Continuance

by Vocarin

They say that there are no endings, but only new beginnings. Something finishes, something else starts. Souji Seta is no stranger to new beginnings, but now it's time to make his own.

29. Chapter 29

Author's Notes: The date for this chapter isn't a coincidence. December 8th, according to the Persona Wiki, is Yukiko's birthday. Since she's been so central to the story, and because Enact and I are fans of hers and huge nerds to boot, this chapter is for her. I think you'll all see why.

There will be sex in this chapter, upping the ante from last time. If that offends you or is a sticking point, don't read any further. You have been warned.

Firion316: You say the nicest things! I appreciate the comments. As to Souji and his parents, I can't say yet (I'm a jerk, I know), but I can say that that particular conflict is an important part of Souji's character, and therefore an important part of the fic. That's as far as I'll go, but I can promise that I will always strive to keep up to the standards you have seen so far.

Zelanel: I do have a crazy sense of timing it seems. Many apologies for the mistakes. I went back and looked at them, and Enact is now eating his food through an IV while I went on a two-month flagellation spree. The scabs are almost coming off now, so we should be good to go this time. If you're not diabetic yet, then this chapter should push you further in that direction. Yuuma and Izumi is a complex thing, so it's not going to be pretty in the end. As to what that means, well, we'll see. I won't give away what happens with Izumi since I'd be giving away the content of the chapter. Take a gander and see what you think.

Eunoshin: Thanks for your comments. I will take them into consideration, and I hope to hear from you again. Quite a few of your concerns will be addressed here, so I hope you enjoy the show.

Ulcaasi: Oh come now. I wouldn't be THAT evil. I'd call it "writer's discretion" or "It needs a cliffhanger there!" before I'd call it "evil," so that makes it all right. In all seriousness, I'm glad you're liking things. As a pro tip, we'll be seeing Kanji and Naoto next chapter, so if this chapter doesn't give you enough of a kick in the feels, hopefully the next one will. Enjoy!

Binbix: I was rather happy with the reunion scene, so I am glad that you liked it. It does feel a bit like poetic justice when you say it like that. As to the scars and bandages, I can't promise too much, but it's something that's always been there and won't be going away. Hope you like the chapter!

dannyalvian68: Aye aye! I hope this is a fitting tribute. Enjoy!

Anime obsessed fan: Welcome! Glad to have you here, and I hope that I continue to remain worth reading. Rise and Yosuke have been getting a fair amount of attention, so I'll ask: why do like the idea? You're not the first person to say that, so why does it warrant attention? The family reunion was a stroke of luck on his part, but I like to think that good deeds get rewarded in their own way. As to Doujima, he will have some work ahead of him, but we'll see when I get there (Hint: we'll be seeing him in the next chapter). As to Izumi, well, she'll be showing up earlier than that.

Flavius001: I'm glad you liked it. The argument between Souji and Doujima was meant to be a conflict between two correct sides, so if it got that kind of a response, then I'm happy. If the last chapter put a smile on your face, let's see if I can pull the same trick again with this one.

Kyral: Glad to hear from you! No worries, the site was pretty picky when I posted, for some reason, so I get it. Adorableness was what I was going for, so I'm glad that came across. It did seem appropriate given the circumstances. As for Souji and Doujima, I'm glad you bring up both sides of the argument because that's what I was going for: neither of them is totally right or totally wrong, but both have strong reasons behind them for doing what they have, and that means strong emotions getting into the mix. It's not an easy situation or a pretty one, but a consistent one, so we'll see how it works out. As for Yuuma, lots of people seem to have that opinion of him. I can't promise the unholy beatdown of EVERY member of the Team hammering on him, but, well, I'm not deaf to the public sentiment where he is concerned, let's just say that. As for Izumi and Souji, it does seem like we are going in that direction, doesn't it? I won't spoil anything, but there is room for some things to happen with her and her son. You bring up the point of the power of bonds, and Souji certainly understands that, but I question if he would let the same be said about his parents given his experiences with them. Regarding the Team's scars, what do you mean by a red herring? I'm not sure I understand what you mean, so I'd welcome a PM or a comment on the topic if you'd like to discuss it further. Thanks for the comment, and I hope you enjoy the show.

Originaljuan92: Glad you like them. I can't make any promises on him ripping into his mother at the Doujima house, but there will be some friction between them that hits a high point soon. I won't say more, so you'll have to read and see what I mean. Thanks, and enjoy!

greymouser: You make some good points, and I have a few cards of that particular suit that I can play. Hope you like what you see, and I hope that you like the chapter.

jack the writer: Thanks for the comments. You have a very fetching way with words, and now I'm a little jealous. I hadn't actively considered the idea of a strong contrast between families, but it is a rather good point, isn't it? I'll take credit, of course, so thanks for making the point. The banter between Souji and Yukiko was a treat to write, same as the girl talk, so I'm glad you like it. Izumi and Souji and their relationship are at the heart of the story at this point, and it's not going to be a clean fix by any stretch. That said, it will be front and center on things in the future, so if you are hoping for more that, you shouldn't be too disappointed.

memmek10k: Much obliged. I hope you like this one too.

Anonymous568: It was my intention to make both sides of the argument have good points. Fights between two "correct" parties tend to make for the best material, so I'm glad that worked. Adorable is what I do best, and I'm not done yet. Not by a long shot. As for Chie and Kou, I'm glad you're giving them a chance. I did want to show Chie's insecurities, so I'm glad that they came across well, and yeah, Kou is a pretty sweet guy. The family was fun to work with, and I want to write a scene with Akane and Nanako in the future, just to see if I can bend reality with that much cuteness in one place. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you enjoy the show.

Carameldynr: You need wait no longer. Enjoy!

Dragoon Swordsman: I'll take what I can get, in that regard. I'll certainly try to make them appealing, of course, but I'm glad that it hasn't become too much of a problem. The argument between Souji and Doujima took some doing, but I wanted it to be emotionally loaded, so I'm quite glad to see that it has gotten so many different responses. As to Yuuma and Izumi, I will be getting into that in the future, but it is a messy issue since we're seeing Yuuma as a tyrannical jerk, but Izumi sees the man she fell in love with, married, and had a child from. It's not something with an easy answer, but that's why it's so much fun. Enjoy!

Ziodyne967: Thanks! You need not wait too long, and I hope that this one is worth the wait. Hope you like it!

Now then, no speeches or calls to battle. I hope that you all have a great holiday season, are able to spend time with friends and family, and, most of all, enjoy the sheer tonnage of sap I'm about to unleash.

Quick bit of lore. It's common on Japanese trains for the terminal attendants to actually push people in so that the doors can close. It happens during rush hour on the busier lines because of the sheer number of people. Also, Kanto and Kansai are the names for the eastern and western regions of Japan, respectively. Kanto tends to be associated with Tokyo and its surrounding cities, and its people are portrayed as being more stern and serious while Kansai is associated with Osaka and Kyoto, and its people are said to be more fun-loving and less uptight about the rules. Whether that's true or not probably depends on your own experiences, but those are the stereotypes. Finally, Kansai-ben is the dialect unique to the Kyoto, Kobe and Osaka region, and it's more casual and colloquial than "proper" Japanese.

Read, enjoy, comment and subscribe, and let me give a huge Canadian "thank you" to everyone who reads my stuff. It's a real honour to be here, and let's look forward to an awesome 2016.

Chapter 29

"Pretty girl," Hasagawa commented from the edge of the desk, looking at the picture frame on Souji's desk. The picture being displayed was of Yukiko in her kimono during her graduation, pride and happiness lighting up her face while she posed for the camera with Chie, Yosuke and Nanako with her.

Souji grabbed and filed papers and reports as fast as he could, feeling like an octopus as he prepared to tackle the next project in his inbox. "Which one do you mean?" he asked slyly as he looked up with a quick smile, already knowing the answer.

Hasagawa gave him a sidelong look while shaking his head. "Please. You know I mean Amagi-san."

The picture flickered to one of her selfies, showing her smiling into the camera with her other hand up and her fingers in a V. She'd sent it to him when she found out that she'd scored one point lower than him on her midterms, which still put her above the 90% mark.

"Yeah," Souji replied knowingly, "I guess I should. You say it every time you stop by and see her picture."

"Because it's true," Hasagawa insisted. Only a few years older than Souji himself, he had become a fast friend since Souji started with Minoru-san's company. He'd stopped by when Souji was being shown around the office and getting his bearings, and with only a few questions seemed to like what the younger man was made of. Hasagawa had been a steady figure ever since, and he was one of the first people Souji went to when he had any questions. "She doesn't have any sisters or cousins who aren't married already, does she?"

The picture changed to the next one of the two dozen Souji had uploaded to the frame's hard drive. This one was of her in her summer dress, playing with Nanako and Chie's dog down by the river. The digital frame had been a gift from Etsuko-san when he'd started, and she'd insisted that he put pictures of his "lovely fiancée" on it. He'd acquiesced without too much of a fight, but now his relationship status was common knowledge around the office to anyone who cared. And, unexpectedly, more than one person seemed to. "She's an only child," Souji told him, "and I don't think she has any extended family. She never mentioned them, anyway."

Hasagawa sighed. "Of course. Still, if she has any cute friends, keep me in mind."

Souji felt for the guy. He was friendly and he worked hard, seeming determined to make things work on his own, but he was also single due to the hours he put in at work. From what Souji had heard by the water cooler, Hasagawa was also working through his last year of a business degree, and was getting fed up with the girls his older sister was setting him up with. "Yours will be the first number I give out," Souji replied with full sincerity. "I promise."

"I'd appreciate it." Hasagawa smoothed the front of his blue pinstripe suit jacket and brushed his short, modern-cut hair back. The look suited his narrow, stylish glasses and his trim frame. It was clear that even at his age, he was a strong presence in the meeting room. "Let's keep this between the two of us though, alright? Any more and I'd start sounding pathetic."

"You already do," a deeper voice answered from behind. "But you know that it makes you pathetic, so it's all right."

Hasagawa chuckled, turning to face his tormentor while Souji stopped his fast-fire filing. The speaker was someone who had noticed Souji's arrival the moment it happened and introduced himself almost before Souji's nameplate was made. Mizushima stepped up next to Hasagawa and the study of comparisons and contrasts was, as always, interesting. Mizushima was tall, broad, dressed in a distinct maroon suit, and looked like he belonged to the local yakuza with his always-stern expression and shoulder-length hair. The limp he walked with from blowing his knee out and tearing his Achilles tendon in the MMA ring only added to the image. Seeing him next to the lean, clean and classy Hasagawa, who was shorter by a good four inches, made it seem like the shorter man would be easily pushed over, and yet Souji felt like the results of such an attempt would be quite different from that.

"To what do we owe the honour, Mizushima-san?" Souji asked, turning to properly face him. The man might have been nosy, blunt, and almost coarse, but his skills with day trading and investments were above anything Souji had seen before. Mizushima's rationale, when he bothered to give it, rarely made sense in the moment, but his decisions always paid off and he had quite a reputation in the office. Souji had gotten a look at some of the files the man was handling, and it boggled his mind that some of their clients had that many zeroes to their name. He'd been taking notes ever since he'd seen the man in action, and he was looking forward to learning everything he could.

"I heard you're heading out for the holidays," Mizushima began, hands in his pockets while he pinched his teeth together like he was itching for a smoke. It made him seem even bigger and broader than he already was. "Off to see your girl?"

"That's the idea," Souji replied, mentally categorizing where his remaining bits of work needed to go. It wouldn't do to make a mistake and have to fix it the moment he got back. "A few of us are heading west for the holidays."

"Good," Mizushima said bluntly. "Treat a girl like that right, or she'll dump your ass and you'll deserve it. You gotta work hard to keep her."

Souji had a hard time imagining how that would look in practice, but he'd be sure to talk to Yukiko about it when he saw her. She'd get a kick out of someone even more thug-like than Kanji sticking up for her honour. "That's my intention, and I'll be sure to tell her you said that."

Mizushima grunted. "Yeah, make sure you do. If you skimp out on her, you're just disrespecting her. Girl like that deserves more, and you and me'd have to talk about it then."

"I think Amagi-san doesn't have too much to worry about there," Hasagawa noted with a smile as the picture switched again. This one was of her in her usual pink kimono, but she stood for the camera at the desk of the Inn and looked stunning with her eyes closed and joy suffusing her entire being. He'd asked her to pose for the picture as a memory of their first date, and she looked radiant in a way that had nothing to do with the lighting.

Souji had been rather surprised that his coworkers and new friends had taken such a shine to his relationship with Yukiko. That they liked her was no surprise since most of the people he knew had nothing bad to say about her. Mizushima, however, had bonded to her immediately, telling Souji, in as many words, that any indication of cheating or inattention toward her would be rewarded with a swift, hard ass-kicking. It had chafed Souji to be so quickly thought of as someone who would cheat on his girlfriend, but Hasagawa explained the situation to him a few days later. It seemed that Mizushima came from a large family, and because he was the oldest, he looked after all his siblings like a hawk would watch its hatchlings. In particular on that list was the oldest of his sisters, who was seeing a guy for whom Mizushima had nothing good to say. "Lazy bum," "worthless idiot," and "money-sucking leech," were some of the kinder descriptions the rough man had for his sister's boyfriend. Souji surmised that his new senpai had a special disgust for any guy who couldn't carry his own weight, be it in life or in love, and so Souji was reminded to always treat Yukiko properly when the topic came up. Which was quite regularly.

Hasagawa's interest in her was quite a bit easier to figure out. The lean fellow had admitted that his relationships suffered because he was so focused on work, and he felt that only a woman of unearthly patience and understanding and grace, a true yamato nadeshiko, would be able to handle him and his hectic schedule. He evidently thought that Yukiko fit the bill, and thus had held her in very high regard since the day he saw a picture of her in her kimono.

It was an odd way to make friends, but Souji found that he didn't mind too much once he got used to it.

"She doesn't," Souji assured them. "We have a lot planned for when I see her. We might not even get around to all of it on this trip."

"Good," Mizushima grunted, stepping back. "Get back to it then, and don't keep her waiting. Treat her good, and I'll see you when you get back."

"Enjoy your holidays, senpai," Souji replied, smiling at the way the harsh man's eyes opened in surprise.

"I told you to quit callin' me that," Mizushima groused, but his lips turned up despite his attempt at a scowl. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because it's Christmas. Things are going to get even busier around here, so be ready for that when you get back."

Souji inclined his head respectfully. "I understand."

"Right. Good." Mizushima turned and walked away, his limp a bit less noticeable this time.

"I hope he doesn't bother you," Hasagawa mentioned after the man turned the corner. "He means well, but he's not one for social graces. I don't think he ever has been."

"I've handled worse," Souji replied with a chuckle. He knew most of Mizushima's story. Normally he wasn't one for gossip, but the information had been there just for the asking. Mizushima's family, large even by Western standards, let alone Japanese, fell on hard times when his father was demoted and his mother came down with pneumonia. He'd poured everything he had into being an MMA fighter, taking to the ring to make money and support his family. A bad throw ended everything when it tore up his leg, and the medical bills made things even worse. He took to day trading out of desperation and honed his skills at it until he'd made enough money to help his parents and siblings and earned a good enough reputation that Minoru-san had personally recruited him. "His heart's in the right place, and I can't fault him for that."

"I'm glad you see it that way," Hasagawa told him, leaning back against the desk with a smile. "A lot of people don't."

"I've known some colourful people over the years," Souji commented with a smile. "More than my share, I think. He's looking out for Yukiko almost as much as her own father does, and that's... well, I think you can imagine."

Hasagawa chuckled and shook his head, backing away. "I think I can, but you'll have to tell me about that sometime. It sounds like an interesting story." He checked his watch before looking at Souji. "I should get to work as well. I still have plenty to do. You're leaving soon, aren't you?"

Souji pointed at the remaining paper piles. "Once these are done."

"Then enjoy the holidays, and... well, it might sound strange, but convey my regards to Amagi-san."

"I will." Souji's eyes narrowed a little, and his tone turned playfully scolding. "Make sure you take it easy. No coming in on the weekend to answer calls and move portfolios."

Hasagawa outright laughed this time. "All right, sensei, I promise not to do that too often. Best wishes, and I'll see you when you get back."

"You too." Souji turned back to his work as his friend left, filing everything and addressing whatever he could as fast as he could. He still had to get home and grab his bags before he, Yosuke, Kou and Rise went to the train station to catch their ride to Kyoto. There was still had a lot to do, and he only had...

Souji checked the clock on his desk. Yes, he only had two hours and thirty-four minutes to make it all work. He kept his head down and only looked up when someone addressed him directly, stamping papers and quickly putting them into the right inboxes until he was finished. He made sure his picture frame was off, not wanting to drain the battery over the weekend, and then he punched out and grabbed his stuff, trying to avoid another packet of forms ending up on his desk. He was out of his chair, down the hall, and halfway to the main doors when he stopped to bow politely to his direct supervisor, Tsukuda.

"Everything's up to date, Seta-kun?" the man asked.

Of all the people Souji had met since he'd started working here, Tsukuda gave the most mixed signals and was the hardest to figure out. He was, from all accounts, only in his thirties, but he also had two children, a son and daughter, who he was trying his hardest to see as often as he could after a rather messy divorce that had happened recently enough to still be gossip-worthy. There were plenty of rumours about the man. Some said that he was paying for a new apartment in the aftermath of the settlement, and that his ex was being difficult when it came to visitation rights. Others said that his mistress had conspired with his ex to help her get custody of the children, or that she was a spiteful lover who'd set out to sabotage him in the first place. The rumours were as varied as they were plentiful, but it was hard to tell how close any of them were to the mark when one spoke to the man. There were times when Souji felt like Tsukuda was harbouring a lot of bitterness, but instead of showing any such emotions, Tsukuda would smile and brush off Souji's concerns before correcting any mistakes he'd made. There was no ego in him when he spoke, no sense of authority outside of his vast experience. Had the divorce really been that bad? If it was, he was taking the situation well. What were the circumstances? Had he been the one in the wrong? Given how amiable he was, it was hard to believe. Was that just a facade? Had his wife seen the real him? Was he older than he seemed but didn't like bossing people around? Was he younger than he seemed and just taking his marital breakdown on the chin? With so many questions having so few answers, Souji stopped trying to guess what the man would say or do next and just went with the flow. "It is, sir. Everything's caught up and handled on my end."

"I'm glad to hear that," Tsukuda told him with a soft smile. "You're on your way, then?"

That was another thing about Tsukuda: he spoke carefully, enunciating his words clearly and with enough volume to be heard, but he took his time with every syllable. It made him sound older, but that went against the relatively young look to his face, not to mention the times when he overheard a conversation and seemed to understand what Hasagawa and Kizushima were talking about, no matter what kind of Kanto slang they were using.

Souji smiled to himself. And people thought he was hard to get a read on. Tsukuda had him beat in almost every way. "That's right, sir," he confirmed. "I have a train to catch soon since I'm visiting friends for the holidays."

Tsukuda took half a step to the side, but didn't break eye contact. "Then I won't keep you for too long, but if you don't mind, I'd like a moment of your time."

"Of course, sir. What can I do for you?"

"I assume you're going to visit the young lady whose pictures are on your desk. If that's the case, I have some advice you might find useful."

Souji blinked. This was new. Tsukuda had been one of the few people in the office to not mention Yukiko in some capacity or another, so Souji assumed that he simply hadn't been interested in a subordinate's relationship status. Evidently that wasn't the case. "What sort of advice do you mean, sir?"

Tsukuda chuckled and leaned back against the wall. "It's not really my place, and I hope that I don't offend you, but it will make me feel better if I can say it. You're young and you seem to have a very good thing with Amagi-san, and that's quite rare in this day and age. I'd like to offer my congratulations in making it work while you're living apart. That can't be easy."

It wasn't. It really wasn't, but that was why Souji was looking forward to seeing her in a few hours. If only he could just get out the door. "We're managing, sir," Souji hedged, still not sure where the conversation was going but not about to push past his superior. "But thank you. I'm glad you approve."

This time Tsukuda laughed. "I doubt you need my approval, but for what it's worth you do seem to be doing things right. But you're in a hurry, so here is my advice, if you're open to it: always pay attention to the small details. Women tend to operate on the level of nuance and subtleties, so while you might think that the little things don't matter for much, I can assure you that they do. And even if you think that you are paying attention, make an extra effort. Making such things work is in the details, you see. Details, Seta-kun, and remember that nothing about your relationship is small or trivial."

Souji hadn't expected the advice and wasn't sure how to take it since Tsukuda was his supervisor, but he bowed graciously nonetheless. "I'll remember that, sir. Thank you."

Tsukuda nodded. "You don't need to learn it the hard way like I did." There was no rancour in his voice, not even a grimace or a wince to his face. Just calm acceptance. "Don't let me keep you. Enjoy your holidays and make the most of them."

"I will, sir, and I wish you the same."

"You're too kind."

Tsukuda passed him in the hall, and Souji started for the front door. Details and the little things, eh? He'd tried to make sure that he was following that advice already, but he'd keep it in mind when he had a minute and wasn't at work. It was time to get things moving, and he was already pushing as it–

"Ah, Seta-kun! I need to talk to you before you leave!"

Souji stopped in place and bit his tongue. He was almost there, but he recognized the voice and couldn't just pretend that he hadn't heard her. "Of course, Etsuko-san," he replied as he turned, folding his hands together and trying not to show his impatience. "How can I help you?"

"I heard you're going to visit your fiancée for the holidays," the pregnant woman began as she waddled forward, a small bag in her hand.

Souji groaned on the inside. He enjoyed his job and liked the people he worked with, but he wasn't used to being the center of attention like this. Even if Yukiko was beautiful – in his own unbiased opinion – and even if he was doing well at the job in a short period of time, he wasn't expecting everyone to take such an interest in his and his personal affairs. Were the people here really that desperate for fresh gossip that they were focusing on him? Or had saving Akane-chan elevated him to celebrity status? It made sense where Etsuko-san was concerned, of course, but the matter of timing was becoming a problem. "That's the idea, yes. Some friends and I are leaving today, actually."

"Then please accept this as a Christmas present, for both you and her." She handed him the bag, a smile on her face.

Souji hesitated before slowly taking the offering. "I appreciate it, Etsuko-san, but... won't this cause problems with the other employees? I'm still quite new here, after all, and this might seem like favouritism." He really didn't need to be railroaded or sandbagged by his co-workers just because they were feeling jealous and spiteful.

"It isn't," she assured him, stroking her stomach. "We make sure that all of our employees get something special for the holidays. Minoru set those rules in place when he started the business. You're getting yours a bit early, that's all."

"Oh. I see." Hopefully that was enough to keep his position safe when he got back.

"Also, Akane told me to give it to you. She wanted the two of you to have your gifts before you left, and she was very insistent." Etsuko laughed behind her hand. "She wanted me to tell you to not look until Christmas, and that you and Amagi-san had to open them together. It's a big deal for her, and I hope you understand."

Akane was sounding more and more like Nanako every day. Souji wondered how any of them would survive if the two girls happened to meet. He opened his work bag and put the gifts inside without looking at them, raising his left hand as he looked at the woman. "I promise, we'll do what she says."

Etsuko-san smiled. "Thank you. That will mean a lot to her." She came a little closer and took one of his hands in both of hers. "Make the most of your time together, Seta-kun. Make sure you make plenty of good memories together. You're both young, so you should enjoy yourselves when you can."

Souji blinked against the unexpected stinging in his eyes. Even with everyone else stopping by to talk to him today, he hadn't expected such a heartfelt benediction, especially after so little time at the business. But it felt for a moment like he was being instructed to not worry about anything and just have fun, like Etsuko-san was his big sister or something. "We will," he promised after clearing his throat. "And thank you for everything. I've met some wonderful people here, and I'll be looking forward to starting up again after Christmas."

"We can trade stories," Etsuko-san suggested, a touch of mischief in her eyes. "I expect you'll have a few by the time you get back."

Yes, definitely like an older sister. The feeling was a good one, which was surprising for Souji because he'd never felt the desire for siblings before.

"Go," she commanded, releasing his hand. "You don't want to miss your train. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Seta-kun."

Souji bowed, not sure if he could reciprocate the sentiment in any meaningful way. "Thank you. You as well. Give my regards to Akane-chan and Minoru-san." With that, before he ran into anyone else, Souji was out the door and hailing a cab. He had somewhere to be.

"Dude, did you break the speed limit getting here?" Yosuke asked him when he opened the door to their flat. "Are the cops going to be knocking on the door?"

Souji shrugged. "Traffic was better than usual," he replied. It was mostly true. Money as an incentive and using back roads helped a lot at this time of year. "Let me change and we'll get out of here."

"Rise's still getting her things together," Yosuke informed him, his bags already at his feet and his winter clothes on. It made sense given how sharp the chill was these days, not to mention how Kyoto was going through record temperatures. "She said it wouldn't be too long, but she's on the phone with someone."

"How much longer is she going to be?" Souji asked, biting his tongue to keep things civil. He understood that people needed to pack and be sure they had their things, sure, but he wanted to go now.

Apparently his eagerness was showing on his face, because Yosuke held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Got it, got it, I'll ask her. Take a breath and go pack and get your stuff."

Souji headed to his room before Yosuke was done speaking. He wasn't sure if he popped any buttons off his shirt as he stripped for a quick shower, but he wouldn't have cared if he had. He was halfway done before the water was hot, and tripped on the edge of the shower basin twice in his efforts to dry himself off and brush his hair at the same time. Much as he wanted to kick something for the distractions and hang-ups, he was too set on leaving to let it bother him too much. He was infinitely glad that, in line with his past experiences of leaving places on short notice and moving from apartment to apartment, he'd packed his bags the night before. He was in his room only long enough to throw on clean clothes and grab what he needed, and once he did that he was back to the front door where Kou was waiting with his things.

"Ready?" his friend asked, brushing his blue hair back and smiling.

Souji checked his watch and restrained himself from tearing out the door. The clock was ticking, and neither Rise nor Yosuke were there. "Whenever they are," Souji replied, looking down the hall toward the starlet's room. "Do you know what's taking her so long? I'd rather not miss our ride." The plans had been made in advance and the four of them would be going to the Shin-Yokohama station to get on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen for the trip to Kyoto. It would be late when they arrived, but Yukiko and Chie were all right with it and promised to meet them when they pulled in to the heart of Kansai. Souji wanted to get there with time to spare since there was no way that the station and the train wouldn't be packed to the rafters, even with their tickets pre-ordered. Taking the bullet train wasn't cheap, but it was better than spending a full day in transit.

"We'll make it," Kou promised. "Rise-san knows how big of a deal this is for you and Yukiko-san."

"Do you know if she's even packed? She's had most of the day to–"

"Sorry for the wait!" Rise shouted from her room, scampering out to meet them with some bags flying behind her and her coats barely hanging on as she scrambled to get her arms in the sleeves. "Inoue got me on a conference call and it took forever! We can go whenever you're ready."

Yosuke followed her out, carrying a few bags that were far too girly to be his, and Megumi and Yoshiro trailed along behind him to see them off. "Do you have everything you need?" the lovely brunette asked. "Don't forget your tickets."

The four went around and showed their train tickets, putting them somewhere safe until they got to the terminal. "That's everything," Souji concluded, grabbing his things and trying to make his farewells brief. "See you guys later."

"It's going to be pretty quiet here without everyone," Yoshiro noted with a wry smile. "I think I could get used to it."

"We'll be back before you know it," Souji promised. "Don't annoy the neighbours too much."

"Don't worry," Megumi replied archly, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "We'll keep the place from burning down until you get back."

Souji noticed the sultry look she was giving her boyfriend. There was no doubt that the two would find ways to fill the time.

"Give our regards to Satonaka and Amagi," Yoshiro told them. They'd already exchanged their gifts, and the pair had pitched in to get something for the two girls. Souji and Kou had protested, knowing how tight money was for everyone, but they'd insisted. Souji made a note to get something for them while in Kyoto. It was only fair, and with a job he could afford to splurge a bit more where his friends were involved.

He stepped out into the hallway while Rise said her farewells, and she looked both excited and sad when she joined them. "Shall we?" Souji asked, glad to finally be underway.

They got to the nearest train terminal and were promptly stuffed into the car by the platform attendants, almost suffocating from the pressure with hundreds of other people starting their Christmas vacation. Conversation was barely possible with the noise and the press of people around them. Souji was particularly glad that he'd been able to stuff his things into two bags since it was all he could do to keep hold of them. He doubted that being squeezed like sardines was pleasant for the others, particularly Rise since she had the most bags of all of them. Still, they were lucky to be near the doors, and they were part of the first wave off the train when they pulled in to the Shinkansen station. The crowds were still horrendous, and the group had to text each other more than once after being separated by the stream of people, but they'd managed to make it to their ride amidst the families and children and foreigners. Their tickets were taken in quick efficiency and they were directed onto the train and out of the crowds in impressively short order.

Compared to the standing-room-only train they'd taken to get to the station, the inside of the Shinkansen was positively spacious. Comfortable seats, soft headrests, and aisles wide enough that they could move around once they were underway. Their seats had been arranged next to each other, with Yosuke and Rise taking one pair of seats while Souji and Kou sat behind them. Once his bags were put away, Souji let out the long breath he'd been holding since they'd left the apartment. Then he pulled his phone out, sending "On the train now, should be there on schedule. Love you, and see you soon," to Yukiko.

"Welcome, everyone, to your one-stop trip across the country," Kou announced in a surprisingly good pantomime of the train conductor.

"Pretty much. This line only stops in Nagoya between here and Kyoto," Souji replied as he watched Yosuke help Rise put her bags into the overhead compartment. Even as they struggled with her stuff, they seemed to be talking about music and idols. "There are three trains that go from Tokyo to Osaka, and the others either hit every stop along the way, or just half of them." Thanks to that, they'd be in Kyoto in about two and a half hours instead of four.

Whatever Kou was going to say was lost when Souji yawned hard enough to creak his jaw. "Sorry, what was that?" he asked blearily, shaking his head to try and clear it. It seemed the week of fatigue he'd been fighting off was starting to catch up to him now that he didn't have the concern over his travel plans to keep him going. Even with his shower and the rush to get to the station, he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open now that he was sitting down.

"It's nothing," Kou said slowly, leaning forward to look him in the eye. "You need to get some rest. You've been pushing yourself again."

Souji leaned back a bit from the doctor's tone in his friend's voice. "No comment," he replied with a rueful smile after a few seconds.

Kou chuckled. "I'm not going to make a big deal over it, but get some sleep. It's not like there's going to be much to see between here and Kyoto, and you even have the window seat."

Souji chuckled. Trust one of his friends, even someone not on the investigation team, to give him crap for pushing himself too hard. "I think I'll do that." He leaned back against the headrest, and he was halfway through thinking of how nice it was to not have to worry about school and work when he fell asleep.

He was jostled a little when they stopped at Nagoya, but Rise, in Kou's seat for some reason, sushed him and murmured, "It's all right, Senpai. I'll wake you up when we get there. Go back to sleep." He shifted a little in his chair and did as she said.

The train decelerating in the Kyoto platform brought him out of his nap, and the first thing he did was massage his neck and blink blearily as he looked out the window. Artificial light from the train station greeted them while seasonal decorations hung on the terminal rafters, the distinct Kansai flavour telling him that they were at their destination. Seasonal songs from Osaka played over the station radio, and the hung lanterns were particularly colourful and seemed to dance on the cold breeze.

"Here we are," Yosuke noted from the seat beside him.

"Why'd you guys change seats?" Souji asked after a refreshing yawn. It hadn't been much, but that little bit of rest had been enough to make everything clearer and sharper than when he'd been in Fujisawa.

"Ichijou could only study so much before he got bored," Yosuke mentioned with a chuckle. "And Rise thought it would mess with your head if we switched while you were sleeping."

Yosuke's familiar smile and wink gave a measure of credence to his words, and Souji glanced at the girl as she collected her bags.

"I'll get back at her for you later," Yosuke continued before he stood up and got his things. "Ready for your vacation?"

Souji nodded and got up to stretch. Was he ever. Yukiko was here and the familiar push to get moving and find her was back.

Getting off the train was simple enough, though there was an even larger crowd at the station than there had been in Yokohama. This time they travelled as a group so they wouldn't get separated. Even with so many people around, the damp chill was heavy in the air and settled on them like a cold blanket. Going against the crowds, they worked their way out of the station to where there was more space to move and breathe.

They all sighed in relief when they got out onto the street. The crowds were ridiculous and the people, in spite of being polite, only had so much room to give. Not only were there fewer people outside the train station, but the one group they were looking for stood out like a beacon in the night.

Souji inhaled sharply. There she was. Red coat and dark blue jeans and black boots, red ear muffs, mitts and scarf in the cold. Souji shouldered his bags enough to have his hands and arms free as Yukiko rushed up to him on the salted sidewalk before she leaped up to embrace him. Because it was the season, and because having her in his arms made everything in the world feel right, he picked her up off her feet and turned back and forth, inspiring her to kick her legs and giggle like a little girl. He didn't want to let her go, and didn't particularly care if people around them had a problem with it. Or maybe they wouldn't since Kansai people were more easygoing than their Kanto counterparts.

Next to him, Chie came up to Kou to give him a smile and a kiss on the cheek, and she was promptly enveloped in a hug similar to the one Yukiko was getting. The martial artist turned red, but didn't seem to mind too much.

"You made it," Yukiko whispered when he stopped moving but held her up.

"Of course. I wouldn't have missed it for anything," he whispered back as he set her down, still holding her close.

"I kept checking my phone to make sure your train would get in on time," Yukiko commented, brushing his hair back. "I even sent you a message in case something went wrong, but I didn't hear back."

Souji checked his phone and bit his tongue. She had replied to his text about half an hour after he'd fallen asleep and he hadn't noticed until now. "Sorry about that," he told her. "I dozed off a little during the ride."

"You've been working hard, so I'll forgive you this time," she murmured. "But you'll have to buy me dinner if it happens again."

He'd do that anyway, but nodded in response. "Deal." He stepped back and let her go so that Rise, who'd been patiently rocking from foot to foot nearby, could rush up and hug her. From behind his fiancée came two slender figures, one whom he recognized immediately. Kisaragi and the woman he assumed was Amemiya. The latter reminded him of Rise, though she was dressed perhaps even more stylishly. It was an odd feeling, meeting them in person when he'd seen and heard Kisaragi across Yukiko's computer screen and only heard of Amemiya.

"It's nice to meet the man in person after hearing about him for so long," Kisaragi mentioned as she approached, flicking a cigarette butt into an ashtray and popping minty gum into her mouth. She wore pale grey with black gloves, her collar up against the brisk wind, and she bowed when she was close enough. "Pleasure to meet you, Seta Souji. We've heard a lot about you."

"You've been all Yukiko's talked about for the last two weeks," Amemiya added, smiling like a sunrise and dressed in more colours than expressionist wall art. Red and blue and green, all in strong shades that set off the gold streak in her hair. "Welcome back to Kyoto."

Souji picked up a Kanto inflection from Kisaragi while Amemiya definitely had a regional feel to her voice, almost using Kansai-ben. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," he answered as he greeted them with a polite bow. "Thanks for looking out for her. It's meant a lot to her to have such close friends here."

"She's an angel compared to some of the students at the dorm," Kisaragi noted dryly, shivering a little in the cold.

"By the way, it's just Natsuki for me," Amemiya let him know. "And you can call Mei by her name too. No need to be so formal when we're practically family, right?"

Souji raised an eyebrow. "Practically family," was pushing it, but it was nice to know that Yukiko had won them over so effectively. That or Amemiya had a penchant for exaggeration. "Natsuki-san and Mei-san it is, then."

He turned to introduce the others. Kou immediately came under scrutiny, standing as he was with his hand around Chie's, but he seemed to pass their test in what was more a case of connecting faces with names than anything. Yosuke and Rise, on the other hand, were new and novel, and Natsuki-san immediately hit it off with the starlet when she mentioned having listened to most of Rise's songs. Yosuke pitched in some ideas of his own on the topic of music, and soon the three were talking amongst themselves in their own little world.

"I guess that covers that," Kou noted while readjusting his grip on his bags.

While the introductions were being made, Yukiko had stepped up next to Souji to watch their friends, reaching out to hold his hand. Souji smiled and pulled his hand back, ignoring her surprised look to step closer and wrap his free arm around her waist and pull her close. "It does seem that way," Souji commented, arm around his girl and feeling a familiar calm as she pressed in even closer and made a content noise. He could easily feel her warmth through the layers of her clothes, and it took the edge off the sharp wind. "What's first on the list? Where do we go from here?"

"We should get something to eat first," Yukiko suggested. "We've been so busy making plans that we skipped lunch."

Souji chuckled. He knew what was coming.

"That's not good for you, Yukiko-san," Kou informed her in a slight admonishment. "Your diet as a student is especially important since you're pushing yourself and probably not getting enough proper nutrition."

She chuckled in a remarkable mimicry of Souji and shrugged. "We wanted to eat with you all, and it won't hurt us to do it once in a while. We have a place in mind, if you want to go now. We also made arrangements for everyone's hotels while you're here."

That last bit made Souji's eyebrow raise. Lodging had been a detail they'd worked out before, but she'd added that on purpose, so was she just being thorough? Or did she have something else in mind? "Dinner sounds great," he replied, to which Kou and Yosuke – when he could be pulled from the conversation – agreed. "We'll have to stop somewhere to drop off our bags though."

"This place has a storage area for things like that," Mei-san informed him, pointing in the direction of the restaurant in question. "They cater to people fresh off the train, and it's a nice place with good prices."

"It's going to be packed at this time of night," Souji surmised, looking at the still-crowded train station.

Mei-san smiled through her shivers and started herding them down the street. "We made reservations. Come on, let's go. They serve warmed sake and I could use a bottle or two."

They made their way to the restaurant, chatting amongst themselves. Chie and Souji touched base before she started talking to Kou about her martial arts classes, and Mei-san stepped in and asked about Souji's job while talking about some of her classes. He helped where he could and felt a measure of energy enter his body. It had been too long since he'd been around his friends, focused on work and school and money like he was, and the familiar sense of camaraderie with Yosuke and Rise along with Chie and Yukiko was a welcome balm on his soul.

Speaking of Yukiko, she must have had something on her mind because she was rather quiet as they walked. Souji talked to her as they walked, but there were pauses in her answers that told him her mind was somewhere else. When he asked if everything was alright, she nodded and massaged the base of his spine and rubbing his back. When he leaned into her hand and looked at her, he caught a fleeting glimpse of something familiar in her eyes. Something that warmed his blood.

"Here we are," Chie indicated, going ahead with Mei-san to talk to the host at the front of the restaurant. Within a few minutes they had given their bags to the employees and were seated at the back at a large, spacious table. Yukiko, of course, sat next to him and used his hands to warm her own.

"Cold?" he asked, rubbing them to get some warmth back into them. "You should get some new gloves."

"These ones are fine," she replied with a smile. "I forgot to put them on when we got to the train station, that's all."

Preening a bit, he smiled and palmed her fingers until the heat seeped into them. "Out in the cold and you forgot to put your gloves on? Did you miss me that much?"

Her dark eyes narrowed a little. "More."

Yes, there was definitely something in her eyes that he liked. He kissed her hand while the others were still talking and saw that something burn brighter when his lips touched her skin, and what fatigue he was feeling fell away.

The others continued their conversations or started new ones as soon as they were seated, and dinner was a fun, filling affair. Rise was becoming Natsuki-san's new best friend and the two were in their element, talking about fashions and foods. Kou and Chie were laughing about something as they shuffled closer together, and Mei-san watched them all with an affectionate smile while she ordered another bottle of sake.

The person Souji noticed most was Yosuke. Here, among all these couples and affectionate feelings, he was the lone stag with no one to talk to. Once his contributions on the topic of music had been exhausted, he was pretty much on his own. Instead of looking uncomfortable, though, he seemed to be enjoying his food and watching Chie and Rise and even him and Yukiko with quiet eyes and an understanding smile. Souji knew what that look meant. Even though they'd never talked about it during the investigation, maybe because it never came up or needed to be said in the first place, it was clear that Yosuke was still operating in his place as Souji's second in command. Rise, Chie and Yukiko, and even Kou to an extent, were as much his people as they were Souji's. Instead of feeling singled out, he was using the opportunity to look out for his friends while indulging in the chance to take a load off.

Yosuke caught him looking and gave a small salute with his glass, and Souji nodded in response, not sure if he could properly communicate what the realization meant to him. If anything, it just solidified something he'd known since that fight at the Samegawa: he had the best friends he could have asked for, and he'd find a way to pay Yosuke back. It wasn't something he needed to bring up right away, and he had no idea what sort of gift would strike the balance, but he would find something.

The moment passed and they all dug into their courses with gusto, chatting and sharing stories until Yukiko's hand on his leg got the message across that she'd been waiting patiently for quite a while. "You'll have to excuse us for the night, everyone," he told them, pulling out some bills to cover his and Yukiko's meal. "I could use some more rest after the trip here."

"That's a smart idea," Kou mentioned, turning from Chie long enough to regard them both. "You've been burning the candle from both ends lately. Take it easy while we're here."

"Yes, Sensei," Souji shot back, earning them a round of laughter.

"Call us in the morning," Rise insisted, getting up and coming around to give Yukiko another hug. "We'll do something for breakfast."

They said their farewells, interrupted only when Mei-san took Yukiko's arm as she passed and pulled her down to say something that Souji couldn't hear. Whatever she said was enough to make Yukiko blush, but Mei patted her on the shoulder before raising her sake glass to Souji.

Was that about what he thought it was about?

Yukiko pulled him out the door after he collected his bags, and hand in hand they continued down the street to the hotel. They chatted about nothing, sometimes not even finishing their sentences as they pressed closer together. Sometime she'd walk ahead of him to hit the crosswalk button, and he used the chance to admire how those jeans and boots made her legs look mouth-watering. Knowing her, it wasn't a coincidence, and it made him glad that he'd come prepared.

Once they arrived, she pulled him toward the elevators instead of the front desk. "I already have the key," she said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing while they went to the elevator hall, hitting a button and waiting for their ride up.

"Mei-san helped me make the arrangements," she continued, holding his hand and rubbing their rings together. "She's been a lot of help since we got here. Natsuki-san too."

"I guess I should thank them for your change in wardrobe," Souji commented with a smile.

Eyes narrowing, she turned to him and stood up on her toes with a glare. "Does that mean I can't look good without their help?"

"You look incredible in whatever you wear," he informed her candidly, smiling as she blushed. "A few of these are outside of your comfort zone, though. How do you fit into those jeans?"

"It took some work," she admitted, backing down a bit. "Do you like them?"

"Love them," was his immediate response. "Wear them again."

She looked like she was about to respond, but their elevator arrived and the car emptied of people of all shapes and sizes making their way out and going their separate directions. When Souji and Yukiko got on, he not-so-subtly jammed the "close door" button while she turned and perched against the wall. Behind her bangs, her eyes were burning with what he'd seen on the way to the hotel: a potent brew of excitement and love with a healthy dose of lust that prompted her to bit the corner of her lower lip like she was trying to resist something tasty. Her hands wrapped around the elevator rail behind her but her whole body twitched like it wanted to be free of her restraint.

Souji grinned at how much she wanted him, pushing the button harder. It felt like an eternity before the doors finally began to close, no calls from anyone to hold the ride up. That was just as well, because the moment the doors closed, he was attacked by his fiancée.

In two steps she was in front of him, arms around his neck and mouth on his with an insistence that felt like she was trying to consume him. He dropped his bags and crushed her to him, pushing back to match her until she was pinned against the wall. That just made her more needy. She kissed him harder and moaned down his throat, worked her tongue against his and brought one leg up to wrap around his waist. Souji used the chance to move a hand to her thigh, running up the tight denim to her marvellous rear. He gave it a firm squeeze and that only made her wrap around him even more tightly.

The kiss was like suffocating in a good way. He breathed her in and ignored the need for oxygen, his body drinking its fill of her after being parched for so long. As cliché as it sounded, seeing her at the train station was like feeling a piece of himself click back into place. He wanted her to be there, with him, with a fervour that he couldn't control. He tried to communicate what she meant to him through their kisses and touches, cradling her neck and deepening the kiss even more while she cleaved to him. Things were moving further and faster than before, and there was far less hesitation this time. Their talks about sex back in Inaba came to mind only long enough to interrupt them for a moment.

"If you're not sure about this," he gasped when she finally pulled back for air, a hazy look in her eyes.

She silenced him with a finger to his lips, talking fast. "I am. I haven't stopped thinking about this for two weeks, and you owe me for making me wait this long. I'm not afraid, and I'm not going to regret it. Was there anything else?"

It seemed like she was feeling the push of hormones as much as he was. He was glad those details were out of the way. "Nothing at all," he replied, checking their upward progress before kissing her one more time. They were rather lucky no one else had called the elevator, but he knew it wasn't going to last. They had to stop, and he'd meant to give her enough to hold her over, but what was supposed to be one last kiss ended with him making out with her until she let him go. As soon as his lips were on hers, she'd grabbed on and wouldn't let go. Pulling back only made her cling harder and follow him, so it wasn't until a ding announced the arrival on their floor that they pulled apart. When the elevator doors opened for their floor, they were red-faced and breathing hard in front of a group of people who were, hopefully, too busy talking among themselves to notice.

"Excuse us," the pair said and Yukiko led him down the hall to their room. She found it and tried to pull the key out of her pocket, but dropped it in her haste to open the door. When she grabbed for it and missed it, Souji glanced up and down the hall, blocked the view with his bags, and gave her rear a possessive squeeze that made her freeze and hitch her breath a little.

"Like I said, those jeans look great on you," he observed with a wicked smile. "But you'd better get the door open, sweetie, if you want to do this in a bed."

She nodded quickly, grabbed the key and almost tore the door open as she pulled him inside. It was barely closed when she pounced again, pushing his things to the floor and leading him to the bed against the wall.

Souji didn't know where his bags ended up, nor did he see her belongings in the corner where she'd obviously brought them before she'd met him at the station. All he saw was her. All that mattered was her. He stopped her from moving, pulled her in for a long kiss that had her knees shaking by the end. He held her up and looked into her loving, half-lidded, hazy eyes while touching his forehead to hers. "Hey," he began quietly, letting the mood envelope them. "I haven't said it yet, but I love you a lot."

"That's cheating," she whined, hands trembling as she held onto his coat.

"You're cheating too," he countered. His body was pushing him forward, demanding to know why they'd stopped. "When did you get this beautiful?"

She gave him a look that told him she wanted to say something, but she tried twice and didn't seem able to. Instead she kissed him softly, her tongue dancing with his while their breathing picked up and she mewled against him. "I love you too," she whispered as she broke the kiss by a fraction of an inch. "I'm trying to think of how to tell you how much, but I can't." Her eyes were moist as she spoke, her eyes and emotions bare. Part of him could have stood there all night, staring at her and how incredible she looked with her cheeks red and the small puffs of air coming out between her parted lips. She closed those midnight eyes of hers before reopening them, letting him go and stepping back. She pulled her coat, mitts and scarf off, tossing them onto the bed or the floor while never looking away from him.

He hair was free, no barrette this time, and her hands were shaking when she sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to him. "Keep going, Souji," she told him in a quiet tone that he felt on the cellular level. Of all the times she'd said his name, even when they were naked in his room in Inaba, he'd never heard it sound so sweet as this moment, and it made his breath shake when he thought of the influence he seemed to have on her.

Souji leaned over her and kissed her softly, revelling in the feel of her fingers in his hair while he pulled back enough to hit his hands between them and undo her blouse. She gave a breathless, high-pitched keen when he got to her waist and wrapped his arms around her, his hands on her bare skin. She tried pulling back for air, but he followed her and kissed her deeper for a moment before separating, her gasps like music in his ears. When he looked down from her flushed cheeks and neck, he saw her lovely breasts held by a black, lacy bra, and resting on her collarbone was the pendant he'd given her for her graduation. He wasn't sure which was the more lovely sight.

"Tonight wouldn't have been right without it," she whispered when she saw where his eyes were lingering, squirming up the bed and reaching over to dim the lights. "I haven't taken it off since you gave it to me."

Souji smiled. He was wearing the chain she'd given him, so it seemed were on the same wavelength. "Me too," he replied before stealing another kiss and pressing her into the bed.

While the idea of sex had been a scary one before, he felt ready now. More than ready. Every time their lips touched, he felt closer to her in more ways than just skin. He felt like he was connecting with her, and the science and physical details were only a hindrance. He wanted to complete that bond, to connect with her and take this next step in their relationship together. On a more carnal level, Souji couldn't deny that he wanted her in every way he could have her. She was his beautiful, sexy, funny, dorky Yukiko, and there was a lot to explore while they had this time together.

She seemed to be coming to similar realization, because when he leaned down to kiss her, she stopped him with hands on his shoulders and a growing frown. "You're wearing too many clothes. All of them, off. Now."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, pulling his coat off but letting her come up and push his shirt back, thrilling at the possessiveness in her hands. Before she could strip him naked, he reached for her hips, working his hands along the hem of her jeans before slowly, slowly undoing them to see what panties she was wearing underneath. Small, black, and lacy like her bra. "You had this planned," he noted, kissing along her stomach while he pulled them off.

It took some very suggestive wriggling on her part to get out of her boots and jeans, and she got more heated with every passing second. "So did you," she countered, grabbing his hand when they were off and pulling him up to look him in the eye. "Now, stop teasing me. I want this, and there's a TV in here. Don't make me hurt you."

She sounded serious enough that Souji blinked for a moment. He didn't know if their powers still worked, but this was the first time she'd threatened him with them. He forgot about that the moment he looked at her, though. The command in her voice and the burning look in her eyes almost made his legs buckle. Half-naked, she was a figure worthy of his worship, and denying her became an impossibility. "Alright," he murmured.

The rest of their clothes came off by his hands or hers, and while he fetched the box of condoms he'd brought with him, he marvelled at her naked form. Pale skin in the low light, hard nipples and barely-open eyes, that black hair fanned out on the pillows as she leaned back, and the simple fact that it was her in front of him. Her stomach seemed flatter and more trim than last time he'd seen it, making him appreciate all the time she'd spent swimming. It had done wonders to her already-striking figure, and his fingers itched to get back to her skin.

Once he had the condom on, he knelt between her legs and leaned over her. She was trembling a little, her lip between her teeth again, but she met his gaze and nodded resolutely. The shakes had been from desire, then, and not nerves. Souji took a bracing breath, lined himself up, and pressed in. First the entrance, and then slowly, slowly deeper into her tight, gripping heat. Her eyes widened and her mouth was open a little as she held his biceps, her breath hitching the deeper he went.

"Are you alright?" he asked, voice shaking. Being halfway into her, even with latex between them, was a feeling beyond anything he'd imagined. It tested his control and made him want to keep going, but it also opened his mind to the bond between them, how it thrummed with their heartbeats and shared breaths. Was it normal for people to be this much in sync their first time?

Instead of looking worried or hurt, she smiled, and a more beautiful smile he'd never seen from her before. "Perfect," she whispered back, eyes almost black in the low light as she looked up. She stroked his arms and touched his face. "This is perfect, Souji," she continued in that tone, eyes getting wet. "Keep going."

He nodded and pushed forward more, lowering himself so he could reach her butt and pull her up, going deeper.

"That's it," she gasped, wrapping her legs around him and trying to pull him in even more.

Souji shook at the feeling of her legs completely around him for the first time. He could feel his control slipping, could feel the urge to take her hard growing even stronger. "Wait," he rasped, holding onto her and not letting himself go any deeper. "I don't want to hurt you." He wanted to keep going and not stop for anything until they couldn't move, but he also knew he'd never forgive himself if something went wrong.

"You're not," she protested quickly, her breathing speeding up while her skin became slick with her sweat. "You won't. Please, please keep going."

Souji grit his teeth. If he did keep going this slow, he wouldn't last very long. And as much as he wanted to be careful, he also trusted her to tell him if something went wrong on her end. He nodded and tightened his grip on her ass, pulling her up as he pushed forward. She hissed a little, but tightened her legs around him. Souji kept going until he was completely in her and his pelvis met hers. He watched her in euphoric wonder as she gasped and shivered, looking up at him with more love than he'd ever seen before.

She didn't say anything. She reached up to kiss him and squirm a little, encouraging him to continue. The kiss was short and relatively quick, but he felt a jolt between them like it had completed an electrical circuit. From the look in her eyes, she'd felt it too. "I love you, you know," she whispered softly.

"That's cheating," he shot back, returning the kiss and moving his hips. He used one hand to keep himself up and moved the other to her breast, cupping it and teasing the nipple while she held onto him. She met his thrusts with her own every time, and a delicious friction built between them. It was a winding coil, a spring ready to snap, and there was something deeper to it that defied his expectations. After all he'd been through with her, from the walks to the dates to the kisses, he'd never felt this close to her before. He could taste the sweat on her neck, he could feel her clenching around him, and he could smell her, so potent that his head swam, but underneath it all was the enveloping sense of her that seeped into his heart and soul. It was a strong dose that injected itself into his heart, hitting him harder than anything he'd ever felt. As he thrust and she met him, while their eyes locked and never broke contact, they were reaching a point of becoming a single entity instead of one or the other. It was growing to the point of a religious experience, and the only thing Souji could feel was Yukiko and the precious knowledge that she was feeling the same way about him.

How long he lasted, he had no idea. Time melted away into the shadows of the room, all he could feel and smell and taste and hear was his Yukiko. Even in his inexperience, he thought he felt her hit the peak at least twice before he groaned and emptied into the condom, shaking while he held himself above her before settling down on his side. She melted into his embrace, their bodies moulding together. He'd never felt anything like it. He was naked, bare to the world with the most important person in his life. There was vulnerability, but also the knowledge that she'd be there with him, no matter what. He couldn't help rubbing up and down her back while he caught his breath.

It took a few minutes before either of them spoke. "Thank you," she eventually told him, voice quivering a little. "That was... that was everything I'd dreamed of."

"I'm glad," was his reply. What could he say that would encompass what just happened? How could he sum it up using mere words? He thought about it before letting those thoughts trail away. No, this wasn't the time for thinking and explanations. Whatever it was, it simply was, and having a word for it wouldn't change how he felt. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmmmmm..." she purred, looking up and teasing him with her eyes. "Pretty good."

He brushed her bangs back, stroking along her neck and listening to her purr more. "Thanks for the ego boost, but I mean besides that. The first time hurts for most girls."

She shook her head. "It didn't hurt much. I think the TV world made sure of that."

Souji had heard of that, and what he'd read about it said that every girl was different, but the more athletic ones were likely to have lost their hymens some time before their first sexual expeience. It seemed Yukiko was one of the lucky ones. "That's good." They nuzzled and kissed until Yukiko squirmed out of his arms and sat up. Souji was distracted by the view her movements gave him of her bare chest, but his curiosity got the best of him. "What is it?"

"I need my phone for a minute." She shuffled down to the end of the bed and tried to stand up before her legs quivered and she fell back, jostling him a little.

Souji smirked, thinking he knew what the problem was but wanting to hear her say it. "Everything all right?"

"Fine," she told him, trying again and managing to stand, but only on shaky legs. "I'm fine. You just made it hard to walk, that's all."

Something for which he was exceedingly proud. She was a gorgeous creature, lit up by the dim room lights like she was, but seeing her step lightly bothered him. Even if he was happy why she was like that.

Souji got out of the bed, disposed of the condom, and walked up to her, kissing her before scooping her up into his arms to the tune of her startled cry.

"I can walk on my own," she protested even as she moved closer, rubbing her cheek into his shoulder.

He carried her over to her coat so she could grab her phone and, not letting her go, took her back to the bed. "I like this," he replied, gently setting her back down and pulling the covers back over them. "What do you need your phone for?"

She pulled the blankets around her chest and held the phone up, turning on the camera. "This is a first for both of us. I want to remember it." She steadied her arm and pulled him closer before taking the picture.

"You know that taking the picture means someone else can see it," Souji pointed out. "And do you mean that you won't remember tonight without it?"

She swatted his arm, turning to look at him. "Don't be silly. Of course I will. How are you feeling?"

Souji chuckled. "Pretty okay. Not too much bleeding and my hips are only cracked, not broken. I think I'll live."

She swatted him again, rolling on top of him and holding his arms down. "I'm serious. With everything, was this... well, you know."

How could he put it into words? Were there words for how much he loved her? It didn't seem possible that he felt even closer to her than he had before, but he couldn't deny that such was the case. "Tonight was amazing, Yukiko," he told her quietly, kissing her fingers and leaning closer. "I thought about it before, but nothing came close to this. I think the biggest difference was you being here. There's no replacement for that."

That was the right thing to say, clearly, given how she blushed but smiled. She leaned down to kiss him lightly, then with growing passion until they were exploring each other's mouths and rocking together. "Can you go again?" she asked, eyes showing that unfocused mix of love and desire.

Instead of answering, Souji pulled himself up and started suckling on her breasts, palming the one that wasn't in his mouth.

"Souji," she protested, a hitch in her voice as she breathed faster. "I asked you a question."

"Mm hm," he responded around his oral worship, switching sides and grabbing her rear with his free hand. "I heard you."

She ran her hands through his hair, pressing him closer for a minute before prying his arms open and pushing him to the bed. "Good. Then you won't mind if I'm on top this time."

Yukiko might have wanted her pictures to commemorate their first night together, but Souji would be fine with his memories. She rose above him and rode him hard enough that there would be bruises the next morning, one hand clasped with his while the other was on his chest to support herself. The sight of this woman he loved, alive in the moonlight with her breasts bouncing about and his pendant gleaming as it moved with her, would be something he would remember until the day he died.

Yukiko stirred, gently at first as her thoughts returned to her in pieces. They tantalized her with the memories of the night before, the pleasure she felt in connecting with Souji on the deepest level after months apart, and she rose to the surface of consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly, and she registered a warm male chest against her. Everything was a little blurry, but her vision corrected once she rubbed her eyes and stretched, popping and cracking her joints before she rested back on the bed. She looked down at the other person in her bed, and smiled. Her Souji. In spite of how much she'd thought of this, last night had been too special to be a dream. Her thighs were still sore, but the ache was delicious rather than painful. She'd take it all as it was and remember it forever.

She hadn't been kidding. Since she'd come back from clothes shopping with Chie and Natsuki-san, seeing him again had been at the front of her mind. It had gotten into her dreams, distracted her in class, and even remembering how his hands felt in Inaba with her bedroom door closed hadn't scratched the growing itch. She'd been counting the hours down for the last two weeks, and it was apparently getting easy to notice because Mei-san had taken her aside to talk to her about it and help her set everything up. Dinner, the hotel, more research that had only made the itch worse. Then she'd seen him at the train station, felt his arms around her, and everything came together the night before. She felt like everything was where it was supposed to be now, except she'd wanted more with what time they had. She wanted to try new things with him, to push the envelope so they could enjoy themselves as much as they could whenever they could. Someone from Inaba might have been surprised by how forward her thinking was becoming, but she was far past the point of caring. Her and Souji were the only ones who mattered as far as she was concerned.

Especially now that he was waking up. His eyes fluttered, then he sniffed and curled up before he came to, blinking up at her with those gorgeous silver eyes.

"Hey," she greeted quietly, brushing his hair back. Seeing it on screen had been tempting, but feeling it between her fingers, making him even more handsome than before, made her smile. "How do you feel?"

He gently put his hand on her cheek, and his response was sleepy but heart-warming and honest. "You're here, so it's pretty good."

She peppered his lips with small kisses before replying. "I was just thinking that. I'm glad you agree."

They lied there for a while, not speaking and not needing to, touching softly and feeling the gentle bond between them hum along their skin. Neither pushed the other into arousal, happy to indulge in the moment.

It was half an hour later when he spoke. "Feel like sharing a shower?"

"I'd love to."

She pulled the covers back, glancing at the few drops of blood that signified her given, not lost, virginity and added the sight to her growing mental scrapbook. This would be one of the rare times when spilled blood made her feel happy, almost giddy, instead of sick.

She didn't bother with a nightgown or even her usual shirt and shorts. The only person around was Souji, and because it was him, she had no desire to hide from him or cover up. He seemed to appreciate her decision, given how he stopped and looked her over with an approving smile. She hammed it up a bit and gave a little pirouette, looking at him over her shoulder like she'd seen Rise do in the past. Souji laughed and pushed her toward the bathroom, kissing her behind the ear and making her shiver.

She let him get into the shower first, then stepped in front of him when the spray warmed up. The shower wasn't wide enough for them to stand side by side, so she directed the spray down at herself, too low to get to him, and began to wash herself. He was accommodating at first, but began to look rather unimpressed when she lathered up and washed her hair. By the time she was washing the conditioner out of her hair, she was smiling brightly and humming a little tune to herself. There was nothing wrong with feeling happy after last night, was there?

"You're being a brat again," he growled when she got out of the shower.

"But you love me anyway," she shot back, reaching for a towel.

She was so sure she had him that she barely saw his hand flash down and collide with her backside, hard enough to echo while she shrieked in surprise.

"Hey! That could leave a mark!" she told him, hands down and rubbing where he'd smacked her.

He leaned forward, eyes narrow as his hair became waterlogged under the spray. "That's what last night means, sweetie," he replied in a low voice that made her thighs quiver. "I'm yours, and you're all mine."

"That doesn't mean my butt," she protested. "Especially if you're going to abuse it."

"Sure it does," he informed her, eyeing her up and down. "You deserved it, especially for being a little brat."

"No I didn't," she protested as she wrapped herself in the towel.

He chuckled in a voice that echoed in the bathroom. "Yes, you did."

"I did not!"

"We'll have to settle for joint ownership then, because I'm pretty sure it does."

Yukiko pouted and rubbed some more. "That hurt."

"You love me anyway," he shot back, then stepped back into the shower and closed the curtain.

Yukiko grabbed another towel for her hair, pulling it off the rack harder than she needed to, and went back into the room. Insufferable jerk. That had hurt, and the water made it sting more. Still, there was something fun about how free they were being with each other. She couldn't have imagined being so comfortable with anyone when they'd first met, and the thrill she felt, having the chance to be with him and not having to keep her feelings to herself, was well worth a few hand-shaped bruises on her butt. Besides, she thought with a grin, she'd get him back next time.

Her plans for retribution were interrupted by a familiar ringtone and vibration on the table.

"Your phone's ringing," she called to him, walking toward it.

"It might be from work," he shouted back. "Could you answer it? I'll be out in a minute."

"Sure." She picked his phone up and received the call. "Hello?"

There was a slight pause before a woman's voice replied. "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number."

Who was this? Yukiko knew most of the women in Souji's life, and this didn't sound like any one of them. Except... maybe it was Takenaka? Or perhaps someone at his new job? "If you're looking for Seta Souji, this is his phone. He's occupied at the moment."

"Ah, I see. Will he be available soon?"

Why would Takenaka sound like she was calling an unfamiliar number? Maybe it was someone from his job. But it sounded like there were rails clicking in the background. Was this person on a train? "He should be. Might I ask who this is?"

There was another pause before the woman spoke again. "Pardon me for asking, but are you a friend of his?"

"That might be a word for it," Yukiko replied carefully.

There was a measure of realization or recognition in her voice now. "You wouldn't happen to have black hair and light skin, would you? And dark eyes, maybe?"

Yukiko cleared her throat. That was far too close to the mark to be a coincidence. No one who'd seen her would ask that. "I'll have to ask who this is before I say anything."

"Of course, I'm sorry." Whoever this was, she sounded sincere. "That was rude of me. My name is Seta Izumi. Souji is my son."

Yukiko's eyes felt like they could have rolled out of her head. Someone could have knocked her over with a breath.

"I was hoping to catch him and wish him well for the holidays," Seta Izumi continued. "My apologies for the questions, but I was of the impression that he was seeing someone of that description. That's why I asked."

Yukiko's heart fluttered. What was she supposed to say? Should she hang up? Take a message? The closest she'd gotten to Souji's parents was his warnings about his father and, even further back than that, when she'd visited him in Kofu and his mother had come home unexpectedly. She had so little to go on that she wasn't certain what excuses to give or what would be good or bad territory. What if she offended the woman? What if she said something wrong?

She stopped at that thought. No. She didn't have reasons to be afraid or excuses to make. Whether Souji liked it or not this woman was going to be Yukiko's mother-in-law one day, and for that reason she owed it to herself to at least have an idea of what their relationship was. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that, Seta-san," she replied, a little calmer.

"I'd like to think so," Seta-san commented with a quiet chuckle. "I don't think I caught your name though. You sound like you know Souji well."

"That's... I don't mean any disrespect, but who I am is a sensitive issue to Souji. He's had some disagreements with his father over that girl you were talking about."

"Yuuma?" Seta-san asked. "Why? What's going on between them?"

"You'd be better off speaking to him about that, I'm afraid," Yukiko replied. "I don't know all the details, and I wouldn't want to be misleading about it."

There was a momentary pause on the line before Seta-san spoke again. "You don't have to say anything," she began, "but I'm going to assume that the reason that you're a sensitive issue to Souji is because you are the person I described. If that's the case, why can't you introduce yourself? You don't have to tell me what's going on between Souji and his father."

"You would have to speak to Souji about that," Yukiko said simply. "Him or Doujima-san."

"Ryo knows about this too?"

Ryo? Yukiko couldn't imagine anyone, even a relative, calling Doujima-san that. Even Souji refused to address his uncle by his first name, as close as they were. "I believe so, if you mean Detective Doujima in Inaba. I know he and Souji have talked about the matter before."

Seta-san sighed. "I seem to be behind on a lot of things then."

It was strange for Yukiko to talk about herself as though she weren't who she was, and she found that she didn't like it. Watching her words to this extent and walking the edge of privacy and dishonesty didn't sit well with her. "Might I ask what your concern with this person is?"

"My brother sent me a photo of Souji with a lovely young woman, someone who seemed to be his girlfriend," Seta-san informed her after a moment. "This was the first I'd heard of it, so you can imagine how surprised I was since I didn't know Souji had anyone like that in his life."

Yukiko felt a bit bad about that. It hadn't been her place before, but she could imagine how Seta-san must have felt, learning about all this from a second-hand source. "I can't comment on that," Yukiko informed her, "but I know that Souji always thinks things through. He wouldn't do anything if he didn't think it was necessary."

Seta-san chuckled. "He's like both of us in that respect." It was easy to imagine the woman's smile on the other end. "He's lucky to have you in his life, though. The picture Ryo sent me makes me think that you're very important to him."

The words were hard to say, but Yukiko forced them out anyway. "Excuse me, but I didn't say I was that close to him."

"That may be true, but you sound like you are," Seta-san told her confidently. "Souji's not easy to read for most people, but you speak about him like you know him well. I get the feeling that you're close to him, or at least close enough to not use any honorifics when you talk about him."

Yukiko bit her tongue, hearing the shower turn off. She hadn't meant to let that slip. "A lot of his friends are quite casual with him," she replied. "We don't use them when we don't need to."

Seta-san laughed, a rather musical sound that even the cell signal and the sound of rails couldn't dampen. "Of course, my dear, of course. I won't ask who you are or what your relationship with him is, but nonetheless, I'm glad you're at least friends with him."

"Who is it?" Souji asked, coming out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips. "Sorry about the wait. You used up all the shampoo."

"Just a moment." Yukiko handed the phone out to him, not sure what to say. She didn't even have a retort to his jab. "It's Seta Izumi."

The moment the family name crossed her lips, Souji's face changed like quicksilver. He was looking right at her and she had never seen his expressions shift that fast. From shock to disbelief to anger to a cold, hard mask. The last time she'd seen him like that had been when they were in the TV, fighting Shadows. Without a word he took the phone and let out a long, hard breath, eyes going from brilliant silver to cold steel in a snap.

Yukiko didn't like the look and knew that their pleasant morning was over. She didn't try to listen to his hushed conversation, or admire how his lovely back was on display for her. She went to her bags as fast as she could without running and pulled the day's clothes out, changing as fast as she could. She swore under her breath as a few of the buttons on her blouse refused to cooperate, and almost tore her leggings getting them on, but by the time he was finished the call, she was dressed and ready to face the music. She didn't even take the time to do more with her hair than comb it back with her fingers.

She could tell he was angry. His phone's resilience was being tested by how hard he was squeezing it, and she could see the hard lines of his jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth.

"What is it?" she asked after several quiet seconds.

He let out a breath like steam escaping an engine, a long sharp hiss between his teeth. "She wants to meet us for dinner," he replied, setting his phone on the table gently before turning to glare at her. "I tried to tell her off, but she insisted. She said she liked talking to you. So she wants to meet you in person. Hope you didn't have any plans tonight."

"I didn't know it was her," Yukiko objected, feeling her heart harden. It killed her to have to do this, but she knew it was necessary. "She seemed to know who I was just from talking to her. I wanted to know how."

"Take a message next time," Souji advised her coldly. "Or hang up. Or pretend to be Rise. Whatever the case, you should have let me handle this. That would have been better than her knowing about you and pulling on strings."

"You can't keep shutting her out like this," Yukiko protested, stepping up to him. "She's your mother, and whatever you have against your father, that doesn't mean that she's a part of it."

"That's my problem," he snapped. "Both of them are my problems. They're not yours."

"Yes, they are!" she shot right back, taking another step and almost ending up in his face. "You decided that when you proposed to me. I'm going to be related to her after we're married, so she is my problem!"

His fists tightened and his eyes grew even harder. "You don't know anything about this," Souji gritted. "You don't know her. You don't know Seta Yuuma, either, or how much he'll fuck all this up if he gets involved."

Souji's swearing shocked Yukiko, but not enough to keep her off the warpath. She could see the hints of fear in his eyes, same as she'd seen it in Inaba. He might have masked it behind indifference and anger, but it was there and it was in the driver's seat right now. "Neither do you," she snapped. "Whenever anyone talks about your parents, you change the conversation or drop it. When was the last time you all talked? Have you even tried understanding them? You haven't, have you? You're running from them because of something that happened in the past and you don't know them right now because you're too busy running away from them!"

Her words hit him like a punch, enough that he stepped back and looked at her like she'd actually hit him. She could see the stricken vulnerabilities in his eyes, the cracks in his armour, and it broke her heart to know that she'd put them there.

Now she had to fix them.

"Listen to me," she asked, reaching for his arms.

"Not a chance," he hissed, smacking her hands away.

Despite her efforts, no matter how much she told herself she had to do this, she could feel the tears coming. It hurt a lot to see him like this. "Please, Souji! Just listen."

"You've said enough already," he growled, his stance defensive. "I don't need this. Not from you."

"Souji," she whispered, tears falling. "Please? Just listen to me."

He stared at her, fighting with the pride she'd shredded, the revulsion of hurting her, and the anger at everything. She could see the storm of emotions in him and knew what it was doing to him. She also knew it had to stop. "What?" he whispered.

"Let's meet your mom together," she began, hands on his cheeks. "I want to hear what she has to say. If things get as bad as you think, then we'll leave and never talk about it again. I promise. I'll even tell her off and leave first if it's that bad."

"She's not the problem," he murmured, hands on her hips, shaking with his turmoil. "My father is, and you can't separate one from the other."

"Him too. Whatever happens, we'll face it together," she promised him. "You've dealt with this on your own for long enough. I'm involved in it now, and I want to help you through it. Whatever that means, I'm here for you."

He barked a harsh laugh. "What if we can't deal with it? What if this hits the Inn and your parents too? What if it all goes to hell and I drag you down with me? We can't take it back if that happens."

She looked at him without a hint of doubt. "Then I'll be here to help you get to the other side. We'll work together, and we'll figure it out. We've been through worse. We made it through the TV and the Shadows and a lot of other terrible things because we helped each other, not because we did it alone. No matter what the problem is, we'll find a way and make it happen. You taught me that. You taught all of us that."

A long, heavy breath came out of him, and he leaned forward until she was supporting his weight. She hugged him tight, not flinching from how much he outweighed her. "Last night was better than I could have imagined," he said softly. "Here, with you, no roommates, nothing to worry about. You were incredible, and I wanted to keep going with that. I didn't want to deal with my parents. All I want is to turn the clock back and break my phone."

"I know. I was there," she replied, running her hand through his hair. "Thank you for making it that beautiful, and don't talk like it's over. I'm here now, and I have too much planned to let your mom ruin everything."

He choked out a laugh and hugged her tighter, picking her up this time and sitting on the edge of the bed with her on his lap. Surprised as she was with the gesture, she didn't stop stroking his hair or rubbing his back. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Yukiko," he told her with a smile, burying his face into her hair.

"You're never going to find out," she answered. "I owe you too much to walk away now."

"It's not about keeping score, you know."

She straightened a little in his lap and stared him in the face. "Of course not. Points don't matter to me. What does matter is that I've been in love with you since you started walking with me to school and talking to me like I was stronger than I thought I was. The happiest times I ever had at school were after you showed up and helped me. You've been there for me since my Shadow came out, you've helped me make more friends than I can count, and you showed me the road I want to take in life. Now you're in a bind, and I'm here for you. I'm in love with you and I'm crazy about you, Seta Souji, and I'm not letting anything hurt you." Her blinks were sending heartfelt tears down her cheeks, and she let them fall without looking away from him. "And if anyone does, I'll crush them."

His tears were mixing with hers, arms tight around her and a shuddering laugh in her ears. "I love you too, Amagi Yukiko. I wish I could show you how much."

"You already have," she assured him.

How long they stayed like that, neither knew. They swayed back and forth together, taking solace in presence of the other and sharing light kisses until her stomach growled.

"Ready for breakfast?" she asked him, ready to just order room service and stay in bed if he wanted. Even if it did cost a small fortune. "We can stay here if you want."

He shook his head. "No, let's go. Rise was looking forward to seeing you, and like you said, I can't keep running from this."

She wiped her cheeks, then his own. "I'm sorry I said it like that. I didn't want to hurt you. You're not a coward, you know."

He shook his head. "It needed to be said, and you're right: I need to at least face this. After breakfast."

The spark was back in his eyes, and she leaned up to kiss him. Time stopped between them, the connection in their hearts beating like a pulse, strong and vital. She'd never felt anything like it before, but she wasn't surprised to find their feelings deepening into something even stronger. Of all the things she'd seen and experienced since she'd met him, such a strong bond made a good deal of sense.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You too," he replied.

She helped him dress, straightening his shirt and jacket out and running her hands down his back. He reached back to catch her hand before he went to grab his phone and contact the others.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Souji let out a long breath of vapour when he and Yukiko arrived at the hotel his mother had directed them to. He wasn't looking forward to this. Not to speaking to his mother, not to her seeing the rings he and Yukiko wore, and not to dealing with the issues regarding his father. But like he'd told Yukiko, this was a long time coming. He'd helped his friends deal with their demons already. Now it was time to confront his own.

Besides, it wasn't all bad. He got the chance to see Yukiko dressed up. She didn't need nice clothes to be beautiful, but seeing her in a black coat over a red dress, black leggings, and her hair over one shoulder in a loose braid with red ribbons tied throughout was worth the trouble in getting here. It also made him feel ten feet tall when he saw how much attention she was getting from everyone who saw them. He was glad he'd brought his formal clothes along with him; he'd have felt like a heel if she'd dressed up this much and he wasn't able to complement her.

"You look great." He'd missed the chance to tell her that when she'd finished her preparations, that's how bowled over he was. She also smelled amazing, her perfume new and a definite favourite already.

"Thanks," she answered with a smile. "You look very handsome. And dashing."

He choked on his breath and looked over at her with a grin. "Dashing? Really?"

"Yes," she insisted imperiously as she stopped, turned and adjusted his tie. "Dashing. Debonair. Very handsome. That's what I think, so that's what I'm calling you."

"If the lady wishes."

"She does," she informed him with an upturn to her face.

Souji laughed and would have kissed her for helping him with his nerves, but he knew how careful she'd been with her make-up. She'd kill him if he smudged her lipstick. Instead he squeezed her hand and leaned in a little closer. "Then may I say that the lady looks especially striking this evening," he told her quietly. "She's more beautiful than any woman I've seen before, and I feel like her efforts to look ravishing have truly paid off."

"Ravishing?" Yukiko breathed, eyes alight with dark mischief. "I like that word. I think I'll keep it in mind."

"Please do," he told her, bringing her hand up so he could kiss her fingers.

She smiled, but the smile sobered when she looked at him a bit closer. "Are you ready for this?" she asked

Souji sighed, feeling their playfulness recede in lieu of his mental preparations. It felt like he was preparing for an excursion into the TV again. "Probably not. But let's try to enjoy it."

"I'm here," she assured him, moving around so she could take his arm. "Don't forget that."

He nodded, took a bracing breath, and stepped over the threshold.

A quick word to the host directed them to the table where his mother was seated, a tumbler at her side while she stared at her phone. The first thing that Souji noticed was that she didn't seem like she was there on business. Her hair was down and there weren't folders or files on the table. He couldn't even see any of her attaché cases. He cleared his throat, and managed a small smile when she looked up. "Good evening."

"Souji!" She rose with a smile, coming over to hug him, a gesture he returned a bit awkwardly. "Thank you for making the time. I'm sorry for the short notice."

"It's alright. What are you doing in Kyoto? Business?"

His mother seemed about to answer the question, but when she looked at Yukiko her eyes lit up. "You and I spoke this morning, didn't we? It's a pleasure to meet you at last. I'm afraid I still don't know your name, though."

"The pleasure is mine, Seta-san," Yukiko replied with a polite bow. "I'm sorry if this seems rude, but like I said before, I'll have to keep my name to myself for the moment."

Izumi looked a bit confused, but rolled with it. "If you like. I must say, you look wonderful."

Yukiko did give a genuine smile at that. "Thank you."

Izumi gestured to the seats across from her and waved a waiter over. "Drinks?"

Souji undid his coat and brushed at his sharp grey jacket before he took Yukiko's coat and set it on the back of her chair. "Something soft for now, thanks." Souji ordered for himself and Yukiko while his mother got another cocktail. While they were at it, they also picked what they wanted for dinner. The prices were lower than Souji expected, much to his relief.

"What are you doing in Kyoto, Souji?" Izumi asked once the waiter left. "I thought you'd be spending the holidays in Fujisawa."

"I have friends here," Souji replied, gesturing to Yukiko. "And Kyoto's beautiful this time of year."

Izumi smiled. "That is true. The city has some wonderful history to it, and I suppose that's why you came here: you always loved history." She looked over at Yukiko, who was, to Souji's shame, mostly silent and reserved. "I don't doubt you're part of the reason he's here, my dear. Tell me, what do you do here?"

"I'm attending Kyoto University," Yukiko told her simply, her smile becoming a bit like that of a doll's. "Souji and I decided to enjoy the holidays together, along with some of the other friends we met in Inaba."

"What are you taking, if you don't mind my asking?"

"That's tied to who she is and where she comes from," Souji commented. "And given our concerns about Father, I think you can understand why we're keeping quiet on those details."

"It doesn't make sense," Izumi replied after a moment, her expression sobering. "I understand why you don't want him to know about your affairs, Souji, but what does that have to do with your friend?"

"I'd like to know where you stand between him and I," Souji told her.

"I can hardly take sides when I don't know what the problem being fought over is, now can I?"

Souji didn't reply, and didn't respond when Yukiko looked over at him.

"What's the problem with your father?" Izumi asked with a sigh. "This is clearly a sticking point for you, so please tell me what's going on. I know you two have your differences, but you've never kept secrets like this from me. And besides, I can't promise to keep things to myself if I don't know why you want them kept in confidence in the first place."

Souji nodded in reply. If he was going to get anywhere now that his mother was here, he was going to have to give her something to work with. He gave her the truncated version of his difficulties at school, expecting her to make some excuses or try and find another answer for things. He was, therefore, surprised when she looked angry once he finished. Not mad or irritated, but genuinely angry, hands closed around her glass tight enough that he almost thought cracks would appear.

"I'll speak to him about that," she promised quietly. "He might not like what you do with your life, but it's your life. He shouldn't have interfered like that."

That wasn't the answer he'd imagined she'd give. "He never told you about it, I presume."

"No. I wouldn't have let it stand if he had."

Souji was sceptical, but it was hard to deny the steel in her voice. It had been a long time since he'd seen her this close to losing her temper. "Well, her family owns a ryokan in Inaba," he continued, gesturing to Yukiko, who had been sipping her drink and looking around the restaurant up to now. "If Father finds out about that, he might get some ideas."

Izumi sighed, taking a long draw from her glass. "I understand your concerns. I'm sorry it came to that. You can trust me not to tell him anything you don't want me to. I swear," she continued when she saw the look he gave her.

Souji wanted to blow her off, but she hadn't truly given him a reason to, and he'd promised Yukiko to give it an honest try. "Alright," he acceded after a few long seconds. Doujima had already promised to help out too, and he was going to have to take them at their word. Things were too much out of his control not to now. "I trust you."

Yukiko stroked the back of his hand in support, and it surprised him how much better that made him feel.

"It's nice to meet you in person, Seta-san," Yukiko began when she rose to bow deeper than she had before. "I'm Amagi Yukiko, from Inaba. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to be sure that things would be what you said they would be before I got this far. The Inn is my whole life, so I hope you understand."

Izumi stood and returned the gesture. "The pleasure's mine, Yukiko-san. And yes, I understand now. You know that I'm Seta Izumi already, and my first name is fine in cases like this."

"Are you sure?" Yukiko asked as they took their seats. "I wouldn't want to presume."

"Please do. I think of Seta-san as being Yuuma, you see. Just Izumi will be fine."

"I understand, Izumi-san. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Izumi replied with a growing smile. "May I also say that you wear red very well."

Yukiko smiled, looking much more like herself now. "I've always loved the colour."

Izumi's eyes lowered to the red stone in Yukiko's ring, then her eyes widened when she saw the matching diamond ring on Souji's finger. "Souji," she began after a second of shock. "Could you tell me how you know Yukiko-san?"

Souji let out a long breath. It was going to happen sooner or later. "Yukiko and I met when I visited uncle Doujima and Nanako," he started. "We began seeing each other regularly and became close. Before we started going to university, I asked her to marry me when we're done our classes and things have been worked out. She accepted."

Yukiko looked like she wanted to say something, but stayed silent. There wasn't much to say in such a situation, after all.

Izumi seemed to have a hard time putting her thoughts in order. "That's... quite a step."

"That's why we're waiting until school is over for both of us," Souji replied, trying to stay neutral without being rude.

It was clear that his mother had a lot of questions, and there was more than a trace of hurt feelings in her eyes. But the businesswoman in her took over and she put a positive spin on it before her emotions could take over. "That's wonderful," she told them with a smile, waving the waiter over to order another drink. "I hope that we can get to know each other between now and then, Yukiko-san."

Souji's fiancée smiled sincerely. "Of course, Seta-san. That would be wonderful."

"Have you decided on a day? You say you'll be waiting until you both graduate, but what plans have you made so far?"

Souji didn't try to speak up. He knew that this was Yukiko's forte, and as much as he had plans of his own, he knew he was about to be trumped.

Yukiko brightened and blushed at the same time. "We don't have a day picked out yet, but I'd like something in the spring when the cherry blossoms have bloomed. They're beautiful in Inaba. I'd also like a dress with red in it, if I can manage it."

Izumi chuckled. "That would suit you perfectly. I don't hear many brides say they want red for a wedding dress colour, but I don't think anyone could pull it off as well as you do."

"There are a number of other details that I've thought of," Yukiko replied, "but many of those depend on other things. But I would love it if the wedding were in the spring."

Souji made a mental note to ask Ryoko and Doujima when the cherry blossoms would bloom in Inaba. If Yukiko wanted the wedding when they were blooming, then he'd make sure it happened that way.

Their food arrived and the conversation finished the topic of the wedding and moved into safer waters. How Yukiko liked Kyoto, times when Izumi had visited and what had caught her attention at the time, Souji talking about school and his job, nothing risky or dangerous. His mother was, to her credit, treating the whole affair better than he expected. Maybe even better than he'd ever seen before. She talked about her job very little, asked lots of questions, and seemed to be taking a shine to Yukiko.

That said, it was easy for him to see her dancing around the things she wanted to ask but didn't because Yukiko was there. More than once he'd seen her looking at their rings before following up with the conversation. Yukiko seemed to catch onto it because she excused herself to use the facilities after they finished their dinner and were thinking about dessert. Before she was out of sight, she sent him a text telling him she'd give him as much time as he needed.

"You've found a real gem," Izumi noted, watching her go. "Smart, beautiful, and she seems like a wonderful person. I don't know if you need my approval at this point, but you do have it where she's concerned."

"Why are you here?" Souji asked, going straight for the throat.

"When were you going to tell me?" she shot back, eyes in a narrow glare. "You and your father have your problems. I understand that. But I'd like to think that we were closer than for me to find out you're seeing someone from Ryo instead of you. And not just seeing her, but you asked her to marry you. I would have liked to meet her before."

"You would have gotten an invitation to the wedding," he informed her coldly. "Come on, you can't be that surprised. Do you think father would have let me do what I wanted? He would have tried to hook me up with someone with lots of money and no personality. He's done that more than once."

"We want what's best for you," Izumi objected. "You had a hard time around girls after you fell out of touch with Kanashita. You settled on Akamatsu, if I recall, and look how that went; I don't think you even spoke to girls after you broke up with her."

Souji blinked. His mother actually remembered his girlfriends? This was the first time she'd said Ayu's name since they'd made that move.

"Your track record hasn't been that good," Izumi continued, "so you can't blame us for taking a hand in the matter."

"You want what's best for me according to what you want, not what I do," Souji pointed out. "I'm not interested in climbing the ladder like you and father are."

Izumi took a few seconds before speaking, anger in her voice. "You think we'd push you into that?"

"You've already tried."

"Not recently we haven't," she shot back. "I knew it wasn't working for you, so I backed off. I wanted you to have some space and follow your own path in life. Your father and I made mistakes, maybe, but we weren't going to keep trying the same thing over and over if it didn't work."

Souji snorted. "Father would disagree. According to him, you didn't make any mistakes in the first place."

Izumi glared at him. "Stop bringing him up. You're not a child anymore, so don't act like one. And he's not here. I am, and I'd like to think I deserved better than to be the last one to learn about this."

"Well, you're not," he informed her with a frigid smile. "So far you're just the second-last one to know since father's still in the dark."

"Don't try to be smart with me."

"Come on, Mother, do you really think father would have welcomed Yukiko with open arms if I'd told him I wanted to marry her? She's not connected to anyone in Tokyo, she's going to be managing an inn for the rest of her life, and she doesn't come from a well-respected name if you're not already in Inaba. She's not a good enough match for him to care about, and she wouldn't put up with any of his crap. How can you see that turning out?"

"I don't care what your father thinks, Souji," Izumi responded flatly. "Not in this case. If you love her that much, then I would have been behind your decision if you'd told me. I might have wanted you to meet someone who challenged you, maybe someone I was more familiar with, but I wouldn't have dismissed her because of those things. And I'm not going to now that I've met Yukiko-san. She's a wonderful person, and I can see what she means to you, and if she truly makes you this happy, then you have my blessing and well-wishes. Would I say that if I were going to stab you in the back later?"

Souji couldn't respond to that. The honesty in her voice took any rebuttal or sarcastic reply away, and as much as he wanted to deny her sincerity, in that moment he couldn't. "You didn't answer my first question. Why are you in Kyoto?"

His mother glared at him before letting out a breath. Souji expected her to keep up the argument, but she surprised him by answering his question. "I was on my way to Inaba. I'm visiting Ryo and little Nanako."

Souji was glad he hadn't been drinking anything just then. He would have been choking on the floor by now. Instead he just inhaled sharply. "Why?"

"I owe them more than a phone call now and then," she notified him archly. "Ryo's my brother, after all."

"You've never visited them," Souji pointed out slowly, trying to come to terms with the unexpected turn of events. "Not once that I can remember."

She shrugged. "You're still young, Souji. We used to be very close before you were born."

"Why now?"

Izumi shrugged. "Why not? There's no time like the present."

His mother had fewer tells than a professional card player, but Souji knew there was something bothering her. Her voice was too steady to be as calm as she wanted him to think she was. "What's really going on?"

She looked affronted that he suggested it, but even that expression lacked the bite she'd had a minute ago. "Does there need to be something going on? Do I need permission to visit relatives?"

"It is very unusual," Souji pointed out. "Normally you'd be up to your eyes in customer portfolios and investments."

"Does it bother you that much that I'm going to visit them?"

"Yes." Inaba was his. A special place to where he'd be returning when his schooling was done. He didn't need his parents getting any ideas about going there and causing problems for him.

She shrugged. "Well, the plans have already been made. You'll have to live with it."

He'd have to talk to Doujima about that. "Maybe, but what's the real reason you're doing this?"

There was no reply.

"Let me tell you why it does sound that crazy," Souji offered, keeping his tone level so they didn't bother any of the other patrons. "As far back as I can remember, you and Father have lived for your jobs. You missed half my birthdays because of business meetings, I needed the nanny to forge your signature to let me go on school trips because you lived at your offices, and I have been on a first-name basis with your secretaries since I was twelve years old. Now you're taking time off to visit Nanako and Doujima, in person, during the busiest time of the year? And you're taking extra time to stop here? These things don't add up."

Izumi was quiet for a while, a dull quality to her eyes as she played with her glass before draining it in one gulp. "Do you believe people can change?"

Souji didn't know how to respond to that one. "What?"

"People," Izumi repeated. "Do you think they can change if they realize they were wrong about something? I won't deny that my job has been important. It's been what I've wanted since I was younger than you. But I want to try to reconnect with Ryo and Nanako. I'd like to talk to you without us fighting. I've gotten three calls tonight, and haven't taken any of them. Tell me: do you think that people can change?"

No. It was on the tip of his tongue, ready to be said. People can change. My friends can change. But you can't. You haven't up to this point, so why could you pull it off now? He knew the fight those words would start and it wouldn't have bothered him, but something else stayed his hand. He couldn't deny, even as he thought them, that the words felt unworthy of him. He knew people could change, and while he'd hated Adachi for putting Nanako in danger, he'd spared the man in the end. Same with Namatame and Mitsuo Kubo. Not because they'd been good people, but because Souji himself was trying to be one. He was better than picking fights and making cheap shots on someone when they were down, and what would it say about him and the hell the others went through if he denied the truth that they'd all bled and died for?

He grit his teeth. Why did this have to get complicated? Why couldn't this just be easy?

"I think people can change," he replied after a moment, answering Yukiko's text and saying that she could come back now. "They have to want to, though. From what I've seen, it's a long, hard road to get there, even if they do take it seriously. Why do you ask?"

His mother shrugged. "It's been on my mind lately. Maybe I'm looking at making a change in my own life."

Souji wasn't sure how to take that, but with Yukiko's steps and fragrance returning to his side, he decided to be mature about it and raise his glass to his mother and tell her, "then I wish you luck," with neither rancour nor enthusiasm in his voice.

She returned the gesture, the light coming back into her eyes. "I appreciate it. Tell me, Yukiko-san, what is little Nanako like?"

Yukiko smiled and immediately delved into the words and laughter that the young girl inspired. Even Souji couldn't help smiling at some of the antics Yukiko recounted, and he tossed in a few of his own memories for good measure.

"I look forward to seeing her," Izumi said with a smile after they'd finished with dessert. "The last time I did, Chisato was still with us."

"She'll love the company," Yukiko assured her. "She's always ready to meet new people, and she's come a long way since I first met her. When you have the time, I'd like to hear more about Chisato-san. Doujima-san doesn't talk about her very much."

Izumi's smile turned a bit sad. "That doesn't surprise me. They were very close. The next time we see each other, Yukiko-san, I'll have some stories for you."

"I look forward to it."

The conversation circled around the young girl who'd been so important to the Investigation Team before Souji checked his phone. "We should be heading back soon," he concluded. "Traffic is going to be a mess, and it's supposed to be cold tonight."

Izumi nodded. "You don't want to be sick for Christmas or New Years. Before you go, though, I have a question. What do you think that little Nanako will want as a gift?"

Yukiko blinked, but smiled again. "She's quite fond of anything platypus-related. Doujima-san got her a shirt with one on it, and since then she's been quite fond of them."

"I'll see if I can find her a doll, then. What do you think, Souji?"

A tough question, all the more so because Yukiko was looking at him with curious eyes. Another time when he wanted to blow his mother off or spike her wheel, but simply couldn't. Not when Yukiko and Nanako were involved. "She's always talked about you," he began finally. "I think she remembers you from a past visit or something, but hearing me and Doujima talk makes her ask questions about what you're like. Needless to say, what we tell her isn't much help. I think she'd be all right if you just visit with her and spend time with her. She'll love the chance to get to know you and see what her Aunt Izumi is like. That's what I'd suggest."

His mother looked surprised and a bit misty-eyed at his advice. She was probably expecting him to give her a neutral response or mention a toy of some sort.

He felt a soft squeeze on his knee, and Yukiko gave a small nod when he glanced at her.

"Thank you," his mother said after a few seconds, a smile on her face that he'd never seen before. "I appreciate the advice, and I'll certainly do that."

"Are you going to be with them until the new year?" Yukiko asked.

"I hope so," Izumi replied. "My circumstances right now are a bit unique, but I'd like to be with them for a while if I can."

"Give our regards. Nanako-chan's very important to all of us."

"I will."

Souji rose from his seat, grabbing his coat. "It was nice seeing you again," he told his mother civilly.

"You too," she replied, getting up and coming around the table to lightly hug him. "Would you mind if we kept in touch?"

"If you like," he conceded. "You have my number. I can't promise that I'll be able to answer right away, but I'll try and return your calls when I can."

His mother nodded. "I appreciate it. I might be a little late, but let me congratulate you on your engagement. Yukiko-san is a wonderful choice."

On that much, they could certainly agree. Souji looked at his blushing fiancée with a smile. "Thanks."

"It was nice seeing you again," she continued a bit awkwardly. "Perhaps we'll do it again sometime."

"Maybe we will."

"Pardon me, but could you excuse us for a minute, Souji?" Yukiko asked unexpectedly. "There's some girl talk that Izumi-san and I should have before we leave."

Souji raised an eyebrow and looked at his mother, telling by her expression that she had no idea what Yukiko was talking about. "Sure. I'll settle the bill and wait outside."

"I'll handle it," Izumi insisted with a wave of her hand. "You had to put your evening aside for me, so let me cover it."

"You don't need to do that."

"I insist. I won't see you before Christmas, so this can be my gift to you both."

"We'll accept that," Yukiko told her. "Thank you."

"Take as much time as you need," he said to Yukiko before bowing once more to his mother and leaving, stepping around patrons until he was in the hotel lobby. He went over to the window and stared out, letting out a huge breath.

That could have gone better. It could have gone worse, sure, but he wasn't expecting it to nosedive into an argument that quickly. She might have had a point about him keeping the engagement to himself, but he'd had his reasons, and there was still the matter of his father to contend with. There was also the fact that his mother knew more about him than he expected, but he pushed those thoughts to the bottom of the pile. He'd had a busy enough night without picking at old wounds.

"Thanks for waiting," Yukiko called to him when she was close enough, circling his arm with her own.

"That didn't take very long," he noted.

She shrugged. "I only had a few things to say, and I didn't want to leave you here, on your own, while we talked until I texted you."

Souji grimaced. Her tone wasn't hard or judgmental, but it had been a low move on his part to leave her as long as he did. "Sorry. You didn't deserve that."

"Did it help?"

"We fought. She took the engagement... well, you can imagine."

She tightened her hands on his arm a little. "But did it help?"

He sighed. "Our problems aren't the sort that can be fixed by arguing and getting things off our chest. I don't know where she's going with this, and who knows if anything will happen. I guess we didn't kill each other, though."

"That's a good start," Yukiko noted. "I'm glad you handled it as well as you did."

He shrugged, feeling tired from the emotional rollercoaster the day had been. "It's over with for now. I guess that's something."

"Come on, grumpy," she laughed as she pulled him to the doors. "Let's go."

"Yes Amagi-sensei," he shot back cheekily.

It took them close to an hour to get back to their hotel, and during most of the trip Souji stared out the window and contemplated possibilities. Why was his mother going to Inaba? Was it really just to visit Doujima and Nanako? Where was his father and where did that defiance his mother showed come from? Would she look in on Yukiko's family when she got there? How would Yukiko's parents take to meeting her? The questions carried him up to their room where he sat on the end of the bed, thinking them through until he was going in circles.

"You're thinking again," Yukiko noted from behind him as she changed. "Thinking about things that I'm not going to like, right?"

He smiled. How well she knew him. "Guilty, but I can't help it. I'd love it if it were as easy as flipping a switch, but it's not."

"It's new and different for you. I understand."

"Yeah, I guess that's it."

She came up behind him and took his coat off, kissing the back of his neck.

Souji looked to the side and asked something that had been on his mind since they got into their room. "What did you talk to her about?"

"Girl talk," she murmured, hands on his shoulders, "like I said."

Far be it from him to impose on the esoteric subjects of womanliness, but he wasn't buying it. "Was that all?"

Yukiko hummed behind him, moving her hands around to his chest. "I might have also told her that I enjoyed meeting her, that I hope we can talk again, and that she's not allowed to hurt you or cause any problems between us. Her or your father."

Souji laughed in surprise at that, imagining how that must have gone down. "You really said that to her?"

"Of course," she said with absolute sincerity. "I had to make sure she took me seriously."

"Did she?"

"I think so. She looked surprised at first, but seemed to take it well. Then she said she was glad that you'd found the right woman."

Souji shook his head. Trust Yukiko to find the answer to a problem by just being herself. "I'm pretty glad about that myself."

"So am I," she breathed into his ear before hugging him from behind and squeezing.

Souji's eyes widened. There was at least one layer of clothing missing between them, and by the time he realize it she grabbed him by the arms and pulled him onto his back. He might have protested, but looking at a stark-naked Amagi Yukiko, wearing only her pendant and her ring, with her hair messy and wild from taking it out of its braid, short-circuited his brain.

"It's just us here, and you're thinking about something else," she scolded him with warm heat in her voice. She kneeled next to him and bent down, crossing her hands on his chest and propping her chin on them. "That's not allowed."

Souji's higher faculties began to return when she undid his shirt, bedroom eyes locked on his the entire time. "You're trying to distract me, aren't you?" he concluded, leaning up to kiss her and palm her breasts.

"Of course," she breathed, leaning into his hands. "I said that I have a lot planned for us while you're here. Nothing's allowed to get in the way of that."

"And you'll crush them if they do?"

Yukiko didn't seem to hear him. She leaned in for another kiss that was as much tongue as it was lips and pushed him back to the bed. "No more talking," she ordered in a quiet, husky voice.

"All right," he gave in, grabbing her by the ribs and flipping her onto her back amidst her laughter. The kisses were harder and longer, and by the time he was naked, she was beaded with sweat.

"Don't make me wait," she whined.

"Ah ah," he murmured against her lips once he had the condom on. "No talking, remember? Or I'll have to punish you."

"How?" she asked, eager instead of apprehensive.

Souji chuckled. "You're incorrigible."

She lied back on the bed, but Souji gently pulled her up toward him. He kneeled in front of her and set her on his lap, both of them moaning as he sank into her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm perfect," she replied, smiling in bliss. "There's no pain this time."

Souji smiled and gently thrust into her. Like the night before, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in as deep as she could, but this time she rested in close and kissed him without restraint. Her moans and sighs went right down his throat and she pulled his mouth hard against her own, only breaking to breathe. Her breasts were right against his chest, too, rubbing up and down in a delicious sensation that he'd never felt before, but quickly promised to experience more regularly.

"I like this position," she told him as her eyes started to go unfocused.

"Me too," he grunted, thrusting harder. He didn't want it to end, but he couldn't help it. She felt too incredible.

She seemed to be feeling the same way, because she tightened her legs around him and bucked into him faster and harder, her pants becoming whines until she let out a long, shuddering moan, kissing him as she hit her peak. He wasn't far behind her, gritting his teeth until the wave of euphoria slowly passed.

"That was terrific," he said finally, stroking up and down her back.

"You too," she murmured, eyes half-lidded as she tightened her arms around his neck and leaned forward to kiss him, then keep on kissing him.

He wasn't sure if she wanted to go for another round, but from how gently she was going, it didn't seem like it. He returned her kisses and ran a hand through her hair, luxuriating in how close she was.

"I like this position," she repeated, kissing him more. "Everything's right where I want it."

"Glad you approve," he noted, slowly shifting around so that they could fall over sideways and hit the pillows together, her eyes and exquisite face in front of him the whole time.

She smiled and took his left hand in hers, and when he looked down, he saw their rings touching, connecting and forming a sideways figure-eight. There were no words for the potent cocktail of emotions in him then, and instead of trying to speak, he wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her close, touching their foreheads together as they kissed.

Things were changing. They were outside of his control and that had scared him before. Not now, though. He was ready to face whatever came next in this life with her, and he knew for certain that no matter where he ended up, he wouldn't be alone again.