Megumi stretched her arms behind her, sinking back into the bus seat. It was empty and quiet - no one else was on the bus that moonlit night. The rays of the moon danced across her skin, and he caught himself looking at her, and embarrassedly looked away, the events of today replaying in his head.
"There's still time left, you know?"
He turned to look at her again, and stupidly said, "time left...for what?"
Oh, sometimes she still longed to slap him again. "To...you...you know...to kiss. Me." she said the words all in a rush, eyes not meeting his.
He sat motionless for a full second after her words, and then took her hand, and looked earnestly into her eyes. "May I?" he asked. If he was going to be given a second chance, he wanted to do it right.
She nodded. She peeked at him shyly through her lashes, and her eyes fluttered shut as Hashimoto bent over her, hardly believing his good luck.
His lips touched hers hesitantly, like a butterfly brushing over her lips, and then firmer as he grew confident and it deepened. That chaste second kiss, so much different from the first.
What the first kiss had snatched away, this second kiss returned.
Where the first kiss had wounded deeply, this second kiss soothed.
Where the first kiss had left hurt and recriminations, this second kiss left absolutely no doubt to the security and safety between the pair.
Hashimoto broke the kiss and grinned at Megumi. "Me-chan", he said softly. She blushed a deep rosy red but he didn't seem to notice.
He sighed deeply, stroking her cheek. "How are you so calm about all this?!" he asked rhetorically, turning away to look out the window because the aftermath was getting embarrassing.
Her hand shot out and brought his face close to hers. "Why have we missed out on this after so long?" she asked, smiling.
He grinned, shyness gone, and put his arms around her, as the bus sped off through the moonlit night, to home.