Contains smallish spoilers/conversations from Kakumei and Bessatsu I. You are warned.

"So...did you already do it?"

It had been two months since Doujou was discharged from the hospital, and also since Shibasaki's roommate had been dating her superior. She had picked up their mutual affection a long time before that happened, though. Even if she hadn't had her signature, stunning perception for other people's feelings, or her eagerness for gathering all kinds of information, the forthright nature that showed through their interactions and Iku's simple, romantic character made their feelings obvious. And here they were, sitting at the kotatsu while drinking tea in their dorm room after work, Shibasaki making Iku squirm at an question that was strictly an "adult" topic.

Iku drooped her head slightly down and averted her eyes from Shibasaki's. Instead, she tried to focused on the trails of steam that flowed steadily from the cup of chamomile tea (they had it regularly stocked at their dorm room and the squad's office now) that was folded in her palms. The warmth of the cup, in early February's chill, still not enough for Iku to distract herself the self-consciousness she felt at the question.

Uwa. She's in investigative mode.

"We're k-kissing," she muttered. Her reply came out a bit muffled as she lifted her tea and touched her mouth to the rim of the cup, a half-determined attempt to hide her face.

Iku apparently thought the "it" Shibasaki was referring to was mouth to mouth contact.

"God, I'd be surprised if you haven't done that much already!" It was clear Iku's maiden naivete was still as prevalent as it was before Iku was dating Doujou. "Am I talking to a high school student?!"

Iku looked up. "I don't even know what you were suggesting..." she countered, unknowingly brandishing her innocence further. Iku gave a small pout before she swathed down a gulp of her warm drink when Shibasaki had a dominating urge to prod her further, and directly speak the unspoken.

"Sex."

Eh.-SPLOOSH.

...And Iku sprayed tea all over Shibasaki's face. Droplets of the liquid could be seen on the woman's cheeks, closed eyelids (a reflex reaction), forehead-just about everywhere Iku had been facing at and more.

It was one of those instances when imagery of the idea was conjured when another had spoken it. That sudden rush of vague images the best her virgin mentality could fantasize was the cause of the unprecendented outburst.

I guess this is karma. Shibasaki had cornered Iku into a landmine and inevitably got one of her own. Usually she kept her peace among such things that she knew would get that kind of reaction from her simple-minded easy to read roommate, but teasing her severely on occasion too tempting. That urge brought repercussions for herself this time.

"Aaaahhh! Shibasakiii!" Shibasaki heard Iku standing up and the sound of a drawer opening. "I'm so sorry!" Her face was suddenly mushed with several thick towel as Iku clumsily tried to clean the mess she made on her friend's face while she was still very flustered.

"I can take care of my own face!" Shibasaki asserted, snatched the couple of beige towels from Iku's grip, and started to dab lightly at her cheeks. A few moments of silence passed until Shibasaki turned her attention back to Iku. Her slight annoyance faded as she saw her friend's countenance: Iku was sitting on her ankles, hands clenched tightly on her lap, her face lowered, but not so low enough that Shibasaki couldn't see the deep-reddish pink color that emanated throughout her facial expression.

Shibasaki couldn't stop a light smile from emerging. At times like this, she's the most adorable. Iku was so sincere, in the sense she could never mask her feelings, no matter how personal or how much she didn't want others to see them. Shibasaki didn't need to root out information from Iku; Iku already shoved information so bluntly in her face, anyway, unintentionally.

Shibasaki could also easily imagine that Iku showed such shyness in front of Doujou often, now that their were treading on such conditions that he was the one who took the initiative to start more bold advances. How will she be able to overcome her hesitation when things start to really get physically involved? Shibasaki picked up Iku's cup from the other side of the table and refilled it with the fragrant drink to the brim. She took Iku's hands and placed the warming object between them.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Iku nodded her head twice gently, forgiving her in the gesture, but was still not able to look at her directly. She drank all in one go, and the cup was empty once more.

The heat from the tea still radiated from the cup, into her palms, even after its contents were gone.

Ikuuu why are you so cute? :)

English needs more onomatopoeia, like Japanese. Sploosh is just...blargh.

The spoken conversation until 'Am I talking to a high school student?!' was translated from Bessatsu I. The rest was imagined, where my translation skills failed me and I'm too lazy to decode all that kanji on a Chinese handwriting keyboard D:

Next chap I feel should be about kisses. And should also be longer. chu. chu.