Chapter 2

Heya everybody. I'd like to say thanks to S10MC2015, Hellsink Bathall, brownbutter, zeeraray and a guest reviewer for your feedback on the previous chapter. I'm glad that you've enjoyed this story so far and I hope that you continue to like what's coming up :D

Kurisu continued to pout as she glared at Okabe. It wouldn't be the first time that she'd slept on that sofa and it definitely wasn't the first time that she had decided to stay the night at the lab. She'd slept over some nights when Mayuri was also there to work on one of her cosplay projects. It was going to be different this time though because it was just her and Okabe. It was going to be just her and her boyfriend sleeping alone in the lab.

She watched as Okabe headed to the storeroom to get out the futon and sheets for them. Kurisu tried to force her blush back as she went to help him, grabbing a sheet and pillow for herself before placing them on the sofa. She moved the table for her boyfriend before helping him set up the futon.

Looking at the bedding set up made Kurisu realise the next problem. She didn't have her sleepwear and she was going to have to make do with what she was wearing. The chestnut-haired girl preferred her baggy t-shirt but she guessed that her normal shirt would have to do. She did have some spare shirts of the same type that she could change into tomorrow.

It was too hot and the storm was making things very humid. That combined with the lack of air conditioning in the lab meant that Kurisu felt that she had no choice but to sleep in her shirt. She was going to have to sleep under the bedsheet after all, so it would be fine and Okabe wouldn't be able to see anything. It was just too humid and hot to do anything else and she guessed that her boyfriend would be sleeping in the same way.

"I'll get changed in the bathroom and you can get changed in here." Kurisu could feel her face heating up again as she walked over to the bathroom. "No peeking."

Okabe's cheeks turned tomato red. "Ok."

She stepped inside and sighed as she removed her red tie. Her belt was next before she slid her black short-shorts over the curves of her slim hips and down her long slender legs. Kurisu folded them up before pulling her tights over her smooth skin.

Her hands took the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over slim waist and flat stomach before pulling it above her breasts and then head. Kurisu reached around her back to unclip her cobalt blue lacy bra, sliding it off and exposing her modest boobs. She didn't like going to bed in bras because they were uncomfortable and sometimes dug into her as she slept.

The auburn-haired woman slipped her shirt back on and pulled it down to cover herself once again. She glanced at herself and felt her cheeks get even hotter because, as she should have guessed and had completely forgotten, her shirt didn't reach far enough down to hide the blue lacy bottoms of her underwear. It wasn't like Kurisu was in her hotel room or at home where she could get away with wearing a shirt like this like she normally would.

She groaned and pulled at the hem of her shirt, hoping to cover herself a bit better. It only pulled up the back of her shirt and exposed her butt more, leaving her in a predicament. Kurisu wished that she brought her hoodie or lab coat in with her so that she could have at least used them to cover herself.

Rubbing her forehead, she wondered whether she should put her shorts back on and take them off once she was under her covers. Maybe she could just walk in like she was? Okabe was the only person in the lab with her and he was her boyfriend after all. Sooner or later he was going to see her wearing something like this and possibly even less. Déjà vu told her that he'd already seen her with less on in another timeline in this very bathroom, which made the young woman's cheeks flare up to boiling point.

Kurisu grabbed her shorts and slipped them back on, not wanting the embarrassment of Okabe staring at her. He'd probably start teasing her or try something perverted. At the very least her boyfriend would either gawk at her or begin calling her a slutty virgin or something similar again. It wasn't like he could speak though.

A sigh left Kurisu's lips as she picked up her other clothes and stepped back out into the lab. Her cobalt blue eyes fixed onto Okabe and she gulped loudly as she discovered that it was possible for her cheeks to heat up even more than they already were. He was standing there in just a t-shirt and his boxers. Maybe she didn't need her shorts on to get into bed after all.

"W-w-w …" Kurisu stood there as she pointed a shaking finger at her boyfriend. "What are y-you doing?"

Okabe's face was reddening again as he turned to look at her while gulping too. "Waiting to give you a goodnight kiss before I turn the lights off. It's a normal thing that couples do, right?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she realised that she couldn't argue with that logic. Whilst she wouldn't admit to it, she did like the idea of them sharing a kiss before going to bed and acting like a normal couple that didn't live in different countries. Kurisu placed her hand on her forehead and rubbed it again, hoping to hide just how red her face was at that moment.

"F-fine," she sighed once more as she let her hand drop and her gaze fixed onto the floor. Kurisu slowly made her way over to him, avoiding eye contact until she was stood right in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back up and straight at his face.

The couple gulped before tentatively moving their lips closer and Kurisu slowly closed her eyes. This was something normal for a couple and she really didn't like that she felt so embarrassed about it. She felt her lips press up against Okabe's and she held them there for a few moments before pulling back and reopening her eyes.

Her face was still hot and Okabe's cheeks were just as tomato-coloured as they stared awkwardly into one another's eyes. Kurisu shifted her feet, moving her weight from one foot to the other as she bit her lip. She kind of wished that things wouldn't be so uncomfortable but, then again, neither herself or her boyfriend had been in a relationship before and they weren't exactly experts at this kind of thing.

Some form of déjà vu popped up in her mind, prompting her to take a hold of Okabe's shirt and pull him back towards her. "Close your eyes."

He did as he was told, shutting them before Kurisu closed hers. She tilted her head and pressed her lips against her boyfriend's waiting pair. The couple held them there for a few moments before Kurisu pulled back. She changed her angle slightly and pushed forwards for more, locking her lips with Rintaro's.

His left arm slipped around her back as his right hand rested on the back of her head. Kurisu pulled him even closer using the grip that her left hand had on his shirt whilst her right hand glided up so that she could run her fingers through her boyfriend's hair. She did it to make sure that Rintaro's lips remained against hers as she opened her mouth a little wider and deepened the kiss.

Kurisu felt her boyfriend mirroring her actions, adding a little more passion to their display of affection while being gentle at the same time. They held their lips in place for a while longer before the need for air took over and Kurisu cursed her lungs for not having a larger capacity. She pulled back, exhaling out before taking a deep breath and pressing her lips firmly back against Rintaro's.

He locked his lips with hers once more and Kurisu could feel herself beginning to melt away. The gentle yet somehow firm way that Rintaro was kissing her told her all that she needed to know about how he felt. She knew that he loved her even if he didn't always show it. When he kissed her, especially like this, it told her just how important she was to him.

Kurisu wanted to make sure that her actions conveyed her feelings in a similar way because she knew that she definitely struggled to say it with her words. She often got embarrassed and would stumble over them, so she was glad that she could let Rintaro know how she felt in another way. They pulled back again, taking another deep breath before kissing once more. Kurisu didn't want this to end and wished that she could stay like this forever.

A rumble of thunder made her suddenly jump, prompting her boyfriend to tighten his embrace. His arms were strong and held her even closer to him as they continued to kiss. Kurisu tightened her grip on his shirt, not wanting him to let her go. She felt safe in his arms and she knew that he'd not let any harm come to her. It was something that he'd already proven when he'd been injured as he saved her life.

Kurisu took another breath before pressing her lips against her boyfriend's once more. A loud crack of thunder sounded above them but this time she didn't jump because of the sanctuary of their embrace. She continued to focus on Rintaro and his lips that were pressed deeply into her own.

It wasn't fair that they lived in different countries because Kurisu wanted to be kissed like this more often. It wasn't fair that she and her boyfriend couldn't be together like a normal couple. While she would never openly tell Rintaro, she missed him and did want to spend more time with him than she could. The auburn-haired woman wished that she could spend more moments like this with the man she loved where she could have that physical intimacy and not have to be in a long-distance relationship.

The couple continued to kiss over and over, pulling back for air before going for more. Kurisu lost track of how many times they'd done that as they repeated their movements again and again. The breaths that were taken soon weren't enough for them and the need for oxygen was beginning to take over. Kurisu pushed forwards for one last time, deepening the kiss even further as she added more passion and held her lips there for as long as she could.

She gasped for air as she pulled back and reopened her eyes. Okabe was taking deep breaths too as she found herself staring into those hazel orbs opposite her. Kurisu felt her cheeks heating up again as she realised just how carried away that they had gotten.

"I …" She trailed off, trying to think what to say. "Kisses and hugs are a good way of releasing certain hormones in the brain that make a person feel relaxed in …"

Okabe suddenly pressed his lips against hers once more. Kurisu's sapphire eyes opened wide before she closed them and kissed him back. The couple held their lips there for a few more moments before pulling back.

"Remind me to complain to Einstein about the flow of time and for not making that last longer," Rintaro chuckled as Kurisu reopened her eyes.

"I will," Kurisu mumbled as she nodded and awkwardly brushed her hair from her face. "We'll have to rework time so that it makes certain important moments last longer, or something like that."

The couple reluctantly released each other and stepped out of their embrace. Rintaro turned and walked over towards the light switch, which Kurisu took as her cue for her to get into bed. She walked over to the sofa and slipped under the covers that she'd set out. Her hands gripped the hem of her shorts and pulled them down her long smooth legs once again, making sure that the covers kept her lower body out of sight as she did so.

Kurisu placed her black shorts on top of her other clothes before her boyfriend turned the lights out. She lay down on the sofa, bringing her knees up slightly as she curled up a bit due to the lack of room. Her gaze followed Rintaro as he walked over to the futon and climbed under the covers.

"Goodnight." Kurisu spoke quietly as she smiled.

A smile grew on Rintaro's lips as he rolled over and gazed in her direction. "Goodnight."

Kurisu rolled over so that her back was facing him and she heard her boyfriend do the same. It would have been awkward trying to get to sleep if they were facing each other, regardless of whether their eyes were open or not. She probably would have gotten really embarrassed and Okabe might have even called her a pervert or something along those lines knowing him.

Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath and relaxed as best as she could on the small sofa. The rain continued to pound against the window as the stormy wind whipped it around the streets. It seemed even heavier now but Kurisu wondered if that was just her mind playing a trick on her because everything else was silent.

The lab lit up from another flash of lightning and the boom of thunder rattled overhead. It was even louder than before as the centre of the storm approached them. Kurisu pulled her knees against her chest, just like she had when they were watching the movie. She hated that she was scared right now because of that stupid film even when she normally enjoyed watching thunderstorms.

Her mind returned to the memories of her father coming after her with that knife as he tried to steal her work on time travel. They blended with the way too realistic déjà vu of masked men raiding the lab and shooting Mayuri. The thought that something like that could happen again wouldn't leave her mind after that masked man attacked the movie's heroine. It was too close to real life for her to feel comfortable about it.

Another flash was followed by the bellow of thunder, making Kurisu squeak. She pulled her legs even closer to her chest and wrapped herself up in her covers despite the heat. If Okabe had heard that, he'd tease her relentlessly for sure. Although, maybe it wouldn't be so bad because it would take her mind off those thoughts again.

She rolled over so that she was facing her boyfriend once more and reopened her eyes. Rintaro was laying there on the floor with his back to her. There weren't any masked men charging into the lab and there wasn't anyone with a knife coming after her. Kurisu knew it was all in her head and she knew that it was all because of that stupid film.

The lab was lit up by another bolt of lightning and the boom of thunder felt like it was rattling the building, making her jump again. This was all because of Okabe's idiotic idea to watch that slasher flick in the dark, but she couldn't deny that she was scared right now because of how it had played with her mind. Kurisu knew that she would be safe, but there was always that slight possibility that someone could come and kidnap them if they knew about the Phonewave (name subject to change).

If that happened, Rintaro would protect her and she knew it. He had managed to save Mayuri and he had saved her too. Her boyfriend had done countless time leaps and found the right combination to save both of them. Nothing would stop him from protecting her if someone did come for them during the night.

Kurisu felt like she wanted to be back in his strong arms again just like she was when they were kissing. She wanted to kick herself for thinking that but it was only natural because he was her boyfriend, right? Okabe would probably mock her for thinking these thoughts along with her being scared. She'd probably not hear the end of it for several weeks, or maybe even longer, and he'd be infuriating to be around. However, that didn't stop Kurisu from wanting to be back in his arms.

She could just sneak into bed with him. The thought made her gulp because there were so many things that could happen if she did that. How would Okabe react? Would he let her do it? They were a couple, so it should be ok, right?

Another rumble of thunder only fuelled the idea and she wanted to be next to Rintaro. He'd keep her safe and he'd make her feel better. He might tease her for it over the rest of the summer whilst she was in Japan but it would be worth it. Kurisu had put up with his mocking and banter the entire time that she'd known him, so she could put up with him teasing her for this. Then again, maybe Okabe wouldn't say anything because he'd be too embarrassed to do so.

Thunder bellowed out over Akihabara again as the rain lashed against the window particularly hard. Kurisu jumped once more and made up her mind. She took a deep breath and slipped out of her covers, placing her feet on the floor. The chestnut-haired teen made her way over to Rintaro's bed and knelt down next to it.

"D-d-don't s-say anything." She tried to sound forceful but knew that she was anything but that as she lifted up Rintaro's covers and slid under them. Kurisu could feel him tense up as she lay down next to her boyfriend with her back to him. This was better than nothing and, she hoped that this would do if she couldn't be in his arms.

The couple stayed like that, tensed up and uncertain of what to do now that they were in this position. Kurisu could feel her bare legs touching Okabe's as their backs pressed up against one another's. Her cheeks were heating up once again as she realised what she was doing. Why had she done this?

Another flash of lightning lit up the lab and Kurisu knew what was coming next. She jumped again as the thunder clattered overhead, louder than it had been all evening. Her breathing deepened as she tried to calm herself, knowing that all of her fears were in her head and that nothing was wrong.

Rintaro suddenly started moving behind her and she knew what was coming. He was going to relentlessly tease her. He was going to mock her for being scared. She was going to be accused of being a perverted girl genius for getting into bed with him. All of it was better than letting her fear that they might end up in another situation like the one that they had been in when her father attacked them run rampant in her mind.

Kurisu felt his left arm slipping under her as his right arm moved over her. What was he doing? Rintaro linked them together and pulled his girlfriend so that her back was flush against his chest as he embraced her. Kurisu could feel her face heat up even more as she felt his strong arms around her, giving her what she had actually been craving.

Both of them were tense and she could feel that Rintaro felt as awkward about this as she did, but neither of them protested. The thunder seemed even more regular now as another rumble echoed over the streets but Kurisu didn't jump this time. She didn't like that her boyfriend's embrace was making her feel safe but she didn't want to get out of it either. Why did he have to make her feel so conflicted?

Rumble after rumble clattered through the skies but Kurisu didn't feel as scared anymore. She wasn't jumping now as Rintaro kept his arms around her in his embrace. It allowed her to try to settle down and she started taking deep breaths to force back her embarrassment over this whole situation.

Rintaro could be nice and loving at times and Kurisu knew it. He'd shown it on many occasions and she knew that he did care deeply for her. This was just another example of it and this proved that he wasn't always obnoxious. She loved him and she knew it even if she didn't often say it.

Kurisu took another deep breath before she started to roll over. She awkwardly moved onto her back, wriggling in her boyfriend's embrace before turning onto her other side. They were now face to face and Kurisu could just make out Rintaro's expression in the darkness. His cheeks were red and she could feel her face heating up again.

"Thanks," she mumbled quietly as they continued to gaze into one another's eyes. Rintaro's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to him and giving her what she was after.

"Don't mention it," he replied before taking a deep breath. "As I said, I have to make sure my lab members are safe."

Kurisu slid her right arm under her boyfriend's neck and around his shoulders. She wrapped her other arm around Rintaro's back and shifted even closer to him. Their legs began to entangle as Kurisu moved her lips closer towards his. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth in anticipation of what was coming.

The couple's lips met and they held them there for a few moments. The boom of the thunder didn't stop them as they kept the show of affection going, picking up where they left off earlier after their goodnight kiss. Kurisu pulled back slightly before opening her mouth a little wider and pushing forwards for more, deepening the kiss. She was going to let Rintaro know how much she loved him through her actions and let him know how thankful she was for everything that he'd done for her.

Just as I finished writing the first draft of this chapter, I heard a rumble of thunder off in the distance and spotted that a thunderstorm was coming my way. It's a weird coincidence that it came along just as I finished writing this. There was a separate thunderstorm when I finished editing this chapter too.

Hopefully this chapter still remains within the T-rating that this story is currently set to. I don't think that Kurisu undressing and her sharing a bed with Okabe puts it into a higher rating based on my understanding of the rules. However, if you think that this hasn't remained within the T-rating, please let me know and I'll change it up to a M-rating.

It was really fun to write Kurisu and Okabe in this kind of situation, especially with how awkward and embarrassed they are. Neither of them really knows what to do but their love for each other drives them on. Also, being able to express their feelings for one another using their actions makes up for the way that they refuse to verbally express their love for each other.

I could add another chapter to this story, but I think it would push this story into the M-rating. It's not going to contain any MA-rating stuff, but I know that the next chapter will be M-rated if I publish it. Are you wanting to read this chapter or do you want me to keep this story as a T-rating and end it here?

Please can you let me know your thoughts on these things and this chapter as a whole by posting a review? :D