How many times? How many times had he sat there in anxiety and worry over telling that little girl how he felt? Well, she wasn't a little girl really, they were the same age, but she was just so small in stature, and her personality was that of a kid. But she had her moments, which made him fall for her more. Tenma was just so sweet and considerate. And he loved that about her. More than anything, he wanted to just say what he thought and felt to her. But would that be inconsiderate? She had just lost Karasuma after all.

"That idiot." Harima punched the wall. "How could you do that to her!" He punched it again, a little harder. "You made her cry again, you assh-ole!" His voice broke with that third punch, and he collapsed to the floor, holding his other hand to his face. It wasn't Tenma crying this time, though. It was him. Karasuma wasn't a bad person, in the end, and he had his reasons for acting how he did. The idiot even postponed his surgery a year to be around for Tenma. "Ah!" Harima looked up quickly, shock going through him. Did Tenma blame herself for that? Was she upset because she convinced Karasuma to stay, for her? She wasn't selfish by any means, but maybe because of that she tried not to be selfish. No, she wasn't to blame for this. How could she? She had no idea of any of it until the last minute. Yet she still went to America to stay with Karasuma, Harima had made sure that happened- for her. Because more than anything, he wanted her to be happy. But how much good did that do her? The guy ended up dead in the end. How could she possibly be happy now?

Blrrrng. Blrrrng. The door buzzed.

"Come on in, Tenma's sister. The door's open." He grumbled as he stood, facing the stove as he readied a pot for coffee. It would be a long night getting another manuscript ready, this time for the Autumn run of the magazine. The door closed and soft footsteps paused behind him. "Coffee'll be ready in a minute. The bedroom's set up, I'll meet you in there." He thought he heard her make a noise, but Yakumo wasn't usually one to protest. "Go on already." He kept his head down as he prepared a tray for them, listening as her footsteps went into the bedroom like he'd instructed. He needed a moment anyway to clear his face of any trace of tears. Since when was he such a wimp?

"Hey, I hope you don't mind, I added a bit of flavored cre-" He almost dropped the tray as he walked into the room. It wasn't Yakumo sitting there. It was Tenma. "Eh- eh- T-Ten-Tenma! W-here's your s-sister?" His hands rattled as he tried to keep his head on straight, attempting to set the tray down on the table he'd set up in there.

"She's not feeling well and asked me to come in her place." But Tenma sucked at this!

Why'd she look so serious sitting there? Though after the funeral it didn't seem Tenma had been herself. "O-oh. Will she- be okay?" He sat across from her and placed her coffee in front of her.

"Yea, I'm sure she'll be fine! Eri and the others were on their way over to take care of her."

"T-that's good."

They sat in silence for a long time, staring at their cups in front of them. It felt slightly awkward for him. How could he sit there while she seemed so distant from him and the world! He needed to say something, anything! "Ah-"

"Why don't we get to work, hm? I promise I'll try not to mess up this time!" She reached out for the papers and inkwell.

"Yea! Just- be careful, okay? Here, I'll show you the areas that need inked." Scooting closer, he took the brush and gently stroked in the hair and suits on the characters. "Just like this, see? You just gotta be sure you stay in the lines."

"Yea, yea! Lemme try!" Quickly her hand grabbed the brush from his hand and with her tongue sticking out in concentration she slapped the brush down and made a squiggly line and though her efforts were genuine and her concentration too, she just couldn't-

"Your hands are shaking." Without even thinking Harima placed a hand over hers, but his hand was so large it completely enveloped hers. "Gently, like this." He moved her hand, sliding it over the paper. 'Shit! What am I doing! I just touched her without thinking, she's going to be so upset! I need to say something and right the situation before she gets the wrong impression!' "Tenma, I-" His head turned to look at her and through his darkened shades saw she was holding her head down, bangs covering her eyes. "Tenma?" She was trembling, and bad. He could feel it when he'd touched her. He was afraid to say anything now.

"He's gone, isn't he?"

"Huh?" He knew what she meant.

"He's really gone.. Karasuma. It.. it's not fair."

There she was crying again! Shit! What the hell could he do to make this better?

"I thought I could handle it, I thought- I thought I had accepted it! A year after I was there I had accepted he was too far gone. But.. but I.. thought if I held on.. I thought if I believed.."

"Tenma. You can't blame yourself-"

"Yes I can! Stupid Harima, you can't try to just say whatever you want like this and make it better!" Her fist made contact with his arm, and though it seemed she was trying to make it hurt, it really didn't. The poor thing must have been exhausted.

"How much have you cried?"

"Huh?" Her head lifted a little, and though her eyes were watery, no tears were on her face.

"Since this whole ordeal started, how much have you cried!"

Another shiver went through her spine. "I.. I haven't." This wasn't the 17 year old girl he'd dropped off at the airport. This was a 20 year old woman with a broken heart.

"You need to."

"I can't."

"Who are you being strong for? Your sister? Your friends? You can't keep this up, Tenma, you're only going to hurt yourse-"

"Me! I'm being strong for me! No one else will! Everyone tells me, 'Oh, Tenma, you have my condolences' 'Oh, Tenma, I'm so sorry about what happened' Like I was his wife! They gave him up so easily, and I- and I- I can't even think about it! I go into curry shops like I expect to see him, and the bus stop on the side of the dirt road like he'll be there in his stupid imp suit! I have to be strong for me, because everyone else is moving on, and I'm stuck in the past like I can't move!"

Leaning back against his bed, Harima leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "Yea. I can't say I know that feeling exactly, but when I lost my parents and could grasp the situation, I felt like I was abandoned by them. I hated them for the longest time, until I ended up hating myself, blaming myself for them leaving. It was like nothing was in my control. I struggled to understand. I became a delinquent because I was upset with myself and had no way to release that stress."

"That's it, then! I'll be a delinquent, just like you!" Tenma stood suddenly, pushing her sleeves back.

"No, Tenma, stop!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her to his side, facing her. "The point is, I found a reason to put my life in order, to change the direction of my bad circumstances! To do something and move on!"

"Yea, well I can't just pick up a pen and start drawing like you did!"

"Idiot!" He pushed her arm away from him. "It wasn't drawing comics!"

"No? Then what made you change? Your family? Your friends?" She was using the same tactic he'd used, and he didn't realize it.

"You!"

Silence filled the room, his word still echoing in their ears.

Wellp. Crap. Face reddening, he turned his head and covered his face with his hand, muttering. "It was you."

"I should go."

She was already in the doorway when he'd stood up to follow her. "Tenma, wait!" In his hastiness though, he stubbed his toe on the table and fell, hitting his head on the open door and shaking the apartment. He hated being so big. "Ow.. oowww!" He rubbed his head and foot at the same time.

"Harima, are you okay?" She turned around quickly, kneeling next to him.

"Y-yea I'm fine!" As he sat up though, blood ran down his face.

"Aaah! You're bleeding! Where's your first aid kit?" Her head whipped this way and that in search for it.

"B-bathroom."

"Come on!" Grabbing his arm, she pulled him to the bathroom and managed to get him on the stool as she searched for the medical kit.

"Really, it's fine, it's not like I haven't bled from a wound before." Gingerly he touched his fingers to his head.

Kneeling in front of him, she dabbed a cloth to his forehead. "Take off your sunglasses!"

"What- no, it's too bright!"

"Too bad!" They were off and tossed across the room. "Harima, open your eyes, I have to make sure you don't have a concussion!"

"I don't have a concussion!"

"Let me make sure!" Cleaning up the blood with one hand, she reached over and pulled his eye open.

"Tenma, stop! I'm okay!" Gently he pushed her away and wiped his face with the cloth. But, she was worried about him. More than anything he had wanted her to continue, but she sounded so serious like something was really wrong.

"I can't." She was whispering, keeping her head down. "I can't.."

"Huh?" Opening his eyes, he looked down at her on the floor, sitting on her knees. "You can't what?"

"I can't lose you, too. I can't!" She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes once more.

"Tenma. I ain't goin' anywhere."

"Ah.. hey.. you're.. I recognize you! You're-"

"What! No I'm not!" He pulled the cloth completely over his face.

"Idiot. I'm not a kid anymore." With a quick tug, she yanked the cloth from his face and stared at him hard. "I knew it. You're that guy who saved me all that time ago, aren't you? And then made perverted moves toward me."

"It was a misunderstanding, I'd never do something like that!" Blood spilled from the wound on his head again.

"Ah! Bandages!" She rifled through the box and fished out a bandage. "Hold the cloth to the wound until I can get this on there! Hold your head back a little, too!"

"O-okay!" Ahh, nurse Tenma. How cute! "Hey, since- when did you learn all this stuff, anyway?"

"I was Karasuma's nurse for 3 years. I picked up a few things from the hospital nurses."

"You're really good at this kind of thing. I think you'd be a great nurse."

"Haaa... no.. I don't think I can." She carefully applied the bandage and wiped around it. "I hated.. seeing him wither away like that, I don't think I can go through it again, with anyone."

"Is that- is that why you panicked just now?"

Her face went red. "Well, it looks all good now, how's your foot?" She knelt down and poked at his toe.

"OW ow ow!" Wincing, he grabbed for his foot.

"Broken? It doesn't look swollen. Maybe it's sprained."

He moved his hands and let her inspect it.

"You'll be okay in no time! But you really had me worried there for a minute. I forgot head wounds bleed more than other ones."

She really knew her stuff. "Tenma."

"Huh?" She looked up at him.

"I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I lost you, either."

Shifting in her spot, she avoided looking at him. "S-say, don't we have that manuscript to ink? We should get back to it!" In a rush she was up and back in the other room.

"Yea." He followed her out, his sunglasses forgotten in the bathroom.

-x-

"So, just like this, right?" Even though she was hiding it, her hands were still wobbly as she attempted to ink in the paper.

"It might help if you don't hold your breath. Exhale with your strokes." But, he was the one nervous this time. Hell, she wasn't ready to move on and here he was fantasizing about her. How selfish could he be? The breathing helped with his internal situation as well as the steadiness of his hand as he showed her how to paint in the darkened areas.

"Mhmm, mhmm! I see!" This time she made the effort, and he was noticing her attitude and mood perk up. This was a good sign.

Sitting this close to her, though, he could smell her. Eyes moving on their own, he could see her hair was thinned out, and she smelled clean but something underneath it bothered him. Not only that, her clothes were really loose. Was she eating properly? "Hey."

"Hm? Am I doing this right?" She looked up at him, and he gulped, hard. God, she was cute- but the dark circles under her eyes worried him. She was so concerned about everyone else that she didn't care about herself. Her stress levels were through the roof, they had to be.

"Come here." Against his conscience he pulled her into his chest and held her there. Damn, his heart was pounding in his throat. Could she hear it? Was she uncomfortable?

"Thank you." Her body shifted and she sat huddled against him.

Oh God oh God oh God. How the hell was he supposed to just sit there like this! The love of his life was cuddled into him and he couldn't move! "Mh- mhmm. Hey.." Looking down, he saw she was asleep. "You asleep?" 'So quickly?' Standing slowly, he pulled her up with him and felt how light she really was. "Rest." He whispered before laying her down on the bed.

"Mh.." Her hands grabbed at his neck before he could stand back up.

"Ah-!" Not again!

"L.."

No, please God, he couldn't deal with this a third time!

"I love you.." Tears slid down her cheeks, her arms pulling him closer to her.

Eyes softening, it was all Harima could do not to give in to her, but he had to be strong for her sake. "Y-yea." With a thumb he wiped the tears from the left side of her cheek, his heart throbbing in his ears. Leaning down, he shifted his weight so he was lying next to her, pulling her body over so she was on her left side. "I know." Breathlessly, he leaned his head to hers and placed his lips to her cheek, kissing her tears. Damn that Karasuma. After all he said about wanting to see her truly happy and this was what he left the world with. A broken down woman who couldn't give him up. Exhaling slowly, he placed a hand on her back and pulled her into him further, embracing her into his large frame. "I won't let you go. There's no way in hell I'm going to make you cry. If I do- if I do.." He'd bring the world down to ash.

"Rrnt- Rrrnt!" Her arms were pushing against him desperately.

"Ah- what is it!" He leaned back and she gasped for air, coughing.

"I couldn't breathe!" Sniffling, she wiped her face. "Eww, were you doing something gross to my face?"

"No." His face was completely serious, and he thought he saw her cower slightly. "You were crying." Sitting up, he bent his knee up and rested his elbow against it.

There was a silence before she sat up, too. "What will you do?"

"Huh?" His head turned to look at her, hoping she hadn't actually heard him.

"What are you going to do, if you made me cry?"

Shit! "I'd- burn the world for you." He watched her eyes widen as her cheeks went red. But, he was serious.

"Oh Harima. You're just saying weird things. Heheheh." Laughing softly, her eyes closed and more tears went spilling.

"What-! Why are you crying now?" He leaned toward her.

"Because. I'm happy to know that you're here for me. And that, you always have been." This time her arms were thrown around his neck while she was awake.

"T-Tenma.."

"You're a wonderful friend. Thank you."

Friendzoned. Inwardly crying, he patted her back as they both slid to the floor. "Mhmm.." No! He wouldn't be pushed away like that! If he was ever going to admit it, now was the time! "I don't want to be a friend." The grip of hers around his neck tightened a little. "Tenma, the truth is, I-"

"I know. Deep down, I.. I've always known."

She really was thin, he could almost feel her bones through her clothes. "I'll wait for you. However long it takes, Tenma, I'll always wait for you." He whispered in her ear, heart still pounding through his whole body. "L.." His arms pulled her completely to his chest. "I love you." THERE. HE DID IT! HE SAID IT! All those years of struggling and fighting with himself and interruptions, and he finally did it! He finally said it, to his beloved Tenma! A shift in her movements caught his attention and he realized his eyes were closed. Opening them slowly, he saw her staring at him, mouth smiling, though her eyes were sad.

"Harima.."

"Huh..?"

Her mouth on his was one of the last things he expected, and for a good solid moment he was frozen in shock, eyes open and watching her closed ones. This was no mistake, she was kissing him, of her own free will! It took his breath away. His hand moved up and rested on the back of her head while the other slid down her back to the slight curvature inward that held her mid-section to him. Finally his mouth reacted, and just as she starting pulling back, he leaned forward to kiss her again, lips tingling from her touch. He could feel her hands start to tremble again on the back of his neck, but the moan that came out encouraged him to continue, and to his delight felt her begin to kiss back, although timidly. Another moan and his hands began roaming her back, pulling at her shirt.

"Mh- H-Harima!" Gasping, Tenma leaned back a little. "You're.. vocal."

"Huh?" Eyes hazed over, he looked at her with his mouth partly open.

"Y-you're making.. a lot of noise.." Her breath came out in short bursts as she panted.

"Do you want me stop." It wasn't stated as a question, but rather something along the lines of a don't you dare let me stop now.

"Ah-!" Her face went completely red as she stumbled backward with his effort of going in for another kiss, resulting him hovering over her on the floor.

"I will, if you want." His face went down to her neck, exhaling hotly on her skin as his lips brushed against it. Gently his hand trailed up her side, pulling her shirt up with it. His mind was in the midst of a haze, the gears stopped and in pleasure mode.

"No- Harima- I- don't. Stop.."

That kicked his gears back into motion. He was moving too fast for her, he was being selfish again and he was trapping her! Sitting quickly, he panted as he stared down at her. "Tenma.. I'm sorry." Shaking his head a little he moved to stand, but her hand grabbed for his wrist.

"I said don't stop."

He stared at her almost disbelievingly.

Tenma stood as well and sat on the edge of the bed, staring up at him. "It's okay. I'm not afraid or anything. I mean- we're adults now, right? And, I know you won't hurt me. Also.. I.. I liked the sounds you made." She whispered that last part which made him blush, hard.

There she was being cute again! Dammit! But this wasn't something he was going to let pass by. Gulping hard, he knelt in front of her, knees on the floor on either side of her closed legs. Would this be okay, what he was about to do? He knew enough about sex and foreplay although he'd never actually participated in it. And now was the time he'd been waiting so long for. His beloved Tenma, waiting so patiently on his bed. "Tell me if it's too much." With that, his eyes trailed down from her face to her chest to her stomach and finally to his intended target. His hands went up both her thighs and under her skirt, pulling at her underwear. "Lie back." She did so, and he could feel she was starting to tremble again. He'd have to be slow and careful, much to the disappointment of the aching bulge in his pants. Leaning up on his knees, he pulled off her underwear and dropped them to the floor before lifting up her skirt slowly, his heart pounding again. This was a moment that needed his full attention. As the cloth inched up, so did the ache in his crotch which made him wince slightly. "Mh.." Inhaling sharply, he finally saw his treasure. The dark hair of her bush was all too inviting, but her legs were clamped shut tight tight down to her knees. "Tenma." He growled out, but not menacingly. "Open." His warm hand slid between her legs and she gasped loudly, much to his delight. But she did so, even taking the liberty of placing her heels on the edge of the bed so he had a much better view. There before him was her unopened slit. He almost didn't want to continue, wanted to preserve this just the way it was forever. But his desire and greed for more made him continue. Besides, he rationalized, she wants to be pleasured, too. His finger touched the line and she gasped again. This was going to be torture. Utter and complete torture! Inhaling deeply, he traced the line up and down a few times and watched her face as she gasped again, eyes shut and brows brought together while her hands gripped at the bedspread. But this was fun, too. If he had to be tortured, she would be too.

"H-Harima!" Her gasped word almost made him get up and take her right then.

"Hm?" His finger lightly touched her opening and twisted around before gently prodding inward.

"Ah!" Her eyes opened wide as her legs clamped shut again. "I- I'm scared, I- don't know what to expect."

"Just trust me, Tenma." He responded level-headedly before pushing her legs open once more with his head, leaning down toward her vaginal opening.

She was too breathless to say anything, elbows propped and face quite red as she simply nodded, watching him.

A kiss was placed on her mound, the hairs tickling his nose. He could feel her eyes watching him, and for a second he worried she was silently judging him, but her hand on the back of his head made him more excited than ever. Without hesitating he stuck his tongue out and pressed it between her closed lips and moved upward, catching the sensitive bud at the top. The shiver down her spine and the moan that left her mouth drove him crazy. He needed to speed things up, now. There was no way he'd be able to last much longer just feeling her writhe around and moan the way she was. With his mouth on her clit, he reached up and slowly pressed a finger inside her. Her response was to arch her back and let out a sound that almost resembled a squeal as she laid back on the bed again, hands together at her chest. It made him groan in response as he moved his finger in and out of her. She was wet inside, and warm, not to mention tight. He could hardly believe she was still a virgin. Continuing his suction and movement of his mouth and tongue on her mound, his finger moved slightly faster inside her before pushing another finger in. It elicited a gasp from her lungs and she arched again.

"K-K-" She stuttered, hips moving against his mouth.

'Say it.' He thought to himself, speeding up the thrusting of his fingers inside her.

"K- Ah..!"

'It's okay if you say it, Tenma. I know you still haven't gotten over him. I don't care if you say his name!' His fingers pressed in a few more times, and her walls around his fingers clenched up tight.

'Say it!' He thrust his fingers deeper inside her, groaning out softly as her hips went upward, her inner walls clamping down and spasming a few times on his fingers.

"Kenji!" Her orgasm lasted a couple of seconds, but she sat up to face him, face flushed and eyes wide, almost in shock it seemed.

His heart skipped a beat as his eyes opened, head raising to look at her. "T-Tenma?" He asked, slowly pulling his fingers away. He didn't even think that she'd known his first name!

Shyly her eyes cast to the side as her hands met at her chest. "W-was I too loud?"

That's what she was concerned about? Her volume? "You- you didn't do anything wrong." He moved upward and kissed her, weight resting on his hand that pressed on the bed next to her.

"Mh- your breath is bad." She muttered, turning her head.

"What do you mean? You taste delicious." Thinking about it made his mouth water. "But, I can stop. I said I would if you wanted me to." He started moving backward, leaning back on his heels as he stood before her.

"N-no!" Her body moved forward quickly, grabbing for his hands as her knees met, keeping her gaze down. "Don't stop now."

Gulping hard, he slowly let her hands go. "Then before we go on, I'm getting undressed."

"Huh?" She looked up quickly. "O-okay." Knees moving up to her chin, she wrapped her arms around her shins to watch him.

He couldn't lie, having her watch him like this made him slightly uncomfortable, but he did his best to ignore it. The good news was, he had calmed down a bit, and hoped she wouldn't completely freak out when he was completely naked. Pulling the last article of clothing off, he stood before her, heart pounding in his chest. She looked so small sitting there, her tired eyes watching him with her mouth hidden behind her knees, head sunken down between shrugged shoulders. "You scared?"

"Nu-uh. Actually, I was thinking how you you look a lot like those samurai shogen from our show! You're built really strong!" Jumping up, she poked at the muscles in his arms. "You could take down a bear!" Next she was poking at his chest and stomach, walking her way around him. He noticed she paused before slowly placing her hands on his lower back, then kissed the area between his shoulders. It had to have been the scar that was there. It made his spine tingle and he stood straighter. Her hands pressed against his skin and slid around his waist, wrapping her arms around him while her mouth continued kissing up and down the scar. She was so gentle with her touches, and knowing it was his beloved, he went full erect right then.

"Tenma." It was that low, deep tone he'd used before but instead of a warning tone it was more of a needy undertone. "If you don't stop, I won't be able to."

She stopped her hands and her head leaned against his back. "Okay." He thought he heard her mutter. Was it enough? Was that what she'd actually said? Was it really okay to continue? He was starting to feel panicky when he felt her hands move downward and on to his erection. Her fingers paused, almost as if she were afraid. Tentatively, he placed his hands on hers and slowly guided them on and around his penis, encouraging her to stroke it gently despite her slightly hesitant movements and shaky breath against his skin.

"Is- is this-" She breathlessly started to say.

"Yes." He responded, continuing to move her hands.

"It's hard. Is that normal?"

He was glad she had her face hidden in his back otherwise he was afraid he might've embarrassed her with the face he was making. "It is when I'm turned on like this."

"I do this to you?"

Damn, what kind of question was that? She always had! "Yea."

"S-sorry."

"That's not something to apologize for!"

Her hands slid out from under his and she gently pressed them to his hips and upward to his back before taking a step back from him, her hands retreating to her sides. "What you did to me, making me o- org-"

"Orgasm?" He whispered and immediately wanted to punch himself for saying it. What a risque word, and he just said it in front of Tenma! Was she upset about it? Mad that he'd done something like that to her without even asking first? She probably hated him now because of it!

"Yes." He heard her inhale deeply and felt her press her forehead to his back. "I'd like for that.. again."

Chills went down his spine as she said that, her breath hot on his skin. The painful ache of his crotch returned and he groaned softly.

"Are you okay?" Her timid, soft tone made his breath catch in his throat.

"Yea." Turning slowly, he watched for her face as he reached for her. "I want that too." He choked out before leaning in to kiss her, pulling her lower lip into his mouth as his hands gently grabbed for her shoulders. He felt her stiffen for a moment before something even he hadn't fathomed happened. Not only did she start to kiss back, but she was the one making soft mewling noises at his advances, her hands reaching out for his chest as her mouth hungrily searched his, tongue pressing into his mouth. Reaching down, he grabbed for her shirt and pulled hard at it, indicating what he wanted. Breaking the kiss for a moment, he saw her face and almost shivered. Her eyes were hazed over with lust and she seemed to tremble now though not in anxiety but want.

"Kenji." Gah! There she went saying his name again! Blood rushed to his face and down his neck, chest, stomach and groin. Especially his groin. "Please."

That did it. That was it. There was no turning back now. He'd do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. He was her servant, there was no doubt about it- he was a slave to love, to Tenma's love! Grabbing her shirt again, he yanked it up and over her head before reaching around her and fumbling with the clasps on her (did she need it?) bra. It took a good long second before he ended up just ripping the thing apart at the hooks. Women didn't need those things, breasts were much better freed! After that contraption was off, he reached down and grabbed the zipper on her skirt but it too was stuck. "Dammit." He muttered between gritted teeth before grabbing the waist band on either side of the zipper and yanked it hard, breaking the zipper, and the cloth fell to her ankles. As he stood back to take a look at her, her body pushed against him with a surprising amount of force for how thin and small she was. Enough so that it caused them both to fall back on to the bed, her lying on top of him. She laid there a moment before slowly sitting up, resting her butt against his hips as her arms covered her chest, averting her gaze. "Don't hide from me." Reaching up, he grabbed her arms and pulled her down to him, feeling her small but soft breasts against his chest. They were indeed very small now since she'd lost so much weight but there was no way he was going to complain. This was his beloved Tenma, after all. Arms wrapping around her waist, he held her close and stroked her hair gently.

"Oh." She muttered before moving her hands up to her head.

"What're you doing?"

"Taking out my pigtails. I'm.. old enough, I don't need-" Her fingers went to one of the beads as he grabbed her wrists quickly.

"Don't you dare." He growled out. They were one of his favorite physical features of hers!

"Oh! O-kay.." She whispered, resting against him. She'd stopped advancing, was she afraid again? Not sure what to do?

Moving his hands against her sides, he felt down to her hips and pulled them up gently. "Sit up." He demanded, and she did so, slowly, averting her gaze again. Her breasts were exposed for a moment before her arms covered them once more. "Don't do that." Exhaling, he grabbed her arms and pulled them to her sides. He could see her ribcage through her skin and it made him a little worried, though at the moment he had other, more pressing things to deal with. Specifically the erection that was pressing against her butt cheek. The wetness that emerged from it smeared against her skin with his tip, and he shifted slightly, pressing it further against her.

"Ah- K-Kenji-" She stuttered as her back arched.

He didn't hesitate to take the opportunity to grab her by the hips and lift her up, bending his knees upward for her to lean back on. Watching her intently, he slowly pulled her entrance down on to him, not looking away from her eyes. It was agonizingly slow and almost torture doing it this way, but he needed her to trust him. Her vaginal lips were wet from the earlier pleasure session and accepted the tip of his penis easily, but once that entered her, his grip slipped from her sides on accident and she sat down quickly, too quickly, taking the entirety of his erection in one swift movement.

"AAH!" Mouth falling open, her head tilted back, staring at nothing as her breathing came out in shallow puffs.

But God was it amazing inside her. It took everything in his power not to move. Her vaginal walls were pressing tightly against him, the wetness inside her lathering it so it was slick, and the heat- oh, it was so warm. While she stared at the wall, trying to comprehend the situation, his gaze went over her body and to her stomach. Under her belly button was a bulge, and he realized that was from him. And looking down from there, where her skin met his, he could see blood slowly pooling on to his stomach. It wasn't very much, thankfully. Gritting his teeth, he inhaled sharply as he grabbed her around the waist again and pulled her down to his chest, keeping his knees up and against her butt. His breath was just as shallow as hers, breathing in her ear a long moment before kissing her temple. "Y-you okay?"

"Mmh." Her response was shaky, legs and head trembling.

"Tenma.." He muttered softly, kissing the side of her face and pushing the hair from it. What could he say to make it better? All he could think of was how amazing it felt inside her.

"D-does it- hurt, for you, too?" She whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.

Was it okay to say no? That it was the complete opposite for him? He didn't want to lie. "It's really- really warm." Another groan that he couldn't stop escaped his mouth. "And soft. Tenma, you feel incredible inside-" His hips jerked slightly on instinctual greed, and her body shivered, her inner walls clamping around him. "Ah-"

She was silent a moment before she cleared her throat. "W-what else?"

She enjoyed hearing this kind of thing? "Eh- Tenma.. you're wet. So wet.." He grasping now, trying to think of things to say while not allowing himself to go overboard. So many emotions and senses were overbearing on him and it was difficult to keep up. "You're really tight, too-" His hips shifted as he continued, "it makes it difficult to move-"

She cut him off as she gasped loudly, her mouth coming open for a moan. "Kenji, please continue, please, please!"

He had to bite his lip hard to not cum right then. Inhaling slowly, he rested his hands on her hips and slowly pulled her forward, kissing her cheek. But, her begging in his ear made him groan and his hips bounced, his knees pressed her upward as gravity pulled her down on him. That motion made her call out and his knees pushed her up again, repeating the action. It made her moan once more, though it sounded slightly pained. "Is- this- alright?"

Her arms shook as she nodded. "It stings when you- uhm- p-press inward that much, but- it- it's okay."

"I'll be careful then!" Why did he feel so awkward? This was Tenma he was having sex with! It was their first times, but still. He needed to calm down and go gentle with her. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt, especially if he'd caused it. That actually bothered him. Carefully, he repeated the action, being careful not to push in too far, trying hard not to think about the warmth and wetness around his erection.

"Ahh.." Her eyes were closed as she moaned throatily, chin tilted up and he saw her muscles relax in her neck. Quickly her eyelids shot open as her hands clasped over her mouth in embarrassment.

Inquisitively, he tilted his head. "What?"

Her own head shook as she avoided looking at him. "N-nothing." Suddenly she was quiet once more.

Bouncing her again against his thighs, Kenji pulled her head toward his and kissed her, not allowing her to shy away as he searched her mouth with his tongue, allowing his vocal range to match the noise she'd just made in an attempt to make her feel comfortable. Another bounce and she made a soft, high pitched noise as she arched, her hands pressing against his chest as her inner walls clamped around him tight. "T-Tenma!" He muttered against her lips.

Grabbing her hips, he flipped her over in one swift movement without pulling out of her depths. She almost struggled at first, still timid and apprehensive it seemed until he hovered over her on his bed, staring down at her heaving form as she stared back up at him, her eyes wide now and staring at him expectedly. Leaning down, he kissed her again before pressing his face to her neck and inhaling deeply. Her scent was mixed with sweat, that soap smell, and her shampoo mixed in with old incense as well as her. A shiver went up his spine as his hips rotated forward, pressing into her a little before pulling almost all the way out and slowly pushing back in. He had to breathe shallowly, a soft grumble escaping his lips from the agonizingly slow procession of this current situation. Another inhale and the smell of incense was stronger this time. How many had she burnt for Karasuma? Sat there at his alter he was sure she had in her living room, hands clasped together and silently praying for him? This thought made him almost completely stop what he was doing. This wasn't completely fair. Here he was enjoying Tenma's body that was much too shallow and thin to be receiving this much attention while Karasuma was gone. He had loved her, too. And she him. Did she feel like Kenji was a fallback, in her attempt to replace Karasuma? Or just trying desperately to fill the void he'd left behind?

"I'm sorry." Her muttered words caught his attention quickly.

"Huh?" Blinking, he leaned up to stare down at her as he tried to think about the Now once more.

"I'm sorry, Harima."

"For what? You got nothing to be sorry for." His hip movements were much slower now.

Her lower lip disappeared into her mouth as she looked away, hands reaching to cover her breasts. "I'm a mess. I dunno if I deserve this from you."

This is what she was concerned about?

"I'm not worthy of this kind of attent-"

He cut her off quickly as he grabbed her wrists, holding them beside her head and kissed her again, holding her mouth with his own while his hips gyrated slowly into hers. After a long moment he broke the kiss and stared into her eyes intently. "Don't ever devalue yourself, Tenma. You might as well be a princess- I'd do anything for you if I could. I said I love you, and I meant it." He stared at her a moment before kissing her once more. At first she resisted and he felt her body tremble but after a moment she give in and her hands linked around his neck. Her kissing him back gave him the incentive he needed to continue with their love making.

"Mh.. mhh!" Her soft moans caught his attention quickly and when he lifted his head to look down at her once more, her back arched and her head leaned back. Tenma's small hands grabbed at his arms as her hips went frantic in attempt to match his pace.

His eyes glanced at her chest, her small breasts moving up and down slightly with her movements, her skin moving against her ribcage. If he went any harder he was afraid he would break her. Eyes going down further, he saw the smeared blood, now a tinted orange on their skins, spread around. Digging his teeth into his lower lip, Harima grabbed her hips and dig himself into her to the hilt. A loud gasp escaped her lips in the process and he head himself groan in response. This was it. "Tenma.." It was a warning tone, of what was to come.

"Kenji.." She whispered as her eyes opened to look up at him. A nod from her and it was all he needed.

Leaning over her, he scooped her up in his arms and held her close to his chest, ignoring the sweat between them as he grunted softly in her ear. His pace picked up, and his thrusting in to her made her gasp once more, her voice mewling close to his ear. "Tenma-!" He grumbled again. "I'm going to c-" Just then her muscles tightened around him and relaxed, then tightened and relaxed as she called out loudly. A warm ripple from inside his core sent his muscles to restrict a moment before it happened. Hips moving on their own, he let out another groan, his hands pressing her closer to him as his thumbs brushed circles over the bones in her spine.

Everything was black for a good long minute before he came back to reality. Tenma's hands were stroking the muscles on his back, her breathing quick but deep. She was muttering something, but he couldn't understand her quite yet. It took him another minute to realize he was still on top of her.

"Thank you, Kenji." She was whispering. "For making me feel whole again. For telling me what I needed to hear."

Chest constricting, he swallowed a lump before reaching up with one hand to touch her face. It was wet. Turning his head, he looked at her and she looked away, reaching up to brush her tears away. "Tenma?" He asked before slowly pushing up with his left arm to get a better look at her. He didn't have to ask why she was crying. Although if she was crying for happiness or sadness, he didn't know. Maybe both?

"Hm?" She glanced away.

Taking her chin in his hand, he forced her face to look toward him. "Don't feel shy around me. I want to know what you're going through."

Tears began to well up in her eyes once more. "How?"

"By trusting me." He kissed her again, much gentler now and softer in his movements before sitting up. Instantly he regretted it. He wanted nothing more than to lie back down. Unable to stop a yawn, he covered his mouth before glancing her way. She had scooted up and leaned back against his pillow, her tiny form looking even smaller in his bed. Did she feel she'd betrayed Karasuma?

"My- I hurt, inside."

"Heartache?"

"No." Her head shook. "Here." She opened her legs and pointed to her vagina.

He'd hurt her! "Tenma, I am so sorry, I didn't realiz-"

"No! It's okay, really. It was kind of rough, but it's alright. Really, I'm okay." She smiled with that same 'Im not actually okay but let me try to cover it up anyway' facial expression.

"Tenma." Moving to the side of his bed, he grabbed her and laid her straight so her back was to his chest. She was light and easy to move, so her resisting did nothing. "Relax." Reaching down, he pressed his hand against her lower stomach and rubbed the skin there gently in an attempt to relax her sore muscles. "You need to eat more."

"I'm not hungry!" She muttered.

"Are you sure? That was a lot of exercise."

"Mh.." He imagined her blushing and flustered and made him smile.

"Tenma?"

"Yea?"

"You'd tell me, wouldn't you, if anything's bothering you?"

"Y-yea."

"I'm ready to talk about anything, if you are."

"I just want to lie like this for right now."

"Okay." And that was fine. When she was ready to talk about Karasuma, he would be there for her. He would listen to what she had to say. As his eyes started to close from exhaustion, he heard her speak once more.

"H-Harima?"

"Hm?" He was already drifting off to sleep.

"Does this mean we're y'know.. dating now?"

"Mhmm."

"Oh.."

A deep inhale from him turned into a snore.

"I love you too, Kenji." Her whisper was swallowed into the sounds of his loud and erratic snoring.