So Anyway I Found My Moms Xfiles Fanfiction From The 90′s

so anyway i found my moms xfiles fanfiction from the 90′s

Behind the Scenes: The Secret Omega CHAPTER 5 - The Morning After

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SUMMARY: The morning after and the start of their trip!

CHAPTER 5 - The Morning After

Kimi stirs awake the next morning when she feels the bed move. As her eyes adjust to the room around her, she sees Shouta stretching and making his way out of the room. Turning her head, she sees Hizashi lying down next to her, facing the other way. Admiring how peaceful he looks, she takes a moment to watch the rise and fall of his chest.

Eventually, her bladder bugs her enough to fully get up and use the bathroom. While in there, she takes a moment to look at her new markings. Hizashi’s on her left and Shouta’ on her right. Thankfully, there’s no redness around the marks, indicating some type of infection. They’re deep red, meaning they healed well. Pride fills her chest as she admires the varying shapes between the two marks. Her fingers lightly trace over them, enjoying the slight tingle it brings.

Curious about where Shouta went off to, she follows his path out of the room. Going down the hallway, she finds him in the kitchen talking on the phone. Noticing her, he starts to end his conversation,

“Yeah, I gotta go. No, I’ll fill you in later. Yeah. You too. Ok, bye.”

“Good morning,” she says once he’s ended his call.

“Good morning, hope I didn’t wake you,” Shouta says, voice a bit groggy.

“No, you’re fine. I just had to go to the bathroom and realized you were gone.”

Shouta hums in response and lifts his phone up.

“Nemuri had texted us last night and gave us a call this morning, checking up on us,” he comments, placing his phone on the island next to him. The name doesn’t ring a bell to Kimi, so she gives him a confused look.

“Midnight,” he clarifies with a smile.

“Oh! Wow, really?”

“Yeah,” he says, stretching and going towards one of the cabinets. “I wasn’t kidding when I said she was a close friend. Although, sometimes she can get too close.”

“Oh, how so?” Kimi prompts, curious for more details.

“She wanted to know all of the details from last night. Like everything.”

He rolls his eyes and then grabs a canister of coffee, putting it down on the counter.

“Oh, goodness,” Kimi remarks, a light dusting of pink tints her cheeks.

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t want us telling anyone so I tried to stave her off in the meantime.”

Shouta starts to prepare his coffee as he speaks, but Kimi takes the opportunity to jump in.

“Oh, do you mind if I make the coffee? I’d like to know how you do it so I can make it for you in the future.”

Grinning at her, he nods and pulls down some coffee filters. He walks her through how to make his coffee and her chest fills with pride as the machine starts to brew.

“Did you want some?” he asks.

“Oh, no. I’m good, thank you. I’m not supposed to be having caffeine,” Kimi declines.

“I thought that was only once you got pregnant?”

“No, the society has some other dietary ‘recommendations’ for me to make sure my body is in its peak state before I get pregnant. It’s supposed to ensure fewer complications during the pregnancy,” she explains.

Shouta gives an understanding hum. Not wanting to bore him with the details, Kimi glances at the selections of hot beverages in the cabinet in front of her. She spots a decaffeinated tea, so she reaches up to try and grab it but it’s just out of her reach. Shouta gives her an amused look before easily reaching up and grabbing the box.

“Is this what you wanted?”

“Yes, please,” she says, reaching for it again. Playfully, he lifts it out of her reach.

“It’s gonna cost a kiss.”

Blushing, she stretches up on her toes, wraps her arms around his neck, and kisses him. He smiles into the kiss and lowers his arm, letting her grab the box when they part.

Giggling, she takes out a tea bag and turns on the kettle that is sitting next to the coffee machine. Shouta presents her with a mug and she thanks him, putting her tea bag in.

“Do they have a lot of restrictions for you?” Shouta questions, wanting to know more about what she can and can’t have. Kimi gets nervous, unsure of how he’ll react to all of the guidelines they have in place for her.

“Um, sort of? There’s a lot less now that I’m in a pack, but they still want me to physically be at my best for you.”

“Hm,” he says, taking in her words. She can tell that he’s looking for more of an explanation so she carries on.

“I think they more or less wanted me to get used to the diet that I would be on when I’m pregnant so they want me to focus on consuming more vegetables and lean meats. But they don’t want me to eat anything unpasteurized, or anything close to being raw. So anything with eggs or dairy needs to be extra cooked. Also, they have some weird ones like no hard cheeses or raw sprouts.”

Shouta watches her intently as she goes through everything, but Kimi has a hard time reading whether or not what she’s saying is upsetting him.

“Then it’s the obvious no caffeine, no alcohol and they also really stressed preparing all my food myself. Not buying prepackaged food. I think that’s been the hardest thing just because it was hard to squeeze in time to cook with how busy my schedule was with school. Not to mention, I love sushi so it’s been tough not being able to have any for about the past year.”

Shouta takes a moment to absorb her words before asking,

“You’ve been doing this for that long?”

“Yeah,” her voice lowers. “I know that probably seems like a lot, but I wanted to make sure that I secured a good future. And now, I have you guys, so that just proves it was worth it.”

His expression softens and he looks at Kimi warmly.

“I’m glad you think so.”

She smiles back at him and they stand comfortably silent next to each other, waiting for their respective drinks to finish heating up.

“I’m sorry I was so harsh when I first met you. To be honest, with anyone else, I would still probably be very closed off. There’s something about you though that-” he trails off, thinking of the right words.

“It’s like I know I’m safe letting my guard down with you,” he finishes.

“I know what you mean. With both you and Hizashi, it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. It just feels-”

Kimi takes a few moments to try and think of the best word but the only thing that comes to mind is,

“-right. The awkwardness and shyness I normally feel in a new relationship weren’t there. I felt comfortable enough to be myself and you both accepting it warms my heart.”

Tears prick her eyes, but she’s quick to put her hand up to stop them.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to get so sappy.”

The hot water starts to boil and Kimi moves forward to turn it off, thankful for the interruption. After pouring the water into her tea, she sets the kettle back. Arms wrap around her waist and she freezes. Slowly, Shouta pulls her against him, resting his head on her shoulder, right above his mark, sending sparks down her spine.

“I’m glad you feel the same way I do. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s ever anything wrong. You’re ours now and we’ll make sure to treasure that.”

Her heart feels like it flies out of her chest. She can only nod in response and Shouta slowly releases her. She watches as he pours his coffee into his cup and is surprised when he takes a sip.

“You drink it black?”

“Yeah,” he says, taking another sip. “Never been big on sugary drinks, that’s more Hizashi’s thing.”

Absorbing this information, she brings her mug up to her lips, blowing a couple of times before taking a sip of her own.

A series of small meows startles both of them.

“Mornin’ Sush’,” Shouta says, setting his mug next to his phone on the island. Kimi watches as he bends down and picks up the cat that greeted her yesterday.

“So cute. Good morning, Sushi,” she coos. She places her hand out for Sushi to sniff before he nudges it to make her scratch behind his ears.

“Seems like he’s taking a liking to you super quick as well.” Smiling, she moves her hand to pet Sushi’s chin, soaking in the purrs he’s letting out.

“That makes me so happy. I’ve always wanted a cat so I’m happy I get to have such a cutie now.”

“Did you have any pets growing up?”

“No,” Kimi answers, her voice a bit dejected.

“My mom was allergic to anything that licked itself and I couldn’t get anything when I lived with my grandma. Once I moved in with her, that’s when I started focusing more on school and my future so it seemed silly to get a pet I’d have to abandon.”

“That’s sensible,” he comments.

Slowly, he places Sushi back on the ground. The cat circles his feet for a moment before letting out a long meow. Shouta rolls his eyes before going into the pantry muttering,

“Ok, ok. Give me a moment.”

He comes back with a can of wet food and picks up a food bowl that sits next to the island.

“He’s always so demanding in the morning,” he sighs. Kimi giggles into her mug, enjoying the tea while she watches him feed Sushi. Sushi lets out a chorus of loud meows, excited that it’s food time.

“And he is also so noisy. I swear sometimes he’s louder than Hizashi,” Shouta remarks.

“Hey,” a sleepy voice says from down the hall. “I heard that.”

The pair chuckle as a sleepy Hizashi makes his way into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Kimi sweetly coos at him. He comes over and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer before nuzzling into his mark. She hums into his movements, enjoying the tingles that come from it.

“Good morning, honey,” he responds, voice dripping with exhaustion.

“Do you need to go back to sleep? You sound exhausted,” Kimi asks.

“Nah,” he grumbles, pulling back from her shoulder. “Mornings are always just tough for me. Plus, the bed gets cold when no one else is in it.”

“Aw, I’m sorry,” she says, kissing his cheek. “Would a hot drink warm you up?”

“Yes, actually,” he says looking to the coffee machine and kettle. “Did you already warm up the water?”

“Yeah, it just stopped a little bit ago so it should be hot still.”

“Looks like you’ve got a fellow tea drinker,” Shouta adds.

“Oh?” Hizashi says, looking into her cup. “Well, good to know! We’ll have to pick you up some more.”

“Ok,” she says with a smile. “As long as it’s decaf.”

“No caffeine? Already?” Hizashi asks, puzzled.

“Yes, or alcohol or, sprouts. Was that it?” Shouta asks her. Smiling, Kimi nods her head.

“Yeah, plus no prepackaged food.”

“That’s what it was,” Shouta says. Hizashi looks between the two of them, still lost.

“The Society has me on a prenatal diet before I get pregnant to help things go smoother,” Kimi explains.

“Oh dang,” he comments before moving to fix himself a cup of tea.

“She’s been on it for the past year,” Shouta adds, tone a bit upset.

“A year?” Hizashi asks, surprised. “Wow, princess. You’ve got more strength than I do. No caffeine for a year would have me goin’ crazy.”

“I’ll say,” Shouta agrees, taking a sip from his coffee.

“I’m surprised the packet they gave you didn’t have any of that.”

The two men look at each other before looking back at her, concerned.

“You know about that?” Yamada asks.

“Yeah, should I not?” Kimi asks, concerned. “My advisor told me they give the alphas of every match a packet with all of my information in it.”

“Yeah, but do you know what’s in that packet?” Shouta asks, tone shifting to one that’s slightly perturbed.

“Well, no, but - I thought it was just like my allergies and health stuff.”

The two men share a solemn look, furthering Kimi’s nerves.

“I mean, they do, it goes over your weight, your allergies, all of that, but -,” Hizashi trails off, looking to Shouta to continue.

“It also has things like your cervical health and details about your heat and other things that seemed a bit too personal for Hizashi and me to know.”

“So, we stopped reading and just decided we would find out together as time went on.”

Kimi blushes, embarrassed. She knew that the Society kept track of these things in her doctor’s appointments to make sure that she was being as healthy and responsible as possible, but she didn’t realize they would give that information to her future alphas.

“Oh, I didn’t realize they did that.”

“We figured,” Hizashi says, softly. “Which is why we stopped reading it when we did. Seemed like things we could figure out for ourselves.”

“Well, thank you,” she says, a bit touched.

A beat of time goes on between them where nobody says anything. Shouta takes the opportunity to interject,

“Well, now that we’re all awake and we have our drinks, why don’t we take a seat on the couch and talk about our plans for the next couple of days?”

“Ok,” Kimi agrees with a smile, happy to change the subject.

They make their way to the couch and start to discuss plans to go to a Society-owned onsen that Hizashi rented out for the next couple of days before coming back and going over daily life things. They mention a town that’s near the onsen they want to visit as well as plans to go into the city to do some shopping.

As they’re finishing up their planning, there’s a knock at the door. Puzzled, Kimi looked between her alphas to see if they were expecting someone. Shouta pulls his phone from his pocket and gives an exasperated sigh.

“It’s Nem. She’s here to see Kimiko.”

“Oh, let’s let her in,” Hizashi says as he stands to make his way over to the door. Shouta groans but doesn’t seem to stop him from going to open the door. Realizing she’s in her silk pajamas, she decides to quickly put on more decent clothes.

“I’ll be right back,” she says to Shota who gives her a confused look. “I want to put on better clothes really quick.”

He hums in response before requesting,

“If you wouldn’t mind grabbing me and ‘Zash a shirt too that would be appreciated.”

Nodding with a smile, she makes her way over to the bedroom, making sure she’s out of sight of the door before Hizashi opens it. She can hear Nemuri’s voice cascade into their home as she looks into her dresser for some quick clothes to put on. She decides on some loose-fit leggings and an off-the-shoulder long-sleeved shirt to show off her new markings. Pinning her hair up quickly, she grabs a shirt that she thinks is Shota’s and one that looks like Hizashi’s. Opening the door, she looks out to the living room.

Nemuri makes quick eye contact with Kimi and practically runs over to hug her.

“Oh, Kimiko. It is so good to see you!” Pulling back from the hug, she holds her shoulders while she locks on to the new mating marks. Emotion floods her face and her eyes start to tear up.

“Sugar, you look absolutely beautiful.” Her comment infects Kimi with the same emotions she’s feeling and her eyes start to water as well.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, trying not to let her emotions spill over.

Looking behind Nemuri, Kimi can see her two alphas looking at her with concern by the couches and four other men she doesn’t recognize all carrying various gift baskets and boxes standing in the hallway. Nemuri catches her gaze and places an arm around Kimi’s shoulder before leading her over to the men.

“These, Kimiko, are my Midnight boys. They’re my sidekicks who also help me with things around my agency. I just want you to know their faces so that if you ever need anything while at the agency, you can ask one of them. Oh, boys, go set those down by the couch and come back so she can see all your faces.” They follow her directions and come back, bowing respectfully in unison. Kimi respectfully does the same,

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she says, taking in their faces.

Kimi notices that they all look like idols or men you would find in dating games. They all respond positively and introduce themselves by name before Midnight turns back to her, letting out a happy squeal.

“Oh, I am just so glad you ended up with these two. You really are perfect for one another! I want to know all of the details, but alas, the real reason I came over so early is that I have to cover for some people while they’re away on their mating trip,” she sighs dramatically, looking at Shouta and Hizashi. “So I came to grab something but I figured I’d drop off some things for you all while I was here. I have to go now, but when you get back, we must catch up. I want to know everything .”

Giggling, Kimi responds, “Of course, Midnight.”

Nemuri squeezes her again, making Hizashi slightly bristle, before laughing and leading out the boys with a “Ciao!”

The house is still for a moment as they absorb the quiet that has now flooded the space. Kimi makes her way over to the boys, breaking the stillness.

She stretches out her arms with the shirts she’s holding. Hizashi reaches out and pulls her against him. Caught by surprise, she loses her grip on the shirts.

“You smell like her,” he says dejectedly. Shouta gives out a hearty laugh, clearly amused by his partner’s behavior.

“Dang, ‘Zashi, did she rile you up?” Hizashi squeezes Kimi a bit harder, before sighing heavily and releasing her.

“Yeah, sorry, honey. I don’t know what happened there. I swear I’m usually not like that.” Shouta places a hand on Hizashi’s back reassuringly.

“You’re fine, ‘Zash. You ok, princess?” They both look at her, scanning for any sign of discomfort.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answers, a bit confused. “Sorry, did I do something wrong?”

“No, princess,” Shouta reassures her. “You’re fine. Nemuri just knew that she’d probably get a rise out of one of us by being all over you this morning. Guess it ended up being ‘Zash.” His sentence ends with a small chuckle that has Hizashi glaring at him.

Kimi wraps her arms around Hizashi, snuggling into his chest in an attempt to make him feel better. She feels him slowly pet her head before running his hand over his mark. She hums into the tingles it causes and pulls back to look back at him. He looks far less perturbed, making her feel proud that she could soothe him.

He gives her a genuine smile before kissing her cheek.

“Thank you,” he says softly. They share a smile before he seems to regain his composure. Kimi takes the opportunity to look at the gifts that Nemuri brought over. There are some traditional gifts, such as fruit and envelopes with each of their names on them. However, Nemuri also took the untraditional route of making a gift basket with various products you could find at her store. Kimi chuckles as she looks through them. Shouta watches from over her shoulder.

“She would make something like that,” he comments, making Kimi laugh.

“This was very nice of her. I’ll have to make her something as a thank you in return.”

“Just don’t go too far out,” Hizashi comments. Shouta playfully punches his shoulder again, making Hizashi smile.

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m starved!” he says, rubbing his arm.

They’re all soon back in the kitchen, deciding on eggs and toast for breakfast. Shouta has Kimi sit at the chairs on the other side of the island and watch as he does the cooking, forbidding her from doing anything. Though she pouts, Hizashi keeps her entertained by talking more about the onsen and the town they’re going to be going to.

They all share smiles and giggles as they eat breakfast and talk some more about their plans. At one point, Shouta notes that he’s surprised they ended up all sleeping through the night. This prompts Kimi to ask about their sleeping schedule and she pales as they both inform her of their lack of one. Deciding to stay on top of things, she makes a group calendar so they can all stay on top of each other’s schedules. She secretly hopes this will allow them a better chance at getting more sleep.

After breakfast, they take some time to get ready for the day and pack their bags for the next couple of days. Hizashi plans some outfits with Kimi, grabbing some pieces for Shouta as well. He tells her not to worry about toiletries because the onsen has a bunch and starts gushing about them.

As she finishes getting everything together, it sinks in just how natural everything feels. She expected to still be so nervous on her second day, but she felt more calm and excited instead. Without realizing it, she stares at Shouta for a couple of seconds, lost in thought.

“Everything ok?” Shouta asks. She startles, looking away.

“Yes, sorry,” she responds, zipping up her duffel bag.

“I was just thinking about how nice it was that this all felt so natural.” He responds with a small chuckle.

“I agree. This is going way better than I expected.” Her chest slightly warms at his comment. Hizashi comes out of the closet with some shoes and various accessories and places them in his suitcase.

“Well, I think this is everything,” he comments, zipping up the suitcase.

“We could probably head out a little early then,” Aizawa says, looking at his phone. “We can beat the traffic and then get some lunch before we get there.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hizashi comments. Shouta calls for their ride as Hizashi and Kimi start to get their bags moved downstairs. A couple of minutes later, she’s taking a seat in the back of the SUV while Shota and Hizashi load up the back.

“Oh, I forgot something, I’ll be right back,” Hizashi says, a bit panicked.

“Ok, but hurry up,” Shouta tells him dryly before taking his seat up front.

Kimi takes the opportunity to check her phone, realizing that she hadn’t gotten a chance to yet today. There are some texts from her friends and grandma that she quickly responds to. They check in on her, asking if she’s ok and settling in. She responds that she is and that she’ll be out of town the next couple of days so she may not be able to respond. Just as she’s putting her phone away, Hizashi’s back and adds more things to the back of the car.

“Ok, that’s everything,” he says, a little breathless as he shuts the trunk and runs around the car.

“We’re good to go.” Shouta shoots him a deadpan look and Hizashi shoots him a pair of finger guns back while catching his breath. Once they’re all buckled up and directions are given, the SUV pulls out from the garage they’re in and onto the road.

The trip ahead of them is a bit long, so they continue their earlier conversation about schedules and add more things to their new calendar. Kimi starts thinking about meal planning, so the conversation eventually switches over to food the boys like and don’t like.

Some time passes by and they’re out of the city and moving towards the mountains. As Kimi watches the view outside, her eyes start drooping.

“Kimi,” Hizashi says to her quietly.

She slightly startles and looks over at him with a sleepy,

“Hm?”

He pats on the seat next to him.

“If you sit here you can lean on me while you sleep.”

She sleepily nods and switches seats. Her head rests on his shoulder and soon, she’s napping on his shoulder.

Hizashi’s smiling face stirs her awake a while later. They’re still on the road and she looks out the window, admiring the trees and mountain around us.

“Are we there?” she mumbles.

“Not quite,” Hizashi says with a grin. “We’re just going to stop somewhere to eat first.” She nods and stretches as Hizashi stretches his arm.

“Sorry, was I heavy?” she asks, concerned.

“Not at all,” he chuckles. “You were just out for a while so my arm fell asleep.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. You could have woken me up, I would have-”

Her rambling stops when Hizashi grabs her chin and pulls her in for a quick kiss.

“You’re fine, princess. It was cute.”

“Ok,” she says, voice small.

After getting lunch, they make the last 30-minute trek to the onsen. They pull up to a beautiful wooden structure that seems to just mold into the mountain and river that’s around it. Hizashi helps Kimi out of the SUV and she can’t help but marvel at the mountain and trees around them. There’s a stifling quiet that hangs in the air that complements the steady sound of the nearby river. Steam billows from behind the onsen, hinting at the hot spring that waits for them.

Walking to the main entrance, they’re greeted by an older lady who introduces herself as the owner of the onsen. She also introduces her staff who all politely bow to them.

“We want to thank you again for your incredible generosity, Master Yamada. We hope we’re able to make your stay exceptionally wonderful for you and your mates.” Kimi looks to Hizashi, a bit confused by what the owner meant. Catching on, Hizashi explains,

“I completely rented out the onsen for our stay so we don’t have to worry about other guests.”

“Oh, wow. Thank you,” Kimi responds, a bit shocked.

“Don’t let him fool you. He just wants to be able to be as loud as he wants,” Shouta says with a smirk. Kimi blushes and giggles at the insinuation while the two playfully banter.

“Well then, shall I show you around?” the onsen owner asks us, seemingly not bothered by the conversation.

“Please do,” Kimi responds with a smile. Smiling back, she leads them into the main building. Some of the staff members move past them to other parts of the building as the owner points out various rooms and features in the main hallway. Leading them towards the back, she shows off where the main male and female hot springs are. She goes on to explain that they aren’t prepped at the moment since the trio will have a private hot spring in the room they’re staying in.

As they move towards their room, the owner shows them a trail that follows along the river next to the building. She informs them that it’s worth it to take the small hike up the trail because it leads to a beautiful waterfall.

From there, they’re taken to their room. It’s a larger suite with a sitting area, a separate room for the bed and bathroom, and off the main room is the private hot spring.

“I hope you’ll find everything to your liking. There are soaps and other things in the bathroom for you all to use before you take a dip in the spring. Also, if you let us know when you’re going to be taking a dip, we can bring in some milk for you afterward. The hot spring itself has been loaded with some minerals that should help with sore muscles.”

The boys chuckle amongst themselves which has Kimi a bit confused but she decides against asking why.

“Well, I’ll leave you all to get settled then. I had my staff leave your suitcases in the bedroom so you should be all set. Dinner will be served in a few hours so you have time to explore if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Kimi says with a polite bow. The boys also thank the onsen owner before she leaves. Kimi takes the chance to explore the room on her own, enjoying the decor and feel of the suite. She had never stayed in anything so fancy and felt a bit out of place, but she was still excited to see everything.

The hot spring itself has giant boulders and pebbles gracing its edges. The foliage that sits in between everything gives off a sense of serenity and she wants so badly to jump right in. She can feel the boy's eyes on her as she explores more of the room. The closet in the main room has robes for them to wear as well as three long, short boxes at the bottom of the closet.

“Why don’t we open these? I think you’ll like what’s in them.” Hizashi says from behind her.

“Ok,” Kimi excitedly agrees.

The boxes are slightly awkward to hold so Hizashi helps her carry them to the bed. Each one has a tag with their names on it so she grabs the one with her name. Opening the lid of the box, she’s greeted by a gorgeous kimono. Touching the fabric, she can feel the fabric is very high-quality and she gets nervous. She looks to Hizashi, who notices her hesitation.

“I thought they’d be perfect to wear while we’re here. I got matching ones for all of us.”

He opens the other boxes and reveals two plain-colored kimonos that match the color of the print on hers. Shouta grabs a handful of his kimono and hums, seemingly pleased by the feel of it.

“This is very nice, thank you Hizashi. Are you sure this isn’t too much?” she asks nervously.

“Not at all,” he says nonchalantly.

“One thing you should get used to with Hizashi is that he likes very high-quality things,” Shouta comments. Noticing the nervous waves she’s letting off, he adds,

“Don’t worry, it took a while for me to get used to it as well.”

Kimi releases some of the tension she was holding in, thankful that Shouta understands what she was going through.

“I just figure if I have money, I should spend it on nice things, not cheap things,” Hizashi huffs.

“That’s fair then,” she concludes. Her nervous waves subside as she allows her eyes to gaze over the fabric again.

They put the kimonos away for later and move into the main room. Hizashi and Kimi sit on the couch, snuggling into one another as Shouta sits in a chair across from them, a small smile on his face.

“It’s good to see you two get along,” he comments.

“Yeah, I gotta say, we’re a lot closer than I thought we’d be by now. But, not in a bad way, this is really nice.”

“I was just saying the same thing to Shouta this morning,” Kimi adds. “It’s nice to feel so connected so quickly.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure if it’s this string thing or what, but you seem to just fit in with us so easily.”

“I expected way more of an awkward phase,” Shota chimes in. “But it’s nice that we’ve seemed to skip by that.”

Kimi hums in agreement.

“If I’m being totally honest, I thought our first time together was going to be tonight,” Hizashi says.

“Oh, sorry-,” she trails off when Shouta gives her a pointed look.

“Am I moving things too fast?”

“Not at all, princess,” Hizashi reassures her by giving her arm a familiar squeeze. “I’m more happy that you’re settling in nicely.” She looks up at him and grins.

“Was there anything you wanted to do before dinner?” Shouta asks.

“I’d love to try out the hot springs if that’s ok.”

“Ok, but you heard the lady, it’s for sore muscles,” Hizashi says playfully.

“Yeah,” Kimi says slowly, a bit confused.

“So, we’ll have to make sure your muscles ache,” Hizashi continues, giving Kimi another squeeze.

“Oh. Oooh. Is that why you were both giggling?” she asks, his comment finally clicking. Her question earns her laughs from both of the men.

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I’ll need some assistance with tiring out my muscles,” she teases.

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