They were still kissing when the elevator doors opened and revealed an older woman struggling with two laundry baskets, who laughed and said cheerfully, "I see you're enjoying your youth Takeshi-kun."

Takumi grinned and handed Eri his key and his jacket. While she watched him with a confused expression, he took one of the baskets and said, "I'll just walk Hiroshi-ba-san to the laundry and be right back. I'll have laundry to do tonight too, so we can wash your things as well."

"OK," Eri agreed shyly.

It seemed embarrassing to have your laundry mentioned during your first meeting with someone, but the laundry baskets made it an obvious topic. And Takumi hadn't really made any introductions, but the two of them were obviously quite familiar with each other. After the elevator closed again, she turned and walked down the hall to let herself into Takumi's apartment.

She had been a little afraid of getting the wrong door, but she had chosen correctly. She hung up his red leather jacket after successfully fumbling the lights on, and looked at the kitchenette counter with surprise. Next to the little jar of lollipops, like the one Takumi had been sucking on when she met him on the stairs, was a vase full of roses.

They scented the room strongly enough that she could smell them without walking over to sniff at them, but she walked over to them anyway and touched one. She grinned at the soft texture of the flower petal against her finger. Then she looked around the room and wondered where Takumi kept his dirty laundry. The things they'd discarded the night before had been picked up and the room tidied.

When he returned, it was the first thing she asked him and he laughed, and beckoned her into the bathroom. He opened the tall cabinet where he kept towels and things and gestured to the bottom half which was filled by a tall square spring basket.

Takumi leaned down and kissed her neck, and then told her, "I'll find you something to wear, and take that down to start."

Eri blushed at his casual intimacy. But like the roses waiting on the counter, she was enjoying these small romantic gestures, even if they highlighted the differences between this quick warm romance and the slow cool love of her past like day and night.

Takumi was shocked when Eri couldn't squeeze into even his loosest set of pajama pants. She shrugged and asked him with embarrassment, "Want to change your mind about me being too fat?"

"Absolutely not," he replied quickly. "I love your hips and tonight's dessert is cheesecake." He pulled her closer and kissed her belly while she laughed, then released her and rummaged in another of the drawers that lined his bed frame and pulled out a faded yukata.

He was relieved when he wrapped it around her and it overlapped sufficiently. She removed the t-shirt she'd put on first, and then shrugged into the yukata and fastened it properly into place. She looked like she was dressed for a festival despite the worn material.

He wrapped around her and whispered, "You're so freaking cute right now."

She blushed again and he kissed her. They clung together for awhile, but finally he released her and reluctantly carried off their laundry.

After a few minutes of sitting on the bed gazing out at the city, she tried to turn on the TV. After several puzzled minutes of being unable to get it to show anything but a blank screen, she gave up and turned it off again. When Takumi returned again he immediately started working on preparing dinner.

After watching him for a minute she told him, "I tried to turn on your TV but I couldn't get anything but a blank screen?"

He looked up with a short laugh, and told her cheerfully, "I don't have a subscription, or even have it hooked up to the net. I've got a bunch of music videos and movies in storage that I stream to it if I want to have something on. If you want live TV or games we can hook it up and subscribe."

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She shook her head quickly. If he needed to be conservative, she didn't want to add to his expenses. She replied reassuringly, "I don't watch things very often, I just felt a little weird sitting and waiting for you with nothing to do."

"I'll show you how to stream to it later," he promised.

"OK," she agreed, and he grinned at her affectionately.

It didn't take Takumi long to finish cooking, and he set the little table up with the flowers in the center, flanked by two candles.

"Pretty," Eri complimented, as she settled at the table.

Takumi grinned at her and shut off the lights. Eri blinked at him in the soft candlelight. The scent of the roses and the food filled the little apartment.

As they ate by candlelight, he mentioned, "I also picked up a few types of soda for you, hopefully flavors you don't dislike, since I didn't think to ask before."

"Thank you," she replied quickly. "I don't think I'm very picky?"

"I like sweet things, so I don't mind drinking them if there are any you don't want, but I usually try not to keep too many around," he replied.

She commented, "I noticed your container of lollipops."

Takumi grinned at her and said, "Those are sugar free."

Eri made a face at him and asked, "What's the point of sugar free candy?"

He laughed and suggested with a teasing grin, "It's the same as using protection? It isn't quite as wonderful, but it's still very good and it's much better for you."

She blushed and they fell silent for a little while.

Takumi asked after a bit, "What's your favorite color? What kind of music do you like? When's your birthday?"

Eri laughed and replied, "I want to know those things too. My favorite color is green, I like a little bit of everything but not everything of any particular category of music, and my birthday is the 20th of March."

He pouted at her and complained, "I missed it, you should have met me two months ago."

She giggled and replied, "I have one every year like everybody else."

"We'll do something fun for your next one," he promised. Then he answered his own questions, "My favorite color is red, I prefer classical or instrumental music, and my birthday is on July 22nd."

Eri grinned and replied, "I think I should have been able to guess the color."

Takumi laughed and took her plate. "Should I turn the lights back on or would you like to continue by candlelight?"

She blushed without answering.

He grinned at her and didn't ask again, he just finished clearing the table, and then scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He trailed kisses down her body as he unwrapped her, and then moved his hands back up to her chest with delight.

She laughed and commented, "You really like to do that."

He glanced up at her and asked, "Do you want me to be doing something different?"

She shrugged and told him what she'd like best so far with embarrassment. He moved to follow her suggestion, and commented teasingly. She looked away with embarrassment.

He scolded her gently saying, "Eri, I want to know what pleases you most. I love making you feel good."

She looked back at him and replied quickly, "Me too."

They exchanged quiet fragments of pillow talk, and when Takumi teased her, she scolded him. They used protection and it was still very good, but he grinned at her afterward with such a smug expression that she hid her face against his shoulder.

"I love you," he said quietly and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

He tensed and she continued unhappily, "I really like you a lot. And I love being with you. I just don't know yet, it's too fast."

He relaxed and cuddled her, and said softly, "It's okay Eri, you don't have to say you love me until you're sure. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I want you to fall in love with me, I don't want you to lie and say you love me when you're not sure," he replied after a minute.

She pushed up and looked into his face and told him anxiously, "I really do like you very much."

He grinned and said, "Good." Then he rolled her over, held up another packet and asked, "More?"

"Already?" she asked faintly.

He frowned. "Am I doing too much to you? You haven't complained even though it was your first time last night."

"I like it," she insisted quickly before confessing, "but I feel sort of stretched? I don't know how to describe it…"

He kissed her and put the packet down. "Let's take a bath," he suggested.