If there was one thing Tsukushi prided herself in, it was her skills at discount shopping. She's been to many supermarket sales and over the years she's perfected the art of rushing through aisle, pushing past bossy housewives, and finding the best products. She could squeeze her way between two arguing women without them even realize she was there. Grinning to herself as she held a basket full of ingredients she would use to make the pre-birthday dinner for Tsukasa. She happily moved onto the next aisle where she had sent Yuuki over to pick up from frosting. She knew she would need help carrying everything so she had asked her best friend for some help. The dinner she was planning on making didn't require much but she made sure to get the best ingredients possible. She didn't cook for him often but whenever she did she always made sure to do her best. She was confident in her cooking but at the same time she was so self-conscious every time he took a bite. She didn't know when she had turned into a girl that fussed over every little thing but she didn't mind it as much as she thought she would. She loved Tsukasa and wanted everything she did for him to be perfect. She had everything planned out to the very last detail. She would use the spare key she had to his apartment to start preparing the dinner while he was still at work and surprise him with a fully made Italian dinner and coffee cake for desert. She blushed when she thought of what kind of face he would make. He always made the best facial expressions. Doing a quick check with her phone she saw that he would probably be getting out of work soon. When she had inquired about how he could afford such a nice apartment he told her that he had an office job that paid him a good salary. She wished she could have such a nice job but the grumbling she did whenever she asked about it, told her that he didn't think the same and found the whole thing rather annoying. The thought of him being a mere office worker made her laugh because with his attitude she could picture him more as the boss of some company instead of being some run of the mill office grunt. He knew a lot about the business world and was by no means stupid, even if he still got his words mixed up.
Grabbing a packet of baking sheets she was pleased that she had finished getting everything she needed. The cake she was making would required a bit more work and it was why she was going over her friend's house to work on it. She was also planning on adding in a little extra something with his gift. She wasn't going to let him open his real birthday gift until Sunday but she wanted him to have a little something to open when they were together so she was going to add in some homemade cookies too. She was so thankful to have such a good friend like Yuuki. She felt bad for imposing on her like she was planning to do tomorrow when she used her family's oven but her friend had no qualms about it. Her only condition for letting her use the oven is for her to give every detail about the date she would have with her boyfriend. Regardless of the oven issue she was planning on telling Yuuki anyways. They tell each other everything.
Humming a soft tune to herself she entered the baking goods aisle but was surprised to see there was no sign of her best friend in sight. "Where'd she go?" she looked around, briefly wondering if her friend had gotten into a tussle with a housewife and ran off in fear. She's seen it happen before.
"I'm over here," Yuuki appeared at the end of the aisle, a giant grin on her face as she all but skipped towards her best friend.
Tsukushi wasn't sure if she liked that look. "Did you need to get something? If there are too many people you know that I can get it for you."
"No, I don't need anything," the grin on her face widen in size. "But I think you might." Reaching into the basket she carried she pulled out a small box and handed it to her friend. She then took a step back and waited for the show to start.
Once the box was in her hands she looked at it but it didn't take her long to examine what it was. "Yuuki!" brown eyes grew wide as she all but shoved the box back on the shelf before anyone noticed her holding them. "What's the big idea giving me condoms?!" She tried keeping her voice as low as she could while at the same time yelling. She couldn't believe she was just given that.
"Because it's better to be prepared," Yuuki stepped closer as a mother and her child walked down the aisle they were in. She knew this was a touchy subject for her best friend but it was something they had to talk about. "You and Daidouji-san have been together for over a year now and you've said it yourself that it feels like you're getting closer to having sex," a sudden thought occurred to her when she saw her friend's distressed face. "Do you not want to sleep with him?"
Tsukushi felt her face turn every shade of red possible. "I do," she shuffled in her spot, her shoulders moving back and forth in am embarrassed motion as she fiddled with the basket handles. "I love Tsukasa and after being with him for so long I feel like I'm ready to take the final step with him. It's just that I feel like it's the guy who's supposed to buy them," she knew she was old fashion but what just how she felt. There were just something that she felt the guys needed to do when it comes to the relationship and one of those things was buying the condoms.
"So is that why you two still haven't slept together yet?" Yuuki asked. She's heard all the stories of their times spent together and in the most recent stories it sounded like they were getting closer and closer to sleeping together. She wondered if that was the reason why they still hadn't done it yet?
Her face flushed when she thought about the subject. "Well there is one other reason..." had her reasons for why she had waited so long to sleep with her boyfriend. One of them was waiting for the right time but the other was for a rather embarrassing reason. She felt even more humiliated saying it out loud and in a public place no less. "...I don't have any nice underwear." If it was at all possible she felt her face grow even hotter and brighter than before.
Yuuki blinked, her mind processing what her friend just said and when she finally understood it she had to keep herself from laughing. "What do you mean? What exactly is nice underwear?"
Two brown eyes glared at the girl in front of her. She wasn't fooled, she could tell that her friend was trying not to laugh. "I mean like the sexy underwear you see in the magazine that all the models wear," she couldn't believe she was discussing her problem in a supermarket but she supposed that was just her life. "A lot of my bras are old or have holes in them and let's just say the last time we tried doing stuff it didn't end very well." She did a quick check to make sure no one was listening to her. She did not need this piece of information about her life to become public knowledge at her school.
"So you want new underwear that doesn't have holes in them and fits the mood?" Yuuki asked, making sure that she understood it all. With a swift nod from her friend she smiled and began to pull her to the register. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go shopping!"
"What!?" Tsukushi's cries could be heard all throughout the stores as she was pulled along by her friend. She hadn't expected their shopping trip for groceries would also turn into them shopping for underwear. She knew she needed to get some but she thought she would have more time to mentally prepare herself. "Might as well do it now." She thought with a sigh as they paid for their groceries and jumped on the next bus that would take them over to the mall. She cursed her luck, now would be when the buses were actually running on time. She felt her embarrassment rise as they closer to the shopping district but she couldn't let that stop her. "I can't let what happened last time happen again!"
~X~
The sound of thunder was what woke her up from the peaceful sleep she hadn't realized she had gone into. Groaning at the noise she snuggled closer into her pillow with every intention of going back to sleep when she realized there was a strange noise coming from her pillow. Normally she would have just shrugged it off as it being her nosy neighbors and the thins walls of her room but that wasn't it. The noise wasn't bad, in fact it was rather comforting and matched the pace that her heart was beating at. She smiled when she finally realized what the noise was and once more got back into a comfortable position to sleep when another thought hit it.
Pillows aren't supposed to have a heartbeat.
All traces of sleep left her as her eyes flew wide open around to see that she was resting on top of her boyfriend, Tsukasa Daidouji. Groggy from sleep it took her a few moments to remember how she had gotten there. They had a date planned for tonight but it had started to rain so they settled for watching a movie at his apartment. By the way the opening title was repeating over and over on the screen said they had fallen asleep some time during the film. Glancing at the clock she groaned when she saw it was already eleven. Her parents were going to kill her. Not only was it way past her curfew but she had turned her phone off during the movie so if they had been trying to reach her she wouldn't have gotten it. She needed to get home and do some damage control before they grounded her for life.
But that was a lot easier said than done. When she tried getting up Tsukasa's grip on her would tighten and bring her back down. He was still sleeping, his head was thrown back and all but hanging over the edge while his body was slumped over the white couch in what looked to be a not very comfortable position. Yet despite the awkward situation his body had been placed into during sleep he made no signs of waking up. To her it seemed almost like he looked pretty content staying there with her in his hold for the rest of the night. Too bad she wasn't feeling the same. She had curled up beside him when the movie had first started and she hadn't moved even while she slept. Her legs felt numb from staying in one position for so long and she winced as pins and needles ran up her legs when she moved them even the slightest bit. She placed both her hands at the center of his chest and used all her strength to push herself out of his grasp but no matter how she tried his two arms held her in place. She sighed as she was once again brought back to resting against him, the side of her face directly above his heart. She smiled as she heard the soft beat of it and halted in her attempts to leave as she remained there to listen. She snuggled in closer, her arms coming to wrap around his waist as the sound of his beating heart was starting to lull her back to sleep. Somehow in his sleep he must have felt her stop trying to escape because the arms that held her weren't holding her as tight anymore. He had one holding her waist and the other grasped her shoulder. There was no contest in which one of them was stronger, he could beat her in arm wrestling without batting an eye. She should know, she challenged him once and lost horribly. Somehow even in his unconscious state his strength was still there and it keeping her close but the way he held her with such care made her heart flutter. He was romancing her even as he slept.
She was really considering spending the night. They've been dating for nine months but they were taking things slow. And by slow she meant they had yet to go pass kissing. Sure they made out and held each other whenever they had the chance but they never went too far. She could tell he wanted to do more and deep in her heart she kind of did too but she was nervous. She never had a boyfriend before so everything they did was a new experience for her. But despite her nerves and anxiousness they still tried to take their relationship further, not that they got very far. If they ever fell asleep at her house her parents would always wake them up and either make him go home or have him share a room with her brother. It was nice seeing him at breakfast but she was always so embarrassed by her parent's behavior that she found she couldn't fully enjoy having him there in the mornings. Since then she always tried to keep them from going to her house at night. It wasn't that her parents didn't like Tsukasa, they thought he was a good guy and a gentlemen but they still had the delusion that she would marry a filthy rich man that would make all their problems go away. To her utter horror they had told him this straight to his face one day when they had been sitting on her bed together, her trying to do homework and him playing with her long hair. She had been mortified and swiftly pushed her mother out the door. Tsukasa had a weird expression on his face after that and she quickly did damage control before he started thinking weird thoughts. To her it didn't how much or how little money the man she married had, she wasn't going to marry him for that but because she was in love with them. She would only marry for love and nothing else. She wasn't sure why but her words had caused Tsukasa to bring her close and he wore the biggest smile on his face that she's ever seen. For the rest of the night they had stayed like that until her parents deemed it was time for him to go home but even then they had stayed awake all night talking on the phone.
But now there were no parents monitoring their every move. No one would barge in and demand that they separate. No one to tell her that she could do better and she should go find a rich man. It was just the two of them in his apartment and it made her so happy. She loved her parents but they needed to accept that so long as she had Tsukasa in her life there would be no other man she wanted. Getting herself in a more comfortable position she closed her eyes, relaxing her body to go back to sleep and fully content with spending the night in his arms. It wasn't like this was something she didn't want. She was by no means a romantic but she always imagined herself falling asleep in the arms of the man she loved every night. And that was exactly what she was going to do. She would deal with her parents in the morning but right now she wanted to enjoy this rare moment of peace with her boyfriend.
That was her plan until she felt his hand go under her shirt. Her eyes flew open once more, immediately looking down at her lower back where his hand had gone under her shirt and was now resting on her skin. She shook her head, telling herself that it was fine and it was just him moving in his sleep. Casting a quick look up at her boyfriend to make sure he was still sleeping and wasn't doing this on purpose she once more relaxed herself to go back to sleep. She could handle sleeping with his hand on her back. It wasn't like this was the first time they had skin to skin contact. They may not have gone very far sexually but that didn't mean their hands hadn't wondered about when they were kissing. It was no big deal.
Or it wasn't until his hand started moving again. She muffled a surprised cry when she felt his hand start to move up her back, his fingers running along her spin. She cursed him for having perverted dreams and for herself for not completely hating it. Even in his sleeps he knew exactly what to do to make her mind shut down and have her heart thumping with anxiety and excitement. She moved her head to look at him, his sleeping face was all she saw but the corners of his mouth were titled upwards. Whatever he was dreaming about it was a good one. This made her eye twitch. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was dreaming about. When his hand finally reached her bra she had decided enough was enough and without any hesitation her fist make contact with his cheek and punched herself to freedom. "Tsukasa, you pervert!" she cried, pushing down her shirt and fixing her appearance.
His tall body laid sprawled out on the floor, his eyes spinning from the sudden attack and his mind had yet to recognize where he was. "Nee-chan, what the hell!?" he yelled as he sat back up, holding his now aching cheek with one hand. He froze when he saw who it was that had actually hit him. He gulped at the look on her face.
Tsukushi felt an eyebrow raise at his sudden outburst. "Nee-chan?" she certainly hadn't expected him to call her that. She raised her other eyebrow now and looked at him suspiciously. "Just what kind of dream were you having buster?" she didn't know much about his personal life, he liked to keep things a secret but now she wondered if he had some weird fetish he wasn't telling her. If so then she would run away and never look back.
He felt his anger rise at her words and the accusation she was giving him. "Just what the hell are you implying?"
"I don't know, you tell me. Most guys I know don't shout out for their sister after having a perverted dream." She said, crossing her arms and studying him. Time to get some answers out of him.
He jumped to his feet, "I wasn't dreaming about my sister. I was dreaming about you!"
Both of them turned red at what had just come out of his mouth. "Oh," Tsukushi looked down at her lap. She had wanted an answer but she certainly hadn't been expecting that.
Tsukasa rubbed the back of his neck in an awkward fashion. He did feel embarrassed about suddenly shouting out such a thing but that didn't mean he was ashamed about the fact he had had a dream like that. Scoffing he sat back down on the couch next to her, arms resting against his knees as he looked at her. "The woman I love was in my arms as I slept. Of course I'm going to dream about you in that sort of manner."
Her head immediately shot up, face exploding from the blush because of his words. She knew he was a straightforward guy, he never had any problems about expressing himself but she never imagined he would be so open about those sort of things. He was by no means shy and was very passionate but they've never once had a talk about those sort of things. "I see..." She felt so stupid talking right now but she didn't know what she was supposed to do or say at this time.
Tsukasa must have noticed this because he brought her back into his hold. His one arm held her around her shoulders while he rested his chin on top of her head, his lips kissing the soft locks of her hair. "Stupid, making a face like that isn't going to make those thoughts stop."
She shivered as he spoke into her hair, his hot breath making her feel something strange. "So tell me..." she had to direct the conversation to another topic. She could slowly feel her mind slipping away and in their place weird feelings were starting to build up. "Why did you think I was your sister when I hit you? I mean, I've you plenty of times before and you've never mentioned her before." It was true. While he wasn't shy about showing public displays of affection she was by no means shy of hitting him when he pisses her off.
He groaned at her question, obviously she had killed the mood he had been trying to set. "It was a reaction. My sister used to hit me all the time growing up whenever she felt I did something stupid."
"I see," this had to be the most he has ever said about his personal life. Usually whenever she asks a question about his life he clams up and makes them talk about something else. Biting her lip she tested her luck and asked him more. "Were you two close?"
He shrugged, "I guess. She was older than me so she was pretty busy most days with her friends and life. But there were times when it would just be the two of us. Those would usually be the times when she hit me the most." He chuckled, a faraway look in his eyes as he thought of his older sister and their times spent together.
It felt so good to hear him speak like this. For so long she's been dying to know more about his family life and seeing how he felt about his sister made her so happy. "She sounds really nice. I would like to meet her." She realized her mistake the moment she said those words. He immediately tensed up and she scolded herself for her own carelessness. She had finally gotten him to open up about his life and she had to go and ruin in.
"She got married and moved LA so I don't think that's possible right now."
She was so surprised to hear him speak. She thought for sure he would be quiet the rest of the night. Hope had risen into her chest at those words, especially the last two. "Right now?" she placed both her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up so that her face was at his level. "Does that mean you want me to meet your family?"
Even the darken room he could still see the way her eye shined and it made his heart clench. He had to look away. He was about to crush that hopeful look and he couldn't handle seeing the disappointment that would come. "I do but..." his hand clenched into a fist, it was shaking from the pressure he was placing on it but he didn't let it bother him because he had something much more important going on.
Tsukushi took notice of his exterior, he seemed to be having some sort of inter turmoil going on. He always got like that whenever she brought up the subject of his family but lately it had gotten more extreme. She didn't understand what the issue was. They were in love and have been together for nine months now, you'd think she would have met someone from his life by now but she was still in the dark about so many things. He refused to share his personal life with her if it involved his friends or family. "Tsukasa, I love you." She shook her head at the conversation they were going to have. They had just had a nice time together and it was going to be ruined by them arguing. She didn't want to start a fight but she felt if she didn't get this off her chest then she would go crazy. She'd rather fight and make up then be left with an uneasy feeling in her heart for the rest of the night. "And it's because I love you that I want to meet the people in your life. I want to know more about you, how you were as a child, what your school life is like, what has made you into the person you are today. I know you said that you don't really get along with your family and I get that but I still want to meet them. I still want to see the people who raised you. After all they can't be all bad if you're their son and I-"
She was cut off when his arms pulled her in closer to his body, his hold so strong and secure that she couldn't move to even reposition herself. One hand held the back of her head with his fingers buried deep in her brown locks while the other wrapped itself around her small frame, keeping her secured in his embrace. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his curly hair tickled the side of her face but the situation was too serious for her to even think about laughing. "They wouldn't understand," if possible he pulled her in closer, his breath made her skin feel hot but despite how it made her feel she couldn't focus on anything more than his voice. "I can't lose you, Tsukushi." His voice was so desperate that it broke her heart. She didn't understand what he was saying or how this conversation had turned into this but it was obvious he was truly afraid of losing her. She sees this man on a daily basis and in all the time they've spent together never once has she seen him look so frightened. There was much more to his story than he was telling her but she decided at this moment she would let it go. He would tell her when he's ready and she wouldn't pry. His family situation wasn't her business and she was sure when the time comes she'll learn it all.
She just hoped that when she did learn the truth she could handle it.
With such a strong grip on her body it took some effort for her to wrap her own arms around him but she managed to do it. "You won't lose me," she whispered into his ears, hoping her words could convey what she was feeling right now. She may not know everything that's going on but she did know one thing for sure, she loved this man and she didn't want to separated from him.
When he finally lifted his head to look at her she hoped he could see the love she held for him shining in her eyes. He did. His fears and concerns were still there, she could feel it as he kissed her. There was an urgency in his touch, as if he was trying to convince himself that she was indeed there and she always would be. The feelings was still there even as their tongues met but it was no longer on the surface as their need and desire for each other began to take over. He pushed her down on the couch, his much larger body easily consuming her smaller one and it made her shiver at the thought. His hold was gentle but forceful, fitting with his personality perfectly, and made her moan as he held her even closer. The sounds that came out of her only made his movements more intense, his hands that had held her before were going back to their old ways and were pushing up her shirt but this time she didn't mind it. She, herself, was busy unbuttoning his own shirt, leaving his bare chest open for her hands to run over his skin. She could feel the toned muscles on his body that tensed up as her delicate fingers ran over every trace they could. Their kissing only came to a stop when he finally pulled her shirt off, leaving her in only her bra and left her with no time to feel embarrassed as he attacked her bare skin. His lips nipped at her neck, sucking and biting every inch that he could get to as he placed one hand on her breast. He cupped her covered breast, massaging it briefly before slipping underneath the fabric to hold the soft mound that was pure Tsukushi. She moaned even louder at his touch. Somehow his hand was both hot and cold and it was making her have such a reaction that she jerked her body in response.
In doing so snapped one strap of her bra and causing them both to halt in what they were doing. They were frozen in their spots, neither saying nor doing anything as the now broken white strap laid untouched but not forgotten over the breast that he held. She could feel her face heat up in embarrassment and she mentally cursed herself for buying such a cheap bra. "Pfft," he snorted, trying to hold in his laughing but it was useless because not even a second later he was bellowing with laughter.
Tsukushi was not amused. "You're such a jerk!" she pushed him off her, making sure to cover her chest for good measure as she searched for her discarded shirt.
He was still laughing. Honestly the whole thing was to amusing not to laugh at and it was something that would happen to them. "I can't believe it. You really are that poor." He laughed even harder at this. He was well aware that her family didn't have the best financial situation and bought all their stuff at discount stores which usually meant the stuff wasn't always made properly but to have a bra just snap as hers did was just hilarious. At least in his book.
With her shirt now retrieved Tsukushi put it back on her body and glared at her still laughing boyfriend. She smacked him in the face with a pillow. "It's not funny," didn't he understand that the whole thing was really embarrassing for her. That was the farthest they have ever gone in their relationship and her bra strap snapping and him laughing at her was not making her feel better. "I'm going home." She all but leapt off the couch in a rush to get to the door and head home so she could crawl in her bed and wallow in the pity party she was planning to have.
Tsukasa grabbed her before she could even make it past the coffee table. He pulled her back down to the couch and into his embrace. "Don't go. I shouldn't have laughed like that. But you have to admit it was pretty funny." He rested the side of his face in her hair, taking in the scent that was purely her. She didn't used shampoo with some artificial fragrance and she wasn't big on perfume either. Her scent was natural, an almost rustic sort of smell and was one he had grown a longing for after holding her in his arms after months of being together. If he could he would bottle this smell and take it home with him on the lonely nights he often had after they spent the day together and had been forced to depart for the night.
His words didn't make her feel better. If anything it made her anger grow. "Maybe for you." If she could have she would have crossed her arms but instead settled for glaring. She blushed when she realized his shirt was still open. "You should fix your shirt before you catch a cold."
"Nah, I'm good," he moved his body in a way that he was able to take off his shirt without releasing his hold on her. He placed the garment over her and laid them down on the couch so she was rest on his bare chest. "Besides I usually sleep without a shirt on." He adjusted his body to get comfortable, his head resting against the pillow she had thrown at him, he had one leg resting against the arm of the couch at the end while the other hung off the edge and rested on the ground. It didn't look like a comfortable position to be in but he found himself drifting off to sleep in no time. So long as he had her in his arms there was no other place he'd rather be.
Tsukushi couldn't believe what was happening. How had they gone from making out on his couch, to him laughing at her, to her falling asleep in his arms...again!? "My parents..." she tried to make an argument as she made an attempt to get up but he pulled her down and didn't release his grip on her.
"It's already late. We'll deal with them in the morning." His reply was a sleepy one and in a matter of moments all she heard from him was labored breathes. He had fallen asleep and had still yet to relax his hold on her.
She gave one last stab at trying to get up but it was useless and it was clear to her that she would be spending the night. This would be her first time sleeping over at his place and while she felt a little embarrassed she found that falling asleep in his arms was an experience she enjoyed and hoped for more times like this to happen in the future. Adjusting her body to get comfortable she laid there with her head resting on his chest, the sound of his heart thumping in her ears lulled her to sleep and the shirt he had placed over her helped to keep her warm along with his body heat. She had to say it was the best night of sleep she's had in her entire life.
~X~
The next morning she had been fully prepared to face the wrath of her parents but thankfully Yuuki had covered for her when her mother called her best friend's house in a panic. She had known about their date and put two and two together told Tsukushi's mother that she had passed out at her house after studying together and that her phone had died. When she had finally gotten home the next morning her mother had merely scolded her for being so careless with her cell and reminded her to always keep it charged. There was no grounding or them prohibiting her from seeing Tsukasa. Both of them had be grateful to the girl and amazing Tsukasa treated them all to a nice dinner the next day as his show of gratitude. Most people wouldn't have been able to lie to their friend's parents and while she knew Yuuki didn't enjoy doing it she was also a very loyal friend and knew that Tsukushi had a good reason for what she had done. Of course when she told her friend the story of what happened she had said it had all been worth it.
It was also one of the reasons why she was letting Yuuki drag her around the shop that sold nothing was bras and underwear. She owed the girl after she had done so much to help her and because she wanted to buy something special. Over time they had been growing closer and closer to sleeping together and while she always made sure to wear her good bras whenever she went to his house to avoid another laughing fit she wanted to wear something extra special when that time really did come. So far they had been interrupted every time they came close. Usually by a phone call or someone walking in on them or that one time she had gotten a fever. But tomorrow it would just be the two of them in his apartment, eating a romantic dinner that she made and with an excuse all ready for her parents. She was prepared to spend the night at Tsukasa's and finally take the next and final step with him.
"How about this one?" she had been brought away from her planning as Yuuki showed her a green lingerie set with rhinestones covering the two cups.
She quickly shook her head. "No way." She was not going to sleep with him looking like a disco ball. Searching through the racks she pulled out a nice white set with two pink bows on the strap. "How about this? These are pretty cute and they're on sale too." She grinned, always pleased with herself whenever she found a good deal.
From the look her friend was giving her said that she hadn't picked out a winner. "I thought the whole point of this was to pick out something that wasn't like your old stuff?"
"I know, but..." she wasn't sure what else she was supposed to say.
Yuuki could only sigh and shake her head. "There has to be something here." She set off on her own, determined to find something for her friend.
Tsukushi didn't stop her and continued on her search for the perfect garment. She wanted to pick out something different but all of the stuff in the store she was too embarrassed to try on. She was worried if she went for something in a completely different direction from her normal look Tsukasa would laugh at her for trying so hard. He did it once before when she showed up on a date wearing a dress that she would normally never wear but Yuuki's older sister had forced her in to it. He had taken one look at her before bursting out in laughter and then let her wear his jacket the rest of the night.
"Sounds like you could use some help." She looked to her right and saw two guys that looked no older than her were standing by where she was looking. They were dressed in fancy looking clothes that screamed top of the line and matched their handsome features.
"So tell us, are you buying some new underwear for a special person?" the first one to talk with her was had long shoulder length wavy red hair.
"Perhaps for a special occasion?" the other one had short black hair that was styled perfectly to match his good looking facial features.
Tsukushi eyed them both warily. "And what does it matter to the two of you?" they may be handsome but that didn't mean she would let them do what they want. She may not know them but they looked like a couple of playboys to her.
The one with the short hair gestured over to the changing rooms. "We're free since the other ladies we're helping shop for are busy trying on stuff."
"And we thought it might be interesting to help you out." The one with the long hair added in.
She relaxed a bit after hearing they were helping other people that were also shopping for new underwear. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need any help." That was a total lie but she was much too embarrassed to ask for help some guys. Even if they did work here.
They both snorted. "Liar."
Tsukushi felt her eye twitch. "Excuse me, but I didn't ask for your help so why don't you mind your own business." She gestured for them to leave her and her friend alone. She didn't care who they were she did not want their help. She had gone back to searching through the racks when she was stopped by two sets of hands that were placed on her shoulders.
"Trust us, we're not only helping you but you're boyfriend as well." The short-haired guy spoke first.
"You are shopping here because you want him to have your first time together with him special right?" the longer-haired guy said next.
A blush made its way onto her cheeks. "How'd you know it's my first time?" now she was starting to get freaked out. Were these two guys following her?
They both gave her a look that said she couldn't be serious. "Because it's obvious." They said in unison and it all but made her fall to her knees.
"So stop being so stubborn and let us help," the one with longer hair said before adding in, "By the way you can call me, Mimasaka and he's Nishikado."
"We would tell you our first names but just in case you fall for our charms we don't your boyfriend coming after us." Nishikado added in as they both started to laugh at the joke.
Tsukushi however didn't find it funny. "Won't be a problem. I love my boyfriend and I wouldn't ever dream of cheating on him," her words were true. It didn't matter if a hundred good looking men suddenly started flirting with her. Her heart only belonged to Tsukasa and nothing would ever change that. "Besides you two aren't really my type." She hated playboys and no matter who they were or what they did she would never be attracted to them.
Now for most guys her harsh words would have hurt their pride and had them call her a name before stalking off in a huff. Which is what she was secretly hoping for. But it came as a surprise when the two suddenly started laughing.
"Who would have ever thought I would enjoy being told I'm not someone's type." Nishikado grinned as he laughed as he looked down at the confused girl. "Looks like we were right, you really are interesting."
"And very sweet. You're boyfriend should consider him lucky to have such a loyal girl by his side" Mimasaka patted her head in a gentle manner. "Which makes us want to help the two of you get together even more." With a quick nod the two set to work to find exactly what she would need. It took them only a few minutes to come back with a piece of garment that they knew would fit her perfectly.
"In our professional opinion this will suit your style and body type perfectly." Nishikado handed her their pick.
A peach colored lace bra and matching underwear was presented to her. The bra was laced and didn't have much support but it looked like it would fit her body well and her only complaint about it was that it was somewhat see through. But she supposed that was a good thing about it too. There was no extra padding so it didn't give the illusion to something she didn't have but instead was designed to highlight her body's natural features. The underwear was the same color and fabric and was also giving the appearance of it being see through. Both garments had a flower design that made it look classy and neither childish or adulteress. It was really surprised that two men she had just met had been able to pick out such suitable lingerie for her. "I guess it makes sense since they work in a lingerie shop." they had to be good at their job if they wanted to work in this kind of business. She studied the undergarments and wondered briefly if Tsukasa would like it on her. "And you really think this is best?" she asked shyly, wanting a male's opinion. It wasn't like she could send a picture to her boyfriend and ask what he thought of it. The whole point of this was to be a surprise and besides there was no way she was ever sending him a message like that. With her luck someone else would pick up his phone and see the picture.
"Trust us. This piece will blow him away."
"He'd have to be a total idiot not to love it."
She nodded her head, thanking them for their help and headed for the register.
"Take care and be sure to use protection!"
"Once you take the first step into womanhood come find us and we'll help you two keep the passion alive!"
She nearly fell over at their words and had to resist the urge to throw her shoe at them. Who the hell says that kind of stuff in public? And to someone they had just met?! She was so reporting them once she got to the register. Grumbling to herself she looked for her friend as she did a quick check on her wallet and was pleased that she had enough to buy her new outfit. "Good thing yesterday was payday." She smiled to herself as her phone started to buzz. Quickly pulling it out she saw she had a message from Tsukasa and felt a blush explode onto her face. She knew he was nowhere in the store but it felt like he was watching her every move. Thankfully he was only asking what she was doing and if she wanted to meet up at a coffee shop later. Taping a fast reply of where and when to meet she all but shoved her phone back in her bag and ran to the register.
"Tsukushi!" Yuuki had finally reappeared but came back empty handed. "Sorry, I looked all over but I didn't find anything." She really hoped they could have found something for her to wear.
Forcing down her blush she smiled at her friend and showed her the piece she held in her hands. "Don't worry about it. I actually found the perfect outfit." She placed the garments on the counter and handed the woman the right amounts of bills needed to pay for the outfit.
"Did anyone help you in your shopping today?" the lady at the register asked, needing to know if someone needed to add commission to their paycheck.
Tsukushi nodded and pointed to the two guys from earlier. "They did. But I think you should really tell them to work on their people skills. They may be good at their job but that doesn't excuse their behavior." She was grateful for their help but they had also been rather rude to her and practically embarrassed her in front of the whole store. She wasn't going to let them get away with that.
The woman looked at where she was pointing and smiled, giving an amused giggle as she did so. "Mr. Nishikado and Mr. Mimasaka don't work here, my dear. They do frequent the store but that's usually to help their dates pick out what outfits they want them to wear." She said, gesturing to the two men that were walking out the doors with the women they had come in with. They had turned back around to wave at Tsukushi and winked at her.
Tsukushi felt all the color drain from her body. She turned a pale white before exploding into a bright red that steamed from both embarrassment and rage. "Those bastards!" her cries could be heard all throughout the stores and her anger didn't disappear even as they left the shop and were now sitting at the coffee shop she agreed to meet Tsukasa at. "I can't believe them," she bit in a doughnut that she had purchased in her fit of rage. Whenever she got really angry she always found herself eating everything in sight. "They had the nerve to pretend to be salesmen when really they were nothing but a bunch of perverts!" she slammed her hand on the table, her cheeks still tinted red as a growl escaped her. She wasn't sure what she was more upset at, them for tricking her or herself for not realizing it. They never officially said they worked at the shop. She only assumed they did because of their behavior and like a fool she let them do what they wanted. Glaring down at the bag she had placed in her purse she felt torn about the garment inside. While she still believed it was the best choice for her to wear she just couldn't shake the anger she felt whenever she looked at it because it only served as a reminder for those perverts. "And they had the gall to sell me underwear that they and their "professional opinion" say is perfect for my body type," by her tone her voice you could tell what she really thought of their professional opinion. In all her ranting she had yet to see that Yuuki had grown still in her seat and was now looking very frightened. Nor did she notice the large shadow that was towering over her. "I mean seriously, did they have nothing better to do? What a bunch of perverts!" she huffed, finally finished with all her ranting and took in a deep breath to calm herself down. There was no point in staying mad at something stupid like this all night, especially not when she was meeting with her boyfriend soon. Speaking of he should be arriving soon. She reached for her phone to look at the time and to see if she had any missed messages from Tsukasa when she finally took noticed of her friend sitting across from her. "Yuuki? Are you ok?" she asked, worried about her friend's frightened form.
Yuuki didn't say anything. She merely pointed a shaky finger.
Tsukushi was confused at first but when she saw the reflection being cast from her phone she finally understood why her friend looked so scared. Turning around slowly she saw a fuming Tsukasa standing behind her, both his hands balled into fists as his body shook and a frown set so deep on his face she would be amazed if it didn't freeze like that. She gulped, easily recognizing the jealously in his eyes. She learned early on in their relationship that he was the jealous type and him hearing that two guys had helped her pick out underwear, especially since he still hadn't seen her naked, had him nearing his breaking point. "Who the hell was selling you underwear!" he roared in the once peaceful coffee shop and took to the streets in search for the two perverts that had the nerve to pick out underwear for his girlfriend. It didn't matter that he had no clue who they were or what they looked like, he was on a mission to find them and he would do just that. "When I find them, I'm going to kill them!"
"Tsukasa!" Tsukushi immediately chased after him. If she didn't calm him down she was sure he would get arrested for not only disturbing the peace but for beating up anyone who dared crossed his path. "Why me!" she mentally cried to herself as she did her best to keep up with her angry boyfriend that was punching any male who looked at her.
