Archive of Our Own

It was poorly lit and rather chilly in Himeno's apartment. You'd both just came back from a night of drinking at some dive in the Golden Gai, though Makima nor Aki were present tonight to challenge her, so it was a more moderate evening than others. She still got super affectionate and leaned on you for support when you walked together, however. It was a little embarrassing, how she draped herself all over you, but it was something of a rite of passage in Special Division 4 to experience that, plus she is your friend, so you let her. It could be worse still, you could've been poor Kobeni last time you all went, who had to endure a thoroughly hammered Himeno calling her various strange diminutive nicknames and paying her roundabout and meandering compliments.

It wouldn't be the complete "Himeno treatment", however, without a kiss. You didn't particularly want to receive a sloppy tongue bash in front of all your co-workers, inevitable as it seemed, but Himeno never asked. She seemed perfectly content just wrapped around your arm and snuggling up to you. You wondered if it was just that she didn't drink as much tonight, or if she was actually enjoying herself and wasn't forcing her to act a certain way. Deep down, you felt slightly disappointed, though. Maybe a kiss would be nice.

After you all left the bar and started to head home for the night, she asked if you wanted to crash at her place. It was much closer, just a short ride from Shinjuku-sanchome, and the trains were going to start shutting down services in a few hours, so it would've been hard for you to get back home to your own place. You agreed, since she said she's got a spare futon, and walked to her place together, her arms still wrapped around yours. It was a lovely evening out.

She flung off her brown flats once she got inside, and you followed suit, putting your shoes away much more neatly on the shoe rack than she did, as well as hanging your jacket on the coat rack. She turned on the lights in her kitchenette and immediately began rummaging around in her fridge. You looked around the apartment, and it was rather charming. Slightly messy, with the odd bit of clothing or magazine on the floor, but her hardwood floors were well-kept and had no dust. Her choice furniture was odd, with her lamps and light fixtures all being orb-shaped, and her couch looking straight out of an Ikea showroom, but nothing was really garish. And her apartment's window was circular, paned to resemble an intricate, traditional "double happiness" symbol, her unmade bed right next to it.

Himeno seemingly snuck up behind you as you turned around, her face still bright red, while chewing on a slice of ham that hung from her mouth and holding a can of Asahi beer. Her tie was undone, her jacket was gone and her white long sleeve was partially unbuttoned. She swallowed her last bit of ham, then cleared her throat.

"You want some?" She softly spoke up as she held up the can.

"No thanks, I'm alright… do you have anything else?"

"Uh, lemme think…" Himeno effortlessly cracked upon the beer can with a single hand, then took a swig, sighing after she swallowed it. "I got some lemon chūhai, and a… half a bottle of sake in the fridge. Sorry if you prefer it warm, but I can heat some up for you, if you want." She smiled warmly, still a bit drunk.

"No, the chūhai's fine. Thank you." You nod your head as she goes back to the fridge and gets you your drink. Chūhai isn't something you usually have, but the alcohol you had earlier in the night was starting to wear off, and having a little more to drink with your friend couldn't hurt, you thought. Plus, you're not in the mood for some sake.

Himeno gleefully hands you your silver can while taking a sip out of her own, maintaining eye contact with you. You open the can and take a sip. It's bubbly, sour and it burns your throat a bit, but it's pretty good. You might start having it more often.

"Thanks, Himeno. For the drink, and for letting me stay the night. It really means a lot." You go to take another sip, but you notice Himeno has a strangely sheepish expression on her face, her single eye looking off to the side.

"Are you okay?" You ask.

"Yeah…" Her voice is breathy as she looks you in the eye again. "Can I… kiss you?"

The question catches you off guard a bit. You aren't sure what to say at first, but you know you want it. And the setting is far better than before. It's quiet here. You're not in front of all your co-workers and friends, it's not so loud and bright here, and she's not black-out drunk. She'll remember this, and she'll remember you, and it seems like it's you that she wants. You really hope that last part is true.

"Yes." You try not to sound too desperate, but your voice comes out as a breathy whisper as your heart races.

"You're so cute, you know that?" She leans in, closes her eyes as she pressed her soft, wet lips against yours. It's warm and tender, nothing at all like the kisses you've seen her give the other people in your unit. She means this one. She wraps one arm around your shoulder and another around your waist, and pulls you in closer. You can faintly taste the beer she's been drinking on her lips, and smell the tobacco of her favourite cigarette brand in her breath, and you savour it. It's been so long since you've felt like this, and you want to bask in this moment. You want it to last forever.

She pulls away slowly, the warmth of her breath drawing back with her.

"That was nice…" She looks down at the floor, then back at you. "Did… you like that?" Himeno quietly asks.

"Yes…" You hope, to whatever higher being there might be, that she means what she's saying, that she's not just leading you on and she really, desperately needed to kiss you, you specifically. "Why did you kiss me, though?"

Her eye darted off to the side when you ask this. "Uhm… you know… I guess it's my way of saying thanks. You also sounded… really adorable."

Cute. Adorable. The words rang in your head. Himeno's noticed you. She's really noticed you. You haven't been called cute by another woman in so long, let alone adorable, and it feels so unimaginably good. And that kiss… You want more. You want so much more of her.

You move your left hand to her waist, and pull her in as you go on the balls of your feet to reach her. Himeno is enthusiastic to reciprocate, leaning back in to kiss you again. It's more passionate this time, she runs her fingers through your hair with her free hand, it's deeper, more needy and vulnerable, less restrained as she sucks on your bottom lip a little and pushes out the tiniest bit of her tongue to meet your lips.

You pull back a bit, and meet eyes with her. Her expression is hard to read, admiration, desperation, desire, joy, longing, all seemed present. The look she had in her eye was strange, but beautiful.

"Why'd you kiss me?" She spoke breathily.

"Because… I trust you… and I wanted to return the favour… and you look so incredibly beautiful." It sounds a bit more awkward than you intended, but that doesn't matter to you or her right now.

Himeno looked overjoyed hearing this. She smiles widely and laughs a little. "Maybe we've both had a bit too much to drink, talking like that…" She backs away a bit and raises her beer can to her mouth. "So, we should have a little more!" She downs a large swig of the beer and puts the can on her kitchen counter top. You do the same, downing a fair amount of the chūhai, burning your throat as it goes down.

You wonder about what just happened as you continue to drink together. Was this her way of shying away from vulnerability, or is she trying to open herself to being vulnerable with a little liquid courage? You can't make heads or tails of it, and the alcohol is making it harder to think. She does really like you, that much you can gather, though. Someone like Himeno, finding you so adorable, it made her want to kiss you… it made your heart flutter and your chest warm.

You looked Himeno up and down, thinking about what you both said. It was very spur of the moment, calling her beautiful, but it is true. You do admire her beauty. She appears effortlessly elegant. You don't see her do much makeup, she looks great in any outfit, and she's especially good looking in her uniform. Her hair looks amazing, and she takes good care of it, judging by its shine. Other people would hate having an eye patch too, but she makes it work for her. She even looks amazing now, with her tie loose and draped around her neck, while her shirt is unbuttoned and mussed up. Even when she's gotten incredibly drunk, she's always looked nice. Now, you can truly appreciate Himeno's beauty. You really hope you can kiss her again.

She downs the rest of her beer, then looks back at you, seemingly unaware that you've been staring, and speaks up. "Uh… we should probably sort out sleeping arrangements, shouldn't we?"

It had barely occurred to you, but it was going to come up eventually, especially since it's already quite late. "Oh, right… I think it's only fair that you take the bed, and I take the futon you have spare, wouldn't you say?" You take another sip of your drink, wincing slightly at the strength.

"You sure? I'm fine with the futon, the bed's more comfy and you can have it if you want."

"I'd hate to feel like I'm intruding, you've done so much for me already, but thank you."

"Alright, I'll get out the futon for you. But don't feel like you're intruding here, you're my friend, after all. Also, you can borrow some of my pajamas, and get changed out of your work clothes. They'll be in the bottom of my closet."

"Thank you so much, Himeno." You do need to get out of your uniform, as it's been a long day and it was rather warm earlier, so it might have a bit of sweat soaked in. "Where can I get changed?"

"You can use my bathroom, it's the second door on the right." Himeno walks over to the fridge again, cracks open another beer and chugs some of it, then puts it on the counter top as she sighs. "I'll get the futon out in a second."

You take one last sip of your chūhai before finishing it and put it on the counter, then go up to the closet beside her bed, which is remarkably modern-looking, and start rifling through the bottom of her closet. You find tank tops of varying colours, high-cut jeans, a few warm-looking turtleneck sweaters, some gym shorts and spare white button-up shirts, but no actual flannel pajamas. You realise Himeno's definition of sleepwear probably means just a shirt or tank top and comfy shorts, and nothing fancy or luxurious. She's not exactly shopping at the boutiques in Ginza, after all, as Public Safety pays well, but not that well. You settle on a slim black band tee with "United" printed on it in a bold, gothic font, and a grey pair of the softest gym shorts you could find. You take them with you to the bathroom, and close the door behind you.

You strip out of your slacks and remove your button-up shirt, then unhook your bra, letting it fall to the floor, and remove your socks. It felt incredible to get out of your work clothes after such a long day. You stretched a bit, then put on the shorts, which are pretty comfortable, then slip into the band shirt. As you do, you notice that it somewhat smells like Himeno and her sweat, a scent you've now become a bit familiar with over the course of the night. You bring some of her shirt up to your face to sniff it, and it's not an unpleasant smell. It makes you feel a bit warm inside, huffing her shirt like that, something you wouldn't do ever for anyone else's clothes, only Himeno. It's also something you probably wouldn't do while sober. You adjust the shirt back to normal, then fold your uniform into a loose pile and carry them back with you to the living room.

Himeno is hunched over, struggling to drag something out from underneath her bed, likely the futon. It must be a bit large and heavy, then, one of the really comfortable and spacious types. She manages to get it all the way out to a spot where she could roll it all out onto the floor, then gets up. She staggers a bit, then collapses and falls backwards onto her bed.

"Himeno! Are you alright?" You drop your clothes by the closet and rush to her.

"I'm okay, just got dizzy after standing up, is all… maybe that second beer was a mistake…" She looks to be fine, just red in the face and has a slightly dopey grin on her face.

"Did you drink the whole can just then?"

"Wasn't too hard, it was one of the small ones. I needed to get even with you, after all, as your drink was much stronger than mine." She giggled after saying this.

"Seriously? To make it even between us?" You couldn't help but laugh at such a childish notion. She's used this line before, mainly when Aki or Makima orders something strong to excuse herself buying more beer.

"Yes! I'm a big fan of equality, you know… I even voted SDP in the last election! I'm a woman of principles…" Himeno tries to sound very serious and feigns a pout, but you can't help but laugh at this. That's most likely her goal, anyway. "C'mon, lay down with me, for equality's sake."

You laugh as you comply, sitting then laying down on her bed, facing her. Your feet dangle off the edge, you rest your head on your arms and your eyes meet hers.

You relax. It's quiet again. You can only hear Himeno's breathing, and your own, as well as the faint humming of the refrigerator and the muffled sound of traffic on the streets, far below you in the apartment. And all you can see is her. Her cheeks, red and rosy, her smile, soft and subtle and her eye, fixated on you. Everything is so tender in this moment. You see her hand, resting near her face, reach out to you and gently touch your shoulder.

"Can I kiss you again?" Her voice is just a whisper, but you hear her loud and clear.

You nod and shuffle towards her, bringing your own hand to her shoulder and your lips to hers. You close your eyes and let yourself be taken by this moment. You lead more this time, kissing Himeno deeply and pushing some of your tongue in her mouth, which she reciprocates by sucking on your tongue and placing her hand on your cheek. It's dizzying, passionate, messy, you're not amazing kissers, and the alcohol's not really helping that, but it still feels good. It doesn't matter. Neither of you care if you're good at this, it's sloppy and wet, your saliva is mixing, your tongues and lips are dancing and you both absolutely love it.

You pull away from Himeno. She stares at you with a warm expression, eyes wistful and smile slight, that seems to beg for more, more of you. It'll take much more than just another kiss to satisfy her. She gently grabs your wrist, then begins to guide your hand from her shoulder to her collar, still staring. Her skin is so soft and warm.

"Do you like this? Is it okay with you?"

You nod again.

Slowly, she moves your hand further down, and through the fabric of her shirt, you can feel her heart racing. Her breathing is becoming heavier. You keep your hand there for what feels like hours yet too short as you look into each other's eyes. Her expression tells you that she trusts you, more than anyone else in the world, in this moment. She moves your hand further down.

Her breast is incredibly soft, even through her shirt and bra. They feel squishy and warm your hands. It's not exactly a shock to you that Himeno's chest feels like this, you've felt your own before. But you still love it. You squeeze her breast slightly and she quietly moans, then makes you squeeze harder, moving your hand closer to her. Her smile widens, then she whispers to you.

"I want you. So. Fucking. Bad."

She looks happy, yet on the verge of tears. Her confession is full of desire and longing, it's restrained and trembling yet forceful and seductive, this isn't enough for her, she wants all of you and you to have all of her, to be completely vulnerable and naked with each other, honest about your wants and needs, even if it's just for one night only and never again, she wants this, needs this, more than anything else in the entire world. And you want it, need it too.

"I want you too, Himeno."

Everything becomes a blur in this moment. You kiss again, even less restrained than last time, you unbutton her shirt more, fondle her breasts, and you're on top of her now, her legs are spread, your thigh is between hers as you straddle her, she's looking up at you now, exhilarated, she's daring you to take the initiative, to fuck her and make her scream in ecstasy. You lean in, and let go. Your mouths interlock again as you press and rock your thigh against her crotch, she moans while you kiss and grope her, then sits up so you can wrap your arms around her back. Himeno grabs you by the waist and hip, pressing you down onto her thigh, so you grind against her. You pull away from her lips and move to her neck, kissing and sucking on it to make her yelp. Her moans only encourage you, as you unbutton her whole shirt to expose more of her skin and strip it from her, leaving only her white singlet and bra. You feel bad only staring at her large chest, so you turn your attention to her entire body. You can see a bit of hair peeking out from her unshaven armpits, various freckles, moles and birthmarks in various spots on her body, as well as a few faded scars on her arms. Her thighs are quite large too, well complimented by her pants. You hope she doesn't feel insecure about them, given how nice they are. All of her is just so beautiful.

You want to worship her. You want to ravage her.

Kissing her and leaving hickeys on her isn't enough for you. You want to really leave some marks on her. Her skin's so soft and it feels so nice against your lips… you wonder how it'd feel to sink your teeth into. And what noises Himeno would let out, you wanted desperately to know. But it'd be best not to surprise her.

You try to catch your breath and slow down your grinding, so you can speak up. "Himeno… can I… bite you?"

"Are you something of a sadomasochist? You get off from biting people?" Himeno asks. The wording feels a bit accusatory, but her tone is still flirtatious and playful. She already knows the answer, you wouldn't ask if you weren't like that, she just wants you to say it.

"Yes…" It feels embarrassing to admit it aloud, even as you're so vulnerable like this. You suppose that the only way to truly be vulnerable with each other is to say these things to each other and talk about it, even if it feels a bit humiliating at first.

"Good, because I do too." Himeno grins mischievously. "Want me to bite you back?"

"Yes."

You resume grinding and rocking into each other, while kissing each other's necks and shoulders, searching for the best place to bite down on the other. Himeno strikes first, sucking then nibbling at your shoulder, the pain a fresh shock to your system. You relish the pain, letting out a moan, before biting down on the meat of her neck. She yelps in a muffled cry, then bites down on you harder, sucking on your skin harder, before letting go. She kisses the spot of the bite mark, before searching for another. You follow suite, but not before licking the spot you bit. It tastes like her sweat.

You bite her shoulder this time, clamping down and sucking hard, which makes Himeno cry out. She taps you on your back a couple times.

"Ah! That's too hard!"

You let go of her and look at the bite mark you left. Her skin is quite red, and the indents of your teeth are prominent.

"Sorry… I got carried away…"

Himeno pulls you in for a brief kiss. "It's okay… just be gentler with me. I like it, but too much is overwhelming."

"Alright…" You go in to bite her neck on the other side, taking care to be more gentle as you sink your teeth in, then pull away. "Like that?"

"That's good… thank you."

You both take turns biting each other, gripping each other's waists and shoulders tightly, all while the dull, constant pleasure of grinding on each other builds. It's hypnotic, the cycle of finding a good spot, biting down on her, hearing her yelp, sucking on her skin as you sink your teeth further, then pulling away and pressing your lips or tongue to the mark. Before you know it, both of your shoulders, necks and chests are covered in dozens of red hickeys and bite marks. It feels sore and throbbing in the various places Himeno kissed and bit you, and you love the feeling.

"How was that?" you ask breathily.

"Amazing…" She grabs your face and kisses you on the lips, then your cheek and your forehead. "I've missed this, doing this with another woman…" Himeno lies back down, looking up at you again, pleasured but hungry for more. "Take me… please…" She drapes her hands around her hips and stomach, her fingers guiding your eyes to, but not touching, her crotch.

"Himeno…"

You get off her thigh and back up a bit, and start to unbuckle her pants, while she removes her singlet top. You slowly strip away her belt and throw it aside, then unzip her slacks and pull them off of her. She's only in her white panties and black lacy bra now. She has a fair amount of dark pubic hair, with a thick trail running from her crotch to her belly button and some on the inside of her thighs. It gets you so much more excited for what you'll see when you strip her of her panties. For now though, you'll be patient. Himeno will have to be, too.

You run your fingers from her waist, down to her thighs, skirting the fabric of her underwear, then carefully and slowly, you brush over her labia. Himeno shudders in anticipation and grab at her sheets as you continue stroking her, up and down, gentle and slow. You can feel her getting wet through her panties, so you press down a little harder whenever you reach the top of her labia. You feel around for her clitoral hood, then circle around it once you find it. She tries to contain her moans, biting down on her lip, but you still hear her loud and clear. You focus your attention to there, rubbing her clitoris with your thumb with one hand and idly stroking the inside of her thighs with the other. She gets louder, bit by bit, moaning and calling out your name, as you continue teasing her.

"Please… just fuck me already…" Himeno's voice and expression is desperate and pleading. She must be so pent up now, after all the kissing, biting and grinding, and now your teasing. She's desperate for some release.

You can't hold yourself back anymore. You nearly tear off her panties and toss them aside, then lay down on your belly in between her legs and grab her by the hips. Her pussy is irresistible. Thick, beautiful hair lines the outside and spreads out, while her labia are slick with fluid and her clitoris is exposed. You drag your tongue from the bottom of her vulva to her clit and kiss it, again and again. Himeno lets out a loud gasp and covers her mouth, muffling her moans. You close your lips around her clitoris, then suck and lick it rhythmically. You look up at Himeno, and she's barely keeping it together. Her breathing is fast, her teeth are clenched, sweat is rolling down her face and chest now, and she's tightly gripping her sheets with all her strength. You push your tongue into her clit, then lick it with much more pressure than before. Finally, Himeno loses all composure.

"Fuck! It feels so good! Don't stop, oh my god, you're amazing!" she yells. She grabs you by the back of your head and pushes you into her, while she bucks her hips back and forward and pants like a dog. She screams out your name in pleasure when you start moving your tongue in a circle and wraps her thighs around your shoulders.

"Keep that rhythm… fuck… good, keep moving your tongue like that!" Her voice picks up in pitch and volume as she tugs on your hair and rocks against your tongue. You're certain someone's heard you two by now with how loud she is, which means you're doing it perfectly. You just hope she doesn't get any noise complaints from her neighbours.

"Good girl… you're such a good girl… you're doing great!"

Her praise is music to your ears. Good girl. You think about everything she's said about you tonight. Can I kiss you? Cute. Adorable. I want you. You're amazing. Good girl. Thinking about it makes you want to swoon. To do a good job for her. But also, it makes you want to relieve your own pent-up arousal. Something about those words just flipped a switch in you. You make sure to keep up your rhythm, as you move your dominant hand from her hips, down past your stomach and under your shorts and panties.

You rub your own clitoris at the same pace as you lick hers, in the same circular motion. It feels incredible, to be able to pleasure yourself while eating her out. You let out a soft moan, which Himeno feels the vibrations of.

"Fuck… do that again…"

Yo do it again, louder and deeper this time, making sure your lips are pressed tightly to her. Her grip around your head tightens and her breathing becomes more ragged in between her moans.

"God, it feels so good…"

You try to keep up your pace, even as you rub and finger yourself, desperate to feel even half as good as you're making Himeno feel. Your fingers don't feel as good as a tongue would, but you're far too worked-up to care about that right now, all that matters is this moment with her, total vulnerability and intimacy, ecstasy and bliss. You want it to last forever, one continuous moment of intense euphoria, but you know it can't, it'll end soon. So you'll savour this and burn it into your memory, the sounds of Himeno's pleasure, the taste of her pleasure, the feeling of her skin on yours, you want to remember this forever, no matter how fleeting it is or hard it'll be to ever reach this high again. You hope that she's doing the same.

"O-o-oh fuck… I think I'm close… keep going…! You're doing so good…" Her voice shakes and trembles as she speaks.

Her thighs close in around your head, she's using both hand to push you into her and her bucking has only gotten more desperate. You decide to focus all of your attention to her now; your own orgasm can wait a bit. You grab her ass with both hands and use as much of your tongue's muscle as you can, careful to keep the same pace as before and not ruin her orgasm. Himeno's pleasure was your absolute priority. Lick her clit, then suck it, hard as you can now. She's barely coherent now, screaming your name over and over in between loud, shallow breaths, eye rolling to the back of her head, stretching and arching her back out as far as she could.

She finally explodes into climax with one final yell, jolting forward and shaking her legs, the orgasm taking over her whole body in a firework show of nerve firings. You drag it out for her as long as you can, sucking on her clit as she comes down and catches her breath, then lifting yourself up to breathe and wipe your face. Your tongue and lips can rest now after all that hard work to make Himeno cum.

"Fuck… that's the best I've ever felt in years…" She sighs heavily and slumps back onto the bed, breathing deep as she calms down from her orgasm. Her expression looks extremely satisfied. "You did a great job. Thanks…" She beckons you closer and draws you into a hug with you on top. She's incredibly warm and sweaty now, so much so you can smell it, not just feel it on her skin. It's a rather pleasant smell, her natural scent. You feel her chest rise and fall while she strokes your hair.

You struggle to catch your breath yourself. "I'm so glad… I could make you feel good…"

You lay there together, basking in the afterglow and holding each other tight. You wrap your arms around her neck while burying your face in her chest, while she holds your by your waist. It's so warm and inviting. Eventually, though, Himeno speaks up.

"I didn't say anything then, but I noticed you were masturbating earlier… are you feeling pent up, still?"

"Yes…"

You look up to see her smiling at you warmly. "You can continue, you know. I don't mind. You can grind on me, if you want…"

"I'd like that… thank you, Himeno." You kiss her warm lips, then move down and position yourself so you straddle her thigh and start grinding against it lazily.

"Not a problem, I'm just returning the favour." She strokes your thigh with one hand and your back with the other as you rock back and forth. "Do you need anything else from me?"

You think for a moment, before quietly speaking up. "…Your sweat. I want to lick some of the sweat off of you…"

Himeno is a bit flustered by this, but is happy to oblige. She unclips her bra and moves it aside, letting her heavy breasts fall, then puts her arms behind her head, exposing her sweaty, hairy armpits. "I didn't expect that from you, but I guess you do love using your tongue a lot," she teased. "Lick wherever you like."

You start from the happy trail on her stomach, dragging your tongue along her thick hairs, then in between her soft breasts while groping them. Her sweat tastes and smells incredible, outweighing how humiliating it feels doing this to get yourself off. You decide to wait no time in getting to the best part, and shove your face in her armpit, huffing them while bucking into her thigh. It smells even better than the rest of her, and far stronger. The strong musky scent of the sweat in her armpits is exactly what you need. You reach down into your panties, and start rubbing your clitoris again, while giving Himeno's pits a tongue bath. It tastes heavenly.

You're far more sensitive and worked up than Himeno was, and it doesn't take long for you to come close to climax. Buried in her armpit, while she strokes your head and encourages you along, it was perfect. You hold her tight when you cum, gripping on her shoulders as your grinding slows down. It was much less dramatic than her orgasm, but it felt relieving, to get your pent-up frustration out all the same. Your whole body relaxes, and all tension dissipates, as you sink back into her arms.

"Did that feel good?" Himeno whispers into your ear.

"It felt amazing… thank you for letting me do that."

"Not a problem, I actually quite liked you doing that. It's adorable." Hearing that again makes your heart flutter. She kisses you, softly and passionately, one more time. "Let's get some rest now…"

"Yeah…"

Exhausted, you both crawl under the sheets and cuddle as close as you can, press up and wrap around each other as tight as you can. It feels so secure in her arms, so comforting and safe. Himeno holding you like this was the perfect way to end the night, as you both drifted off to sleep.

You open your eyes as you rouse from your sleep, arms still wrapped around Himeno. It was bright in her apartment, hurting your eyes. You also feel the beginnings of a terrible headache. You're just glad you planned ahead and took today off, so you don't have to come into work. You also remember another reason to be grateful: the hickeys. That would be terribly embarrassing, if your buddy or superiors noticed. Thank goodness. You turned your attention toward Himeno, who is stirring awake. She looks as beautiful as she did the night before, hair hardly mussed up and

"Good mornin'…" She mumbles, still half asleep. "You're still here?" She rolls over to face you, looking at you in a dazed, half-lidded stare.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Most of the time, they leave before I wake up, or right after we fuck. Especially the girls… I'm glad you stayed, though." Himeno sleepily pecks your cheek and pulls in closer you to, eye to eye. "I'm not sure what last night was for me, but I liked it…"

"I liked it too… I'm not sure what to make of it either, but I want to do it again."

She smiles warmly hearing this. "I'm glad." Her smile becomes somewhat mournful as she goes on, however. "Normally, when I do this… I just drink myself blind so I don't remember a thing, it makes it less awkward when you don't know why one of your coworkers can't look you in the eye when you come back to work, or why the couple you went out drinking with broke up the next day… I know it's not good, but… my point is, I'm glad I remember last night. All of it."

Her smile returns, more subtle this time.

Himeno's confession flusters you. It's all you could ever ask for, and a thousand times more, for her to remember it all and cherish that memory. To be remembered by someone so fondly in your line of work… you don't know what to do with yourself. You simply hug her as tight as you can.

"Thank you, Himeno…"

"It's alright…" She ruffles your hair and kisses the crown of your head. "Hey, do you have anything planned for later today?"

"No, I was just going to rest up at home today… Why do you ask?"

"Well, Aki's busy at work today, same with the others at Division 4, so I don't have anything on… Want to get some lunch together?"

"I'd love to."