shesgotguts | voicemail;

I'm conceited, but not that conceited, Milly.

No, people I remember from back home.
_{[ that sounds sort of weird. hang on: ]}

Did I ever tell you about -- _{[ hmm ]} my colony back home?

No? If I could paint, I'd paint myself, and then hang that above the fireplace.

[if only to annoy her husband...

the mention of a "colony" is so much weirder than just "people from back home", but she rolls with it (as, turns out, she's from a colony too), shutting off the water and facing him to give him all her attention. whatever this colony business is, it should be interesting.]

No, you didn't. I didn't know you were from an empire too...

_{[ Aikuro laughs, then he heads over from the door frame to join by her side. ]}

Not like that-- it was a nudist colony. Something like that.
I remember what everybody looked like, but we did more than just live our lives. We had a lot of purpose.

Oh! [that's... very different from the areas. but she should've expected that! aikuro is absolutely on the odd side-- why wouldn't his colony be odd too?]

Your nudist colony had a purpose? [were they a touring troupe of burlesque performers or something?] Do tell.

Maaaaybe I'll tell you a little more about it. But I just thought I should mention that I was the leader of it.
I'm sure that sheds a little light on some of my oddities.

Being without clothes-- it does mean a lot to me. I don't think people understand it, but they shouldn't need to. They should just accept it.
_{[ what a weird statement.
Though, he leans over, in her space to take a good gander at what she is doing. ]}

You're expecting me to eat vegetables, are you?

[he's so weird. but she supposes that's why she likes him so much. he doesn't try to be something special-- he just is. handsome, caring, and has the strangest aversion to clothes, but that's what makes him aikuro.

still, he's cagey as fuck, and she ends up rolling her eyes with a smile and turning away from him.]

I would've liked to know, but if ladies are entitled to their secrets, then maybe gentlemen are too.

[and it's back to work with her, not even flinching as he invades her personal bubble.] I am. I like them quite a bit, but if you don't, I'll change the recipe for you. It won't be too difficult.

_{[ Closer, closer he gets until he is leaning down a little so he can prop his chin on her shoulder. They're pretty close in height-- he's relatively about 4 inches taller. ]}

I prefer fruits over vegetables, but I imagine that would be odd in this recipe.
_{[ ... ]}

I'm not opposed to trying it.
_{[ ew. ]}

[whoa, whoa. what is he doing? what is he... she doesn't say anything about that, though, still working on preparing everything for the sauce, smiling a little brighter as she works.]

It would be a little odd in this one, but I have loads of others that are full of fruit. So don't worry, make it through this meal, and I'll make you something you'll absolutely love!

I see. It's just how I am-- I'm not opposed to trying all sorts of different things.
_{[ oh.. that is definitely an arm snaking around her waist now. ]}

What do you think, Milly? Are you that type of person too?
_{[ was he talking about food still... it's a mystery. But, his teal eyes are watching her fondly for a response. ]}

[oh. that's. unexpected... but in a good way. still, she's screaming on the inside. how aikuro makes her feel like a teenage girl again is terrifying, thrilling, and absolutely a mystery. she's blushing just a bit, but doesn't indicate her surprise in any other way.

instead, she leans back against his chest, and glances over to him with a smile.]

I am. I'll try anything once! I think it's fun to do new things, and see what you like and what you don't. And even if you don't like whatever it is, you've still got the experience, right?

I see. I think I feel the same way when it comes to many different things.
Mm-- so.

_{[ He pivots slightly so he is standing about halfway in front of her. ]}

Milly. How about we try something new together?
_{[ His other hand dips under her chin to lift it upward, thumb resting just under her lower lip. Aikuro's head dips down, though he just allows their noses to touch.
Not until she gives him the okay.

He speaks softly: ]}

What do you think?

[even though the faucet is still running, and she's got a vegetable in her hand, she's not paying attention to dinner anymore. (like she was paying attention to it five minutes ago...) but her brain has enough sense to suggest turning the water off, and put the zucchini away. so she does, and fixes her eyes on him, waiting for his next move. she has a hunch about what might happen next, but why jump to conclusions?

why ruin such a wonderful surprise?

she can't help but smile, her excitement getting the better of her, but it's a soft smile. too bright would ruin the moment, wouldn't it? it's a silly thought, but it's hard to think straight when he's so close, and touching her skin, and he's right there... her eyes flutter shut as their noses touch, and her hands rest on his shoulders, trying to make sense of his question. something new? how far is he willing to go in trying something like that with her? when she finds her voice, there's a hint of nervousness (how uncharacteristic of her) but she doesn't shy away.]

I don't know what "something new" really is, but whatever it happens to be, I'd like to try it with you.

Oh-- that's splendid, it really is. Let's not waste time, then.
_{[ Aikuro shifts-- he's a little closer and she probably felt his breath. He smelled pretty good all around, there were jut stray hints of cigarette smoke on him but other than that he smelled clean. He pulls back entirely, though, without doing anything, and passes to her a pretty smug expression. Aikuro puffs up his chest as his arms reach around behind his head to pull his hair tie out. His blue hair falls and he shakes his head a bit.

And then-- his hand is under her chin again so he can lean in, then pull her into a firm kiss. ]}

[milly is absolutely ready for a kiss (and much more than that, too) but when she tilts her head up a little more to meet him, he's not there. he's pulling away?! what the fuck. she doesn't say any of that, her face expressing it well enough as her eyes fly open to see that stupid sexy smirk of his, and his stupid sexy hair being shaken out in stupidest, sexiest way. but all of her confusion about him disappears when his lips are on hers.

she'd thought about this moment happening quite a bit-- it was a reoccurring daydream, though she never could figure out how it would really happen. this set-up was not what she expected, but brilliant nonetheless. her eyes shut once more as she grabs ahold of his shirt and pulls him closer, matching, and possibly exceeding, his firmness with her own. she can't help but be enthusiastic about him and his lips! how could she be anything else when dreams are coming true?]

_{[ Oh. He's pleased with such enthusiasm, really. It encourages him to part his lips for her and focus on giving attention to her upper lip. Aikuro sucks gently, both of his hands now reaching up to hold her tenderly on the face.

--what on Earth was he doing?

He was attracted to Milly, that was sure. He wasn't sure if he could ever sit down and call her his girlfriend.. or could he?
Ah, too many thoughts and insecurities. What he did know was he was attracted to her-- along with several other people.

Aikuro would have probably stopped kissing her right hen and there to question her about his actions, but she seems so into it already-- so he doesn't stop. His hands drop from her face so he can wrap both of his arms around her waist, pulling her body tight against his.

His head tips to the side to get a better angle. ]}

[the world could be ending around them, they could be on fire, her family could be watching, and milly wouldn't notice a damn thing. all she can think about is aikuro. his lips, his scent, his hands, him... she has questions for him, of course, but what do they matter when she's so close to him?

her hands slide up his chest, and her arms wrap around his neck, bringing him even closer (as if there's any space between them left to remove) and helping her deepen the kiss. for a brief moment, it occurs to her that she's a little bit rusty-- this is her first kiss in nearly a year, after all. perhaps what she lacks in skill for the moment she can make up for with pure passion. at the very least, she's receptive to everything he's doing, trying to match him as best as she can.]

_{[ Milly might be quiet, but Aikuro isn't. He never is, and he isn't embarrassed about it. A small sound vibrates in his chest and passes through his lips as he works them against Milly's. His palms run up and down her sides in a low motion, applying light pressure against her.

She also smelled very nice.

The very edge of his tongue flicks out to grace her lips, running over them briefly before he finally dips back, breaking off the contact their lips had.
He eases out a breath, then smiles. ]}

Something new-- see?

_{[ He didn't want a relationship right now-- so why was he complicating the idea? ]}

[everything about him, everything he's doing sends a rush through her, and she just can't get enough of him. her fingers tangle into his hair, and his little noise makes her more comfortable with being able to make her own, but before she ends up a moaning, needy mess in his arms, he pulls away from her. of course, she tries to follow, but she might need to catch her breath before round two.

for a moment, she doesn't move from her position-- her eyes remained closed, and her lips are parted. it's all to savour the moment. she just made out with aikuro mikisugi in her kitchen. if she could scream in joy, she would. but instead, she opens her eyes to look at him, absolutely beaming up at him.]

I do. And I certainly liked that enough to do it again. Did you?

[maybe this was a one time. deal. maybe he just wanted to see what it was like with her. she couldn't be too sure, but asking wouldn't hurt.]

_{[ Do it again? Well, he certainly can't say no to that. His hands lift to the collar of his t-shirt and he pulls his sunglasses off of them and he places them on the nearest counter. The next part is the jacket-- and that habit of wanting to just whip himself out of his clothing has been tamed since he's been scolded here in Holly Heights, but he could be more comfortable without one more layer.

He tugs his t-shirt back down once the jacket is off and puts it with his glasses. He approaches Milly again, looking down at her, and the tips of his fingers grace along the fullest part of her blonde hair.

What was it he wanted, anyway?

It's a passing thought-- and Milly can probably see he's contemplating something for a moment. It's quickly replaced by his typical half-smile.

He shouldn't have done this.
But he dips down again to catch her lips another time wordlessly. ]}

[there's a lot happening in such a short amount of time. clothes are coming off? is that a sign for something more? no, no. that's not possible. but the way he looks at her... it's like she's a question without an answer. her hand moves up to hair, to cover his hand with her own, to see if he pulls away from her entirely.

but he doesn't. in fact, he does the opposite, and she melts a little. when she said "again", she didn't mean immediately, but it wasn't like this was the wrong answer. this time, her lips don't crash against his. she's gentler, slower, and a bit more vocal. the first kiss was greedy, like she'd never get another chance to kiss him again, but this time, she doesn't have to worry about that. she can take her time with him, like she hopes he will with her.]

_{[ Clothes always come off with him. It's really nothing.
He puts attention on her lower lip this time, trying to ignore the nagging thoughts that press his mind. Please, don't think too much about this and just enjoy being close to her. That's what he wanted.

His hands survey lower until they reach the roundest parts of her hips, loosely holding her here, though his thumbs seem to press in against her skin deeper.
He sucks. Another sound passes over his throat, and although he's gentle this time, when he pulls away again, the ends of his teeth graze over her lip.

Aikuro sighs, allowing his forehead to rest against hers. His voice is soft. ]}

This is nice.
_{[ It wasn't a lie. He could feel his heart fluttering. ]}

[every bit of this moment is going to be engrained into her mind. every touch and spark... this is magical, and she doesn't want to forget a second of it. there was romance to it, something she'd been missing, and something she'd wanted to share with aikuro for so long.

that thought propels her to deepen their kiss, her hands reaching up for the sides of his face, pulling him just a bit closer to her. when they part, though, she whimpers softly, a bit of disappointment in it, moving her hands from his face to rest on his chest again, their foreheads together. it's a sweet gesture, and she sighs with a smile.]

This is wonderful...

[and while she doesn't say it, she thinks that perhaps it's so wonderful that she could stay like that, in that moment with him, forever.]

Yeah?

_{[ He wasn't sure if he expected that response— especially the whimpering. Damn it. That sort of anxious feeling like you're going down a rollercoaster— he was feeling that. However, his posture isn't faulting; the half smile on his lips doesn't fade. He completely has his cool. No problem whatsoever.

Aikuro tips his head, allowing their lips to brush together.. and he doesn't kiss her at all. Instead, he cranes his head around and delivers a chaste kiss along the slope her neck. It was going too fast-- he needed to pull back this very instant, but something was preventing him from doing that.

The sound of a belt jingling is heard and Aikuro jerks his arm to...
catch his pants from falling off. That's right. He wasn't taking them off, he was trying to put them back on.

He leaves Milly all together to hold his pants at his hips as he quickly buckles up his belt. How did that happen? He never unfastened his belt? That was one of his talents; slipping out of his clothes. It all had to do with the fan service of his series. Trust me. There isn't an explanation how he did this.
Aikuro steps back entirely to buckle himself back up and laughs. He sounds embarrassed. He never would sound embarrassed over this. In fact, he would usually let it be. It's only since he started thinking more about this place that maybe he ought to be a little more.. modest. His organization had fulfilled its purpose. There wasn't any reason to fear clothing or despise it anymore. ]}

Sorry—! That— well. That happens sometimes.

_{[ Miraculously losing his clothes. That is what he means. ]}

I mean, it just does. I've gotten really good at taking off my clothes.
_{[ WHAT EVEN DID THAT MEAN. ]}

[milly is absolutely thrilled, his delicate touches exciting her even more. his lips on her neck get her to giggle, and she feels so light, ready for anything--

including him taking off his pants. that's where this was going? well, she's not going to say no. in fact, she'll be the first to say HELL YES. she opens her eyes to see if she's done her damage well enough, but to her surprise, he's putting them back on. all that excitement on her face disappears and is replaced with a mixture of confusion and serious disappointment.

(when had his pants come off at all? why would he put them back on? what the hell was happening?!)

she stares at his belt for a moment, trying to understand just how he had managed to shift the mood so heavily so quickly. how could he be his own cockblock? when she looks up at him, she purses her lips, and tries so hard not to look like aikuro is the bartender and she's just been cut off for the night.]

It's fine.

[then, with a shrug.]

You really could have just left them off.

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