A/N: Okaaaaaaaaay so umm this is a first for me and I'm soooooo not sure if I should write anything like this. Conflicted inside haha. *hides face* Thank you so much everyone for your support. And sorry about the length of this chapter.

Connection of the souls

(General POV)

The kiss started off as gentle again. None of them were in any hurry. They both needed each other, yes. It's been nearly two years since they had been together. Kotoko avoided Naoki like a plague after he returned from Kobe and then after Naoki found out about Neuroshia, he refrained himself from getting intimate as Kotoko was weak. In fact, the last time they did anything more than kissing was when Kotoko visited Naoki two months after he moved to Kobe.

They pulled away when they needed air.

Naoki moved to the middle of the bed pulling Kotoko with him. During the process he hurt his leg a little and flinched slightly.

"Are you okay?" Kotoko asked immediately feeling concerned.

"It's fine. It was just a strain, not fracture like the emergency aid stuffs thought. It had almost healed." He smiled at her.

Kotoko also smiled in answer. Naoki put his head down on his pillow while Kotoko just used his arms as her pillow and wrapped her hands around him.

"I scared you… didn't I?" Kotoko mumbled after staying silent for a while.

"Enough for the entire lifetime." Naoki responded softly.

Kotoko sighed and moved her head over his chest. She placed her ears right on top of his heart and listened to his steady heartbeat. It was soothing for her mind. She missed him so much. She missed being with him… in his arms.

She started to trace the muscles near his heart with her right hand. She was reminiscing the feeling that she missed all these times. She was starting to remember the nights she spent alone yearning for his love… and to be loved.

Her hand started to act on its own accord. Her brain didn't register when her hand had already moved down on his V line, tracing it through the layers of cloths.

Naoki couldn't control the groan which slipped through his mouth. He grabbed her hand with his, stopping it from moving further south.

"Kotoko…" He warned her in a low voice.

"Irie-kun?" She looked up at him with questioning eyes. Naoki just shook his head in negative with pleading eyes, hoping she would understand what he was going through.

But… she didn't… obviously!

"Don't you miss me?" She asked instead.

Naoki was perplexed. Did she just ask him that?

Didn't she hear the erratic heartbeats right under her ear? It was thumping so loud.

Didn't she feel how tensed his body had gotten due to the little ministrations that her hand was having at it?

Didn't she know how much he missed her… all of her right now?

Naoki stared at her innocent face for a second. Nope she was oblivious to how hard he was fighting to keep his self control.

He tightened his grab on her hand and pushed it near her head while flipping her on her back with her head still on his arm. She was startled by the sudden change of position but Naoki didn't let her utter a single word. He hovered over her from the side and smashed his lips on her in a hungry kiss.

When Kotoko reciprocated, he bit her making her moan loudly and then deepened the kiss. Kotoko tried to keep up but she soon lost to the intensity which consumed her whole mind. She couldn't think straight anymore. When both of their lungs were totally out of air, Naoki pulled away. He put his forehead on hers breathing hard. None of them could say anything for a few moments.

"You think I don't miss you? Did that answer your question?" He asked her in a rasped voice.

Kotoko's mind was still reeling. She barely nodded when she heard his question.

"You really have no idea how hard it is for me to stay away from you do you?" He asked quietly pressing himself on her side.

Kotoko grasped when she felt him even through the thick layers of their clothes. Her breathing hitched.

"Don't stay away then." She mumbled.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

Naoki looked conflicted. He held her gaze while fighting with his inner self. He wanted to get lost in her but he wasn't sure if she was ready for him yet. She was still weak.

But he lost the battle. To be honest, he was already fighting a losing battle from the start. The moment she put her hand on him, he had lost it.

Naoki put a pillow under Kotoko's head and hovered over her. He looked into her eyes intently.

"Are you sure? We can wait till you get better."

"I have never been better." Her eyes were answering for her that she was sure of what she wanted.

That was all he needed. Naoki lowered himself on her and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. He put one hand on her cheek and tilted her head in one side, placing kisses along her jaw and continued down her neck. He smiled when he found her pulsing point.

Kotoko inhaled sharply when she felt him place open-mouth kiss on her pulse point and then he bit her. Kotoko moaned softly and pulled on his hair. Naoki then moved down to her collar bone and repeated his wonder work.

Naoki tugged on her pyjama top, wanting it off. She complied and helped him to take it off. Naoki threw the top somewhere on the bed and looked down at her. Immediately Kotoko covered herself with her hands feeling self conscious. She mentally smacked herself for forgetting her condition.

Due to the medicine reactions, her body has blotches in several places. It wasn't like Naoki didn't know or haven't seen them. He knows. He always helped her changing clothes or taking bath these few months. But nonetheless Kotoko felt nervous under his intense stare.

"You're more beautiful than you ever were Kotoko. From inside and out… an amazing soul."

Tears dropped from Kotoko's eyes but Naoki removed them with his hand and massaged his hand on her face slightly. He placed a kiss on her forehead and then removed her hands to take in the beauty that was presented before his eyes. It was never enough for him, no matter how much he looked. It was always a wonder to him.

His eyes fell on the fading scars of her fractured ribs. Initially he thought that was also a blotch. But now when he knew, he could easily distinguish between them. Guilty conscience took over his whole feature. His smile dropped and his eyes filled up in despair. Kotoko knew instantly what was on his mind. She grabbed his shaky hands with hers and pulled herself in the sitting position. Naoki was straddling her but he kept his weight on his knees. Kotoko made him look into her eyes when she spoke.

"Irie-kun… I'm absolutely fine now. I can't change what happened and neither can you. But now we are together. I'm here with you… in your arms. I'm here Irie-kun."

His eyes brimmed with tears. Naoki crushed her into a hug and held her tightly on his chest while she just rubbed her hand on his back. After a while he only pulled away to kiss her. He laid her back down and continued kissing her.

He poured all his emotions in his movements and showered her with the love that was deep inside his heart. He tried to heal all the fractures he caused to her soul as well as to his with love. Kotoko has long lost herself within himself. All she could think of now was only Naoki.

When they united, it wasn't only a connection of the bodies but the connection of their souls. And finally that night they found peace in the arms of the other who they loved… right where they belonged.