It took a while for things to come back into focus. He was still hunched over her, both of them breathing heavily, but he moved away before she could kiss him. The pleasure was wonderful, but his kisses were better.

"Are you alright?" he asked, pushing his hair out of his face. His bun was now at the base of his neck, several locks of silver having come loose.

Kagome gave him a reassuring smile, sitting up and fixing her shirt and bra. "I'm fine." He hadn't hurt her, though he looked slightly concerned that he had, and she smoothed out her clothes.

He continued to stare at her, even after he'd fixed his own clothes, and she fidgeted with her hands. What happened now? Instincts had taken over, leaving little room for conversation. And there was still the cake to consider—

"Was that your first time?" he asked.

Kagome flinched. Was being a virgin in your late twenties considered pathetic? Would he view her as clingy? She shook her hands. "No, no, don't worry about that." She pushed the edge of her skirt down. "I'm sorry for disrupting your routine."

His frown deepened, and he dragged a hand through his hair, hissing when it got caught in the tangled mess of his bun. He pulled it out, twisting it back into place, then looked around the room. "This should not have happened."

The world lost its colour.

Hands clenched at her sides, she slowly slid from the island, keeping her head down as she searched for her shoes. She should've known he'd regret it. The dream had been fine while it lasted, and she'd keep the memory in her heart forever, but she could never come back here. She'd come up with some excuse for Kyoko as to why she couldn't be the one to deal with his deliveries, but even looking at his face now was too much.

She plastered a smile on her face. "Can you return the cake once you're finished with it? I'm off the clock now."

Amber eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about? I will take you home."

She shook her head. "I'm fine! We don't want to keep the bride waiting. It's her special day." She gripped the door handle. "Thanks again for fixing it." She stepped outside before he could protest further, keeping her pace brisk and her senses open in the slight chance he'd follow her.

After a few minutes, she knew she was safe, and Kagome wrapped her arms around herself, staggering as the sensations from what she'd just done caught up with her. She could still feel him inside her—the dampness in her underwear was a stark confirmation of that—but now she knew it had been nothing but sex for him.

She'd thought they'd had a connection. He'd felt just as desperate as her, but his words of 'This should not have happened.'ran through her mind until tears streamed down her face. Before today, she'd just been pining from afar. Before today, she could go about her day without feeling his hands on her, without tasting him.

Now, she could never go back.

As soon as she got home, she brewed some tea, adding a sprig of thyme to help with her upset stomach. The pain had nothing to do with her stomach specifically, but it would hopefully dull the ache from being used. She'd texted Kyoko, letting her know the cake would be delivered and she'd see her on their next shift. Then she silenced her phone, not wanting to deal with the barrage of questions she knew was coming.

Right now, all she wanted to do was sink into a bath. And wallow.