"There you are!"
Teru turned towards the door to the classroom and smiled at Hiyoshi and Rena. She got up from her now-old desk and hugged her friends. "Miss President. Mr. Vice President. Excellent speeches today."
"That's 'ex' miss president, if you don't mind." Rena tapped her with her diploma scroll. "And I have to admit that the #1 student didn't do too bad on her speech, either. Except," Both she and Hiyoshi winced in memory. "With that joke at the end. Oof."
"Oh, come on! That was hilarious."
Hiyoshi put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "You are many things, group leader," he told her solemnly. "But funny isn't necessarily one of them."
"Like that's a big secret." Rena rolled her eyes and ignored Teru's pout. "Whatever. I saw you with Kurosaki and Riko and everybody downstairs earlier. Boss stopped us and told us to bring all our parents and friends to the Flower Garden. What are you doing up here?"
Teru ran a hand along a desk and looked around the room. "I was just saying goodbye, I guess. Everything's going to be so different from now on."
"I'll say." Rena poked her in the side. "Have you gotten to model any of that lingerie Haruka and I got you for your birthday?" She ignored Kiyoshi as he looked at the ceiling and put his hands over his ears. "Is any of it still in one piece? Personally I think Kurosaki looks like a panty-ripper." She pointed a stern finger in Teru's beet red face. "He had to learn early not to rip the pricey stuff, okay?"
"Will you shut up!?" Teru knocked her finger away and fought not to cover her ears like Hiyoshi was still doing. "I already told you that we're not going to do anything until...until graduation," she choked out.
"Which iiiis...today," her best friend pointed out helpfully as she yanked Kiyoshi's hands off of his ears.
Teru put her hand to her stomach and blew out a slow breath. "Which is today."
"What?" Kiyoshi shook his head at both his friend and his girlfriend. "You think he's going to attack her the moment he gets her alone? Get real. Unless…," he looked around the empty classroom then pointed an accusing finger at Teru. "Oh my god! Were you two planning some sort of tryst in the school after the ceremony?"
"Get real." Rena slapped his finger down with a scowl. "She was happy to see us, remember? She would have kicked us out of here in a second. Besides," she ignored Teru as she put her hands over her beet red face. "Kurosaki has keys to every room in the building. He would have picked someplace much better than a classroom."
"What would I pick that's better than a classroom?"
The unexpected question coming from the doorway had Teru and Kiyoshi jumping, but Rena just waved a hand. "I was just saying that you'd pick a better place to mmphh!"
Kurosaki stifled a grin as Kiyoshi put his beloved a headlock with a hand over her mouth.
"Nothing!" Kiyoshi and Teru all but yelled, both red in the face as they both steered a wiggling Rena towards the door.
"I'll see you two at the Flower Garden, alright?" Teru shoved her two best friends out the door. "Good job. Congratulations. Bye bye!"
She closed the classroom door with a sigh and turned just as Kurosaki let fly his contained laughter. She put her hands on her hips and tried to bluff her way out of her embarrassment. "And what's so funny?"
"Those two," he said with an affectionate shake of his head. "We don't ever have to worry about honesty with them, 'cause either Rena will just say it, and damn the consequences, or Kiyoshi's face will give it away."
Teru sniffed without looking him in the eye and walked over to her desk to pick up her diploma. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she said nonchalantly, then squeaked as his arms came around her.
"Uh huh. Sure you don't." Kurosaki nuzzled the top of her head then rested his cheek against her hair. He stayed like that for a moment, trying not to smile as her initial stiffness and nerves gave way to her settling back against him with a sigh. "Did I say congratulations?"
"Yes. And thank you again for the flowers." She smiled as she thought of the dozen red roses and the very public kiss that Kurosaki had surprised her with at the end of the ceremony. "Riko took them with her to the restaurant so she could put them in water right away."
"Mm-hm," was his only response.
She smiled and closed her eyes as he dropped a kiss to her head. "Are you ready to go meet everyone at the restaurant?"
Instead of answering he asked, "Did you have fun at your party?"
Teru laughed and raised a hand to his cheek. "You mean my birthday/graduation/engagement party? Yes. Yes, I did."
"Please." He pressed a kiss to her palm but rolled his eyes. "That was not an engagement party. If it were, some of those gifts would have been for me."
"You mean us," she told him with a poke of her elbows...and tried not to think of the lingerie she'd received from her friends. That was probably intended more for Kurosaki than for her. "But still, everyone's probably at..."
"And all those parties you've attended this week?" He interrupted, referring to the multiple simple gatherings for her friends and the one enormous shindig that Rena's parents had thrown. "You got to tell all of your friends congrats?"
"Yeah. Those were a blast." She turned within his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around him to give him a squeeze. All those engagements had also meant that they hadn't gotten much time alone together.
"Teru." He waited until she looked up. "We're not going to the restaurant."
He smiled at the myriad of expressions that went from quizzical to heated embarrassment.
Endless cascades of scenarios went through her head as to why they would not be joining their friends. "Ah, we, um" she gave a little cough so her voice would stop squeaking. "We're not?"
"You've got a dirty mind," he winked at her, "and I like it. But," he dropped a kiss in the end of her nose. "I still have to give you my graduation gift."
She turned even redder and glanced nervously around the classroom. "Here!?"
The scandalized and nervous question had just enough hope in it to make him close his eyes and remind himself of the plan. "Seriously, Teru. Stop talking to that perv Rena so much." He dragged her close once again and rubbed her back as she laid her cheek against his chest. "We," he told her, "are going on a trip. Just the two of us." he put finger against her lips as she looked up at him. "Alone."
Embarrassment, nerves, and a good dose of fear all tangled with love to form a sticky mess in the pit of her stomach. She fought the urge to hide under the desk and reminded herself of all the times in the past where she'd been willing (if not ready) to pick white over beige panties. Instead, she buried her face against his chest and held him tighter. "When are we leaving?"
Kurosaki let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding. "Right now." He petted her hair. "Riko packed a bag for you and I have it in my car." He felt her tremble, just a little, and nod against his chest. He put a finger under her chin, tipping it up until her eyes met his. "Hey, chill out," he commanded with a quick kiss. "I'm not going to suddenly jump you because you graduated today. Okay?"
She nodded with a slight look of relief, then changed her mind and shook her head in shy, disappointed confusion. "You're not? But you said..."
He shut her up with a kiss, drawing it out sweet and slow until her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was swaying against him. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "You," he whispered. "are killing me. We are going to Nasu," he told her softly, naming a resort town in the highlands that was famous for their hot springs. "We're staying at quiet little inn for the entire week. Just you and me."
He ran a soothing hand over her back as he could all but feel her nerves. "And there," he pressed his lips to her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. "I'll spend a few days wooing," he smiled at her quick giggle. "And seducing," he smiled again, but this time at her quiet gasp, "my new fiancé."
She touched a finger to her engagement ring and sighed as his kisses moved down her neck. "Um, does that mean that I get to seduce you too?"
His arms tightened around her for a brief moment before he took a deep breath in and out and loosened his hold. "And after a few days," he continued, ignoring her question for his own sanity's sake. "When you're more...comfortable," he grazed his teeth along her jaw. "When you're all warm and loose from the hot springs," he bit her earlobe and reveled in the jerk of her body against his. "And from my touch..."
He stood tall once again to look down at Teru, who opened glazed eyes to meet his. "That," he told her, leaning down to whisper against her lips. "Is when I'll jump you."
"Oh." She sighed dazedly. "Okay," then she moaned as he dropped his head those last few centimeters and kissed her in such a way that all thoughts, all nerves and worries just dropped away until there was only Kurosaki.
He groaned a little himself as one of her hands went into his hair, her nails raking against his scalp as their kiss went deeper. "Okay," he gasped, lifting his head suddenly and pulling her into a tight hug as they both tried to catch their breaths. "Okay. Uh," he took another breath as his voice had come out in a wheeze. "Right, so. Trip." Kurosaki deliberately let go of her and stepped back, clearing his throat as he smoothed the front of his suit. He looked at Teru to find her taking deliberate breaths and straightening her uniform. He held out a hand. "You in?"
Teru looked at his hand, then up at him. She took one last breath and put her hand in his. "I'm in."
His grin was quick and infectious so that they just stood there for a moment, smiling goofily at each other before he gave her hand a tug. "Then let's go."
She took one step then shrieked as Kurosaki picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" She laughed as he took a moment to look around the classroom.
He curved a warm hand around her legs. "This is how we met, remember? Well, how you met me, anyway." He adjusted his grip to keep her skirt down as he headed to the door. "I hauled you out of the classroom like a sack of rice then, too."
"You were such a jerk," she cheerfully reminded him, then yelped as he pinched her in a handily accessible spot. They stepped out into the hallway at that moment and several students turned to look at them, so she couldn't retaliate in kind. She patted him lovingly on the back. "I'm so glad you did, Kurosaki."
"Yeah." He stepped outside and headed towards his car with her still on his shoulder. They waved at their friends, who either gave them the thumbs-up or rolled their eyes. "Yeah. Me, too."
