"You're coming along, right? Go home, lots of food?"

Robbie was the one of the guys April knew the least; that was far more circumstances than intent, though. He seemed nice enough, and his plunking down next to her and commencing to get her talking didn't change that impression at all.

"Food the way I think of it is a pretty big temptation, but you don't even want me to get started on how many ways New Jersey isn't home."

"Could you go home? You don't come from the other end?"

"Upper middle. It's still no little jaunt."

"How bad?"

"About 18 hours to drive."

"Fucking hell. Ah, sorry."

She smiled; there was no way to stop it even if she'd wanted to. "I've made the trip before. That's a really good description of it."

"You could get a flight. I mean, your family would want to see you, surely."

"Maybe. I've been...radio silent for a while. A long time, actually. They probably think I don't want to see them. It's a long way to go to hear 'Go fuck yourself' at the front door, you know?"

"Maybe that's not what would happen. Maybe the movie thing, right? The crying and hugging and all that."

"Not my family, no. It might be worth it just to watch them try to fit Jay into their worldview. I have this one cousin..."

"Hey, I have one of those, too. You don't suppose we're related?"

"Stranger things have happened. Literally. But it can't be the same cousin. Not unless yours would listen to Jay for three seconds and then drag me aside and ask if he's from Georgia."

"Howdy, y'all." Jay bit his lip to keep from laughing; they were both staring at him like he'd grown an extra head. "It was that bad?"

April couldn't answer; she was laughing hard enough to raise tears.

"It must have been dire, man. Look, you've made her cry."

Jay hopped up onto the little half-wall they were sitting on. "What's really upsetting is when she does this after sex."

"I'd be more worried about during, myself."

"That's the worst. Especially when she points and laughs." That set her off again. Jay would happily have sat around doing this all day; she almost never came entirely unglued like this. It had been long enough now that he was starting to chalk that up to basic personality more than to what had happened to her. She was just a fairly reserved woman, and that was that. It only made moments like this all the better. "You see? Now you have two dates for the party. Make that three. I know Tama's been on you about this for weeks. So you have to go."

Robbie saw the look that passed between them. He thought he might have come in on the middle of an old debate here. "You see? You don't want to disappoint three men at once."

"You know, I can't think of a single answer to that that doesn't sound like an orgy gone wrong."

Later, walking around the building in the eerily quiet aftermath of a show, Jay reached and took her hand. "I'm glad you're getting to know some of the others. They've been wondering."

"Wondering what?"

"You probably don't want to know. We'll just leave it at wondering just how far friendship goes with Tama and me."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "They think...?"

"Not all. And not all seriously, I'm sure. Just as soon as he feels like he knows you well enough, expect Tanga to start giving you some shit about it. Just dish it back, and you're gold."

"I think I'm flattered. And they think I'm indestructible."

"They think you're going with us, too. Tell me why you don't want to."

"It's not going that bothers me. What happens if they don't let me come back?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"My records would have to look weird to someone eventually, right? Traveling just calls attention to it."

"I don't want to leave you here alone."

"I'll be all right. Lock myself in, stay in sweats all day, read, order food. Miss you, but that'll probably be good for me."

"Not so good for me. I'll be wanting you after that party's over too, you know."

"You'll just have to pick yourself up a little something. I'd...understand."

He spun toward her, eyes narrowed. "Don't even...Now you have to come along. I don't want you thinking that way, ever."

"Then go and trust me to trust you."

"I want you with me. That's where you belong. You're not going to make me pull rank, are you?"

"What happens if you have to leave and I have to stay there? What am I supposed to do then?"

"I'm a lot less worried about that happening than about you being here alone." It was considered about as gaijin-trashy as could be, but wasn't that what everyone thought of him now anyway? He might as well enjoy what benefits of a lousy reputation there were to be had; he pulled her up against him, never mind the eyes raking over them. "You trust me? Then trust me to take care of you. Haven't I done that?"

She nodded against his shoulder.

"Like to go home and get naked in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Race you."

It wasn't just that he wanted her along; he did, of course, and he really wasn't keen on leaving her here, but it was more about pushing the boundaries that had been throttling her for so long. She'd done a lot of that with his encouragement, and the woman she really was had started peering out from behind the barricades more and more. This mattered to that. It was important even if he couldn't exactly put into words how.

There was a way to phrase it, though; it just wasn't in words. Getting her home and naked and handcuffed to the bed - that was how to say it. He mixed himself a shochu and water and sat in the chair by the bed.

"Naked and helpless. You trust me to do this to you." He held his glass to her lips until she'd had a good, long drink. "You'll just have to trust me to keep the bureaucrats off your back. I want you with me. You're going."

There was an entire ballet of things dancing in her eyes, but she nodded. He gave her another long drink from his glass.

"Trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"Not drunk, baby. Just nice and relaxed. Then I'll take advantage of you." He finished the drink. "Do we need another?"

She shook her head.

"Good. It's better when you feel every little thing I do to you." He stretched out beside her, enjoying the confused and frustrated look on her face at his still being fully clothed. He enjoyed even more watching her shifting reactions as he touched her, brief fingertip strokes wherever his thoughts took him. He went on until it was all one reaction and she was arching to every touch, breath racing. "Do you think I'd let anyone take you from me?"

"Whole governments?"

"Just a lot of people in one place wearing suits."

The only thing he hurried at was getting his clothes off. Everything else he went on taking slowly, drawing it out until she was giving in completely not only to him inside her, but to the restraints, to what he wanted of her, everything. Sometimes it took this to get her mind right. The effects could last for days - she'd be calm, serene, and very open to just about anything he could come up with to suggest. He thoroughly liked all of it.

When he was entirely sure he'd had his fill, he unfastened the cuffs. She simply flexed her shoulders a bit, then snuggled down into him. Yes, she was there. The next few days were going to be sweet. And if she needed a booster now and again until time to get on the plane, it was far from a burden to deliver that.