Winter was fading. Yakumo could feel it leaving—coldness disappearing out the door. She never thought she would be here and never thought it would happen with Harima.

"Tenma's sister, why are you awake?" Harima questioned her, surprisingly calm despite what they did last night.

Her face flushed. She replied without looking at his exposed muscles in her bed, "Please…please don't call me that again." Her eyes couldn't meet his as she held back tears. He was even more handsome without his glasses. But with his shades gone, Yakumo feared what it meant and what he was choosing for himself. "Please just leave." Yakumo's eyes were still tearing up a little.

She got up quickly-wrapping one of the blankets around her body-while walking to the pile of clothes lying on the floor.

Sighing heavily, Harima spoke up, "Um…I need something to cover my-" Yakumo blushed once he stopped himself. Flustered, she threw the blanket in his direction and hastily started putting on her clothes. Using the blanket that fell and draped over his head, Harima did the same as Yakumo.

"I didn't regret last night!" he blurted out in his boisterous manner. As if the words had escaped the nervous man without his knowledge.

Yakumo's face grew redder at his outburst, "I-" Yakumo knew it had been years after her sister left for America and for Karasuma. She also knew that Harima would have to move on, but most of all, Yakumo knew she loved Harima. Just like her sister, Harima had a pure heart she could read easily.

Before she knew what she was saying, Yakumo forced the words out too, "I don't want to lose to her."

Harima stopped in his tracks and stared at Yakumo's shaking shoulders like she had just released a great weight from them. "It's so awful of me," her voice was shaking "I know it is. But I—I want you Harima! And not just for one night, but for every night. I'm so tired of living in her shadow regardless of how much I love her dearly."

The light of the room changed for Harima. The beautiful girl who stood before him became someone else. Well actually, the beautiful woman became herself. The red and brown shades of her eyes danced when she finally had the courage to turn back and face him—a part of her face looked older and more grown-up.

Harima found himself blushing as much as she was, and for some strange reason his heart beat faster for her than it ever did for Tenma. "Is this…what mature love feels like? Oh-" he covered his mouth with his hand. "Crap! I didn't know I said that out loud!" Harima failed his arms wildly, wanting to hit himself for his stupidity and embarrassment. With his tan arms covering his face, Harima peeked out of his hardened shell and saw the most beautiful person he would ever see in his life.

Yakumo was smiling. No, not just smiling but giggling! Harima stared at her in awe. A vibrant, pink aura floated all around her.

She tasted of spring.

Harima had realized right then that he should have really looked at Tenma's sister the first time they met. "Yakumo, I'm sorry." She shuttered at the use of her real name.

He approached her slowly, and touched her warm lips with his own. Although she was surprised, Yakumo kissed him back eagerly. She had waited years for this. "I'm really glad you got rid of your long beard. It would have suffocated me by now." She teased now that he was her's, and this time they both laughed.

It was this day that Harima would leave his glasses and childhood behind—never to wear them again. The coldness outside seemed to disappear with their closeness as they slept together once more.

Now, Harima and Yakumo could start over and begin in spring.

The End