Takumi pulled Eri closer and kissed her again gently, until he felt her warm response begin to affect him, and then he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

Eri gazed seriously at his face, and told him, "I can't tell if your eyes changed."

He bit his lip and tried not to laugh as he replied, "I'm a guy. I'm pretty sure that if you look down, you'll be able to tell, even if you missed the change in my pupils."

She couldn't help glancing downward, and then blushing again, because she knew what he meant even if she wasn't sure that it showed. She looked away in embarrassment instead of meeting his eyes.

He pulled her closer to hug her, and she didn't resist, so he whispered, "I'd really like to keep kissing you. What would you like to do?"

She looked up at him and replied uncertainly, "I'm kind of hungry?"

He blinked at her. Then he laughed and said agreeably, "I guess you were on your way into the restaurant. Do you want to go back?" She only shrugged, so he asked, "Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?"

She shook her head, but then suggested tentatively, "Maybe something sweet? Those taiyaki smell delicious."

She pointed out the stall when he started to look around, and he tucked his arm back around her waist, and then pulled her over to it. The man tending the stall winked at her, and smiled at them both, making her realize that she and Takumi must look like they were on a date already.

She ordered one of the fried sweets, and hesitated because he'd already eaten, but then asked anyway, "Do you want one too?"

He shook his head, so she paid and accepted the piping hot paper wrapped taiyaki. They found a place to stand in the shade nearby while she nibbled at it, and he pulled the lollipop back out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth again.

It was a warm day for the season and she asked abruptly, "Isn't that jacket hot?"

He grinned at her and shrugged it off. "A little," he agreed. "It's my riding jacket."

He was wearing a button down shirt beneath the red leather jacket, and a tie. Puzzled, she looked at him and asked, "Riding jacket?"

He explained laughingly, "For my motorcycle." Then he asked her teasingly, "Want a ride? Can I take you home?"

She looked at him consideringly and he waited for her response. "Okay," she agreed, feeling a little disappointed by such a quick ending, but unwilling to ask for more time.

He didn't know quite what to make of her tone, but when she'd finished eating he found a bin for her paper and his candy's stick. Then he guided her to where his bike was parked and asked, "Have you ridden before?" She shook her head, and he told her lightly, "Alright, then we'll start with the helmet."

"Okay?" she agreed questioningly.

He had two, one hanging at the front of the bike and a second strapped to the passenger seat. He tried the extra one on her first, but then swapped it for his own. "It really ought to be more snug for safety, but this will be okay for a short ride," he told her seriously.

Then he zipped her into his jacket and laughed at her when she complained after a moment, "It's hot."

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He met her offended look complacently and replied, "I know, but the wind chill on the bike will surprise you, and it's much safer if anything does happen. I'd love to promise that you'll be perfectly safe, but that would be the one time that something did happen, and sometimes the other drivers do some stupid things. When we're moving, keep your arms around my waist. Centered low, not up high." She looked anxious then, and he hugged her and assured her, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

He pulled on the other helmet and then instructed her on how to mount the bike behind him. She climbed on awkwardly and settled her arms around him. He laughed again and looked back over his shoulder at her.

"Not that I dislike it, but if you hold onto me like this we're not going anywhere safely," he said with amusement.

Confused, she asked, "Why?"

He reached down and pressed her fingers against him, so that she could clearly feel his response. She gasped and let go of him entirely and he bent forward and laughed helplessly.

She wanted to writhe with embarrassment as she told him accusingly, "You said to keep my arms low!"

He sat up again and nodded, while agreeing with far too much amusement for her comfort, "I did! And you should! But maybe you could aim for my waistband?"

She very hesitantly wrapped her arms back around him, and he patted her hands reassuringly before he started the bike. A moment later he pulled sedately out into traffic.

At the first light he asked a little anxiously over his shoulder, "Are you doing okay?"

She nodded her head against his back and then replied enthusiastically, "It is noisier than I expected, but it isn't nearly as scary as I was afraid it might be!"

At the second light she asked with puzzlement, "Where are we going?" He hadn't asked her for an address or any instructions yet, but it didn't feel like they were just driving for the pleasure of it, since he had switched lanes for this turn before it had even come into view.

He replied questioningly, "Home?"

"Oh," she said so quietly that he could barely hear.

"Is that okay?" he asked.

After a moment Takumi felt her nod against his back, so when the light changed he went ahead and made the turn. They pulled directly into the underground parking area when they arrived, and he had her dismount before he finished parking. Then he helped her remove the helmet and jacket. Once she was unencumbered he put the helmets back onto the bike, pulled his things out of the side case, and locked it down before turning back to her.

Eri looked at him with an uncertain expression and told him, "When you said you were taking me home, I thought you meant my home."

"I don't know where you live," he pointed out dryly.

She blushed and replied quickly, "I know. I just thought at first that we'd be able to talk more along the way, and you'd ask as we went. I didn't know how noisy it was going to be when we were moving, and expected it to be more like riding on a bicycle?"

He reached out to touch her cheek gently, and asked, "Do you want me to take you to your home instead?"

She shook her head, and then shrugged and started to speak, but stopped without actually saying anything. She started over, and told him with embarrassment, "I don't mind coming here, and I'm curious, but I don't want you to assume…" She looked at him and blushed and looked away again, but he just waited patiently, and she finished quietly but firmly, "I don't want you to think that I came here to do 'that sort of thing' with you."

He smiled at her and replied with gentle amusement, "I'm not going to tell you that I wouldn't love to, or that I wasn't hoping for it, but I'm not going to force you into anything. If you don't want to do anything, we don't have to."

"Okay," she agreed.

He waited a moment, but the matter seemed to be settled to her satisfaction, so he slid his arm around her and guided her over to the elevators. After they entered the small enclosed space, he selected the eighth floor and the doors closed smoothly.

She looked up at him nervously and he asked teasingly, "Scared?"

She was startled, but she replied honestly, "No, but I am a little nervous. I've never visited anyone that I haven't known for at least a semester." He looked at her with such surprise that she added nervously, "I haven't really dated very much."

That made him laugh again and he told her, "I can tell." She winced and he hugged her against him and said reassuringly, "Don't worry about it. I've probably dated too much, so between us we're just average."

The elevator opened before Eri could think of a reply.