Who says I never update my fics! (Let's not talk about Calamity's Breach...) I have been super, super busy these last few months (including flooding, going overseas, buying a new car, and relatives visiting to name a few) so I've had very little time to write. Not to mention this chapter was a bit...harder to write than the others. This chapter is where this fic finally earns some of it's M rating.

Inside the house Gou tested the temperature of the water spewing from the spout into the large bowl below. Should it be hotter or colder? She really had no idea. She wasn't exactly an expert in first aid, and while she had studied up on certain sport injuries that could occur, such as sore shoulders and pulled hamstrings and the like, she certainly hadn't read anything on how to treat black eyes. Never before would she have thought of something like that occurring.

After a moment she compromised and settled on a lukewarm temperate. More than likely whatever she picked would work. She hoped anyway. Not that it was any sort of life threatening injury, she reminded herself. Snagging a fresh hand towel, she headed into the living room.

Seijuro was on the couch. A bag of ice was on face, one of the first acts of first aid Gou had administrated when they had arrived back here. She set her instruments down on the table. "How's your eye feeling?"

"Cold," Seijuro answered right away.

"I mean, does it hurt?"

"Nah," he replied flippantly. "Your brother's not very good at punching. Doesn't hit hard at all." He attempted to smile but that only made him flinch, turning his smile into a grimace.

Was he trying to act tough so she wouldn't feel guilty? Probably. Any other injury, even the slightest boo-boo, and he'd likely blow it way out of proportion so she'd fawn over him she imagined. Not that she was complaining. Kissing a few scraped knees or stubbed fingers better didn't sound bad.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up. It'll probably look better once we get that blood off your face."

"Does the blood on my face not make me look cool?" asked Seijuro, still compiling and lowering the ice bag so she could see.

Gou laughed a little. "Let's just say you look cool all the time and leave it at that."

"Good answer."

He tilted his head back when she moved over to him with the wet towel. She had to get close to him, practically hovering over him to properly inspect his face, and tried in vain to ignore the closeness of him. The heat from his legs was on either side of her, and against her leg she felt the brush of his right hand on top of his thigh. He had changed out of his nice clothes as soon as they had gotten home, not wanting to endanger getting any blood on them, and now he wore nothing but a pair of loose fitting pajama bottoms. He had opted to go shirtless, not wanting to get any blood on any other shirt either. Normally Gou would have been more than appreciative of that choice of clothing (or lack thereof to be more accurate) but right now it was quite a bit more than distracting.

Not that she was exactly helping herself with her style of dress either. She had changed into pajamas as well, wanting to be in something comfortable and not wrinkle her dress. She no longer had any qualms about wearing pajamas in front of Seijuro, but standing so close to him now with him in nothing but pajama bottoms, Gou was painfully aware of how little she too was wearing. She hadn't even bothered to put on a bra…

She grit her teeth. This was no time to be worrying about such things! She had a job to do. Even if the muscles from his exposed chest did look really, really good in the lamp light. Really, really good. And close enough she could easily run her hands over them.

Focus! she screamed at herself. Shaking her head slightly, she leaned over him to perform her inspection. He had stopped bleeding. The blood that remained on him had been from earlier, and it had dried and hardened. She tilted his face gently from one side to the next, his gaze following her all the while. Overall it was not as bad as she had feared. Her brother hadn't damaged him all that much.

Though her intervention may have had something to do with that. Her intervention that had taken all the wind out of Rin's sails, along with all his will to fight. After Gou's sudden explosive confession he had only stood there limp and unresponsive, as though he had encountered something he had no idea how to contend with. He hadn't been given a chance to recover, as in the next instant the Iwatobi boys had crowded around him. Haru had gone to him first, the others swiftly following, and Gou and Seijuro had quickly made their exit. Gou doubted her brother would have tried anything further, but it had been best to get away from there and separate in order to allow time for things to settle down.

Poor Hana and the girls had been near hysterical as they gathered on the curb. Gou had only been able to speak to them briefly, trying to reassure them everything was fine whilst Nakagawa had handed Seijuro a mountain of napkins he had mysteriously retrieved from somewhere, Seijuro holding them to his bloody nose and turning them crimson red. It was no wonder they had been hysterical, seeing something like that. If Gou was in their place she'd likely have been the same. At least Nakagawa had been with them. He'd make sure they got home safely. He was pragmatic and sensible like that.

Not that he was very far from being in hysterics himself, she thought a little reproachfully. She sighed internally. What a mess the night had turned into! They had wanted to make it count and it had ended up like this. Seijuro punched in the face and her brother throwing the most epic of hissy fits in an effort to defend her honor or something. Under different circumstances she might have been a bit appreciative of her brother's sudden protectiveness. Knowing he was concerned about her well being and that some guy wasn't trying to take advantage of her would have been sweet. However hauling off and socking her husband in the face wasn't exactly very sweet. Especially without getting the whole story from her first.

Brother's always been like that though. He always acted before he thought. Just like Haru had said. At least it's all over now. Now the truth was out. Rin finally knew about what she had been hiding from him these past three months. No more having to walk around on egg shells worried what would happen if she made one wrong move. That devil on her shoulder, that constant concern about her secret, had finally been knocked off. There would be no more need to hide now.

She would have to talk to him later. Of that there was no doubt. She'd have to explain things to him properly, like she should have done earlier as Rei had suggested. But for now Haru and the others would take care of him. They would be tell him what exactly had happened, the how and why. They would know how best to handle him. And besides, she had her own person to take care.

"It's not bad," she said after a moment of appraisal. "Looks like your eye took the brunt of it." Outside of that he only had some very minor bruising and a scratch on the cheek.

"Is my eye red?" asked Seijuro.

"A little."

"Awesome." For some reason hearing this seemed to make him happy. He prodded gingerly around it. "Maybe I can pretend to be half ghoul for a few days."

"Half ghoul?"

"I bet I can scare Noro good with it."

She had no idea what he was talking about. Carefully, she scrubbed away the last of the blood with the washcloth. "Sorry it happened this way. Brother's always been a bit…over exuberant. I should have told him earlier then this wouldn't have happened."

"You have nothing to apologize for." Seijuro flinched a little as she ran the washcloth underneath his eye. "You can't be held responsible for your brother's behavior. And telling him sooner would have only gotten me punched that much sooner. They were taking pictures at the competition, for the newspaper, I think. It would have been terrible if I had a black eye then. They'd have thought I was some sort a hooligan."

"Don't you mean a red eye?"

"Even worse. Then I'd be a hooligan and possibly on drugs."

She smiled a little. He was making awful light of the situation but in the end it was all likely just to make her feel better. "By the way, did my brother say anything to you? I mean before he…you know…"

"He said 'you' and looked really pissed off."

"That's all?"

"No." Seijuro seemed to consider. "I think he said something about me being a son of a bitch and taking advantage of you."

Well, she should have expected that. Her brother would jump to that sort of conclusion. Not that she could exactly blame him. If their positions had been reversed she might have thought the same thing. Though she likely wouldn't have punched his partner in the face without questioning him first. "Did you say anything back to him?"

"I asked him if it was really so bad having me as a brother-in-law."

"O—oh, my god." Gou's half-laugh half-groan sounded more like she was getting hit in the stomach. It was a miracle Rin hadn't internally combusted after hearing that comment. Or killed Seijuro for that matter. "I can't believe you said that. Is that when he punched you?"

"No, he had punched me before then. I think that made him punch me again though."

"Honestly," Gou let out a breath. Leave it to Seijuro to purposely antagonize the guy assaulting him. "Why'd you let him beat you like that anyway? You should have punched him back. I mean I would have."

"He's your precious brother," said Seijuro. "What kind of boyfr—" He stopped. His gaze flickered to the lamp to the side

Was he really stopping over that? Gou almost couldn't believe it. Then again…they had never proclaimed such a title before had they? Much less referred to themselves as the other's.

"You can say it." When he looked back to her Gou raised her eyebrows as if to say it was no big deal, even though she could feel her face heating.

He wet his lips. "W—what kind of boyfriend would I be if I did something like that?" he finished.

Boyfriend? She frowned a little. Was that really what he was to her? She thought again of what she had pondered at dinner, about what would happen with their marriage once they got to Japan. She hadn't known then but she felt she did now.

She coughed a little to try to loosen her suddenly tight throat. "I—I was thinking by the way..." She tried to ignore the thundering in her chest. "About when we get back home…I was thinking maybe we don't have to get divorced right away. Maybe we could wait instead and see how it goes."

He was looking at her, but it was her gaze that flickered away this time, her eyes trained with an almost fierce conviction on the couch fibers.

There was a long moment of silence. "A—are you sure?"

Gou opened her mouth to respond but already he was ploughing on. "I mean, I just know you always wanted to get divorced before. Which I totally understand and it's fine! Having to explain to your mother that you're suddenly married and explaining to your classmates that you went on vacation and got married to some guy they never met before all of a sudden. That would be hard for anyone to do—"

"Are you afraid to tell them?"

Seijuro's jaw snapped shut. Maybe he hadn't expected her to turn his comment back on him. "No," he answered in almost three seconds flat. "I was actually looking forward to telling them."

Gou smiled. Somehow he always knew the right thing to say. Or maybe it was just because he always spoke the truth when it came to his feelings for her, and all those feelings happened to be good. He had always been that way towards her.

She kissed him. A brief kiss, one quick enough he didn't get a chance to respond to. "Same for me too."

They could always get divorced later if they wanted to. Knowing that option would be available to them, available and free to use if they ever so desired, made her feel reassured. She wasn't going to be stuck in something she didn't want. Now she would be part of their relationship because she wanted to be, not because she had to be. And that made all the difference.

He smiled. That smile that made Gou feel like she was the entire world. But this time it looked like he had been the one to receive it instead.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Let's stay married then."

He pulled her in for a proper kiss, one which Gou was more than happy to oblige. Looking back, it was slightly funny how she had worried so about Seijuro trying to kiss her again. Now she wanted him to try and kiss her as much as possible.

She moved her hands to the side of his face, tilting his head up slightly to deepen the kiss. The washcloth had tumbled forgotten to the side. It lay on the couch, likely getting the fabric wet, but at the moment Gou just couldn't bring herself to care quite enough to bother with it.

She felt his right hand, the one that had been brushing against her thigh, curl around the back of it. Her heart sped up to an unbelievable pace, breath quickening at the intimate touch. She had only meant to kiss him once but now found herself unable to stop.

The sound of his breath slightly hitching turned her knees to jelly. Somehow being slightly above him only made it more exciting. Maybe because he was so much taller than her and for once she had the height advantage. Or maybe it was learning that with a few simple acts she could make his breath stutter so, his heartbeat to thunder. Seijuro had always managed to keep his calm in almost any situation. Being able to entice him so, to rouse the great steadfast Samezuka captain into being anything but calm felt strangely empowering.

Gou's shins bumped into the couch edge. She glanced down at the sudden obstacle. She hadn't even realized she had leaned forward. Without thinking about it she lifted her leg. She moved to slide it over his thigh, and Seijuro shifted, moving his own legs closer together for her.

"Is that alright?" he asked her, even though she was the one moving.

"Yes." She wanted to be closer to him. She straddled his waist, her behind on his thighs.

He took advantage of the close proximity to kiss along her cheek, to her jawline and to her neck. His breath was hot and heavy against her skin and Gou's eyes fluttered shut at the new sensation. Her hand was in his hair, and her grip tightened when she felt his teeth. It was not enough to leave a mark – Makoto would have just died if he saw such a thing, and her brother would likely experience a seizure – but enough that Gou could feel herself starting to lose her grip on reality.

Through the thin fabric of her shirt his hot skin was against her breasts. It gave her the unmistakable desire to throw off the flimsy barrier. To truly feel him against her chest. She swallowed hoarsely.

His hands slid up and down her back to her waist then faltered there. They hovered, tentative and hesitant, and with a sudden start Gou realized he didn't want to push her too far. He was holding back, trying not to go too far and make her uncomfortable.

Not that that he could exactly control certain other things from…popping up. His erection was straining the material of his pants and when he shifted a bit she couldn't tell if it were for his comfort or hers. With an effort she tried not to stare. How long had it been that he had been holding back his desire, she wondered. Holding it back for her sake. Knowing that he had wanted her, wanted her like this, but had been holding back for her sake somehow only made her want him all the more.

"Y—you can…you can." She swallowed. She felt like she was going to burst into flame just saying the words. "It's fine if you touch me."

Seijuro leaned back slightly to look at her. His pupils were utterly blown, the gold of his irises becoming all but a thin circle, and even with his bruised cheek and reddish eye he looked so disheveled and handsome she almost couldn't take it. "A—are you sure?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How many times was he going to ask her that? He was always double checking, always trying to think of her first. He had always been doing that, hadn't he?

At this moment she wished he wouldn't. She wanted his hands on her but she didn't want to have to spell it out either, that was just too embarrassing.

Well, in that case…She had no choice but to show him, didn't she?

She kissed him, hot and heavy, trying to communicate with her lips, tongue, and teeth, what she couldn't put into words. She pressed against him, forcefully enough that it could not be mistaken for any sort of coincidence. Her mouth and body could voice her desires in other ways.

Thankfully it didn't take long for him to catch on, and finally she felt his hands fully on her. His hands moved up and down her sides, then underneath her shirt. His thumbs brushed against her, nearly against the sides of her breasts and she shuddered. She never would have guessed how such a simple touch as that could affect her so. Her skin felt almost hypersensitive, every brush and touch amplified to a startling degree.

As if reading her body language, he moved his hands back up. Much more slowly this time and when he reached her sides parallel with her breasts he paused. He moved his thumbs, making soft slow circles across her skin.

Gou sucked in a breath. He was very quiet, perhaps listening intently for her breathing, every shutter and catch of breath, reading her unspoken signs. His hand slipped further forward, perhaps emboldened by her reaction, and he cupped her right breast. His thumb ran across her nipple.

The temperature of the room that had felt almost chilly before was now stifling. Gou was much too hot. Between her legs she could feel that same feeling she had experienced that night in the hotel when watching that porn. That dull ache that was almost painful. She pressed against him, seeking some sort of friction - any friction – to try and relieve the painful ache and against her private areas she felt his erection. Not sure what to do, she experimentally tried moving. The lance of pleasure that went through at the contact was unexpected. Her eyelids fluttered at the intensity of it.

From Seijuro there came a bitten back groan. She felt him swallow more than saw it. His hips twitched forward beginning a rhythm neither of them was familiar with but eager to find out. He kissed her, a bit messily, breathing harshly through his mouth and around his neck she wrapped her arms. His hands moved down to grab her ass, pulling her closer to him, pressing her against him. She ground against him, seeking something even she wasn't sure what it was. She could hear slight groan of the abused sofa underneath them but even that she found exciting, the thrill of discovery overwriting any hesitation or embarrassment at either's lack of experience.

Across her side his hand moved. The movement was steady but slow, as though giving her time to protest if she so wanted, then his hand dipped between them, to the junction between her legs. Gou let out a breath. The new sensation was enjoyable but not quite tantalizing enough. It was almost like receiving a massage. A very nice massage but not enough for what she wanted.

Seijuro's hand moved his hand up to the hem of Gou's shorts. He hooked his fingers there. "Is it alright—"

"Yes."

He kissed her and he slipped his hand inside her shorts. His fingers rubbed against her, brushing against her clit, and the sudden intimate touch slammed into her like the force of a battering ram. She shuddered, a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a whine echoing out of her throat. Her hips twitched of their own violation. His finger slipped in further and Seijuro swallowed thickly. "God." His voice was a groan. "You're so wet."

The blunt lascivious observation made her blush, yet at the same time found it strangely complimentary.

He moved his hand, tentatively exploring between her folds, and his fingertips pressed just slightly at her entrance. Gou bit her lip. She almost bucked her hips forward to drive his finger further. This teasing was almost torture.

Seijuro turned his head to kiss along her neck. His hand slowed its administrations, the movements becoming more calculated, sliding almost excruciatingly slowly along her slit to her entrance. He paused for a brief moment and then pressed a finger inside her.

"Nng." She twitched. The sensation was strange, the feeling of something tangible and, well, belonging to someone else inside her. Not unwelcome but alien, and she shifted her hips a bit to adjust to this new sensation. Then Seijuro pressed his finger in deeper and any thoughts of adjusting flew completely out of her head.

She gasped. "Fuck."

She heard a slight chuckle from Seijuro. Her sudden potty mouth must have amused him, but she was far too distracted to pay much attention to his expletive sense of humor.

Her hips bucked, moving in an attempt to push that finger in further. Her hand almost shot down to grab his wrist and press his hand forward, but then his finger curled inside her, and she shuddered. She clung to him, her anchor whilst the feelings of pleasure lanced up through her groin. Her breathing was erratic, not that she had really noticed, and against her ear she could hear his own labored breathes, punctuated by a gulping swallow.

He slipped in another finger, and his hips moved almost as if to match the strokes of his fingers. Gou met his thrusts. They ground against each other, moving nearly in tune with the other, a desperate charge towards a pleasurable peak, and it suddenly occurred to Gou that this was fairly close to what it be like if they were to have sex. What it would be like if his dick was inside her rather than his fingers. That image forming in her head was enough to send her completely over the edge.

"Ah." She felt the tightening in her abdomen and thighs, and suddenly she was shuddering and moaning before she could realize it. The jolts of pleasure flowed through her like lightning, like a thousand different sparklers erupting inside her all at once. They swept her away and she couldn't think of anything anymore, only feel as her lower body contracted in rhythmic waves, once, twice, thrice.

In near desperation she yanked Seijuro's hand away. If he kept touching her there she might fall apart. Her skin down there felt way too sensitive.

She leaned her head into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply, basking in the afterglow as she inhaled that familiar smell of sun and wind, her heartbeat slowing it's thundering behind her breastbone. Seijuro stroked her hair, kissing her on her temple. He was incredibly warm. Not like the warmth from before, that burning lava flow, but something soft and scared, comforting, like he was all the shelter she needed above her.

It was a little strange. He could entice such warmth in her, bring her to the point of burning and over, then bring her back down with his own comforting warmth. But he had always been that way, hadn't he? That night at the bar she had been just as enthralled by how many different sides existed in him. She still was. Thisside of him she was finding to be quite thrilling.

Under her Seijuro shifted a little and she felt something that made her brows furrow. She looked down. Oh yeah. He was still quite aroused. She could easily see that. She had nearly forgotten amidst all the frenzy of before. She had gotten her release but Seijuro had certainly not achieved his. Her eyes narrowed. Her mother had said you were supposed to do everything half and half in order to make a whole when you were married. That applied to this same sort of situation too, didn't it?

She reached down. She grabbed his dick.

Seijuro nearly shot out of his chair. Good thing he didn't completely, as Gou would have been dumped to the floor. "Wh—what—"

Gou quickly drew her hand back. "Sorry!" Had she done it wrong somehow? She didn't exactly have much experience with handling someone's dick. Anyone's dick. What if she had done something weird? "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"N—no." His cheeks were actually turning red. "It just—surprised me." His cheeks were nearly as red as his eye now.

After what they had just done and he was embarrassed about her touching his dick? She couldn't believe it. Then again she hadn't given him much forewarning before suddenly grabbing it. He's definitely a virgin alright. She had wondered about that before but now she was certain. Somehow knowing that made her strangely happy. "We don't have to…If you don't want to that is, if you don't like it—"

"No. I mean yes, yes I do like it." Gou was concerned he might explode if he turned any redder. "But, y—you don't have to—If you don't want to—"

"I want to."

Those three words were enough to shut him up. Gou glanced down. She moved her hand but stopped just shy. "I'm going to touch it now," she informed him.

Seijuro buried his face in his hand. "P—please don't narrate."

Gou couldn't help it. She laughed. Seijuro shot her a look from between his fingers.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She waved her hands. The mirth made her feel lighter, relaxed, her insecurity falling away. She may not know what she was doing but they could certainly figure it out. Together.

She leaned forward to kiss him, coaxing him into something more familiar, kissing him until she heard his breath become as hot and quick as before. Her own blood was hotly spiking, but she pushed that aside. Her own desire could wait for a bit, even if she were surprised at how voraciously it was coming up again.

She moved her hand, guiding herself with touch. She rubbed against his bulge, running up his shaft to his tip. His breath shuttered. Encouraged, she moved her hand, learning with her touch and his reactions what she didn't know with knowledge. Prior to this trip she hadn't thought much about giving any sort of handjob and while she was aware of the general technique with the fabric of his pants in the way she couldn't properly see what she was doing, nor get a prop grip. She could tell she wouldn't be achieving much like this. She could stick her hands underneath his clothes but that wouldn't permit her much room to really move.

She cleared her throat. "C—can you pull down your pants?" Her cheeks burned slightly. She would have preferred to have just done it herself without asking but in their current position with her atop him she couldn't.

"Yeah." Seijuro complied almost a little too eagerly. All that embarrassment from before had completely vanished. Apparently there was no timidness for him when it came to nakedness. Then again he normally ran around in a speedo. Gou shouldn't have expected any less.

Gou lifted up slightly so he could remove his pants. He pushed them down to somewhere around his knees and since he was absent underwear once he pulled them down he was fully exposed.

Gou stared. She blinked, once, twice. She swallowed.

Well…it wasn't just big shoes guys with big feet had, as her brother had joked about all those years ago. Turns out they had both been right.

I really am a pervert.

Tentatively she gave him a stroke. From Seijuro she heard an intake of breath. It was an encouraging sound. She tightened her hold and moved her hand. She was sure it was awkward, but it didn't seem to matter all that much to Seijuro, who began to pant harshly. Still, she was concerned about chafing, or whatever it was she had heard guys talk about needing lube for when they masturbated, and since there was no lube within the vicinity she pulled back her hand and spat into it. At the action Seijuro gave her such a look of shocked adoration that she made a mental note to remember it for later. The added slickness made the movements easier, and when she moved her hand up and down his cock he gave such a low gasp she could feel her own carnality responding in turn. She moved her hand, but after a few moments she began to feel the pain in her wrist. The angle was not very good where she was sitting atop him, but she was afraid of moving too much and having something terrible happen. If she accidentally kneed him in the crotch he'd likely never let her near his dick ever again.

Her arm was starting to get tired. She could feel the burn of exertion. She was sort of regretting not doing those exercises along with the guys during the training camp now. Apparently she wasn't in as good a shape as she had thought.

Should I try putting it in my mouth? She was considering it when Seijuro suddenly moved his hand. He placed it just below the head of his penis. He began to stroke himself, using a slight twist of his wrist at the very top that Gou would have thought to be painful. She pulled back to let him, watching in near fascination as he got himself off. Watching him do such a thing was like getting to watch something forbidden and taboo, something that nobody else got to see. Having Seijuro do such a private and sensual act in front of her without a hint of hesitation was almost enough to make her start squirming. Hana is never going to believe this.

His breath became incredibly fast and choppy. The muscles in his abdomen constrained, a sheen of sweat splaying across them, and she knew he had to be close when his eyes suddenly snapped open. He looked hurriedly about himself as if seeking something and Gou blinked at the strange reaction. Gaze settling on something, he leaned partly over, grabbing for the sheet crumpled on the couch. He covered himself with it and almost instantly shuddered, breath hitching, and underneath her Gou could feel his muscles tightening. He curled forward briefly then fell back against the couch, head falling back. He breathed deeply, body sagging like he had lost all his bones. Gou couldn't think of a time she had ever heard him breathe so hard. Not during swimming or even when they had been doing those exercises at the training camp that had nearly killed Nagisa. She really liked that raspy sound.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't very good."

Seijuro let out a ghost of a chuckle. "You did great."

His voice was a little hoarse. It was doing things to Gou that weren't exactly proper.

"Shit."

That wasn't quite as sexy a reaction as she would have liked. She glanced up to see Seijuro looking down into his lap. Oh. The sheet he had used to cover himself. It was the same sheet he used to make his bed the couch. It had been rather nice of him to stop himself from potentially ejaculating into her face, but now those sheets were about as unclean as Gou could imagine they would ever become.

"There's not another clean set, is there?"

"No." He frowned. "The only other set is on the bed."

In that case Gou felt it was pretty obvious what they should do. "Guess you'll have to sleep in the bed then."

"No way," protested Seijuro. "I'm not going to make you sleep here. Especially not with this, this is mine—"

"Not like that," Gou laughed. "I meant we could sleep in the bed together." She had brought up before him sleeping in the bed, though never like this, and when he looked at her she shrugged.

"There's no reason for us not to, is there?" she asked, trying to quell the sudden butterflies in her stomach. "We're married after all."

He stared at her a moment longer and she was afraid he was going to refuse like he had all those other times before when she had offered him the bed, when he smiled. That smile she loved so much. "Well, if you insist." The words were playful.

"I do."

He kissed her. A short kiss that was not full of passion but tenderness. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "I love you, Kou."

Against her she could feel his warmth, seeping all the way through her down into her heart. That warmth she had felt since their first fateful night in this country when they had begun their wayward adventure that had lead them here, their future together spread out shining before them.

She closed her eyes. She smiled.

"Call me Gou."

One to two chapters left to go! I also edited this entire chapter in one go, so my apologies if it's a bit choppy in places.

Responses to some things:

lovetothecucumbe - You called it! Originally I was going to have the last chapter be the epilogue, but now I'm debating having a proper epilogue after the last chapter. Will have to see how it goes!

LittleImperfectionss - This was an error on my part. I originally had it in a prior draft that Rin was being distracted by Haru and the others during the dinner so didn't notice Gou, but this got edited out and I forgot to place back in. Eventually when this fic is finished I'm planning on going back and reediting so that should be corrected (along with MIA Momo in prior chapters)

Guest - Don't worry, even if I don't have as much interest in Free anymore I still have no plans on not finishing this fic. Things have just been so crazy for me these last few months, but hopefully now I'll have some more free time.