Close Quarters

Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Kimi!


Chapter 4 – Coming Together

Mizuki leaned her head back in the shower, allowing the hot water to run through her hair. She let her mind go blank, focusing solely on the soothing rhythm of the drops hitting her skin.

The room was empty when she got back. The blankets had been removed from the floor, and there was no sign of misplaced clothing. It looked normal.

Mizuki still felt anything but. She’d avoided coming back right away, instead grabbing some much-needed water and food from a local convenience store. She got more nervous as she came back to campus, eyes darting around for any sight of Sano or Nakatsu. There was still so much to sort out.

But, she hadn’t backed down from any challenge to date, why should this be different?

Julia’s words floated back to her.

‘Sex changes things. . .’

“Dammit, it doesn’t change who I am,” Mizuki almost shouted, fist banging on the shower wall.

Or how she felt. Mizuki stood, water running down her body, connecting with the feelings that had gotten her into this.

She loved Sano, truly, deeply. At first it was just obsession, but his quiet caring and quirky humor turned her budding feelings into the full bloom of love. And now he confessed his love, provided he remembered. That had to be her first conversation.

Nakatsu was somewhat of an obsession as well, but definitely of the carnal kind. As her love and lust for Sano developed, her awareness of Nakatsu increased. What was it she heard somewhere – the best thing about a fantasy was the possibility of it coming true?

She really couldn’t be with both of them. It wasn’t fair to them, to her. While she held enough friendship for a host of people, her heart had been taken up by Sano for some time. She couldn’t cheat Nakatsu just because he came second.

Mizuki rested her head against the side of the shower. God this was hard. The last thing she thought of last night was that she’d end up hurting one of them. Of course, not much thought was involved last night.

Gathering her courage, she turned off the shower and toweled off. She pulled on some clean clothes and picked up the pile on the bathroom floor. She stopped, noticing that it was Sano’s sweatshirt she’d put on in a hurry this morning. She raised it to her face, inhaling his scent. Her insides felt warm as she remembered the smell and taste of him from the night before.

Oh yeah, she had it bad.

She walked out into the room and bent to drop the clothing in the hamper. She straightened, jumping when strong, warm arms encircled her shoulders from behind.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Sano. She’d know these arms, that voice, anywhere. She leaned back into him slightly.

“I’m sorry you had to go looking.”

He leaned his head against hers, breath warm on her ear.

“I’m just glad you’re back.”

Mizuki shuddered slightly and stepped forward, turning to face him. His arms released her, giving her space. She looked up into his dark eyes, searching for an acknowledgement in his gaze. She looked down, the quiet intensity she found quite powerful.

“We should talk,” she said, moving to sit on the floor near the bunks. He nodded and sat next to her, sitting close but not quite touching.

Mizuki felt his gaze on her as she collected her thoughts. She took a deep breath.

“What do you remember from last night?”

Sano took her hand, and she looked up at him. The intensity of his gaze had not diminished.

“Everything.” Mizuki blinked.

“So, you did say you loved me? And you know I’m a girl?” she said, hopefully.

“Yes.” He leaned in slightly. “Do you remember everything?”

Mizuki blushed at the remembrance and his closeness.

“Yes, but I didn’t when I woke up. I. . . needed to figure things out.”

Sano kept his eyes on her face. A small coil of fear wrapped around his gut.

“I thought a lot, and I think I know how I feel.” She looked away a little. “Nakatsu is a good friend, and I admit that I’ve been attracted to him, but I think a lot of last night was the sake.”

Sano’s hand gripped hers slightly.

“A lot of last night? But not all?” Mizuki met his gaze again and saw the fear in his eyes. She quickly shifted to face him and took his hand in both of hers.

“Sano, I came to Japan to meet you, and I don’t want to think about life without you. That’s why I’ve been holding back my feelings, so I could stay here. If the wrong person discovered my secret, I’d have to leave.

“For a long time I didn’t know if you’d reveal my secret or not, but after last night, I’m not afraid of that anymore.” Her eyes teared a little as she held his gaze. “I love you Sano.”

Relieved, Sano tugged her small frame into his arms and held her tightly. She loved him, finally it was out in the open. He didn’t have to pretend anymore, at least not with her.

“Izumi,” he said into her hair.

“What?” she said, lost in the warmth of his arms.

“I want you to call me Izumi.”

Mizuki smiled against his chest and held him closer. She felt the tension of the morning start to unravel as she basked in the comfort of his embrace. One fear still nagged at her that she just had to voice.

“Sa-Izumi,” she said, pulling away a little.

“Yes?” he responded, brushing some errant stands of hair away from her eyes.

“Do you . . .I mean . . .” she flushed and looked away.

“Mizuki, just say it.”

She took a deep breath.

“You know that you . . . were my . . . first, right?” Sano nodded, and she continued. “I just don’t want you to think that I’m, you know . . . easy.” She glanced up at him through her eyelashes to read his response.

Sano chuckled softly, a rich, warm sound. He gathered her small face into his hands and kissed her forehead. He snared her soft brown eyes with his dark ones, still holding her gently.

“Mizuki, you are many, many things. Brave, headstrong, dedicated, passionate. But I would never consider you easy.”

A weight left her shoulders as she smiled happily, blushing at his compliments. A coil of warmth ran through her as she took in his handsome face and was surrounded by his scent. She leaned into one hand and placed hers on top of his.

“Even if I want to kiss you right now?”

Sano leaned in, forehead touching hers.

“Even if you never wanted to stop kissing me.”

Mizuki muttered a soft “Oh good,” before closing the distance between them. Sano wrapped his arms around her again, letting her direct the kiss with gentle but insistent movements of her soft lips. He gladly opened for her when her tongue teased his lips almost hesitantly. She explored his mouth and tongue slowly, her shyness melding into a natural mixture of sensuality and curiosity that was uniquely her.

She was addicted to his taste. She loved the feel of his lips and tongue playing with hers, and the warmth of his skin under her fingers. Not breaking the kiss, she moved so she straddled his lap to get closer to him.

Sano groaned as Mizuki’s warm center settled over his growing arousal. He splayed his hands across her back and shoulders to pull her closer, loving the feel of her small body pressed to his. Mizuki’s hands buried in his hair, massaging his scalp with light clenches as she lost herself in the kiss.

They pulled away for air, panting in each other’s embrace. Sano buried his face in Mizuki’s shoulder, kissing and nibbling his way up to her ear.

“Mizuki, I want you,” he said huskily in her ear. “Do you want this?”

She sighed and arched into him as his hands began traveling lower.

“Tell me, I want to hear you say it.”

“Yes, Izumi, please,” she breathed.

He wasted no time in pulling her shirt overhead, pleasantly surprised that she just wore a simple white tank top underneath. Her rosy nipples, barely visible through the thin cloth, stood at attention in the cool air. He lowered his head to her chest and took one peak into his mouth, hands at her back as she arched into his caress.

Mizuki kept her hands clenched in his hair as he teased her through the cotton. His muted touches were building the ache she felt for him between her legs. A sharper nip caused her to gasp in pleasure, a swift bolt shooting to her core at the sudden sensation.

She drew her hands down his back and pulled at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin beneath her fingers. He obliged her motions, tossing the shirt away after he pulled it over his head.

Sano’s hands slid under the tank top, playing with one firm breast as he continued to bite and lick the other through the cotton. Mizuki happily caressed his bare shoulders and chest, delighting at the small jumps of the muscles beneath her hands.

Wanting more of him, Mizuki pushed back on his chest. Sano shifted and laid back on his bunk, pulling her with him. Mizuki bit her lip at the more prominent feeling of his arousal pressing into her center, enjoying the feel of the hard denim through her layers of cotton.

He laid back and let her explore him with her touches. She leaned forward and kissed his chest, stroking and caressing him as he had on her. He jumped and hissed a little when she bit his nipple, but relaxed when her warm tongue soothed away the bite. She was a fast learner.

The feeling of her body writhing and moving over his was getting to be too much. He reached for her again, pulling the tank top over her head and rolling her under him. Mizuki squeaked lightly at the motion, surprised by his sudden moves. His lips descended on hers, plundering her mouth and taking possession of her body.

Sano’s hand wandered lower, and slipped inside her cotton pants and panties. Mizuki arched off the bed and moaned as he tenderly stroked her wet folds. The feelings that were powerful last night were almost too intense without the haze of sake. She almost lost it when he inserted a smooth finger into her heat, and thrust her hips to meet his hand when he started moving it inside her.

He pulled away from the kiss and drank in her passion-filled visage, relishing every soft moan and mewl that she made at his touches. His. All his. Her breathing quickened and became more rapid, and he swallowed her cries in another deep kiss as she came.

Mizuki came back to herself as he gently pulled her bottoms off and divested himself of his jeans and briefs. She saw his arousal standing at attention, a testament to her affect on him. She idly wondered how he’d held himself back for so long.

Her curious hands fluttered down to touch him as he knelt over her. Sano’s head dropped to her shoulder with a groan as she gently caressed up and down his length. He was so soft and velvety, with a powerful hardness underneath. She just couldn’t touch him enough. She brushed her thumb over the moisture at his tip, squeezing him gently.

His slightly shaking hand at her wrist stopped her movements. Gently he kissed her palm, and placed her hand by her side. He reached above her for a moment, fumbling at his headboard.

“Izumi?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t think of using this last night,” he pulled a condom out of a drawer and carefully rolled it on.

Mizuki smiled at his consideration. Sano positioned himself between her legs and looked up into her eyes. She nodded.

He slowly slid into her impossibly tight warmth, teasing the hidden bud in her folds to ease his entry. Mizuki shifted her hips to allow him better access, the position different than last night, but still feeling more good than bad.

Once he was fully settled inside her, he leaned in, holding back the urge to drive into her. Mizuki shifted her hips restlessly, wanting him to stoke the fires that he had ignited with his fingers.

“Izumi, please . . .”

Her gentle plea broke a bit of his restraint, and he pulled out slowly and thrust back in, rewarded by the roll of her head and a low moan. He increased his thrusts, entranced by her soft cries and motions beneath him. It was like the first time all over, being able to see her, hear her, take her in so completely.

Mizuki was riding a rising crest of passion at Sano’s thrusts. He felt so good inside, and it felt so right to be with him. She pressed her feet to the mattress, raising her hips to meet his thrusts as his pace increased.

Sano’s control started slipping more as his own release got nearer. Wanting Mizuki to come for him again, he leaned in to kiss her and took both breasts in his hands. A series of fast thrusts and light pinches on her dusky nipples sent her flying apart, her inner muscles clamping down on him. He came hard, pressed deeply within her.

They slowly wound down from the heights, Sano collapsing over Mizuki’s panting form. She made gentle passes along his back, caressing his damp muscles. Eventually, he pulled out, took care of the condom, and settled back in beside her. She shivered a little, and he pulled the comforter over both of them.

“I love you Izumi,” Mizuki said, drowsing in his warmth.

“I love you too.”

Mizuki yawned. It was only the afternoon, but she was so tired. Sano curled his body around her, encouraging her lethargy. They drifted off into a light doze, happy and content.

……………………………

Nakatsu stepped away from the door. It was obvious as to why it was locked, and why they weren’t answering.

‘Round one to you Sano,’ he thought, ‘but it’s not over yet.’