[As impatient as she can usually be, there's none of that here: she waits as long as he needs, brushing her thumb over his cheekbone until he's ready. And when he is, she commits the things he does like to memory, even as a pink flush comes to her cheeks at I like touching you and hearing you and warm fingers brush over her thigh.]
...Yeah. Research is all about figuring out what works and what doesn't. [She nods, still focusing on his face. And, oh--since he liked it, she'll go back to brushing fingers through his hair again.] So, we'll...keep sharing results.
And...what a coincidence, since...I like your touches. [She says it both because it's very true, and because they are "sharing data", after all. They're important observations!]
[He relaxes further when she goes back to tousling his hair. Books and movies tell you everything is perfect right from the first kiss, that you magically know what to do and what the other person likes, but it's just silly wishful thinking. Rita may be leaning to hard into scientific jargon, but... she's right. "Sharing results" is the way to go.]
I'm glad. [Now pink tinges his own cheeks.] Anything - you like in particular?
[Her heart swells as she notices more of the tension leave him. She's still sorry for causing him panic--maybe she's read a book or two in her lifetime that includes romance, but...books aren't people. Books aren't them, specifically. She doesn't want to know what some fictional characters like; she wants to know what Natsuno likes, and the only way to know that is to both try and discuss.]
Hm...well... [Sure, she likes everything he's done so far, but she takes a moment. She'd like to try giving him a more thorough answer, the way he's done for her.] I liked it when you kissed the side of my face before. And where you were touching my thigh--maybe it's just...getting to feel you without something else in the way?
[Her flush deepens, but she'll stand by what she said! Also...] Actually, more than anything, I like seeing you react to something you like.
[Natsuno's eyes light up. He's already perfectly content to shower Rita with attention and know she's enjoying it, and hearing her affirm she takes pleasure in his joy makes hit heart swell. They're locked in a feedback loop of young love, and they aren't coming down from this high any time soon.]
I like you.
[And like the good boy he is, Natsuno starts kissing the side of her face, lips trailing her jawline all the way to her ear to suck the earlobe gently. One hand still strokes her thigh while the other slides under Rita's shirt to run circles on her lower back. It is nice to feel her without something else in the way.]
[As if the joy in his eyes didn't already flood her chest with warmth, she shivers with delight, burying her nose in his hair and curling her fingers against his scalp. She loves him, and the way he goes all-in, and his warm touches...
Both to reciprocate and as an additional apology, for earlier, she intones almost right in his ear:] And I like you...my good boy. Natsuno.
[She's fine calling him by any name he wants. Still, Natsuno has a nice ring to it, and she wants to try it on her tongue, see what he thinks.]
When Tohru-chan used his first name, it was annoying until it became endearing (in an annoying, best-friend-teasing kind of way). When Clarke uses his first name, it's a token of friendship (as well as the fact he failed to nip it in the bud, but telling her to knock it off when she just revived from her first death seemed tasteless).
When Rita says his name, though... it's Intimate in a way he never felt before. When Rita says his name, it doesn't sound girly or old-fashioned but special, like she can make it lovely just by being her.
His smile is audible against her ear.]
...I just found out another thing. I like when you say my name.
[It rolls off her tongue just like a magic spell--and the effect really does feel like magic when she senses his mouth form a smile.]
I'm glad. Natsuno... [Since he likes it, she repeats it just to bask in the sound and the joy that comes from him, as she curls a strand of his hair around her finger.] So, should I call you that anytime? Or...just like this?
Mmm... [She loves the sound of his voice, especially when it travels through her entire being like this, even when it's just a simple hum, and she answers in turn.] I like the sound of that. Natsuno...
You know, calling you good boy like this is pretty nice, too... [How is it possible to love someone this much? Overcome with with too many warm fuzzies for words, she nuzzles the side of his face, the hand at his side shifting to embrace him.]
[He shuts his eyes, soaking in her warmth, paying special attention to how her face touches his. If he times it just right, he can steal a surprise kiss - there.]
Can you... [The hug is nice, and yet - ] I want to feel you without something else in the way, too.
[She smiles brightly, pleasantly surprised by his kiss and savouring the closeness. And--as if she could ever turn down a request like that--she tugs at the hem of his shirt and snakes both hands under the fabric to settle on his waist. Even as she watches his expression, the feeling of warm skin under her fingers is surprisingly entrancing.]
Hmm...I wonder if you're ticklish.
[Some mild teasing, but she wants to map more of him too, and trails her right hand up his side--bunching the shirt fabric a little as she goes--brushing over his ribcage, then over his chest, where her touch hovers. Her eyes widen in wonder. Of course, it shouldn't be surprising, and yet--it feels so intimate, somehow-]
[He's already excited when Rita tugs the hem of his shirt, and he sucks in a breath as her hands touch bare skin, sending delighted jolts through hits body. Natsuno sighs happily, a sigh that turns into an involuntary giggle when Rita trails a hand over his stomach on the way up. Yes, he's ticklish.]
It. [Heat floods his cheeks when she says she can feel his heartbeat. He's so glad he HAS a heartbeat, they would never be so close and so in love if he was an ice-cold animated corpse - ] You're the reason it beats so fast...
[Mischief briefly crosses her face at his short giggle. She isn't going to take advantage of his ticklish nature just now, but it sure is committed to memory for another time.
Right now...she's fascinated by the thrumming under her hand, a light dusting of pink rising to her own cheeks when he says it's racing because of her. It's because of them. She swallows.]
Do you... [And now that blush deepens, but she boldly presses ahead.] Do you want to feel mine?
[Natsuno gulps and nods. Without taking his eyes off Rita's, he slides a hand up her back, trailing up her spine. There's a moment of a hesitation before he brings it against her heart, between her breasts - first exploring with his fingers, then his entire palm. It's so warm and soft, he really can feel her heartbeat and not just hear it.
His own blush deepens, red spreading to the tips of his ears and down his neck when he realizes that he's hard, and that Rita can probably feel it with how she's straddling him.]
[Eyes locked in fascination and feeling his heart skip a few beats right under her palm, her lips part slightly as his hand moves. He's so warm and gentle, yet her nerves are practically sparking with electricity...and now, he can feel the way her own heartbeat flutters at his touch. Just the two of them, hands over each other's hearts--intimate proof that they're here, together...
She does start to feel him before his face goes red, although it takes her a moment to figure out exactly what the source is, when her brain is so heavily focused on Natsuno, Natsuno, Natsuno.]
Something's...poking all of a--oh. [It's right as she shifts in his lap in an effort to get comfortable that it registers, and her face goes about as red as his.
Well. Now she's just going to stare at him awkwardly for a moment. Right, this--this is how bodies work. She knows! She gets how basic anatomy works! Even if this...came as a surprise. Flustered, she tries to say something-] Uh--was this--too much?
[Something's poking. Twenty seconds ago Natsuno was grateful for still alive, but now he just wants to throw himself into the fake ocean.]
...No.
[Does she think it's too much? Her expression - this so awkward, he has no idea how to deal with it. They're still touching each other's bare skin, Rita is still in his lap and Natsuno is acutely aware of the press of her body against his groin.]
It's - I like it. A lot.
[His face is burning up, but so what? This - this is natural and normal! There's nothing wrong with it, especially not when it's someone you love!]
If - [Say it, you coward] it's not too much for you... I want to keep going.
O-oh...yeah. [I like it. A lot. Her face burns, but... Right, that much is...quite clear, isn't it? Where she's sitting right in his lap, she can still feel it, and where she was pleasantly warm before, she's almost uncomfortably flushed now.
...She takes a breath, focuses on his own red face and the racing heartbeat under her hand, then closes her eyes for a moment. Just...to think. This is new and awkward for both of them, but--that's right, there's nothing wrong about it, not in the least. She nods and looks at him again.]
Yeah...sorry. I was just--surprised. [The hand not over his heart, the one still on his waist, rubs gentle circles over his skin.] If you want to keep going, then...so do I. I mean--there's nothing wrong with it! It's normal! So...so we don't need to be embarrassed. Not with each other.
[Nailed...it? Well, even if they do get embarrassed...they'll work past it together. She puffs out her chest a little with confidence, and--becomes acutely aware of his hand in the center of her chest all over again. She'd been so distracted by the unexpected boner, that she'd almost forgotten, but...] Besides, I like...feeling your hand here.
[Which is also normal and she's not going to hesitate to admit that, so there it is!]
Edited (whoops forgot to remove a part I rewrote) 2023-01-25 23:22 (UTC)
[She may only take a moment to think, but it feels much longer. Natsuno remains utterly still, worried he freaked her out. How to make it less awkward? Should he think of some - boner-killer? Loud noises, desert zombies, the smell inside Clarke's rover oh thank god Rita's talking again. Some of the tension leaves his body when she starts stroking him. It was awkward, yes, but he didn't freak her out.
We don't need to be embarrassed. Not with each other. She's right, of course, as expected from a genius. He loves her so much.]
Okay. [I like...feeling your hand here. Natsuno's face is flushed deep and his mouth is still dry, but he manages to give Rita a little smile. Saying that he likes to touch her there would be stating the obvious, right? He needs another moment to work out the courage, but his inquisitive fingers soon trail her heart to her breast, first as a gentle brush, then to slowly cup it.]
[Supremely awkward moment or not, they're continuing their exploration, and she's glad for that--glad to see that little smile on Natsuno's face, and she gives him a soft one in return, still stroking his skin with her thumb even as her blush just about matches his own. Maybe he can still feel the way her heart skips a beat when his fingers brush over her breast.]
That's... [How does she describe it? Her gaze stays locked on his face, and a soft sigh escapes her lips.]
It's like...I never dreamed I'd ever let anyone... [She almost says "cop a feel", but that's so totally wrong a description for the way Natsuno's approaching it and for the way she feels about him, that she abandons that train of thought and course-corrects.] ...It's--a different sensation, but I like it.
So...how does it feel for you? [Obviously, he likes it--she's still sitting in his lap, after all--but she wants to know more detail, too.]
I think you can tell, [He replies, almost shyly, but he knows that's not the answer she's looking for. That's Rita for you, always collecting data.]
I never thought I'd do it either.
[Moving to Sotoba killed whatever childish fantasies he had at the time. His sole focus was leaving the boonies - even his feelings for Tohru were pushes somewhere to the back of his mind. Then he turned, and stopped thinking about a future at all. Only here, recently, did he allow himself to want again.]
It -
[She wants details, but how can he describe a want?]
Makes me want more. The more I touch you, I want to be closer.
[Her eyes crinkle with her smile, because they both know she can tell--and oh, now that the surprise and most of the awkwardness has passed, she's finding she rather likes this feeling...the satisfaction of knowing just who and what he's responding to, feeling exactly how much he likes their explorations.
...She can imagine the multiple meanings that lie behind his I never thought I'd do it either. She remembers how he called himself a monster, that he died and wasn't ever supposed to come back, and--she leans forward so their foreheads are touching, noses brushing each other. Who he is has always mattered. She loves who he is.
And she loves him for trying to put something so difficult to describe into words, because sometimes it is so hard to qualify something as more than a like or a want. The answer he comes to...makes her heart flutter, pleasant warmth flooding her veins.]
...Yeah, I think...that sounds about right for me, too. So... [Closer, hm? They certainly have...options.] We could...lie down, or... I could, you know--take off your shirt?
[A tiny, joyous laugh escapes her at his kiss, and her eyes light up all over again with anticipation, even as a faint new blush comes to her face to hear him say please.]
Since you asked so nicely...like a good boy, then... [Her slips her hands out from under his shirt--part of her misses the contact already, but it's only temporary, after all. Her fingers find the topmost button, and she begins steadily unfastening them, neither languid nor rushed. Once the last one is done, she pushes the shirt off his shoulders, and pulls back from his face just enough to get a better look at him.
Her mouth feels surprisingly dry, glancing over his lean form.]
Wow, you're really... I never expected to say this about someone, but you're... [He's Natsuno. Attractive, cute, beautiful, handsome, elegant--what does she choose, except for-] I think...you're perfect.
--You know, as close to perfection as a person can come! [Just. A very brief moment of flustered rambling.]
[Good boy. Natsuno gulps visibly when she starts unbuttoning his shirt. His gaze moves from her working hands to her face, both entranced and flustered and quite possibly forgetting how to breathe. He was going to wait for her, but once the shirt is unbuttoned he joins in shrugging it off.
To see Rita look at him like this - it's almost unreal to think that expression is directed at him. He wants to see more of it. He wants her to touch him and look at him and tell him how it makes her feel.]
Well... only blastia are really perfect.
[He's still flattered and honored to be so close behind! Watching Rita's face as she looks him over is wonderful, but the small distance between them... not so much. Natsuno slides his hands over Rita's sides, from her thighs to under her shirt, pulling her close to bask in the new sensation. For a moment it seems like he's about to kiss her again, but he shifts his weight back instead, falling on the bed with her on top of him.
[She grins, shivering in delight as his hands glide over her, and she's happily leaning in, parting her lips to kiss him-
And instead giving a surprised yelp when he gives them up to gravity--which quickly changes to a short burst of delighted laughter as she ends up with hands planted on his bare chest and noses just inches apart.]
Heh...I don't know, I think I'd actually pick you over a blastia. [Of course she'd pick him, if she had to choose. They'll always be an important part of her, but they can't even hope to measure up to the Natsuno-sized space in her heart by now.
And after she says that, well--now is just the perfect time to get that kiss he teased her with before, so she's going to do just that.]
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...Yeah. Research is all about figuring out what works and what doesn't. [She nods, still focusing on his face. And, oh--since he liked it, she'll go back to brushing fingers through his hair again.] So, we'll...keep sharing results.
And...what a coincidence, since...I like your touches. [She says it both because it's very true, and because they are "sharing data", after all. They're important observations!]
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I'm glad. [Now pink tinges his own cheeks.] Anything - you like in particular?
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Hm...well... [Sure, she likes everything he's done so far, but she takes a moment. She'd like to try giving him a more thorough answer, the way he's done for her.] I liked it when you kissed the side of my face before. And where you were touching my thigh--maybe it's just...getting to feel you without something else in the way?
[Her flush deepens, but she'll stand by what she said! Also...] Actually, more than anything, I like seeing you react to something you like.
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I like you.
[And like the good boy he is, Natsuno starts kissing the side of her face, lips trailing her jawline all the way to her ear to suck the earlobe gently. One hand still strokes her thigh while the other slides under Rita's shirt to run circles on her lower back. It is nice to feel her without something else in the way.]
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[As if the joy in his eyes didn't already flood her chest with warmth, she shivers with delight, burying her nose in his hair and curling her fingers against his scalp. She loves him, and the way he goes all-in, and his warm touches...
Both to reciprocate and as an additional apology, for earlier, she intones almost right in his ear:] And I like you...my good boy. Natsuno.
[She's fine calling him by any name he wants. Still, Natsuno has a nice ring to it, and she wants to try it on her tongue, see what he thinks.]
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When Tohru-chan used his first name, it was annoying until it became endearing (in an annoying, best-friend-teasing kind of way). When Clarke uses his first name, it's a token of friendship (as well as the fact he failed to nip it in the bud, but telling her to knock it off when she just revived from her first death seemed tasteless).
When Rita says his name, though... it's Intimate in a way he never felt before. When Rita says his name, it doesn't sound girly or old-fashioned but special, like she can make it lovely just by being her.
His smile is audible against her ear.]
...I just found out another thing. I like when you say my name.
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I'm glad. Natsuno... [Since he likes it, she repeats it just to bask in the sound and the joy that comes from him, as she curls a strand of his hair around her finger.] So, should I call you that anytime? Or...just like this?
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[He's already made up his mind. He only hums because he enjoys how it feels against her skin.]
Anytime. And we're like this... you can all me your good boy.
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You know, calling you good boy like this is pretty nice, too... [How is it possible to love someone this much? Overcome with with too many warm fuzzies for words, she nuzzles the side of his face, the hand at his side shifting to embrace him.]
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Can you... [The hug is nice, and yet - ] I want to feel you without something else in the way, too.
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[She smiles brightly, pleasantly surprised by his kiss and savouring the closeness. And--as if she could ever turn down a request like that--she tugs at the hem of his shirt and snakes both hands under the fabric to settle on his waist. Even as she watches his expression, the feeling of warm skin under her fingers is surprisingly entrancing.]
Hmm...I wonder if you're ticklish.
[Some mild teasing, but she wants to map more of him too, and trails her right hand up his side--bunching the shirt fabric a little as she goes--brushing over his ribcage, then over his chest, where her touch hovers. Her eyes widen in wonder. Of course, it shouldn't be surprising, and yet--it feels so intimate, somehow-]
Wow... I...can feel your heartbeat.
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[He's already excited when Rita tugs the hem of his shirt, and he sucks in a breath as her hands touch bare skin, sending delighted jolts through hits body. Natsuno sighs happily, a sigh that turns into an involuntary giggle when Rita trails a hand over his stomach on the way up. Yes, he's ticklish.]
It. [Heat floods his cheeks when she says she can feel his heartbeat. He's so glad he HAS a heartbeat, they would never be so close and so in love if he was an ice-cold animated corpse - ] You're the reason it beats so fast...
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Right now...she's fascinated by the thrumming under her hand, a light dusting of pink rising to her own cheeks when he says it's racing because of her. It's because of them. She swallows.]
Do you... [And now that blush deepens, but she boldly presses ahead.] Do you want to feel mine?
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His own blush deepens, red spreading to the tips of his ears and down his neck when he realizes that he's hard, and that Rita can probably feel it with how she's straddling him.]
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She does start to feel him before his face goes red, although it takes her a moment to figure out exactly what the source is, when her brain is so heavily focused on Natsuno, Natsuno, Natsuno.]
Something's...poking all of a--oh. [It's right as she shifts in his lap in an effort to get comfortable that it registers, and her face goes about as red as his.
Well. Now she's just going to stare at him awkwardly for a moment. Right, this--this is how bodies work. She knows! She gets how basic anatomy works! Even if this...came as a surprise. Flustered, she tries to say something-] Uh--was this--too much?
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...No.
[Does she think it's too much? Her expression - this so awkward, he has no idea how to deal with it. They're still touching each other's bare skin, Rita is still in his lap and Natsuno is acutely aware of the press of her body against his groin.]
It's - I like it. A lot.
[His face is burning up, but so what? This - this is natural and normal! There's nothing wrong with it, especially not when it's someone you love!]
If - [Say it, you coward] it's not too much for you... I want to keep going.
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...She takes a breath, focuses on his own red face and the racing heartbeat under her hand, then closes her eyes for a moment. Just...to think. This is new and awkward for both of them, but--that's right, there's nothing wrong about it, not in the least. She nods and looks at him again.]
Yeah...sorry. I was just--surprised. [The hand not over his heart, the one still on his waist, rubs gentle circles over his skin.] If you want to keep going, then...so do I. I mean--there's nothing wrong with it! It's normal! So...so we don't need to be embarrassed. Not with each other.
[Nailed...it? Well, even if they do get embarrassed...they'll work past it together. She puffs out her chest a little with confidence, and--becomes acutely aware of his hand in the center of her chest all over again. She'd been so distracted by the unexpected boner, that she'd almost forgotten, but...] Besides, I like...feeling your hand here.
[Which is also normal and she's not going to hesitate to admit that, so there it is!]
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We don't need to be embarrassed. Not with each other. She's right, of course, as expected from a genius. He loves her so much.]
Okay. [I like...feeling your hand here. Natsuno's face is flushed deep and his mouth is still dry, but he manages to give Rita a little smile. Saying that he likes to touch her there would be stating the obvious, right? He needs another moment to work out the courage, but his inquisitive fingers soon trail her heart to her breast, first as a gentle brush, then to slowly cup it.]
...how's this?
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That's... [How does she describe it? Her gaze stays locked on his face, and a soft sigh escapes her lips.]
It's like...I never dreamed I'd ever let anyone... [She almost says "cop a feel", but that's so totally wrong a description for the way Natsuno's approaching it and for the way she feels about him, that she abandons that train of thought and course-corrects.] ...It's--a different sensation, but I like it.
So...how does it feel for you? [Obviously, he likes it--she's still sitting in his lap, after all--but she wants to know more detail, too.]
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I never thought I'd do it either.
[Moving to Sotoba killed whatever childish fantasies he had at the time. His sole focus was leaving the boonies - even his feelings for Tohru were pushes somewhere to the back of his mind. Then he turned, and stopped thinking about a future at all. Only here, recently, did he allow himself to want again.]
It -
[She wants details, but how can he describe a want?]
Makes me want more. The more I touch you, I want to be closer.
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...She can imagine the multiple meanings that lie behind his I never thought I'd do it either. She remembers how he called himself a monster, that he died and wasn't ever supposed to come back, and--she leans forward so their foreheads are touching, noses brushing each other. Who he is has always mattered. She loves who he is.
And she loves him for trying to put something so difficult to describe into words, because sometimes it is so hard to qualify something as more than a like or a want. The answer he comes to...makes her heart flutter, pleasant warmth flooding her veins.]
...Yeah, I think...that sounds about right for me, too. So... [Closer, hm? They certainly have...options.] We could...lie down, or... I could, you know--take off your shirt?
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Yeah, [He says immediately. A brief pause and he clarifies:] To both. Please.
[The thought of her taking control again to do it for him is already sending electric tingles through his body.]
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Since you asked so nicely...like a good boy, then... [Her slips her hands out from under his shirt--part of her misses the contact already, but it's only temporary, after all. Her fingers find the topmost button, and she begins steadily unfastening them, neither languid nor rushed. Once the last one is done, she pushes the shirt off his shoulders, and pulls back from his face just enough to get a better look at him.
Her mouth feels surprisingly dry, glancing over his lean form.]
Wow, you're really... I never expected to say this about someone, but you're... [He's Natsuno. Attractive, cute, beautiful, handsome, elegant--what does she choose, except for-] I think...you're perfect.
--You know, as close to perfection as a person can come! [Just. A very brief moment of flustered rambling.]
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To see Rita look at him like this - it's almost unreal to think that expression is directed at him. He wants to see more of it. He wants her to touch him and look at him and tell him how it makes her feel.]
Well... only blastia are really perfect.
[He's still flattered and honored to be so close behind! Watching Rita's face as she looks him over is wonderful, but the small distance between them... not so much. Natsuno slides his hands over Rita's sides, from her thighs to under her shirt, pulling her close to bask in the new sensation. For a moment it seems like he's about to kiss her again, but he shifts his weight back instead, falling on the bed with her on top of him.
He's grinning. Both, please.]
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And instead giving a surprised yelp when he gives them up to gravity--which quickly changes to a short burst of delighted laughter as she ends up with hands planted on his bare chest and noses just inches apart.]
Heh...I don't know, I think I'd actually pick you over a blastia. [Of course she'd pick him, if she had to choose. They'll always be an important part of her, but they can't even hope to measure up to the Natsuno-sized space in her heart by now.
And after she says that, well--now is just the perfect time to get that kiss he teased her with before, so she's going to do just that.]
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