Mizuki and Sora only sent text messages to each other for the rest of the week, but rather than a limitation, it felt like a generous allowance. They could now message at any time, about anything that they wanted to. Sometimes a response arrived within minutes, while other times a few hours would pass before the other person had time, but they were no longer disconnected.

--

Friday when Sora showed up to borrow his bike, Takumi asked, "Want to stay and have supper with us before you go? Eri cooked all afternoon."

Sora looked over at Eri, who immediately blushed and protested, "Takumi, if you tell him that he won't want to stay."

Sora turned back to Takumi, who explained, "She thinks her cooking isn't as good as mine."

Sora covered his eyes for a moment, and then turned to his best friend's wife and told her rather abruptly, "I love you Eri-chan, so don't go thinking this has anything to do with your cooking, but I'm not staying for supper."

Takumi stared at his friend. His mouth opened, but he only spluttered for a moment, without managing to form whole words of protest.

Eri's blush deepened as she assured her husband quickly, "It's okay Takumi, he obviously doesn't mean it like that!"

She actually laughed, when Sora agreed, "Yeah, I just can't stand to wait another minute more to see Mizuki again."

Takumi looked back and forth between Eri and Sora as she replied cheerfully, "Drive safely, and I hope we can meet her soon."

"I hope so," Sora agreed. "See you Sunday night," was tossed over his shoulder as he banged out their door.

Takumi looked at Eri for a moment, and then objected rather plaintively, "I've never heard him directly say 'I love you' to any girl before, what am I supposed to think?"

Eri raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him, and then lifted onto her toes to kiss him gently over her recently expanding belly. "That he's completely in love with Mizuki-chan, so he doesn't have to be so careful with his words anymore," she assured him with an amount of confidence that surprised even her.

--

Sora waited impatiently in the parking garage beside Mizuki's school.

After meeting the curious stares of several students, who were apparently old enough to drive, and faster to escape than Mizuki, he began to wonder if picking her up from school was a really bad idea. He'd been focused on seeing her as soon as possible, but the curious gazes were making him remember what she had said about the rumors she had to deal with at school.

He forgot about it again when he saw her dash through the entrance and catch sight of him. Her whole face lit up and she ran to him.

"Sora!" Mizuki exclaimed when she got close.

Sora caught her as she flung herself at him, and then scooped her up and kissed her for several minutes. When he released her, she reached up and caressed his face gently, and then buried her face in his chest.

"I'm so glad you're really here," she confessed in a muffled voice.

It took him a moment to process her words, and then he felt like she'd hit him. He actually gasped for breath before protesting unhappily, "I told you I'll never leave you again Mizuki! Why didn't you believe me?"

She looked up and assured him quickly, "I did believe you! And I'm so happy!"

"Then…" he began.

"I'm so happy it doesn't quite feel like it can really be real!" she explained. "But I'm touching you right now and you're really here." She pressed her face into him again and repeated, "I'm so happy Sora!"

"Me too," he admitted a bit gruffly.

He cuddled her gently against him, until she finally looked up again, grinned, and asked a little shyly, "Can we go home now?" She watched his breath catch, and felt his reaction. Her lips parted and her breath felt hard to catch and she whispered, "Please?"

Sora scooped her up again, and kissed her hard enough to make her mouth feel a little bruised, before he replied in a tight voice, "Hell yes Mizuki, let's go."

She fumbled with the buckle on her helmet, and he helped her with it impatiently. He zipped her into her jacket, and then swung himself into place over the motorcycle.

After she climbed on, Mizuki demanded, "Stand up a little Sora." He stood, and then looked back at her. She blushed and admitted, "When I agreed that you should come pick me up, I forgot I'd be wearing a skirt, but I think it'll be okay if you sit on it."

She wriggled and tucked the layers over the edge of his seat. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down a little as he repositioned himself and sat on the edge of her skirt.

After a moment he apologized, "Sorry, I didn't think about that either. Is it okay? Should I wait for you at home next week?"

"I think this will work, so let's try it," she insisted. "I'll bring a pair of pants to school on Fridays from now on."

--

When they reached her parents' apartment, Mizuki dismounted slowly and stiffly.

Sora quickly locked the bike, grabbed his bag from the luggage compartment, and turned back to her. He touched her knees as he lifted her into his arms and scolded, "You're freezing now Mizuki."

"So carry me inside and warm me up," she commanded with zero repentance.

He grinned at her as he yielded to her bidding and began to climb the stairs, although they stopped and struggled with unlocking the door for a moment.

"No one's home?" he questioned.

"My father only stays home and cooks dinner on Fridays every other week," she explained as he carried her to her room.

"Are we supposed to be cooking?" he asked as he started undressing her.

She replied a little breathlessly as she unbuttoned him in return, "No. Since I started working this job, my mother's been going to the bar when she's done at her job, and eating with him. And I've been just making myself something quick before work."

"I should be taking you out to dinner instead," he commented as he pushed her down against the bed.

"No. Don't you dare stop Sora," she warned him.

He gave no sign that he had ever intended to stop.

After a bit she insisted breathlessly, "I'd have wanted to come home and change clothes anyway." He shuddered as she wrapped her chilly legs around him. "You're so hot Sora," she told him achingly as his heat almost burned her.

His breath caught and he stared down into her face. "I really want to just pound you right now Mizuki," he admitted.

"Pound me," she agreed.

He bit his lip and argued, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me Sora," she insisted.

After a moment's hesitation he leaned forward.

--

Afterward Sora asked anxiously, "Are you okay Mizuki?"

"I'm fantastic," she informed him after a moment to catch her breath. "My whole body is tingling," she said in an amazed tone.

He laughed and kissed her affectionately. After a few minutes he grinned and asked, "Want to go out to dinner now?"

She pouted at him and protested, "I kind of wanted to dress up for our first real date. If we go out now I'll have to wear my work clothes."

After a moment he asked, "Isn't the only time we'll have time to dress up going to be Saturday mornings? Dressing up for breakfast doesn't seem quite the same?"

She sighed after thinking it over, and nodded. She kissed him before agreeing, "Okay, let's take a quick shower and go out to dinner."

--

While they were getting dressed he asked, "Mizuki?"

She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows without replying.

He bent and kissed her again before suggesting, "It wouldn't be for our first date, but would you like me to see if I can get a Monday off so we could go out in the evening after you're done with school?"

Her face lit up and she asked, "Can we try to do that for our one month anniversary?"

"Sure," he agreed. "I'll fill out the application tonight while you're at work."