"Hara-san?" Mizuki asked about the person that Sora had implied would be inviting Haruko to live together, as they were mounting Sora's bike.

"They've been dating on and off for like three years," Sora explained with amusement.

"On and off?" Mizuki asked doubtfully.

"He kept taking business trips without her so she kept going places without him in return. She would complain that he didn't even miss her, but she still let him persuade her to resume dating each time, last I heard," Sora explained.

--

When Sora picked Mizuki up after work, Haruko was already gone.

Mizuki was exhausted. Sora carried her up the steps, and showered her gently, before curling up around her in the bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning, Mizuki woke up to Sora's hands caressing her. "Good morning?" she asked with amusement.

"It will be," Sora whispered into her ear, as he ran his hands down her.

After a moment she asked, "Are you already wearing it?"

"No, but I have one under the pillow," he replied.

"Put it on," she commanded.

He grinned against her hair and did her bidding.

--

After they finished, Mizuki asked shyly, "Sora? Do you have Christmas off next month? I'm working the next day but I'd love it if you could come here?"

Sora replied with a grin, "I was going to surprise you?"

"Surprise me?" she questioned.

"Do you want me to tell you now?" he asked in return.

Mizuki frowned. "Sora, it's not that I completely hate surprises or anything, but I prefer if they are little things?"

"This surprise doesn't cost anything?" Sora assured her questioningly. She still looked worried, so he added gently, "If you want to know now, just say so Mizuki. Whatever makes you happier is fine."

She asked uncertainly, "Will telling me spoil your fun?"

"No," he assured her wryly. "Watching you worry is spoiling my fun."

"Sorry," she apologized quickly.

He cuddled her closer and told her quietly, "I found out that there's a mandatory, everyone takes it, week of vacation at Christmas at this job. They close the place down, although I'm not sure if it's because the owner is Christian or because they decided that programmers tend towards being workaholics?"

She smiled at him and he continued, "It doesn't count against the three weeks off in our contracts, and I've heard there's another week like it during the summer, although not always at the same time every year. Anyway, I was hoping to spend the whole week here?"

Mizuki's smile expanded and she said happily, "I'm so glad! A whole week together!" Then her smile dimmed a little and she added, "But I'm working eight hour shifts almost every day during the vacation."

"I know, it's okay," he assured her. "And it lines up with the weekend this year, so it's actually ten days."

He kissed her warmly and she kissed him back enthusiastically.

After a while Sora asked, "Will you let me add you to my account at Christmas?" Mizuki shifted uncomfortably but didn't answer right away. Sora bit her gently before informing her, "It's annoying when you don't want to tell me what's wrong."

"Are you sure it's a good idea? Maybe I should just look for a job that's on school days, then it wouldn't take up our weekends together," she asked as she disentangled herself and crawled out of bed.

Sora watched her for a moment, before complaining, "It sounds like you want to change your mind? Wouldn't that make school more difficult?" He got up as well and began to collect his own clothes before asking unhappily, "Why don't you want to let me support you Mizuki?"

She shrugged, but then asked suddenly, "What if I ask you to buy me a car someday Sora?"

He grinned at her suddenly and asked, "Can't I just lend you mine at that point? I think I'll have one by the time you can get your license."

Mizuki laughed and shrugged again, without saying anything else before she reached for the door. They headed for the bathroom.

It wasn't until they were done getting cleaned up and dressed for the day that she asked a little plaintively, "What if it's not a car, but something that expensive?"

He kissed her before answering, and they walked back to the table before he finally replied calmly, "If it's that expensive, I'll want us to talk about it. Actually, I'd like us to talk about any large purchase either of us decides to make. But if it's something you really want, I'll do my best to get it for you Mizuki."

She stared at him slack jawed for a moment, before swallowing and asking, "Why am I different?"

He ran his hands down her back, touched her face, and replied seriously, "Because I care more about you​."

His reply made her even more doubtful. "You didn't care about the girlfriend you lived with for more than three years?"

Sora shrugged and replied a little uncomfortably, "Not in the same way, but I was content, mostly. And if the car had been something she really wanted, for a purpose, I might have gone ahead and tried to buy her one. But it was just a challenge. She just wanted me to prove I would," he replied unhappily.

After a moment Mizuki asked hesitantly, "What if you don't think it's for a good reason?"

He looked at her incredulously and then replied with amusement, "Mizuki, you're my weakness."

She gazed up at him questioningly.

"Do you really think there's anything you'll ever really want that you won't be able to persuade me to do after a while, if we talk about it? It didn't even take you twenty-four hours to get me into bed, and I thought that was a horrible idea!" She blushed, and he kissed her and added, "And it's not like I'm telling you never to work. But I'd rather you be done with school and work mostly while I'm at work anyway?"

"Oh," she replied.

He looked at her startled expression, lifted her up, and blew a raspberry on her belly. She giggled and gasped with surprise, and then wriggled in his arms as though trying to escape.

He let her down just enough to reach her chest, and she complained, "Take me back to bed Sora, don't do that kind of thing out here. My parents could come out at any second."

"Okay," he agreed obediently, as he carried her off to her bedroom.

--

When they finished he asked again, "So, can I add you at Christmas?"

It took her a moment to reorient herself. "We'd better do it after, the banks will be closed, I think." She paused for a moment, before adding, "And we should just combine our accounts shouldn't we?"

Sora shrugged and assured her, "As long as you're on mine, it's enough. Having just ours instead is also fine."

His hands were moving distractingly and she gasped and complained, "You're cheating Sora."

"I'll never cheat on you," he replied cheekily.

"You know what I mean," she groaned.

He pulled out another condom and replied, "I don't have any idea. I'm just rewarding you for being compliant."

"Oh," she gasped.

They didn't go out that morning, or eat until lunchtime.

--

In revenge, she waited until the Christmas break to tell him what shift​ she'd be working.