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'Here we are,' Asuka said, as they pulled into the car park and she shut off the engine, unconsciously tucking a lock of her red hair behind her ear. 'Come on. Let's grab our things and we can check in...'

'Yes,' Rei said and Asuka watched as she opened the passenger door and stepped out, her pale blue hair stirring in the breeze. Typically, Rei was dressed in a white shirt and dark blue skirt. In contrast, Asuka was wearing one of her favourite t-shirts and a pair of comfortable trousers, as well as her sneakers. Grabbing the keys from the ignition, Asuka followed her out and opened the trunk, heaving out her bag with a grunt and dumping it on the floor, turning back to grab Rei's and pass it to her. Unlike hers, a large, clunky wheeled travelcase, Rei's was small and compact.

'Isn't this great?' Asuka said, turning to Rei with a grin on her face. 'A whole weekend at an Onsen...'

'Yes,' Rei said and Asuka shook her head with a grin. Rei had always been very literal.

'Come on,' Asuka said, locking the car and shoving her keys into her back pocket. 'Reception's this way...'

Dragging her case behind her, Asuka lead her towards the building and pushed open the door, where a young woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun was seated behind the desk. As she saw them, she stood up and offered them a respectful bow.

'Konnichiwa.'

'Konnichiwa.' Asuka replied. 'We have a reservation for Sorhyu...'

'Certainly. Please wait a moment...,' she said, turning away, returning a few seconds later with a set of keys. 'You are in room 8, just down the corridor on your left. Do you need any help with your bags?'

'Thanks. We'll be fine...'

'Of course. The baths are located behind the hotel and dinner will be served from 7. My name is Yamasaki Tatsumi. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask...'

'Thank you,' Asuka said, taking the key and heading towards their room. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside, holding it open for Rei.

'Thank you,' Rei said as she stepped inside and Asuka closed the door.

'What do you think?' she asked as Rei put down her suitcase and looked around.

'It's fine...'

'You don't like it?'

'No,' Rei said, sitting in the chair by the window. 'I like it...'

'...okay,' Asuka said. 'Come on. If we get a move on, we can visit the baths before dinner...'

#######################

'Ahhh. This is great,' Asuka said as she sank back into the water of the hotspring, glancing over at Rei. 'Have you ever been to an Onsen before?'

'No...'

'Well, we've got two days here. What would you like to do...?'

'There's some reading that I'd like to catch up with...'

'Reading? We're in one of the most beautiful places we've been to and you want to sit around reading? Tomorrow, we're going to go hiking in the hills and visit the local shrine...'

'...okay...' Rei said and Asuka looked away, crossing her arms over her chest.

'Look, it's your holiday, too. You can spend it how you like...'

'I do want to catch up on my reading, but I also want to spend time with you...'

Asuka grinned, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

'That's decided, then. We can see the hills tomorrow and then crash in the bar with a few drinks. The Shrine can wait until Sunday. Is that alright with you?'

'Yes...' Rei said, settling back into the water and closing her eyes, a soft smile on her lips.

#######################

'Okay. Let's go,' Asuka said, smoothing out her red evening dress and taking Rei's hand. 'I'm starving...'

As they walked down the hallway from their room, Asuka glanced sideways at Rei. She was dressed in a pale blouse and dark blue pants, her blue hair framing her angelic face.

She's so beautiful...

Reaching the dining room, they took a table by the window that overlooked the gardens as Tatsumi-San hurried over.

'Ah. Konbanwa, Sorhyu-San. Konbanwa, Ayanami-San. Would you like something to eat? We have some wonderful ramen...'

'Two, please,' Asuka said and Tatsumi-San bowed.

'Of course. And, as this is your first stay with us, I will bring you some sake on the house...'

'Thank you,' Asuka said and she hustled away.

'You alright?' she asked, turning to Rei, who was looking down at the table with her hands folded in her lap.

'Yes...'

'I know you're...not used to this. But, you're here with me. You don't have anything to worry about...'

'I know,' Rei said, forcing a smile as Tatsumi-San returned with two steaming bowls of ramen and the sake, placing them on the table.

'Here you are. Dōzo omeshiagarikudasai...'

#######################

'That was delicious,' Asuka said, putting down her chopsticks as Tatsumi-San cleared away the plates. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome,' Tatsumi-San said, gathering up the plates with a warm smile. 'Would you need anything else?'

'No, we're fine,' Asuka said, after glancing at Rei. 'Thank you. It's been a long day. I think we'll get an early night...'

#######################

Asuka pulled on her nightshirt and slipped into bed next to Rei, propping herself up on her elbow.

'You know,' she said, a sly grin spreading over her face. 'The nice thing about having a room to yourself is the privacy...'

'What do you...?' Rei began, stopping when Asuka leant in to kiss her, her hands slipping under her t-shirt. 'Oh...'

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.