When Eri woke up in Takumi's arms, he pulled her tighter against him. She responded to his wordless demands and with her movement, his eyes snapped open and he asked, "Protection?"

She abruptly moved away, and replied anxiously, "Sorry, I think I wasn't quite awake yet."

"Neither was I," he agreed ruefully. He turned and gathered up what they needed, adding, "I need to go buy more when we get up."

Once proper safety measures were applied, Takumi coaxed her back to him, and began to caress her. After a minute Eri shyly asked him to change what he was doing.

He paused and questioned, "I thought you were enjoying it? You don't like it?"

"I do," she assured him. "But it feels different, I don't know why?"

He moved his hands. After a moment he smiled and said, "You really do like this better."

She agreed, and a while later they collapsed in a sweaty tangle.

"Gods," he breathed into her hair, "what a way to wake up!"

"Sorry," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I'm not complaining!" he exclaimed. "I loved it! I love you!" He rolled her back off of him far enough to kiss her.

She smiled at him uncertainly, and he sat up and told her with a grin, "Get used to it, I'm going to keep repeating it until you believe me. You are so freaking sexy and I love you already!"

Instead of arguing, she suggested tentatively, "Maybe I should start some kind of birth control?"

He agreed laughingly, "Probably, if this is how we're going to start mornings very often." He disentangled himself cheerfully, and then stood up and walked into the bathroom.

She shifted around until she found her phone, looked at it, and gasped. "We slept all morning!"

He called out, "Is that a problem?"

"I have to be at work in an hour," she replied anxiously. She grabbed her clothes and followed him to the bathroom, but then stopped in the open doorway and looked away with embarrassment.

Takumi finished emptying his bladder, and looked at her with amusement. "You've already seen it all, what's there to be embarrassed about?" he teased.

Eri shrugged and he reached for her. She didn't avoid him, but she didn't look at him again until he said, "Sorry. I should have asked when you worked, and offered to wash your clothes last night."

She shook her head hard enough that her curls bounced a little and replied, "It's my fault, I didn't imagine we'd sleep all morning." She blushed again as she added, "And my clothes don't matter, I'll change into my uniform when I get there."

"Should I make you breakfast? Where do you work? And can we continue this after you get done?" he asked in a rush.

"If it's quick," she said to breakfast. "I work an eight hour shift at the Delphoi," she said of her job.

"Posh," he commented.

"Only if you're a customer," she replied laughingly.

"Eri, can I bring you back home with me when you're done?" he asked again.

"Okay," she agreed.

She laughed at the bowl of cereal he presented her after she was dressed, and he shrugged and pointed out, "It's quick."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"It is," she agreed.

--

He drove her to work on his motorcycle.

When he helped her remove the helmet and jacket he said, "I need to buy you gear that fits properly." She looked at him in surprise and he told her, "I might be able to borrow a helmet that would fit you better, but I'd rather just get you your own."

"Um, Okay?" she agreed hesitantly.

"Do you not like riding with me?" he asked.

"I like it," she replied quickly.

"Alright, let's go shopping tomorrow," he said decisively. "I'll pick you up here tonight?" he added with a grin.

She nodded and started to walk away, but then ran back to him. He looked at her with surprise and she asked shyly, "Your phone or message contact?"

Takumi actually blushed, and apologized quickly, "Sorry, my brain must not be working."

They made the data exchange and then Eri ran to the employee entrance. In the locker room she pulled on her uniform in the changing cubicle.

Sato Kyohei blocked her way when she tried to exit the cubicle, and she gasped involuntarily, and then straightened her spine and complained, "Move, I'm going to be late."

He laughed and reached out and tugged her hair. "Agree to go on a date with me and I'll let you go," he said coaxingly.

"No," she replied shortly.

He frowned at her and complained, "You always say no."

"Move," she repeated.

His expression tightened but Mina came up beside him and said, "Stop bothering Eri-chan or I'll report you for sexual harassment."

He looked over at Mina and replied mockingly, "Somebody needs to get laid."

Eri slipped around him, and out into the corridor, while he was distracted.

--

Her shift went pretty normally. She was relieved when Sato worked with his usual efficiency and didn't bring it up again. On her lunch break she quietly scheduled an appointment for birth control after her last class on Monday.

When Eri was finished, she changed out of her uniform, and then hurried out of the employee entrance. She nearly screamed when someone stepped out from behind one of the cement columns and grabbed her arm.

Sato said seriously, "Geez, you're so jumpy! It's just me."

"Let go of me," Eri demanded quickly.

Instead of letting go, he pulled her closer and demanded, "Stop playing hard to get, it's getting old."

She kicked him in the shin, and he let go of her with an offended expression.

"No need to get violent!" he protested.

"Don't ever touch my girlfriend again!" snapped Takumi, as he walked up to the entrance and wrapped his arms around Eri.

Sato stared at him and asked, "What the hell!?"

Eri heaved a sigh and relaxed into Takumi's embrace. "You can put this in the plus column," she whispered.

He glanced down at her and started to laugh.

Sato announced in an offended tone, "She never said she had a boyfriend."

Takumi stopped laughing and glared at him again. "Saying no should have been enough. I'm serious, don't ever touch her again!"

Sato raised his hands and protested, "No need to get pissy pretty boy."

Takumi didn't respond, and simply swung Eri around and walked her back to his bike. She couldn't explain why his apparently possessive and dominant actions actually felt comfortable and reassuring to her, while Sato's behavior made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Feel like going out to dinner?" Takumi asked as he fastened her buckles.

Eri gazed at him and wondered if the difference was in his pretty face or in the way he was always asking what she wanted. She responded to his question with a shrug.

He paused and asked, "Would you rather eat at home?"

She nodded, but then added as he tugged the last fastening snug, "But you said you don't like to cook everyday, so if you want to go out, it's fine."

"I want to buy a set of couple's rings tomorrow," he replied seriously. Her whispered words about her imaginary plus and minus columns for dating him, and the way she had relaxed into him, made him feel protective of her. Sometimes she seemed strangely innocent, but the way she'd woken him up hadn't seemed innocent at all, like a delightfully complicated puzzle that he didn't want to let go of.

She looked up at him with a confused expression and he told her, "I don't want creeps like that thinking you don't have a boyfriend anymore."

"Oh," she replied faintly. She wondered what he'd say if she admitted that it hadn't occurred to her that she actually had a boyfriend now.

"Will you wear one with me?" he asked plaintively.

"Alright," she agreed shyly.

"And I don't mind cooking every night on weekends," he assured her and kissed her. "I even went shopping in case," he told her with a grin.

She smiled back at him and then they arranged themselves on his bike and he drove them back to his apartment.