On Tuesday they took the bus again. When they arrived at the restaurant Kiri had made his reservation at, Hikaru said quietly, "I may be dressed up enough to fit in here, but I really want to run over and press my nose against the glass."

Kiri laughed and said, "You can if you wish, I'm sure it won't be the first nose print they've had to wash off."

Hikaru frowned at him.

Kiri just grinned at her and requested a table near the windows.

Hikaru stared down at the surprising number of rooftop parks and gardens.

When the menu arrived, she looked at it for a bit and then asked, "I am guessing you'll let me order anything on here without complaint tonight?"

Kiri looked at her and grinned again. "Of course," he replied.

He laughed when Hikaru ordered the pasta, one of the least expensive things on the menu. "That was a trick," he accused after their server had left.

Hikaru looked at him steadily, "I did ask first," she pointed out.

He nodded. "But it seems a bit of a waste of opportunity," he said.

"I like pasta," she said a little defensively, "I hardly ever get to eat it."

Kiri asked, "Would you like me to make it occasionally at home then?"

Hikaru nodded and told him, "Please, if you don't mind."

Kiri got up and then knelt by her seat. Hikaru looked down at him in surprise.

He put his hand on her thigh and said, "Hikaru, I'm sorry I referred to you as my fiancé without asking first the other day."

Hikaru blushed and felt distinctly aware of each of his fingers against her thigh through the thin material of the dress. "It's OK," she replied. "I am, we even have paperwork that says so."

He smiled up at her and pulled out a jewelry box, and then snapped it open one handed and showed her the little platinum sea turtles inside. "I picked up our order this morning," he said quietly.

Hikaru laughed nervously and said, "Kiri, I bet it looks like you're proposing with you kneeling and holding a jewelry box."

He looked at her a little unhappily and she leaned forward and hugged him. "Nevermind," she told him. He sighed and set the little box on the table and hugged her tightly. "Sorry," she apologized, "I just get embarrassed sometimes."

He nodded and turned his face to kiss her. She kissed him and forgot about anyone who might be watching. After they'd kissed for a minute, Kiri looked at the box with the earrings. "These sea turtles," Kiri asked seriously, "are you ready, do you want to wait?"

"I'm ready," she said firmly.

Kiri picked up the box and withdrew one of the earrings, he pulled an alcohol wipe from his pocket and carefully washed it. Then he reached up and his fingers were warm against her ear, but she shivered as he slipped out the gold starter and snapped the permanent platinum turtle into place.

Hikaru withdrew the other one and he cautioned her to keep it separate until it was in. She washed it with the wipe and then nervously removed the gold earring from his ear. She dropped it and he caught her as she bent and told her, "I'll find it in a minute." She picked up the little turtle and inserted it, it snapped into place, and Kiri grinned up at her. She kissed him again.

He touched her ear and whispered, "I love you Hikaru."

She blushed again and said, "Me too, I love you too." She hugged him tightly.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He caressed her through the thin material of her dress, but after a few minutes of warm kisses and caresses, he sat back. Hikaru released him reluctantly and he searched the floor until he found the gold starter, which he dropped into the case with the other one and then snapped it shut.

They kissed again until their food arrived, then Kiri returned to his seat. Hikaru sighed as she ate.

Kiri looked at her and asked, "Is it bad?"

"No, it's delicious," she said.

He looked at her curiously.

"I just wish this were the kind of place we could cuddle while we eat," she confessed.

Kiri grinned at her, and laid his arm across the table. Hikaru took his offered hand and he squeezed her fingers lightly.

They declined dessert when it was offered. Kiri wrapped around her, holding her against him as they rode the elevator back down the tall building.

When they reached the bottom he wrapped one arm around her waist so they were walking hip to hip again. Without speaking, but occasionally stopping to kiss for a moment, they walked to the bus station and boarded their bus. Kiri pulled her into his lap when they sat, and she cuddled into him as they rode home.

When they finally reached their door Kiri unlocked it and resumed kissing her. His fingers traced the slit in her skirt and then slid underneath as he guided her into the house without pausing in his kisses.

He slid the skirt upward and his fingers had just caught hold of the band of her underwear when a woman's voice snapped, "Send your girl home Kiri and pay some attention to your guest."

Kiri froze and Hikaru shifted to look over his shoulder incredulously.

"Oka-san, what the hell are you doing here?!" Kiri exclaimed breathlessly.

"Kiri," gasped Hikaru, "that," she pointed, "is your 'old mother'? She's beautiful!"

Kiri's mother glared at her and Kiri flushed. "It is," he replied.

His mother stared at them with compressed lips.

"Um, hi," Hikaru said uncertainly.

"Go home!" snapped Kiri's mother.

"Oka-san!" Kiri protested.

"Uh, hi, I'm home?" Hikaru ventured.

His mother stared at them.

Kiri said, "This is Hitoshi Hikaru, my fiancé. She's living with me." Kiri gave his mother a long look. "Now tell me why you're here when I just bought you a new roof so you could be comfortable at home?"

His mother replied wryly, "You just bought me a new roof, that's why I'm here, no one could be comfortable in that noise. I left Toshi to oversee things and came to visit you."

Kiri sighed and leaned his face into Hikaru's shoulder and muttered, "I'm sorry."

Hikaru said, "Um then, I guess I'll change and work on homework until bedtime."

Kiri said, "I'll come with you," and hugged her against him as they slid out of their shoes and crossed the room. At the little hall he stopped and slid the door they'd never used closed across the entrance. When he followed Hikaru into the bedroom he slid that door closed too. Then he pulled her tighter against him and asked plaintively, "Can we finish before we change?"

Hikaru laughed nervously and Kiri sighed. "I suppose the mood is completely dead," he said reluctantly.

"Not completely," Hikaru said while blushing and she rocked her hips against him. She'd felt him pressing against her as they'd walked.

Kiri moaned a little and kissed her hard. His hands sought the fastenings on her dress, but he quickly gave up and simply slid her skirt up and her underwear down as he backed her into the bed. He pulled a condom out of his pocket as he slid his slacks off.

He entered her as he pushed her down and they landed with him buried in her. Hikaru clung to him and he kissed her as he moved inside her. She shivered beneath him. They finished quickly.

"Wow," she said breathlessly.

Kiri nuzzled her and kissed her again. She quivered as an aftershock passed through her and groaned a little when he withdrew.

Kiri grinned at her and said quietly, "I love you like crazy and you are so freaking sexy right now." He kissed her again as he dried them off.

Hikaru caressed his cheek and said, "I think the sexy one is you." And she kissed him once more.

Kiri hugged her against him kissed her nose and said quietly, "If we don't get up now, I'm going to just keep you in bed all night, my mother be damned."

Hikaru sighed and said reluctantly, "I guess we better get up then, because I really do need to do my homework."

Kiri winced and sighed. "Sorry," he said. He reluctantly released her and ran his hands down her back. "I don't see how it opens," he complained.

Hikaru grinned at him and lifted her arm. He ran his hand down her side and she wriggled as his hand sliding along her ribs tickled her. He found the tail of the zipper at her hip and ran it up her side.

"That's different," he said.

Hikaru laughed and agreed. She pulled the dress off and Kiri asked "Quick shower?"

She nodded. He bent and ran his tongue over her skin. She quivered and he stood and grabbed another condom and her hand and pulled her into the bathroom. He started the shower head over the tub with one hand.

Their shower took a little longer than they'd managed while getting ready in a hurry in the morning.