Title: "Hot Springs Summer"

Author: Trinity D'Canto

Fandom: GouGou Sentai Boukenger

Pairing: Masumi Inou & Natsuki Mamiya

Rating: R-ish (this is more PG-13-ish, which is why the series got that rating, but this chapter's slightly more adult).

Warnings: Spoilers for Boukenger task 24, also! There shall be a little lovemaking in this!

Disclaimer: Natsuki and Masumi don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for my own entertainment.

Easily the best thing about the summertime was the fact that the Boukenger found themselves with plenty of time off after missions to spare. And usually, it was spent doing the usual summer activities.

For Masumi, the best thing about summer was dates with Natsuki. Usually, she was the one to plan their excursions, which ranged from everything from amusement parks (he was never going to Tokyo Disneyland again), to botanical gardens, to zoos…to you name it, and they'd probably done it.

One afternoon, Natsuki bounded into the salon, bubbly as ever and she tugged on Masumi's hand. "I have a place we can go today!" She announced. "For Masumi needs to relax."

"And just where is this place, Natsuki?" Masumi was slightly uncomfortable because everyone was staring at him.

"A wonderful hot spring in the mountains!" Natsuki was ignoring the stares of the others. "We can take relaxing baths there and Masumi can get less cranky."

A day of relaxation did sound very good to Masumi and wanting to escape from Satoru's slightly disapproving stare (Satoru could go to hell, all that mattered was that he and Natsuki were happy), Masumi sat up, plopped his coffee mug down and dragged Natsuki away.

The hot spring Natsuki had found (Masumi had long since stopped wondering how Natsuki came up with such ideas for dates, or how she found some of the places they'd gone) was just as she described it. It was quiet and well hidden by the strategically placed foliage. If anyone were to see them, they'd have to get right on top of them to do so.

Masumi was just about to tell Natsuki what a good job she'd done, when there e was a loud splashing noise and he suddenly found himself standing next to her clothing and the backpack she'd brought.

"Come in the water, Masumi!" Natsuki called, waving to him.

Immediately, out of respect for Natsuki, Masumi turned away. He had a sneaking suspicion that if he turned, he'd see her naked.

But is that really such a bad thing? He thought as he carefully undressed and sank into the water, hissing somewhat at the heat.

Natsuki swam around, careful not to reveal too much of herself to Masumi. "Isn't it wonderful?" she asked. "All the tension just melts away, right Masumi?"

The tension wasn't the only thing Masumi felt melting away. His inhibitions were slowly slipping away as bathing in the warm spring water eased him into a state of utter calmness, something completely foreign to him.

And Natsuki was with him.

This felt more right that anything else he'd ever experienced before.

The Strong Adventurer stopped in her swimming and looked at the Fast Adventurer. "What's wrong, Masumi?" she asked. "You're so quiet."

Their eyes locked for a moment and Masumi could have sworn that he could hear their hearts beating in unison.

Without really thinking…he suspected that the intense heat was messing with his head, Masumi moved slowly towards Natsuki and took her in his arms, pressing a kiss to those soft lips.

Natsuki was resistant for a moment, but then, eagerly, she yielded to the soft, chaste kiss, running a delicate hand along Masumi's smooth back and another along his arm.

He took her response as a means to move forward and he intensified the kiss, pulling the young woman against him. This was better than anything he could possibly have imagined.

Without thinking, he undid the ties that held Natsuki's hair in those pigtails of hers and her hair tumbled over her back and shoulders in a midnight colored waterfall. For a moment, he pulled away, panting gently, taking Natsuki in with a newfound love and adoration.

She was beautiful to him now, no longer the scared girl he'd found in the ruins. She had grown up so much and now…there wasn't anything holding him back. Well, except her.

"May I, Natsuki?" he asked softly, not wanting to force her into something she didn't want wholeheartedly.

She nodded and dove on him, temporarily shoving the couple under the warm water and they were a tangle of arms and legs and hair as they fought for air.

Natsuki was awash with giggles as she broke the surface and Masumi found himself laughing, too. But it wasn't too long before they resumed their kissing, the kisses going from sweet and chaste to deep and passionate.

It seemed to last for hours and hours. Hands touched and explored, kisses were placed on every inch of bare skin and before long, they'd reached their peaks together, crashing down with loud cries that could be heard for miles.

Natsuki collapsed into her beloved Masumi's arms, tired and spent and…pruny.

"You want to sunbathe, Masumi?" She asked coyly, giggling as she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt so warm to her. "We could get out and dry ourselves on the rocks."

"We might get burned. Although, I prefer to cuddle with you just like this. Do you mind if we do that?"

She smiled. "Natsuki would like that." She murmured sleepily before falling asleep on his chest, his arms around her waist.

He looked down at her and grinned, stroking the fine black hair. "Yeah…Masumi would like that, too."