Part 2
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Naota awoke with a start. He instantly realized that the extra body heat that he fell asleep with was no longer present. Could it have been a dream? At this thought, his head snapped up. He glanced around his surroundings to realize he wasn't in the right bed, so it couldn't have been a dream.

But then where was-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door of his room being opened. Ta-kun! What are you still doing in bed? You're such a lazy bum. Haruko, although not fully dressed herself, spoke as she walked into the room and made her way up to the top bunk.

If I remember correctly, I was the one trying to wake you up. Naota replied groggily. He somewhat wondered if she was going to acknowledge what happened before at all. What time is it? he added, sitting up and stretching.

Two thirty. You have someplace to go?

In the afternoon?! He reacted initially. Then Naota thought about her question. He didn't have anything to do today. He shook his head and began to wonder why she had asked in the first place.

He received the answer to his question as she laid back down on the bed where she was that morning. It's just one of those days, huh?

Naota felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Okay, he guessed that she was acknowledging what happened...

Those days'? he repeated as he gazed down at Haruko, who was gazing back up at him from her spot on the bed.

The days when ya just don't wanna get out of bed... she trailed off, a look of fatigue passed over her features.

Before another moment passed however, Naota found himself leaning on his arms... which were placed on either side of Haruko. His face became a deeper shade of pink.

She continued, her voice softer then before. ... and lovers never want to leave each other's sides for any reason all day long...

Naota felt his heartbeat become louder again, and he was afraid Haruko would hear and make a joke about it. But there was silence as intense golden eyes never left the dark blue ones from above. He opened his mouth to ask why she was doing this... if she meant any of it... why she came back, and if she was going to leave again... but the only thing he could come out with was a weak

Haruko only smiled as she slowly wrapped an arm around Naota's waist and placed a hand on the back of his neck, bringing him down towards her. She brought her lips next to his ear, making sure their cheeks touched as she softly replied. Because they love each other, silly.

At this, Naota decided that the answer to his questions could wait, Haruko wasn't going anywhere right then... He felt a new wave of fatigue come over him as his head fell comfortably into the crook of her neck, his arms finding their way around her waist. Naota absentmindedly noticed the way their legs intertwined as he felt the arm around his waist slide down to rest on his hip and grow tighter.

He could feel the rhythmic beat of Haruko's heart against his own chest. He fell asleep once again with Haruko, only this time to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Haruko's eyes once again slid shut as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of Naota's neck. Her thoughts were also put off until later, for she, before she knew it, had also fallen asleep. Even if it wasn't a part of her plan.



Naota woke up that day for the third time... time itself no longer important. It was one of those days. He opened his eyes slowly, for light was then filtering throughout his room and since his head had been in a particularly dark place, his eyes were not adjusted. Once he could fully open his eyes if he chose to, which at the time he did not, his other senses slowly started to kick in. He found that his face was resting against something soft and warm... and if he placed his lips right over a certain spot, he could feel a pulse beat beneath them.

Naota slowly started to put everything together in his head, and then he realized... he was sleeping on top of Haruko. His face went very red, and he was glad that Haruko wouldn't see it if she were awake. Noticing that she was making no movements, he realized that she was still asleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, he checked out the rest of his situation. His arms were still around her waist, although a bit stiff, they were fine. Naota observed the way Haruko's limbs had fallen in sleep, her arms were now around his waist, and their legs had become intertwined with the other's and the sheets.

Deciding that he would not being moving anytime soon for fear of waking up like this with Haruko, he returned his head to it's original position. His lips once again found that pulse, and he took in a shallow breath through his mouth.

This was Haruko. She was right here in front of him, beneath him. This was her skin and the feeling against his lips was the blood being bumped throughout her body. She was here. This was real. Haruko, flesh and blood, was here with him.

Then the thought occurred to him that what he was doing was practically kissing Haruko on her neck... and she wasn't even awake. A shiver passed down his spine and a blush crept over his cheeks as he actually realized the predicament he was... positioned in.

Naota tried to keep himself from becoming nervous... that would only make things worse. As he took a few deep breaths, he lifted his head to check if Haruko was waking up. She continued to sleep.

All of his previous nervousness faded away as he continued to look at her in her sleep, her pale skin practically glowed in the(what was most likely late afternoon) light, and the way it caught the soft texture of her pink hair, strand by strand.

he murmured before he could have stopped himself. He tensed up, waiting for the first sign of movement..... Nothing.

He relaxed again, allowing his eyes to gaze on the face of the one person in his whole life he had ever admitted his love to. Realization hit him again.

Naota loved her.

He still did, and at this very moment he was willing to admit that he would continue to love Haruko until the day he died.

His arms tightened softly around her waist as he buried his head into the crook of her neck again. Naota loved this woman.

Haruhara Haruko... Haruha Raharu. Whatever her name was, it didn't matter... he loved her. And he would do anything to make her stay with him this time. If she left again...

He brought his head up once more. Slowly, he freed one of his arms and brought it up to her face. As softly as he dared, he began to run a finger down her face, committing every part of it to memory... pushing back a some strands of hair so he could see her face better, across her forehead, down her cheek... making sure to avoid her eyes so he didn't wake her up. They paused over her lips. They were unbelievably soft. And to think that he had been kissed by her before... and he had kissed her once.

Naota hadn't noticed how he subconsciously brought his face closer to Haruko's, nor did he remember actually giving his body the permission to do anything... but as he was mentally reproclaiming his love for her... his lips met hers. After the short second when realization of what he was doing hit the thought that he may never have another chance to be this close to Haruko pushed realization back to the rear of his mind. Somewhere along the way he also dropped the worry of Haruko awakening to this situation as he gently pushed his lips to hers with more force then before, despite the fact she was still asleep.

Naota loved Haruko.

Then, without warning the left arm around Naota's waist tightened around his hips, and then the unexpected happened. A tongue slipped into Naota's mouth.

A few moments of unexpected bliss in Naota's mind passed by before shock kicked in. He pulled back suddenly, his heart racing. He looked down to Haruko, who was now awake and looking back at him with a playful smile on her face.

Taking advantage of a sleeping girl, are we?

Naota was too dumbfounded to reply, in shock for he had no idea how it got that far...

In Haruko's mind, she was partly cursing herself for not waking up sooner, and another part or herself for totally going off of her own plans. She was also cursing herself for enjoying it so much.

Oh well, she'd make due.

Wanting furi kuri now? she spoke up again, bringing her right arm up to place her hand on the back of Naota's neck.

I- I... and you... I didn't... Naota tried to explain, but being flustered he failed miserably.

She slowly brought Naota's face closer to hers as if to kiss him again.

She then spoke in a soft tone once more.

Don't worry about it... their lips were an inch apart.

Where'd that come from?! She asked herself.

Naota's eyes slid shut...

Naota! Haruko-san! Dinner!

The voice of Kamon cut the moment in two like an knife, Naota pulling back and sitting up immediately, face burning.

Uh, dinner's ready. he said lamely, trying to save himself from the previous moment.

Yeah, and we just woke up... Haruko replied, sitting up as well, leaning back on her arms.

Naota was now straddling her.

He tried to scramble away from her, but ended up getting caught in the sheets. He found his face between Haruko's breasts.

Come on, Ta-kun. We can do that later, I'm hungry. Haruko said, finally pushing the boy off her and calmly exiting the room.

But I... This left Naota alone, mortified, and -he stomach growled.... hungry.