Disclaimer: I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari, or anything related to it.

A/N: This is my first story in a long time. Please be gentle!

Also, I have re-started my petition to get the SaiMono light novels published in English. I think the group is also, from what I've seen, currently the most active SaiMono group online. So if you'd like to come hang out, or better yet sign the petition, join us here: groups/197921139394/

Lastly, my friend moor and I are running a Valentine's Day fanfiction prompt challenge over at our 18+ LiveJournal group Saiunpornium. If you have an LJ account that puts you at 18+ and you're interesting in joining, come find us here:

Prompts: And the World Stood Still (taken from a list of prompts on DA), high heels (taken from my list of prompts for moor), the line "Hold my sake and watch this", and consent (the latter two which are from the Saiunpornium prompt list).

Notes: Modern AU. Shuurei and Seiran, who are about 16 and 26 at the start of the series, have each had their ages adjusted up 3 years.

Seiran held the front door open for a drunk Shuurei, who giggled as she fumbled with her keys as she pulled them from the lock. Well, maybe she was just really tipsy. He'd watched how much alcohol she'd drank at the campus mixer that night, and it hadn't been that much. A couple of shots and a cooler, but Shuurei was such a lightweight that it had apparently been enough to give her a steady buzz.

He flipped on the hallway light. "Shhh, Ojousan, your neighbours are trying to sleep," he hushed her gently, still smiling. He didn't get to see Shuurei like this very often, and was more amused than anything when he got to witness this hidden facet of Shuurei's behaviour. Seiran's favourite memory from the party was when Shuurei had handed him her drink and remarked, "Hold my sake and watch this Seiran." It was just so... un-Shuurei-like. But then again, it was just one of the many things Seiran adored about his girlfriend.

Her eyes widened as her hand flew to cover her mouth. "Oops!" She burst into another fit of giggles as she bent over in an effort to take her high heels off, and would have fallen over if Seiran hadn't grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Thank you Seiran," she breathed as the second shoe dropped to the floor. "I appear to be having some difficulties."

"Yes, Ojousan." He slipped his own shoes off and, once he was sure that Shuurei was not going anywhere, slipped her jacket off and hung it up alongside his in the foyer closet. He shut the front door quietly, and switched the light off.

"Are you tired?" He asked as he turned to face Shuurei, who had flipped on a couple of lights and begun wandering around their tiny living room. The apartment they'd managed to rent was small but affordable, and it was suitable as a starter rental. Shuurei's immediate family didn't have a lot of money, despite the Kou name, so the move from her father's house to their own apartment had been a relatively easy one.

"Yes, a little bit." Shuurei nodded sleepily as if to prove her point. Seiran approached and patted her head gently. Though they were both adults, he was still taller than she was, and he never turned down an opportunity to playfully remind her. "Tonight was fun, and I'm so glad I don't have to work tomorrow."

"Especially since you might wake up with a bit of a hangover," Seiran teased.

"I didn't drink that much-" Shuurei started to protest loudly, but was silenced when Seiran leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. She tasted like strawberries and sugar.

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm just kidding."

Shuurei opened her eyes and huffed at him. "You're mean sometimes Seiran, you know that?" The glower lasted only momentarily before she stuck her tongue out at time, and he laughed.

"Come along Shuurei, let us go to bed." He winked at her, and she blushed. "Not like that, silly. You've been drinking, and if you want to go to bed, you'll have to wait until morning."

Shuurei rubbed her eyes as they walked down the hall to their bedroom. "Mmm, careful what you wish for Seiran," she mumbled as she pulled her shirt off over her head.

Seiran shut the door behind them.