Burning The Midnight Oil

by Ni'Rala vas Qwib Qwib

One small case of good intentions can bring forth spectacular change, or unmitigated disaster. Or both, in their case. But if things don't all come crashing down, the night might just belong to them. FutaroXNino. Rated for smut/erotica. (Arcs 1, 2 complete, arc 3 ongoing)

36. Boundaries

Burning The Midnight Oil

Chapter 36

Boundaries

~Nino~

Papa's rules are absolute. He says no funny business in the house, the house shall be free from anything lewder than hand-holding. He says the door stays open with Fuu inside, she kept the air flowing free. Perhaps there was some leeway if she read between the lines. But Nino wasn't going to risk her hard-won in-house boyfriend privileges over a loose interpretation. She twisted her father's words before and she knew he wouldn't be lenient on her again. He was watching, even if he wasn't there.

But he said nothing regarding their old home. Good thing the lease wasn't up yet.

Nino wondered if Futaro knew what she had in mind. She thought she made her intentions obvious last night, but sometimes he was thick as a bank vault door. But she considered herself an expert thief slowly breaking through to the treasure inside. Day by day he got her messages a little clearer than before. And she knew firsthand how easy he was to trigger with a few kisses. She wondered if all guys were so easy. Well even if they weren't, she only had to master one.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor of her building with Futaro walking behind. She glanced over her shoulder hoping to catch him looking somewhere scandalous. She liked making a game of things, feeling a thrill catching him when his eyes were aimed lower than propriety demanded. Walking up stairs in a skirt was a risky game for a girl, but they came straight from school without time to change, save only her ribbons and the earrings he gifted her. She called them her girlfriend earrings. Just a few trinkets that made her feel herself.

She unlocked the door and opened it with a flourish worthy of stage, "Welcome to house Nakano, home of one as of today. With room for one lucky guest."

Futaro raised his hand comically, "Is it me?"

"Only if you pay the price of admission."

Futaro's hand idly checked his wallet. He asked, "Er, what kind of price?"

"Doofus, what kind do you think?" Nino puckered her lips and waited with closed eyes. Futaro must have gotten the message because he kissed her after several irritating seconds. Nino beamed, "Payment received and rejected."

"Oh, was I wrong?"

"No, try running it again."

Futaro grinned wickedly, "Very well," then he grabbed her and kissed her with a passion Nino was saving for later. She was so distracted by his powerful kiss that she didn't notice him twisting them until he was facing inside. He let go and walked into the entrance, saying, "I don't like rejection from you."

Nino shook herself to recover and grinned, "When did you get so tricky?"

"Tricky is just another word for clever, and I love being-"

"-The smartest guy in the room. Yeah yeah, I've heard it before."

Futaro pouted, did he know how cute he looked doing that? "You can let me have it, at least."

"Well, big-brain boyfriend, you can use that cleverness to figure out the most efficient way to pack my suitcases."

Futaro grinned, excited for the challenge. Or perhaps it was for something else, Nino thought pleasantly. His enthusiasm somewhat dimmed when she opened her closet.

Futaro stared, saying, "Did….did you bring your entire wardrobe?"

"Just the essentials."

"There are ten different dresses."

"Like I said, the essentials."

"I didn't even see you wear all these."

"I wear them for more than your pleasure, Fuu. That bit is just a bonus."

"None of your sisters brought this many clothes, did they?"

"There's no need to compare, every girl has her own individual needs. Plus Ichika had extra closet space since she just scatters all her things over her futon. Like she's trying to save some tornado the trouble."

Futaro glanced at the two large rollers she pulled out from the corner. "Are those really going to be enough?"

"That's where you come in, big brain. Do your thing. Be grateful that Itsuki and Yotsuba already removed all the communal stuff from the kitchen and bathroom. The rest are just my things."

"Still so many things."

"It's just like playing tetris."

"What's tetris?"

"You're going to give me your phone after this and I'm downloading everything you need to know."

"About tetris?"

"About life, Fuu. You're dreadfully behind. But not hopelessly so."

Nino took down her dresses from their hangers and folded them for Futaro to load. Things were going quite smoothly until her clothes reached the edges of the suitcase and Futaro tried to push them down to make more room.

"Careful, you'll wrinkle them."

"How else is everything going to fit?"

"Well make do!"

Futaro reworked the suitcase trying to make it work, finally closing it after fitting in the last of her dresses. They moved on to the next bag for her tops, skirts and pants. And, Nino realized as their second snag, her underwear.

She considered shoeing Futaro out of the room while she loaded her delicates. These were intimate articles and despite what some may think, that bikini he already packed in bag number one didn't compare. But then she thought Futaro had seen them before without much fuss, he seemed more annoyed at her embarrassment than anything else. But then, she was curious how he would react this time. It was hardly the same. Maybe she'd get him stuttering. That would be cute. Worth a little embarrassment, she decided.

Nino opened her underwear drawer and said, "Fuu, take care of these."

Futaro looked inside the drawer, then at her, then back to the drawer, "Uh, Nino? You know what's in here?"

"What? You said it's just wire and cloth."

"Right, I'll handle it."

She was almost disappointed when he packaged her panties without the slightest hiccup. Then she noticed him working a little more mechanically than before. She held back her chuckle. These mean something to you after all, Fuu? He actually paused and held up one of her lacy panties, the kind you'd find on a mannequin and question whether such a display should be in a store window where families will see. She imagined that was what he looked like when his brain shut down looking at her behind. Was that what he was thinking about now? Her behind, in those skinny, lacy things?

Futaro blinked and put that pair in the bag with the others. He glanced her way to see if she was looking. Nino was quite good at appearing distracted while paying close attention. She thought she'd make a good spy. Maybe she'd keep that bookmarked if cooking was a dead end professionally.

Suddenly Futaro asked, "Say, Nino, do you and your sisters share everything?"

"Like what?"

"Clothes, all types?"

"Everything but underwear. It's not sanitary, you know?"

"Oh." Futaro checked the drawer one more time and took out her panties one handful at a time as if racing to the finish line. He was so cute when he was flustered. What exactly was he thinking about? She wondered what he expected when she mentioned they would be here alone. He clearly thought something was going to happen. And it would, but she wanted to know what he imagined. She would've given up no small handful of luxuries for a glimpse into his mind right then.

He didn't pay close attention to her bras, he took them out by the handful and loaded them over her panties. She inspected his work expecting to find fault and berate him for mistreating her delicates. Instead she said, "How are you so good at loading women's underwear? Is there something I should know?"

"I just fitted them together like legos. It's not hard."

"So you had legos but not tetris?"

"My family wasn't always poor, you know. I had toys."

Nino huffed, "Well it's good that you know where to stick one end into another." She only realized how dirty that sounded halfway through, but trucked on to the end regardless to see his reaction. He blinked and looked away, the slightest pink coloring his cheeks. She glared, "And what's with you? Are you thinking something dirty? Just because I let you handle my underwear doesn't mean you should let your mind run wild."

Futaro said, "It's nothing like that." But it was. She knew it. He knew she knew it. Fuu, how naughty of you.

She smiled and leaned in, pecking his cheek by surprise. "I guess it's normal for guys to think those things looking at their girlfriend's underwear. You are still a guy, after all."

Futaro scowled, "I'm not-"

"Zip it up for me?" Nino said innocently pointing to her bag. Futaro grumbled but complied. Nino clapped her hands and said, "Well that should be everything. Let's check the house."

Futaro followed Nino as she checked every room once more. She opened every drawer and shifted every curtain. She checked under the futon and found a charger the others must have missed. Any small items she found she put in her schoolbag to carry. Then she checked again, because she was sure her sisters missed something. Sure enough she found Itsuki's old wallet and a pair of Miku's headphones in the shoe closet behind all the apartment slippers.

They rolled the bags out to the front of the home and Nino washed her hands in the kitchen sink, demanding Futaro do the same. She scanned the living room and said, "Well, that's everything. Time to say goodbye."

Futaro asked, "Don't you have another couple weeks on the lease?"

"Papa got it cut early. I sent him proof of everything wrong with the place and papa threatened to contact the health department if he didn't terminate our lease, return our deposit and promise to make repairs. I'm upset that he did it for papa and not me. Is it because I'm not intimidating?"

"You and your father are in separate leagues."

"You're just biased because he still hates you."

"So did you. Still very different leagues."

Nino pouted, but let it drop there. She said, "So this is it. Last look at the old place."

She felt Futaro step up behind her, taking her hand. She couldn't feel his heartbeat through his palm, not like this, yet she imagined it must be racing like hers. He must know why she mentioned no one else would be here.

Nino mused, "We made so many memories here." Both with her sisters and with Futaro. Including making out on the living room floor. He must be thinking about that now, and how no one was coming to interrupt them this time. What fun could a couple get up to with all this space?

She felt Futaro's free hand rest on her shoulder. The weight felt like the piston compressing air and gasoline, waiting for the spark to ignite. She could feel the tension between them like an arrow resting on a drawn bow begging to fly. Come on, Fuu, fire away.

But he didn't, he resisted. He waited for her sign. She groaned inside, wasn't this sign enough? Read the room, Fuu. I'm yours for the taking, just take me. But he hesitated, waiting for more. Well if he needed a jolt to inspire his drive, so be it.

Nino stretched her arms high and tried popping her back, giving a small squeal as she did. She said, "Well that's enough. Time to head back."

"Uh," Futaro grunted, not entirely sure what she meant.

"Can you carry the bags down, please?"

"Um, don't you want to stay a little longer?"

"Why?" Nino asked as innocently as a young nun. And she'd stay that way if Futaro didn't do a bit of the legwork. She was a mare on the plains and she wanted her stallion to come galloping faster than the wind. She marveled at the sparkle in his eyes when he hunted her, she wanted to feel his pursuit like a warm robe out of the dryer covering her body on a cold night.

"I thought you might like to, since we're alone, spend some time together." Futaro stumbled over his words, it was kind of cute, but she wanted a little confidence right now. Woo me, Fuu. Woo me!

"If there's something you want, Fuu, you should say so."

Futaro must have caught on to her little game, just like last time, only to more glorious results. He grabbed her waist and pulled her in, not that he had to try hard, she didn't resist. He leaned down and said, "You said we could be alone."

"I did."

"So let's be alone."

Nino poked his chest, "Some things are bound to happen when a boy and girl are all alone."

"You read my mind."

"I did, you naughty boy."

"Are you complaining?"

"Did I say I was?" Nino said, tilting her head up. Oh, how his eyes twinkled. She could read his soul in those pretty blue eyes. Who needed words when you had such pretty eyes.

Futaro said no more and leaned down. He kissed her. He kissed her with passion like a wave swallowing a surfer. Nino let the swell envelop her and leaned in to his kiss, snaring him around his neck with her arms. It felt too long since he kissed her like this. When was the last time? Behind the recycling bin over a week ago? Too long, she mused, too long.

People didn't talk enough about kissing, she thought. That's not to say people didn't talk about it, they just never captured its score. There was so much more to it than simple pecks and frenching. Kissing was more like dancing than a single act. It had so many forms and flows that evolved into each other, and matching your partner was key. Kissing was a romantic dance, one Nino was still perfecting with her beloved. But boy were they trying.

Futaro leaned closer and his lips flushed against hers, she pushed forward to meet him. Then as if in tune with the rhythm of their hearts she parted her lips like a budding flower inviting him to take what he dared. Futaro, what would the you they first met all those months ago say if he saw you sticking your tongue in her mouth? Confusion and disgust at how far he fell from academic purity? Oh little boy, the fall from grace was so deliciously worthwhile.

Nino felt Futaro's tongue invade her mouth like a battering ram breaking down the castle gate, and Nino was happy to crumble, her tongue reaching out like the damsel in distress greeting her rescuer. She tasted him as their tongues caressed each other between their dueling lips.

There was more here than before. She knew Futaro's kisses well enough to know his intensity. But there was something greater building between them, like a volcano erupting deep within the sea striving to change the map of the world forever. She read it in his lips selfishly taking her for all she could give. She felt his wish, more a need than desire, to connect to her and live this wonderful feeling called love. If love was something that existed in the body, in the mind and in the soul, then here were all three forms mixing together at once in an upswell of passion. One that only she could bring out in him. All his desire, his intensity, it was all for her.

Suddenly Futaro pulled away. Nino gasped at the open air, feeling robbed. But then Futaro kissed her cheek, trailing down to her chin towards her neck. It was a familiar trail he practiced more than once, slowly learning her skin and which parts of her neck desired his kisses most. Right when his lips met and sucked at the side of her throat she groaned, "Oh Fuu," and pulled him closer like gripping a life ring to keep from drowning.

She felt his hands drift down her body, trailing her spine towards her waist, and resting just over her hips. Just at the point where she drew the line the last time his hands started to wander. Did that take effort, she wondered? How much willpower did it take him to resist, to follow her limits?

She groaned as his lips suckled at her neck, her skin itching and dancing all at once. She pulled away and found his ear, returning his assault. His groans were low, gutteral, and then sometimes gentle as a gust of wind carrying fresh spring air. It was music to her. His symphony. She wanted to be his conductor. She tongued the edge of his ear, licking her way down to his throat. She found his adam's apple and gently kissed it. She felt it twitch as he swallowed, it delighted her to feel his body react and move against her.

And then Futaro did exactly what she wanted him to do, he chased her. He grasped her shoulders and pushed her against the wall and kissed her neck.

Nino froze. All her passion died and in an instant she was back in the hallway trapped between two entitled boys. She felt his hand pinning her down and she felt like an animal caught wide-eyed in a predator's trap. And for the briefest of moments those lips on her neck were poisonous.

Her jaw twitched trying to recover control, but she was trapped in her own reality and Futaro was a man was nothing more. All she felt was that hand taking away her control. She saw his arm pinning her shoulder to the wall. Futaro was far from the strongest man in class, but he was still a man, and his arm was so big next to hers. He was big. And they were alone. If he wanted to, he could do whatever he wanted to her. She could struggle and he could hold her down. Just like those boys.

She hiccuped, "Fuu?" She wanted to scream when he didn't stop right away. She wanted to cry. "Fuu, please?"

He looked up, his eyes still glittered desire. Then he saw her face and he changed, what did he see? Could he see the animal trapped in a corner with no escape? But his soft eyes were so different from those boys, there was love inside. Her world broke apart and she was back in their old apartment. Just her and her boyfriend. Her love. That love gave her courage.

"If I asked you to stop, will you?"

Maybe it was the timbre of her voice tinged with fear and desperation that made him focus. He blinked and backed away, letting her go and lowering his hands. "Nino, did I do, I mean, I'm sorry if I want too far."

No, he didn't. She just needed to see him like this. She needed to know he would stop if she asked, to know he wouldn't use his strength over her without her permission and want. She needed to know that he didn't see her as just a thing, something to own and use up. He had to prove to her what she meant to him. And by his look, he did. But she still needed to hear it.

"Please tell me. If I say stop, will you?"

"I will, I mean I promised I would. I didn't mean...Nino, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He reached out, holding air, unsure of he should hold her again.

Nino asked, "I think...can you please touch my face? Just, soft, please."

Futaro wasn't sure why she asked this, but he complied. He gently caressed her cheek as if checking the roughness of sandpaper. She breathed when he felt so different from that boy. She felt his love and adoration in his touch. In that moment she forget the terror. Futaro was not like them. He was hers. And he wanted nothing that would bring her hurt, so deep was his love. She could feel it with his simple touch.

Nino leaned in to this man, her wonderful man, resting her forehead on his chest. Of all the men in class, how lucky was she to end up with this one? Someone who truly heard her? What would have happened if she ended up in a room with one of those boys, tricked until the moment of choice, and they chose wrong? Futaro was special in every way.

She whispered, "I didn't say stop."

She looked up and smiled. Futaro must see her need to be understood. His eyes softened like warm water running from a spring. Was he thinking about those boys and what they did to her? But as long as he understood, it was enough.

"Nino, I don't want you to be uncomfortable with me."

"I know that," Nino said, pulling him closer as he slowly returned her embrace. "I just needed to feel it now."

She tilted her chin, offering her kiss. He took it tenderly, as if afraid a return to their wild passion would break her. But Nino was made of stronger stuff than Futaro knew. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. She opened her mouth and forced her tongue into his, tasting the inside of his and ravishing his tongue as if trying to write 'I love you' on his insides.

This was why she loved him. It was hard to find the words. She remembered her conversation with Itsuki long ago and admitting she couldn't understand why she loved this awkward bookworm. It was all summarized in the warmth inside her chest only he inspired. She loved his dedication to his work, his passion for learning, and his kindness for those in his life, even when he deafened it with his snark. And she loved how he saw her, not as just a quintuplet, not only as a pretty girl with good figure with something to grab and fill. Futaro saw her as she was, and even at her lowest, like that night when she almost gave up on her dream of making her family a home, he accepted her and supported her. What warmer love was there than that?

And speaking of warmth, there was something stiff poking her belly again.

She sensed Futaro hesitate and try to pull away. Nino kept her grip around his neck and pulled him close, falling back onto the wall. No distance. Not today. She wanted to feel this wonderful man she was lucky enough to love. Stay with me, her actions said. I accept you. I'm not afraid. Not now. She forced her meaning down his throat with her tongue until he leaned into her like a strong wave soaking a sunbather on the beach. Only now she wasn't afraid of drowning. She wanted him to submerge her and cover her like a swimmer diving in to the deep end where she could swim free.

Nino felt his hands wander down like before, she could feel his passion in his fingers. Her shirt had come untucked, she couldn't remember when, and rose with her arms reaching over his shoulders. His hands gripped the skin of her bare waist. His fingers were electric sparks dancing through the skin between her sides. She loved his passion, his desire. She felt safe and comfortable accepting it. He wanted more, and held back for her. But she wanted more too. More of the man she loved.

She leaned back and stood on her tiptoes to rest by his ear. She whispered, "You can go lower, if you want."

Futaro stiffened, and not just against her belly. "Nino, I'm alright."

"So am I," she said. She kissed his ear tenderly. Her wonderful, caring man. The man who came for her, the man who fought for her, the man who always found his way to protect her and keep her feeling safe. "I'm okay with touching, if it's you."

His hands brushed the skin of her waist. They seemed to write his want for her. Could he feel her own? She whispered soothingly, "It's okay. I'll tell you to stop if I want." She felt the heat from his cheeks matching her own. Was he brave enough? Was she?

She felt his hands slowly journey southward from their stronghold on her waist. They dipped lower, lower, past their record from that memorable night and continued. Nino breathed raggedly as they cupped the full curve of her rear like spandex and squeezed her. There was nothing like a lover's touch over your body. Her own touch and even that of her sisters couldn't compare to the burning she felt in the seat of her pants as Futaro gripped her. His fingers pressed through her skirt, her underwear, folding her flesh and sending fireworks through her body. Two layers, she counted. Three less than before.

She yelped when his grip tightened, her legs locked and she stood on tiptoes. Futaro leaned closer and kissed her neck, softly sucking its side. The area between his hands and his mouth was all alight with fire and delight.

She remembered watching scenes of passion play out on screen, actors mimicking and shading in her understanding of physical, romantic love. None of the movies and dramas prepared her for the intense feeling of a lover's touch, an almost instinctual need to feel their skin. And they didn't show how slowly, inhibitions fizzled away like burning down walls.

Nino ran her fingers through Futaro's hair, bringing him back up and kissing him. She stuck one of her legs between his to feel closer, he kept one hand on her bottom as if afraid it might escape if he let go completely and moved the other to her face, gently yet firmly stroking her cheek. Then he twitched and Nino lost her balance, gasping as she nearly fell over. Futaro gripped her butt hard to balance her, causing Nino to yelp again.

"Easy! I'm gonna fall!"

"Sorry."

Nino said, "Be careful, the floor's not as soft as it looks!"

I'm aware, I was there, remember?" Futaro growled.

Nino huffed, "This is dangerous," then sat on the carpet. "Come here."

Futaro smirked and settled next to her, leaning in, "Your face is red."

"So is yours, you look like a stop light."

"Does that mean we should stop?"

Nino stuttered, "I, I didn't say that. It's obvious you want to continue."

Futaro said, "Don't make this all about me."

"You're the one grabbing my ass."

"You gave me permission."

"Just permission, I didn't tell you to do it."

Futaro was leaning in with every word, closing the gap between them. Nino sat back, resting on her elbows so that he had to crawl over her. "The one time you claim you're not telling me what to do, and it's here."

Nino flushed, his face was almost over hers. He looked so suave in the sunset pouring in through the window. Her prince.

She said, "Is it wrong for a guy to take the initiative once in a while?"

"I suppose not."

"So what do you want, Fuu?"

Futaro chuckled, "You're going to make me say it?"

"Say what you want, Fuu. I'm listening."

She felt his breath on her lips, his fast pace matching hers. If she put his hand on his chest, would she feel his heart racing like a horse after the starting gun? But wouldn't he feel the same? She worried that if he leaned into her he would feel her heart pounding, begging him for more, to push her over. She was afraid he would feel just how much she wanted him closer, how every part of her skin was jealous when his hand moved away. She was afraid to show him her complete desire. But he would find out. She caught glimpses of his own for her, it was a hurricane and she was in the eye. When it all came out, when their desire was completely bare and they saw each other completely, Nino didn't know what would happen. But every fiber in her body was excited to find out.

Futaro gently cupped her chin, his fingers like lit tinder under her skin. He confessed, "I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone. What have you done to me."

Somehow that was both sweeter and sexier than anything she expected to hear. "Sometimes I don't know either," she paused, then grinned, "But I'm liking it. What do you want, Fuu?"

"What do I want?" Futaro mused. His face was so hot, she felt him burning through the thin air between them like steam. Then he leaned in and said, his lips almost touching hers, "I want to know what you want, and see if we match."

Nino understood what he was asking. Right now, he knew what he wanted, just not where to draw the line. He would take everything if he had the right. She felt his eyes on her like something out of the deepest ocean, some leviathan rising from the depths to swallow her whole. Something fizzled inside her, a warmth sinking through her gut lower than it had any right to go.

Nino whispered back, "So keep going."

"Nino," he began.

"Keep going. I'll say when to stop."

She touched his beautiful cheek, feeling his soft, tender skin, as if to seal their promise. Take what you want. All I'm ready to give is yours. But she would take just as much from him.

Futaro tilted her chin and kissed her. Kissing hardly seemed the word anymore, this was past anything that could share the same word as a brief peck hello or goodbye. This was passion Nino was only beginning to learn and love.

"I love you," he muttered in between their lips clashing.

"I love you too," she returned just as awkwardly. But awkwardness had no meaning when bodies blended like salt and water.

Futaro's form pushed her back against the carpet until she lay flat. He crawled over her to keep up, refusing to let go of her lips. She felt him gently spread her legs with his body to let him inside. His presence made her aware of the incredible heat between her thighs, as if a furnace was burning through her core. She wanted to tighten her legs, but when she tried her legs only pressed against his hips. Could he feel the fire between her legs? She hadn't thought about this position, him opening her up like so, and felt a sudden need to hide. But he was already between her spread legs and had no intention of backing out. He leaned over her until his chest hovered above her breasts, and suddenly she felt his stiffness press into her thigh. It was warm, and she realized that his heat matched her own. She understood his embarrassment that first time, and how much it must have meant to him for her to accept it. If he felt her fire down in her most private parts, and he accepted it, she shouldn't be afraid, right? This was another part of love. Futaro was going to find out about this part of her tonight. She hoped he accepted her too.

Nino leaned closer and wrapped her legs around his back, slowly pulling him in. Nino kissed him in a way that the word itself couldn't describe. She pulled him closer and felt his body pressing down on hers. She loved his weight over her, like a weighted blanket keeping the fire inside her hot. His hand rose from her face to her hair, running through it like a thick comb, sending tingles through her mind like fireworks.

Futaro broke their kiss to breathe, saying almost in a gasp, "You're so hot."

Nino couldn't recall him ever calling her that before. Pretty, yes, and beautiful too. But not hot. That word seemed different, more fitting for the moment.

Nino kissed his cheek and asked, "Am I sexy, too?"

"The sexiest."

"Good," she breathed against him. "You better never forget that."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Fuu." She gasped when he kissed her neck, "Oh that feels good." She gripped his hair with one hand while her other traced hard lines on his back. She could feel his muscles working over her like the inner workings of a wristwatch working in time.

She felt one of his hands leave her skin and his body shift, then felt his lost hand grasping her butt. She squealed as Futaro kept running his tongue over her throat.

Nino breathed to regain composure, then she laughed, "You definitely have a type."

Futaro looked up, "Excuse me?"

"You know, some guys like boobs, other like butts. Pretty obvious which one you are."

Futaro scowled, "I can enjoy the whole package, you know."

"You seem to be stuck on one specific part."

"Same to you."

Nino pouted, then grinned as she shifted, stretching her arm around his side to grab his ass. It was firmer than she suspected, and she felt a definite thrill grabbing such a delicate part of her love. The look on his face was delightful surprise, as if he got caught peeping through a hole in the fence. "I'm just biding my time." She squeezed his rear again. Suddenly she understood the appeal of grabbing one, the way it tensed under her fingers, the control she felt over her lover, it excited her in a way holding hands could never match.

Nino said, "You know, you're pretty sexy yourself, Fuu." She felt him shift, his hardness pressing closer against her thigh. She rubbed her legs against him and felt her body reach like turning up the heat.

"Only for you," he grunted through his teeth. He stared at her, and oh, she fizzled. He looked so hungry for her, all of her. They stared into each other for a moment, catching their breaths and reading their lover's souls.

Futaro said, "I feel hot."

Nino nodded, "I'm burning. And uncomfortable down here."

"Should we get up?"

"Yeah. But, Futaro?"

"Nino?"

"I haven't said stop."

"I know."

It wasn't a secret to either of them what the other wanted anymore. Nino felt her lip quivering, her arms twitching like a small earthquake. And she felt it in him like river rapids rising over the bank.

"Nino?"

"Fuu?"

"I don't know what I'm feeling. It's so...so big."

"I know."

"I'm a little scared of myself."

Nino felt her heart catch in her throat as Futaro's eyes swallowed her. He was so full of love, passion and desire it flooded him. All for her. She didn't want to blink if it meant missing a moment under his stare.

"I feel it too." She touched his cheek, "Stay with me."

"I'm here." He took her hand and caressed it.

"Fuu?"

"Yes?"

"In the bedroom, there's a futon."

"That's...where it would be."

"It'd be more comfortable, don't you think?"

"It might."

Nino licked her lips. "Help me up?"

Futaro crawled out from between her legs and stood before helping Nino to her feet after. She kept his hand in hers and locked eyes. This pause was pregnant with the shared thought of what was coming. Futaro tore his eyes away and said, "So, futon."

"Get moving." She eyed him as he walked away, then trailed behind. Her eyes followed the outline of his body past his rigid shoulders to the small of his back, then lower, imaging this was what he enjoyed. Under a lasso of truth she would admit to preferring a stronger frame, wider shoulders, like his father, actually. But right now nothing was more sexy, more desirable, than the man in front of her. He was her ideal type in every way. Love had a funny way of smoothing out the edges.

She leaned forward and squeezed his ass like popping a balloon.

Futaro yelped and jumped. He actually jumped! He spun, "Nino!"

She grinned, "Hey, you went open season on me. Fair is fair."

He stuttered, then glanced away, "I didn't know you liked that part of me. I don't know much about what women find hot, really."

Nino leaned closer and hugged him from behind. "We like lots of things. And I find plenty to like on you." She was glad she could bury her blush in his back.

Futaro swallowed hard. He muttered, "Futon, futon," like a mantra. She stayed glued to him as he entered their old bedroom like a toddler clinging to papa's leg. She giggled at their good fun.

Futaro opened the closet with the futons. Nino pointed to her old futon, it was important they used hers and not one of her sister's. As Futaro pulled it out, Nino asked, "Futaro, have you ever watched porn?"

Futaro blinked, then asked, "How would I?"

"Right. Caveman. Well have you ever seen a dirty magazine?"

Futaro hesitated, then said, "Once. When I was twelve."

"So you were a lecher," Nino leered.

"No, just...thought it was cool back then. To know about these things. I wanted to look tough and mature, like my dad."

Nino nodded, "But you still read it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, so what? You never did?"

"Maybe. It wasn't my idea though."

"Who's was it?"

Nino quickly realized where this was going and stuttered, "Oh, just...oh boy, you're not gonna let this go, are you?"

Futaro leered closer, "No, not since I told you. You're going to tell me."

She sighed, "Fine, but you gotta promise me you won't tell the others."

"You think I'm telling any of them about tonight?"

"You better not. And to the point, it was Itsuki. She wanted to know what grown up women looked like, you know, to get an idea of what we would look like someday. We were still in primary school and we were curious. So she looked it up online, and that kinda opened up a rabbit hole. We only looked at the stuff a few times before stopping."

Futaro grinned, "Still more than me. Who's the lecher now?"

Nino glanced down and smirked, "The one with a sushi roll in his underwear?"

Futaro tried to casually shift to the side, which wasn't subtle at all. "It hasn't done much to stop you."

"Who says I wanna be stopped?" Even after she said it, she hardly believed it came from her. She bowed her head to hide her embarrassment.

Futaro took her hand and said, "Nino?"

"Futaro?"

"We're entering dangerous territory here."

"Dangerous?"

"Nino, are you okay? I mean, I'm okay if you say no."

She felt his sincerity in the softness of his words. She could sense his want. She could even see its proof at this angle trying to point at her like a challenge. Ever since his emotions came flooding out they were as unending as the rains of the great flood. But he would restrain himself, for her. Nothing mattered to him more than that. And she wanted him to know she felt the same for him.

She looked up at his eyes, such pretty eyes, loving eyes, and said, "I'm okay, Fuu."

What was love if not unconditional affection for another? To see that person kept happy, safe and away from neglect? And when that person reciprocated your feelings, you felt secure opening yourself completely to them, to share your most exposed and delicate secrets and fears. Love was being vulnerable. Reciprocating love was the shared space where one was free. And Nino felt free enough to fly with Futaro wherever the night took them.

She said, "I'm not afraid with you."

She watched the uncertainty vanish from his eyes as Futaro realized the depths of her love and acceptance for him. And then she saw the hunger and knew it was all for her, that no one could take her place. When he touched her arm, running down to her wrist, she felt a hollowness swell in her stomach falling lower, down to a place she was still not sure what to name.

Futaro took her into his kiss like a tornado capturing a tree. Together they forgot about time, they forgot about school, tests, studies, they forgot about their families and their friends. They forgot everything and just were.

They tumbled, not dropped, down to the futon. Futaro rolled onto his back and before he got up Nino crawled on top. She grinned down, her hair falling around him like screen doors keeping the world out. This little place within time and space belonged to them.

Futaro stared as a man who lived his entire life in a cave and first emerged to see the stars. He said, "Nino, I want you."

And there it was. It was finally out in the open. Nino's heart skipped a beat as Futaro crossed a dangerous boundary. The fire in her stomach dropped lower, so low that there was no question where it rested. Her mind finally understood what her body was telling her in a thousand hot, humiliating ways.

In that moment Nino knew she was losing her virginity tonight with the man she loved.

"Then take what you want," she whispered.

They saw understanding in each others' eyes, saying more in a glance than he would write in a hundred pages. She leaned in, "Do you love me?"

Futaro groaned, "Yes."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Futaro said, "Waiting in case you say no."

"Fuu," Nino cooed, leaning closer and brushing his nose with hers. She could smell his breath, feel his warmth. "I want you too."

She would never know who kissed who first, one moment their lips hovered apart and the next they clashed, stuck together like iron plates welded shut. The definition of kissing changed again. This was different from all the rest. Both lovers knew what this was leading to, and it fueled their kiss like a pile of coal marinated in gasoline.

Nino marveled at her own boldness. How far had she come to dare say those words? When she planned their visit today, she never intended it to go further than before. Heavy kissing and light petting were addicting in their own right, but everything else felt like diving over the deep end. Only in the fire of passion and love, those boundaries burned away like grass fences in a field, and she could see the wide, welcoming world beyond.

Nino's passion brought her lips down Futaro's throat again as he brushed his fingers through her hair. She was sure her ribbons were loose, but she didn't care. She loved the feeling of his fingers making waves across her head. And she loved the taste of his skin, even damp with heated sweat. So much of what could be disgusting and gross only fueled her heat when she knew it was him, him and all his desire for her.

As she kissed lower, she ran into the collar of his shirt. She gently pulled it down and kissed along his collar bone, making Futaro shiver like being hit with a chilling breeze. Futaro's hand ran down from her head down her face, then lowered. She thought he was mirroring her, trailing down to stroke her collar bone. And he did, gently caressing the delicate skin over the bone. But then he shocked her as he brought his hand over the slope of her left breast.

Nino gasped like a freediver coming up for air. "Fuu!"

Futaro froze, "Too much?"

Nino smirked through her blush, saying, "Just, shocked, that you'd just go for it like that."

Futaro smirked back, "You said 'take what you want'. There's no room for interpretation there."

"When did you get so bold?"

"You bring out that side of me," he said with a grin as sharp as a razor.

Nino felt lightning shoot through her spine, her skin feeling tingly all over. She had to learn out how to bring out this side of him whenever she wanted.

She felt his fingers follow uneven patterns over her shirt, lightly tracing the skin of her breast like adventurers blazing new trails. She moaned as he pushed higher into her chest.

"I thought you were an ass man," Nino started to chide, then he pressed her breast and she grunted. She wished she could control her sounds, that hadn't sounded sexy at all.

Futaro said, "I'm whatever man I am, but I personally consider myself a Nino man."

Oh, damn you, Fuu. Saying all these sweet things while touching her body in all her private places, making her want to welcome him more.

She said throatily, "And I am definitely your girl."

As his fingers caressed her breast like he was checking the plumpness of a cake on the job, her fingers began working on the buttons of his shirt. She pulled them aside one by one until she could spread it open, showing his bare chest.

"Funny, I think I've seen this before," she teased.

"More than once as I recall."

"Haven't done this yet," she said before dropping and kissing his nipple. She broke out laughing when that made him hiccup. "Oh my god, did you really just hiccup?"

"You didn't give me any warning," Fuu seethed.

"I wonder if you'll do it again. Let's try."

"No!" Futaro tried to block Nino as she dived at his nipples. She laughed as she fought through his defenses, playfully licking them whenever she got close.

"Come on, Fuu. What else are guys gonna use those for?" Nino teased, leaning in to his face.

Futaro was laughing with her now. Nino never thought there would be so much laughing during sex, even if they weren't quite there yet. Suddenly he kissed her again and she fell into his lips. She closed her eyes, just enjoying the taste of his tongue against hers as it softly stroked the inside of her mouth, and feeling the heat of his hardness pressing against her thigh so close to her own furnace. She wondered what it would be like if they touched. She idly took her hand and lay it on his chest, feeling it rise and fall in rapid, desperate rhythm feeling so alive.

She felt her shirt slackening, finally noticing Futaro's hands toying with the buttons from the bottom up. Nino pulled back, saying, "Hey, watcha doing?"

"Like you said, taking what I want."

"What is it you want, Fuu?"

"You want me to say it, don't you?"

"I do."

Futaro looked into her eyes. Poets called them the window to the soul. God it was sappy, but it was true. "I tried to keep myself from wanting anyone like this. But you just had to have your way. And now I want mine. And your shirt is bothering me."

Nino knew she was blushing, it was a constant by now. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

She felt her pulse racing through her chest down to her thighs as Futaro undid her shirt button by button. The last one clung like a guard on her dignity. He seemed to hesitate for a moment giving her a chance to refuse. Nino breathed in, her chest rising as she did as if offering him his chance. The last button came free and her shirt fell open. Perhaps a bra wasn't so different from a bikini, but the way his eyes traced its edges made her feel open in a way a day at the beach never could.

Nino enjoyed all his attention, but she was done waiting for him to undress her in his fashion. She lowered herself until her body was flat over his. Her skirt was riding up and she was sure that if he could see behind them, he'd find his favorite view in a whole new light. She hadn't planned to expose so much skin tonight and she regretted not wearing nicer underwear. Maybe he'd prefer the lacy ones he was eyeing before.

She leaned down to his chest and began kissing him, running long trails over his torso with her lips. She loved feeling his breath against her lips. She reached his nipples and took them again, kissing them gently this time. His moan was so rewarding, she did it again. She trailed up and kissed him. She always loved coming back to this, like finding her baseline.

She was suddenly aware that despite their intense clashing of lips, Futaro found a way to snake her shirt down her arms. She rose up and questioned, "Aren't you in a hurry?"

"I don't like leaving something half done."

Nino instantly noted the double meaning and wondered if he did that on purpose. She said, "Give a lady some time, it's not like I've ever shown a guy this stuff before. You should be patient when you're getting so lucky."

"Nino, this isn't even the least dressed we've seen each other."

"That's beside the point! This is intentional!"

"I know," Futaro said, leaning in, "Take all the time you need."

"Oh you smooth talker. When did your tongue turn silver?"

"You tell me, it's been in your mouth."

Why did that make her lower parts feel achingly empty?

He finished pulling her shirt off so that Nino was over him in only her bra. His hand rose and traced her skin comfortably nestled over the cups while his hand gently traced lines along her waist. Her skin greedily asked for his touch like an idol marveling in attention from the crowd. Nino moaned as she lowered her head to his chest, kissing and licking along his skin between his nipples like she was painting a picture. It was all so dirty, why did she want more? What does love make a person do? Or was it all in the horny brain? Nino once heard that men had a brain and a penis and only enough blood to power one at a time. So why was it that she seemed to be high on desire while Futaro still held some control? Was she not sexy enough for him? Did he need more?

She reminded herself of his stiffness still nestled against her leg. She shifted and rubbed her thigh against it, making Futaro thrust ever so slightly. It felt like grinding flint over tinder. Her body felt those sparks and moved without her permission as the spot between her legs demanded something press against it. Her hips shuffled downward and nestled the very base of her crotch over his bulge. The motion brought her skirt riding high and she felt his trousers grind against her panties. She was aware of a hot, damp feeling between her legs like a hungry woman drooling for a meal. She fidgeted her moistness against his bulge. Suddenly he thrust against her and she moaned his name. She tried to control herself and fought the fog in her brain. He twitched again and she felt it resound through her inside and knew it would do no good.

She decided, screw it, and embraced that base corner of her mind demanding to match his pace, demanding more. She leaned back and said, "Fuu, wanna see more?"

He looked at her questioningly, his eyes alive like crystals in starlight, and said, "Like what?"

"You ever unhook a bra?"

"Now who's moving fast?"

"Another comment like that and I'll reconsider."

The smart boy said nothing and reached behind her back. Nino lowered herself and kissed him while she felt his fingers play with the hooks behind her back. She expected guys to have trouble removing it, that's what happened in the movies, at least. But either Futaro had skill or, more likely, he read a book, and as his fingers pinched the hooks her bra came undone.

Nino stayed pressed to his chest and enjoyed the excited groans Futaro made as he waited for her to rise. It was funny how impatient a guy can be to see something she saw in the mirror every day. But she imagined the hunger in his eyes, the feel of his hands on her bare chest, exposing herself to him here in the dim light, and she felt that same trembling excitement that defined the night. She wanted him to see her, and it scared her. She wanted him to see all of her as she was, and to see him in turn. She nibbled his ear like a bite of gourmet cheese and whispered, "You want me to get up?"

"Yes," he moaned in a manner she found so sexy she actually felt her hips twitch.

"You want me to show you?"

He nodded against her shoulder, holding her back. "Yes."

"Do you love me?"

"More than anything."

Nino took her time to rise. She bought herself time to steel her nerves, she started by kissing the side of his neck, trailing down to his collar as she arched her back. Then she grabbed the loose corner of her bra and pulled it out from between them, feeling her naked breasts resting on his chest. Her entire body shivered with excited tension waiting for his reaction. She wanted him to show her something when she bared herself.

And when she rose, just enough for her breasts to dangle, she watched Futaro's eyes dangle with them. Every step tonight was another tiptoe into the unknown. Every new patch of skin explored and charted, every forbidden area felt and exposed, it felt like a journey. But here they crossed a great border into forbidden valleys and Nino felt like she just opened a new part of herself to Futaro, something more than just flesh. She wasn't completely secure about her breasts. She liked their shape, but they were ever so lopsided with her left being larger than her right, and she thought her nipples were too large. Every part of her exposed was a new insecurity brought to light. A part of her wondered if he would be dissatisfied with some part of her that couldn't meet his expectations.

She breathed raggedly as Futaro stared at her breasts, hoping for his reaction. This was a big moment for any girl putting herself on display for her love. So when Futaro gently cupped her breasts and kneaded them like working new dough, she sighed.

Nino leaned forward to give him better access to her chest. She whispered, "Do you like them?"

"Is that a serious question?" Futaro asked in return.

"I'm seri-whoa!" Nino squealed when Futaro suddenly swallowed her right nipple.

He leaned back and grinned, "Call us even now."

Nino frowned, "I'm being serious, Fuu!"

"Are you?" Futaro pondered. Then he leaned in between her breasts, "Why even ask if I like part of you? I want all of you. I love every part of you. Including here."

Nino sighed when Futaro kissed between her breasts, slowly covering each with his kisses. Nino hugged the back of his neck and pulled him closer while her lower body rubbed over the bulge in his trousers. She was conscious of the moistness soaking into her underwear. It wasn't as if Nino was unaware of what her body did when turned on, it just never reached this point, she never had to consider it. Now her partner was alive beneath her and he was so hot, so warm, and so ready to have her in every way she hardly considered before. She wondered if he noticed as she ground her crotch against his erection. Could he feel her? She wasn't sure she wanted him to. Not yet. But the thought excited her nonetheless.

His lips along her breasts turned into licking as easily as their kisses. His tongue ran trails over her soft skin. Sometimes he stopped suddenly and kissed and sucked her skin, sometimes soft, sometimes hard and deep. Each and every sensation sparked something new inside Nino none of his touches did before. Then he ran his lips over her nipple and he kissed it, then gently sucked it. Nino moaned as if her nipples were tied to her heartbeat and he was controlling her pulse with each suck.

"God, why can't you be a boob guy," Nino groaned, savoring these intense feelings of pleasure.

"I can be for you," he said and she melted into him, until he tried biting her nipple.

She yelped and said, "Too much! Keep it simple."

"Sorry," Futaro said, before kissing his way back between her breasts.

Nino traced the side of Futaro's body while he gave her chest his attention. She loved what his fingers and mouth made her feel and she tried to return some feeling to him with her gentle stroking and touching. Every part of his skin was fair game. She rode her hand down to his side, feeling the soft flesh of his belly. She kissed his forehead as he ran his tongue over the skin between her breasts and cradled his head, rubbing his hair like he'd done to her. She felt his breath rushing against her skin like a blowtorch spreading his heat over her.

All his touches were filled with love, affection and desire, and she matched his every ministration with her own. She savored guttural groans that she would have laughed at in any other mood before today. She tasted his sweat with every kiss and kept coming back for more. She felt pleasure from the soft kisses of a man on parts of her body she would once have died before showing him willingly. Every layer removed, every boundary crossed was another step into a new world, and with so much new to discover Nino felt like running free in any direction. She accepted her lover, she accepted his desire, and she accepted her own when she felt him accept all of her.

So when she was ready, when she wanted to feel it, she ran her hand down his stomach, raising her hips to grant her hand passage, and touched his erection through his pants.

Futaro gasped into her breasts, his head rolling back as he said in shock, "Nino!"

"Fuu," Nino whispered, her voice raspy from shaking, "I take what I want too."

She felt his heat burning through his jeans as eagerly as her own through her underwear. She gently stroked him through the layers like petting an unruly cat who finally stood still. She felt his body tight against her like a bridge under heavy tension ready to snap. She wanted him to snap, right in her hand. Every touch sent a rush through her body towards her loins. She could feel her pulse between her legs now, actively urging her to do something about this emptiness inside. She wanted to feel full.

She ran her hand up and down his erection slowly, sampling the feeling, and wondered how it would feel to do the job? She didn't know if he counted as big, but it seemed more than big enough. She hated putting a tampon up there, that's why she preferred pads. How was his thing supposed to fit inside her? But given how she could feel how wet her underwear was, maybe it wouldn't be such a challenge. That's what those parts were made to do, right? She imagined this thing below her hand entering her and filling her throbbing emptiness. She blushed, as if she could blush any brighter, as she imagined him pushing himself inside her.

"Nino," Futaro whispered as he pulled her into another kiss. Through careful stretching she managed to maintain her massage over his member while deepening their kiss. Nino felt an aching inside, a desperation to go quicker. She hated and loved it at the same time.

She wondered if this would feel different with someone she didn't love. Even if someone else touched her the same and did all the same things to her body, she didn't think it would feel so good. The spark would be missing. Even without trying, she knew it wouldn't be the same, nowhere near it. If this was sex, she had all she needed. She hoped, at least, once they went all the way.

"I love you," she said suddenly. It came like a volcano erupting with emotion and coming out on their own.

"I love you Nino," he replied without hesitation. It was exactly what she needed to hear.

Futaro's hand trailed along her back and towards her behind. She had it raised ever so slightly to give her hand room to touch him. Her skirt was still riding high, so when he touched her rear he touched her bare skin beside her underwear. She gasped for the umpteenth time at yet another new sensation. His hand squeezed her skin so hard she worried he felt her pulsing from her insides. She felt dizzy, excited, embarrassed and eager all at once. It was a searing cocktail of emotions and she loved it.

Then his hand took her advice and took what he wanted. He slipped under the edge of her underwear and grabbed her butt raw, as if determined to leave no part of her skin unfelt and unmarked. Funny how they shared the same goal. His grip on her behind pulled her closer, further into their kiss.

Futaro groaned, "Nino." She loved her name on his lips so hot and heavy.

"Fuu," Nino muttered, "I'm hot. Really hot."

"So am I. Burning."

"I can tell." Nino lightly grabbed him through his pants. Her fingers did what her mind silently commanded and unbuttoned the front of his jeans. Futaro leaned up as she undid his zipper. She fumbled and rolled to the side. Futaro rolled to face her. They locked eyes. They were both confused and desperate. Both wanting more. They lost themselves in each other, leaning closer as they blazed their final trail.

She brought her hand to the front of his pants, gently pushing inside. She felt his heat even stronger with only his underwear blocking her from feeling him directly. Her fingers touched fabric, but she felt so much more. His shape, his length, it was all so much more tactile through soft cotton instead of the rough fabric outside. Futaro groaned as she stroked it softly like wiping a champagne flute clean. She loved hearing his moans as she handled him, she felt like she could play him like an instrument. This was his most delicate part, and if he felt the way she felt about hers and exposing herself to him, it meant a great deal for him to let her touch. And she wondered, now that she knew the shape, how this would feel stretching her insides. It was supposed to feel nice for him, and for her too, right?

They were in a countdown and they both knew it. So when his free hand that wasn't busy toying with her breast trailed down her stomach towards the space between her legs, she let it. Her legs parted delicately as his hand trailed over her exposed thigh towards the soft blue cotton underwear. One layer each way. Just one. She felt Futaro's fingers tease the sensitive skin above, then trail down bravely, recklessly towards the source of her fire. His fingers found their way between where her thighs met and felt the soft material, already damp. She groaned as his fingers sparked lightning where they pressed, her body shuddering over his touch.

Futaro shuddered, "Nino, you're so wet here."

"I know, you don't gotta say it," she said in a fluster. She gasped when his fingers slowly massaged her through her underwear, just over the opening begging her to let him fill it. She ground herself against him without thinking as his fingers traced against her through that single layer of fabric.

All this time they kept staring into each other under a spell. They felt their lovers gentle caresses and saw the pleasure of their faces. Nino couldn't look away and neither could he. She gripped him through his underwear and he gasped, closing his eyes. She felt one of his fingers lightly press against her wetness as if trying to break through and enter her source. She wanted to let him. She wanted to feel how much he wanted her. She wanted that emptiness she felt to feel full.

"Futaro, I," Nino breathed harshly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he breathed.

"So much."

"Only you Nino."

One layer left. Then, the final step over the last boundary.

Slut.

Nino ejected herself from Futaro, rolling to the side. She urgently smoothed her skirt and searched for her bra. When she found it she lunged, keeping her back to Futaro as she desperately struggled to put it on.

Futaro felt like he missed several key moments of his life. He rose, calling, "Nino?"

Whore.

"Don't look at me," Nino demanded. "Look away. Now." She felt his eyes burning her. She couldn't stand it. Not now, dammit, why did she have to think of that now?

"Nino, did I do-"

"Just do it!" Nino screamed. She didn't check to see if Futaro actually obeyed. She couldn't risk meeting his eyes. Not now. Anything but that. Please, she couldn't handle that now.

She struggled into her bra and looked for her shirt. She couldn't see it anywhere in front of her and realized it must be behind her. With him.

She couldn't look at him. She was afraid of what she might see. Would he see her that way after all? The words from her defaced desk swam in her mind. They were tattooed into the memories of everyone in school. She could never escape it. And now she worried they were true.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. It burned her.

"Nino-"

"Don't touch me," she shook him off. She curled up like a pill bug trying to shrink herself into nothing. She let this go too far. They never did anything close to like what they just did, and then they went for it all at once.

She felt Futaro get up. He was quiet as a rat venturing out for cheese risking the housecat's wrath, but she felt his footsteps echo through the floor. Was he leaving? He was headed for the door.

She wanted to cry go away and don't leave me all at once. She couldn't stand the thought of him abandoning her like this. But the though of him staying, his hands on her body again, it was even worse. Every possibility just seemed impossible. Please Fuu, help. She wanted to cry out "help me," but she couldn't.

Was he mad that she ended it like this? Did he feel like she led him on? She couldn't blame him. She might not have meant it to go this far, but she still let it. She must have gotten his hopes up. She said so many things that couldn't be taken any other way but to rile a guy up. How could she say those things? How could she let herself get that way? She should know better.

His footsteps paused, she heard something ruffle behind her, then his footsteps came back. She braced for something. If he wasn't leaving, what would he do? Would he...no. No, he wouldn't try to continue. Wasn't it obvious she wanted to stop? Oh please just go away, anything but that.

Something soft fell over her shoulders. She cowered instinctively until her skin remembered the cloth. It was her blouse. She cautiously felt the material with her fingers. Yes, this was definitely it. She hurriedly covered herself and buttoned her front. Even with this she still felt exposed. Her saw her. Almost all of her. And he felt so much more. Her skin remembered every touch, every kiss, every feeling where she should have said stop, and felt repulsed and ashamed.

She idly heard ruffling behind her. She wanted to peek over her shoulder and see. She had to know what he was thinking and what he planned to do. Was he angry? Upset? Expecting more? She couldn't handle any of that. And if she saw him look at her like all those other men, the wouldn't come back from that. Not just for their relationship, but…she, would not come back. So she couldn't look no matter how badly she wanted to see.

She quivered when he sat down behind her. She waited to feel his fingers on her back, on her shoulders, anywhere. But he stayed still.

He spoke uncertainly, "I'm facing away. Is it okay if I just sit here?"

She wanted to tell him yes, that of all the things he could have done when she couldn't even decide what what she wanted, he somehow chose the best thing to do. When she said nothing, he took as close to a yes as she could give. Thank you for being such a good man.

She sat with him in uncomfortable quiet for a long time, just how long Nino would never know. She smelled the air, it was pungent with the smells of sweat and something she recognized coming from her. It was the smell of sex. She thought about how Futaro had touched her there through her underwear. That wetness and smell was still on his fingers. She wished they could both take very separate showers and wash it away.

She wanted to reach out, but she didn't know what to say, and she was afraid of whatever his answer would be. But he didn't press her. He gave her time. She wished he would explain what he was thinking, it would do so much for her. But he must be afraid, too. Afraid he messed up? No, this isn't his fault, it was hers. But she couldn't find the words to say.

Finally he spoke, "Nino, I don't know...I'm here, if you want to talk."

She did. Words couldn't describe how much she needed and feared what their next talk would bring. But she had to do it. Here was her chance.

She spoke, almost so small, so unlike her, that it could have been another girl. "Do you think...I'm slutty?"

"Is that what this is-"

"Just tell me," she said, her voice begging.

"No. I don't think so."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

"Because...I stopped. Just like that."

"I'm not mad."

"Not upset?"

"No, not upset."

Nino gasped, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lead you on."

"I don't think you did, Nino. It's okay."

"I did, though. You must feel-"

"I'm fine, Nino."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I, how do I explain, I don't think either of us expected this, it just happened. But if I went too far, I-"

"Don't do that, don't say it. I said go until I said stop. You did what I said, and I..." She didn't want to say she wanted it. She said it before in the moment, but saying it now would make the other students right about her.

"Nino, if we went too far today and you regret it, then I understand. But I don't think of you as slutty, or anything like that. I don't think less of you, if that's what you're worried about."

Nino's breath caught like she swallowed a plastic bag. She said, "I need to hear that, Fuu. I really did." It was something. Not enough. Not by a long shot. But it was something.

Then he said, "I love you Nino," and she found a will to glance over her shoulder. He was looking at the floor and she could just make out the side of his face. He was careful, worried, but he didn't look disgusted or upset. Seeing him set her heart at ease. He still loved her, he still cared.

"I love you too," she said. "I didn't want it to go like that."

"I know. I didn't plan for this either."

"No, that's not it. Well, I didn't expect it, but then...I enjoyed it. I wanted it, so I didn't say anything. Then I just suddenly felt...like everything was wrong. So that's why I left. You didn't do anything wrong, I just felt...like I saw my desk and I thought everything was true now."

"Well it isn't, Nino. Liking this doesn't make you slutty or anything else they said."

"Doesn't it?"

"We're designed to like it. Men and women aren't that different, we all have the same desires and needs and...ah, now's not the time for textbook answers, is it."

Nino gave a slight laugh, it was her first since that slur ran through her mind. "So...you don't think there's anything weird about this?" About me, she asked without adding.

"No, there never was." And she believed him. She needed to hear him say that tonight didn't change the way he thought of her. He was still on her side, just like he always would be. Whatever anyone called her, he would never see her that way.

But others would. And now she gave them a reason that was true.

"Fuu. I, everyone at school thinks I'm a whore."

"They're all idiots."

"Except now they have a reason, don't they?"

"Nino-"

"Fuu-"

"No. That's not fair."

"It's not about fair. It doesn't matter. You don't know them, Fuu, but I do. I know lots of other girls who've done it with boyfriends, or just guys. I knew girls who dated and got paid for it. I know girls who've done it more than once with different guys. But I'm the one they all call a slut. And now, if anyone ever found out about us doing this, there's no way anyone will ever believe me." She trembled, hugging herself. "I'm scared if they do. Even if we all look the same in class, if they found out, I don't know what things would be like. I see how they look at me, and now when they see me that way, I'm going to remember this."

She felt tears now, why did they not come before? "I wanted to enjoy this. I don't want to feel guilty for liking this. But I do and I can't help it. I'm sorry, Fuu. I'm so sorry."

She felt him shift behind her. He reached out with his hand on the floor. He asked, "Can I hold your hand?"

She reached for his offering and grabbed it. His skin felt so warm and welcoming, she never wanted to think of his touch as filthy again. It wasn't fair. She wanted to be normal, for all the bad to go away.

"Fuu?"

"Yes?"

"Can you be patient, please? For me?"

"I can. I'm not going to force you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Don't say that anymore. It's not your fault."

Nino hesitated. Everything he said before was calm, even sweet. She felt love in his voice. But here she caught a tone of bitterness like hints of char in overcooked soup. She dared to look at him again. He wasn't mournful or confused anymore. He looked enraged, a cold fury like a storm roaming the sea sinking lonely ships.

"Fuu? What are you thinking?"

Futaro glanced her way. His eyes were hard. What happened?

"It's not your fault."

Nino crawled closer, she said, "Fuu? What are you thinking?" He hesitated. "Fuu, you're scaring me."

Futaro breathed raspily, then said, "I know we can't do anything about the school. It's a lost cause. But it's not your fault. It's hers."

Ichika.

"Why are you thinking about her?"

"How can I not? She's the one who started this. You're still hurting because of her."

Nino didn't want to talk about this. It was over. Done. She didn't want to bring it up. "It's too late, what's done is done. Just drop it, please."

Futaro said, "I'm trying, but it's not that easy for me."

"Then do it for me."

"I'm trying."

He took deep breaths trying to regain his calm. It wouldn't come. Ichika was on his mind like red check marks on her homework.

Nino said, "I already forgave her, you know."

"I do."

"Well I don't want to sit in a room while you think curses about my sister."

"Would you rather I say it out loud?"

"I'd rather you move on! Why is this so important?"

"Because she hurt you, and she's still hurting you because of what she did. And she's hurting me too, or do you think I don't hurt whenever I see you in pain? None of this would be happening if not for her."

"And we're just gonna keep wallowing in this? Are you gonna keep hating her forever?"

"So what if I am?" Futaro yelled. He yelled at her. "Am I not allowed to feel? Am I supposed to just crush this emotion like I used to? I can't do that anymore, Nino! I can't!"

Nino was taken aback. His screams felt like razor blades racing past her skin. She saw him soften almost immediately, ready to apologize. But it was too late for that.

"I know you do. I know because I feel the tension every time you two are stuck in a room together. I feel it when we're studying, I feel it in class, I feel it when we're walking down the street! I know, Futaro! I know! And it hurts me too!"

Futaro hardened again, "Well what am I supposed to do? She did something unforgivable!"

"It's not if I can forgive her!"

"Well I can't!"

No, he wouldn't. And as much as she loved him, as grateful as she was for his support, she didn't want to be around someone attacking her family. Even if he thought she deserved it. Even if a part of her agreed.

"Fine. Stay her and wallow then. Be mad. I'm done."

She stood and stormed out of the hall. She grabbed the suitcases and her bag and was putting on her shoes when Futaro appeared. He asked, "What are you doing?"

"What I came here to do," Nino said plainly.

Futaro breathed harshly and said, "Fine, give me-"

"No. I'm going alone. Go home."

"Nino-"

"Go home, Futaro. Go home and keep hating my sister who I still love. Go and be mad for as long as you like. Just leave me out of it."

She opened the door and lugged her suitcases to the stairs. Her rage was so great the suitcases seemed light as she hurried them down the steps. She extended their handles once she reached the bottom and quickly set out into the night alone.

A/N

I don't have much to say this time. I wrote this chapter in a few sittings and after a few rounds of revision, I'm very pleased with how it came out. I consider this one of the more important chapters in the entire work, so I'm glad it came out mostly how I had it in my head. Putting an idea into actual words is a labor of translation, and sometimes it doesn't come off the way you want. But this time I think it did, and I am satisfied.

I tried to balance the erotic elements so that they were realistic for two people just learning how to enjoy each others' bodies, and all the trials and hiccups that go along with it. Neither character is experienced, but enthusiasm makes up for a lot of fumbling. I decided to write this from Nino's perspective because, for obvious reasons at the end of the chapter, it does tie in to her character and a large challenge she has ahead of her. The end of this chapter shows how both Nino and Futaro are carrying baggage and show how far each still has to go to overcome them.

I hope the erotica wasn't too smutty, or titillating for the sake of titillation. I want sex to display character and development more than sex for sex's sake. I hope that's how it comes off to you readers.

The next chapter was originally going to be part of this chapter, just like chapters 6 and 7, and 9 and 10 were as well, but the first half went on well beyond what could be considered a reasonable length to continue. Luckily this chapter has a solid stopping point (cliffhanger) to end on. There will be resolution next chapter, and it will be Itsuki's time to shine. I know Itsuki's development has lagged behind her sisters, and I hope to turn that around in this arc.

More to come soon. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of my first attempt at smut with plot.

Chapter published: November 3rd, 2022.