Kiri sighed, stretched and asked, "Want to take a bath before you go?"

"Together?" Hikaru questioned.

He laughed and hugged her tightly. "Hikaru if I take a bath with you, you'll get pregnant," he said wryly.

"That's a myth," she replied.

"Not if I'm coming inside you," he told her as he nibbled her ear, making her shiver.

"It's OK, we can take a bath together," she said breathlessly as his hands slid under her shirt and he unfastened her bra.

"Hikaru," he scolded as he cupped her breasts, "I intend to be careful with you."

His fingers rubbed in small circles and she moaned and kissed him hard. He sucked on her tongue and she shuddered. Then he stopped, and she protested and clung to him. But he stood and scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.

They didn't stop kissing. He removed her clothing a little at a time. She unfastened his shirt and shivered as he pressed against her. She ran her hands down his back and he groaned and bit her shoulder before pulling away to discard his pants and grab a condom. He entered her and she winced.

He pulled out and she protested, "No Kiri."

He apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Hikaru protested, "It didn't hurt while you were inside, only when you entered and pulled out."

He bit his lip and said, "That's most of the time?"

She pulled him back into her and wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now move, just don't pull out all the way?" she asked.

He moved slowly, first pressing deeper, "Does this hurt?" he asked.

She shook her head in denial.

He pulled back slowly until he saw her wince. "That hurts you," he said.

She nodded. "But not until then," she replied.

He essayed another stroke and asked, "There to there is OK?"

She nodded. He started moving in rhythm, and soon their breath matched the rhythm. She moaned again when his fingers found her breasts, and she came shortly after.

He sped up and came quickly, but Hikaru tightened her legs around his hips and held him inside her as they clung to each other for a bit. Finally Kiri stirred and said, "Need to clean up." He kissed her.

She reluctantly released him, and he dried them both and disposed of the condom.

"I think there's not enough time for a bath now," she told him laughingly.

Kiri stuck his tongue out at her. She took a quick shower alone and then he took her to Mirage's job.

--

Hikaru didn't move around much on the stage that night, but it wasn't too bad. When they finished their last song at 1am, Kiri was waiting in his car.

"Did you go somewhere?" Hikaru asked as she buckled into the passenger seat.

"I went back to work for a couple hours." He looked at her expression and said lightly, "I wasn't avoiding your performance, I even joined your fan club while I was in China."

Hikaru laughed and asked, "What number?"

"347," he replied promptly.

--

When they got home she asked, "Do you still want to take a bath?"

He kissed her. "Hikaru," he said in a cautious tone.

"We can," she insisted quickly, "I um, I've got an implant," she said while avoiding his eyes.

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"I've got a birth control implant, though it's only supposed to be for backup, so using condoms is still good," she explained with embarrassment. She looked at him again and said, "I wasn't trying to hide it, I just couldn't figure out how to tell you. And I didn't want to tell you before we started, because it seemed like I'd be inviting you to..."

Kiri cuddled her. "I see," he said gently. "You want to take a bath together?"

She nodded.

He kissed her again. "OK," he agreed.

He scooped her up in his arms again and she laughed and said, "I can walk."

He grinned at her and replied, "And I can carry you, I might as well enjoy it until you get too heavy or I get too old." He kissed her cheek and finished carrying her to the tub. He undressed her, and then himself while it filled.

She was still embarrassed about being naked together and asked hesitantly, "How do you get used to this?" He looked up at her and she shook her head quickly and said, "Nevermind."

Kiri pursed his lips at her thoughtfully. He hugged her against him and after a moment he said quietly, "You don't have to try to get used to things. If we're going too fast, you can just tell me Hikaru. We can slow down, even if we're living together."

"It's not too fast!" She protested quickly, and he looked at her dubiously. "It's not, I love it, it's just embarrassing," she insisted.

He arched an eyebrow at her and scooped her into his arms. "OK," he agreed. They kissed again as he lowered her into the tub.

He slid over the edge in a smooth practiced motion and they sat in the water, knees overlapping, neither speaking, just soaking.

"I need to decide if I want to take a promotion or a demotion soon," Kiri said after a while.

She looked at him curiously and asked, "Why?"

He ran his hands through his hair and explained, "We've decided to expand instead of cut back. My job will be separated into two jobs. One for the administrative stuff, making sure that every contract is being covered and that people are where they should be, when they should be. The general manager title will become the company coordinator basically."

She nodded her understanding. "And the other position?" she asked.

"It will be the rest of what I do, troubleshooting situations, covering for other managers, it will be titled field manager," he explained.

"I don't understand what makes one a promotion and the other a demotion?" she asked.

Kiri picked up the soap and began rubbing her down. She wriggled and caught his hands. He kissed her. She took the soap from him and rubbed him down with it. He didn't wriggle, he basked under her hands.

"The general manager position will have a regular schedule, and 75k a year, but will be purely a fixed salary. The field manager position won't have a regular schedule, and will still involve traveling sometimes, like I do now," he explained a little more. "The field manager will have a 50k base but still have contract bonuses," he added.

He caught her head in his hands and kissed her deeply, then released her and began washing her hair. He grinned as she went limp against him. "Does it really feel that good to have me wash your hair?"

"God yes," she replied faintly.

He smirked and continued.

"So the general manager position is a promotion because it gets paid more?" she asked after he finished.

He looked at her curiously and said, "It's difficult to say which position will pay more, but usually people think of the administrative position as being a promotion?"

She washed his hair while she thought. He distracted her with his fingers tracing lines along her back.

"It sounds more like the general manager will act as your secretary if you take the field position to me?" she said uncertainly.

Kiri laughed. He hopped out of the tub and held a towel out to her.

She looked at him feeling a little disappointed that they hadn't done more, but she slid out of the tub and into his towel covered embrace.

He bit her ear lightly and she shivere. "You said it was backup," he whispered.

She nodded.

He hugged her tightly and continued softly, "Then I'll do my best to keep our methods doubled up, at least until you're done with school."

Hikaru kissed him and they continued trading kisses as they dried off.

--

Cuddled up in bed together, Kiri commented, "I should clear closet space for you tomorrow."

"OK?" she agreed.

He laid back and tucked one arm behind his head, and said reluctantly, "The general manager position's schedule might let me spend more time with you."

Hikaru snuggled up against him and told him, "There's no guarantee of that, I have unpredictable schedules now, and who knows what the summer will be like."

He slid his free arm under and around her and pulled her tight against his side.

"Kiri, I think you should take the one that still lets you say you love your job sometimes," she said seriously.

"What if I would love the fact that I could see you more often and sleep with you every night?" he asked and kissed her.

"If that's enough that you can say I love my job because it lets me do this?" she agreed. "What things have you loved about your job so far?" she asked.

He thought for a bit and answered, "I've loved the traveling, I've loved working with most of the people, though not all, and I like that I'm helping things be created, even when it's just a 30 second commercial or something." He looked at her and added, "But I missed you like crazy while I was gone. And I have to go for a couple weeks again soon."

She hugged him tightly and nodded, "I saw in your schedule. You leave a few days after we do the competition."

He nodded.

She kissed him. They kissed for awhile and then he thrust himself against her and asked, "Do you feel well enough to?"

When she hesitated he said, "If you're doubtful, let's not, I don't want to hurt you."

Hikaru kissed him and then ran a trail of kisses down his chest and across his belly.

He sucked in a deep breath as she worked her way lower.

She looked up at him and told him, "You'll have to tell me what you want me to be doing, I'm not sure?"

"OK," he agreed.

She tried licking him and he moaned and tangled his fingers in her hair.

After a little bit, he made a suggestion. "Take the tip in your mouth and suck?" She attempted it and he winced and asked, "Can you try not to let your teeth rub?" She tried to flatten her tongue out against him. and he moaned.

After a few more adjustments, he groaned, "Yes," and and pulled her into him as he thrust. She reached up and grabbed his wrist. He released her. "What's wrong?" He begged, "Don't stop now?"

"You're suffocating me when you push my head down," she gasped breathlessly.

"Sorry," he said and shifted his hands to her shoulders.

She continued what she'd been doing before the interruption, and he came.

"God, so good," he murmured and ran his hands over her.

She wriggled up his body and laid her head against his shoulder.

She traced her fingers over his face and said quietly, "You're so pretty it makes me wonder if I'm really shallow."

He stared at her.

"I love your face, and I wanted to kiss you the first time I saw you," she said uncomfortably. "Seeing your face when you've come makes me want to do it again," she almost whispered and blushed and hid her face against his shoulder.

"Hikaru," he said uncertainly.

"Sorry," she replied, not looking at him.

"Hikaru," he said more firmly.

She pulled her face back far enough to look at him again.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'm glad you find me attractive," he said seriously. "I think you are beautiful too," he ran his fingers lightly down her cheek. "But I like much more than just your face and body, and I like to think you like more than that about me too."

She nodded. He kissed her.

"Or do you think when I start to lose my hair and am getting wrinkles you'll be done with me?" he asked teasingly.

Hikaru gazed at him thoughtfully for long enough to make him nervous and then said, "I think you'll be a really cute old man. I'm looking forward to seeing you when we're old."

He hugged her against him. Then he trailed kisses down her body, stopping at each breast for awhile. When she was moaning from that treatment he moved lower.

When he spread her legs and stroked her with his tongue she gasped and said, "Kiri that feels too weird."

"Is it bad?" he stopped and asked.

"I don't know, it's too weird," she said and tried to pull him up.

He followed the pressure of her hands up and kissed her gently. "What do you want then?" he asked.

"I want you to just do me?" she replied with embarrassment.

"OK," he agreed, and pulled out a condom.

But when he entered her she winced. And when he moved a little she winced again.

"This is no good," he said.

Reluctantly she agreed.

He pulled out and removed the condom.

Hikaru looked at him unhappily.

He kissed her and stroked her with his fingers. "Is this too weird?" he asked.

She shook her head and asked, "Can you use your mouth on my breasts too?" He lowered his head and sucked and she arched into him and tangled her fingers in his hair. "Kiri, kiss me?" she begged as his fingers made her ache for him. He kissed her hard and and she came at last, shuddering beneath him.

"How do people manage on their honeymoons?" she asked after her pulse had slowed.

"Hmm?" he murmured the inquiry against her skin.

"If the first time makes you this sore for a few days?" she expanded the question.

Kiri kissed her and replied, "I don't think most people are virgins on their wedding night, and I'm not sure." He looked at her and added with embarrassment, "You're the first virgin I've had sex with."

Hikaru stared at him.

He shrugged.

"Oh," she said.

He kissed her again and they cuddled together. She noted that he was still aroused and stroked him with her fingers.

"You don't have to do something just because I'm hard," he said quietly.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked.

"God no," he said, and reached down to adjust her fingers and show her how he wanted her to move her hand. Then he kissed her and kept kissing her until he came again.

"You really are so beautiful," Hikaru whispered. He laughed helplessly. She got the tissues to dry them off this time. When they were comfortable again he turned out the light.