A/N: Here you go! The last chapter of The Ribbon: Untied (at least for now). Had to end it with a bang. ;)

Taking on the Future

Everything in Eijiro's world felt perfectly aligned again. Hana still wanted him. She forgave him for the mistakes he'd made with Orine. She promised to dedicate her time to him. It might have been the happiest day of his life. Or, at least tied for first place with the day she agreed to date him and they had their first kiss, or the morning in his parents' cabin when they shared their bodies for the first time, or maybe the time when he rescued her ribbon and she gave him her selfless love… It occurred to him that he'd had a lot of 'happiest days' with her.

By the time they reached her apartment, their clothes weren't dripping with salt water. Still, they were cold and damp on their skin, and Hana was visibly shivering as she tried to unlock her door.

"Let me help," he offered, taking the key from her trembling hands.

"H-Hurry up," she said through chattering teeth. "It's so cold in the shade!"

He chuckled and opened the door for her. She burst into her apartment and immediately started to strip out of her sundress.

Hana's apartment… The place held bittersweet memories for him. On the one hand, he remembered the last time he was allowed over the threshold. That weekend they shared, tangled up with one another, breathing love with every gasping breath and longing moan. On the other hand, he remembered James standing in the doorway, that smug smile on his face—and all the wicked, cruel paths his imagination had taken after seeing them together. He'd envisioned Hana bent over the counter with James behind her, imagined her sprawled out on the couch underneath him, tortured himself with thoughts of her hands on his chest and hips rocking on his in her bed. His own mind had been his worst enemy, painting detailed pictures of her betraying him until he was tossing and turning at night.

"Eijiro?" she called to him, breaking him from the miserable thoughts. She now stood naked in the kitchen, her wet clothes bundled against her chest. "Don't you want to take a warm shower, too?"

"Yeah," he agreed, then slipped off his soggy shoes. He watched her naked backside as she deposited clothes in the sink and disappeared around the corner to go to the bathroom. A flicker of pleasure lit in his abdomen. He'd truly believed he would never get to see her naked form again. That he would be left with only sweet memories of her skin and shape. He thanked the gods that she still belonged to him.

It took him a while to peel the various layers of clothes off of his body. He heard the shower turn on as he placed his garments in the sink with hers, then took apart his phone to let the pieces dry. He'd heard that placing it in rice would help absorb the moisture. He wasn't sure if it was a myth or not but figured it didn't hurt to try. He pulled a bowl down from her cabinet, filled it with rice, and buried his phone, saying a silent prayer before he abandoned it to let the rice work its magic.

He walked to Hana's bathroom but hesitated at the door. When she asked if he wanted to take a shower too, did she mean with her? She hadn't necessarily invited him inside, but… Were they healed enough from their relationship trauma to be naked with each other again? What if she still needed time to recuperate after that conversation on the beach? Sometimes, Hana needed distance and personal space. He wanted to be respectful of those boundaries if…

"Eijiro…?" she called from inside. "The water's going to get cold if you don't get in here!"

He let out a sigh of relief. That answered his question.

He stepped into the steamy room with her, welcoming the heat that filled the space. Wordlessly, he pulled the curtain aside and joined her. She moved instantly to let him step under the hot water. He let out a sigh of pleasure when the water hit his frigid skin.

"I still hate you for dropping me in the water," she said teasingly. "But there's nothing better than a hot shower after something like that, right?"

He nodded in agreement, then stepped to the side to let her continue washing her hair.

His chest swelled with joy as he watched her. He suddenly remembered the first time they'd showered together. It was an act of courage on her part. She'd joined him and they'd touched each other's naked forms for the first time, sharing their first orgasms at each other's hands. Back then, he was too excited to count it as romantic. But, after they made love, they'd showered together again, washing away the remnants of their morning. He'd held her in the water and remembered thinking, 'I could do this every day for the rest of my life.'

"Eijiro," she gently crooned, "Do you think you could…" she trailed off. "N-Never mind."

He placed his hands on her hips and kissed her shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed, Hana. Tell me what you want."

She released a pleased sound. "Could you… condition my hair for me?"

He smiled warmly, though she couldn't see it. "See? All you had to do was ask." He picked up her conditioner, poured some into his palm, and began to work the substance through her blonde locks. She tilted her head back and sighed in pleasure as his fingertips ran through her hair and teased the skin of her neck and back. He slid them up to massage her scalp, relishing in the sensation of her soft hair flowing over his skin.

"I love when you touch my hair," she whispered.

He knew this all too well. The act was erotic for her, maybe because her quirk was centered on her hair and her feelings were so tied to it. It was difficult to tell since her hair had already been darkened by the water and the light in the shower was diluted, but he thought that purple might be spreading from her roots and down as he touched her.

"Do you want me to wash your body, too?" he asked.

"...Will you?" she asked, failing to hide the anticipation in her voice.

He smirked, then squirted some body wash onto her loofa and set to work erasing the salt and sand from her pores. After a few moments of this, when she was sufficiently sudsy, he decided to ditch the loofa and use his hands instead.

She gave a tiny gasp when his palms slid over her breasts. He purposely rubbed circles over her nipples, feeling the way they hardened in response to his touch. Then, his hands slid down to her parted thighs. He noted that she was holding her breath as he contemplated how far he was going to go here. He finally decided to slide one hand down over her sex. He didn't dip inside or toy with her folds, he simply skimmed across the surface, causing a shudder to ripple through her body.

He drew his soapy hands to her back next, slid them down to squeeze her rear, then boldly used one to clean an orifice he'd never touched before.

"H-Hey!" She squeaked, instinctively pulling away from him. "D-Don't do that!"

"What?" he asked, innocently. "You wanted me to wash your whole body, right?"

"Y-Yeah, but Eijiro, that's—"

"Another beautiful part of my beautiful girlfriend," he cut her off. "I think every piece of you is sexy, Hana. Including this…" He did it again and was pleasantly surprised when she tried to hold back a moan through gritted teeth.

Oh? Well, that's something I'm gonna have to experiment with on another day.

"You're too bold," she said, breathlessly.

"Just doing what you asked me to do, Hana," he teased. He slid his hands down her legs next and even took the time to wash her feet and between her toes. It was the first time he realized she wore nail polish here.

"That's good enough," she said, quietly. "Let me rinse off."

He stood up straight and obeyed, watching as the remaining suds slid down her perfect form. When she was finished, she turned to face him. "What about you, Eijiro? Do you want me to wash you, next?"

He gave an involuntary shudder at the notion. "Please," he said.

He closed his eyes as she worked her hands on him, next. She washed his hair and slid her small fingers along the muscles of his back, chest, and stomach. Her touch was like heaven to him. This was what he'd craved so desperately for all of these endless weeks. Hana's tender, nourishing love…

Her fingers slipped down low until her hands were delicately cradling the most private parts of him. He let out a long, slow breath as she carefully touched and caressed him.

"Eijiro?" she said, quietly. He opened his eyes and looked down at her face—at her big, silver eyes. "Are you…still upset with me?"

He blinked at her. "No, I'm really happy right now."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes reflecting uncertainty.

"Yeah, why?" He reached up and brushed a wet hair away from her cheek.

"Oh… well," she flicked her eyes away from his for a moment. "It's just… Usually, if we're both naked and touching each other like… this…" she tenderly squeezed him, "you would be… you know… harder."

Oh.

He looked down at Hana's hand, gently handling his softened groin. He hadn't even realized he wasn't responding timely to her touches. He'd been somewhere else in his mind, enjoying this relaxing moment together, forgetting much else.

"If you're feeling weird after our talk or you're… not interested…" She slid her hands back up to his chest. "That's okay."

"No, that's not it!" He pulled her tightly against him. "You're so gorgeous to me Hana. And so sexy."

"Then… is it like a problem you have sometimes, or…?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't have a problem with getting it up. Hardening is my specialty."

"Okay, okay! I didn't mean to offend!" She pressed her cheek against his chest and breathed a sigh. "Is it… me?"

"No!" He ran his hand through her hair. "I don't know… Maybe I… still feel like I don't deserve to be with you, Hana."

She looked up at him and studied his expression. "I don't think that's right, Eijiro. I already told you I forgave you. And you seemed kind of… excitable at the beach earlier."

He shrugged, feeling a wound in his pride due to the nature of this conversation.

"Are you sure… it's not because of what I did after the Sports Festival?"

He felt an uncomfortable tremble go through his spine the moment she brought that day up. He hadn't been thinking about that. He hadn't really been thinking about anything except for how nice it was to shower with her, but now that she'd laid it on the table, he felt as though it was some ugly truth that had been drawn up from his subconscious.

"That was the last time we had sex," she said, quietly.

He opened his mouth to assure her that it had nothing to do with it—that if she gave him another few seconds and a good tug, he'd be perfectly ready for anything she wanted to do with him. But for some reason, his mouth suddenly felt dry and the shower suddenly felt stiflingly hot and uncomfortable.

"I really hurt you that day, didn't I?"

It was like something squeezed on his heart, and suddenly the emotions were spilling over. Had he been trying to suppress these feelings and the memory of that day? How did she know? How was she able to suddenly pull the truth out into the open like that? He could feel a tightness in his chest and an itch in his nose as he suddenly resisted the urge to cry.

Unable to communicate with words, he simply closed his eyes and nodded.

"Eijiro…" she cupped his face. "I am so sorry. That won't happen again."

"I didn't expect it to happen then, either," he whispered. He didn't mean to sound accusing, and he hated himself for still having an emotional attachment to that day, after already agreeing to move forward with Hana and leave their mistakes behind them.

"I know you think I was just trying to get it over with as fast as possible and that I wasn't enjoying myself, but… Eijiro, I did want you. Yeah, my head was in the wrong place and I wanted to do it fast, but I genuinely wanted it."

"Yeah, I know…" he frowned. "It's just… It made me really self-conscious. I spent that whole time thinking you were rushing me because you were super turned on by me, so when I found out you wanted to leave… It wasn't good for my self-esteem."

"Eijiro…"

"I don't know," he shrugged again. "I guess I never thought sex could leave me feeling like that. I mean, it's supposed to be great for everyone, right? And when we do it… It feels sacred or something. Sorry, I know that sounds dumb…"

"No, it doesn't." She wrapped her arms around him. "It makes me happy that it means something to you. That it's more than a physical act." She kissed his cheek. "I should have taken more care with you, Eijiro. I'm sorry for hurting you."

He tipped her head back and kissed her. "It's okay, Hana. I forgive you. Just… I don't ever wanna have sex if you're not into it like I am. I want you to be there with me, the whole time, present and excited. If you're not feeling it or you've got something else on your mind, then I'd rather just cuddle or something."

"Because you don't want to feel like I'm not attracted to you?" she guessed.

"Sort of. But also… what's the point of sex with the girl I love if she's not getting off, too? Isn't that the whole idea of 'making love?' I just want to have a good time with you, Hana. Every time."

She looked at him softly, then pressed a long kiss to his lips before trailing her mouth down his neck and shoulders, leaving soft kisses on every inch of skin she traversed. "You're a good man, Eijiro," she whispered.

"I try my best," he humbly replied.

"Will you… let me make it up to you, Eijiro? Can I show you how much I want you… now?" She looked embarrassed, but there was determination in her eyes too.

"I don't know…" He regarded her suspiciously. "Not if you just wanna do it to make things right."

She released a groan of frustration. "I thought guys were supposed to be easy when it comes to this stuff!"

"Hey, men can like sex and be sensitive, you know."

"I know," she sighed. "I just…" She looked up at him with longing in her eyes. "Eijiro… I really, really want you."

"...Do you mean that?" he asked. The words were as sweet as honey to him. He sought further confirmation from her, even though he knew that Hana wasn't the type to pour out words of encouragement.

"Eijiro, look at me." Her face looked flushed, and she was biting her lip as though contemplating something seriously. He saw her lips part, then snap shut, then part again. He noted the way a bright pink color was now weaving through her dark hair. He knew her. She was trying to find the courage to say something, but speaking her feelings had never come easily.

"It's okay, Hana," he said, soothingly. "I believe you. Let's get out of the shower and get in your bed. Trust me, I'll be rock hard for you in no time!" Already, he could feel himself stirring, now that her intentions were clear and his insecurity had been lessened, for the most part.

"No," she said, quickly. "I-I have to say this."

He raised an eyebrow at her, then waited while she fumbled with getting the words out. "C-Close your eyes," she demanded. "Don't look at me while I speak!"

"Okay…?" He chuckled. "It's really not a big deal, Hana. You don't have to make yourself uncomfortable just to fluff my ego. I'm a big boy!"

She suddenly put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so that her lips were near his ear. "You're right," she drawled, her voice amazingly sultry despite her nervousness. All anxiety seemed to evaporate from her words as she spoke. "You are a big boy, Eijiro." This was nearly a purr, and it immediately had the effect she was going for.

"Hana—"

"I'm not done," she snapped. "By the time I'm done telling you how I feel, there won't be any question in your silly boy brain as to whether or not I want you!"

He waited, curiosity now spreading itself through his body and giving life to his hardening need.

"Eijiro Kirishima," she said in a moan. "I want you. Do you have any idea how badly I've wanted you while we've been apart? I kept busy with work, sure, but at night when I was all alone and I knew you were sleeping in your dorm, I stayed up wishing you were with me. And I know you think I wasn't into it that afternoon after the Sports Festival, but I couldn't stop thinking about you for days afterward."

"Really?" he asked, excitement starting to course through him at her change in tone.

"Sh," she commanded. "Do you know that I went to my meeting like that? Still dripping with your cum in my underwear? It's a good thing no one at work knows what purple means, because I was so busy thinking about you that I looked like a grape the rest of the day. Do you know the first thing I did when I got home that night?"

He was still reeling from the fact that Hana used the word 'cum.' His brain was short-circuiting, and he felt his shaft twitch with every word she spoke.

"I touched myself," she informed him. "I didn't even make it my room, Eijiro. Right on my couch, imagining what would have happened if I stayed in your dorm room a little longer."

"H-Hana…"

"Twice," she continued. "I didn't even take a break. I just rolled over and kept fingering myself, remembering how sexy it was to have you slowly thrusting inside of me from behind like that, and the sounds you made when I bit your collarbone, and the feeling of your big, perfect cock spilling inside of me."

"Oh my god…" Eijiro moaned, feeling a violent jerk in his shaft at her crude, forbidden imagery.

"I wanted you," she reiterated. "I still want you. I know you think I'm a lady and I say I'm a lady and I act like I'm not also a horny teenager, but I do think these things, Eijiro. Way more often than you realize. I'm not even going to lie to you… When I asked your dad to pick you up and leave you with me, I hoped we would make up and you would come home with me because it's been so long since I last felt you inside me. And when you were on top of me on the sand, I thought you were so stupidly sexy that I wouldn't even have cared if you pulled down my dress and started licking my nipples right there, in public!"

Another involuntary shudder passed through his body. All insecurity had been violently chucked out the window. Hana's foul language had him thinking of one thing only, now—how many seconds it would take to turn off the shower and carry her to bed. No, forget the bed. He could do it here, now…

"I want you," she said. "You complete me, Eijiro. You make me want to be vulnerable and open. You make me want to succumb to pleasure and forget about being embarrassed so that I can be with you in every possible way because… because you're so sexy to me. So…" she leaned back and grabbed his face, prompting him to open his eyes. The humiliation caused by her own lewd confessions colored her face a bright, cherry red, but her eyes spoke the message she wanted to convey. She had never been good with voicing her feelings. In fact, speaking what was on her mind was an obstacle she had to constantly fight to overcome. But she knew that Eijiro thrived on words of affirmation, so she'd stepped out of her comfort zone and into her own personal hell to deliver everything she'd just told him. This was her way of showing him how serious she was—how he had absolutely nothing to be insecure about.

"Believe me this time when I say this, Eijiro." Her voice was even, her words deliberate. "I want you. I want you. Right. Now."

He had never moved so quickly in his life. As soon as the words left her mouth, he was picking her up and shoving her hard against the shower wall. She tried to gasp but he cut her off by crushing his mouth against hers. He plunged his tongue into her mouth as he pulled her legs up around his hips and angled his fully hardened erection.

"E-Eijir—Oh!"

He let out a moan of bliss with the thrust inside of her. Forget foreplay, forget taking it slow… Hana wanted him—and her extremely erotic way of expressing this had reduced him to complete, raw, lustful instinct.

"Hearing you talk like that was the sexiest fucking thing you've ever done, Hana," he said in the midst of hard, deep thrusts.

"D-Don't get used to it," she breathed out before throwing her head back against the shower wall in pleasure. "I'm never… ah… doing it again."

"Hana…" he snapped his teeth near her ear as he resisted the powerful urge to bite her. "I hope you know, you asked for this."

"Why?" she asked, cheekily. "What are you gonna do to me?"

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk, and then I'm going to fuck you again. I'm going to make sure you have something to fantasize about the next time you're fingering yourself on the couch."

"Eijiro!"

He lifted one of her breasts and ran his tongue harshly over her nipple. She cried out in pleasure, already squirming in his hold. They continued like this for a moment, until he couldn't hold her any longer. He dropped her onto her feet and turned off the water.

She stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, but he didn't let her get that far. He hooked his arms around her and bent her down over the bathroom sink—which was a fantasy of his that he'd never gotten the chance to try—then hoisted one of her thighs up so he could thrust inside of her again from this angle.

"E-Eijiro, you're not giving me a chance to breathe!" She complained, but the protest was less than half-hearted. She communicated her real feelings with every gasp and moan of pleasure, and with the way she rocked her hips back and forth into his motions.

"You're so sexy," he informed her, before gripping her wet hair in his hands and tugging her head roughly back, eliciting a loud and excited moan from her parted lips. "Look at us in the mirror, Hana. Watch me fuck you and see how sexy you are."

"No! I'm not going to look, that's so embarrassing!"

He pulled her hair harder, making her hiss in pleasure. She finally obeyed, her eyes finding themselves in the glass, studying her own expressions of euphoria as he pressed into her again and again. Then, her hazy vision lifted in the mirror to find his eyes. "Why are you grinning?" she pouted.

"Because I'm happy," he answered.

She smiled, and it was somehow simultaneously sexy and adorable.

He paused in his motions for a moment, then reached for a towel behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"Drying your hair," he said. He set to work on the long strands, slowly wringing the dampness from her hair, but not removing his stiffness from inside of her.

"That's mean…" she moaned in complaint.

"Why?" he asked, as he used the towel to dry off as much of her body as he could reach from this position, then dried his own hair, all while keeping perfectly still within her.

"You're teasing me," she whined. She moved her hips, trying to spur him into motion.

"Hey," he warned, slapping a palm against her rear. "You don't get to rush me this time! I'm gonna take as long as I want."

She pouted before burying her face in her arms with a huff.

Finally, he pulled out and hung up the towel. Hana had just barely plopped onto her feet again before he scooped her into his arms once more.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked with a giggle.

She's having fun. She's happy, just like I am. This is perfect. This is everything I wanted.

"To the couch," he said, "because now I can't stop thinking about you touching yourself on it."

She blushed. "You… think that's sexy?" she asked.

"Hana, just the thought of you touching yourself anywhere, ever is wet-dream material for me."

"In that case…" She nuzzled against his neck and dragged her tongue up to his ear. "You should see the stuff I do with the pillows."

She's gonna make me come just by talking to me, I swear.

He deposited her roughly on the couch, then wasted no time before settling his head between her legs.

"Eijiro…"

He basked in the sound of his own name being spoken like a prayer. Then, he pressed a kiss onto her charged clit before sliding his tongue out slowly against it.

Nothing was more arousing than seeing his girlfriend enraptured by pleasure. He was in complete control of her reactions from here, completely attuned to her responses with each flick of the tongue. She bucked and squirmed, already begging him for release even though they'd barely started. It further emphasized the point she'd been trying to make in the shower.

She wants me.

He smirked, then slid a finger into her entrance as he unwound her with his tongue. His mind was barraged with images of her panting on this couch in the dark, her own fingers pressed deep inside of her, swirling the way his was at that moment.

"Oh…" she moaned, the muscles in her thighs tightening and her fingers gripping the couch cushion.

She's going to come.

He curled his finger forward, touching a pleasure point that made her gasp and whimper with the impending climax.

He could tell she was close to her finish by the way she started to buck so frantically that he had to pin her down with one arm to prevent her from grinding up against his open mouth, lest he hurt her with his teeth.

Come for me, Hana, he thought. It's been so long…

She cried out as if in response to the unspoken thought. Suddenly, she was holding her breath, every muscle in her body tightening and then releasing all at once. He could feel the walls of her sex contracting around his finger, drawing him in and filling his mind with memories of that same sensation around his immersed erection. He felt the orgasm squeeze her entire being before rapidly unwinding. He waited until she relaxed the muscles in her back and thighs before extracting his finger. He watched in fascination as her silky fluids clung to his fingers. To his pleasure, her thighs and the cushion beneath her were also thoroughly wet.

He wiped his chin, then sat up to check on her. "You good, Hana?"

She looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes and parted lips. "So good…" she mouthed.

He chuckled in amusement. "You want some water or something?"

"No." She sat up and pushed him backward by the arms. "I want you."

He didn't protest as she slid off the couch and situated herself between his knees. Her hands stroked and teased him as he settled against the soft cushions and released a happy sigh. He held his breath in anticipation as she lowered her head near his need, but then paused.

Oh… She had been planning on returning his favor by orally pleasing him, but must have realized that his member had already been inside of her, had already been coated in the same sweet liquid he still tasted on his tongue.

It made no difference to him. He would be just as happy changing to a different position, but when he tried to move, she gripped his knees and forced him to stay still.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Hana," he said.

"Shut up, Eijiro," she ordered. Then, without another second's pause, she engulfed him with her mouth.

"Fuck! God, that's…" so sexy, he thought. He couldn't even finish the exclamation because she was already sucking him with the motions she knew he liked. She didn't pause, didn't give a single indication that she was bothered by her own flavor as she serviced him. Instead, she ran her tongue all the way from the base of his shaft to the tip for good measure before enveloping him once more.

"Ah… Hana…" He ran his fingers through her hair and tried to control his rapidly panting lungs. "W-Wait! Stop. Don't make me come, yet. I want to… I want to make love to you first."

She slowed down, then removed herself from him and looked up with sparkling eyes.

She's so beautiful… He cupped her face, tenderly. His thumb rubbed softly over her cheek, the bridge of her nose, down to her lips and chin.

"Is that what you want to do now?" she asked, gently. "You want to make love to me, Eijiro?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do."

She stood up and took his hand. She led him into her room like she had on the first day he stepped foot in this apartment. She climbed backward on the bed, her eyes latched onto his as she moved.

It was still daylight outside, and the early afternoon sun made her bedroom feel like something from a fantasy novel. The orange glow and the way it pooled on her bed and poured over her body, making her look like she was dipped in gold… He wished he could preserve this moment forever. The sight of his woman beckoning him, expectantly, her body open and ready to be held, loved, and cherished.

He joined her on the sheets and captured her mouth in a kiss. They shared the lingering sweetness from her sex with their dancing tongues. Then, he entered her again, listening to her euphoric sigh as he was fully sheathed in her once more.

"Mn… I missed this," she moaned. "I missed you, Eijiro."

"I missed you, Hana," he said against her neck. "I'm so happy we're together again."

"Me too," she said, softly. "I'm happy, too."

He smiled, then extracted himself from her again. "Roll over, Hana."

She obeyed, rolling onto her stomach and fluffing her pillow.

He hiked one of her legs up, then positioned himself at her opening from behind. Then, as he did after the sports festival, he teased her by sliding against her folds and clit without pressing inside. Let's try this again. Without work or deadlines to worry about.

"Eijiro…" she moaned.

"Sh," he said, this time taking the role she normally occupied. "I don't want to hear you complain or beg me for more this time, Hana. This time, I get to tease you as much as I want."

"Mn…" She shoved her face into her pillow and didn't protest further.

He taunted her with every stroke, every false entry. He did this until her wriggling body told him she was ready for more. So, he pressed himself inside, but only slightly, then pulled out to slide against her clit again.

He continued this for a few minutes, getting a little deeper with each slow thrust. Hana had already had an orgasm today, but he fully intended to deliver one more by these means, even though the act of depriving her was torture for himself as well.

"Eijiro…" she groaned.

"What was that? Couldn't be complaining, could it?"

She huffed, then shivered as he almost pressed himself fully inside, but stopped just short.

"E-Eijiro, I know I'm not supposed to complain, but… god, you feel so good. Can you please give me more?"

"Nope," he teased. "But you know… you could help me."

"Help you…?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of work to pull out all the time to play with your clit, but if you did that part for me, then I could focus on maybe moving a little faster for you."

"Why are you so embarrassing?" she groaned.

"You're loving every second of this, Hana," he grinned. "I can tell."

She ignored the comment, instead sliding her hand underneath her. Her fingers set to work on her bundle of nerves while he thrust inside.

"Eijiro," she whined. "Please…"

He gave a devious smirk that he knew she couldn't see. Then, he slid his hand out on the back of hers, interlaced their fingers, and held her pinned there as he gave a particularly deep, quick thrust. That was what she wanted. She squeezed his fingers with one hand and quickened her work with the other.

He stopped teasing her, now. His motions turned deep and fast, hips slamming into her with each thrust until she was whimpering with pleasure.

Pace yourself, Eijiro, he coached, but it was easier said than done. He was amazed he'd had the self-composure to make it this far, but he had officially edged himself into oblivion now.

"Hana… Does this feel good?" he asked, his grip on her tightening.

"Yes," she moaned.

"Do you think you can come again?"

"Y-Yeah, I… I think so."

"Good…" He kissed her shoulder as he pounded harder and faster, making her whole body tremble beneath him. "I want to come with you this time. You think we can?"

"I-I don't know…"

"I'm close, Hana…"

"M-Me too. I…" she huffed for breath. "Eijiro, I love you. I love you so much..."

Usually, Eijiro was the one to turn sentimental when emotions were high. To hear his sweet Hana crying out these words while he brought her pleasure was an unspeakable gift. The declaration alone was almost enough to send him into a climax, but he held on for her, desperate to feel her walls contracting around him. "Hana," he breathed. "Come for me. Let me feel you."

It was enough.

Her fingers worked for only a moment longer in time with his thrusts. Then, she squeezed his hand so tightly that he sort of wished his quirk was activated, and her core started to contract, making her feel even tighter than she already was.

He raced to meet her at the finish. It didn't take long. Two more deep insertions and the sound of her crying out his name in the midst of her orgasm sent him over. He wrapped both arms tightly around her and pulled her into every pulse, every throb of his shaft inside of her. The timing made it feel as though she wanted every pump of his essence, as if her body needed it.

It was a wild haze. An explosion of blinding pleasure and overwhelming love.

Then, at last, it was done.

He pulled away and rolled onto his back to catch his breath. They were still for several long moments as they came down from the intense high. Finally, he moved onto his side and ran his fingers lovingly along her thighs, stomach, breasts…

"Kinuhana…" he breathed. She opened her eyes to look at him. The silver irises were sleepy but warm, and there was a tender smile on her cheeks. "I told you this already, but… you're everything to me," he said, the passion welling in his chest as a flood of emotions breached his heart. "I mean it. I want to stay with you forever. I want to love you, and make love to you, and live life with you. I want to fight, and laugh, and cry, and love with you. I want to build a home and a family with you by my side. I think about it all the time… The life I want when I get out of school. It's a life with you."

"Hm…" she said. She blinked lazily at him as she considered his words. She stroked his bare side with dragging fingertips. "That sounded suspiciously like a marriage proposal, high-schooler."

He looked at her seriously. He watched the way the sunlight shone on her slowly fading hair, which was shifting from purple to blonde, glowing as if it too radiated sunlight.

"Maybe it was," he murmured.

He wouldn't mind living every day like this. Or, at least having these moments to return to as long as he lived.

"Sh." She pressed a finger to his lips. "If you're going to propose to me, you're going to do it the right way and at the right time, understand?"

He smiled. "I understand."

"And when you do…" she dropped her finger, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "You know what my answer will be."

Joy swelled inside of him. He pulled her into an embrace and breathed in her scent as time ticked carelessly around them. There was no rush, no concern about approaching meetings or curfews. Their focus was only on each other, the way Eijiro wanted it to be. In these gentle, blissful moments, he wanted them to be the only people caught in time, perfectly immersed in one another. It was hard to believe he'd almost lost this. Their talk at the beach felt like it had happened a hundred years ago, or not at all. In fact, it felt like they had picked up where they left off on Hana's graduation weekend.

They held each other until their worn bodies fell asleep, then woke to share even more intimacy with one another. They shared their bodies, laughter, warmth, and joy throughout the rest of the day, making use of every minute they had now, as if to make up for the lost time they'd spent, drifting away from one another.

It was hard to believe they'd almost lost sight of this love they'd crafted together. In the end, they'd each come to realize that it was the effort they'd put in that mattered—it was all the moments they held dear that withstood the tests of time and distance. And now, they had the tools to keep them tied to one another the next time a challenge arose, whether that be in the form of hectic schedules or romantic competition… They knew they could take on the future together, now.

And Eijiro was ready to take on the future.

A/N: And that's the end of their awkward/cute/sexy(?) adventure. Thank you to everyone who read along, liked, and reviewed. It means so much to me that some people got enjoyment from this random little OC tale of mine. :) Special shout out to Samuel Okine and EmikoBankotsu for reviewing on damn near every chapter. XD Your support greatly encouraged me to keep going!

I hope to see everyone again in the future!