Slow Burn

Chapter Six:

"So Here We Are, Again"

Kokoro woke up early the next morning, around six o'clock, she sat up and slid out of bed and looked in the mirror. She was in the same clothes as the previous night, and then she remembered Matt, and what he said to her when he saw the cross in her hand. She couldn't help but smile. "I wonder if that was a dream." she said softly to herself. She changed into a white t-shirt and dark blue shorts, and did her morning exercise. She walked into the kitchen. Her mother hadn't woken up yet. She walked to the guest room to check on him. She silently slid the door open about a foot and peered in. He was fast asleep, taking up only some of the bed. She giggled quietly at this. She suddenly felt the slight headache from being a little drunk the night before.

"Kokoro? Why are you up so early?" Kokoro turned to see her mother looking at her with some concern. "What are you doing?" Her mother spoke quietly.

"I just woke up a few minutes ago. I was debating climbing into bed with him for a while." Kokoro slid the door closed.

"Why?" her mother asked with a curious look on her face.

"I don't know, mother. I just wanted to… just lay down with him."

"Kokoro…" Kokoro hugged her mother. "…do you feel so strongly about him?"

"I didn't mean sex, mother. I just want to be around him." A long pause as her mother looked at her. She sighed.

"Alright. I love you, sweetheart." Kokoro opened the door again.

"I love you too, mother." Kokoro whispered to her mother, then releasing her, "I promise nothing will happen. Trust me?" Her mother smiled. Kokoro backed up and entered the guest room, sliding the door closed behind her. She walked over to his bed and contemplated if she should just lie down or wake him up. She walked to the side he was facing and nudged him. He stirred sleepily, rubbed his eyes and started to sit up. Kokoro placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled to keep him down. She sat down on the bed. "I'm sorry, Matthew." He smiled.

"What's up?" he asked wearily.

"I want to say thank you for last night…" He sat up and sat next to her, side by side. "…you looked after me. In hindsight I am ashamed that I was drunk, or for that matter drinking at all. I'm glad that you like me back, I suppose. I will be sad to part with you. Were you honest with me last night?" He nodded groggily.

"I was honest with you, sobriety shouldn't matter." he said gently. She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, he laid his head on top of hers.

"I really would like to get to know you, so the feeling of wanting to be yours isn't so… strange." she admitted. He nodded. She laughed a little, "It's what led me in here."

"Why else did you come in here? It's early." he asked with a smile.

"I woke up early, and I wanted to lay down with you for a few hours." He laughed. "What?"

"Nothing, you really like me don't you?" She nodded eagerly. "But I'm glad you came, I want to get to know you some more, too." She smiled and cuddled up next to him. She looked up at him, he looked down at her.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"You came in here." he said with a smirk. She shifted to get more comfortable.

"So I did… Well, what is your favorite thing about me?" He laughed.

"I can't really pin anything down just yet." he said with a smile.

"Well, take a stab at it."

"Well Kokoro, you are wonderfully kind, one of the nicest people I have ever met." he said in her ear.

"Anything else?" she said with a smile.

"You seem to have a delicate touch with many things. You are intelligent. You're easy to talk to, and you're beautiful on top of all of that." She smiled and nestled up to him more tightly.

"You're so sweet, Matthew. You've been reliable and caring, and you have a great sense of humor." she whispered in his ear. "And you're handsome as well." She squeezed him tighter. "You're easy to talk with, too." she said, yawning. He laughed. She looked at him for a long moment and smiled elfishly.

"What was that for?" he said quietly. She shook her head innocently.

"Because I wanted to smile at you like that." she said while closing her eyes. "Would you rather me not smile at you like that?" A long pause without a response. She looked up at him when he tightened his hold on her a little.

"Well?" she said as she looked up at him. He had fallen asleep. It made her smile as she drifted into sleep herself a few minutes later. They woke up later that morning about nine o'clock, "Good morning again, Matthew."

"Matthew?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"Do you prefer Matt?"

"Not particularly, no." he said with a smile. "I have never cared one way or the other."

"I prefer Matthew, it's a little longer. I like saying it too. There aren't any words like it in Japanese, either." she said sitting up. She stretched and hopped out of bed. "Come on, I smell breakfast." she said pulling him up out of bed. "Hungry?" she asked eagerly.

"Actually I am." he said standing up. "Smells good." he said awkwardly. She laughed and threw her arms around him happily.

"It does. Let's go, Matthew." she said pulling him along by the hand, a happy smile on her face.

When they walked into the kitchen her mother ushered them to the already set table, "Sleep well you two?" Matthew looked up for a moment.

"I slept well." he answered shyly. Miyako laughed.

"Don't worry. I know you two were together this morning." Kokoro touched Matthew's arm to reassure him.

"Don't worry mother, nothing happened. We only talked for a while." Miyako nodded and sat down at the table.

"So, dear, what are you doing today?" Kokoro shrugged.

"Not sure, mother." She looked at Matthew, "I should take Matthew to buy some more clothes today."

"Alright. In town?" Miyako asked. Kokoro nodded. "Have fun and be careful." Kokoro nodded again. After the two finished Kokoro suggested that they get ready to go. Near noon Kokoro took Matthew by the hand and moved him out of the door with a smile and a wave to her mother. "Be careful dear. Oh, Matt! You're responsible for my daughter, I trust you so bring her back safe, okay!?"

"Yes ma'am!" Matthew yelled back. Kokoro hugged his left arm and walked on into town with him. She smiled happily at her mother and then him.

"So how do you dress? And should we go get lunch?"

"I dress like I'm dressed now."

"Collared shirts and jeans?"

"For the most part."

"I think we can manage that. Though the clothes here are probably not what you're used to in America. But what do you say to lunch."

He smiled, "We shall see. We'll eat if you want to."

"I'm actually hungry now. You?" He shrugged. "Let's eat now?" He smiled. She took him to the restaurant they went to the time before, as they walked in the same girl greeted them.

"Well hello again Kokoro and um, friend." she said with a friendly.

"Hello Yuki, how have you been?"

"Work and school. Who's your friend?" she asked slyly.

Kokoro blinked at the curiosity. "This is Matthew." The girl smiled. "Matthew this is Yuki, I went to high school with her."

"Well let me get you seated." she said leading them back to the same table. "Do you know what you want, or should I come back in a few minutes." Kokoro looked at Matthew, who shrugged and smiled back.

"Same thing as last time." Kokoro said calmly. Yuki wrote it down and bowed and went back into the kitchen. "She's so sweet." Matthew only smiled. "… Once you get to know her." Kokoro laughed softly. He nodded. "So, are we actually together?"

"What?" he asked surprised at the question.

"Yuki thinks that we are together, like dating, are we? She'll ask eventually."

"Are we?" he asked in response. "I mean, would that make you happy?" he asked shyly.

"It would, but only if it would make you happy to be with me." she whispered.

"Then I guess we are together." he concluded. Kokoro smiled happily and grabbed his hand from across the table. He looked at her funny, she smiled sweetly in return. After they ate Yuki returned with the bill.

"Here you go. So are you two together?" Kokoro nodded and smiled and gave a quick look to Matthew. "How cute!" Yuki exclaimed with a smile. "That's very sweet. You two have a nice day. Alright?" They nodded.

"You too, Yuki." Kokoro replied. Yuki waved as she walked back to the kitchen. Matthew produced his wallet. "I have it Matthew." she calmly responded. "Mother told me to pay for food when we are out. She always said my father left her with so much money she didn't know how to spend it, especially on top of her family fortune." Kokoro informed Matthew.

"I want to buy you dinner at least once though." Kokoro leaned in placing the bill money with a tip on the table.

"I won't stop you, but this is lunch, not a nice dinner." She smiled as she saw him accept her given reality. "I know it's against the proper rules for a guy, though. I just want to make sure you have enough for whatever you need, you know?" He nodded.

"That's very thoughtful of you." he said with a smile. She stood up and held out her hand, which he took when he stood up.

"Let's go, shall we?" she said leading him out of the restaurant. She waved to Yuki as they left.