College was a pain. Homework was a pain. Studying was a pain. Haru hated all of it. Though, one decidedly good thing came from college: Shizuku was taking French.

—

Rosy shades of pink filled the sky, cherry blossoms floating down on the chilled breeze. Fluffy clouds drifted lazily overhead, holding the quiet promise of spring rain later in the day when they grew heavy with water. Now, though, the weather was beautifully crisp and refreshing with just enough warming sun to lighten the morning fog and dry the dewy grass. It was the perfect March day, winter melting away into a pleasant spring.

It seemed like a crime to spend the day indoors. Unfortunately for Haru, that was exactly what Shizuku intended to do. When he had come over earlier in the morning to spend some time with his girlfriend (he loved being able to call her that), she had insisted that she had too much studying to do to mess around with him. She had an important exam coming up in her French class and needed to get in some practice. Giving a dramatic, disappointed sigh, Haru settled onto Shizuku's bed while she leaned over her desk, working on a translation. Still, he didn't intend to leave. Hanging out at her apartment was better than going home or sitting around outside by himself.

For a while, Haru busied himself with his phone, playing games and texting high school friends. A bit later, Shizuku still busy, he snatched some shoujo manga from her bookshelf. It didn't do much to hold his interest, but it was better than just lounging around and waiting for Shizuku to take a break. He lazily flipped through the pages, watching the romance develop at a painfully slow pace with every chapter that passed. After he finished the volume, too bored with the story to start the next, Haru wandered over to the window. Pushing the glass pane up, he took in a deep breath of the spring air, the sweet, floral scent of cherry blossoms clinging to the air. The light breeze had a pleasant chill to it, sweeping into the room.

It was then, savoring the spring view of cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind, that Haru swore he heard the most beautiful thing in the world. Words, smooth like silk, spilled from Shizuku's lips and it didn't matter that Haru couldn't understand any of it. Her voice was quiet and gentle, sure in her practice, but the flare in her French gave it a warm tone. Haru was mesmerized, gaze turning to lock onto Shizuku, attention fixed on every word she spoke.

Shizuku, completely unaware of Haru's entranced stare, kept up her practice, reading the translation she had finished. It wasn't a particularly difficult piece, but speaking was a large portion of her exam grade and she wanted to make sure her pronunciation was perfect. Propping her elbow up on the table, Shizuku rested her head on her hand, gaze still sweeping over the page while foreign words fell lightly off her tongue.

Stuttering in her progress, her breath catching in her throat, Shizuku stiffened when she felt Haru's breath against the shell of her ear. She hadn't even noticed him coming up beside her, but now she couldn't ignore the warmth of his breaths caressing her skin. Inhaling deeply, Shizuku tried to refocus, keeping her tone even when she attempted to continue her practice. However, she hardly got a few words out before Haru's lips were closing lightly around the tip of her ear. His mouth was pleasantly warm against the sensitive skin, making her head feel fuzzy while pink dusted her cheeks in a rosy flush. For a moment, reveling in the warm affection that bloomed in her chest, Shizuku almost managed to forget about the wave of embarrassment that crept up on her a moment later. Almost.

Though, the rush of heat still rose to her cheeks, a sort of jitteriness stirring in her stomach. Haru didn't seem to take any notice, moving to press slow, lingering kisses down the side of Shizuku's jaw. Heart pounding in her chest, Shizuku froze where she sat, eyes widening. "H-haru," she stammered, caught somewhere between wanting him to back off so she could study and wanting to lose herself in his touch.

"Just keep talking," Haru murmured against her skin, his tone sweet and quiet and gentle. Still, there was a low rasp laced into his voice that made a shiver run down Shizuku's spine.

Regaining some shaky sense of focus, Shizuku murmured a few lines, feeling her pronunciation start to slip. Haru's mouth, now leaving tender kisses just beneath her jaw, was far too distracting. Blowing out a breath, Shizuku forced herself to keep reading, despite the airy fluttering in her chest and the way her skin tingled with warmth under Haru's affections. The breathlessness she was starting to feel wasn't helping her practice either.

After a few beats of dizzy silence, Shizuku trying to keep her spot on the page, Haru swept her loose strands of hair up and off her neck. With the smooth, pale skin exposed, Haru let his attentions shift, teeth gently scraping behind her ear before he ran his tongue over the spot. Shizuku couldn't help the noise that rose up in her throat, a contented moan slipping past her lips before a sound akin to a purr rumbled in her chest. Realizing what she had done, Shizuku threw her hands up to cover her mouth. She could already feel the tips of her ears burning, no doubt turning a deep crimson. Embarrassment making her skin flush hot, Shizuku squeezed her eyes shut, willing her nerves to stop feeling so tightly wound.

Haru just gave an amused laugh, his arms snaking around Shizuku's shoulders to wrap her in a tight embrace. He'd always thought it was cute when she got all flustered, blushing and losing her usual cool confidence. Though, having been dating her for a few years now, he wished she could enjoy herself a little more without getting so embarrassed. "Don't worry so much," Haru said with an encouraging smile, gingerly reaching up to pull Shizuku's hands away from her mouth.

It wasn't more than a moment before his smile turned to something more mischievous, eyes lighting up with a bright spark. "I like the noises you make," he added in, the low timbre of his voice making Shizuku lightheaded with anticipation, even through the heavy haze of embarrassment. Be it lazy, tender kisses or something much more desire driven and intimate, Shizuku always lost control of her noise, and Haru loved it, even though it drove her crazy.

Shizuku didn't have any more time to think on it, though, when Haru's lips captured her own. The kiss was slow and sweet, just like the ones he had been peppering across her skin. This time, though, there was something fiery and passionate lingering beneath the surface. Something that made Shizuku's blood run hot with desire. Twisting in her seat, Shizuku struggled to get a better angle, reaching a hand up to cup Haru's jaw and tilting his head down a bit. Obligingly, Haru pressed closer, his nose bumping Shizuku's. Still, Shizuku let an annoyed huff slip past her lips as she shifted again to get more comfortable in her chair.

Amused, Haru just unwound his arms from around her shoulders and eased back. It was hard to miss the way Shizuku wrinkled her nose, disappointed at the distance between them. Though, in the blink of an eye, Haru pulled her chair around and away from her desk, slipping one knee between Shizuku's legs as he bent down to catch her lips again. Contented to be back in their kiss, Shizuku brought her hands up to cup Haru's jaw. His skin was pleasantly warm beneath her fingers, despite the cold breeze that blew in through her open window.

Where his hands came to rest high on her sides, thumbs running absently over the ridges of her ribs, heat bloomed through her skin. The sensation made her heart stutter and her stomach clench. She never got used to the staggering effect his touch had on her, sending sparks scattering across her skin and forcing her pulse askew. Now, needing air much sooner than she would have liked, Shizuku shifted back. Breathless, she hung her head over the back of the chair, gaze on the ceiling where she swore stars danced across her vision. Cheeks warm and pink, Shizuku fought to catch her breath faster while Haru mumbled something impatiently. He quickly busied himself, though, mouth closing around the tip of Shizuku's ear. His teeth grazed the sensitive flesh in testing nips, forcing the air from Shizuku's lungs in a breathy rush. Haru didn't seem to realize he was making it near impossible for her to collect herself and catch her breath. Though, Shizuku didn't mind too much if he kept up his affections.

A high squeak of surprise fell past her lips when Haru bit down hard, a jolt coursing through Shizuku. Part of her snapped to attention, fiery temper ready to scold Haru for going too far. Though, the excited fluttering in her stomach just wanted more of that exhilarated feeling. Seemingly sensing the way Shizuku tensed, Haru smoothed his tongue over the deep crescent marks, movements growing more gentle and soothing. Despite the quiet burning sensation his velvety rough tongue brought to the raw flesh, Shizuku found herself relaxing into his touch.

"Too much?" Haru breathed against her ear, sounding a little guilty. As per usual, his excitement and impulsiveness had gotten the better of him, but Shizuku was used to it at this point. Still, she was sure the marks in her ear would be throbbing painfully once some of her adrenaline drained. Now, though, a pleasant buzz hummed in her veins and her head felt a bit clearer, the twinge of pain burning off some of the haziness.

"Maybe a little," Shizuku murmured, eyes still fixed on the smooth white surface of her ceiling. Her hands, which had fallen from his jaw, laced together behind his neck. The pad of her thumbs rubbed lightly along the slope where his neck met his shoulders, hoping to assure him she wasn't angry.

Haru whispered heartfelt apologies against the shell of her ear, pressing tender kisses against the marks he had left there. It wasn't long, though, before his attentions moved down to her neck, exposed with the way her head was laid back. His lips trailed down the column of her throat, mouth falling open against her skin. Shizuku's fingers tightened around the base of his neck, pulling him closer while pleasure radiated out from the places he kissed her. Tentatively starting to suck at a sensitive spot low on her throat, Haru renewed his efforts more confidently when a light, breathy moan bubbled up past Shizuku's lips.

His grip against her ribs tightened some when Shizuku started to squirm, attempting to keep her still. Though, the pressure of his fingers, hot and insistent, only amplified the searing heat that was starting to pool low beneath the pit of her stomach. Head lolled back, Shizuku shifted impatiently beneath his touch and murmured a string of breathless French at her ceiling. And, as soon as the words fell from her tongue, they had the desired effect, Haru's movements turning to something hungry and raw.

When he had her nearly coming undone, coaxing gasps and moans from her lips, Haru slipped one hand behind her head to pull it back forward again. Eyes fluttering, Shizuku watched as Haru's face came back into her line of sight, lips reddened and eyes darkened with desire. His lips met hers again in a burst of heat and Shizuku was all too happy to reciprocate his passion. Taking advantage when his lips parted, Shizuku grew bolder, her tongue darting past to deepen the kiss.

A low, wanting noise rumbled deep in Haru's chest, the sound making Shizuku shiver. She licked at his bottom lip and Haru pressed closer, his knee sliding up between her legs until it was pressed tightly against the inside of her thighs. Tugging Haru down so that his weight was balanced mostly on the chair, Shizuku shifted forward until she was straddling his leg between hers. Reflexively trying to the ease the ache there, settled deep between her legs, Shizuku rolled her hips forward and pressed down, trying to navigate her weight into the perfect spot. A heavy flush spreading across her cheeks, Shizuku realized what she had been doing when Haru groaned against her mouth, fingers digging lightly into the spaces between her ribs in an attempt to keep his restraint. Heat flared and rushed through her body, her blush spreading down across her chest.

Heart stammering, Shizuku's chest felt tight and it suddenly seemed like her lungs just couldn't get enough oxygen. Chest expanding against Haru's tightened grip with every breath, Shizuku tried to quell the nervousness that started to rush out through her. She pressed her eyes closed and focused on the feel of Haru's lips against hers, warm and insistent.

"You're alright, Shizuku." Haru murmured the words against her mouth, feeling the way she stiffened and stilled. He could practically feel he heat radiating from her cheeks too, the embarrassment burning on her skin. Whenever she worked up the nerve to be bolder, it was nearly always followed by a heavy rush of ashamed anxiety. And, while he appreciated her reluctance to do anything she wasn't completely comfortable with, he knew she had the habit of getting in her own way and stopping herself from doing the things she wanted.

Taking in his words, Shizuku gave a short nod before she captured his lips again, her movements a bit slower and more tentative this time. Taking the new pace in stride, Haru loosened his grip on Shizuku's sides and let his hands fall to cradle her hips. And when she seemed more comfortable again, he shifted her weight onto him a bit more, the curves of her chest pressed against his. Once he was satisfied that he was supporting her, Haru quickly picked her up and backed a few paces until the back of his knees hit Shizuku's bed. The bed a bit closer than he realized, Haru stumbled and fell backwards into the blankets, dragging Shizuku down with him.

Pain shot through Shizuku's jaw when it collided with Haru's collarbone and his rough groan assured Shizuku it hadn't felt good on either end. Blinking and trying to reorient herself a bit, Shizuku pushed herself up until she was sitting, still straddling Haru's lap. Gingerly reaching up to touch the sore spot on the bottom of her jaw, Shizuku winced and forced a low whimper back down her throat. Haru was rubbing at his collarbone too, the smoldering desire in his eyes diminishing.

"You okay?" Haru asked after a moment, his concerned gaze drifting up to meet hers.

"More or less," Shizuku replied with a resigned sigh. Lowering herself back down onto Haru's chest, carefully this time, Shizuku nestled her head beneath his chin. Settling the still frantic beat of her heart some, Shizuku let out a long, sweeping breath, Haru's hand coming to rest against he back of her head.

As much as she would have liked to continue, passion and desire still mingling with the adrenaline in her veins, the moment was gone. Though, Shizuku figured it didn't matter much. There would be more moments, and laying with Haru, curled against his chest, was certainly nice too. Besides, she didn't feel too much like making out anymore with the way her jaw was already starting to ache.

"Next time," Haru sighed, his chest rising and falling gently.

While Shizuku wasn't exactly sure what he meant, she rarely was when it came to Haru, the statement resonated. It was a promise of more to come, that things would get easier. "La prochaine fois," Shizuku mirrored, switching to French with a sly grin.

At her words, Haru dropped a kiss into her hair, the warmth spreading all the way down to Shizuku's toes. Affection bloomed in her chest and she let her eyes flutter contentedly closed. Next time, she would be brave enough to make Haru feel just as happy as she did right now.