Sunday Hikaru's mother put up her hair as usual, and Hikaru asked if she would recommend anywhere for getting a piercing?

Miri looked at her daughter in surprise.

Hikaru said, "If you don't I can ask Rin, I just thought you might know someone through your job before, at the beauty parlor."

Miri said she did know a few and asked, "Do you want me to make an appointment for you this afternoon?"

Hikaru nodded. Her mother said she'd leave a message when she had it scheduled and Hikaru went to work.

Hikaru played the soft elevator style piano music of Sunday mornings with a variety of cheerful tunes sneaking into the usually more classical line up. Since Kiri knew where she was working now, he simply picked her up to go shopping from the restaurant. He looked a little tired, and Hikaru asked about it.

"I've been up since six, trying to get enough work done to have the whole afternoon free," he explained.

Hikaru asked, "Are you still planning to have dinner with us?"

He nodded.

He took her to a jewelry store, and Hikaru asked, "Why a jewelry store for earrings?"

Kiri looked at her and said, "You said jewelry bothers you, if it's due to a metal sensitivity, pure gold or platinum is best. That's why starter earrings are always gold."

Hikaru looked at him in surprise and protested, "I've never had a rash from wearing anything."

He hugged her against him and said, "Better safe than sorry?"

They went into the store and Kiri asked about their selection. While the assistant was setting up a selection Hikaru wandered around a bit.

"These are cute!" she exclaimed leaning over a display case.

"Those are for children," protested the assistant.

Hikaru sighed and said, "Of course they are."

Kiri glared at the man and told Hikaru, "Show me what you think is cute, even if it won't work, it'll give me some idea of what you like." He cuddled up against her and looked into the case.

Hikaru smiled wryly and pointed, "See there are dozens of cute little animals. Those sea turtles, and dolphins, and those butterflies?"

Kiri looked at her and said seriously, "I could get behind a set of sea turtles."

Hikaru looked at him in surprise.

He leaned closer and whispered into her ear, "Symbols of longevity and mating for life."

Hikaru blushed.

"We could have a set made with permanent backs," he suggested.

"Permanent backs?" she asked.

"They have a smaller flatter backing, but they only clip together once, you have to get them cut off, which isn't too difficult, but then the earring has to be repaired or replaced," he said.

Hikaru looked at him for a few minutes and said at last, "Having a set made sounds expensive."

Kiri gave her a long look and said, "Hikaru, if that's your only objection, I want to do it, I'd happily buy you diamonds if I thought you'd be willing to wear them."

Hikaru was silent for a bit. "I don't want to be an expensive girlfriend," she said at last.

Kiri hugged her and told her, "There's a vast difference between you letting me get you something and you demanding I get you something?"

"OK," she agreed.

He grinned and gave her a quick kiss, then started negotiating the order with the shop assistant.

They were told it would take at least two weeks, and the shop assistant asked Kiri if he wanted to put it on his account.

Hikaru showed Kiri a really dubious expression at that, and he asked "Why are you giving me that look?"

"I'm just wondering how many women are wearing your ring," she answered.

"None," he replied simply.

She looked doubtful.

"I've only ever given two women rings. Chi-chan returned hers when she broke up with me. And the first one was a plastic toy that was the only thing my first girlfriend would accept, and when it broke, she said it was a sign and broke up with me." He paused and then added, "I'm pretty certain that was her plan all along, she was older than I was, and didn't think we should be dating."

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"Why do you have an account here then?" she asked.

He sighed. "Because I've given a number of other things to women." He looked at her wryly and asked, "Should I have taken you somewhere else?"

She shook her head. "Presumably you have an account here because they've been reliable?" Hikaru asked.

He nodded.

"It's OK, it's not like I don't already know you've dated other women," she said. Then a pained expression crossed her face. "It's not like I ever even asked if you are exclusively dating me."

"I'm only dating you," he assured her. He gave her a long look and asked, "And you?"

She tucked her fingers into his hand and said, "Only you."

He squeezed her fingers, and leaned over to kiss her. "Hikaru I am serious," he said quietly.

She nodded.

"Is there anywhere you would prefer to get your ear pierced?" he asked in a lighter tone.

"My mother made an appointment for me about an hour from now," Hikaru confessed.

Kiri grinned at her and asked, "What would you like to do for a bit less than an hour?"

"Did you bring your car today?" Hikaru asked.

He nodded curiously.

"OK, then we have a little time," she said thoughtfully.

"Where will we be going?" he asked.

She gave him the shop name and directions her mother had left on her voicemail.

"OK," he said and smiled. He slid his arm around her waist and said, "So..."

Hikaru leaned on him and suggested, "Ice cream?"

Kiri grinned and they sought ice cream before going to the shop. "For fortifying before the trauma?" he asked laughingly.

Hikaru nodded seriously.

Kiri hugged her.

--

When they entered the shop, the wiry person behind the counter dropped her pen and exclaimed, "Hikaru-sama?! Oh my god!"

Hikaru blushed and Kiri stared.

The woman rushed around the counter to shake Hikaru's hand excitedly. "I'm fan number 67! My name is Ami." Then she blushed and admitted shyly, "Although Rin is my favorite. I think he's drop dead gorgeous, I wish I were brave enough to ask him out."

Hikaru smiled and said shyly. "Thank you for supporting us." She added, "To date Rin, I think you need the confidence of a queen."

"Confidence of a queen?" Ami repeated in confusion.

Hikaru replied, "As far as I can tell, he will date almost anyone, but he says he'll never ask someone to stay. They never stay long." Then she added, "I came to get an ear pierced?"

Ami's face fell and she said, "I'm sorry, I already have a piercing scheduled. If you can wait until after that appointment?"

Hikaru said, "My mother made me an appointment?"

Ami stared at her. "Miri said it was for her daughter?"

Hikaru nodded.

"Oh my God! You're a girl!?" Ami exclaimed.

Kiri put his hand on Hikaru's waist and asked, "With hips like this, how can you take her for a boy?"

Ami stared, and blushed and said, "Well, Hikaru-sama usually wears loose shirts on stage? I had no idea." She protested, "The website doesn't say she's a girl either!"

Hikaru said calmly, "That's on purpose, Nezumi-san suggested we put only trivial personal information, so it doesn't list our ages, where we live, or anything, just what foods we like and stuff. Because I'm still in school and everyone else still has another job."

Kiri and Ami stared at her.

Hikaru blushed and added, "And no one who mistakes me for a boy will ever look twice at me when I'm in my school uniform."

Ami promised, "I won't tell anyone."

Hikaru replied, "It's not a secret or anything, it's not like I'm pretending to be a boy, I just don't wear dresses on stage."

Ami nodded, but then added, "When I look at you thinking girl it's obvious, but you are safer if people mistake you like I did, so I still won't talk about it."

Hikaru shrugged and helplessly said, "Thanks."

Ami handed her a packet of small stickers and said, "Use that mirror and place a sticker where you want your piercing lined up?"

Hikaru and Kiri walked over to the mirror. "Which ear?" Kiri asked with his chin on her shoulder.

Hikaru pondered for a moment and then said, "If I do the opposite one, then the turtles will be beside each other or flanking us depending on which side of you I'm on?"

Kiri grinned and said, "That sounds cute."

Hikaru looked at his three piercings and suggested, "Perhaps lined up with your bottom piercing?"

Kiri took the stickers from her hand and applied one to her ear in that spot. "Like so?"

Hikaru nodded. "I think so, what do you think?"

Kiri smiled and said, "Yes." Then he turned to Ami and asked, "Do you have a large ball on your pure gold starters available today?"

Hikaru looked at him questioningly.

Ami answered, "I do, but you'd have to buy the pair, I only have the standard as singles."

"That's fine," Kiri said, removing his bottom earring, "I'll be wearing the second one." To Hikaru he indicated his own ear and added, "I think the larger ball will look more balanced."

Hikaru nodded.

Ami said, "That's so cute."

She got out a pair and Kiri put one into his ear and attached the one he'd been wearing to the card.

Ami had the tools prepared and rattled off a standard list of precautions while she washed Hikaru's ear with a disinfectant.

"Ready?" she asked.

Hikaru nodded and held her breath.

The piercing gun went pop loudly and Hikaru flinched and tears began to roll down her face.

Kiri hugged her.

"Kiri?" she asked tremulously.

He pushed back a little to look at her.

"You can never break up with me," she sniffled.

He laughed and hugged her again, "I'm not planning to, why all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I know I'm being a baby about it," she said, "but it hurts way too much, I never want to do it again." She clung to him.

"Why would you have to do it again if we broke up?" he asked, running a hand soothingly down her back.

"Because having both ears pierced is more normal," she replied muffled against his shoulder.

Kiri grinned and said, "You're stuck with me forever. You won't have to get the other ear pierced." He cuddled her.

"OK," she replied.

Ami stared at them but then looked away and said, "You must have really sensitive ears, I'll give you the numbing disinfectant wash that children get."

Kiri chuckled and said, "Yes she does, that would be good, thank you."