Rain pelted the windows of Kaoru's hotel suite, and he groaned, pulling the covers over his head. It was a little after 8 in the morning, and there was little more he wanted right now than to blow off his breakfast meeting and get a little more sleep. He'd been up until 2 am, networking—which in the world of high fashion, was typically done at late-night parties. He closed his eyes, starting to slip back into sleep, but was jolted out of his doze by Megumi's text alert. He snuck his hand out, feeling around for his phone. Once he'd located it, he brought it back into his nest to read Megumi's message.

-How's the City of Light?

-Miserable. What are you wearing?

-Navy skirt, white blouse. Why?

-Seriously? Give me something to work with here.

-I'm not wearing any underwear.

Kaoru grinned. Really?

-No, not really. I'm still at school.

-Way to ruin the fantasy, babe.

-Next time, don't ask.

-Next time, don't wear underwear. He could imagine Megumi's face, that look she had when she wanted to be stern but couldn't quite keep the laughter from her eyes and the very corner of her mouth.

-Well, what are you wearing? This works both ways, right?

-Boxers.

-That's some prime fantasy fodder right there.

Kaoru couldn't help laughing. Megumi was always much sassier over text than she was in real life. It was a side of her that he loved to bring out. He thought a minute, then typed -Stopped into a cupcake shop yesterday and had the lemon crème. Tart at the beginning, but then turned all soft and sweet. I can still taste it on my fingers. Just like you.

There was a long wait, and Kaoru started to wonder if maybe he'd gone too far with that last one.

-Um. WOW. When do you get back again?

-Not soon enough. He grinned, imagining the blush that would be spreading over Megumi's face and down her chest. –You liked that, huh?

- Hold on. Give me a minute?

-Take your time. Kaoru wondered what she was up to. Maybe if he was lucky, she was taking a picture for him. He thumbed over to his e-mail, lazily deleting junk messages until Megumi had finished whatever surprise she had in mind. When the text alert sounded again, it was an attachment. "Megumi, you naugty, naughty girl," he murmured to himself, feeling a spike of adrenaline shoot through him. "What did you send me?"

When the attachment finally opened, Kaoru caught his breath. It wasn't a photograph at all. It was a drawing, clearly done in haste, barely more than a few lines. But the sheer eroticism of the image—a woman, naked, head thrown back in ecstasy, while a man, also nude, watched her—was all the more overpowering for the lack of detail. He wanted to print it out and frame it. He wanted to fly back to Tokyo, tonight, and turn the spare lines into reality. He was startled out of his thoughts by another text alert.

-What do you think?

-I think I'm in love with you. Kaoru looked at the words he'd typed, then erased them. That was probably not something he should tell her for the first time over text. He typed again. –That is, hands down, the sexiest thing I have ever seen. Ever. He could imagine her smile as she read this, a little slow, a little wicked. –You could make a living selling those, but I'd really prefer to be the only man who ever gets to see your dirty thoughts.

-I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. The likelihood of my quitting teaching to become an erotic artist is pretty much nil.

-Sucks for the rest of the world, Kaoru typed. –But by all means, feel free to continue sending me little drawings like this.

-Think I'm going to have to burn that before anyone walks in here and sees me with it.

-Don't you dare! I'm serious, Megumi. Please keep it for me.

-Relax, I won't burn it. But if it falls out of my bag and my sister sees it, I'm telling her you drew it.

-You're seeing your sister tonight? Kaoru frowned. He hadn't met anyone from Megumi's family yet, and he was starting to wonder whether that meant anything. Maybe she wasn't as serious about him as he was starting to get about her. Maybe she was embarrassed?

-Yes. She's probably going to give me hell, AGAIN, for not having met you yet.

He hesitated, then texted –I'd love to meet your family, you know.

-Really?

-Yes, really. You've met Hikaru, and my mom.

-I've met your mom once, and that was hardly planned. I don't know—I guess I just didn't think we were at that stage yet.

He frowned again, wondering what that meant.

-Kaoru? I didn't mean … can we talk?

-Maybe this is a conversation we should have face-to-face, okay? Kaoru felt his stomach start to knot up.

-Oh. Okay. A long, long, pause. –No, you're right, that makes more sense.

"Shit," Kaoru swore fervently. "Shit, what the hell just happened?" He typed –Have a nice time with your sister.

-Thanks! You're coming back in three days, right?

-Right. Anything you want from Paris?

-Just you. He read the message. Did that seem forced? Was she overcompensating for something? –And maybe some fancy soap?

Despite his worry, Kaoru laughed. –Fancy soap. Got it. I've got to sign off. Breakfast meeting in 20. He hesitated, then added –Miss you.

-Miss you too.

"Fuck!" he swore again. Putting his phone on speaker, he called Hikaru while getting dressed.

"Kaoru! How's Paris?" his brother answered.

"What does it mean when a girl says you need to talk?" he asked without preamble.

"Usually nothing good," Hikaru said. "What's going on?"

"I told Megumi I wanted to meet her family, and she said she didn't think we were there yet, and that we should talk." He pulled on a pair of dark slacks. "Should I be worried? I should be worried, right?"

"Calm down. First of all, are you going to make your breakfast meeting with Pierre, or should I have someone call him to reschedule?"

"Wow, Hika, look at you, all business-oriented and shit."

"Kaoru."

He sighed, flipping through his shirts. "Hang on." He quickly texted Pierre Hénin, letting him know he was running no more than 10 minutes behind. Fortunately the meeting was just downstairs. "Okay, taken care of. Now can you please concentrate on this for me?"

"You guys still haven't had sex yet, have you?" Hikaru's sounded amused.

"I should never have told you that."

"Maybe she thinks you're not taking things seriously," he suggested. "I mean, you've been dating for what, six weeks? Give or take?"

"About five. I don't know. That doesn't seem like a long time. Maybe it is too soon to meet her family," Kaoru felt deflated. "You think the sex thing is an issue?"

"The sex thing is always an issue," Hikaru said. "If you're not willing to commit, can you blame her for thinking you're not willing to commit?"

"It's not like I'm leaving her unsatisfied," he replied, a little stung. "And I'm totally willing to commit. I'd love to commit."

"To sex?" Hikaru whispered suggestively through the line.

Kaoru wished he was in the room with him, primarily so he could smother him with a pillow. "Taking things slow is not the same as not committing."

"But five weeks? Seriously?"

"I know." He sat down, buttoning up the plum silk shirt he'd finally decided on. "But it's like … I said I didn't want to go there, because I wanted to get to know her first. Establish an actual relationship."

"Sounds pretty fucking stupid to me, but you do you, Kao."

"So now," he sighed in frustration. "How do I kind of … move things along?"

"Well, when a man loves a woman very much—"

"I'm not asking for mechanics, asshole."

"Kaoru, you think too much," Hikaru said. "Just tell her how you feel. Tell her you want to move things to the next level, and ask her what she wants."

"I think I'm in love with her," he said seriously, leaning his forehead against the cool glass of the window. "Is that creepy? We haven't had sex, I haven't met her family, she's barely met mine. That's creepy and too fast, isn't it?"

"The heart works on its own schedule, Kaoru," Hikaru's voice had turned gentle. "Look, when you get back, why don't you guys take some time—go away for a long weekend or something. And until then, don't stress out, okay?"

"Okay." He looked at the clock on his bedside table. "Shit. I have to go. Do me a favor—can you grab dinner with her tomorrow or something and just feel things out for me?"

"I can't. I promised Mom we'd look at some portfolios tomorrow night and decide who we want to use for the September show in London."

"Maybe I'll ask Laney."

"Kaoru. Stop it. If you're really that worried, just call her."

"Laney?"

"No, Megumi, you idiot."

He sighed again. "Yeah, but I don't want to be a crying, depressed mess for the rest of the time in Paris if she's planning on breaking up with me."

"She's not going to break up with you," Hikaru said confidently. "Now get your ass downstairs for that meeting. And stop obsessing." With that, he hung up.

Kaoru picked up the phone, and pocketed his wallet and room key. Walking down the hall, he texted Megumi. –We're okay, right?

But he didn't get an answer.

Author's Note: Thanks so much to Lilemaus, CinnamonTroll, Likes, Fallenlily366, Sad rad fish, FinalFantasyCrazedGirl01, Beaker77, Mairelle, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to Almathia, CinnamonTroll, Lilemaus, Terri'smind, person2309, and 13 for the favorites. Really, there aren't words to express how encouraging your support and feedback is. This chapter was (extremely loosely) inspired by the song "Chelsea Hotel #2"-less the words than just the feel of the song, half plaintive and half playful. I've been on such a huge Leonard Cohen kick lately, but that one always makes me want to cry, thinking of how bright and beautiful and terribly, terribly young Janis Joplin was. Oh well. No one is dying in THIS fic, so I guess at least there is that. With all the crap going on in the world, it is a downright relief to escape into writing this little story, where the biggest problems are romantic misunderstandings. Stay safe out there, y'all.