Shrugging off the random boy who had swung an arm around him, Sousuke caught the distinct scent of cheap beer and wrinkled his nose. Not that he had any right to judge. He had one or two cups himself of whatever it was that someone concocted in the punch bowl. But at least he wasn't drunk. No, he had enough self-restraint for that.

It was a party, hosted by an old friend and senior of his from Tokitsu before he transferred to Samezuka Academy that year, but Sousuke barely knew anyone there. This was not a place he wanted to get drunk.

The boy pushed his way through the crowd to go upstairs, maybe find a room he can rest in away from everyone. He tried a couple of doors—one locked and the other, very unfortunately for the couple within, not locked—before stumbling into one seemingly empty room.

'Seemingly' because he almost didn't notice the lone girl lying on the bed in the middle of the room. She turned her head to Sousuke upon his entry.

"S-sorry," he heard himself mutter and then exasperatedly, "I thought it was empty." He made to leave but another voice stopped him.

"No, it's okay. You can stay."

Sousuke looked at her.

The girl smiled—a little too calmly for someone who looked like they weren't about to get up anytime soon (couldn't or wouldn't?), in his opinion. She was spread-eagled across the sheets, only the lower half of her legs hanging off the bed. Sousuke wondered if she was drunk or high or something.

"I don't bite, stranger." She giggled. "And I doubt you'll have much luck with the other rooms either."

Sousuke didn't move further into the room but didn't exit it either. He just stood there, a foot away from the open doorway where music from downstairs streamed through. "It's a big house. I doubt there are people screwing in every room."

The girl let out a real laugh at that which led him to believe she may have had a similar encounter to his. "Probably. But I heard someone puking their brains out in the next room so I thought I'd save you the trouble." She turned her head to the ceiling once again.

Sousuke spent another moment to ponder it before closing the door behind him and taking measured steps towards the bed. "What did you say about biting again?"

He could hear the smirk in her voice. "I don't—unless you're into that."

In the dim light, he noted the long brown hair splayed out around the girl's head as if she hadn't bothered to lay herself down properly. The rest of her was attractive too, he'd admit. He leaned against the bed post at one corner, looking down at her.

"You really should be more careful about being so inviting. Other guys might take advantage of that."

"Other guys," she echoed, lips pursing. "Not including yourself?"

"I'm a gentleman."

She laughed again, showing how her nose crinkled now that he had a closer view. The sound made Sousuke smile though he had no idea why he was flirting—could it even be called that? It wasn't like he was trying to get laid but he couldn't resist a little banter with the pretty girl.

"Well, respectable stranger, what has you seeking solitude?" Her arms shifted, the first movement from any other part of her body aside from her head. She rested her hands on her stomach, one on top of the other, and Sousuke's eyes followed.

Sousuke shrugged, gaze returning to the grinning face. "Not interested in partying, I suppose."

"Then why come to it in the first place?"

"Kijimata-san used to be my senior. I thought it'd be polite."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Third year in high school?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Eighteen, third year."

"Ah." The silence only lasted five seconds and wasn't necessarily uncomfortable but Sousuke realized quickly that he wanted to revive the conversation. "So how come you're by yourself?"

A pause. "Who said I am?"

Cerulean eyes wide, Sousuke whirled around in panic. Shit, d-did he miss someone?

A snort answered the mental question for him. Sousuke turned to see the girl on her side, clutching her stomach as she laughed wholeheartedly. The skin at the edges of her eyes wrinkled too. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Nicely played." While he waited for her to stop, he seated himself on one the side of the bed, perpendicular to the girl.

Nevertheless, he scanned the room more carefully this time. The walls were mostly bare and so was the desk and chair pushed up against one wall. They were in a guest room, he surmised. And definitely alone.

"I'm here because I got tired of the party too."

Sousuke turned his gaze to see the brunette still on her side, her head tilted upwards and dark eyes looking up at him through long lashes. He hummed in acknowledgement and rested his weight on his hands pressed into the space behind him.

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Especially after someone spilled their drink all over my shirt." Immediately, his eyes shot to the fitting striped shirt she wore, naturally looking for the stain. "I tried washing it out so I'm letting it dry now."

Embarrassingly, the boy realized he had been staring at her chest area and quickly tore his eyes away. If she noticed, she didn't let on. Sousuke hummed again. It took another few seconds for him to decide to slide his arms out of his jacket.

"It'll dry faster if you set it aside properly. Here, wear this," he said, holding out the black and white fabric. He had a dark blue shirt on underneath it so he didn't mind.

The brunette sat up, looking between the jacket and the person offering it. He came to realize that her eyes were not just dark, but seemingly obsidian in colour. Those and the dark brown of her hair contrasted her porcelain skin.

A hint of self-consciousness seeped into his mind but Sousuke refused to let it show outwardly. "Well?"

"I'm trying to figure out if this is your way of getting me to take off my shirt. It's all downhill from there."

This time, Sousuke was the one amused and he let out a sound like something between a scoff and a laugh. "I promise I won't peek," he cooed.

The girl didn't bother restraining her smile, looking as if she wouldn't mind if he did peek. He didn't miss how her eyes flitted over his form either. "Thanks," she finally said, taking the jacket from him. Her fingers brushed over his wrist, lingering there longer than necessary.

Maybe the attraction was mutual.

She told him to turn around and he did, his back to her. All that happened only registered through his other senses and he couldn't stop his brain from registering it. Sousuke felt a weight lift off the bed which meant she stood. The sound of shuffling indicated she was removing her wet shirt and putting on his jacket.

It was all very quick but Sousuke felt like she took her sweet time, teasing him, the minx. His heart thrummed in his chest—whose wouldn't if a girl was stripping behind them? But, ever the gentleman he claimed to be, he never tried to steal a glance at her.

"Okay."

The voice startled him more than Sousuke would care to admit. The boy righted the upper half of his body. His breath caught slightly in his throat.

His jacket was big on the girl, only her fingers peeking out from the sleeves. By his estimation, she was neither short nor tall but he was well aware of his own height to realize that he would tower over her if he stood up too. It was an enticing sight—even more so because she didn't pull the zipper all the way up. He could see an inch or two of skin below her collarbone. Something told him she did that on purpose.

To her credit, she behaved as casually as person could as she looked at the spot where she used to lay just earlier. Sousuke followed her gaze. There was a wet spot on the comforter, the size of the brunette's back. "Whoops," she muttered to herself before moving to sit next to Sousuke, directly on his left.

Closer than necessary. Her hands were on her lap which was clad in fitting blue denim. But if she were to put those hands by her sides on the bed, she would be touching Sousuke's left hand.

Yes, she definitely knew what she was doing. The boy had to refrain from smirking at that thought.

"You can return it before either of us leaves." He gave himself credit for sounding nonchalant too. "When are you leaving?"

The girl looked at him then, moving all of her wavy hair over her left shoulder. "I came with a friend but I think I'll be calling a cab whenever. So I guess you have me all night long." She playfully bumped the other's shoulder with her own, smiling too coyly for someone who had been pretty forward so far.

Before Sousuke could work up a reply, she let herself fall on her back on the mattress, bouncing minimally with a huff. Her hands were on her stomach again but as blue orbs followed, they saw a bit of skin there as the jacket had bunched up slightly around her waist.

"Lucky me," he heard his voice say. Realizing his words, Sousuke glanced at the girl's face. There was a pink tint to her cheeks he was sure wasn't there before.

"What about you, stranger? Need to rush home by midnight or anything like that?"

"My clothes aren't going to disappear soon, if that's what you're hoping for."

"What a shame."

Sousuke laughed, a good one this time. The brunette joined him. When they stopped, he gave a real answer, "No, I've got all the time in the world."

He saw her lips stretch into a smile, a shade of soft pink. "Lucky me," she said.

Trying not to think too much about his own actions, the boy leaned backwards until he was lying on the bed too. He didn't look at the person beside him.

"How's the jacket?"

It was something he was given when he joined the swim team at his new school. It was black with a single white strip running from the collar and down the outside of both arms, black arrowhead-like patterns along it. Red lined the white as well as the zipper and the sleeves cuffed at the wrists. The school logo was printed over the left side of the chest.

Sousuke had grown to like the piece of clothing, even wearing it outside of swim meets. Evidently.

The girl—whom, he realized, he still didn't know the name of—lifted the collar higher up over her face and inhaled once, letting her chest rise and fall exaggeratedly. She turned to her head to look at him. "Smells like you."

He scoffed. "You know what I smell like?" he mused, smirking.

Then she was leaning in, shifting onto her side, with one hand braced on his left shoulder and he thanked whoever was watching over them that it wasn't his injured shoulder. Because he really didn't want to have to push her off. Because her face was near the juncture between his jaw and neck now. Because when she breathed, Sousuke could feel the hot air fanning across his bare skin.

"Do you swim a lot? You smell like chlorine. So does your jacket."

"Is that all?" How Sousuke remained coherent surprised even him.

The increased pressure on his shoulder made Sousuke turn his head too. His heart jumped. He knew she had to be close for him to feel her breath but thought she would've moved away after. But no, the girl had rested her chin on the hand on his shoulder. So now their faces were inches apart and the fact that she appeared unfazed meant she intended this.

Her cheeks were still lightly flushed though as she stared straight into his bright blue eyes with her own black ones. "A girl can only gather so much in one sniff." Her thumb ran circles around the edge of his broad shoulders.

Sousuke didn't know whether he was thankful for the thin fabric separating her from skin-to-skin contact. In any case, for the life of him, he couldn't tear his gaze away. This close, he could see where her dilated pupils ended and her irises began, only a shade lighter than true black. Onyx—that was a nicer adjective. The same way some people had described his eyes as cerulean rather than just plain ol' blue.

"What's stopping you?" He swallowed. Could she feel how his hard his heart was beating?

The brunette licked her lips. "My lack of that particular fetish."

Sousuke snorted a laugh. Despite the obvious anti-climax, he was laughing. The good kind, too—the kind that made him throw his head back and his shoulders shake. Through it, he could hear the girl giggling next to him too. Her nose had crinkled again. Must be a quirk of hers.

As his chuckles subsided, he shook his head at her. "Okay, you're fun."

The brunette shrugged, rolling onto her stomach and hoisted herself up by her elbows so she could look down at him. "Not too bad yourself. Most guys don't take too kindly to my sense of humour," she admitted, grinning with new warmth.

"Yeah, you definitely took a risk there."

"I see it as more of a test. The ones who don't laugh aren't worth it."

Sousuke quirked an eyebrow. "So I'm worth it?"

The girl half-suppressed her smile. "It would appear so."

"Lucky me."

She had been resting herself on her forearms but now she moved to loom over Sousuke more. "You said that already." She was giggling when she put a hand on his chest. Some of her hair had fallen over her ear, framing her face prettily.

The boy hummed, sure now that she could feel his heartbeat—though he could play that off to the previous banter. "I mean it," he said coolly.

"All jokes aside?" She was practically on top of him now.

"All jokes aside."

She smiled. "Good." Then she kissed him.

Sousuke's response was immediate, kissing back eagerly—really, it was a long time coming—and placing a hand at the back of her head to pull her closer. She parted her lips to allow his tongue entry and he could taste that horrible punch from the kitchen downstairs. He bet he tasted the same.

But beneath that—oh, she tasted great. Like fresh cherries you could only get by the countryside, the ones you pick right off the plant.

Okay, maybe his mind was romanticising it a bit but still.

By the time Sousuke was groaning into the kiss, she had moved her knees onto either side of his legs to straddle him. She swallowed every noise he made, letting out some of her own too. One of her hands was still splayed on his chest, supporting her weight, while the other grazed the hairs at the top of his neck.

His own hands were now on her sides, caressing it through his much larger jacket.

Yes, they definitely took too long because by the way things escalated so quickly, it felt like they were trying to make up for time lost on teasing. Not that he minded.

The door creaked open and then slammed shut. The pair had jolted apart in surprise, both looking at the source of the interruption. "There's a lock for a reason, damn it!" someone yelled from the other side.

He could feel the shuddering exhale the girl atop him let out. Sousuke laughed a little too. When she faced him again, he leaned up to kiss her again. He only managed to brush over her lips though because she pulled back, not getting off him but staying just out of reach. The hand around his neck went to place a finger on his lips.

She was grinning and there was a warm colour across her cheeks. "Maybe he has a point," she said, voice barely above a whisper. Only then did he realize how heavy their breathing was.

"About what?" Sousuke kissed her finger and then mouthed at it lightly.

She hummed appreciatively. "About locking the door. I'd rather we not get interrupted again, you know?"

He did know. Capturing her lips in his suddenly, he rolled them over so the girl lay beneath him. As he pulled apart to stand, she seemed to try and follow him but he put pressure on her shoulders so she couldn't. "Take off your clothes." It was the most direct thing either of them had said that night.

Sousuke went to lock the door. He thought he was moving pretty fast but by the time he turned around, she was zipping up the jacket again but now over a bare body. She gave him a sultry look when she noticed his staring. "Thought you might want to take it off yourself. Like what you see?" she teased. She swayed slowly, showing off how the hem of the black fabric only reached the top of her thighs, leaving plenty to the imagination.

"Very much so," the boy answered honestly as he quickly closed the gap between them again, confirming his suspicions about their height difference.

"Then it's only fair—" She cut herself off to lift Sousuke's shirt over his head and then steal a kiss hungrier than the ones before. Pulling him by the belt still looped around his waist, she pressed them closer together to guide them towards the bed.

She was about to sit on the edge when the taller male forced himself to pull away. "W-wait," he started before groaning because he felt delicate hands trace the ridges of his abdomen. "Will I see you tomorrow? After this."

The girl stopped abruptly, black eyes widened slightly. "Uhm..."

"That sounds like a no."

"I-I don't want to lead you on or anything." She shook her head slowly, looking away.

Sousuke cupped her face in his hands, wanting to laugh but he didn't. "I'm not looking for a relationship either so relax. I just don't want a broken heart on my conscience." He smirked.

She relaxed visibly, her smaller hands going over his, trailing across his muscled arms, then resting on his chest. "Glad we agree," she murmured, finally raising her gaze to look him in the eyes again. "The morning after always ruins a perfect night. And you," she paused to place a kiss on his collarbone, "are perfect right now."

"Not too bad yourself," he replied. As much as he would like to get back in the swing of things, he forced out, "One more thing—how drunk are you?"

This earned a less panicked response and she smiled against the side of his neck. Sousuke wrapped his arms around her waist, helping her to reach higher, to press against him tighter.

"Only enough to be emboldened. Not enough to regret it later."

They moved towards the bed again.

"And you?"

"Not even a little."

The girl lay across the mattress and Sousuke took her hands in his, lacing their fingers together so he could stretch her arms out like how he first found her.

"What's your name?"

He kissed the edge of her jaw. "Does it matter?"

"Only if you want to hear me moan it."

The boy groaned low in his throat. Minx, he thought to himself. "Sousuke," he told her, figuring that'll make it harder for her to track him down—just in case she was crazier than she seemed.

"Sousuke," she drawled before giggling. "I'm Akane. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sousuke."

That was twice she had said his name, he noted. He was thankful to finally put a name to her gorgeous face though so he played along as he pressed their foreheads together. "The pleasure's all mine, Akane." His hands moved to her shoulders, tracing over the collar of the jacket he lent.

"I sure hope not."

Sousuke laughed.