I''m only happy about the baby because it''s yours Eri, and we wouldn''t have made it if I hadn''t wanted you first," he added with a grin.

    She smiled at him hesitantly and his grin widened. "Please say I''m taking you home with me tonight?" he begged.

    His pleading didn''t fit the image of the boring accountant that he had described himself as on their first night, but it reminded her of the way he''d described himself as a spoiled kid who could still ask his parents to bail him out if he needed to at the doctor''s office. Her smile deepened just a little as she blushed and avoided his eyes.

    She nodded, and his happiness didn''t completely erase the numb feeling that filled her, but it eased a little.

    --

    In the morning, Takumi handed Eri his old yukata again and asked hesitantly, "Maybe you could bring over some clothes to keep here?"

    Eri wrapped the worn but comfortable cotton around her, and gazed back at him uncomfortably. After a moment she shrugged.

    Takumi didn''t press her for anything more, he just kissed her lightly and then carried off the laundry.

    She straightened the yukata and then laid back down on his bed to stare out at the city. She realized uncomfortably that except for when Takumi was having sex with her, she still just feltˇ­ numb. Empty. Blank. She didn''t want to move, or think, or anything.

    When he returned she was still laying there. He walked over and bent down to kiss her cheek. "Did I wear you out? Are you okay Eri?" he asked quietly.

    "I''m okay," she replied.

    "Are you hungry?" he asked after a moment.

    She didn''t answer right away, and when she did answer she only said, "I don''t know."

    He looked at her with a worried expression that she didn''t look up to see. After a moment he settled onto the bed behind her. After a few more minutes he asked, "Want some ice cream?"

    She finally turned towards him with a startled expression, as she asked, "For breakfast?"

    He grinned at her and bent to gather her up into his arms. She returned his kiss warmly, and he replied after several kisses, "I''ll feed you anything that will make you feel hungry. What do you want?"

    "Anything?" she asked dubiously. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "Anything," he agreed.

    She thought for a long moment and then suggested uncertainly, "Waffles?"

    He smiled and agreed, "Okay, we''ll have to go out to breakfast though."

    "I don''t want to go out," she protested immediately. "I''ll have to go to work in a while anyway though."

    "Do you want to call in sick?" he asked.

    She shook her head and objected, "I think I should work as much as possible until I get too pregnant."

    He gazed at her silently for a long minute, and then his phone went off. He sighed and reached for it, and then stared at it with such a reluctant expression that Eri asked, "What''s wrong?"

    Takumi''s lips quirked and he replied obscurely, "I guess I should answer." Then he warned her, "It''s a video call."

    Eri sat up quickly and checked that the yukata was still fastened securely while he answered it.

    "Were your mother senses tingling?" Takumi asked with amusement. The dark haired woman on the screen looked oddly familiar to Eri, but if Takumi hadn''t identified her with his greeting, she wasn''t sure that she would have recognized Mirage''s Hikaru.

    His mother raised her eyebrows at him and replied, "I was just calling because both your father and I will be home for three days next week and we''d like to see you. What happened? Are you okay?"

    Takumi scooted over to Eri and hugged her against him, tilting his phone so that they were both in the pick up area. Hikaru looked at Eri''s startled expression and suggested, "You could introduce us to your girlfriend in person instead of over the phone, we could have dinner?"

    Eri stared at the small image of Takumi''s mother shyly. It wasn''t that she hadn''t believed him, but seeing her was somehow shocking.

    "I''ll bring her," he promised. "And don''t tease her too much. She''s your fan, and she''s having my baby."

    His mother''s eyes went wide, but Eri went pale and froze in his arms.

    Takumi glanced at her and said abruptly, "I''ll call you later." He ended the call without waiting for a response. "I''m sorry," he told Eri anxiously. "Should I not have told her?"

    Eri shrugged helplessly. She couldn''t explain why hearing the words, ''she''s having my baby'', had dropped her heart back into a cold empty place.

    He cupped her cheek with his hand and pleaded, "Talk to me?"

    "I don''t know," she replied blankly after a moment.

    He tried kissing her gently but she didn''t respond much. After a moment he sighed and sat back, and just looked at her.

    "I''m sorry," she apologized quietly.

    He hugged her to him for a moment and then assured her, "Eri, I''m the one that should be saying sorry." She looked up at him doubtfully and he asked, "What about crepes? I have enough stuff that I could make those here?" She just blinked at him, and he added wryly, "For breakfast?"

    She nodded.

    It didn''t take him very long to cook the delicate pancakes, and she looked at the plate he presented her and finally smiled at him a little. He smiled back at her and then scooped up a dollop of cream and made a dot on her nose with it.

    "Takumi," she protested gently, and he leaned in and kissed her nose, sucking the dot of cream up while his lips were on her. He licked his fingers and she laughed. He grinned at her and kissed her deeply.

    She smiled at him when he released her and he suggested, "Eat?"

    She ate while telling him seriously, "This is delicious, it makes me afraid to try cooking for you."

    He looked at her with surprise and asked, "Why? I want you to cook for me anytime you feel like it?"

    She explained a little anxiously, "All of the things I know how to make are plain compared to your cooking."

    After a moment he replied, "It sounds like by trying to impress you I''ve intimidated you instead. I''m sorry Eri. I''ll eat anything you make quite happily."

    She blinked and asked, "You''ve been trying to impress me?"

    He grinned at her and replied quickly, "Of course I have, I''m trying to persuade you to fall for me?"

    "I really like you," she told him unhappily.

    "I''m so glad," he replied cheerfully.

    She blinked at him again, with a surprised expression, and he grinned at her with cheerful determination. She smiled hesitantly and he slid his arm around her and whispered into her ear, "And if you don''t keep eating, I''m going to feed you with my mouth."

    She blushed and took another bite quickly.

    He pouted at her.

    --

    Takumi took Eri to work and then called his mother back. She asked him wryly, "I take it you didn''t warn her that you were going to tell your parents?"

    He shook his head.

    "How long have you been dating?" she asked after a moment.

    He blushed and admitted, "A week."

    "Takumi!" Hikaru protested.

    He explained quickly, "We were using protection but it didn''t work. We found out when we went in to get birth control."

    "That must have been a shock?" she suggested after a moment.

    "That''s an understatement," he replied unhappily. "But she''s agreed to keep the baby if I want it, and I''m doing my best to make her really fall in love with me. Right now she will only say that she likes me."

    "Well she''s only known you for a week? Or have you known her longer and only been dating for a week?" his mother asked dryly.

    "We''ve only known each other for a week, but I love her already. She''s so damned cute, and everything shows on her face, and her blushes are like a storybook," Takumi explained enthusiastically.

    Hikaru laughed and said gently, "And now I understand even better why your grandmother was always telling me that I was just like my father when I was younger. You really are just like your father Takumi." She added more seriously, "Take good care of her. And while I really want to meet her, if it''s too soon for her, we can wait."

    Takumi grinned affectionately at his mother and said, "I will, and I really don''t know yet."

    "Okay," she agreed, and then looked at something off to the side and said, "I have to go, love you."

    "Love you too," he replied quickly before she ended the call.

 18: Fragile Tears

    When Takumi picked Eri up after work, he kissed her gently for several minutes before asking, "How does grilled steak sound?"

    Eri looked at him blankly. After a moment she replied doubtfully, "Expensive?"

    He blinked at her, and then told her quickly, "It wasn''t bad today, so I got a pound. I''m asking how you''d like it cooked? If you don''t want it I can chop it for stir fry and freeze it?"

    "Oh." She considered it for a moment before responding more positively, "It sounds good then."

    He kissed her again, and then buckled her into her helmet, and took her home.

    --

    While he was cooking Takumi said thoughtfully, "Maybe I should start looking for a bigger apartment."

    Eri looked over at him unhappily and protested, "Takumi, I still don''t know if I want to move in with you."

    He looked up at her and opened his mouth, but then closed it again and considered her quietly. After a moment he replied neutrally, "If you still don''t want the baby when it arrives, I''ll need a bigger place even if you won''t stay with me. And in the meantime, I think I want a real refrigerator instead of this mini. I''ve got it completely crammed."

    "Oh." She apologized guiltily, "Sorry."

    "It''s not your fault," he assured her softly.

    She looked at him doubtfully and he repeated it.

    --

    After dinner Takumi cuddled up to Eri and asked, "Is there anything I can do to make you feel happier right now?"

    She leaned against him as she told him seriously, "I''m okay." He looked like he didn''t believe her, so she hesitantly tried to explain, "I really don''t feel unhappy, I just feel kind of numbˇ­" She blushed as she admitted, "Except when we''re having sex."

    "Oh." He suggested more cheerfully, "Let''s do it all night then."

    "Okay," she agreed, and her lips reddened as she lifted her face for his kiss.

    He smiled as he informed her, "You are so cute."

    He kissed her until she was breathless, and then he started to undress her. Once they had both been freed of any unnecessary articles of clothing, they were intensely aware of the lack of the usual remaining barrier between them.

    --

    They didn''t actually continue for the entire night, but Takumi felt worried by the way Eri lay passively beside him when they stopped, and he asked, "What''s wrong?"This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    She looked at him sleepily and complained, "You do too much to me. Sometimes can you just do it like the first time again, where you didn''t keep doing more?"

    "Yes," he agreed.

    She smiled a little and her eyes closed and didn''t open again. He tucked her in against him and pulled the covers over her gently.

    Takumi was almost asleep when Eri''s phone went off. He looked at her but she didn''t even twitch at the sound. He sat up and looked at it. The call was from her mother, so he answered it.

    "Oh!" Miyuki said in a shocked tone when she saw his bare shoulders in the dim light. "Were you already sleeping Takeshi-kun?"

    "Eri is, I wasn''t quite asleep yet," he replied quickly.

    "It''s okay," she assured him. "I just wanted to ask if you''d both come to lunch tomorrow at about two? Yuki is coming home for a visit."

    "Eri''s sister?" he asked after a moment.

    "Yes, and her husband Eiji," Miyuki informed him cheerfully.

    "Okay, I''ll bring her," Takumi agreed.

    After bidding her mother goodnight, he cuddled back up to Eri and fell asleep.

    --

    Takumi woke up with Eri on top of him. After he regained his senses, he stared up at her in confusion.

    "Are you really awake now?" Eri asked with embarrassment. She''d been woken by his movements against her, and hadn''t realized that he wasn''t truly awake at first.

    Her blush wasn''t limited to her cheeks, and he grinned up at her. "Yes," he agreed. "I really need you to marry me so I can wake up this way for the rest of my life!"

    He regretted his half joking words when she immediately started to cry.

    Takumi pulled her down against him and asked anxiously, "Eri? I was just teasing you, not really demanding anything? I''m sorry."

    "It''s not that," she protested.

    "What is it then?" he asked worriedly.

    "When I woke up you wereˇ­ and when I moved you pulled me onto you. I thought you were awake at first, but you didn''t seem to hear me," she explained unhappily.

    "I''m sorry," he replied uncertainly. "I was probably dreaming."

    "Yes," Eri agreed miserably. "You were. You moaned someone else''s name, something like Reiko. And then you woke up for real."

    Takumi flushed as he responded with mortification, "Gods, I''m sorry Eri. I don''t know what to say. Or what I can do about it?"

    "I don''t know," she replied sadly.

    He stared at her wordlessly, afraid to touch her and see her pull away, but reluctant to let her go. Suddenly he asked, "You didn''t finish yet did you?"

    She met his eyes with confusion, and shook her head.

    "I love you Eri," he told her seriously. "I have no idea what I was dreaming, and I can''t promise it will never happen again, but I really love you. I''ll do anything you want."

    She just stared at him.

    A little desperately he asked, "What have we done that you''ve liked best, if there''s nothing new you want to try?"

    She didn''t resist the suggestion, and after a moment she asked hesitantly, "Could we try it in the tub?"

    Her blush renewed itself like fire as he replied, "Hell yes."

    He rolled out of bed, dashed into the bathroom and started the bath.

    --

    It wasn''t as fun as Eri had imagined at first, but Takumi adjusted what he was doing until she enjoyed it.

    Afterward, she laughed.

    Takumi smiled with relief to see her laughing again. A few minutes later, he finally remembered to tell her, "I forgot to tell you when we woke up, but your mother called after you were asleep. Your sister is visiting and I said we''d go have lunch with your family at two."

    Eri looked at him with surprise but she only said agreeably, "Okay."

 19: Family

    When they arrived at Eri''s home, her very pregnant sister who was seated at the table, turned around and exclaimed, "Wow! He''s hot!"

    Takumi actually blushed, as Eri''s brother-in-law looked at his wife and complained, "If I said that about a woman I''d just met you''d hit me!"

    Yuki looked at her husband affectionately and told him smugly, "Don''t worry Eiji, you''re very cute and I adore you." Then she looked back at Takumi and Eri standing in the entry and announced cheerfully, "I''m so glad we decided to come down even though we only had one day. I''m almost too pregnant to travel."

    Yuki patted her rounded belly with a smug expression. Eri stared at her sister''s belly and then burst into tears. Her family reacted as one, as they stared at her with expressions of worry and shock.

    Takumi pulled Eri into his arms and cradled her against his chest. He looked at her family over her short curls and said uncomfortably, "Um, hi. We''re pregnant?"

    After taking a deep breath, Minami looked at his wife and told her, "Your father is going to laugh himself sick." He turned his eyes back toward his youngest daughter and her new boyfriend. "He''s been waiting for this day ever since I showed up on your doorstep at midnight."

    Eri was still unable to respond, so Takumi explained quickly, "We found out when we went in for birth control."

    Miyuki suggested dryly, "Another case of locking the barn after the horse is stolen. Or something like that?"

    Takumi protested, "Not exactly? We were being careful, we just hit that one in ten thousand chance."

    No one knew what to say and Eri continued to cry in his arms for a little bit. When she finally calmed down enough, they joined her family at the table.

    As she settled shyly at his side, Takumi took a deep breath and then commented quietly, with an amused grin, "I see your sister gets your father''s eyes and your mother''s hair instead."

    Yuki laughed and Eri complained, "Everyone always tells us that she takes after our mother more than I do, but they''re not even related genetically."

    Takumi blinked and glanced back and forth between them. "What?"

    Yuki told him cheerfully, "I have a different biological mother, but our mother is still my real mother."

    " Okay?" he replied questioningly.

    Yuki looked at her father and said with a grin, "Our father knocked up one of his flings when he was young, so he won''t have any room to scold you."

    Miyuki added quickly, "It was before he met me!"

    "Anyway, our mother immediately arranged to adopt me as soon as that woman decided she didn''t want a baby." Yuki hesitated before adding, "I visit with her a little every few years because she kind of regrets it sometimes, but she''s not my mother. Our grandparents on that side are great though!"

    Miyuki agreed reluctantly, "Well, they are now, but it took them a while to adjust, and they almost sued for custody. Yuki was premature. She was born during our wedding ceremony, and her grandmother thought that I wouldn''t be able to take proper care of her!" She looked indignant.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Minami hugged his wife and told them, "Miyuki insisted on naming her Yuki, for courage. And she spent our honeymoon in the hospital with our new daughter, while I frantically tried to prepare our apartment alone between visits. She really did all the baby care at first."

    Takumi smiled uncertainly. "I have an uncle named Yuki, but his is written like snow, like a girl. You''re backwards." Miyuki and Yuki both laughed, to his relief.

    Minami shrugged and told Takumi, "So we''ve been there already, with the unexpected baby coming. It''s stressful. Welcome to the family?"

    Eri said uncomfortably, "I don''t know if we''ll get married."

    Takumi hugged her and said calmly, "Even if you decide you won''t marry me, I''ll still be your child''s father."

    After a few moments Eri nodded, and smiled at him shyly.

    Yuki told Eri enthusiastically, "Now we can talk about baby stuff together!"

    Eri went white. Takumi hugged her against his side protectively.

    Then he looked at her sister and asked ruefully, "Could you not yet? Eri is still pretty unhappy about it."

    Eri nodded when her sister looked at her.

    "Oh, okay," Yuki agreed. Then she asked curiously, "Did you just find out today?"

    Takumi replied when Eri just cringed without answering, "The test was actually Friday afternoon."

    "I just need time to get used to the idea I think," Eri explained faintly when her sister looked at her with surprise.

    Eiji scolded his wife gently, "You wanted to get pregnant, imagine how you might have felt if it had happened right after our first time?"

    "Can we talk about something else?" Eri asked plaintively.

    Eiji obliged his sister-in-law by telling his wife''s family about his latest projects at work, and Yuki contributed proud complaints about how much he was getting done and how much time he was spending on it.

    When they finally headed home, Yuki and Eiji both hugged Eri affectionately and Yuki told her quietly, "Be brave Eri, you''ll do great, and he seems like a good guy. I know you wouldn''t have chosen a bad guy."

    Eri gazed at her sister in mute surprise, but then nodded.

    --

    After they were gone, Takumi asked Eri, "Want help with your homework before I go?" Eri looked at him with such a stricken expression that he told her, "I''d be really happy if you decide to come home with me instead." If anything, she paled, and he asked anxiously, "What''s wrong, what did I say?"

    "I completely forgot I had homework, my tablet is still at your apartment," she explained anxiously.

    "So come home with me," he suggested.

    "I shouldn''t always sleep at your place," she told him unhappily.

    Some of his disappointment showed when he looked at her.

    Miyuki looked at his expression, and leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "Her father wouldn''t let me move in with him until after he agreed to marry me, you''ll have to be patient. They both act sweet and quiet, but they''re really stubborn about silly things."

    Takumi laughed. Then he pouted at Eri and told her, "Fine, I''ll bring you home again when you''re ready."

    "Sorry," she apologized.

    "It''s not that far," he assured her comfortingly. "Don''t worry about it." Then he asked more teasingly, "Want to bring a few clothes in case you change your mind?"

    She shook her head and argued, "If I take clothes, you''ll persuade me to stay."

    He grinned at her and suggested lightly, "If you''re persuadable, I''ll persuade you to stay without clothes too, I like it when you''re naked."

    "Takumi!" she objected. With her cheeks flaming, she begged him, "Don''t say things like that in front of my parents?"

    Minami said complacently, "it''s okay Eri, I still like it when your mother is naked too." He leaned over and kissed his wife affectionately.

    Eri covered her face and demanded, "Let''s go now Takumi!"

    He leapt to his feet and agreeably bundled her out the door, with a quick, "See you later."

 20: Want

    Eri didn''t try to explain even after they left the building, almost as embarrassed by Takumi''s amused smile as by her parents. The drive back to his place let her cool down, and while he was parking the bike, she told him, "I''m sorry, my parents are always like that."

    "Like what?" he asked.

    "Teasing each other about stuff and making out," she explained uncomfortably.

    Takumi grinned at the way she blushed adorably, and assured her, "Your parents are fine. Wait until you meet mine, you''ve never seen such a ridiculously love-love couple."

    She looked at him with confusion as he walked her to the elevator. "But you made it sound like they''re so busy that they hardly get to see each other?"

    "They are, but when they''re together they''re like teenagers. They completely stick to each other, and kiss all the time," he complained.

    Eri laughed, and Takumi pouted at her as he unlocked his door. She entered first, and sighed with relief as she spotted her tablet. After he shut the door behind them, he reached out and hugged her from behind.

    "Takumi don''t," she protested.

    "Why?" he asked plaintively.

    "If we start, I won''t get my homework done," she explained with embarrassment.

    He nibbled the edge of her ear and suggested, "I could do your homework while you''re asleep after?"

    "No!" she protested vehemently. "Please stop pushing me?"

    Immediately contrite, Takumi apologized quickly, "I''m sorry Eri, I really don''t want to push you! I just want you." He hugged her tighter for a moment and then released her.

    Eri watched him walk to the counter of his tiny kitchenette and pull out a lollipop, he glanced back at her and she looked away. She took a calming breath and then walked over to pick her tablet up. She didn''t ask to go straight home, instead she sat on the end of his bed and started on her assignments.

    He watched her for a couple of minutes, and then climbed onto the bed and settled against the headboard. She glanced up at him and blushed, but neither of them said anything.

    Her blush renewed each time she looked up, and after a while he asked with amusement, "What are you thinking when you look at me like that?" Her blush spread over her again, like a wave, and he grinned and added, "You are so freaking cute."

    Eri shook her head, and stared at the screen beneath her fingers.

    Takumi told her, "You are seriously killing me Eri. I don''t know what to do right now."

    She looked up in surprise, and asked anxiously, "Why? What''s wrong?"

    He leaned forward and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. "Nothing. I just want to do you, sleep beside you, do you again, go to work, come home and do you again, and repeat."

    She gazed at him open mouthed, unable to reply, and he slipped his lollipop into her mouth and then sat back. After a moment she pulled the lollipop out of her mouth.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "Okay, then let''s do it, but you''ll really have to help me with my math assignment," she said quietly.

    His eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "I really want to, but you don''t have to let me just because I''m wanting you."

    She blushed again and looked away before admitting shyly, "Every time I look up, I see you sucking on your candy. I want to."

    He had her naked in under two minutes, and her tablet fell off the bed a few minutes later.

    --

    Afterward, Eri commented with amazement, "Wow, that was fast!"

    Takumi kissed her again, and then reminded her a little anxiously, "You said that you want to just do it without a lot of extra sometimes?"

    She cuddled into him, and nodded before agreeing shyly, "Yes. I loved it."

    He ran his hand over her hip and sighed, "I guess now we do homework."

    "Sorry," she apologized unhappily.

    He kissed her again and told her firmly, "I''m not sorry, and if we finish your work quickly enough, I want to do this again after."

    She blushed, and he found it difficult to get tired of her reactions.

    --

    When it was time to take Eri home, Takumi drove her back regretfully, and kissed her a dozen times before he let her walk into her parents building.

    When he got home he called his father, and when it went to mail he simply said without surprise, "Call me soon, I''ve got a question."

    His father, Takeshi Kiri, called back a few minutes later and asked, "What''s up?"

    Takumi hesitated and then started with, "Did oka-san tell you about my girlfriend?"

    Kiri responded to his eldest with amusement, "You mean did Hikaru tell me you''ve knocked up a little girl that you seem to be head over heels for? Yes."

    "She''s not a little girl!" Takumi objected immediately.

    "Oh?" Kiri asked with interest. "What''s her job like?"

    "She just has a part-time job, because she''s still in college. But she is not a little girl, she is already 21," Takumi answered with irritation. "And this kind of thing isn''t what I called to talk about."

    "Okay," Kiri agreed with amusement. "What did you want to ask?"

    Takumi covered his face with his hand and explained miserably, "Oka-san has always said you''ve waited patiently for her to be ready for everything. How did you manage it?"

    Kiri grinned at his son, and protested cheerfully, "I''ve never waited patiently for Hikaru in my life!"

    Takumi stared at his father, and then objected, "Even I have seen you wait patiently for her to be done working on a song or something."

    Kiri shook his head. "Congratulations on falling in love," he said more gently. "I don''t know what to tell you. I never feel patient, I just try to let her do things at a pace that makes her happy. I love making her happy. That''s all." His son stared back wordlessly for so long that Kiri added apologetically, "Sorry. Sometimes I wait with resignation?"

    Takumi shook his own head, in the same manner his father used. "No, I''m glad I asked. I don''t know how to make her happy, is all."

    "Ask?" Kiri suggested.

    Takumi groaned and told him, "She has only told me that she wants me to wait for her, and not to push her."

    Kiri replied sympathetically, "Do your best. If she asked that directly, she probably really needs some time?"

    Takumi nodded unhappily.

    Kiri switched subjects and said, "I''m thinking of retiring next year so I can spend more time with her."

    Takumi looked at his father and immediately objected, "But you''re only sixty."

    Kiri grinned. "But we can afford it, and I want to have some time to follow my wife around like one of her groupies before I''m too old! Besides, since Hatsuharu retired from the band, she''s running all over the place with that pretty young drummer, and I can''t give her too much room?"

    Takumi rolled his eyes. "Oka-san will never cheat on you, and groupies? Maybe you really are getting old enough to retire. No one calls their fans that anymore."

    Kiri looked at his eldest son and asked abruptly, "Is she worth waiting for?"

    Takumi looked back angrily and retorted, "Absolutely!"

    Kiri grinned and told him cheerfully, "Then don''t worry, you''ll be fine."

    --

    Takumi laid in bed and wished Eri were cuddled up against his side. He stared out at the city lights until he finally fell asleep.

 21: Yielding

    Eri stared at Chisa for a while when they met in their first shared class. She wondered how you were supposed to tell your best friend that you let a man you''ve barely known a week knock you up during the first three days. She thought it would be nice if there were a card or something for that.

    Chisa caught her staring and then avoided Eri''s eyes, as she asked a little bitingly, "What?"

    Eri opened her mouth as she watched Chisa''s cheeks go pink, but couldn''t make words come out so she just closed her mouth again and shrugged helplessly.

    Chisa glanced at her again, and rolled her eyes. "You''ll understand when it happens to you. Someday even you will find the guy that makes you feel willing to do what he wants whenever he wants."

    Eri reacted with blank confusion and asked, "What?"

    Chisa sighed audibly, and then whispered, "We''ll talk after classes are over, okay? Everything is fine, don''t worry."

    "Okay?" Eri agreed uncertainly, feeling completely lost.

    --

    Chisa spent her lunch with her lover, and Eri felt a little lonely. She wondered if Chisa had meant giving up their lunches together.

    Eri meant to wait until classes were over, but when they finally met again during the break between their afternoon classes, she blurted, "I''m pregnant."

    Chisa stared at her in shock for a long moment. Her first reaction was anger, and Eri flinched as Chisa replied sharply, "I told you to make sure he was careful with you!"

    "We were careful, mostly," Eri replied as quietly as possible.

    Chisa heard her miserable little reply and asked critically, "What do you mean mostly?"

    Eri glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to them, so she quietly explained the brief incident during their first morning together, while she was still half asleep.

    Chisa stood still. After a moment she asked with alarm, "That''s it? And you got pregnant from that?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe? But Takumi said that it could have been because he didn''t examine each packet first?" Eri explained uncertainly.

    Chisa paled. "Oh my god," she whispered.

    Eri felt relieved in a way, that once she understood, her friend seemed to feel just as alarmed as she had. She tried to smile, and shrug, but even she could tell that the expression wouldn''t be reassuring.

    "I''m going to have to tell him we can''t do that anymore if that''s all it took to get you pregnant," Chisa mumbled.

    "What?" Eri asked with less confusion and more worry this time.

    Chisa blushed and looked away from Eri before telling her in a faint voice, "He hates them."

    "Chisa!" Eri asked with alarm, "You yelled at me, but you''re the one who''s not using protection?"

    Chisa explained exactly what they were doing, a little defensively. And then she added, "And it''s not completely unprotected, I''ve got the implant."

    Eri asked worriedly, "But it''s only 80% isn''t it, because you went for the low impact?"

    Chisa nodded.

    The class time notification interrupted the brief silence, and Chisa suggested quickly, "Let''s meet again in the afternoon after my club activities are finished, so that we can have more than a few minutes."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Okay," Eri agreed.

    --

    When she had a moment, Eri messaged Takumi about her plans, and he asked: ''Do you think that I''ll be able to see you after you''re done catching up with your friend?''

    She felt a little guilty for putting him off, so she asked: ''Do you want me to spend the night even if we''re not done until really late?''

    She felt surprisingly pleased by his response: ''Hell yes! Please come.''

    --

    Eri finished her homework while Chisa was at her club. When they met up afterward, they went out for parfaits, and didn''t really talk about their problems until after they''d finished the sweets.

    Finally, Chisa set down her spoon and said miserably, "I feel like it''s all my fault you''re pregnant. I''m so sorry Eri."

    Eri looked across the small table with surprise, and asked incredulously, "How on earth are you responsible for me getting pregnant!?"

    Chisa gazed back at her and explained with heavy logic, "Ever since that jerk abandoned you I''ve been pushing you to date someone."

    "Don''t be ridiculous," Eri protested without heat.

    "But I messaged that you should be brave and have fun, and that as long as you were careful, you''d be safe," Chisa said unhappily.

    Eri blushed as she protested with more force, "I did not do it with Takumi because you told me to have fun!"

    "Why did you?" Chisa asked curiously. "Everytime I ask if you think someone is hot, you''re like, ''he seems nice'', or ''he was very polite''."

    Eri avoided Chisa''s eyes as she explained, "I did think he was pretty! But I didn''t feel like I wanted to try it until we''d been kissing for awhile. And he asked me half a dozen times if I was sure, so it''s definitely not your fault! It''s my fault."

    They talked for a while.

    After Eri told Chisa uncomfortably that she really didn''t want to talk about being pregnant until she''d had a while to get used to it, Chisa talked about her clubs and a movie that she wanted to see soon, and a net game that she''d heard was really good.

    --

    When they got ready to separate for the night, Eri hugged Chisa and said sincerely, "Thank you. This morning I was so scared to tell you."

    Chisa replied unhappily, "I love you Eri, so no matter how horrible it is, don''t be afraid to tell me anything!" Eri looked at her in surprise, and Chisa added, "You''re the best friend I''ve ever had! And I know I''ve gotten busy lately, but just demand I make time for you when you need it, okay?"

    "Okay," Eri agreed simply, and hugged her again before heading home.

    --

    Eri messaged Takumi on her way back, and he arrived to pick her up from her parents'' place only a couple of minutes after she arrived.

    He took the small bag of clothes from her with glee, and she smiled a little and told him shyly, "You look so happy."

    "I''m incredibly happy," he agreed cheerily.

    Her parents did their best to repress their amusement when their daughter informed them dutifully that she was spending the night with him.

    --

    Eri was expecting Takumi to demand sex as soon as they arrived at his place, so she was a little surprised when he just kissed her warmly, and then cheerfully shuffled things around in the drawers under his bed until he could put her clean clothes away.

    Once his small domestic task was accomplished, he met her expectations.

    He smiled at her as she cuddled up to him happily afterward, and asked, "Want to watch a movie or have some music on?"

    When she nodded, he showed her how to stream from his storage to his TV, and also authorized her phone so that she could stream her own things to it if she wanted. They watched a short, cheerful comedy, and then he made love to her slowly, once more, before they fell asleep in a tangle.

    --

    Morning came too soon, and began warmly, but Takumi was unhappy about being unable to give Eri as much pleasure as he took.

    He apologized until she laughed and protested, "Takumi! Sometimes you hold back on purpose for me, so why is it bad if I don''t enjoy it was much as you do sometimes?"

    "Because I want to make you feel good every time!" he insisted promptly.

    "I feel good," she assured him cheerfully. He looked at her dubiously and she insisted, "I mean it! I feel good right now."

    He kissed her again, and his alarm went off. He pouted at her and asked, "Can I have you again tonight?" Her smile faded and he added quickly, "You don''t have to, but I want to?"

    "I think I should sleep at home," she explained unhappily.

    He caressed her face. After a moment he agreed calmly, "Alright Eri. Do you want to go on a date anywhere this evening, even if you don''t want to stay over again?"

    She looked at him. She wanted to see him smile again, so she replied obliquely, "I don''t know, do you want to surprise me?"

    His grin pleased her as he agreed, "Sure."

    They ate cold cereal again before he took her to her college, and went to work.

 22: Bittersweet Days

    When Chisa slid into her seat in the class that Eri''s uncle taught, she was in tears. Eri looked over at her with alarm, but Chisa quickly wiped her eyes and insisted, "I''m fine! Don''t draw attention to me."

    The class passed surprisingly quickly, but even though Eri was waiting to ask what was wrong, she was prevented when her uncle asked Chisa to stay behind. She reluctantly went on to her next class only when Chisa practically pushed her out the door.

    After Eri was gone, Chisa turned to look at the teacher who knew her all too well, and asked rather miserably, "Am I going to flunk?"

    Toriyama Kei looked at her unhappy face and replied gently, "Only if you don''t make any sort of effort to fix things soon?"

    Chisa avoided his eyes, but she straightened her shoulders and nodded.

    He sighed, and walked over to lock the classroom door, before saying, "Come here Chi-chan."

    She blinked and met his eyes with a questioning look.

    "Give me a hug like you used to when you were little, and then tell me what''s going on with you lately?" he suggested with wry amusement. "I know Eri hates school, and I''ve given up on trying to make her enjoy it, but you''re different."

    Chisa stared up at his too familiar face, and replied tartly, "You know that I''m not a little girl anymore, and if you hug me like that now I might assume you mean more?"

    Kei walked forward and hugged her. She was too surprised to even think of resisting as he muttered unhappily, "That might be better than watching you cry over the endless series of jerks who keep hurting you."

    She looked up at him in disbelief and complained accusingly, "You''re just teasing me! If you really meant that, you''d have kissed me then."

    He bent and kissed her.

    His expression was wry as he asked, "So, tell me? Why are you crying again?"

    Chisa stared up at him as she blurted, "The guy I''ve been seeing said he doesn''t want me if he has to use condoms, and Eri is pregnant."

    After a moment of shocked silence, Kei uttered a short curse and advised, "Dump him permanently." Then he asked rather faintly, "Eri is really pregnant? But she said she''d just started dating?"

    Chisa admitted guiltily, "I probably shouldn''t have told you."

    "Does my sister know?" he asked worriedly.

    "I don''t know if she''s told her mother," Chisa admitted. "She didn''t want to talk about it, she said she needs time to get used to the idea."

    "So do I," Eri''s uncle agreed after a moment.

    Chisa gazed at him and said seriously, "I meant it you know. I''m really going to take this the wrong way. You can''t even pretend that you didn''t know I had such a crush on you in highschool!"

    Kei grinned at her suddenly. "Well, I was going to wait for you to finish growing up and figure out what you wanted from dating, but I don''t think I can stand it." He  told her just as seriously, "I''m sick of watching you cry over other men."

    She lifted her face suggestively, and he kissed her again. After a bit, she pointed out between kisses, "You''re not supposed to date your students."

    "You''d damn well better pass my class, and not take any more from me then," he advised her seriously after another kiss.

    "I think I might need private tutoring," she suggested.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    He grinned at her brilliantly and informed her, "You''re going to regret that."

    Her heart pounded when she saw that grin, like it used to when she was in middle school and he was still a college student, and she said breathlessly, "I''m pretty sure I won''t!"

    She pushed him away from her suddenly, and he stared down at her with a confused expression. "Chisa?"

    "I''m sorry," she insisted quickly as her fingers instinctively moved to her own lips. "But I really love you! I''ve been in love with you forever I think! And I don''t want to do this on a day that some other man made me cryˇ­"

    Kei sighed, and then nodded. "I''ll keep waiting for you if you promise not to date anyone else?" he offered.

    Chisa looked up at him in surprise, and he touched his fingers to his own lips and then to hers. After a moment, she nodded wordlessly, and then he silently walked over and unlocked the door.

    --

    When she met up with Eri at their last class together, Chisa was smiling so brilliantly that Eri felt completely confused.

    Chisa looked at Eri''s face and said cheerfully, "Don''t worry, everything is great! Better than it''s ever been! I''m breaking up with that jerk who refuses to be careful, and everything is wonderful!"

    "Okay?" Eri agreed helplessly. She''d never seen Chisa cheerful about a breakup before.

    --

    When Takumi picked Eri up for their date that night he grinned at her and whispered, "You look so beautiful tonight."

    She looked at him in surprise and then looked down at herself and laughed. She was wearing a soft red knit shirt so fine it felt like a microfabric. "I''ll try to wear red more often then?" she suggested.

    He kissed her, and then insisted cheerfully, "Whatever you want to wear is fine Eri." After a moment he did admit, "Though I do love this one. It clings to your every curve."

    For her ''surprise'' date, Takumi took Eri out on the river. He''d hired a sailboat, and arranged both dinner and a short sail upriver.

    She loved it, but still asked him a little anxiously, "Takumi, should we be spending this much with a baby coming?"

    He just kissed her fingers and suggested, "Eri, maybe we should talk about money? This much is fine?"

    She bit her lip, and replied uncertainly, "Not tonight? But I do love this, thank you."

    Takumi returned Eri to her home that night very reluctantly, with many kisses.

    --

    The next day Eri had so much homework that Takumi came to her parents'' place and then just sat and cuddled with her while she worked on it.

    When she apologized, he asked quietly, "Eri, why do you think I''m unhappy like this?"

    She looked at him for a moment and then suggested tentatively, "Because it''s boring?"

    "I''m sorry that you''re bored. I''m not bored. I love watching your face change as you struggle through your homework," he replied with an amused grin.

    She blushed and his grin widened. He tried to help her when he could, but it still took a long time. She was happy when he accepted her parents'' invitation to stay for dinner, and after they''d eaten she asked regretfully, "I suppose you need to go home soon?"

    Takumi looked at her consideringly. "Unless you''re going to invite me to spend the night here?"

    Eri blinked at him and asked, "Would you?"

    He gazed at her with a startled expression, and insisted quickly, "Of course I would."

    "I''d like that," she admitted shyly.

    Her parents just smirked at them both when he glanced over for permission.

    Eri asked her father for a yukata to lend Takumi, and it was amusingly short. Takumi took the family''s laughter with good grace, and then he and Eri took the elevator up to the roof, and did their laundry together.

    Eri got shy again when it was time to unroll the second futon, and make up their bed in the sleeping partition that she''d once shared with her sister. When they climbed into bed and she slid the screen shut, Takumi reached for her, and she caught his hands with hers.

    "If we do that, they''ll hear us," she protested in a whisper.

    "I''ll be quiet?" he suggested hopefully.

    "You''ll make me moan," she argued quietly.

    "I''ll cover your mouth," he promised.

    She looked at him when he reached for her again, but she didn''t resist.

    --

    They were as quiet as possible, and afterward Takumi curled around her and whispered, "I love you more everyday Eri."

    He fell asleep contentedly, but Eri lay wrapped in his arms and felt guilty.

    She felt even more guilty in the morning, when he apologized because he needed to leave too early to take her to the college. Especially when he explained apologetically that he needed to go back to his apartment first for his work things, even though he had clean clothes.

    As she made her own way to the campus, Eri wrestled with the conflict between what she felt that she ''ought'' to do and what she actually seemed to want to do.

 23: Reaching an Arrangement

    When Takumi showed up to get her that afternoon, Eri stepped back, looked into his eyes and admitted miserably, "Takumi, I don''t know what to do."

    "About what? What''s wrong?" he asked rather anxiously. He''d thought that they''d taken another step forward the night before, but Eri was keeping a definite space between them.

    "I want to sleep with you every night, but I feel like it''s wrong to move in with you suddenly," she complained uncomfortably.

    He looked at her a little incredulously, looked at the space between them, and then stepped forward. Eri not only didn''t move away, she shyly reached out to him, and he let out a sigh of relief and hugged her happily.

    "I want to sleep with you every night too," he informed her with amusement. "And why is that wrong?"

    She pushed away enough to look up at him anxiously, and said, "Because it will only have been two weeks tomorrow?"

    "Mmm," he agreed. His eyes narrowed and his cheeks rose with a repressed grin as he added, "We should celebrate." She gave him a blank stare, and his smile escaped his control, as he explained, "Lots of people celebrate two weeks, then a month, then two months, and so on?"

    "Oh," Eri said as a blush washed across her cheeks. "I did tell you I''ve barely dated."

    "Yes," Takumi agreed lightly, but his smile faded. "Eriˇ­ Gods. I don''t know what to do, if you tell me you want to sleep with me every night can I ask you again or not?"

    "Ask me?" she asked.

    "Please move in with me? I really, really want you to," he said quickly.

    "Oh," she replied.

    He gave her an uncertain smile.

    She blushed again and complained, "I guess I should, since it is silly to make you stay here so that I''m not spending every night at your place."

    Takumi pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I wish you sounded more enthusiastic, but I''ll take it! Thank you. I''m so freaking happy right now!" He kissed her again.

    "What will we do with my stuff?" Eri asked after a little while.

    "Let''s go apartment hunting? You can just bring what you need for now, and then we can get a bigger place and bring the rest?" he suggested.

    "Okay," she agreed dubiously.

    Miyuki laughed as she came up behind them, and said cheerfully, "Congratulations Takeshi-kun, now can you two give up the doorway?"

    They both blushed this time as they moved aside.

    Miyuki told her daughter authoritatively, "You and Takumi-kun should both come to family night."

    "Family night?" Takumi enquired curiously.

    Eri''s blush deepened as she explained, "At my grandparent''s place once a month. Everyone who can make it comes to dinner."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Miyuki pouted and told them, "Yuki already said they won''t make it to this one, but at least they came to visit last weekend."

    Eri asked Takumi shyly, "Would you mind going? I think my grandparent''s are pretty cool. My grandma is a manga artist, and my grandfather is retired now. But it gets crowded sometimes when very many of my aunts and uncles bring their kids."

    Takumi grinned at her. "Sure, I don''t mind being included in your family."

    Miyuki winked at him as her daughter hid her face.

    --

    Takumi helped Eri pack enough to get by for a week, and then carried her off triumphantly. She laughed as he had to make her mount and dismount from the bike three times, in order to get her bag strapped on in a way that neither covered any of his signal lights or her seat.

    Once they had unpacked the bag into his apartment, they ordered delivery instead of going out, and Eri told him ruefully, "I should start cooking when you don''t feel like cooking so that we don''t spend so much."

    Takumi set down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Okay, that''s it. Let''s talk about money."

    Eri gazed at him with a surprised expression. Hesitantly she set down her food and agreed, "Um, okay?"

    Takumi backtracked and started with an apology, "Sorry. It''s justˇ­ I would love it if you feel like cooking, but you don''t have to. And you don''t have to work until you''re too pregnant to work either." He ran his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture, and then continued, "I may not make enough to support you and the baby and keep going on six weeks of exotic vacations every yearˇ­ But I think I probably make enough that I can take care of you and take you somewhere fun for a couple of weeks every year."

    "Takumiˇ­" Eri almost whispered as she stared at him with wide eyes.

    "If there''s anything you need, tell me." He added with embarrassment, "And going out on dates and eating out is stuff that I''ve already been doing so it''s not extra." He looked at her a little anxiously.

    After a moment she pointed out, "But if we''re going to get a bigger place it will be more expensive than this?"

    He looked around and then grinned. "Not necessarily. This place isn''t cheap." He told her the amount his rent was currently, and her eyes widened again as he asked, "Do you have any idea what kind of place you''d like to get?"

    Eri silently shook her head and Takumi picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating. After a moment she followed suit, and took another bite.

    After a little bit, Takumi suggested, "Let''s start looking Saturday morning?"

    "Okay," she agreed.

    --

    In the morning when Eri woke up she felt really tired again. But she turned in his arms to see if he was awake, and after a moment Takumi opened his eyes and whispered, "Gods. I love mornings with you Eri."

    He kissed her enthusiastically, and warmth and pleasure temporarily washed away her fatigue.

    Later, when they were getting ready to leave for the day, Takumi told her, "I meant it about celebrating today. Is there anything you''d like to do? Anything I can buy you?"

    Eri shrugged, and when he looked disappointed she apologized, "I''m sorry, I don''t know. What kinds of things do people usually do?"

    Takumi blinked and then admitted a little reluctantly, "Well, I''ve usually gotten my girlfriends some bit of jewelry and flowers for anniversaries?"

    Eri didn''t focus on the mention of his previous girlfriends, instead she told him shyly, "I really liked the roses you got before. I do like flowers."

    He hugged her against him and kissed her, before telling her gently, "Okay, I''ll get you something."

    --

    When they were arranging themselves on his bike Takumi exclaimed suddenly, "I should get you your own key! What are you going to do after class? Do you want my key?"

    Eri looked at him in surprise and asked, "Should we bother getting me a key if we''re going to move out? I can do my homework in the library until you''re done with work. Although if Chisa didn''t have club things again I''d hang out with her instead, because she just broke up with her latest boyfriend I think. We haven''t really talked about it."

    "Oh." He looked a little startled as he offered hesitantly, "I''m sorry. Do you need to spend some time with her in the evening when she''s done?"

    She shrugged. "I''m not sure. She''s been acting kind of weird lately, crying in one class, and then totally happy in the next. But she seemed really happy all day yesterday. Can I let you know later?"

    "Alright," he agreed. He checked her position and then set off sedately into the traffic.

    Eri couldn''t help smiling as she leaned against his back.

 24: Playing Around

    Takumi was a little distracted as he worked, and his coworkers teased him.

    "I''m just trying to think of what I can do to create a memorable two week''s celebration with my girlfriend," he explained.

    Hori groaned, "God I hate you. Trade problems with me you freaking womanizer!"

    "I''m not womanizing. I adore her, and I''m totally serious!" Takumi protested. "I need to think of something really good, because I really want to make her totally fall for me."

    One of the married men, Endo, suggested suddenly, "Make sure that you do something she''s comfortable with."

    Takumi turned away from his screen and raised an eyebrow.

    "My wife told me recently that while we were dating, her favorite date wasn''t any of the times that we dressed up and went out, but the time where we got ice cream and spent the whole evening playing WorldCraft," Endo explained.

    Hori leaned over and asked Endo, "How did you find her?"

    Endo cleared his throat and studied his own screen intently. "Table tennis ricochet."

    --

    When Takumi finally picked Eri up from the library after work, she told him worriedly, "Chisa says she''s going to start dating my uncle, and that''s why she''s been so happy about breaking up with the guy she wasˇ­ um, dating."

    He looked at her a little blankly. "Okay? Do you disapprove?"

    "I don''t know, she''s had a crush on him forever." Eri shrugged uncomfortably. "But he''s a lot older, and he has always treated her like a little kid before now. I don''t know?"

    Takumi reached out and pulled her close so that he could hug her gently, before suggesting, "So let them figure it out? Isn''t the worst case that she finds out her crush was really just that, and they break up after awhile?"

    Eri explained uncertainly, "But my uncle never dates anyone that I know of."

    He grinned at her suddenly. "So you''re actually more worried that your friend will hurt your uncle? I thought you were worried about your friend."

    "I''m worried about both of them, I love them both," she protested.

    Takumi reached up and slid his finger along one of her curls. "Then let''s just hope that they''ll both be really happy in the end, whatever happens between them," he said comfortingly.

    After a moment Eri nodded, and pressed her cheek into his hand. He leaned in and kissed her.

    "Want to go get ice cream?" he asked.

    She smiled up at him and nodded.

    --

    Takumi took Eri to a grocery store.

    She gazed at him with such surprise that he asked a little nervously, "Would you rather go to a shop? I thought you''d rather get it here because it''s less expensive, and we can also pick up ingredients for supper and breakfast?"

    "I want to get it here," Eri agreed quickly.

    She clung to his hand as they shopped, which made him happier than he expected. And when they reached the freezers, he watched her expressions change as she tried to choose a flavor with a great deal of amusement.

    After a little while Takumi suggested, "Why don''t you just choose several you like?"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "They won''t fit in your freezer," Eri pointed out.

    "One or two will, and we can eat some right away?"

    "Which ones do you like best?" she asked. But before he could answer, she added anxiously, "And don''t say you don''t care?"

    He repressed a laugh as he replied cheerfully, "I like chocolate or fruit flavors best. And don''t complain that I''m not specifying a fruit, because I haven''t found one that I don''t like yet."

    "I don''t like very many kinds of melon," she admitted. "Or mangos."

    "How about this cherry cheesecake flavor and that chocolate mint?" he suggested a couple that she''d looked at for awhile.

    "Okay," she agreed happily.

    --

    After they finished shopping, Takumi took her home. Eri gazed up at him questioningly when they reached the door and found a bouquet of flowers waiting in front of it.

    He grinned at her and explained, "Well I couldn''t really surprise you with them if I made you choose them while we were shopping could I?"

    She kissed him enthusiastically, and then released him before he was ready, so that she could pick up the flowers while he opened the door.

    Takumi drew a deep breath as he hurried into the apartment and set everything on the counter before turning, pulling her up tight against him, and asking, "Can we?"

    Eri leaned into him a little shyly and admitted, "I want to, but our ice cream will melt."

    He turned away from her again, picked up the two flavors and asked, "Which first?"

    After a moment of indecision, she chose the chocolate mint. He tucked the other flavor into the small freezer compartment and put away the other cold things. She smiled a little as she watered the bouquet.

    He turned back to her with the ice cream in his hands, and asked, "Want to play with it?"

    "Play with it?" she repeated with puzzlement.

    "We can start by feeding it to each other," he replied with a suggestive grin.

    "Start what?"

    He raised an eyebrow. "I''m suggesting we mix sensations, fool around with the cream?"

    She blinked at him with a startled expression, and then shyly nodded. He pulled out a spoon, and they sat on the bed near the balcony before he offered her the first bite.

    Takumi kissed her slowly and then told her teasingly, "You''re delicious."

    Eri fed him the next bite, and watched as he sucked the spoon dry.

    After a few exchanges he asked gently, "Ready to do a little more?"

    "Okay?" she agreed curiously.

    He pushed her back against the bed and dropped a small spoonful on her skin. She gasped, and he bent and licked the cold cream off of her.

    --

    When they finished, Takumi picked up the carton and said smugly, "That was the best ice cream I''ve ever eaten."

    Eri laughed and complained, "But we wasted part of it."

    He pounced on her and pinned her to the bed. "Anytime you want to waste food again, I''m totally up for it," he  informed her seriously. "I loved every second of it."

    He kissed her, and she blushed so cutely that he had to kiss her again.

    "It was fun," she agreed.

    He kissed her once more before asking, "What would you like to do next? Should I tear up a few flowers and make love to you on a bed of rose petals? Do you want to go out? We can do anything you want."

    Eri wrapped her arms around him and asked hesitantly, "Can we take a nap then?"

    Takumi reached out and caressed her face. "Sure," he agreed.

    He rolled off of her and pulled the covers out from under her like a magician doing a table trick and she laughed. Then he covered her up and crawled in beside her. She fell asleep quickly and he watched her sleep for a while.

    --

    When she woke up quite a while later, Eri immediately apologized.

    Takumi looked at her and said firmly, "It''s fine Eri." He reached out and caressed her as he told her, "You''ll probably get tired more often now, so don''t be afraid to rest?"

    She flinched, and went pale.

    "I''m sorry," he apologized uncertainly.

    "It''s okay, I just sort of forgot for awhile," she explained uncomfortably.

    He looked at her for a moment and then said ruefully, "I''m really sorry Eri. It''s not going to go away if you forget about it, but if you''re happier when you''re not thinking about it then I really want to distract you more."

    She just looked at him for a minute without speaking. Finally she asked, "Want to go for a walk somewhere? It feels kind of like all we do is eat and make out?"

    "Too boring?" he asked uncomfortably.

    She grinned at him suddenly. "There''s nothing boring about you Takumi, so can we do a few boring things sometimes so I have time to rest?"

    He kissed her until she gasped for breath, then told her almost fiercely, "I love you. Let''s go walk by the river?"

    "Yeah," she agreed with a shy smile.

 25: Searching

    Saturday morning they met with a realtor that Takumi had contacted during the week.

    Takumi told the woman, "We don''t know what we''re looking for, but we''ll have a baby in less than a year. So can you show us a wide variety of things, and maybe it will give us more of an idea what to look for?"

    The realtor put on a neutral face that made Eri afraid she was going to refuse, but instead she asked, "What''s the upper limit of your price range?"

    Takumi gave her a number that made the realtor look pleased, but which made Eri whisper, "Are you sure? That''s more than half again what you''re already paying?"

    He grinned at Eri and replied calmly, "I''m sure." However he added a qualifier for the realtor, "But I need covered parking or at least storage for my motorcycle within three blocks."

    "Do you want to start looking immediately at a couple of options or would you like to schedule a time to look at a variety of things?" the realtor asked.

    Takumi looked at Eri and raised his eyebrows. After a moment Eri asked, "Could we do both? Since we only have a few hours until I work?"

    --

    They looked at two places that morning. The first was a flat in a highrise, with some similarities to Takumi''s current apartment, but no tub.

    The other was a duplex that made Takumi say, "This is similar to where my parents lived until my brother was born, but not as pretty I think. I don''t remember it very well, but there are a lot of pictures of me there."

    Eri told him shyly, "I''d like to see pictures of you when you were little."

    Takumi grinned and told her, "I''ll ask my father to show you some. He''ll tell you all the stories about my youth that I''d rather not have you hear too I''ll bet."

    Eri asked hesitantly, "Are we meeting your parents next week like your mother asked?"

    "If you''re ?willing," Takumi said hopefully.

    "Okay," Eri agreed.

    They told the realtor that a tub should be added to the list of requirements, and then Takumi took Eri to work.

    --

    Eri called Takumi when her shift was only half over and asked tearfully, "Can you come pick me up?"

    He got there so fast that she thought he must have broken some speed limits. When she ran up to meet him, he quickly dismounted and hugged her anxiously.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked.

    She rubbed at her face and then did her best to explain, "Sato-san asked me jokingly if you''d knocked me up yet." She gulped and sniffed her tears back before continuing, "I guess it showed on my face, because apparently he told the manager that I''m pregnant."

    Takumi caressed her cheek as he asked, "Okay? So?"

    "The manager called me in on my break and told me that he was giving me two weeks notice," Eri cried.

    Takumi looked puzzled. "I don''t think they can fire you for being pregnant."

    "If they give notice they don''t need a reason," she explained a little angrily even though she had to stop to sniffle again, which kind of ruined her cold tone.

    He frowned, and hugged her closer.

    "But it is because I''m pregnant," Eri insisted in a muffled tone. "I pointed out that it won''t even show for months and he said it doesn''t matter, that I won''t fit the image the business wants to present soon, so they are better off training a new person before summer!" Her tone changed as she added apologetically, "I''m sorry, I got mad and left, so now I won''t even have those other two weeks."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Takumi pushed her back far enough to see her face again, and looked at her seriously. Eri held her breath, until he said, "They obviously don''t deserve to have you anyway."

    "I can look for another job," she agreed with relief.

    "You don''t have to," he pointed out.

    She looked up at him and he insisted, "I''m serious Eri. I may be a bit, or even a lot, old fashioned, but I don''t think you should have to work and deal with having a baby."

    Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. "I don''t knowˇ­"

    He bent and kissed her gently, before explaining, "I know that people do, but even my parents, as crazy as they are, took a break. Our mother took three months off before each of us were born, and our father took a whole year off afterwards, even though we still traveled together when she was on tour, so that she could breastfeed in between concerts. I can remember a little of my brother''s first year." He hugged her closer and insisted, "You don''t have to work, and I don''t really want you to."

    Eri clung to him and asked unhappily, "So what will happen? Will you give me an allowance like a little kid? How will it work if I''m not working?"

    He cuddled her against him and told her quietly, "I don''t know. I''m willing to do it however you want, but instead of standing in the parking lot, why don''t we go for something sweet and talk about it?"

    She nodded and he bundled her up into her jacket and helmet.

    --

    Takumi took Eri to the old Tea Gardens. She gazed out the big round windows and said, "It''s beautiful."

    "Haven''t you ever been here?" he asked with amusement.

    She thought about it for a little while and answered hesitantly, "Maybe when I was very small? But I''m not sure."

    He glanced out at the gardens. "I thought this was a standard dating spot." When Eri blushed silently, he looked back and added with a quick grin, "Oh. I forgot my sweet innocent hasn''t visited them all yet. What about the viewpoint? The amusement park? The new aquarium?"

    Eri avoided his eyes by looking down at where their hands were clasped on the table. "Chisa and I go to the amusement park every summer, since we got old enough to take summer jobs."

    "So you like it?" he asked.

    She looked up at him and nodded. "I really like the roller coasters, at least, not so much the crowds."

    "We should go before summer arrives while it''s quieter," Takumi suggested. "My friend Sora and I used to go in the winter. We''d skip school for one day and go play."

    Eri grinned at him, and he smiled back at her affectionately.

    After they had cakes and a pot of tea he asked, "Do you want an annuity, or an allowance? Do you want to share accounts? What will make you most comfortable?"

    "I have only a vague idea what an annuity is?" Eri told him doubtfully.

    "It''s what rich men give wives they don''t want to deal with. A yearly living basically," he explained with amusement.

    She stared at him blankly.

    After a moment, Takumi added, "An allowance would work more like a stay at home wife who keeps a household account, or a divorce with an alimony settlement I think."

    Eri asked hesitantly, "What would you prefer?"

    "Adding you to my accounts as though we''re already married," he answered promptly.

    "I still don''t know if I want to marry you though," she objected.

    "I know, that''s why I''m saying you should choose, instead of demanding you let me do what I want?" he explained gently.

    She thought for a little while and then said uncertainly, "I think a household account sounds best, it sounds like something either of us could contribute to when we''re working, and I still think maybe I should work a little at least during the summer?"

    He lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips. "Okay, let''s do that."

    --

    Sunday they met the realtor again, and they viewed twelve different places before they finished in the early afternoon.

    Takumi complimented the realtor on the wide variety. They had viewed everything from a houseboat, to an ultra modern programmable unit, to a traditional tatami style place.

    Eri said unhappily, "I don''t know, some of them are okay, but I''m not sure if we even learned what to look for?"

    The realtor replied cheerfully, "You both prefer a full kitchen, a river view, quiet areas, and natural wood. We''ve learned a lot I think. I''ll try to find more places with a tub and parking that match more of those criteria."

    Eri stared at her in surprise and Takumi asked, "Eri, should we try to view more during the week or wait ''till next weekend?"

    She turned, looked up at him, and replied uncertainly, "I don''t know, I''m surprisingly tired. I definitely don''t want to try to look at this many on school nights?"

    He hugged her and told the realtor, "Friday afternoon?"

    They set it up and then Takumi took Eri home to take a nap, before they went to have dinner at her grandparent''s place.

 26: Family

    Eri''s grandfather Yukito answered the door and invited them in when they arrived. He raised an eyebrow at Eri''s guest, but his smile was welcoming, and Eri returned it happily. Takumi released his clingy grip on Eri''s hand as he followed her through the door.

    Moments later a man clattered down the stairs, scooped Eri up in a hug, and twirled her around. She gasped in surprise and then exclaimed gleefully, "Kyo-jii-san! You''re back from France!"

    "I am!" he agreed and kissed her before setting her down. Then he demanded, "Now introduce me to this strange man!"

    Eri blushed and turned back to Takumi, whose smile was a bit fixed in place. "Ahˇ­" she began as she reached for his hand, and then tugged him closer as she introduced him to her grandfather and her second youngest uncle.

    Takumi relaxed a little, but Eri''s cheeks were warm. Introducing him to her extended family made things feel more official somehow. But it wasn''t too bad, no one had asked any embarrassing questions yet, and everyone was smiling.

    A few minutes later Eri''s grandmother came out of her workroom and was introduced as well. Then one of her older cousins arrived. She introduced another cousin, her aunt, and her eldest uncle to Takumi as they came in.

    She whispered admiringly, "You''re doing great."

    He grinned at her, hugged her closer, and replied quietly, "Thanks, I keep thinking, ''Wow, so many people'', but my family is just as large really."

    When her parents arrived, her mother Miyuki rushed through the greetings and then asked the two of them excitedly, "Did you already tell them that you''re pregnant?"

    Everyone went silent and Eri went scarlet. Takumi slid his arm around her waist and hugged her closer, while her grandfather looked at her father and started to laugh.

    Minami told his wife dryly, "I told you he was going to laugh."

    His father in law, Yukito, didn''t laugh himself sick, as Minami had predicted though. Instead, after a few moments Yukito stopped laughing, grinned at Eri, and asked, "How far along?"

    Eri flinched, but gathered her courage and replied hesitantly, "Two weeks."

    Her uncle Kyohei immediately glared at Takumi and demanded, "Why weren''t you being careful with her!?"

    "We were mostly careful," Eri protested. "And why are you blaming Takumi instead of me? It''s probably my fault," she confessed unhappily.

    "It is not your fault," Takumi insisted quickly. When she looked at him doubtfully he kissed the tip of her nose, and added, "And it''s okay if your uncle blames me."If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Good, because I''m blaming you," Kei said as he walked in behind them.

    Eri gasped and turned to stare at her youngest uncle. "That''s not fair!" she complained.

    "Why not? You didn''t get pregnant by yourself," he pointed out.

    "He didn''t get me pregnant by himself either," Eri objected.

    Kyohei grinned at Eri and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Alright, my bad, and nevermind who''s at fault." He told her cheerfully, "I brought you a postcard from France."

    "Brought? Why didn''t you just mail it?" she asked curiously.

    "I don''t think our post offices would handle this kind well," Kyohei explained doubtfully. "But I thought that you and Yuki would love them."

    Kyohei dashed energetically up the stairs while the eldest and youngest of the brothers exchanged weary glances and then smiled. He returned within moments to hand Eri two cards. She took them with a questioning expression.

    "Since Yuki isn''t here, pick the one you want and I''ll send her the other one in an envelope," Kyohei instructed.

    Eri stared at the elaborately embroidered card in her hand. It was like a paper doll that had been embellished to the max. Metallic embroidery shimmered across the surface, edging flowers and other background elements. The fabric of the dress puffed out from the surface, and the cheerful paper face of the doll reflected her own smile.

    "Wow, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, and then lifted the other one and compared them for a few moments. Then she glanced at Takumi and asked, "Do you have any preference?"

    Kyohei opened his mouth to object, but Yukito kicked his foot, and shook his head at his son.

    Takumi smiled as he shook his own head. "Nope, they''re both pretty. But you like the one with the green best don''t you? You''re going to hang it up at our place?"

    Eri nodded, and Takumi''s grin widened.

    Kyohei said, "Oh."

    Kei asked with surprise, "Your place?"

    Miyuki told her little brothers proudly, "Takumi-kun already convinced her to look for a place and move in with him!"

    Eri''s cousin Shuhei looked at his aunt and objected, "Oba-chan! Aren''t you supposed to be unhappy about it instead of proud of the guy?"

    "Why?" Miyuki asked cheerfully.

    Shuhei glanced at the rest of his family with embarrassment and muttered, "I don''t know."

    Eri said sympathetically, just as her aunt Nana banged in through the door, and headed straight for the bathroom, "It really seems like most mothers would complain doesn''t it?"

    "If you want a mother to complain about something, just give me a few minutes and I''ll complain all you want!" Nana complained before she shut the door behind herself.

    Kyohei looked up at his twin, who had followed his wife more sedately into the house, and leapt up to take his youngest niece into his arms as his slightly older brother struggled with her and three bags. "Did you knock her up again already Tori?" he teased.

    Torishi flushed as he replied succinctly, "Twins."

    Kyohei told him dryly, "Apparently it''s going around. Even little Eri-chan is pregnant this spring."

    Tori looked past his brother and blinked blankly at Eri. She blushed.

    They spent several hours with her family before Takumi took her home again, but the visit was mostly as pleasant as Eri had hoped, and she thought that Takumi kind of liked her noisy family.

 27: Dizzy Fright

    "Eri, what are you doing?" Takumi asked when she suddenly rolled off the bed, edged over to the balcony, and slid the door open.

    "Several of the places with nice views had balconies," Eri explained quickly.

    He set down the tablet and got up. It only took him a few steps to reach her and pull her into his arms. "So?" he asked a little anxiously. "Does that mean you suddenly need to push yourself to do something that scares you so much?"

    "I''m really not afraid of heights Takumi," she protested. "I''ve stood in lots of high places and been fine, and I usually love rollercoasters and things that twirl you through the air!"

    Takumi eyed her skeptically, and Eri blushed. She avoided his gaze and looked through the open door at the tiny balcony. Remembering still made her feel apprehensive, but she was also curious.

    "I really have no idea why I got so scared, maybe it was just because I was already nervous?" she speculated.

    He hugged her against him. "If you decide that you only ever agreed to do it with me because of the suspension bridge effect, I''ll cry Eri," he told her plaintively.

    She looked up at him in surprise, and then quickly looked away again. "Even if I tried to claim that for the first time," she protested with embarrassment, "I love being with you way too much to claim that it matters anymore."

    Takumi sucked in a deep breath and slid his hands down to run them over her hips, as he suggested, "Then how about doing it now?"

    "In a few minutes," Eri replied with a surprisingly cheeky grin. "I want to try going on the balcony first."

    He released her reluctantly, and after a moment she hesitantly stepped forward, out onto the balcony. She couldn''t help the gasp that escaped her as the wind hit her and the whole thing thrummed.

    He immediately moved toward her, but stopped when she said firmly, "Give me a minute." She had to struggle to breathe, and her grip on the rail showed white knuckles on her tightly clenched hands. "It really is scary," she admitted reluctantly.

    "So come back in?" he suggested.

    Instead she edged a little farther out, and actually leaned over the rail. Takumi watched her a bit anxiously, but waited in the doorway.

    She was shivering as she straightened and told him, "It is a really pretty view though."

    "It is," he agreed.

    "I don''t understand why it makes me so nervous," she complained.

    "I have no idea Eri, but watching you is making me nervous, can you come back in?" He held his arms out toward her coaxingly.

    "Don''t help me," she insisted quickly. "I can do it, just give me a few minutes."

    "Alright," he agreed reluctantly and stepped back away from the door a little.

    She edged along the rail and stood looking at the door for a moment. Then in a sudden rush she transferred one hand from the rail to the door frame. She took a deep breath, and transferred her other hand, and finally stepped back inside.

    "I did it!" Eri declared proudly.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Takumi scooped her up, and then sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. "You did," he agreed dryly. He kissed her before asking, "But please don''t go out on the balcony when I''m not here. I don''t know why it scares you, but I can tell that it really scares you."

    "Yeah," she agreed unhappily.

    He tugged gently on a stray curl of her dark hair, kissed her again, and then started taking off her clothes. She let go of her disappointment with herself as she laughed and wiggled out of his arms.

    "Eriˇ­" he protested gently.

    "Just a minute," she insisted laughingly as she turned out the lights before she let him continue.

    --

    Their week began peacefully enough, and Eri even started to think that she was pretty happy, even though things were moving so fast. After she finished her classes in the afternoon, she returned to her parents to work on packing her things until Takumi finished work.

    They arranged in advance to have dinner with Takumi''s parents and his little brother on Thursday night, but Wednesday morning when Takumi wrapped his hands around her waist, Eri wriggled out of his grasp, dashed to the bathroom, and threw up.

    "I hate being sick," she complained miserably when he leaned over her after a minute.

    He looked surprised, and then frowned and stopped her when she tried to move to the sink and rinse her mouth. She stared at him blankly as he rummaged in the cupboard, and blinked when he pulled out a thermometer. He calmly took her temperature, and then told her doubtfully, "I don''t think you''re sick Eri, I think it''s just morning sickness?"

    She stared at him in shock for a long silent moment, and then denied it, "It''s too soon! Onee-chan didn''t start having morning sickness until she was six months pregnant!"

    Hesitantly, Takumi asked, "Eri, did you read all the pregnancy information the doctor gave us?"

    Guiltily, Eri admitted, "No, I really haven''t wanted to think about it." She rinsed her mouth out before adding, "I''m not even a whole month pregnant yet though! Most people don''t even know they''re pregnant at this point, so it doesn''t really matter yet?"

    He hugged her and replied gently, "I guess it''s okay if you don''t want to read everything, but it said that morning sickness is most common in the first three months, even in the first couple of weeks. Because of all the changes and hormones your body starts making for the baby."

    She started to cry, and he scooped her up and carried her back to the bed.

    She just sobbed into his shoulder miserably for a while, before telling him, "I was just starting to feel happy about living together, it''s like even my own body doesn''t want to give me time to get used to it!"

    He kissed her forehead gently and said, "I''m sorry Eri."

    After a while she finished crying. They quickly dressed, ate a few mouthfuls, and left the apartment.

    --

    That afternoon when Takumi arrived to pick Eri up, her father told him calmly, "They''re at the hospital, they should be back soon I think."

    Takumi paled. "I told her I thought it was morning sickness, was she sick after all?" he asked anxiously.

    Minami shrugged. "I don''t think so. Eri doesn''t get sick very often, but she''s a horrible patient when she does. But she said she felt faint, so her mother demanded she go in for an exam."

    --

    A very miserable Eri returned with her mother a while later. She saw Takumi waiting for her and walked straight over and crawled into his lap. He cuddled her worriedly.

    "You were right," she told him miserably. "They said I''m already having morning sickness and it''s even affecting my blood pressure already."

    Takumi hugged her tightly and asked, "Are you okay? What can I do?"

    "I don''t know," she replied unhappily.

    He bit his lip and thought, while she cuddled against him. Finally he suggested, "It seems like it''s already time to find a doctor to monitor you regularly. How was the one you saw today?"

    She just shrugged, but her mother told him comfortingly, "They suggested another appointment in six weeks, nothing urgent."

    "Okay," he agreed quietly.

    --

    When Takumi took her home, he tucked her into the bed and asked, "Do you want to cancel tomorrow?"

    Eri gave him a puzzled look before remembering, and then she gasped and protested, "No! I don''t want to cancel dinner on your family."

    "It''s not that big a deal, they''d understand," he told her reassuringly.

    "I do sort of want to meet them though?" she confessed a bit shyly.

    "Okay," he agreed, and summoned up a grin for her.

 28: Overwhelming Sunshine

    Takumi took Eri to his parents place for dinner.

    Eri greeted Takumi''s father with wide, startled eyes, as she took in his appearance. Her eyes moved between the two men, as though verifying their reality. Kiri was over three decades older than his son, but perhaps because he worked in the entertainment industry with his wife, he looked really good for his age. And Takumi was like a slightly larger, younger, carbon copy of his father.

    Takumi chuckled at Eri''s obvious reaction. "I half expected you to look at my mother this way, what''s so interesting about my father?" he asked her teasingly.

    "He looks just like you!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

    Hikaru overheard her and agreed with a smug grin, "I know, right? And my husband is still the sexiest man I''ve ever seen." Despite her brash words, Takumi''s mother elegantly folded herself as she sat next to her husband at the table, then grinned at Eri and declared, "I''m so lucky that both of my children took after their father!"

    Takumi''s younger brother muttered, "He''s the illegal clone."

    Eri covered the giggle that escaped her as she nodded, while Takumi objected, "We''re not exactly alike, I''m taller."

    Takeshi Shiori reached out and whapped Takumi''s shoulder with an open hand while complaining, "You smug peacock, you may be taller, but at least I''m smarter than you are."

    Takumi seemed to ignore the insult as he nodded and agreed seriously, "Indeed, that''s good, since you stopped growing too early."

    Eri regarded Shiori with wide eyes, as he grinned at her and asked his brother, "She''s so cute, how did you meet her?"

    "Pure luck," Takumi replied emphatically.

    "Do you have any sisters?" Shiori asked Eri herself in an obviously teasing fashion.

    "Just one, and she''s already married," Eri informed him with a blush.

    Shiori pretended to pout, but shifted his focus to the table as Kiri filled the waiting cups. Shiori took his place and began to load up his plate cheerfully as Takumi and Eri sat. Their mother regarded her sons with a repressed grin, and loaded her own plate just as quickly.

    Takumi told them teasingly, "You''ll get fat."

    "Worth it," Hikaru replied simply.

    Shiori stuck out his tongue and replied, "I''m not the one who gets plump over winters. Worry about yourself. I''m starving."

    Takumi reddened a little, but announced promptly, "That reminds me, Eri would like to see pictures of when I was little."

    Hikaru grinned openly as she exclaimed, "You were so cute!"

    Kiri regarded his eldest with surprise. "You''re offering them to her, instead of complaining if we show her?"

    Takumi nodded and slid his arm around Eri''s waist. She blushed again as he leaned over and kissed her lightly before replying, "I''ll do anything that will make her feel a little better about the baby coming. Even let her laugh at my childhood pictures."

    Shiori stared at his brother open mouthed and exclaimed, "Flaming blazes! You are so freaking in love it''s embarrassing!" He leaned toward Eri and confided, "He cried and locked himself in his room for a week after I showed his first girlfriend his baby pictures!"

    "I did not!" Takumi objected.

    "It was only for about two hours," Kiri interjected complacently.

    Eri gazed at Takumi with startled eyes and he blushed. She offered hesitantly, "If it''s too embarrassing, I don''t need to see?"

    He took her hand and squeezed it gently as he replied calmly, "It''s okay if it''s you Eri."

    Eri blushed deeply and avoided everyone''s eyes. Kiri changed the topic with practiced ease, and after dinner Eri got to see lots of pictures.

    --

    Eri held the tablet and flipped through another album of photos from when Takumi and his brother were little. Kiri and Hikaru had obviously taken a lot of pictures over the years.

    Takumi watched her a little anxiously, and she smiled and told him reassuringly, "You were very cute."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He cuddled her closer and whispered, "Not as cute as you are."

    Eri blushed, but made no protest, and he grinned at her.

    When they curled up in his bed that night, she whispered, "I''m really glad you introduced me to your family. I was nervous about it, but they all really love you a lot."

    Takumi kissed her, and then agreed, "Yes, I''m pretty lucky, even though they all love to tease me."

    "You were so cute," she told him again, while grinning at him.

    "And now?" he asked while running his fingers over her hip.

    "You''re very sexy," Eri whispered seriously. If Hikaru of Mirage could openly brag about how sexy her husband was, Eri felt like she could at least tell Takumi so directly.

    Takumi responded very warmly.

    --

    Eri was sick again in the morning. And as if that wasn''t enough, when they stepped into the hall they were greeted by the sight of Takumi''s ex, who was carrying a laundry basket.

    Kasumi stared at them for a long moment, and then asked unhappily, "She''s already living with you?"

    Eri was startled when Takumi replied harshly, "It''s none of your business. What are you even doing here?"

    Kasumi lifted her chin and declared, "I just moved in." She turned and pointed with her basket. "A couple doors down."

    Eri shocked them both by declaring suddenly, "I hope you''ll really enjoy living here and stay for a long time!" Kasumi sputtered as Eri promptly dragged Takumi away. Once they were safely into the elevator Eri whispered anxiously, "Because we''re moving out, and I don''t want her to follow us."

    Takumi hugged her tightly and murmured, "I love you Eri."

    --

    The realtor had chosen only three places to show them that afternoon.

    Eri liked the first one, except that she thought the entry with it''s open water feature might be dangerous for a baby. Takumi really liked the parking and the view at the second place. He liked it enough that Eri asked, "Do you just want to take this one?"

    He hesitated before replying, "Let''s wait and see."

    Before offering the third place the realtor commented hesitantly, "I think you''ll both really like this one, but it isn''t very well set up for small children. It just became available though, so I thought we''d try it?"

    The building was on a hill above the river, near an elementary school. It had a covered parking space available, but not an enclosed one. It was very modern and well lit, and the residence they were being shown to was on the upper floor, so its hallway even had skylights.

    When the realtor let them in Eri only took a few steps before she exclaimed, "Wow!"

    Takumi looked at the small modern kitchen beside the entry approvingly, while Eri stepped down into the main room and went to stare out the windows which were lined with built in window seats. The room was done in natural woods and sunshine lit it warmly.

    Eri peeked into the bathroom and announced, "Takumi, you will love this!"

    He walked over and looked in, and immediately agreed. There was a beautiful soaking tub big enough for two beside the windows. A built in washer and dryer occupied the interior corner of the bathroom. The only downside to the place was that instead of a second bedroom, it had a loft above it''s master bedroom.

    Eri was regarding the narrow staircase with such disappointment that Takumi asked, "You don''t think we could make it work?"

    Startled, she turned and gazed at him questioningly. "Would it really be okay? With a baby?"

    "You really like this place don''t you?"

    "Yes, I love it," she agreed quickly. "But it''s more than you''re already paying, without as good a parking place, and a loft isn''t really safe for small children?"

    "The parking is good enough," he assured her. "And we could install baby gates couldn''t we?" He pulled her close and kissed her, before adding, "And the price really isn''t that bad Eri. It''s fine."

    She looked at him doubtfully and then gazed around a bit longingly. Both of the other places were probably more practical, but this one really did appeal to her.

    "I love the tub and the kitchen, if you like it too, let''s make this one work?" Takumi suggested.

    Eri gazed into his face seriously for a few minutes before agreeing questioningly, "If you''re sure?"

    "I''m sure," he insisted happily.

    The building required a two year lease, which made Eri worry again, but Takumi pointed out, "I think the baby will just barely be learning to walk by then, if it''s not working out we can move again." He knew that he might be pushing her, with the silent assumption that they would still be together when the lease ended, but it made him kind of happy that she didn''t seem to question it.

    --

    After they had everything signed, and had received their keys, and finally bid farewell to the realtor, Takumi hugged Eri tightly and asked, "Want to?"

    Eri blushed and protested without asking what he meant, "But there''s no bed?"

    Takumi grinned at her. "We could try the counter, the window seats, or the bath?" he suggested softly.

    She gazed at him with an expression of open mouthed surprise that made him trace her lips with his fingertips, and then taste her mouth.

    She shivered, and he asked again, "Can we?"

    After a moment she nodded.

    --

    Even though no one else could see them, Eri hid her face against Takumi''s shoulder in embarrassment as he cuddled her gently a while later.

    "I love you so much Eri. Let''s go buy a new bed," he  proposed suddenly.

    She sat up and blinked at him in surprise. After a few moments she asked, "Why?"

    Takumi avoided her gaze for a moment, but then met her eyes and told her almost shyly, "I want to make everything here ours. A bed that only we have done it in, dishes we choose together, everything?"

    Eri blushed, and then asked uncertainly, "Won''t that be expensive?"

    "Probably," he agreed. "But can we do it anyway?"

    She didn''t answer right away. Sunlight illuminated everything where she sat in his lap on the window seat when she agreed, "Okay, if you''re sure."

 29: Shopping

    That night, after Takumi collapsed in his bed beside Eri and settled down to run his fingers through her damp hair, she asked hesitantly, "What will we do with this bed?"

    "Leave it here?" he suggested.

    "That''s so wasteful," she complained.

    Takumi lifted her hands to his face and kissed her wrists. "Whatever you want to do with it is fine Eri. Anything you want is fine," he told her seriously.

    Eri looked at him dubiously. "Anything?"

    He grinned at her, and replied confidently, "Anything Eri."

    "What if I tell you I want to have dinner in Paris tomorrow?" she asked challengingly.

    His eyes sparkled with amusement. "Do you have your passport?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head. He kissed her gently before informing her, "Then you''ll have to wait a couple of weeks."

    "Takumi!" she protested.

    "Too long?" he asked with mock sorrow.

    "Takumi! Seriously?!" she spluttered.

    "I''m completely serious Eri, even if you want dinner in Paris, I''ll give it to you." He slid his hands around her waist and kissed her.

    "That would really be too expensive," she complained when she caught her breath again.

    He just ran his hands down her back and grinned. She eyed him uncertainly, and he kissed her again before telling her soberly, "Then you shouldn''t ask me for anything you don''t really want."

    She stared at him as he continued to pet her, and finally replied almost speculatively, "I don''t know if I really want to go to Paris or not. It might be really fun, or it might be scary."

    He blinked at her and pushed himself up to look into her face. "Scary? Now I really want to take you there someday." Her expression turned sour, and he held up his hand and promised, "When you''re feeling more comfortable with the idea it''ll just be fun, you won''t be scared."

    "Have you been to Paris?" she asked with surprise.

    Takumi nodded. "I''ve also been to Germany, Italy, and the Swiss Alps. I kind of want to go to Venice next time I go to Europe." She stared at him with such a shocked expression that he hugged her gently as he reminded her, "I chose my job so I could go on the kind of vacations I wanted?"

    Eri gulped."When you said exotic vacations, I thought you meant like, swimming on tropical islands or somethingˇ­ not touring europe?"

    He grinned and told her cheerfully, "I like doing that too." She clung to him silently, and he waited for her to adjust to the idea, but she didn''t respond. After awhile he asked worriedly, "Eri? What''s wrong?"

    She shrugged, but then she lifted her eyes to meet his and asked unhappily, "Are we too different?"

    "What? No!?" he protested.

    She cuddled against him, but told him anxiously, "But I''ve never been anywhere really, and I keep worrying that we''re going to spend too much."

    "So?" he demanded. "I don''t think you need to worry as much as you do, but it''s not a bad thing that you''re thinking ahead. And I''d love to take you places you haven''t been."

    "What if we find out that I don''t like traveling?" she asked uncertainly.

    He rubbed her back reassuringly as he insisted, "It will be okay. We don''t have to be the same Eri." He kissed her again, before adding firmly, "And we are not too different to enjoy being together! I love you just like you are."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "I''m sorry," she replied unhappily.

    He stared at her blankly for a moment and then sighed. "Are you apologizing again because you don''t know if you love me or not?"

    She nodded.

    After a few seconds his lips quirked with amusement, and he told her softly, "Eri, you''re so cute. Don''t worry, I''ll keep waiting for you, take your time."

    After a moment she agreed, "Okay."

    --

    The morning was miserable again.

    Eri had to rush back into the apartment, after they left it, to throw up. Their elderly neighbor, Hiroshi, even poked her head through their doorway inquisitively.

    The old woman commented almost cheerfully, "It used to take me the same way. And a cracker never did anything for me, but a honey lemon slice to suck on helped."

    Eri''s breath caught and she stared back. "You can tell?" she asked plaintively.

    The older woman chuckled. "It gives you a certain look that you start to recognize after dealing with a few daughters and granddaughters."

    Takumi caught up, and stopped in the doorway, which Hiroshi immediately yielded. Eri blushed as she finished straightening her appearance. And she couldn''t help the way she clung to Takumi shyly in front of the amused elderly woman as they set out again.

    --

    They went to several furniture stores before something finally caught Eri''s eye. Takumi had wondered if he was going to have to just pick something before they ran out of stores to visit, or if he should have suggested browsing the net for ideas first.

    He smiled with relief when she pointed at a bedroom set and told him excitedly, "It''s like a picture book story!"

    Takumi looked it over, and then agreed with amusement, "Maybe something out of a european fairytale, or a steamy romance set in a castle?"

    Eri blushed as she asked, "Is it too strange?"

    He looked at it more thoughtfully. "I''m not sure. I''ve never had a bed that was built as a confined space like that?"

    She looked at it wistfully, and then admitted, "It''s completely different, but sort of reminds me of the sleeping cubby at home."

    He glanced down at her face again as he asked, "Do you want to get it?"

    She hesitated before answering. "Not if you would feel confined?"

    "Let''s try laying on it for a little while," he suggested, and then laughed as she immediately climbed into it. "You''ll need a step stool when you start to show, just to climb into the bed," he teased her.

    A salesperson approached them and announced cheerfully, "There''s already a step built into both sides."

    He showed Takumi where it pulled out, and then Takumi climbed on and stretched out beside Eri.

    He pressed lightly against the foot of the bed with his feet before asking, "How sturdy is it?" Eri looked at him with wide eyes as he added while smirking at her, "Will it stand up to repetitive impacts?"

    The salesperson responded stiffly, "It''s extremely sturdy." When Takumi gave him a look and bounced against the footboard, the man colored a bit and declared, "The floor will give out first!"

    He brought out a tablet and showed Takumi the construction illustrations and the way the framework for the drawers was worked into the footboard. Eri blushed every time either of them looked at her. After a while Takumi shooed off the salesperson and cuddled up with Eri on the bed for a while more.

    "Does it make you feel safe?" he asked softly. She blinked at him in surprise and then nodded shyly. He kissed her and told her, "Okay, let''s get this one then."

    "Is it too soft?" she asked worriedly. "I think we could choose a different mattress if it''s too soft?"

    "It''s not softer than your futon?" he pointed out questioningly.

    "But it''s much softer than your bed," Eri replied.

    Takumi flopped back against the mattress thoughtfully. "It''s completely different from any bed I''ve ever had, but I don''t think it''s uncomfortable. Let''s just try it like this if you like it?"

    "I like it," she admitted.

    --

    They ordered the full bedroom set, including matching wardrobes. And then Takumi announced cheerfully, "Now we just need a couch, and a dining set."

    "Do we really need a dining set?" Eri asked dubiously. "Can''t we use your table?"

    "I guess we can, if you really want to," he replied hesitantly.

    "It''s not like you''ve done it with other people on the table," she began. But she stopped when she saw his blush and asked incredulously, "Seriously?" Takumi shrugged and refused to meet her eyes and Eri giggled and covered her mouth. He glanced at her and she whispered, "I guess we already did it on the counter too?"

    He grinned at her and nodded. She reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.

    --

    They chose a new table with a honey colored finish that matched their new floors. But they left choosing a couch for another day, when neither of them saw anything really cool and Takumi saw how tired Eri was getting.

    Sunday Takumi borrowed his father''s car, and Eri asked her uncle Kei to bring his car and help them move stuff.

    They assembled the old bed up in the loft and left the little table at the apartment for the next resident.

 30: Sora

    Takumi''s phone went off, and he set down the box he was carrying to answer it.

    "Where are you?" Sora asked plaintively. "My key doesn''t work?"

    "What are you doing here, I mean there!?"

    "Um, long story."

    "We just moved," Takumi explained. "I didn''t tell you yet because we''re still moving everything. Actually, I''m surprised your key doesn''t work, I just turned mine in this morning."

    Sora''s tiny image almost visibly sorted through the information, and then he asked, "We who?"

    "My girlfriend, Eri, she''s adorable! You''ll love her," Takumi said enthusiastically.

    "Who is it?" Eri asked from the new bedroom''s doorway.

    "My best friend," Takumi informed her cheerfully.

    "Oh," she replied. She felt surprised, but when she thought about it she hadn''t really taken the time to introduce Takumi to Chisa yet either.

    Sora''s image grinned. "So, back to my original question, where are you?" Takumi gave him the new address, and Sora said, "Okay, I''ll be there soon."

    --

    Sora ended the call, and then turned and headed back to the elevator.

    When the doors opened, Takumi''s ex was standing inside, and he gazed at her with surprise. She blinked at him for a moment without moving.

    "Kasumi-san," he greeted her warily.

    "Soraˇ­" she replied uncertainly as she stepped forward.

    She stopped beside him as though she expected something more. He took in the basket she was holding, and asked, "You''re living here?"

    Her mouth trembled, and then she burst into tears and he wished he hadn''t said anything. The elevator closed as he hesitated.

    Kasumi explained in a confusing and tearful fashion, "I thought if Takumi just saw me more often he''d want me back!" She said a lot more than that, but he couldn''t make out very much of it through her tears. Takumi''s new girlfriend was mentioned though with the phrase, "replaced me with some little girl."

    Sora asked a little roughly, "Why the hell would he ever take you back? Why would you even want him to? You said he was boring!"

    She sniveled, "I thought he was boring, but then I realized he would never haveˇ­ that he was always nice to me. And I was wrong."

    He regarded her with exasperation. "Then go find some nice guy who''s not Takumi."

    "No one nice wants me!" she wailed. "Takumi didn''t even look at me twice! And you hate me!"

    He covered his eyes and groaned, "So ridiculous! This kind of thing is why I don''t like you, but I don''t hate you. There''s a ton of guys who would even willingly put up with your annoying personality to have such a beautiful woman beside them."

    "You don''t really think I''m beautiful! You''re just saying that so I''ll go away," she protested tearfully.

    "I do wish you''d go away, but I''ve always thought that you were beautiful," Sora told her honestly.

    "Do me then," Kasumi demanded. "If you really think I''m beautiful, prove it!"

    "Have you gone crazy?" he asked incredulously.

    "I knew you were lying," she snapped scornfully, her tears seemingly forgotten even though they still glittered on her cheeks.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    After a long moment Sora said, more calmly, "You''re just upset, it''s okay. You don''t really want me to do you when I don''t even like you."

    Kasumi reached out and he gazed down at her in disbelief as her mouth made contact. He couldn''t help glancing down the hall and back toward the elevator door.

    Sora called Takumi back on voice only, and asked unsteadily, "Do you care if I do your ex?"

    "I don''t care, but you don''t even like her?" Takumi replied with surprise.

    "No," Sora agreed. "But she''s demanding it rather forcefully, so what the hell. I''ll come visit later."

    "Okay," Takumi agreed bemusedly as Sora ended the call.

    Kasumi abruptly dragged him to her apartment, which was two doors down from Takumi''s old one, and Sora muttered, "No wonder he moved out."

    --

    When they were both finished, Sora showered and then got dressed without saying anything.

    Kasumi asked frantically, "You''re leaving?"

    He looked at her. Maybe it was a little cold, but he only asked, "What were you expecting?"

    She burst into tears again, and curled up in a tight ball, as though he''d hit her. As annoying as she''d always seemed, he''d never seen her cry so much before, and he knew that she wasn''t some kid who believed sex equaled love. She seemed damaged, even though there wasn''t a mark on her body.

    Sora stared at her and asked, "What the hell happened to you? Why are you doing this?"

    She just shook her head and sobbed.

    After another minute of indecision, Sora pulled out his phone. When it connected he said, "Something is wrong with her Takumi, I meanˇ­ her confidenceˇ­"

    "She''s annoyingly self confident and self centered?" Takumi suggested dryly.

    "That''sˇ­ I''ve always thought she could be annoying as hell, but I think something is really wrong with her. Do you still have her mother''s number?"

    "Yeahˇ­"

    --

    Takumi reluctantly called Kasumi''s mother, and Sora waited until she arrived.

    He informed the tired looking woman, "I don''t know what''s going on with her, but she''sˇ­ irrational."

    Kasumi just lay there weeping instead of protesting his words and her mother regarded her with worry. Sora grimaced. When he shifted toward the door the woman''s gaze snapped back to his face accusingly.

    "I think someone else hurt her, not me," he protested. "She needs help. She''s only hurting herself more this way." He left quickly with an apologetic mutter of, "I''m sorry, I just can''t deal with her long term, even when she''s making sense."

    Kasumi''s mother watched him go regretfully, and then settled herself to try to figure out what had happened to her daughter.

    --

    Takumi had wanted to get new dishes right away, but had given in quickly when Eri had asked tiredly, "Can we do that another day?"

    She was leaning on the counter as he finished putting the old dishes away in the new cupboards when Sora called again and announced, "I''m here."

    Takumi promptly opened the door and demanded, "So, why are you here?"

    Eri watched Sora walk in with wide eyes. He was taller and broader than Takumi, and she suspected that he was totally Chisa''s type even though he wasn''t overly muscular. Like Takumi he seemed very fit, and a little flashy with tints of red in his hair.

    Sora grinned at Takumi and told him too cheerfully, "I got fired." He shrugged. "It really is a long story, so make me dinner? And I was hoping you''d take some vacation time and go somewhere with me."

    "You got fired?" Takumi asked.

    Sora grimaced and asked plaintively, "Can you feed me before you question me?"

    Takumi agreed with amused resignation,"Yes yes."

    Sora looked over at Eri and said, "Hi, you must be Eri-chan?"

    Eri didn''t reply directly, instead she asked suddenly, "Takumi, is he the tall handsome man who''s going to sweep you off your feet if I don''t marry you?"

    Sora laughed. He looked at Takumi and said dramatically, "Darling, you should have told me you were waiting for me!"

    Takumi rolled his eyes. "Don''t. Just don''t. No Eri, that was entirely a joke." He walked back to her and reached out to caress her cheek as he explained, "This idiot is my childhood friend Konami Sora." Then he turned to Sora and said happily, "This is my girlfriend Mitsui Eri, and she''s going to have my baby in about nine months."

    Eri blushed and clung to Takumi. She would have hidden behind him if it wouldn''t have looked so silly.

    Sora stared incredulously at his friend, until Takumi blushed too. After a long moment he looked at Eri instead and said, "Congratulations."

    Eri couldn''t help it, she burst into tears, and Sora froze. Takumi grimaced at him over Eri''s head as he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her closer.

    "Apparently this is the effect I have on women today. I''m sorry," Sora said helplessly.

    Eri sniffled back her tears with embarrassment, and insisted, "It''s not your fault. Excuse me."

    She pulled away from Takumi and quickly dashed into their new bedroom. The door shut behind her, leaving a silence behind the sharp sound. The two men exchanged glances and then stared at the door.

 31: Bitter Sweet

    Takumi insisted unhappily, "It''s really not your fault."

    "Don''t worry about it," Sora replied quickly.

    "She doesn''t want it," Takumi explained quietly. "She only agreed to have the baby when I told her that I want it, and I''m kind of worried because she seems to be doing her best to ignore the fact that she''s pregnant. Except she can''t entirely because she''s having terrible morning sickness. I don''t know what to do. I want her to marry me, but she won''t until she''s sure she''s in love with me."

    Sora looked at him, and after a long moment he drawled with a flicker of humor, "Okayyyyy, you don''t have to make me dinner. Want me to order sushi?"

    "Eri doesn''t really like fish," Takumi told him helplessly, but he couldn''t help smiling a little. "I''ll just make dinner if you''ll go buy ingredients while I go cuddle Eri for awhile?"

    "Alright," Sora agreed, and handed over his duffel. "Hot pot?" he suggested.

    Takumi nodded.

    --

    "I''m sorry," Eri said miserably without looking, when Takumi curled up behind her on the new bed.

    "I love you Eri," he whispered. When she didn''t respond he told her gently, "I don''t want you to be sorry. Can''t you blame me instead of yourself sometimes?"

    She finally turned and gazed at him with startled eyes in a pale face. "Why?"

    "I''m the one who''s sorry. I''m making you miserable by greedily wanting everything." She looked doubtful so he kissed her.

    "Your friend?" she asked as though changing the subject.

    "Sora went grocery shopping for our dinner," Takumi informed her. She blinked at him, but her face was still inexpressive, so he offered to cheer her up with something more than words, "Do you want to do it before he comes back?"

    Eri blushed in a slow ripple across her skin, but tilted her face for another kiss. After a bit she whispered, "The quick way? Just in case?"

    --

    Only a quarter of an hour had passed when Takumi checked the time after they finished.

    It wasn''t the quickest they''d done it, but Eri smiled at him affectionately and said, "I don''t want to blame you Takumi. I think if I blame you now and then fall in love with you later, I will feel very bitter?"

    Her face was more cheerful but her words made him despair a little. "Fall in love with me already," he demanded. "Even if it makes you feel bitter, I will still be happy about it. Ecstatic even. I''m sorry Eri, it sounds cruel, but I want you to fall in love with me even if it hurts."

    "I want to. I''m sorry I''m so slow," she apologized again.

    "It''s okay," he replied more calmly, and then sighed. "I get to sleep with you every night while you think about it. I''m really pretty damn happy already," he pointed out. "I''m just being greedy."

    She blushed and shook her head energetically enough to make her short curls bounce.

    "You are so freaking adorable," he told her teasingly so that her blush spread across her again. He kissed her one last time and then helped her get dressed first, in case Sora arrived before they were ready.

    --

    "Sora-san, are you a half?" Eri asked all of a sudden while they were eating.

    She was afraid he was going to be offended, but he just grinned at her and replied, "Sort of? A quarter German and a quarter Korean. I used to get in trouble in school for tinting my hair all the time."

    Takumi snorted and added, "So of course he refused to ever dye it, even though it would have saved him several thousand laps."

    Sora ran his hands through his hair that was copper streaked in the sunshine and asked loftily, "And deprive the world of this?"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Eri giggled and he winked at her.

    After they finished eating Sora asked, "Do you care if I take Takumi out drinking?" And then he corrected himself, "Out for a drink. I mean without you." He stopped and covered his face for a moment.

    Takumi covered his smile as he met Eri''s gaze.

    "I just mean take him out for a guys only evening," Sora tried again. He looked at her unhappy face. "Argh, I''m just digging this hole deeper." He reached over and clung to Takumi''s sleeve as he demanded, "Save me?!"

    Takumi shook him off and replied seriously, despite his smile, "I''m not going unless Eri is really okay with it."

    Sora stared at him with such a distressed expression that after a moment Eri giggled again. When he glanced at her hopefully she offered, "I still have homework to do, so you can go out for a while without me."

    Sora examined her face and then asked uncomfortably, "Are you still in highschool?"

    She shook her head and explained a little defensively, "Third year in college. I could go with you."

    He glanced at Takumi, who shrugged, and then shifted his gaze to the ceiling for a long moment before asking hesitantly, "Would you rather go with us? I really wasn''t trying to make you feel excluded."

    Eri hesitated before replying, "But you do want to talk to him without me?"

    Sora promptly nodded.

    "Okay," she agreed.

    --

    Eri clung to Takumi when they were leaving, and he stopped and asked again, "Are you sure?"

    "It''s okay," she told him seriously as she released him.

    He leaned in and kissed her slowly, before promising, "We''ll be back in a couple of hours."

    She nodded, and he followed Sora out.

    "She''s sweet," Sora said while they waited for the taxi.

    "She''s mine," Takumi declared firmly.

    Sora looked at him in surprise. "When have I ever made a move on one of your girls?"

    "I don''t know, why did you suddenly decide to start something with Kasumi?" Takumi asked unhappily.

    "She started it, and it''s notˇ­ she just wanted me to prove something," Sora explained with embarrassment. After a moment he asked, "What on Earth happened to her Takumi?"

    "I don''t have any idea," Takumi replied uncomfortably.

    "It makes me feel like I did something awful to her, even though it was all her idea," Sora complained.

    "After the way she left, I don''t even really care if you did something awful to her on purpose."

    A small silence preceded the simple comment, "Harsh."

    Takumi replied uncomfortably, "I''m sorry, but I really don''t."

    "It''s fine," Sora said comfortingly.

    --

    After the taxi dropped them off at the bar, Sora announced uncomfortably, "Just one drink tonight."

    Takumi looked at him curiously and asked, "Why?"

    Sora winced. "I got fired because I went in to work still drunk from the night before, so I decided I should cut back."

    "Just because you overdid it once doesn''t mean you''ve developed a drinking problem?" Takumi protested with surprise.

    Sora grimaced and then told him firmly, "Don''t make excuses for me Takumi. If you do, I''ll believe you, even though I won''t believe myself." He looked at Takumi''s dubious expression, and said more gently, "You know I''ve always loved drinking?"

    Takumi nodded.

    "Without you always being? there to say something when I''m drinking a little too much, I really think I''ve been letting it become a habit. And it''s not good for me, I don''t want that kind of habit."

    "Okay," Takumi agreed after a moment. The old routine as they ordered their favorites and found their seats was like a comfortable ritual, and he didn''t ask anything until they were both settled.

    Over their drink, Sora explained how he''d broken up with the woman he''d been living with, gotten drunk, and gone to her wedding. "I looked around and realized I haven''t even taken a vacation in two years and figured what the hell, and came to find you," he explained.

    Takumi grimaced. "Sorry. I really can''t go with you right now."

    "You could bring her with us?" Sora suggested.

    Takumi shook his head and replied seriously, "Not yet, she''s not ready."

    After he swallowed the last drop Sora asked, "So how did you meet Eri-chan?"

    Takumi grinned suddenly and said, "My father would tell you it was fate."

    Sora raised his eyebrows. "So you bumped into her on the street one day?"

    Takumi laughed and replied, "Just about. I ran into her while exiting the restaurant I''d just had dinner in. Her eyes darkened and her lips reddened, just from looking at me, so I kissed her."

    Sora gave him a sardonic look and then informed his best friend, "You''re seriously the only guy I know who would notice that kind of reaction in a girl you''d just met."

    Takumi shook his head and insisted, "No, she''s different. Everything shows on her face, literally everything. She even blushes in waves that travel across her skin. She''s so freaking adorable."

    After a moment Sora asked uncomfortably, "Should I get a hotel tonight?"

    Takumi hesitated for a long moment, before replying firmly, "No, stay with us."

    Sora glanced at him and then looked away. "We''re all grown up now. You don''t have to keep insisting that your home is my home forever."

    Takumi grinned and replied, "But it is. It''s only Eri that I''ll never share with you."

    Sora laughed. "Okay then, I hope she doesn''t mind."

    "I''ll explain," Takumi said confidently.

 32: Slowly

    Sora stayed with them for a week.

    On Tuesday when Takumi was cooking for them again Sora asked Eri, "Are you sure you really don''t mind? I''m not sure what else I''d be doing, but I don''t want to interfere."

    Eri assured him rather shyly, "I don''t mind. Takumi explained why he wants you to always feel like his home is your home, so I don''t want you to feel like you have to stay away." She looked at Takumi and added more teasingly, "Besides, he''s cooked for you every day so far, so I''m getting spoiled by having you here."

    "If you want him to cook for you every day, just ask him to," Sora advised.

    She shook her head. "He said he doesn''t like to cook everyday."

    Sora glanced at Takumi and insisted, "He really doesn''t mind it. He made our lunches every day during high school."

    Eri gazed at him with wide eyes and whispered questioningly, "Didn''t you get teased?"

    Sora grinned at her, baring his teeth as he explained rather smugly, "Takumi as my wife was an ongoing joke. We were used to it, and even used it to pick up girls." He winked at her. "You should have heard the girls squeal when I kissed him. They loved it. Especially when we kissed them right after."

    Eri stared at Sora, with shock and incredulity written all over her face, and Takumi rolled his eyes as he set down the plate of food he was carrying. "Stop teasing Eri," he demanded with exasperation.

    "I''m only telling her the truth," Sora protested. "And you should cook for her every day. She says she feels spoiled to have you cooking every day while I''m here."

    Eri blushed and nodded when Takumi looked at her questioningly. "Alright," he agreed easily.

    "But I don''t want you to if you don''t want to," she insisted.

    "I don''t mind that much if it makes you happier." He sat beside her, and then leaned in to kiss her for a long moment before asking seriously, "Or what if we set a schedule? I wouldn''t mind it at all if you''d cook on Monday and Wednesday nights, and I cook the rest, except for days we go out?"

    Eri glanced at Sora, who flashed a knowing grin, and then agreed shyly, "I''d like that."

    --

    The next morning Sora picked up one of the honey lemons that Takumi had made Eri, tasted it, and then murmured with surprise, "He made you honey lemons?"

    Eri blushed and nodded. "How can you tell?" she asked very quietly.

    "He always puts in too much honey, he doesn''t really like lemons," Sora whispered.

    Takumi leaned over Eri''s shoulder and asked, "What are you two whispering about?"

    Eri blushed, while Sora replied with a grin, "I''m just telling her all your secrets."

    --

    Takumi got home Thursday to find Eri and Sora giggling together in the living room.

    Sora looked up, grinned at him, and said easily, "Welcome home."

    Eri looked up at him with a guilty expression, and Takumi found himself suddenly overcome by a wave of jealousy. He didn''t answer Sora as his fists clenched. He just gazed at Eri''s expression for a moment and then turned away from the two of them, walked into the bedroom, and slammed the door behind him.

    Eri didn''t say a word, she just stared at the door in shock.

    Sora said ruefully, "Maybe I should start looking for somewhere else to go."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Eri turned back to him with alarm as she asked, "Why? Maybe he just had an awful dayˇ­ I know he meant it when he said that he wants you here."

    Sora looked at her. Her worried expression seemed genuine. "In general sure, but maybe not when he''s still trying to make you fall in love with him?" he explained uncomfortably.

    Eri gave a nearly silent gasp, and then stood up and ran to the bedroom door. She tried to open it, expecting resistance, but it wasn''t locked. She let out a breath that she hadn''t realized she was holding as she slipped through and closed it gently behind her. Takumi stood beside the bed, facing the far wall, without moving.

    "Takumi?" she asked anxiously.

    "Don''t look at me right now Eri," he begged her as he raised his hands to his face.

    "Why?" she questioned as she hovered behind him anxiously.

    "I am so jealous of Sora," he explained bitterly.

    "What? Why?" she demanded.

    Takumi spun, as he dropped his hands from his face and reached for her. He didn''t hug her like he usually did, instead he clenched one fist in her hair as he pulled her up hard against him. He gazed down into her shocked face, and then let her go, and folded up miserably on the floor.

    Eri swayed like a tuft of grass in a breeze, and touched her head where he''d pulled her hair, as she looked down at him. Then she knelt beside him and reached out to hug him a bit awkwardly.

    "Takumi?" she asked anxiously.

    He didn''t respond right away, but after a moment he leaned into her embrace, and explained miserably, "You''ve been laughing so much since Sora got here. I can''t stop thinking that you''d be happier with him, that you''re only stuck with me because I got you pregnant." His shoulders trembled. "I''m sorry."

    He cried silent tears against her chest as she stared at his bowed head helplessly. Her memory betrayed her as another voice said neutrally, ''Do whatever you want.'' After a long minute, she said slowly, "Takumi, I think I must really love you."

    He gave a shaky, almost bitter, laugh and then told her, "You don''t have to say that Eri."

    "I''m serious," she insisted. He sat back a little and looked at her hesitantly, as she told him, "I''m not angry with you at all, and I wasn''t even scared when you grabbed my hair. I''m just anxious and I don''t know how to make you happy right nowˇ­ And I really want you to be happy Takumi. I think I must have been in love with you since I told you to just be happy enough for both of us, I just didn''t realize it until I saw you cry." She gulped for breath and then added, "I''m really sorry Takumi, I didn''t mean to make you worry for so long."

    He gazed at her incredulously. She swallowed nervously. He asked hesitantly, "But you keep laughing with Sora, and you already like him a lot."

    "I do like him a lot," she agreed. "But you wanted me to like him!"

    Takumi leaned forward again and buried his face against her shoulder as he insisted miserably, "I want you to be happy too Eri, even if it''s not with me."

    Eri heaved a sigh, and then asked rather dryly, "Aren''t you misunderstanding things like we''re in some bad daytime drama Takumi? Do you even know what he talks about that makes me laugh so much?"

    He shook his head without looking at her, but the movement rocked her a little, and she laughed. The sound surprised him, but not as much as her next words, "You, we talk about you all the time Takumi."

    Takumi raised his head and looked at her then. And she smiled shyly at him and almost hesitantly leaned in and kissed him. His hands tightened on her arms a moment later, but he didn''t pull back, he kissed her harder.

    "I love you, I''m sorry it took me so long to figure it out?" Eri whispered when she pulled back.

    He reached up and buried his fingers in her hair, but he didn''t pull at it, he just examined her face intently. "I''m not going to let you take it back!"

    "I won''t," she promised.

    Takumi kissed her roughly.

    --

    A while later Eri sighed and relaxed as he stroked her hair. Her eyes closed and didn''t open again. He smirked as he gently tucked her into their bed.

    --

    Sora blushed when Takumi walked out of the bedroom, before he even said a word. Takumi glanced at the door and shrugged.

    "I wasn''t sure if I ought to go get a hotel room for tonight, but I went ahead and scheduled three weeks of tropical vacation, I''ll leave Saturday," Sora announced.

    Takumi frowned. "Sora, I don''t want you to feel like you can''t stay."

    Sora grinned at him and insisted, "Don''t worry about it."

    "Are you sure?" Takumi asked hesitantly.

    "Would you want to sit around my apartment while I made my girlfriend moan and cry my name over and over?" Sora asked wryly.

    Takumi''s cheeks colored as he shook his head, and admitted, "I''d rather not. Sorry. We justˇ­"

    "I''m thinking of moving back here," Sora interrupted. "So when I get back from my vacation, you might have me around a lot?" he warned seriously.

    Takumi grinned with relief. "That would be good. I''ve missed you, and hopefully Eri and I will be settled in more comfortably by the time you get back."

    Sora shrugged as he said, "It''s fine if you aren''t. She seems worth the time she needs to get used to you?"

    "She is," Takumi replied firmly.

    Sora nodded as he added with a grin, "You do take some getting used to."

 33: Quickly

    On Friday they finally went out to buy the dishes Takumi wanted, with Sora in tow.

    Eri giggled as she teasingly asked Takumi, "You secretly wanted to buy dishes with your high-school husband didn''t you?"

    Takumi responded by turning to Sora and telling him, "Go away!"

    Sora just grinned back as he held up a dish. "These flowers are pretty and match your eyes."

    Eri immediately agreed, "They really do!"

    Takumi covered his face as he complained, "If the two of you gang up on me I''ll never win."

    She asked him curiously, "What kind of dishes do you want to win?"

    He looked at her seriously and said, "The kind you''ll use with me in twenty years."

    Eri bit her lip. "I never imagined I''d be saying this," she admitted uncomfortably, "but maybe we should be looking at more expensive, higher-quality dishes if you want them to last twenty years?"

    Takumi stared at her, and Sora suggested, "Why don''t you let me buy them if what you want is too expensive for you right now?"

    Takumi turned to glare at him, and protested, "I can afford dishes."

    Sora returned his gaze calmly and asked seriously, "Both good dishes and a 20k keyboard?"

    "What?" Takumi asked blankly.

    Eri blushed as she confessed, "I haven''t told him about it yet." Takumi turned back to look at her with such a hurt expression that she added quickly, "You knew I was saving for it, we just haven''t talked about it?"

    Takumi winced, and then apologized, "I''m sorry, it''s not your fault. I should have asked, especially since you''re not working right now." He took a deep breath and then asked uncertainly, "What kind of a keyboard costs 20k?"

    Her blush deepened as she explained, "I know with that price it sounds like it should be able to do anything, but all it does is mimic a real piano almost perfectly. So well that it''s not even detectable in recordings. I''ve really wanted one for years, and I thought that this year I''d finally be able to afford itˇ­" Her mouth trembled a little as she finished with, "But now I''m pregnant, and I don''t know if I should, even if I can."

    "You should," he told her decisively.

    Sora nodded in agreement, and repeated his offer, "And you can let me buy you dishes as an early wedding present."

    Eri paled and Takumi fretted. "You said you were waiting until you were sure you loved me, are you still not sure Eri?"

    She clung to him and said unhappily, "I''m sure I love you now Takumi, but I''m not sure I''m ready to get married right away? Do we really have to do everything so fast?"

    He looked at her for a moment and then took a deep breath, and replied, "No. I''d still really like to get married before the baby arrives, but we don''t have to hurry."

    Sora looked at him in surprise and clapped him on the shoulder. "You''re finally growing up," he teased his friend gently.

    Takumi pouted at him briefly and then joked uncomfortably, "I''ve heard it works better if you do that before you have kids."

    Eri hugged Takumi and told him shyly, "You''ll be a great father Takumi, don''t worry. I''m the one who''s so scared of becoming a parent that I''ll probably mess everything up."

    He caressed her cheek and then kissed her. "We''ll be fine," he whispered reassuringly.

    Sora browsed the tea cups until they recalled his presence.

    Eventually they settled on a set of expensive composite dishes in a traditional painted pattern of mist clouded green lakes with little red hummingbirds.

    --

    Eri grinned as she watched Takumi wash and put the new dishes away with a contented expression. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Sora leaned over and whispered to her, "I''m pretty sure he''ll look even more contented when he''s wearing your wedding ring?"

    Eri turned her head and gazed thoughtfully at Sora''s face for so long that Takumi noticed, and he growled, "Seriously go away Sora!"

    She immediately protested, "Takumi!"

    He walked over, scooped her up, and carried her into the bedroom while calling back over his shoulder, "You''re not allowed to look at her again until breakfast!"

    Eri blushed like fire, but Sora responded cheerfully, "I don''t mind having breakfast with a pretty girl!"

    Takumi slammed the bedroom door, making Eri wince until he grinned at her. She relaxed under his smile and then smothered her laughter as he dropped gentle kisses upon her from head to toe.

    --

    The rest of the week passed quickly, and Takumi apologized again when Sora was ready to leave, "I''m sorry, I know I''ve been acting unreasonably." His voice was a little miserable as he added, "And even though I keep telling you to go away, I don''t want you to feel like you really need to leave." He paused a moment as Sora rolled his eyes expressively, but then added, "Even though I think I should be thanking you for giving us some room right now."

    Sora laughed and hugged him suddenly. "Takumi, you idiot. Someday I''m going to have a cute wife and make you feel embarrassed to watch us kissing."

    "I hope so," Takumi agreed.

    "I''m glad you found Eri-chan, and you were right," Sora admitted, and Takumi raised an eyebrow. "I adore her! So convince her to marry you quickly and invite me back for your wedding?" Sora instructed.

    "I intend to," Takumi replied seriously.

    Sora grinned and hugged him again, before climbing into the waiting car with his bag.

    --

    When Takumi came back into the apartment, Eri asked anxiously, "Are you okay?"

    He kissed her gently and then told her teasingly, "I will be, as soon as you agree to marry me?"

    Her cheeks warmed, but she protested uncomfortably, "I only just figured out that I''m already in love with you."

    "I know," he agreed gently. "But I might get really annoying and start asking you to marry me every morning?"

    "On your knees, with a ring, while I throw up?" she suggested wryly.

    "Do you think it would be more convincing?" he asked thoughtfully.

    She shook her head, but then smiled a little and suggested boldly, "Why don''t you take me to the coast on your motorcycle, and ask me in front of the sunset, like guys do in a romance?"

    His eyes lit up as he quickly informed her, "I will."

    She eyed him nervously. "But not tonight?"

    "Okay," he agreed as though he''d actually been considering it. "Soon though," he promised.

    --

    Eri cheerfully made waffles for breakfast on Sunday, since she could do it late enough in the morning that it didn''t trigger her morning sickness. They were able to keep a waffle iron around with a larger kitchen, and it was something simple that she could make without feeling shy about how it looked.

    Takumi walked over, kissed her, and then told her, "I seriously need you to marry me. How will I survive if you get tired of me and run off?"

    Eri blushed and protested, "Takumi!"

    "Do you think I''m exaggerating?" he asked unhappily.

    She hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes, you cook better than I do, you''ve been with dozens of other women, there''s nothing I can do for you that you can''t replace," she explained a little anxiously.

    He stared at her, and then ran his fingers through his hair. "I knew telling you about my dating history was a bad idea," he complained.

    She gazed at him in shock for a moment, then silently shook her head.

    "If you thought you were the only woman I''d ever touched, you wouldn''t be so quick to imagine I can ever replace you. I can''t replace you Eri," he insisted bitterly. Then he dropped to his knees and buried his face in her stomach before turning his face up to look at her. "There''s no one else in the entire world like you!"

    "Takumi," she whispered helplessly.

    "I''ll keep begging? you to marry me until you give in," he warned her. "And after we''re married, if I have to, I''ll beg you a hundred thousand times to never leave me Eri. Please marry me soon?"

    A slow blush rippled across her skin, all the way out to her fingertips, her eyes darkened, and her lips parted, as she gazed down into his face. His breath caught as he watched her and he didn''t breathe again until she finally whispered, "Okay." When she saw how happy he was she reluctantly warned him, "But Takumi, even if we''re going to get married, I still don''t want to rush everything."

    "I don''t understand," he admitted rather anxiously after a moment.

    Eri told him shyly, "I only ever want to get married once, so I want to do it for real, not just have the paperwork?"

    Takumi heaved a relieved sigh, smiled, and scooped her up to kiss her gently. "Okay Eri," he agreed. "We can do it however you''d like." He turned and carried her toward the bedroom.

    She blinked and complained, "The waffles will get cold." When he stopped and pouted at her, she giggled and then told him agreeably, "I guess I can make more."

    He made sure she didn''t care about wasting food.

    --

    Takumi made whipped cream and fresh strawberry syrup. Then he toasted the cold waffles in the oven, and served them to her with decorative drizzles.

    She ate them happily, but warned him as she watched him eat his serving, "If you keep this up you''re going to have to cook all the time even if you hate it."

    He glanced up at her with a grin, and told her complacently, "I love your cooking. These are delicious even after being reheated."

 34: News

    Eri sat miserably through her first class on Monday. Once her bout of morning sickness had passed, she was starving. When her class finally ended, she ran to the vending machine and bought a flavored milk.

    Her timing felt like it was off kilter. She gulped down the milk and made it to her next class on time, somehow, but she still felt out of place. She couldn''t even describe what was wrong to herself, even though it was obviously the fact that she was pregnant, she was hardly the first student to show up to class pregnant.

    Her sense of connection with time was not helped out when she and Chisa had lunch together a while later, because her uncle Kei approached them hesitantly, then asked nervously, "Can I join you?"

    Eri gazed up at him questioningly, feeling shocked by the amount of uncertainty evident in his small question.

    Chisa blushed scarlet and grabbed the edge of his sleeve before he could withdraw. She stared at the table as she whispered, "Please stay." Then she looked up at Eri and hissed, "Please tell him it''s okay eat with us Eri!"

    Eri gulped and then replied quickly, "Of course! Please join us!" After a minute she asked worriedly, "Why do you even need my permission?"

    Her uncle and Chisa both blushed and neither of them looked at the other. After a minute Kei explained uncomfortably, "I''m the one who told you not to treat me casually at school. And Chisa is your best friend and I know that things are already stressful for you right now Eri, and I don''t want to interfere between you."

    Eri stared at him and Chisa blushed, but she also nodded in agreement. Eri shrugged, and after another a minute he looked up and met her eyes. After holding his gaze for a moment, Eri blushed and looked away.

    "Just eat," she demanded. "Watching both of you be embarrassed about dating is more embarrassing than the idea of you dating."

    "We''re not actually dating yet," Kei complained.

    Eri looked back at Chisa in open mouthed surprise.

    Chisa blushed again and looked away from both of them as she explained very quietly, "I really love him Eri, I''ve always been in love with him, so I want to wait until we''re done with his class until we start dating."

    "I''m probably lucky she isn''t demanding we wait until after she''s finished with her degree," Kei told his niece with embarrassment.

    Eri couldn''t explain why she started to cry in response, but they both leapt to their feet in alarm within moments. Embarrassed, Kei hung back and let Chisa rush to Eri''s side and hug her. Eri wanted to laugh at their small conflict, but she couldn''t immediately stop the tears that had decided to start.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Do you hate it?" Chisa asked anxiously while Kei watched worriedly.

    "No, I''m really happy for you," Eri sobbed as she explained confusingly, "but I already agreed to marry Takumi."

    Chisa blinked in confusion, but after a moment she asked worriedly, "Do you not want to? You know you don''t have to?"

    Eri scrubbed at her tears and her uncle offered her a clean napkin, which she blew her nose into before answering, "I think I want to. I realized I really love him after I made him cry, and I know I never want to make him cry again. But I really wish that I wasn''t pregnant so that we could do everything slowly like that," she explained miserably.

    Kei sighed and covered his face in response.

    Uncertainly Chisa suggested, "You can tell him that you want to wait even though you''re pregnant?"

    Kei looked up and agreed seriously, "If he loves you he''ll wait until you''re ready."

    "I know he would wait for me, even though he gets impatient," Eri assured them unhappily. "But he wants to get married before the baby is born, and if we''re getting married before it''s born, I''d kind of like to do it before I get huge like onee-chan."

    Chisa hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek and looked at Kei with a worried expression. He shrugged helplessly, but he asked, "Is there anything we can do Eri?"

    Chisa looked at him and then suggested quickly, "Do you want to have a double wedding?"

    Eri laughed as tears poured down her face, and she replied too forcefully, "No!" She glared at them both and? added, "I definitely don''t want to make you two hurry anything!"

    "Okay," Kei agreed quickly, with more relief than he probably wanted either of them to see.

    Chisa stuck her tongue out at him, but didn''t release her hold on Eri until she managed to stop crying, and complained, "This is so embarrassing."

    "Who cares?!" Kei demanded.

    Chisa immediately nodded as Eri looked around in surprise, and saw that most people were actually politely avoiding looking at her table instead of staring openly. Eri looked at him and suggested, "You''ll care if you''re late for your own class?"

    He bent and hugged her for a minute himself. "I won''t," he promised.

    She rolled her eyes at him but admitted unhappily, "This baby isn''t going anywhere, so I can complain about it later, just go when it''s time to go. I''ll flunk if I lose any more points in my classes, even if Chisa won''t."

    He looked at her for a moment and then suggested seriously, "You could quit school."

    Eri stared at him for a long moment, and then exclaimed, "Oh my god, are you really a teacher? What kind of teacher suggests that kind of thing?"

    He kissed her cheek and replied seriously, "One whose niece hates school, and is already under more stress than she can stand."

    Chisa hugged her from the other side and agreed, "You could try it anyway? Especially if you''re going to get married and stay at home with the baby. You already said he wants to support you, and maybe you''d really like being a housewife? "

    Eri shrugged and told them plaintively, "I think I should at least try to finish this semester?"

    Kei nodded.

    "Okay," Chisa agreed. Although she still insisted on dragging Eri off to her next class, before going on to her own.

 35: Sunset

    When Takumi got home, he dropped his work things at the door as soon as he caught sight of Eri''s face, and rushed over to her. "What''s wrong? Why have you been crying?" he demanded.

    She stared up at him for a long moment and then she covered her face for a minute, and laughed.

    He dropped to his knees beside her and asked worriedly, "Eri?"

    She leaned against him as she told him laughingly, despite the traces of earlier tears that still lingered on her face, "I wouldn''t believe you could really tell, if you hadn''t explained how you could even tell that I wanted you right when we met."

    He hugged her against him. "Are you afraid to tell me why you''ve been crying?" he asked unhappily. "I told you I want to be here when you need to cry."

    "I love you Takumi," she said suddenly.

    "Me too, I love you too," he replied quickly.

    She sighed and cuddled into him. He hugged her gently and caressed her until she finally admitted after a while, "I still wish I wasn''t pregnant. My uncle and Chisa even suggested I could quit school today when I cried during our lunch."

    Takumi''s grip on her tightened and Eri wondered if anyone else she''d ever met would have been able to just look at her and see that she''d spent time crying.

    After a minute he asked miserably, "Do you want to get rid of it so you can stay in school and keep doing everything that you want to? It''s not too late yet."

    Eri didn''t reply, she just pushed herself back enough to stare at him in shock.

    He caressed her face as he told her, "I really love you Eri. I want you to be happy. If you really can''t stand to have this baby, it''s okay." He swallowed and couldn''t stop the tears that formed at the corners of his eyes.

    "Don''t cry Takumi," she begged him quickly. "I don''t want to get rid of our baby." He looked at her doubtfully as she insisted, "I really don''t, I swear it! I just wish I could have a few years with you first. But I can''t, so sometimes it''s going to make me cry. I''m sorry, but don''t cry please?" She kissed away the tears at the corners of his eyes and then looked at him anxiously.

    He gave a little laugh as he complained, "How unfair, telling me you''re going to keep crying and asking me not to cry?"

    "I''m sorry," she apologized unhappily. It was really an unfair thing to ask of him.

    He took a shuddering breath and brushed at his own face for a moment. "I''ll try Eri," he promised after he''d regained some of his usual composure.

    "I really love you," she insisted again.

    He kissed her and she clung to him, and then opened her mouth inviting him deeper. He made love to her on the floor, gently and simply, the way she liked best. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Afterward she kissed him and kissed him again until he laughed and whispered, "I believe you Eri."

    "I love you so much, how did I not realize it?" she asked.

    He grinned at her and suggested teasingly, "Maybe you were distracted by the sex?" She blushed from head to toe and he whispered, "You''re so freaking cute I could die."

    She looked at him for a long moment, and then told him seriously, "You''d better not die if the baby and I are going to be relying on you to take care of us."

    He blinked at her and then replied firmly, "I''ll call my brother and ask him how to set things up so that you''ll both be taken care of even if anything does ever happen to me Eri. I''ve never done it before, but I know that it''s possible, and I know the place he works deals with marriage contracts sometimes."

    She protested rather anxiously, "I''d really rather you not die?"

    He laughed as he agreed, "Me too! I want to spend a whole lifetime with you. But I don''t want you to suffer if I can''t. I promised I''ll take good care of you, and I meant it." She gazed at him silently for so long that he leaned in and kissed her and added comfortingly, "My health is fine, and I think I''m a careful driver?"

    She blushed again and Todd him, "I think there must be a million girls who hate me for worrying about having your baby right now."

    "What?!" he protested questioningly.

    She explained with a half teasing question, "A stunningly handsome man who sweeps them off their feet and takes responsibility for all the consequences?"

    He kissed her fingers and  told her, "I wish technology were a little more advanced and I really could take all the consequences Eri. I wish we could keep the baby and you didn''t have to deal with being pregnant or sick every morning, and you could take your time and do whatever you wanted."

    She leaned and kissed him. "I''ll get used to it, I promise. It''ll just take me awhile because I''m slow."

    "You''re not slow," he scolded gently. She looked at him doubtfully and he informed her calmly, "You''re just a control freak." When she gasped he asked teasingly, "You didn''t know? You even like to be on top and prevent me from using my hands when we''re having sex."

    She blushed as she protested vehemently, "I don''t try to control you!"

    "No," he agreed calmly, "but you can if it''ll make you happier? I don''t mind if my wife is demanding."

    "Takumi!" she protested helplessly.

    He kissed her and then informed her cheerfully, "I''m only half joking Eri. As far as I can tell, the only things that make you cry are the ones you can''t control. And I wish you would be more demanding if there''s anything I can do to make you happier."

    She looked at him challengingly and asked, "Even if I tell you that I want five thousand so I can go ahead and order the 20k keyboard now?"

    He laughed and as he replied, "That''s not even a challenge Eri, I''d love to, let''s do it right now."

    "Takumi," she said breathlessly.

    He grinned at her, as he added, "But between that, and our deposits here, and the rest of the furniture I want to get, I''m afraid Paris will have to wait another month or three, okay?"

    She covered her face and complained, "I wish I''d never brought it up, I really don''t know if I ever want to go."

    He kissed her gently and then insisted, "That''s okay too, I don''t mind if you never do."

    He pulled on his clothes, and helped her dress, and then insisted, "Let''s order your keyboard now."

    "Really?" she asked.

    "Really," he replied seriously.

    --

    They drove to the coast and watched the sunset the night Takumi finally coaxed Eri into ordering wedding rings.

 36: Together - After

    They got a couch that rocked.

    Eri complained, "I thought you chose this so that you could rock the baby when it arrives?"

    Takumi gripped her hips tightly and said teasingly, as their rocking motions continued, "I''m really enjoying rocking the baby like this already?"

    "Takumi," she protested breathlessly.

    "I''ll rock you like this when the baby''s asleep, even after it comes," he promised.

    --

    After they finished, he pulled her up tight against his chest and kissed her mouth.

    "I love playing with you while you''re pregnant," he told her smugly after he''d caught his breath again. "Should we have several kids?"

    Eri blushed as she protested a bit anxiously, "I don''t think that''s a good reason to have more children."

    "You''ll have to go on birth control, or get your tubes tied as soon as this one arrives, if you don''t want more," he warned her. "I love making love to you, and I don''t plan to ever stop now that we''ve started."

    --

    Sometimes when Eri played her new keyboard on the window seats in the sunshine, Takumi would sing a little for her. It made her shiver with desire before he even touched her, and one afternoon he asked teasingly, "Should I sing to you while you''re naked so that I can watch?"

    He was startled when she replied wantonly, "Please do anything you want to me while you''re singing Takumi. I really love your voice." She bit her lip as she admitted, "I don''t want to make you unhappy, but I really want to be allowed to ask you to sing for me sometimes."

    He looked at her for a long moment and then agreed hesitantly, "Okay, you can ask me to sing when it''s just us."

    "Are you sure?" she asked a bit anxiously.

    He grinned as he trailed a fingertip through her curls and whispered, "It''s okay if it''s you Eri."

    --

    Takumi raised an eyebrow at Eri when he got home and found her going through his accounts.

    She blushed as she explained quickly, "You gave me your passwords, and then I decided to look into children''s savings accounts, and ummˇ­" She waved helplessly at the open spreadsheets, as she realized that as an accountant, he probably had much more efficient methods.

    Takumi grinned at her with a smile of pure delight, and she blinked at him in confusion. "That''s great Eri!" he exclaimed happily.Stolen novel; please report.

    "It''s, you could probably do betterˇ­" she protested hesitantly.

    He dropped beside her and interrupted her words with a deep kiss before replying cheerfully, "You are planning for our future, all three of us, I''m so happy!"

    Eri blinked at him, and then looked at the savings plans she''d been developing. Somehow she''d been expecting Takumi to feel upset about her casual distribution of his future income. Instead he was already flicking between documents and adding notes and additional expenses.

    "Thanks," she whispered.

    He paused and then set things down and reached for her. "Are you," he asked a bit hesitantly, "unhappy about it?"

    She quickly shook her head. It was hard to explain, but his happiness made her so happy that she could cry. Her mouth trembled as she insisted, "I''m glad, I''m really glad."

    He cuddled her for a minute, studying her face, and then smiled again as he commented more lightly, "But you think I''ve been spending money rather frivolously." She just shrugged, but he added, "It''s okay. We''ll adjust to each other''s spending habits pretty soon, and I don''t mind reducing my expenses to make you more comfortable."

    "I''m comfortable," Eri protested.

    Takumi grinned at her as he held up the screen she''d been making a list of non-essential expenses on. She blushed but lifted her chin and met his eyes. His smile widened as he added another half a dozen things to the list.

    --

    After the wedding, Eri accepted very shyly when Mirage''s second lead singer asked her to dance. She thought guiltily that she must be the envy of a million other fan girls.

    He grinned at her as he told her, "I''m so envious."

    She blinked, glanced toward Takumi, and then gazed at him in shock. He couldn''t possibly meanˇ­

    Kobayashi Ryuske led her to the floor as he explained, "Takumi has told me enough that I know you didn''t want your baby at first. I never regretted not getting married or having many lovers, but now that I''m getting old, I kind of regret that I never had children of my own."

    "You don''t have to get married to have children," Eri objected, and then blushed.

    He guided her into the dance and grinned at her. "I think finding someone to knock me up would have gotten a little complicated," he suggested teasingly.

    Her blush deepened. "I didn''t mean like that, there are other options." She looked at him and suggested, "You could even still adopt."

    "At my age?" he asked laughingly.

    "If you really wanted to," she insisted surprisingly firmly.

    Ryuske looked at her with surprise as they dodged another more enthusiastic couple.

    After a moment Eri continued, "I''ve thought about it a lot, what happens to children who aren''t wanted. When I was younger I worried about what would have happened to my sister if my parents hadn''t wanted her, when I got old enough to understand that my mother wasn''t her biological mother and that her mother hadn''t wanted her. And then since this," she looked at her belly, "about what would happen if Takumi changed his mind about wanting us."

    "Takumi won''t change his mind," he said reassuringly.

    She blushed again as she explained, "Well, I don''t think so anymore, but I barely knew him at first." Then she added, "But any child you claim would have much more than just a temporary home, even if you only live to be 80."

    "I think I''m too wrapped up in music to make sure a child felt loved," Ryuske admitted ruefully.

    Eri pondered for a moment and then suggested, "There''s no reason you''d have to choose a child at random, I''m sure there are older ones that love music like you do." Her blush deepened as she protested, "I''m not trying to tell you that you should or anything, only that you could if you really wanted to."

    He kissed her cheek suddenly and told her, "And now I''m even more envious of Takumi. Take care of that brat please." Eri blushed and nodded, and he leaned in and whispered, "And if he ever stupidly let''s go of you, you can run to me."

    Eri gasped, and he winked at her.