It was a better kiss than last time, her first kiss, when she had no idea what was going on. His lips were still warm, still soft, but more welcome when they slanted across her own. Usui's left hand tightened in hers, and his right tilted her head and guided her closer. Another blush crept across her cheeks, this one more slowly than the scalding flashes of heat that he normally made her experience. He kissed her reverently, like something both sacred and fragile that might shatter if handled too roughly. She was a little self-conscious to confess that she like the way he kissed her, so gentle and caring.

Usui guided her close to him, seeking her warmth, her soft touch. He was fully aware that he had stolen her first kiss on top of Seika High's roof, but he had been determined ever since then to get her second kiss, one where she participated. His wish had just come true, he knew, as he moved his lips gently over hers and felt her respond in kind. His Misa-chan felt so small when he had her pulled against his chest, and that made him all the more responsive to the softness of her skin and the warmth of her lips. She was unpracticed, but a quick learner.

The two could hear the firework display begin outside, but they didn't care. For a short, blissful moment, they were wrapped up in each other, Usui celebrating his victory and Misaki wondering how the hell any of this had ever even happened.

After what seemed like hours, Usui pulled back, and brushed his thumb across Ayuzawa's cheek, exceedingly warm even to him. Slowly, her hand that wasn't clasped in his fell back to her side in a movement that indicated a rather numb feeling to Misaki.

"This is what's on my mind right now," he whispered, not letting her go.

His electric green eyes were blazing, but at the same time, somehow soft and gentle. Misaki felt sure that she looked like a blotchy scarlet mess, but if she did, Usui obviously didn't care.

"I love you, Ayuzawa."

Outside, Usui saw a rocket shoot up into the air, and explode into vibrant azure sparks. The explosion took the shape of a funny looking little ghost that seemed extremely familiar, and extremely cute.

Misaki felt her heart constrict with some strong, heated emotion, as if in the face of this feeling the organ could not remember how to function correctly. Her fingers were still trembling slightly, and in response, Usui's hand held hers more tightly. She had a feeling that that moment, right there, would be branded into her memory until the day she died, and she couldn't find it in herself to complain about that. It was a beautiful moment.

"I…" she muttered.

"I know, Ayuzawa," he chuckled. "You hate me, right?"

"Shut up, you idiot," she muttered, leaning her forehead on his chest once more in the same breath.

"So cold," Usui teased. His hand slid through her hair, pulling it out of the ponytail so that he could trail locks of it between his fingers.

"Usui, I…I love you…too," she whispered, her face flaming yet again.

He went so still, like a statue, that Misaki instinctively tried to step back, thinking she had done or said something wrong. However, he wouldn't let her. The hand playing with the hair at the nape of her neck tightened, holding her close, and his other hand dropped hers, but only to slide around her slender waist. The embrace was every bit as tender as every other one he'd ever given her, but this one at the same time felt different. It wasn't the pounding of her heart—no, she felt that every single time—nor was it the color or heat in her cheeks. It was the soothing, comforting warmth that seemed to emanate from him and seep into her, unaccompanied by her blatant denials and forced anger.

"Misaki-chan," he said quietly, burying his face in her hair. "You are a dangerous woman. I hope to God that no other fool touches you, or I'll have to kill him."

Misaki didn't respond with any sort of insult on how rich it was to hear words like that coming from a perverted stalker space alien such as himself. She didn't answer with some long-winded and admittedly arrogant speech about how she was strong and could take perfectly good care of herself. No, for a change, Misaki didn't give any of her usual replies. Instead, in a complete deviation from the norm, she wrapped her strong but slim arms around his own tapered waist, returning his hug. She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head.

"…You're warm," she whispered.

"So are you," he answered, tightening his hold on her for a moment before releasing her altogether.

Misaki kept a hold of his hand, which made Usui's heart jump once again. A small amount of color crept across his own cheeks, but any blush for him was like seeing Misaki Ayuzawa turn the color of a tomato.

"Shall we go down to the campfire?" he asked, smiling his amazing, heart-stopping smile.

Unsure if she recalled how to speak, Misaki simply nodded, and allowed him to lead her out of the room and down the hall by her hand. A bench beside the fire had been left empty for the Romeo and Juliet of the evening, and the obligingly took their places of honor, sitting closely together.

The warmth from the campfire, mixed with the fatigue of the day, made Misaki's eyelids droop drowsily, though staying up was usually an easy task for her. Usui noticed her starting to nod off, and laughed quietly. With a gentle hand, he reached up and guided her head to his shoulder. Instead of leaping away, as he had expected, she just sighed with a slightly exasperated edge and then nestled into his side. Not one to pass up any opportunity, Usui wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders.

That was how they were when Yukimura found out that he and Kanou were not the only students from Seika High School present at the festival.

Usui hadn't seen the Prez look so panicked and cornered since she had hit the photo of her as a maid from his hand, and it was nearly found by those irritating quintuplets. When the other three turned to look at him, he just laughed and kissed the back of Misaki's hand, which he was now holding in a vice-like grip.

The bruise on his shoulder was totally worth it.