A/N: Hello Everyone! I have a plot bunny, so I am running with it. Hope you all enjoy the chapter! -Anima
I OWN NOTHING! I am just borrowing Naoki and Kotoko for my own amusement.
-3K+N3-
As the three began their trek home, Naoki kept Kotoko's hand firmly in his own, happy that she was doing okay after her scare in the pool. Yuuki was walking in front of them, enabling Naoki to keep a close eye on the main people in his life
"Don't forget Onii-Chan," Yuuki said as he slightly turned his head to look back at them. "You said you would get me ice cream on the way home."
"I remember," he replied, smiling gently at Kotoko when she squeezed his hand, noticing the excited look on her face. "Yes, I will buy you both ice cream."
"YAY!" his petite girlfriend cheered, happy at the prospect. "Are you going to get anything?"
"I might get something. Depends on how I feel when we get there," he responded easily. 'Might just steal bites from whatever you get honestly' he mused as they paused outside of the ice cream shop. 'It would be interesting to see her reaction in any case.' "Go ahead and order," he told them as he opened the door for them.
"Can I have a plain vanilla cone," Yuuki asked the attendant, smiling softly as he was handed his order shortly after.
"Can I please a chocolate strawberry cone?" Kotoko asked, nearly bouncing on her feet as she waited as patiently as she could for her sweet treat.
"That will be all," Naoki said as he pulled out his wallet and stepped up to pay. 'Interesting combination,' he chuckled to himself. 'Typical romance combination. Definitely stealing ice cream from her.' They walked back outside and sat at a table together, Naoki casually throwing his arm around the back of Kotoko's chair, crossing his leg over his knee, just enjoying the quiet moment.
"Didn't want to get anything?" the object of his affection questioned before licking her ice cream slowly. Naoki's eyes narrow as he felt his swim trunks getting tighter on him.
'Well, I clearly did not think this through very well,' he grumbled to himself. Noticing she looked away briefly to stare at a dog on a leash, he leaned over and took a bite from her cone, smirking as he heard her gasp in outrage.
"Irie-kun," she whined. "Why would you do that? I was licking the cone… You just bit it. The germs.."
Naoki snickered at her and licked his lips with his eyes glued to hers, amused when her face flushed as her eyes darted down. "You do realize that is a moot point, right?"
"What is?" she asked quietly.
"If you two kiss," Yuuki drawled, the mocking in his voice clear. "Then clearly you have already shared germs."
Naoki burst out laughing when the blush on her face spread down to cover her chest. He pressed his lips against her temple, then stole another bite.
"If you wanted an ice cream you could have gotten one for yourself," she huffed, going back to eating her ice cream that was over half way gone at this point.
"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, smiling at her as she raised an eyebrow in question. "I am not really big on sweets, so I would not have eaten a full cone. So taking bites from my lovely girlfriends' cone is the best solution." His eyes slowly trailed her form as she flushed again, before her eyes snapped back to his and she deliberately licked her ice cream slowly from the base to the tip. Naoki forced himself to bite back a groan at the sight, narrowing his eyes at the young red-head beside him when she smirked at him. 'Oh she knows EXACTLY what she is doing at this point,' he thought before smirking at her, delighting in the worry that entered her eyes. 'She is going to pay for that later.' He then casually readjusted himself, waiting for them both to finish their treats.
"Are we ready to go home?" he asked when both wrappers were thrown away. Seeing them nod, he reclaimed Kotoko's hand and followed Yuuki down the path to their home. When they were a few blocks away, Naoki gently squeezed Kotoko's hand before releasing it, moving to walk next to his brother. "How are you feeling about all of this," he asked quietly, making sure they wouldn't be overheard.
"It is different," Yuuki replied, turning his head to glance behind them before continuing. "Weirdly though, I think you both fit and make sense. You definitely seem more…"
Naoki waited patiently as his brother thought of the word he was searching for.
"You seem more human I guess," the younger boy shrugged. "You get jealous, and I can clearly see that she makes you happy. That is honestly all I care about Onii-Chan."
"Thank you, Yuuki," he replied. "I am glad that you approve. This would be a lot harder if you were totally against her becoming your sister."
"You are already thinking that far ahead?" his brother asked him in shock.
"Honestly," he chuckled. "I have not planned anything when it comes to her. She just keeps surprising me. My response to her shocks me. I hate the idea of some else ever laying a finger on her. I enjoy the fact that her focus is almost constantly on me when we are surrounded by others that try for her attention. She sets my heart racing and makes me feel and care about others. I don't want to ever give that up."
"Sounds like you are in love, Onii-chan," Yuuki responded in awe right before the stepped onto the driveway of their home.
'Love,' Naoki mused taken aback at the thought. 'Is that what this is? I don't really know what it means to be in love. Might have to do some research in my spare time.' "I just like being with her," he told his mini me with a tone of finality as they entered their house. "We're back," he called out, hearing his mother and father move to receive them.
"Did you boys have fun?" his mother asked slyly.
"It was okay," Yuuki replied with a yawn. "Other than when I almost drowned when Onii-chan went to get me ice cream."
"YOU WHAT?!" his mother screeched, grabbing the boy by his shoulders and inspecting every inch of him slowly. Naoki was confused about the motive until his brother smirked at him and winked.
"I'm fine. Onee-chan pulled me from the water."
'Why that little…' he smirked back, understanding his brother's move entirely. 'He just gave our mother a reason for him calling Kotoko his sister.'
"Kotoko-chan!" his mother exclaimed embracing the young girl that had just walked through the door. "Thank you so much for saving Yuuki!"
"It was nothing Oba-sama," she replied with a bow after she was released. "I would never let anything happen to Yuuki-kun if I could do something to help."
Naoki smiled softly before putting a blank mask on his face when his brother's face heated up and his eyes sparkled with affection for his future sister-in-law. The younger boy quickly took off calling that he got first dibs on the bath. He followed the young boy up, stopping just inside his door, waiting. After Kotoko made it to her room and closed the door, he swiftly went over and knocked just loud enough for her to hear.
"Yes," she called.
"It's me," he replied softly, waiting for the door to open. Happy that she was still wearing her bikini, but without the covering when she did. He quickly stepped inside and flipped the lock, pulling her too him and slanting his lips over hers. One of his hands grasped the hair at the back of her head, turning her head to the angle he wanted while the other wrapped around her waist, relishing in the skin to skin contact he was granted.
Flicking his tongue against the seam of her lips, he swallowed her moan as he pushed her against the wall while exploring her mouth. He pushed himself closer to her as her tongue began to dance with his and one of her hands pulled his hair and the other gripped his shoulder. 'I should stop soon,' he mused as he continued to kiss her, secretly proud as her pulled soft moans from her. 'Otherwise I don't know what will happen.' Right as he had that thought, he pressed his lower half against her, startled at the pleasure it brought him.
Naoki pulled back slowly, pressing his lips gently to her a few more times before disengaging entirely at the mouth, their bodies still connected as he moved his hands to the wall on either side of her head. "What are you doing to me, Kotoko," he whispered softly before pressing his lips to her once more for a gently and adoring kiss.
He swiftly pulled back, unlocked the door, and fled her room, leaving her dazed in his wake. As he made his way back into his room, he noticed his brother leaving the bathroom, so he grabbed clean clothes and his shower supplies and rushed to the bath.
'What am I doing,' he growled to himself as he stood under the warm stream of water, his fists clenched against the tile, willing himself to calm down. 'Pulling away is getting more and more difficult. Does this feeling mean that I love her? What is love exactly?' While he pondered he began to wash up, knowing that the girl on his mind also needed to take her turn. When he was finished and dressed, a towel wrapped around his neck, he walked back over to Kotoko's room and rapped on the door. "Bath is free," he called before moving into his room.
Naoki grabbed his phone and began researching what being in love was like. There were several different opinions, but a lot of the information was the same. The words he said to Yuuki echoed back in his mind as he was reading before Kotoko's face popped back into the front his mind. 'Maybe I am in love,' he thought, throwing his arm over his eyes. He settled back on the bed and tried to relax his mind, attempting to picture where he wanted his life to take him.
'The only thing I am sure about right now is that I want her with me..' he mused. 'I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I know who I want next to me when I do it.' Hearing his mom call them down for dinner, he made his way to the table, quickly saying thanks for the meal before digging in, ignoring everything around him while lost in though.
"Irie-kun," her voice cut through the haze, making his eyes snap to hers. He grunted in response, prompting her to finish with what she wanted to say. "Are we still studying tonight, or are you tired?"
"I thought you finished your summer homework," her father asked.
"I did," she replied. "If I keep studying, and don't take time off, then I will do better on my college entrance exams."
"You are studying ahead," her father asked in shock.
Seeing her nod with a blush on her face at her father's questioning, he decided to reply. "Sure, Aihara." He then finished his food, said his thanks, and went to make his way back upstairs while he waited.
"Oh, Onii-chan," his mother called, causing him to turn back to the table. "Don't forget that Dad and Mr. Aihara will be leaving early tomorrow for their reunion.
Naoki bowed deeply and wished them both a good time, then made his way back to his room where he sat down at his desk and began reading a book on engineering. 'This makes me think about the cyborg from that movie the other,' he contemplated while he was reading. 'I really wonder how that technology could be used.' Naoki was completely lost in his book as he thought out real world applications for what he was reading before a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. He turned, noticing Kotoko standing next to him, causing a small smile to grace his lips.
"Naoki," she whispered, causing a jolt to rush through him. "Are you ready to study? I am sorry for interrupting. I tried knocking and calling out to you, but you didn't answer."
"It's okay," he responded, standing and stretching after marking his place in his book, smirking as he realized that Kotoko's eyes dropped to the line of his stomach that was on display when he stretched. "I was apparently more absorbed in my reading that I thought I was."
"What were you reading about?" she asked as they made their way to her room, Naoki flipping the lock unconsciously.
"Engineering book," he explained as he got comfortable in his normal spot. "I was thinking about how to apply different principles with modern technology while also developing new technology."
"Oh," she exclaimed with a smile. "Like the cyborg."
"Exactly," he smiled back at her before pulling up the college prep exams that he had prepared for her session that night. He lounged backwards as she began working, occasionally answering questions when she came across a concept they hadn't covered. He had her circle those problems so they could have in-depth lessons later. After a while, he got up and unlocked the door, before returning to his spot on his side of the table, figuring he had about 10 minutes before his mother walked through the door and a little over an hour left before Kotoko finished her practice exam.
He smirked inwardly when 11 minutes later his mother opened the door to bring them snacks. As she set them down, she scowled at him. "Do you have to give her so many assignments?" she asked.
"She is running a practice college exam," he explained to her. "It's important for her to understand the concepts that are likely to be on those exams while understanding the time limit that is allotted for each section."
"It just seems like so much at one time," she cried softly. "At least the exams allow you to do them over the course of a day."
"Exactly," Naoki smirked at her. "This just means that Aihara won't have to use the full time to answer all of the questions, which allows her to have time to double check her work, or take more time on concepts she struggles with."
"It's okay, Oba-sama," his secret girlfriend replied to his mother without taking her eyes off of the work in front of her. "Irie-kun is just making sure I am prepared. I appreciate him taking the time to teach me, so I will gladly do any work he sets forth."
"If you are sure, Kotoko-chan," his mother worried before heading to the door. "Don't stay up too late." Both young adults waved her off, before Naoki got up and locked the door when her footsteps had faded.
"Kotoko," he whispered as he sat down next to her.
"Hn?" she asked, still intent on her work, causing him to smile brightly at how his mannerisms were rubbing off on her.
"Take a break," he replied, amused when she shook her head and kept at it. He reached out and put his hand on top of hers, causing her to pause and lift her eyes to him, startled at seeing him so close.
"Naoki?" she whispered, caught in his eyes.
Naoki groaned inwardly before leaning over to gently press his lips to hers. "Take a break and eat something, Kotoko. You have been working for over four hours."
"Oh," she gasped. With that she reached forward and grabbed a sandwich, slowly eating. Naoki grabbed his own sandwich, watching as she kept glancing down at the paper, itching to get back to work.
"Why are you so fidgety and worried about your work?" he asked her finally as her hand twitched towards the pen again to restart her work.
"I am nervous," she blurted out, before blushing.
"Why?"
"You ran away after things got heated," she whispered so lowly that he almost missed it.
"Ah," he responded, unsure how he should handle the conversation. 'Go for broke and be honest, I guess.' he mused. "I ran because I was losing control of myself," he explained. "I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to stop if I stayed. Neither of us are ready for that, and we definitely would have been caught and married instantly if that were the case."
"Oh," she squeaked as she turned bright red. He chuckled at her response.
"I am not in any hurry to rush us," he said as he ran his fingers down her arm until her was holding her hand, squeezing gently. "I just can't seem to always control myself, so when you were barely clothed, it was a lot for me to handle."
"I understand," she said, squeezing his hand back. "I am sorry for not understanding and making things awkward by asking."
"You didn't make things awkward," he replied as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I am sorry for not explaining before I ran out. Now finish up your food so you can finish your practice exam so we can spend some time together." He smiled softly as she eagerly nodded and quickly finished her food, before picking up her pencil.
As she got back to work, Naoki zoned out, trying to figure out how to keep things from getting awkward again in the future. 'I can try just backing away and telling her I need a bit. As long as she has more clothes on, I should be okay,' he mused. 'It should be easier in general if there are more obstacles.'
"Okay, Naoki," she called suddenly a little while later, making his heart race. "I am done." He sat up and began grading her test, noting the areas he needed to cover with her later. "You did really well," he told her after he finished grading it, looking at her and realizing that she looked tired. "Come here," he gestured to her as he leaned against her bed. When she moved over to him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side, carding his fingers through her hair.
"What brought this on?" she asked sleepily.
"You look tired," he said quietly. "This allows us to spend time together, but still relax. Best of both worlds." They both got quiet after that, just simply enjoying being close to the other. After about 20 minutes, Naoki realized that her breathing had evened out, so he carefully shifted her and picked her up, turning to lay her on her bed under the covers. He leaned over to press his lips against her forehead. "Rest well," he said softly before leaving her room for the night.
When Naoki was in his own bed he had one thought drift through his mind, 'I wish I didn't have to leave.'
The next morning, Naoki walked downstairs to chaos. His father and Mr. Aihara had already left and his mother and brother were running around in a frenzy.
"What's going on?" he asked grumpily, smiling slightly as Kotoko brought him a cup of coffee. "Thanks," he whispered.
"Grandma is sick," his mother cried with worry. "Yuuki and I are going to stay with her, since you and Kotoko go back to school tomorrow."
"Okay," he responded, shrugging. "Hope Grandma feels better soon. Be safe getting there." As soon as those words left his mouth, he heard the door slam shut.
"I hope everything is okay," Kotoko fretted, causing Naoki to turn to her in shock.
"Um, Kotoko," he began slowly. She hummed at him in question. "We are currently home alone." He started laughing as her mouth dropped open in shock.
