"In the end, you couldn't even touch me, huh?"

It was already dark outside and Chisato & Takina were now back at the dinner table.

"Whatever."

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

Takina rolled her eyes before a pink tinge appeared in her cheeks as she looked to the side.

"You… you said you wouldn't show anyone, right?"

"Of course not! After all, I'm the only one who deserves to see you like that."

Takina was struck dumb as she tried to mount a semblance of a defense. Failing to do so, she merely returned to her food without contest.

"Better you than Kurumi, I suppose…"

Chisato gave a brief giggle before the 2 of them settled back into silence. She watched Takina eat her food, noticing how her movements were loose and fluid, tendons stretching and pulling back and forth both in her arms and her face. Her movements, however, began to get more rigid over the span of a few moments.

"Is something wrong, Takina?"

Takina didn't say anything for a moment, staring so hard at her food that she practically drilled holes into it.

"No, it's just that…"

Takina's cheeks began to go red as her voice took on a delicate, almost wispy tone.

"Could you stop staring, please?"

The realization dawned on Chisato's face before she too turned red and mumbled out an apology.

"S-sorry about that…"

…

"Y'know…"

Chisato looked back up, her attention being easily drawn by Takina.

"Yes?"

Takina put down her chopsticks before holding out her thumb and index finger curled close to each other before saying:

"I-if you want to, you can look a little bit…"

Chisato was speechless for a few moments before a hot blush spread across both of their faces.

"I'll keep that in mind…"

She kept sneaking glances for the rest of dinner.

###

Having already finished eating, Chisato now stared out the window at the night sky.

"It's already dark out, isn't it?"

Takina nodded, grabbing each of their plates and moving over to the sink.

"Yep. Almost lights out, huh?"

Chisato raised an eyebrow.

"That's how you're gonna call it?"

"Well, we have to bathe and such beforehand, but yes."

Chisato suppressed a giggle at Takina's slight look of confusion before getting up with a laid-back expression.

"Well in that case, I'll take the first bath?"

Takina gave a nod.

"Yeah. I'll clean up over here in the meantime. Don't forget your change of clothes and a towel."

"No need to nag me about it~"

With a smile, Chisato exited the room, leaving Takina alone in the kitchen. She rolled up her sleeves as a determined smile adorned her face.

"Looks like I have to get to work."

After locating the detergent, Takina got to work scrubbing the dishes. However, while she finished up (they did not have many dishes), a thought crossed her mind.

I guess this is the first time we're living together as a couple, huh?

A light blush generated on Takina's face as she remembered the first time she had seen Chisato right after getting out of the shower. She hadn't paid her much mind, thinking of it as nothing more than a procedure that ensured their comfort while cohabiting, but now…

"I'm back!"

Takina nearly leapt into the ceiling as she heard a sugary voice behind her. Before she could say anything or even turn around, however, she felt the warm weight of arms wrapping around her waist, completely freezing in Chisato's arms.

"I missed you~"

Takina wasn't quite sure what she felt when she heard Chisato crooning in her ear, but while not exactly in her comfort zone, it wasn't exactly… undesirable either. She would probably ask Mizuki what to do later.

For now though, there was nothing to do but to continue washing the dishes and wait for Chisato to tire and let go. After all, it wasn't as if she disliked the feeling of being hugged, even if it made it slightly harder for her to focus on the task at hand. Still, she was almost done, so she would probably have to shake off Chisato in a little bit.

Maybe I should work a little slower?

It was incredibly warm. It wasn't often that Takina felt at ease; her job provided plenty a reason to be on her toes, but in Chisato's arms, it was almost like all of that had melted away. All that was left was the comfy feeling of having a partner to lean on.

"Still not gonna say anything?"

Realizing that she hadn't been speaking, Takina snapped back to reality.

"O-oh, sorry, I was just a little lost in the moment."

Takina wondered why Chisato wasn't saying anything. Curious, she tried to loosen herself from Chisato's grip, only for the hug to tighten around her stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of her.

"Gak! What the heck?"

"Ah, sorry! It's just that…"

Takina just managed to crane her neck back, just barely glimpsing Chisato's red face before being forcibly turned back forward.

Huh? What the-

Realization dawned on Takina's face along with a hot blush as she became all-too aware of Chisato breathing out words on the back of her neck.

"Just… don't look at my face for a few moments, ok?"

Shakily putting away the last dish, Takina got a quick nod and the 2 of them stayed like that for a while. They each simply stood there, taking in the fresh air flowing in through the window as their breaths slowly became one. They subconsciously began to sync their breathing, inhaling and exhaling at the same time, feeling the rise and fall of one another's chest while Chisato had buried her face in the nape of Takina's neck causing all sorts of sensations to form until after what seemed like forever, they finally broke apart.

"That was nice, hm?"

Takina couldn't help but shyly nod in agreement as she turned to face Chisato.

"I guess so… In any case, it's my turn for the bath, so…"

Her voice trailed off as she began to eye Chisato from head to toe, taking in every little detail she could find. She looked at Chisato's simple pink nightgown and her hair which now hung just below her shoulders. Her signature red ribbon was now tied to a loop in her nightgown, forming a little bow as-

"Ah? So you get all embarrassed when I stare at you, but when you do it, it's ok?"

Takina caught herself, her eyes going wide as a blush quickly spread across her face. She averted her eyes, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Nothing gets past you, huh?"

Chisato gave a grin before making a 'watching you' motion with her fingers, pointing them at her own eyes, then at Takina.

"Special eyes~"

Takina felt the tension drain out of her as she suppressed a giggle at this.

"I'll be taking my bath now."

She headed into their bedroom, grabbing a simple set of monochrome, blue pyjamas along with a towel before heading into the shower. As she undressed, she looked in the mirror, checking herself for any major blemishes or injuries she had acquired unbeknownst to her.

Nothing of note. At least, nothing new.

She gently ran her finger down the scar that cut across her shoulder. It didn't hurt anymore; it had been far too long for that to happen, but she could still recall the feeling of having her nerves burned off from the sheer friction of the rope pulling against her body. Her attention then went to the bathtub which was empty, causing a look of confusion to manifest on her face.

She never used to drain the water after bathing. I wonder why she did-

Takina's train of thought was derailed by a sudden realization that caused a blush to spring onto her face.

Ah. That's why.

She filled up the tub and stepped in, her mind beginning to clear as she soaked in the water.

I wonder how this week is gonna look. Tomorrow, we've definitely gotta pick up some stuff like toiletries, a new futon, and probably some mould killer to do some cleaning, even if we're just living here for a week. As for what happens after this week…

Takina paused, contemplating many different possibilities.

Maybe we could go back to Japan? There's probably a lot of things we could do back there. Or maybe we could actually go to Germany? I've always been interested in that place, not to mention…

Takina shuddered at the thought of a drunk Chisato.

It's hard to imagine any girl being more touchy than she already is…

Many of Takina's thoughts came and went. After all, it wasn't often that she could get some time where she could simply contemplate the thoughts floating around in her mind, but eventually, she got changed into her pyjamas and returned to the bedroom to find Chisato lying down in the futon with an open space next to her and a pillow in between herself and the space.

"What's that?"

Chisato's eyes fluttered open as she gave a smile.

"Hi."

Takina could feel her heart skip a beat as she heard Chisato speaking with an almost childlike cuteness that almost seemed to feed her very soul. Slowly, she lowered herself down on the other side of the pillow, facing with her back to it.

"So, why the pillow?"

"I thought that it would be a little more comfortable for us. Y'know, since we just started dating and all."

So even Chisato felt conscious of this kind of thing. There were a few moments of silence before Chisato spoke up.

"So, what plans do you have for tomorrow?"

Takina raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't we be getting some sleep?"

"Yeah, but I thought it might be hard for you to sleep next to a girl as beautiful as myself."

Takina couldn't see Chisato's expression, but she could almost hear the smirk in her voice as she said this.

"Well, am I wrong?"

If Chisato just turned around, Takina's blushing face would've been all she needed for confirmation.

"...No."

"Perfect! Then, what do you have planned?"

Takina hesitated for a moment, contemplating her options before merely saying:

"I guess I'll be making up for lost time."

…

"Eh? Eeehhhh? What's that supposed to mean? C'mon, Takina, tell me! I wanna know!"

Takina gave a light chuckle at the whiny tone that Chisato's voice had taken on before fully snuggling under the covers.

"I guess you'll just have to wait until the morning."

"Wha- don't tease me like that, Takina! Dammit…"

Amidst Chisato's whines and complaining, Takina finally managed to fall asleep with a content smile.