Eri didn't try to explain even after they left the building, almost as embarrassed by Takumi's amused smile as by her parents. The drive back to his place let her cool down, and while he was parking the bike, she told him, "I'm sorry, my parents are always like that."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Teasing each other about stuff and making out," she explained uncomfortably.

Takumi grinned at the way she blushed adorably, and assured her, "Your parents are fine. Wait until you meet mine, you've never seen such a ridiculously love-love couple."

She looked at him with confusion as he walked her to the elevator. "But you made it sound like they're so busy that they hardly get to see each other?"

"They are, but when they're together they're like teenagers. They completely stick to each other, and kiss all the time," he complained.

Eri laughed, and Takumi pouted at her as he unlocked his door. She entered first, and sighed with relief as she spotted her tablet. After he shut the door behind them, he reached out and hugged her from behind.

"Takumi don't," she protested.

"Why?" he asked plaintively.

"If we start, I won't get my homework done," she explained with embarrassment.

He nibbled the edge of her ear and suggested, "I could do your homework while you're asleep after?"

"No!" she protested vehemently. "Please stop pushing me?"

Immediately contrite, Takumi apologized quickly, "I'm sorry Eri, I really don't want to push you! I just want you." He hugged her tighter for a moment and then released her.

Eri watched him walk to the counter of his tiny kitchenette and pull out a lollipop, he glanced back at her and she looked away. She took a calming breath and then walked over to pick her tablet up. She didn't ask to go straight home, instead she sat on the end of his bed and started on her assignments.

He watched her for a couple of minutes, and then climbed onto the bed and settled against the headboard. She glanced up at him and blushed, but neither of them said anything.

Her blush renewed each time she looked up, and after a while he asked with amusement, "What are you thinking when you look at me like that?" Her blush spread over her again, like a wave, and he grinned and added, "You are so freaking cute."

Eri shook her head, and stared at the screen beneath her fingers.

Takumi told her, "You are seriously killing me Eri. I don't know what to do right now."

She looked up in surprise, and asked anxiously, "Why? What's wrong?"

He leaned forward and reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. "Nothing. I just want to do you, sleep beside you, do you again, go to work, come home and do you again, and repeat."

She gazed at him open mouthed, unable to reply, and he slipped his lollipop into her mouth and then sat back. After a moment she pulled the lollipop out of her mouth.

"Okay, then let's do it, but you'll really have to help me with my math assignment," she said quietly.

His eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "I really want to, but you don't have to let me just because I'm wanting you."

She blushed again and looked away before admitting shyly, "Every time I look up, I see you sucking on your candy. I want to."

He had her naked in under two minutes, and her tablet fell off the bed a few minutes later.

--

Afterward, Eri commented with amazement, "Wow, that was fast!"

Takumi kissed her again, and then reminded her a little anxiously, "You said that you want to just do it without a lot of extra sometimes?"

She cuddled into him, and nodded before agreeing shyly, "Yes. I loved it."

He ran his hand over her hip and sighed, "I guess now we do homework."

"Sorry," she apologized unhappily.

He kissed her again and told her firmly, "I'm not sorry, and if we finish your work quickly enough, I want to do this again after."

She blushed, and he found it difficult to get tired of her reactions.

--

When it was time to take Eri home, Takumi drove her back regretfully, and kissed her a dozen times before he let her walk into her parents building.

When he got home he called his father, and when it went to mail he simply said without surprise, "Call me soon, I've got a question."

His father, Takeshi Kiri, called back a few minutes later and asked, "What's up?"

Takumi hesitated and then started with, "Did oka-san tell you about my girlfriend?"

Kiri responded to his eldest with amusement, "You mean did Hikaru tell me you've knocked up a little girl that you seem to be head over heels for? Yes."

"She's not a little girl!" Takumi objected immediately.

"Oh?" Kiri asked with interest. "What's her job like?"

"She just has a part-time job, because she's still in college. But she is not a little girl, she is already 21," Takumi answered with irritation. "And this kind of thing isn't what I called to talk about."

"Okay," Kiri agreed with amusement. "What did you want to ask?"

Takumi covered his face with his hand and explained miserably, "Oka-san has always said you've waited patiently for her to be ready for everything. How did you manage it?"

Kiri grinned at his son, and protested cheerfully, "I've never waited patiently for Hikaru in my life!"

Takumi stared at his father, and then objected, "Even I have seen you wait patiently for her to be done working on a song or something."

Kiri shook his head. "Congratulations on falling in love," he said more gently. "I don't know what to tell you. I never feel patient, I just try to let her do things at a pace that makes her happy. I love making her happy. That's all." His son stared back wordlessly for so long that Kiri added apologetically, "Sorry. Sometimes I wait with resignation?"

Takumi shook his own head, in the same manner his father used. "No, I'm glad I asked. I don't know how to make her happy, is all."

"Ask?" Kiri suggested.

Takumi groaned and told him, "She has only told me that she wants me to wait for her, and not to push her."

Kiri replied sympathetically, "Do your best. If she asked that directly, she probably really needs some time?"

Takumi nodded unhappily.

Kiri switched subjects and said, "I'm thinking of retiring next year so I can spend more time with her."

Takumi looked at his father and immediately objected, "But you're only sixty."

Kiri grinned. "But we can afford it, and I want to have some time to follow my wife around like one of her groupies before I'm too old! Besides, since Hatsuharu retired from the band, she's running all over the place with that pretty young drummer, and I can't give her too much room?"

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Oka-san will never cheat on you, and groupies? Maybe you really are getting old enough to retire. No one calls their fans that anymore."

Kiri looked at his eldest son and asked abruptly, "Is she worth waiting for?"

Takumi looked back angrily and retorted, "Absolutely!"

Kiri grinned and told him cheerfully, "Then don't worry, you'll be fine."

--

Takumi laid in bed and wished Eri were cuddled up against his side. He stared out at the city lights until he finally fell asleep.