WARMTH

Echizen felt his eyes heavy as opening them, feeling the sunlight over him. But, as soon as he remembered the events of last night, he got up in a jump, looking to his futon and around his room, his heart racing.

Nothing. No one there. No vestiges that something had happened. Sakuno's drenched clothes were no longer by his futon – that was dry and clean –as he was also wearing a yukata, with the obi properly tied. He put a hand on his face, pushing away his dark bangs, confused. Was that only a dream? A wet dream! Was he a pervert now?!

He put a head outside his room and looked around the silent hallway. He needed to see Sakuno and make sure she was okay. He ran around the house until finding her on the kitchen.

- Echizen-kun, good morning! – she smiled at seeing him, next to the wood stove. – I'm preparing onigiri for breakfast, what do you think?

- Hm. – he couldn't find words. Everything seemed so normal! And she was talking to him as polite as ever. What happened to "Ryoma" whispered in such sensual tone? She looked at him with the little rice balls on her hands and he couldn't avoid to remember her moans and the way she moved as their bodies were joined together. And he looked away, his face burning in embarrassment.

- What happened? – coming close, he was unable to not stare at her lips. – Is there something on my face?

- No! – he looked away. – There's nothing.

She smiled again and started to hum a song while finishing preparing food. He observed her and wondered why he had such memories on his mind. Everything seemed so real!

- Here. – she sat a plate with onigiris in front of him. – Enjoy!

- Hm. Thank you.

He ate silently looking to his plate for some clue of really happened. And he felt terrible for having such thoughts while she innocently treated him so gentle, as always. "So that's adolescence, hum?" he told himself, wanting that awkward feeling could go away soon.

####

Nanjirouh's hand put some maple leaves away from his wife's gravestone and smiled as seeing the characters of her name.

- Rinko, I'm sorry. It's been a while.

A calm wind blew moving his scarf and he crouch down.

- I think you will be upset with me, but… Ryoma is not living at home anymore.

He stood in silent for a while. On the last years he would always have those one side conversations with his late wife. It was a way of making her absence more tolerable.

- He didn't get married or anything. He just wanted to be alone for some time before going to the dojo Shuichirou used to train He went to our house in Shizuoka. Do you remember the time we spent there, after our honeymoon? – he smiled widely. – If those walls could talk! Isn't it great, Rinko? Our son wants to be a samurai. Just like your father.

His smile faded and he took a deep breath, before continuing.

- The house is terribly empty now. Much more than before. Even with him being so quiet, it was comforting to have someone at home. I really wanted to visit him, but he wrote me twice since he left and he never talked about having me over. So I will wait patiently until he wishes to see me. I hope he wants to spend his birthday back at Kyoto at least.

Echizen's voice was starting to tremble and his head was down.

- I really miss him, Rinko. I know you would probably say its nonsense and would never let him go. Sometimes I regret it, but I have to keep reminding myself he is not a little boy anymore. And he needs to find his own purpose in life.

Standing up, he took a little sake bottle from his hakama and poured on her grave. Watching the clear liquid running down the dark stone, he smiled again.

- I will come again as soon as possible. And I will bring you some higanbana before winter starts.

#####

Two weeks had passed by slowly. The days were colder and longer. Nothing had changed in their lives together on that old house that already felt like home. Ryoma's days were filled with training and reading, pleasantly interrupted by Sakuno's presence and smiles. She seemed genuinely happy lately and they never talked about her desperate cries on the stormy night as Tezuka's name was not spoken as well. She still had hopes of teaching him how to cook properly and at least, once a week, he would try to make a dish, but still without much success. But she never showed anything but gentleness to him and appreciates his efforts.

Living with her was easy. Even silent moments by her side were good enough. She discovered an unshu-mikan tree on the back garden and it started to bear fruit. And, once, as he would observe her eating the Japanese mandarin orange he felt embarrassed by watching her beautiful lips and remembering his strange dream.

It was already very late. They had udon for dinner – he helped her with the vegetables – and discuss some literature before saying goodnight and parting to their rooms. So it was expected that he was extremely surprise as realizing he was pressing his katana's scabbard on Sakuno's neck, after pushing her to the ground as mistaken her with a intruder that sneak into his room, between almost complete darkness.

- Ryuzaki-san! - he put the sword down and distance himself, worried. – What are you doing here?!

- I'm sorry I scared you. – her voice was shy and her eyes low. – But… I cant sleep.

- Why?

- My body is aching. – she got close and put a warm palm on his face and the golden eyes looked at her amazed. – Will you help me again?

It was the fist time she saw him looking upset, a deep frown on his beautiful face as he moved away.

- Why did you act like nothing had happened?! I thought I was a pervert having bad dreams!

Although he looked a little scary, she couldn't hold a short giggle on hearing such strange complaint.

- You didn't say anything too! During all of it. I just thought... you didn't like it.

- Of course I did! – she was surprise with such sincere response and Ryoma soon looked down, a deep red shade crossing his cheeks. – But why? With me?

- Because the body remembers. – she got close one more time, slowly. – It's like when you practice with your katana. After so much time your body needs to train in a regular basis. It instinctively knows how hold a sword properly and how to defend yourself. Sex is the same. The body asks for it. It just remembers.

- Do you want to… do it again? – he asked shyly and she responded kissing him lightly.

- I can teach you about it. It was your first time, right? – she caressed his face that was again flushed. – When you find someone you really like, you can embrace her properly, make her feel good. And… - her lips touched his neck and she felt the tension on his tendon. – You can help me too. With this tainted body of mine.

Ryoma made her lie down in a gentle but serious movement that surprised her. He was on top and his golden eyes were staring confidently to the red ones.

- There's nothing wrong with you. – she smiled at his sentence and her hand touched his short silky hair. - You will teach me. And I will make you feel good too.

That kiss was initiated by him. He was hesitant at first. Sakuno nibbled his lips and he moaned with that single action, feeling her smiling again while their mouths were together.

His hands were light as he opened her clothes and he stared at her body, amazed by her nakedness. The roundness of her breasts, the little belly button and the smooth curve of her hips. He wanted to taste everything but he didn't know where to start. Sensing his hesitation, Sakuno held him by the shoulders and kissed him again, deeply, trying to make him relax. And when he started to explore her body, she was happy it worked. He moved his kisses to her chin and neck before kissing the space between her breasts. Ryoma suck her nipple and a timid thumb touched the other one and he noticed her breathing getting a little faster. He licked the skin over her ribs and kissed her abdomen down to her hipbones, before touching her moist entrance, making her shudder. The boy stopped, looking at her worried:

- Are you all right?

- Yes. – she closed her eyes and whispered. – Don't stop.

How could she be so erotic with such simple gestures?! He felt like he would explode when seeing her throat and the motion of swallowing hard as his tongue touched her insides. It was wet, hot and real. Sakuno grabbed the sheets as he continued to explore with his mouth. It has been a while since her body was spoiled like that. She was always the one offering pleasure, wanting to please. Making Tezuka moan while having sex had always made her proud. Ryuzaki felt her eyes wet as remembering him at the same time the teenager's tongue touched her most sensitive spot and she had to search for air while his lips swept over her clitoris.

- Echi..zen-kun!

- Ryoma. – he distanced himself and licked his fingers to her sight. – Call me Ryoma.

There was a different sparkle on his golden eyes and Sakuno wanted him close.

- Come here. – she undressed him while kissing in a hurry desperation and she thought it was beautiful the way the cloth of his yukata slide from his narrow shoulders. He was already hard and alert, rising proudly between his legs.

Her tights were wrapped around his torso, bringing him close and he got inside her easily, making her back arch. The feeling of her hot walls welcoming and compressing gave the boy an indiscernible trill. Ryoma felt a sweat drop running down his back from that single movement and he wanted to remember how to breathe again, when Sakuno kindly touched his face.

- You can move. It's okay.

How people can live not doing that at very second of their lives, he wondered as rocking against her body. The night was cold and windy but he was boiling inside.

There was no hesitation anymore. She was there, under him, for real. Flesh on flesh, their sweaty bodies together. He wanted to hear more of her sighs filled with pleasure.

His hands were holding her hips and he put every strength he had on his legs, wanting to enter her even more. Like understanding his silent desires, her knees stopped on his ribcage giving Ryoma even more depth as they kissed one more time, her opened mouth on a silent scream against his. The boy was good. But he was still young and inexperienced and eagerness hit him faster than she wished for. Sakuno was almost climaxing when his entire body shook and she could feel the throbbing on her insides.

####

Ryoma knew little about sex. He remembered blushing over the first steamy scenes he found on his books by accident before choosing to face them as the natural human act they were. But as he opened his eyes in a tired way and looked at the ceiling, he was sure sex was a powerful tool to make time stop. It seemed like forever he was there, lying naked under the blanket, feeling extremely exhausted as a tingling sensation spread on his entire body.

- Welcome back. – Sakuno said in a sweet tone, sitting by his side, entangling the edges of her hair, already dressed.

- Hm. – he sat down and looked at her, not knowing exactly what people should talk about after what they did.

- Well, I'm going to sleep. – putting his bangs aside, she kissed his forehead, before standing up and smiling. It's already very late. Go to sleep too, so you can have a nice practice tomorrow morning.

- All right.

- Good night, Ryoma. – stopping at his door, Sakuno looked at him one more time with tender eyes before leaving.

He laid down again and look at the ceiling. Rising up his left hand, that had only held books and his sword up to now; he noticed how different it was already. He had never thought about girls or relationships but he liked the feeling of the reminiscent warmth of hers between his fingers.