A/N: As promised, here's the second interlude! Here's a bit of context for each of the drabbles:

Drabble #1: "Cravings" – Asuna's POV; written to answer the question "Has Asuna been daydreaming about Kazuto since the party? And has Alice noticed something's up?"; it takes place sometime during the two weeks after Kazuto and Asuna's first night together at the party, and it focuses on Asuna's feelings regarding the whole ordeal

Drabble #2: "Escapades" – Kazuto's POV; takes place when they were still going at it on campus xD After the bathroom ordeal, but before he invites her to go to his house for the first time

Drabble #3: "Her favorite thing" – Asuna's POV; written to answer the question "What is the thing that Asuna loves most about Kazuto?"; it complements the drabble "His favorite thing(s)", from the previous interlude

Drabble #4: "Drunken haze" – Kazuto's POV; it's the night where Kazuto placed the bet he talked about in the previous chapter; Asuna was already going to his house frequently, at this point

I hope this helps a bit! Tbh, the first drabble should've been in the previous interlude, but I forgot to post it back then :') But anyways, it's here now! I hope you enjoy UwU

Cravings

Craving was something Asuna was familiar with. Ever since she was little, she'd been taught to crave – to want more, to dream bigger, to achieve greater. To slowly unveil the best version of herself, even through the hardships and challenges life posed in her way. It was ingrained in her, just like any other habit one may develop without being fully aware of. She always did her best, no matter the situation she was in, because it simply was in her nature to do so.

Better grades, getting into her desired degree, moving out on her own, winning the Student Council's elections so she could become president and actually make a change – in each of these instances, she had a clear goal in mind, a target she set her sights on, something she craved with every fiber of her being. And thus, something she was willing to fight for.

However…

"Look what I brought you!" Alice singsongs, approaching her with cute little hops that made her resemble a bunny.

Asuna glances at her through the corner of her eye, watching as the blonde stops next to her with a small bag in hand. The logo of her favorite candy shop stamped on the brown paper of the bag her best friend teasingly waves around is easily recognizable by her keen eye, but she ignores it completely and turns back to the paperwork she was going over before Alice burst through the door.

Like a hot air balloon that had its flame suddenly taken away, Alice quickly deflates, plopping down defeatedly on the chair next to hers with a whine that resonated in the empty study room at the library.

"Asunaaaa, how long are you going to keep ignoring my love?" she asks, laying her head down on the desk and looking at the chestnut-haired girl with eyes full of regret. Her cheek squished against the wood makes her look adorable, but Asuna would be damned if she gave in to her cute attempts at shaking up her heart.

Truth was, she wasn't mad at her. How could she, after Alice earnestly explained that she didn't mean to lose her in the crowd and that she spent the next hour looking for her with Eugeo? How could she when the blonde immediately recognized her distress as soon as they found each other, right after she left the bedroom – after she left him – in a hurry? How could she when her roommate completely forsook Eugeo and the party just to take her home, because she sensed her need to escape?

No, it wasn't her best friend she was angry at – she was angry at herself. Furious, even. But selfishly, she decided to let it out on her caring roommate.

'I'm going to worship your body like nobody ever has before, Angel.' He had said, and he had fulfilled. But at what cost, she wonders? She gave in to her deepest, most hidden desires, because she thought she'd be satisfied. That she wouldn't want more.

And she was a fool.

"I'll buy you even more candy, I promise!" Alice attempted once more, eyes shining lightly, clear tears filling up those blue oceans of hers and threatening to spill at any given moment.

Asuna felt like the biggest jerk on the face of the earth.

"Alice-chan…" she sighs, finally putting down her pen. It really would be unfair to keep giving the blonde the cold shoulder like this. Alice, in turn, immediately straightens up at the sound of her name, placing her hands over hers on top of the desk and nodding encouragingly. "I'm not mad at you."

"Y-You're not?" Alice blinks in confusion, tilting her head slightly to the side in curiosity, "Then what is it? Why have you been-"

The golden-haired girl takes in a large gulp of hair, forcing her words to a screeching halt as her eyes widen in something akin to realization. Asuna narrows her own eyes in return.

"Did… Did something really happen at the party?" Alice asks and Asuna tenses, "Eugeo did mention it, but… I found it a bit hard to believe and I didn't want to think much of it, even though it was clear that you… You're not really the kind to do such things, but I suppose that if it was him-"

"Wow, wow, wow, hold up right there!" Asuna yelps, feeling scalding heat crawling up her neck – if it was due to the burning replay of their passionate night at the back of her mind or the possibility of actually getting caught, she couldn't be sure. "What did Eugeo-kun say? Who are you talking about?!"

A pitying look is the only answer Alice gives her. And she feels her chest tighten in despair, an invisible, choking grip getting a hold of her throat and cutting out her air supply.

Alice seems to take notice of her distress, which Asuna assumes is what prompts her to finally respond.

"Sorry, sorry. Forget I said anything! I'm just happy you're finally talking to me again! This is reason to celebrate," she declares, slipping both arms around Asuna's torso and nuzzling her head against Asuna's shoulder.

"Alice-chan," the chestnut-haired girl whines, trying to shrug off her clingy best friend, though to no avail.

The prospect of Alice knowing – of Eugeo knowing – scared her. It scared her beyond belief, because she hated the feeling of others knowing more about her than she herself did. Even if it was her best friend, the thought of Alice being more aware of her own feelings than Asuna herself was completely terrified her. She wanted to figure out her heart, she really did – but she wanted to do so on her own.

Therefore, deep down, she appreciated her best friend's efforts to brush off the subject, to turn a blind eye on whatever she believes she knows, to pretend she wasn't aware of what may have happened right before she found the panicked Student Council President at the party. Because this once – just this once, ignorance truly was bliss.

"Come on, enough studying and revising papers for today!" Alice declares, closing Asuna's notebook and putting her colored pens and pastel markers inside of her fluffy pencil case, "Let's get ice cream!"

Not wanting to ruin Alice's happy mood, Asuna can only offer her a small smile and a nod as she gets up from her chair and helps the blonde put her things away.

Craving was something Asuna was familiar with – truly, it was. However, the weird feeling that has been pulling at her heart strings and knotting up her stomach whenever she lay eyes on him after he had loved her body in a way that no other man ever had, wasn't.

And she can only wonder… what was she to do when what she craved for was someone's touch…?

Escapades

Her breathy gasps are a symphony all of their own, a beautiful combination of low moans and heavy breathing that have his heartbeat thundering inside his chest. Their movements are in perfect sync – when he rises, she falls, and when he falls, she rises. Kazuto is the conductor of their motions, aiding in her struggles to coordinate her pace through the hazy fog blurring her vision and the incoherent babbling spilling from her lips.

It's dark inside of the crammed closet, the lamp above their heads doing a very poor job of illuminating their surroundings. It buzzed and flickered every once in a while, most likely signaling its final moments before it gave out and left them in the dark. The distinct smell of cleaning supplies hung in the air when they first stumbled inside, though they were too busy with each other to pay any mind. Now, with his face buried in her shoulder and the fruity scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils, it was hard to even recall it anymore.

His nose drags up the side of her neck and nuzzles her cheek, before his teeth teasingly nip at her jaw as he adjusts his hold around her waist. Pinned against the wall by his body and with her arms wrapped shakily around his neck, Asuna lets out a small whine, hips steadily following after his in search of more friction as they keep grinding against each other.

"So needy, Angel," he pants, eyes drooping closed in rapture when she tightens her legs around his hips, bringing him closer. His cock twitches within the confines of his sweatpants, and he lets out a grunt at the sweet friction of her clothed center against his own. "What a mess you're going to make. Cumming on my pants like this… so naughty."

He slips one hand under her blouse, palm caressing up her stomach until his digits find the edge of her bra. When he feels its lacy texture, a smirk curls up the edge of his lips and he pulls away quickly. Asuna looks down at him in confusion, but he offers no verbal explanation, choosing to let his actions clarify his intentions. With precision, he pulls her away from the wall for just a moment, enough to allow him to hook his fingers underneath the hem of her blouse and pull it up over her head. She doesn't hesitate to follow his lead, untangling her arms from his neck and raising them up so the piece of clothing would come out easier. Discarding it somewhere on the floor, Kazuto presses her up against the wall once more, letting his eyes roam over her torso.

Sure enough, the undergarment was lacy like he'd envisioned, but it was a much more pleasant surprise than what he'd expected. White, mostly transparent lace covered her chest in an intricate pattern, pushing up her plump breasts and narrowing the deep valley between them to nothing more than a thin slit. The tip of his tongue darts out to wet his lips at the sight, his dark gaze lifting up to meet hers.

Relishing on the knowledge that her hazel eyes are on him, he takes the opportunity to dip his head down, placing a feathery kiss right below her clavicles. A shuddery breath leaves her lips, quickly replaced by a moan when he daringly sticks his tongue out and pushes it between the squeezed mounds, dragging it up until it reaches the spot he'd previously kissed. His lips brush over the skin of her chest, trailing the hem of her bra and placing soft kisses on his way before his teeth finally get a hold of the fabric and pull it down, releasing her breasts. Kazuto immediately attaches his mouth to her left nipple, sucking on it with might as she arches her back off the wall, chasing after the hot muscle that wantonly circles around her pebbled bud.

It doesn't take him long to switch to the other breast, his lips, tongue and teeth giving it equal attention, until she's writhing in his hold and begging him to stop playing around.

"Playing around?" he repeats tauntingly, rising up to his full height. Asuna promptly rubs herself against him once his erection is aligned with her pulsating core again, gasping out a relieved moan at the blissful pressure. Kazuto groans, touching his forehead to hers, "Oh, Angel… I don't play around."

As if to prove his point, he helps her increase the pace, rolling his hips against hers, allowing his tip to stroke her swollen clit every time. Asuna's fingers pull at his locks harshly as their tempo rises steadily, her face flushed a deep red, a color he can't seem to get enough of. He can feel her wetness soaking through the material of his sweats and boxers, her arousal further fueling his own.

"What will I tell everyone when I walk out of this closet, hm?" he asks, entangling his fingers into her hair and moving her head up to face him, "Can I tell them I was busy fucking you through our clothes? Can I show them the pretty stain you're leaving all over my cock?"

His words and the low tone of his voice make her shudder, and he feels her trying to clench her core in an attempt to keep her arousal in. It turns out to be in vain, and the juices trickle down her entrance easily, seeping through the thin barrier of her panties and his clothes, their warmth reaching his throbbing member. At this point, he's sure the front side of his pants is completely wet, and that knowledge only serves to turn him on even more.

Releasing her hair, he reaches behind his neck and grabs both of her hands with his, pulling them away from him and raising them above her head. She allows a surprised gasp to tumble from her lips as his fingers tighten around her wrists, securing them to the wall as well and leaving her completely at his mercy. The erotic sight of her chest rising and falling rapidly, breasts hanging freely from her bra and bouncing with every roll of their hips together, is enough to bring forth his release.

It's almost as though Asuna senses it too, her eyes screwing shut and her mouth shaping into a small 'o' of ecstasy, an expression he easily recognizes as one that indicates the approach of her high. Before she can cry out as she dissolves before him, he clamps his mouth over hers to swallow down the sounds – and just as he predicted, she whimpers loudly against his lips. He deepens the kiss, his tongue pushing into her mouth and swirling around hers as he surrenders to his own orgasm.

Even as they try to catch their breaths, Kazuto refuses to detach his lips from hers. He continues with care, mouth moving over hers lazily as he switches between brushing their lips together to kissing her slowly, until she's able to breathe normally again.

He's the first to speak when they fully recover.

"Clothed sex, uh? We should do this more often, Angel-"

She gives him a quick jab on the ribs to shut him up and he grunts in pain, just as the lamp finally gives out and blankets them in darkness.

Her favorite thing

She groggily blinks her eyes open, soft pillow against her cheek and cold sheets covering her bare skin as sunlight streams through the window, contrasting against the light grey walls of the unfamiliar bedroom. It takes her brain a few seconds to process that information, to pinpoint the orange hues to those of the setting sun and the strange surroundings to those of the apartment of the man she had visited in the early hours of the afternoon. When it all finally sinks in, her eyes widen in shock and she almost jolts up from the bed in a panic, realizing she'd accidently fallen asleep where she shouldn't have and for way longer than desirable. However, the sight of said man sitting at the edge of the bed has her freezing in place.

Kazuto's naked back faces her as he leans forward, elbows resting on the powerful thighs that had supported her entire weight not too long ago, skillfully moving their bodies in perfect sync to create beautiful music. She lets her eyes wander slowly, taking in the cute dimples on his lower back before moving up his spine, until something on his right shoulder blade catches her attention. Her mouth shapes into a small 'o' of astonishment when her eyes land on the large wolf tattoo that paints his naturally tanned skin black. Its head looks unbelievably realistic, dark fur incredibly detailed and fierce, golden eyes staring straight into her soul. For some reason, it reminds her of him. Before she realizes it, she's clutching the white sheets to her chest and sitting up on the bed as her left hand reaches up to caress the intricate lines. He shivers slightly when her cold fingertips first connect with his burning skin, but his muscles soon relax beneath her digits as she begins tracing the outline of the wolf.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo…" she mutters, never ceasing her movements as her nails lightly graze the inked fur. He unconsciously leans back against her touch.

He seems to ponder for a moment, before breathing back, "I got it on a whim when I was 17," reaching behind him, he takes her other hand in his. Without her hold around them, the sheets pool back on her lap, but she pays them no mind as he softly brushes his thumb against her knuckles, "…almost gave Eugeo a heart attack. He can't lie for shit, so he nearly told my parents countless times. Thankfully, my foot against his shin does wonders…"

She lets out a muffled giggle, scooting closer to him so she can observe every little detail. She takes note in amazement that the fur isn't all the same shade of black, giving off the illusion of it drifting in the breeze when she moves her head from side to side, "I like it…" she whispers and he draws in a sharp breath.

"Do you now?" he asks back, shaky voice breaking through his lips.

She hums in response, closing the final space between them to wrap her arm around his waist and press her chest against his back. He tenses for just a bit, before holding her hand tighter and bringing it to his lips, placing soft kisses on each of her fingers, "Angel… if you do these kinds of things, I might just start thinking that you've fallen for me…" he tries to joke but ends up sounding way more serious than he'd probably intended.

The sweet gesture knocks the breath right out of her lungs, but she does her best to regain it so she can let out a small cough, "Please, as if… I just like the wolf." She answers in a quiet voice as he starts kissing up her arm.

When he turns around to finally claim her lips with his, she wonders for a moment who it was that she was trying to convince. Herself or him.

Drunken haze

He should've known this was a bad idea. From the moment he laid eyes on Asuna for the first time, he knew the kind of girl she was. Elegant. Refined. Clever. Well-behaved. Someone with a good head on her shoulders; or, as his mates would put it, a "goody two-shoes". And, as such, someone who wasn't at all familiar with the fun side of life, because she was too focused on doing things right. Having never been the kind to go out at night and party, it was more than obvious that Asuna wasn't used to the particular… extras that came along with it. Drinking included.

The only alcoholic beverage Kazuto could vividly imagine grasped in her delicate hand was a flute of champagne. Maybe a martini too, on a special occasion (and oh, how he cherished the mental image of her, raising the toothpick to her mouth and playfully rolling the green olive against her cherry lips as she looked at him through her lashes). But that was it.

Yet, even knowing so, he was also certain of another thing; and that was his love for teasing her. Thus, as they sat on the floor of his living room in front of his coffee table, facing each other with opposing expressions (her with a glare and him with a cocky smile), he'd said:

"If you manage to outdrink me, I'll be on my best behavior around you on campus for an entire week."

It was easy as that. He knew Asuna was stubborn – there was no way she'd back out from a challenge when directly confronted by it. And since it was a Friday evening – which meant no classes for them on the next day –, Eugeo having left earlier for their hometown to spend the weekend with his family, it was as if every star on the universe had aligned to lead them to that exact moment.

"Oh?" she'd issued, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow in interest. However, she was a smart girl – she knew very well that he wouldn't propose something from which only she could get something out of. So, she'd asked, "And if I lose…?"

His lips had pulled up even more, a Cheshire grin full of mirth, "I get to take you out for an entire day."

Asuna had stared at him like he'd just made a terribly humorless joke, like he'd completely lost his mind… but when she saw that he was dead serious, her whole demeanor morphed into a business-like mode as she sighed lightly and gathered her locks up into a high ponytail. Reaching out for one of the bottles he'd set up on the table a few moments prior, she'd unscrewed the cap, grabbed a shot glass and poured the liquid inside of it with a determination anyone would've associated to someone who was perfectly experienced in the ways of hard drinks. As she picked up the glass and brought it to her lips, she'd narrowed her eyes at him and declared, "Deal."

But now…

"Ka-zu-to-kuuuun~~" Asuna sing-songs, struggling to push her hair aside through her drunk daze.

Kazuto had never cursed his high tolerance as much as he did in that moment. Because he wished he was absolutely wasted, he wished he couldn't think straight, he wished he could forget to be a gentleman for a goddamn second so he could give in to her advances. Or, to summarize, he wished he wasn't fucking sober.

"Angel-" he tries, but Asuna clumsily raises a finger to her lips and shushes him. Getting down on her hands and knees, she starts crawling over to him on the couch, a suggestive smile on her lips as her dress straps slip down her shoulders to reveal her chest. She'd taken off her bra sometime along the way, even though he'd awkwardly tried to stop her from doing so.

In that evening, he'd been able to find out that Asuna was the type of drunk who got awfully bold. And giggly. Everything was funny to her, even the most rudimentary of things (like his perfectly normal cushion, at which she'd laughed for a good 5 minutes straight because "it was placed funny!" on the couch).

Gulping down dryly, he tries to look off to the side, "Uh, Asuna… y-your dress-"

How embarrassing, he thinks… he's stuttering like a high school boy with a silly crush. As if he wasn't a grown ass man. As if he hadn't seen her breasts – and the rest of her – countless times before. But the way Asuna fascinated him… the way she made his heartbeat so erratic every time they were together, as if it was their first time all over again… it was something he'd never felt before. With no one.

"But you like it, don't you?" she probes, getting closer and closer to him, her eyes shining with want, "You love my breasts, Kazuto-kun… you always give them so much attention…"

Asuna stops on his lap and lifts her hands from the couch in favor of placing them on his shoulders. Her fairly large dress is at her waist now, her upper half completely exposed as she adjusts herself on top of him. He hates how his mouth practically waters at the beautiful chest right in front of his face, her nipples perfectly perked, practically begging for his attention. His hands ache by his sides, resisting the urge to reach out to fondle the cause of his distress.

"Oh, Angel, I do… I love every part of you, not just your breasts… and you should know how incredibly difficult this is for m- aaah-"

She huffs in defiance, and for a moment he sees the same Asuna he's used to, the one who calls him a dumb jerk on campus but kisses him senseless behind closed doors. And she seems so too when she grinds her hips down on his to make him shut up, biting down on her lower lip as a moan of her own spills out from her throat and clogs his ears to everything else.

He's hard. God, he's so hard for her that he can't even think straight, much less speak. But even still…

"Angel… let's stop here, hm?" he says, grabbing her wrists and bringing them down to her lap. Asuna looks at him with confusion in her hazel orbs, offering a cute head tilt that makes stopping her ten times harder.

"But Kazuto-kun-"

He growls and shakes his head no, "Don't- do not call out my name like that, Asuna. Don't make this even more difficult for me," he grabs her straps and carefully pulls them up, almost breathing out a sigh of relief when the fabric of her dress covers her chest once more. "I'll make sure to remind you of this whole ordeal in the morning, sweetheart. But for now, let's go to sleep. It's getting late."

He sneaks a glance at his wristwatch, confirming that it was way past midnight already.

"You're so mean…" she whines, her eyelids fluttering cutely as her lips pucker out in a disappointed pout, "I'm perrrfectly fine!" she drawls, her tongue curling in an audible struggle to pronounce the r.

"I know, baby. You're perrrfectly sober too." He smiles softly, brushing some strands away from her eyes and rubbing their noses together before she tilts her head down and buries her face on his neck.

Next thing he knows, Asuna starts mumbling against his skin, almost instantly forgetting her previous intentions in favor of going on and on about the multiple things that captivated her in life and that, according to her, she'd like to know more of. About how she believed in ghosts and was absolutely terrified of them. About how she was firmly convinced that there were plenty of other planets out there that had living beings as intelligent – if not more – than them. About fate and cosmic energy and life after death. She talked and talked, and he listened intently, humming in encouragement here and there while his mind vaguely thought of how fascinating it was that she was still able to build concise and grammatically correct sentences through her drunken haze. But even so, the slight slur to her speech – something that he could only describe as adorable – easily gave her condition away.

Only after some time did her energy start dying down. She spoke slower, yawning in between words and shifting on his lap to adjust her position and cuddle even closer to him. And soon enough, she was asleep, her breathing slow and steady against his collarbones.

"Angel… are you sleeping?" he whispers, craning his head down to look at her. No response comes. Kazuto smiles and squeezes his arms around her, nuzzling his nose into her hair and gently laying a kiss on her forehead.

In the quietness of the room, when their synchronized heartbeats fall silent for a split second between thumps, he lets down his guard and allows himself to murmur the words that had been on the forefront of his mind for the entire evening…

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

"I love you."

Thump, thump.