A/n:
I had a few difficulties with my family last week and couldn't find it in me to write much. What I decided to do was rewrite a one-shot I had written to better fit the continuity of the story, but there aren't that many plot-heavy things in this one. Just some nice time with best girl. It's not a lemon outright, but it's kinda spicy. I hope you enjoy it and have a happy early Valentine's Day with Nino ;D
...
Y/N POV:
"Hey... um... do you come here often?" Miku said in a miserable excuse of a flirtatious tone.
"Stop. That's not gonna work," Nino said.
The three of us were at the living room of the quint's apartment, and as Nino had suggested, Miku was practicing her flirting skills... with me.
"Ok. How's about this..." she said, adjusting her hair and leaning forward, "...Um... I really like your shirt?"
"Why did you phrase that as a question? That was horrible!" Nino said.
"Come on, I'm trying my best."
"You're sounding too nervous. Try to relax. I promise I won't bite," I said.
"Even so, I don't know what to do. Ugh! Nino, come here and show me what worked on him."
"You'd be impressed. Almost nothing works on Y/N-kun."
"What?"
"I even changed clothes and stayed completely naked right behind him and he barely even reacted."
"Though to be honest," I said, "I was the one making moves on her most of the time."
"Hey, that's not true! I'm always the one doing the handiwork!"
"Are you sure about that?" I tapped my chest in the place where her pendant would have been hanging.
"Um... can we get back on track?" Miku awkwardly said.
"Right, sorry. Well, go ahead Nino. Give her a demonstration."
"Hehe, with pleasure."
Nino sat by my side, adjusting her head and looking at me with a smile.
"Hey, didn't expect to see you here today. What are you doing? I can join you if you're not too busy."
I couldn't help but smile as well.
"Excellent," I said, "See how she sounds very approachable and friendly. But not in an unnatural way. Also, see how her body language is open and non-threatening?"
"I thought you said I shouldn't rely on body language."
"To read someone's thoughts, that is. But for situations these, they can give you a good tell on how the other person is feeling. For example, Nino, say the same thing but cross your arms and legs and face slightly away from me."
She did just that.
"Yeah... it does look a bit sarcastic," Miku said.
"See, Miku?" Nino said, "It's simpler than you think. You don't even have to say any cheesy pick-up line."
They switched places again, with Miku taking a deep breath before saying her line.
"H-Hey..."
"Say it confidently," Nino said.
"HEY!"
"Not that much!"
"...Um... Hey Fuutarou. I wasn't expecting to see you here. Are you busy? If you're not, we could do something together if you don't mind..."
A few seconds went by as we both watched Miku's face become increasingly red, until she eventually buried her head on the pillows on the couch.
*Muffled screaming*
"That wasn't that bad. Just try to sound a little less hesitant." Nino said.
"Yeah. Actually, I think that was pretty decent."
"It feels so weeeeirddd," we heard Miku's muffled voice.
"Why?"
She took her head off the pillow
"It feels wrong. He's your boyfriend."
"Yes. And we're both fine with it. Plus you get to practice on extra hard mode since he's way more handsome than Uesugi."
"Nino," I warned.
"What?"
"This isn't working," Miku sighed, "We've been doing this for almost an hour. There had to be a better way."
"There isn't," I said. "I've told you countless times that there is no formula. You just gotta go with what you feel is most appropriate."
"Didn't you say that people act stupid when they're into someone? I can't just go with my gut."
"I know, I know... Damn, I'm dedicating a lot more neurons into this than I thought I would."
"Then I'll tell you what to do Miku. Just be straightforward," Nino said. "Let's be honest here. Do you really think Uesugi would reject someone like you if you were to confess to him? Just go for it."
"Being straightforward is what got her discovered by the note girl in the first place," I said as I noticed Miku looking at me weirdly, "...right?"
"Not really..." she said.
"Wait, how much do you talk to Uesugi in school?" Nino asked.
"Not much. Maybe once or twice a week?"
"And how long do these interactions last for?"
"Almost nothing. We just say hello to each other."
"This is far from being enough for someone to assume you like him..." Nino thought out loud, "And do you talk to any other boys other than him?"
"Only Y/N. A lot more."
"Holy shit... are you following this, Y/N-kun?"
"The only thing I'm following is how fast you're jumping to conclusions."
"Miku doesn't talk enough to Uesugi at school for someone to find out about her crush. But here in the sessions, she's considerably more direct. Remember on that day when we had a sleepover? When she asked what types of girls he liked?"
"Where are you trying to get to, Nino?"
"I think the one who sent that little note to you was one of us, and you know which one I'm talking about."
We stayed in silence for a few moments, just exchanging looks as our brains processed Nino's words.
"Why are you looking at me that way? Don't you think it could be a possibility?"
"By no means, Sherlock. Actually, I think it's pretty viable," I said.
"Then why are you making that face?"
"Because it's stupid, for the lack of a better word. Why would any of you do that?"
"I dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. It's Itsuki we're talking about. She's been making about as much sense as organic chemistry."
"You're right about that.
"Do you think... it's because she likes Fuutarou?" Miku said.
"Oh please. It's already unlikely enough for one girl to fall for him."
The two of them noticed both my silence and my apprehensiveness.
"No. No fucking way. She told you something, didn't she?" Nino said, "Does she like him as well?"
"That's...inconclusive."
"What do you mean inconclusive? It's a yes or no question."
"Well fuck... okay. This is one of those things that I'm going to tell you that cannot leave this room."
"She likes him. I can't believe this. What the hell does she see in him anyway?!"
It's kinda fun to see how oddly revolted she's acting. But alas, let me break the info to them.
"No, calm down. She didn't say she likes Fuutarou. It's way more complicated than that."
"Well, then stop with the suspense and tell us already!"
"In a nutshell, she feels like she's missing out by not crushing on anyone during her teenage years, and so, from my understanding, she's trying to artificially fall for someone."
The two stayed silent. The idea was just as odd as it was unpractical. And from the look of it, I'm not the only one who shares that opinion.
"Miku, just so you know, you were not supposed to be in on this."
"My lips are sealed."
"Good. Nino?"
Nino held an expression of compassion and slight melancholy. She looked away from us both.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. It's just that... it makes sense."
"It does?"
Nino sighed, "I've been there before... the only difference is that I didn't try to artificially make myself fall in love. I kinda just waited. And eventually, it happened."
"It's so weird that she'd try that though..."
"What's weird is how she's orbiting toward Uesugi instead of you. It kinda pisses me off, to be honest..."
"You two are we're dating!" Miku said.
"But he's a lot more desirable than~"
"That's beside the point." I said, "I don't think any of you would do something like this. Besides, Itsuki has no reason to attack Miku."
"Unless she likes Fuutarou," Nino said.
"She doesn't. In any case, speculating on who sent the note when we don't have enough information won't do us any good."
"We do have enough information," Miku said, "If she has one of those notebooks made out of recycled paper, we'll know it's her."
"But can't you girls tell your handwriting apart? You would have noticed if it was her handwriting."
"The letter said 'we'. She doesn't necessarily need to have written it to be involved in it."
"Then what do we do?"
"I don't know. For now, you should make that photoshoot to cover what happened at the cafeteria. I actually need to be taking my leave pretty soon."
"Wait, already?"
"Yeah. I still gotta go to the gym before it gets dark. We can discuss this thing with Itsuki some other time. Or, you know, you could just ask her."
...
After that exchange, I went to the gym to get some reps done, and as I was leaving, I was pleasantly surprised by someone waiting by the entrance.
"Geez... how come you're dressed like that! It's cold, you know?"
"Says the one who's wearing a skirt when it's only a few degrees above freezing."
It was none other than tsun. She was seated at a bench near the entrance, holding two cups of warm latte, as well as the bag she usually takes to school.
"Here," she handed me one of the cups, "This one is for you. Your favorite."
"Thanks. So what did you come to do here?
"Ah, I'm glad you asked," she smirked, "I've been wondering if maybe... just maybe, I could sleep at your place tonight."
"Really? That's all? You could have just texted, you know?"
"Yeah, but I felt like if I asked you this way there would be a smaller chance of you rejecting me."
"Of course I wouldn't reject something like this," I said, "Did something happen at your house?"
"Not really. It's just that it's been quite a long time since we spent a night together... I promise that I'll spoil you."
"Who am I turn down such an offer?"
"Hehehe. I knew it," she smiled, "So, do you have anything else to do here or can we head straight home?"
"Nah. We can go."
This is unexpected, but I'm not about to reject such an advance. Together we made our way to my place, and although it was pretty cold outside, the trip wasn't long enough to justify calling a uber. Nino kept complaining about the cold the entire way there, but we eventually arrived some ten minutes later completely fine.
"Gosh, I'm freezing! You're not supposed to let a lady be cold, you know?"
"You're wearing a skirt."
"So what if I am? You're still supposed to make me feel warm."
"Tsk... I'll order some food to warm us up later."
"Order? Mama can cook, dummy."
"You sure? You're a visit here. I'd feel bad for making you cook."
"Didn't I say I was gonna spoil you?"
"Oh, right. I'm sure we can improvise something with the ingredients I have here. In any case, I'm gonna take a shower first," I said as I began to take off my shirt.
I was facing away from her and I didn't hear her approach. All I felt were two cold hands around my chest.
"Agh! Your hands are so cold!"
"Hehehehehehehe," she hugged me tighter, "I love your idea of warming me up. If you were a little less sweaty it would be perfect."
"I did just come back from the gym. H-Hey, Stop enjoying my body!"
"You took your shirt off first, pervert."
"What sort of excuse is that? I need to shower. Stop it."
"Nnnnnnnno."
"Good grief..."
I turned around and effortlessly pinned both her arms with my hand. She did give me a daring look, but I wasn't having any of it.
"Are you done?" I asked.
"I'm not even started."
"That's what I like to hear. But will you at least let me shower? You're not the only one who's cold, you know?"
"Don't you need my help?"
"I would certainly appreciate the company, yes."
"Why didn't you say it first, silly?"
Nino too began to take off her coat and unbutton her shirt.
"W-Wait, you're going in with me?", I said, slightly startled.
"Of course I am."
She kept unbuttoning her shirt, slowly, from the bottom up, until eventually...
"You're wearing a swimsuit?"
(A/n: just a reminder that they haven't done the deed before. The lemon chapter I wrote is set in the future sometime after the Kyoto trip.)
"Yip yip. Do you really think I was going in naked with you? You perv?"
"Why though? How far back did were you planning this?"
"Well, I knew you'd be going to the gym at around that time, and after that, you'd want to go home and take a shower."
"How opportunistic of you. Guess I'll stay in my shorts then."
"Good. Come on now. I'm not gonna wait here forever."
She grabbed my wrist and led me to the bathroom, grinning as she saw her plan come to fruition. We turned the showerhead on, soon feeling the warm water stinging on our cold skin.
"Hey, you have a bathtub. Why don't we take a bath instead?"
"It's gonna take too long. Weren't you cold?"
"Guess we'll just have to go with the alternative then," she said.
"What alternative?"
Suddenly, she pulled me into an embrace under the showerhead, skin on skin as the warm water showered upon our bodies.
"See? It's just big enough for the two of us if we're hugging like this," she said, "What's wrong? This isn't the first time we've been this physically close."
"There was a towel between us before."
"And now there isn't, so you'd better enjoy it while you can."
"But how are we going to wash ourselves this way?"
"I'll let you be the one to figure that part."
"Ok, then let go of me."
"Nope."
"Oh boi..."
She giggled sweetly, "Okay, okay. I'll let go. But then hand me the soap."
"Why?"
"So that I can wash you dumbass! And you'd better do the same to me. The more... sensitive parts we can do ourselves, but I'm not about to pass up this chance."
"Kay..."
"What's with the hesitance?"
"It's just that... how can I put this in a way that doesn't sound weird... it's a bit odd to see you without the ribbons."
"Oh really? You'd better not be thinking about any of my sisters."
"If that was my intention, I wouldn't have gone for one of them instead in the first place," I handed her the soap.
"Good answer."
"Though I gotta say, the impression I got from you earlier was that you'd have enjoyed if Itsuki indeed had a crush on me."
"W-Well, I like the idea of someone being envious of me for being with someone like you."
I could feel her hands scrubbing my back gently, spending a bit longer than necessary in each part.
"Really? That can't be very healthy."
"So what? I'm not complaining about the amount of attention the two of us get. It's good cuz then I can rub it in their face that you're mine and mine alone!"
"I don't get that much attention from other people though."
"You've gotta be kidding me. Don't you notice how many girls are looking at you at school? Especially during P.E."
"Not really. I only got eyes for you."
"Awww," she hugged me, "Hey, your body feels tense. Are you flexing your muscles?"
"Gotta get the blood flowing to less embarrassing places."
"Reeeeally?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her hand slithering around my waist, but I grabbed her wrist first.
"Watch that hand."
"Then turn around, silly! I need to wash your front."
I did just as she said, turning around to face her and immediately noticing the lustful look she had on her face.
"Mmmmmm... abs..."
"Keep your eyes up here, else I'll turn off the lights."
"What's the point of working out if you won't let the girl of your dreams enjoy your body?"
"Girl of my dreams? You sure think pretty highly of yourself."
"Am I lying?"
"No."
"Then shush. Here, let's sit down."
I complied, kneeling down with her to 'aid' her with her little endeavor.
"There, there... see? This isn't so bad."
"Not at all."
"Good... Relax those shoulders. You don't need to feel embarrassed when you're with me."
"I'll try..."
I took a deep breath, and just as Nino said, I tried to relax the tension in my body. She leaned toward me, ever so gently scrubbing my front side.
"Ah... much better. Just don't get too excited," she said.
"Then stop teasing me, dumbass."
"Aaaand there you go. Your turn," she handed me the soap back, turning around.
I began to do my job, starting from the back of her neck as she held her hair up. The softness and tenderness of her skin were something I could never get tired of, and just like she did to me, I too enjoyed every last square inch I could touch.
Just as I was getting done with her lower back, she leaned back, resting her back against me. I brought the soap to her upper chest area as she turned her face toward me. There was no need to exchange any words. We just closed our eyes and kissed. I continued to very slowly and gently scrub her upper body as our tongues danced around each other. I was being cautious for the most part, but I at the very least let the soap slide in between her breasts, then proceeded to spread the soap through her midriff.
We went back and forth for some time, increasing and decreasing in intensity. Though the bathtub was just a bit too small to fit us both comfortably, that didn't matter. Just like before in the hot spring, nothing else matters now. Nothing feels bad. It's just me, her, and the warmth of the water.
...
We did take a lot longer in the shower than usual, and by that, I mean at least a good half hour more. After that, we got dressed and Nino began to search through my fridge so that we could improvise dinner.
"I gotta say, your fridge is a lot more equipped than I was expecting."
"You said the same thing the first time you came over."
"Well, I guess you never cease to surprise me," she said, "We should have all the ingredients to make ramen right here."
"Do you need any help with it?"
"I do appreciate the company," she giggled.
Swiftly and masterfully, Nino assembled all the ingredients into two bowls of warm ramen for our enjoyment. I dimmed the lights and the two of us sat by the window.
"You know, I know this isn't exactly a fancy date, but I really appreciate moments like these," I said.
"You don't need to take me on fancy dates to make me happy. Just being with you is more than enough," she smiled, "That said if you want to take me to a fancy restaurant one of these days..."
"I guess I should. You deserve it."
"I know I do. Anyway, does it taste good?"
"I'd say a few orders of magnitude above good."
"That's what I like to hear. Though I gotta ask, how do you keep your body looking so good? You don't look like you pay that much attention to what you're eating."
"Inconsistency is the key."
"That's the opposite of what I expected."
"It's ok to eat this sort of stuff so long as you don't do it too frequently. For me, it's like once a month."
"But then why did you have the ingredients for ramen in your house?"
"Because I had been longing for this for at least two weeks and tomorrow was going to be my cheat day."
"Oops..."
I chuckled, "Don't worry. It tastes better when you make it."
"Aww, you gotta tell me your dietary needs so that I can cook more stuff for you! I promise I'll make something that fits your standards."
"Gosh... I need to marry you," I said quietly.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Thank you for the meal."
After we ate, we stayed up for a little longer just to enjoy each other's presence. Though we'd have school on the next day, I just couldn't get enough of having her by my side. When before we'd stay up all night texting each other, now we can cuddle together under the sheets, falling asleep to sweet dreams in each other's embrace.
...
A/n:
Hey kings. By now you might have realized that my predictions about when the next chapter is coming are kinda full of bs. I'm really sorry about that. It's just that sometimes I get lazy, other times I get writer's block, and others something entirely different happens. Maybe once a week may be a bit too much for me especially now that my classes are starting, but don't worry. The updates aren't about to stop anytime soon.
All that said, see you (probably) next week, Kings