The blackbelt winced as she flexed her back, "That last guy really got me."

"The one you countered? Sumi, he was twice your size! That flip could've torn something!"

Framed eyes closed as she grinned. "I'll be alright."

The blonde she was talking to frowned. "Wincing every time you move, is not okay."

"I'll be fine, Kazama."

The smaller woman puffed her cheeks, pressing a finger hard into the taller woman's back.

Yelping in pain, she glared at the blonde. "Why did you do that?!"

She narrowed her eyes. "You're not okay."

"I'm fine."

Ushio raised her brow and held up her finger again, twirling it while watching her partner twitch. "Your reaction says otherwise."

"Fine." Sumika sighed. "My neck and back have been really tight since then. Not sure what I did."

"Turn." The blonde commanded, standing from the floor and moving to sit behind her.

"Wha?"

She said it a bit harder this time. "Turn."

The taller woman sighed again, shifting so her back was brushing the blonde's knees.

Slowly and methodically, the small woman loosened the knots keeping her neck in place.

"How does that feel?"

"You mean, besides heavenly? A lot better than before."

"Good. I don't understand why your brothers can't handle the challengers..."

Sumika sighed. "It's because people keep hearing about me, and want to challenge 'Violent Murasame'. It's a pain in the ass."

"Well, I don't blame them. You are quite powerful."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want to fight constantly... It's not very cute..."

Ushio intentionally pressed a knuckle hard into her back, causing the karate master to yelp once again, turning towards her and biting her lip. She held back tears as she questioned the blonde, "Why. Do. You. Keep. Doing. That?!"

The shorter woman furrowed her brow. "Didn't I tell you before? You're cute." She continued her list, counting on her fingers, "You're cute. You're adorable. You're beautiful. You're strong. You're sexy. You're you. You don't need to be anything other than you."

Sumika sighed. "I'm trying to give you another reason to like me..."

The blonde softened her gaze, lifting her girlfriend's chin. "Sumi. You don't need to do that." She planted a kiss on her forehead. "I like you just the way you are. Nothing will change that."

The blackbelt closed her downcast eyes. "...What if someone steals you away?"

"No one's going to take me from you."

Grey eyes flicked open, meeting golden brown ones, "You don't know that... If something happens while you're with your Grandmother..."

Ushio sighed, bringing her lips to meet the ones on the woman in front of her.

"Kazam-"

She brought her lips forward again.

"Ushi-"

She placed another kiss, this time taking the opportunity to brush her tongue against Sumika's lips. She allowed entrance, only to feel the kiss deepen as a hand snaked to the back of her head. Ushio broke the kiss, bringing their foreheads together. "Did that stop your worrying? It's only for a month."

Raven hair fluffed as she mock pouted. "You're cute. I have reason to worry."

Kazama smiled. "You just want another kiss."

Sumika smiled back. "I... Maybe."

"What if I promise to make it up to you when I get back?"

She swallowed hard. "...What?"

"When I get back, I promise to make up for the lost time. All of it."

Murasame sighed as she flipped open her phone, smiling as she read the text from her girlfriend. "Three days to go, huh?"

Kazama grinned as she closed her own phone.

Sumika flinched as her phone buzzed in her hand. "Eh? Another text from Ka-" She cut her sentence short, a deep red staining her cheeks.

Noe noticed the color flushing her charge's cheeks. "Oh? Did you get a text from Ushio?"

Sumika stuttered as she quickly flipped her phone closed, nearly dropping it. "Ah! Y-Yeah. She should be home soon."

"It's been a month already?"

"Yeah." She stood and stretched. "I think I'm going to take a bath."

"Oh? Alright then. I'll be starting dinner soon, so please be quick about it."

Sumika slowly slid down the door to the bathroom, a hand over her rapid fire heart. "I swear, she's trying to kill me." She flipped her phone open again, staring at the most recent text, "Why the hell else would she send this? Has she always been this devious?"

She groaned as she got ready for the bath. "This is going to be the longest three days, ever. Especially with that image in my head..." She rested her head in her hand, "And she wasn't even in them yet..."

She burned the details of the lingerie in her head, allowing her imagination to place her girlfriend in them. "She's definitely trying to kill me."