Awkward silence dogged their steps for every minute of the rest of the evening. Ichigo and Hiro had finished their bath without further touching and they each retired to their own dormitories. The worst part was seeing Goro; unable to look him in the eye, it took every fibre in Hiro's being to say in a normal-sounding voice that he was alright and training was nothing special.

It had been special, alright. While Zorome snored in the bed across from his, Hiro could not stop thinking about his bath with Ichigo. The creamy expanses of her skin, the fullness of her breasts jn her hands, and the moans - her moans that must have been engraved into his ears, with an indescribable feeling of desire burning in his heart. Hiro's own penis seemed to rise to the occasion again, pitching a tent in his pants and resisting all efforts to be restrained. Was this going to happen again in the future? Wouldn't this be a hindrance with his plugsuit? The questions came thick and fast, but only one remained: what if Ichigo was to touch him like he had touched her?

Hiro found his hands wrapping around his penis before he knew it. He sighed, shut his eyes, and longed for sleep.

.

Ichigo pressed her lips together, shut her eyes, and longed for more. Beneath her thick, heat-trapping blanket, she stifled her moans with one hand and stroked herself with the other. Yet, her fingers didn't seem enough. She needed something longer, something thicker. She thought back to the bath and Hiro's boyish yet thick hand plunging in and out of her; she imagined him lying right besides her this instant, reaching around and panting in her ear as he touched her inside and outside-

"…!" Again, she felt it come. Weaker, but undeniably the same phenomenon. A wave that began in her abdomen, rose, and crested at her vagina. A wetness clung to her fingers, and as she extracted her hand to examine it, it was again coated in the same clear substance from earlier. She licked her finger like Hiro did - a strange, bittery saltitness was all that she could use to describe it. A hollow void seemed to bloom in her chest as her body cooled.

"I need you…" she sighed. Somewhere in the general direction of Miku's bed, the covers shifted.

.

Training the next day was a muted affair. Hiro staggered out of bed, having not gotten a lot of sleep, not especially when Ichigo's breasts had been dancing before his eyes all night. Even another round of antics from 02 failed to rouse him, and soon enough, she lost interest and stalked away when he didn't respond to her ministrations and calls of 'Darling.' Even Ichigo said nothing in particular about 02, instead alternating between glaring at her and furtively glancing at Hiro. Once again, Hiro watched on the sidelines while the others trained. Surprisingly, Ichigo declined to take part, causing Goro to look at her and Hiro with a concerned expression.

"Is everything alright, Hiro?" Goro asked. They were walking back after training, but Goro deliberately slowed his pace and trailed behind the others. As Hiro wracked his brains over how much to tell him, Ichigo glanced at him for yet another time before she shut the door behind her with a hollow thud. Maybe it was his imagination, but Hiro could have sworn she was beckoning him to come find her later.

"You've been off today, Hiro," Goro said in a soothing voice. "And Ichigo, too. She's not been at ease since yesterday. As your friend, Hiro, not just a fellow pilot… Is everything alright?" Hiro's cheeks reddened. The more he fought to clear his mind, the more Ichigo's naked body and sensual voice stood out in his head. It took an inhuman effort for him to be still and silent.

"Everything's fine," Hiro lied. "Yesterday's practice duel with Ichigo was just… It was just exhausting." Whether Goro bought his story or not, it was impossible to tell. His golden eyes stared into Hiro's for a long time, and then he finally nodded.

"Alright. Don't push yourself too much, Hiro. See you around!" Goro clapped him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him, and headed back to the shuttle back to their dormitory. Which left Hiro all alone on the platform… And a ways away was the private bath. Hiro's feet were rooted to the spot as his mind warred with his body on which way to go.

"I'll just take a look if she's there, then," he whispered to himself. Cranking open the heavy door, Hiro glanced into the corridor and found it completely empty. The baths were to his left, and no lights were on, but he had to know. He had to see. Walking as quietly as he could, Hiro reached the bathroom-

It was dark and empty. The lights sensed his presence and activated, but there was no water in the tub, no sign, nothing to indicate the things that had happened here last night. Visibly disappointed, Hiro turned to leave- And came face to face with Ichigo in the doorway. "Ah! I-Ichigo, uh, um, I was…" he stammered.

"I thought you wouldn't come," she said. "I was beginning to think you left with Goro, so…"

Silence fell between them. Ichigo coughed and looked away, before she meekly tugged on Hiro's sleeve. "Come with me."

As soon as Hiro realised she was leading them to the girls' bathroom, his eyes bulged and he stiffened. "Am I even allowed in there, Ichigo? What if someone sees us?" Ichigo thought for a moment, then she shrugged. "Everyone else has gone. I said I'd stay back because… Well, I gave an excuse."

"What did we even do yesterday, Ichigo?" Hiro asked. "When we touched lips, Zero Two said that that was a kiss. But… But when I touched you…" he trailed off. Now it was Ichigo's turn to look at him with a curious, wide-eyed glance. "And? How did that feel?"

Hiro sank into a fresh round of recollection. "It felt good," he began slowly, "And I felt you, and everything you said or every movement you made. Ichigo, I…" he paused to look at her hands, carefully taking them into his own, "I felt like you. I know this sounds weird, and it doesn't make sense, but I guess you felt good, and so did I."

Ichigo had closed her eyes. "That's what I thought you'd say." She let go of him - strode over to the doorway, where she shut the door, locked it, and hit the switch for the water heater. "Shall we… Shall we try that again?"

Naturally, Hiro had no objection.

Privacy was a weird concept to Hiro. Now that he thought about it, why were the bunks for boys and girls separated when they ate together, trained together, and for the most part lived together? The thought of doing something they were not supposed to be doing used to be simple rule-breaking, making up excuses, playing beyond the rules. Now, Hiro was doing things with Ichigo, things that he found embarrassing yet exciting, strange yet titillating. Both he and Ichigo were much faster to undress now, and while Ichigo was still shy about exposing herself, Hiro found himself fascinated by her naked form again as she put away her underwear and turned to face him in her full glory.

"Please don't stare like that," she complained as they got into the girls' tub, a much more spacious tub clearly meant for more than four or five people, and deep enough to submerge themselves completely. Letting out a sigh of relief as he sank into the warm water, Hiro washed his face and arms while Ichigo tied up her hair into a bun and sat on the side. Her arms were crossed over her chest - but if only for the lack of a towel. Thinking back to yesterday, Hiro couldn't help but chuckle at that fond detail.

"Hiro," she said firmly yet gently, "Come here." Naturally, he obeyed and half-walked, half-swam to her side. The water dripped down her pale neck, and this close to her, Hiro could inhale her sweet fragrance and feel like he could drown in it. "Why are you sniffing me like that, Hiro?" Ichigo said, playfully pushing him. Grinning, Hiro grabbed her hands to pull her back, eliciting a small gasp from her as he pulled them closer. It was almost like playtime when they were younger! The bath was filled with peals of laughter and smiles as they embraced their newfound curiosity - Ichigo ran her hands over his flat chest, and he cupped her breasts in both hands and enjoyed every second of it.

His hands began to run lower over her body, silencing her as yesterday's events replayed in both their minds. Hiro and Ichigo locked gazes, and she moved first, guiding his hands to her vagina. Her body, her control. She set the pace. Ichigo turned so that her back was to Hiro, but she brought both his hands to her crotch. "Please do it just like before," she murmured, and Hiro nuzzled his cheek against hers in compliance. He reached down, slowly, anticipating the slit where a woman's vagina would be. He found it and reached inside with his finger, causing Ichigo to shudder and groan. He remembered what she had said yesterday: It was weird, but it didn't hurt. When she didn't resist, Hiro inserted another finger, and repeated the same up-and-down motions. Her chest heaved with every breath, her skin seemingly melting into his. Hiro gazed down longinly at her bare breasts, and once again brough up another hand to touch her. His penis had begun to ache again, crying for release as Ichigo's butt grinded delightfully against his genitals-

Knock knock knock. "Hello! Anyone in there?"

Hiro's blood ran cold. It was Miku! Why was she here? Did she know about them? Was he going to get caught? So many questions ran through his mind and he stood rooted to the spot-

Ichigo recovered first. "Get out-!" she hissed, "Hide in my locker!" she gestured, even as she made a racket coming out of the bath. Hiro understood - he ran to Ichigo's open locker, crouched down, and squeezed himself the best he could in the lower section. She threw his clothes at him even as she called out "I'm coming!" to Miku, and she nudged the door almost shut as she passed by. Hiro bit his lip, trying to control the tremor in his hands as Ichigo unlocked the door.

"Miku! What are you doing here?" Ichigo spoke in a normal tone. They were too far away for Hiro to hear Miku's reply. Footfalls told him Miku was coming to the lockers. "I hope you're alright, with all the work Nana is giving you," Miku was saying. "Have a good bath. You looked really stressed today."

Hiro's penis shrank in terror as Miku stopped directly outside his hiding spot. "I'll just take my things and leave, alright?" Miku was saying. She punched numbers for her combination lock and her locker opened, every single shudder positively terrorising Hiro. She searched her locker for only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity - and then she slammed her door shut. "Oh well. See you later!" Miku said. Her footsteps faded away, but Hiro just couldn't stop shaking. It wasn't until Ichigo had opened her locker door and pulled his clothes off him then he could finally relax and crawl out of the cramped space.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked. "You're shaking- It must be freezing in there! Come on, let's go back to where we left off." Hiro was immensely grateful for the warmth of the water. "D-Do you think she knows about us?" Hiro asked. Ichigo considered it for a moment, and picked her words carefully. "I didn't tell her anything about you. As far as she knows, I'm alone here. Of course, it's w-with you." she said.

"Right." Hiro conceded. The fear had driven the mood from them, and he didn't seem to feel as excited as he had just a few minutes ago. Now he just wanted to hurry up and go for dinner.

"Hey, Hiro, come sit up here. I want to try touching you." Clearly sensing Hiro's buzzkilled mood, Ichigo gestured for him to come closer. Clmbering out of the bath, he sat the edge to Ichigo's left, and she gingerly ran her hands over his chest. His breath quickened as she scraped her fingers over his thin muscles, twirled around his nipple, and then she slid downwards, further and further until she had reached his penis.

"I'm going to touch you," she said, and she took a hold of his limp penis. Hiro couldn't help but let out an involuntary gasp - the sensation of her soft hands was completely unlike his own. Overcome with these foreign feelings, it didn't take long before Hiro's penis grew and swelled into a stiff, oblong shape. Ichigo's eyes widened like dinner plates as she wrapped her fingers around his penis. "That's…incredible," she said. "The books never said the penis became this large, or…" she trailed off and stared at Hiro.

"Or?" he asked, unsure which part of the textbook she was quoting. Ichigo blushed deeply and blinked, evidently trying to recall something from a long time ago. "Well, the book said that the male reproductive organ had to enter the female reproductive organ, so…" she stood up, sloshing some warm water about. "Let's try it. P-Put your penis into my vagina, Hiro."

"Okay."

Placing his hands on her hips, Hiro got to his feet unsteadily. His penis swayed in sync with his waist, and Ichigo took hold of his shaft as well, guiding it towards herself. The tip of Hiro's penis came into contact with her slit, and she began to let gravity do the rest of the work; sliding down, softly moaning as she held onto Hiro, and then Hiro fully entered her.

"Ohhh my god," Hiro shuddered fiercely as an indescribable warmth enveloped him. "What is this? It feels… it feels hot!" On top of him, Ichigo closed her eyes and held onto his head, moaning and groaning. She finally stopped sliding down as soon as the entire length of Hiro was inside her, and she slowly let out a low, keening wail.

"Don't move," she warned Hiro when he glanced at her. "It's a little painful." But in this position, with Ichigo facing him and sitting on his waist, their faces were just this close. There was one more thing they had yet to try, and it wouldn't hurt Ichigo, right?

"Ichigo," Hiro said, "Let's kiss again." She blinked, apparently trying to keep her voice down, but nodded and leaned forwards. Hiro hugged her close, brushed a stray lock of azure hair out of the way, and pressed his lips to hers again.

When they had kissed in the cockpit of Delphinium, Hiro had only felt an odd sense of detachment and indifference. Ichigo had been forcing herself; she was only touching lips to do anything and everything to prove that Hiro was capable of piloting. Without any of those stresses, without needing to seek the approval of Nana and Hachi…

Hiro relaxed. Despite the incredible heat of Ichigo's vagina wrapping around his penis, it seemed to have stabilised. Through their locked lips, he could feel her calming down, relaxing and leaning onto him. His hands shifted from her hips, to her back, and back again to skim against her buttocks, unsure of where they should be placed. Ichigo's lips weren't just touching his - they were squishing against his mouth. Evidently, neither of them knew how to kiss, given that they hardly knew what it was - but hopefully, Hiro's enthusiasm and his touches could compensate.

"What do we do now?" Hiro asked. "I've put it in. We've kissed. Is something else we're supposed to do now?" Ichigo shrugged and looked down at where they were connected - besides drops of water from the bath, nothing else seemed to be visible besides that Hiro was penis-deep in her. She raised her hips up to look closer - and a new sensation swept over them, sending identical expressions of pleasure across their faces. Ichigo grabbed Hiro's shoulders to steady herself, and they exchanged a glance.

"Again." Ichigo said. She descended onto Hiro's strange, stiffened penis. How did this feel so good and yet so simple? It was more than just syncing now - that was the action of two minds bonding, becoming one. This thing that they were doing? Their bodies were becoming as one. Clouds of breath steamed off their faces and mingled in the air. Hiro grasped her hips and backside, and guided Ichigo's movements up and down, all while he had an expression of absolute ecstasy on his face.

It was difficult to tell where his body ended and where Ichigo's began. Her arms were wrapped around his back. His hands flitted up and down, guided by a single-minded desire to touch as much of her as possible. Ichigo's lips were practically locked onto Hiro's and in a daring move, she poked around with her tongue and ran it over Hiro's teeth, eliciting a moan from him and a jump in his alread sky-high heartbeat. Hiro felt nothing but heat and warmth as he and Ichigo shuddered and joined one another in the waist-deep water of the hot bath, muffling their moans with each others' lips. She crossed her legs behind his back and held on as tightly as she dared, but swung and bucked her hips against Hiro to thrust up and down on his penis. All rational thought was shooed away from their hazy minds as a singular, irrational emotion overtook their heads. It commanded them to join, their bodies obeyed, and pleasure was their reward.

The pressure began to truly build up in Hiro's groin, and fear of the unknown crept back into his mind. "Ichigo!" he broke apart from their kiss, gazing at her with equal parts lust and uncertainty, "I don't know- But something feels strange! I can't hold on, I can't resist this thing that's coming-"

"Then, hold onto me, Hiro," Ichigo panted, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him into an embrace that left no gaps between their sweat-soaked bodies. "Feel me. We can do this together; become one in mind in training, be one with me when we're alone!"

Hiro grabbed her waist and shut his eyes. "Ichigo! Ichigo!" he called her name over and over again. The pressure reached a fearsome climax, as though a dam holding back something was about to break. "I need you!"

"I need you too, Hiro!" Ichigo cried, "I need you!" she held onto him for dear life as he penetrated her deeply. Hiro finally gave into the pressure; he clenched his jaw as his mind whited-out. A climax took hold of every fibre of muscle in his body, concentrated at his groin, and expelled itself in burst after burst. Once, twice, thrice… Hiro's body jerked irregularly, and Ichigo let out a little squeak with every movement. Her fingers were just about to carve their imprints into his back.

The wave lasted for only a few seconds, but that moment was eternity. It faded like a breath of air in winter and Hiro became keenly aware of his penis shrinking. As they released their embrace and shivered in the cooling bath, both Ichigo and Hiro stared at their joined parts. Hiro's penis came out first, looking very much redder than usual, and soft and flaccid. What followed, to their mutual surprise, was a steady trickle of a white, gelatinous substance that dripped from Ichigo's vagina. Cupping a hand below her, she collected enough to cover her palm, and yet still more trickled. She held it up to her nose and sniffed carefully.

"Ugh," she instantly recoiled, "It's pungent. Look," she held out her hand to Hiro, who took but a tiny whiff. Immediately, a mixture of something between bleach, fish, and yet vaguely reminiscent of his sweat assaulted his nose, and he kept his distance well back. "What do I do with this?" Ichigo looked at him blankly. "Umm…" Hiro paused. "Taste it? Yesterday, I tasted you, so-"

"Taste this? Are you serious?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Hiro nodded and nudged her hand. "It was just like after I touched you yesterday, I guess. Try it and see how it is."

Ichigo favoured the white substance in her hand with a mildly distasteful glance. "It looks gooey. Well, here goes then…" she closed her eyes, held her hand up, and tipped all the contents into her mouth in one go. She swallowed several times, visibly struggling to not cough or sneeze. Hiro watched her face closely. Part fascinated at this development, part entranced by Ichigo's beauty as her hair spilled out of its bun. No girl would ever be as beautiful as she appeared in this moment, in this space…

"It's awfully bitter," Ichigo finally remarked after a moment. "But… That was thrilling," she exclaimed, looked at Hiro. "Did you feel good too?" For the first in a long time since he could remember, Hiro returned her smile with a small, but sincere one of his own. "I felt good too, Ichigo. Uh, thanks, I guess."

Ichigo sat down with him in the now-lukewarm water. They held hands without really meaning to, but somehow it was natural to go with it. A thin ribbon of the white discharge from earlier twirled in the water like the string of a kite.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About you needing me, I mean," Ichigo suddenly asked. Hiro closed his eyes - his memory was hazy, full of touching, kissing, and other things…

"I wish there's a better way to say it," he finally said, "The word 'need' just doesn't feel enough. Not after what we've done. But yes, Ichigo, I need you." Hiro looked up into her beautiful green eyes. "I need to be with you, and I'll be here for you until… Until whenever." he shrugged.

Ichigo smiled and nodded. Her cheeks coloured a lovely shade of pink. "I need you too, Hiro. I'll need you too."

Without either of them speaking, Ichigo and Hiro leaned in for a kiss.

.

fin.

Author's note:
I hope to write more entries for Darling In The FranXX if its category comes out! Else, I'll just add more chapters to this fic!