Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Strawberries ❯ Bud ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Lemon Content Warning: This fic contains graphic depictions of sex. Reader discretion is advised.

“*” Spoken
`*' Thoughts

Feedback is welcome at hawker_748@hotmail.com

Love Hina:


Wild Strawberries.


Chapter Three: Bud


“Unnh! Uhhh! Ahhhh!” Keitaro's back arched as he felt Chiharu's pussy clamp down on his prick, its slick walls squeezing him tightly. He felt himself fire a volley of his hot seed into her hot, wet passage. Chiharu's fingers gripped his shoulders so tightly he'd discover that he was bruised later, her head thrown back and a cry of escaping her lips as she climaxed, her entire body trembling in ecstasy.

Chiharu went rigid for a moment before she slumped forward, her lips finding Keitaro's and kissing him hungrily, her black and silver hair cascading over his head like a silk blanket. Keitaro ran his hands over her back, her sweat collecting on his fingers, and held her tight against him, breaking off the kiss only so he could try and get his wind back. Chiharu laid her head next to his, absently brushing her hair off of him, her warm breath washing against his neck as she placed soft kisses there.

Where there had been a rising cacophony of pants, gasps, and cries, there was now only labored breathing as the lovers tried to get their strength back and savored the quiet and intimacy of the moment. Chiharu lifted her head up, gently kissed Keitaro on the lips and smiled down at him as he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. They stayed that way for some time, their labored breathing returning to normal, until Keitaro shattered the silence.

“…I love you…”

Chiharu froze at the gentle whisper, a wince twisting her regal features as she pushed herself off of Keitaro and sat facing away from him, absently using a bed sheet to cover herself. “You shouldn't be saying stupid things like that Keitaro,” she muttered darkly.

“Why not?” Keitaro murmured. “It's true…”

“Do you even know what that means?”

Keitaro thought back to the last time he'd said those words, a hospital bedside confession. That had been a desperate attempt to keep Naru, but it wasn't what he felt when he'd given voice to a feeling he'd had for some time. “It's how I feel about you…”

Chiharu covered her face with her right hand and shook her head. “Keitaro, what happens when we're together? We have sex,” she finished before Keitaro could reply. “It's what we do, that's ALL we do. You think that's love?”

“It feels like it to me,” Keitaro replied, sounding hurt.

Chiharu's expression softened as she turned to face Keitaro. “Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, and how you make me feel, but this isn't love, it's just lust. I like you, and I feel affectionate towards you, but you've mistaken that for something more.”

“I-I guess that's possible,” Keitaro murmured, sitting up and moving closer to Chiharu. “But I feel so strong about it…”

“Hormones can be powerful Keitaro, and confusing. Trust me, I was your age once.”

“How do you tell the difference?”

“You'll just know Keitaro,” Chiharu told him. “You'll just know.” She let out a sigh and continued. “And even if you did love me, in theory, I'm hardly who you should be falling for anyway.”

“I don't care about your age-”

“My age?” Chiharu interrupted. “Keitaro, we've been seeing each other for over six months, right? Have you forgotten I'm married? And I do love my husband, despite what I've done.”

Keitaro lowered his head and his shoulders slumped in disappointment. “I know.”

Chiharu gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. “You'll figure it out soon enough. You'll find a girl your age and fall head over heels for her, and you'll forget all about this old woman.”

Keitaro looked into Chiharu's eyes. “I'll never forget you.”

“And I'll never forget about you either,” Chiharu replied. “But you'll move on. So let's just enjoy what we have for now. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Chiharu's eyes sparkled as she kissed him. “Good. Let's get cleaned up. Lemme use the bathroom first, then you can join me in the shower. Will you wash my back again?”

“Yes ma'am!” Keitaro answered with a smile.

“See you in a bit.” Chiharu slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

Keitaro's smile disappeared when the door closed. He laid back and stared at the ceiling, letting out a sigh. And while he made his way to the shower when Chiharu called him, and his spirits, among other things, rose when he got there, he'd still felt a touch of emptiness as he'd thought about what she'd said.

XXX

“Naru, there's someone at the door for you.”

“I'm expecting her, Shinobu,” Naru called out from the kitchen. “Let her in, I'll be right there.”

“Umm, hello. Welcome to Hinata House,” Shinobu bowed politely.

“Hi there, you must be Shinobu,” the girl replied. “Naru told me about you. My name's Yuna.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting Yuna,” Naru apologized as she made her way out of the kitchen carrying a tray. “It took longer to get the snacks ready than I expected.”

“Who's she?” Kitsune asked, looking in from the living room.

“She's a friend of mine from school, we're in a few classes together, so I figured she could study with Keitaro and I,” Naru explained.

“A study partner?” Kitsune speculated as she gave Yuna an appraising once over. She was a looker, plain and simple; ash blonde hair that reached all the way to her ass, brilliant blue eyes, and a body that men would have referred to as `tasty.' Yuna was dressed, barely, in a white halter stop and short shorts that Kitsune would have said looked like a hooker would wear, except she had a similar outfit in her own closet. The outfit was designed to scream `Come and get me!' to any male with a pulse, and Kitsune actually felt a little intimidated by the brazen display. `She's got the body for it though,' she decided. “Naru, is there anything wrong with the air conditioner in your room?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is your room feeling a little warm?”

“Nothing like that,” Naru replied, hitting Kitsune with a `knock it off' look. “We're going to be studying together for a while, we'll be done by dinnertime. Follow me Yuna.” She walked up the stairs, closely followed by the new arrival.

Shinobu and Kitsune watched the two of them make their way upstairs before the little chef turned to the older girl. “Kitsune? Who's that girl? What's Naru doing?”

Kitsune felt her eyes narrow. “You'll find out when I do…”

XXX

“Okay Naru, what the hell's going on?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she replied evenly, not even looking up as she refilled the air-pot with water.

“Bullshit!” Kitsune countered. “You bring that strange girl over, dressed like, like…”

“Like you?” Naru asked innocently.

“Like she's allergic to fabric,” Kitsune shot back. “And you're just leaving her alone with Keitaro? What the hell's gotten into you?”

“Nothing Kitsune,” Naru replied coolly, replacing the top of the thermal carafe. “If you'll excuse me, I have to get back up.”

“What were you thinking? Bringing that sex bomb here, letting Keitaro spend time with her.”

Naru shrugged. “Yuna wanted to meet him, and I figured she might make a good match. She did go a little overboard trying to impress him though…”

“You don't care if Sempai and her get along?” Shinobu pressed.

“Why should I?”

A silence hung over the kitchen before Motoko spoke up for the first time. “Aren't you and Keitaro seeing each other?”

“No, not really,” Naru admitted. “We aren't even dating.”

“But-but you're always together,” Kitsune pointed out.

“We're good friends, and studying together, that's all.”

“Just friends?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yeah, it is!” Kitsune retorted. “You've been crazy about each other for years!”

“We were,” Naru acknowledged. “But we never really worked it out, and we just sorta got into the whole `friends' zone a while back.”

“Both of you?”

“Yeah, both of us. It was a bit of a surprise,” Naru confessed, “but when we went out for coffee or anything, there wasn't any tension between us. Keitaro spent more time looking at his books than at me when we studied. And to be honest, I think it's better this way…”

“He said he loved you.”

“He did, but I guess he gave up on that,” Naru decided. “Even when I tried to take a little step he didn't seem interested. And I'm happier to have him as a friend than a suitor. It's easier this way.” For a second, a flash of sadness passed over Naru's face, but it disappeared so quickly anyone who saw it would have believed they'd just imagined it.

“You-you've given up on him?” Motoko murmured.

“'Given up' sounds so… depressing,” Naru declared. “We just both realized it wasn't meant to be.”

“So now you're introducing him to strangers?” Kitsune accused. “Matching him up to anyone who asks?”

“Kitsune, are you upset because I introduced Keitaro to Yuna?” Naru asked. “Or because I didn't hand him off to you?” Picking up the pot, Naru made her way out of the kitchen, leaving the remaining girls to contemplate what they'd learned.

XXX

“Keitaro,” Chiharu murmured softly as she leaned against him with her head on his shoulder. “It's been too long…”

“I know,” he whispered in Chiharu's ear. “But, I said I was going off to spend a night visiting a buddy of mine. We've got all night…” Keitaro pulled back and gently lifted her chin with his right hand, lowering his lips to hers. The kiss started out gentle, quickly growing more intense as they both opened their mouths and let their tongue rub up against the others. Keitaro then slid his hand down Chiharu's back, easing it under her blouse and using his fingers to tickle the gentle curve.

Chiharu hummed contentedly as Keitaro carefully explored with his fingertips, breaking off the kiss and moving her lips to the side of his neck, kissing and licking the exposed skin. “You really don't have to go back?” she breathed softly.

“Even managers get the occasional night off,” he murmured in her ear, taking a moment to suckle Chiharu's right earlobe. “I wouldn't miss this for anything.”

“Me neither.” Chiharu moaned when Keitaro gently placed his hand on her blouse, carefully squeezing her right breast through her clothes, her nipple swelling from the attention. She reached down and rested her hand on the bulge in front of Keitaro's pants, caressing the growing erection lovingly. “S-shouldn't we move to the bed?” she panted as Keitaro tenderly pinched her erect nipple through her clothes.

“We really need to?”

“No…” Chiharu moved back to allow Keitaro to unbutton her blouse, his fingers fumbling with the fasteners as he used his left hand, unwilling to cease fondling her even for a moment. She reached down and undid his belt and button, easing down his zipper and allowing his pants to slide down his legs, Keitaro taking a second to step out of them. When he'd succeeded in finally undoing her blouse Chiharu let it whisper off of her shoulders and down her arms, deftly opening the front clasp of her bra.

“Ohhh!”

Chiharu let out a cry when Keitaro instantly lowered his head and began to suckle her left breast, greedily sucking on the now hardened nub of flesh, swirling his tongue around the stiffened peak. She ran her fingers through his short hair, her eyes closed as Keitaro continued to plant kisses all around her nipple, occasionally dragging his tongue over the warm skin. Reaching down Chiharu took hold of the collar of Keitaro's t-shirt and with a sharp pull ripped the garment in two, exposing his back to view.

Keitaro froze for a second, surprised at the sudden destruction of his clothes, before a wicked grin returned to his face. `Glad I brought a change of shirt,' was the only thought Keitaro spared before he eased Chiharu up against the wall, kissing her hungrily as he held himself as tight against her as he could. After a minute Chiharu broke the kiss and pushed him back, unceremoniously yanking the ruined shirt off him, then lowering her head and trilling his right nipple with her tongue, coating it with her saliva before she sucked it between her lips. She then slid her hands into his boxer shorts, which were already stained with his pre-cum, and gave the rampant prick a gentle squeeze before she slowly ran her hand along its length.

Letting out a deep groan Keitaro used his left hand to push down the waistband of his underwear, finally managing to get them to drop down his legs, stepping out of the garment without conscious thought, pushing his hips forward in time with Chiharu's stroking.

And then a shrill, strident beeping erupted from Keitaro's hung up jacket.

They both looked over in surprise before their eyes met. “You left your phone on?” Chiharu accused.

“Y-yes,” Keitaro admitted. “But-but only the residents have the number. They wouldn't call unless it was urgent…” Keitaro held his hands up, making a placating gesture.

“More urgent than me?”

Keitaro flinched. “I-I'm sorry, I'll be fast.” Swearing under his breath, Keitaro pulled the offending device out of his jacket pocket, scowling at the phone before he took a deep breath to try to calm down. Turning to face Chiharu, silently mouthing another apology, and letting his eyes roam briefly over her naked breasts, Keitaro answered the call. `This had better be important…' “Hello?”

“Ah, sorry Keitaro, did we catch you at a bad time?”

The landlord went ashen. “M-Motoko?!” he yelped before he could stop himself.

“Keitaro? Is something wrong?”

Struggling to stay calm Keitaro glanced at Chiharu, noticing that she was watching him closely. “N-nothing's wrong Motoko, I-I just didn't think you'd call…”

“I'm sorry Keitaro, but there's a problem…”

“What's wrong? Is someone sick?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

“No, but we had a pipe burst.”

“A broken pipe? That's it?”

“We turned off the water,” Motoko continued, “but none of us can fix it.”

Keitaro let out a breath. “That's no big deal Motoko,” Keitaro explained, feeling relieved. “I've got a plumber listed in my guide book, just call him and he'll fix it.” Out of the corner of his eye, Keitaro saw Chiharu approaching him.

“That's it?”

“That's all I'd do,” Keitaro explained. “Just tell him where you're calling from and he'll take care-Urk!”

“Keitaro?”

Biting his lower lip to keep from crying out, Keitaro gave Chiharu a stricken look as she continued to stroke his arrogant hard on. He looked her in the eyes and mouthed, “are you crazy?!”

“Keitaro? Are you still there?”

“S-sorry Motoko, I-I just dropped the phone…” Keitaro tried to pull away, but his back was against the wall, trapped as Chiharu lowered her head and trilled her tongue on his left nipple.

“You should be more careful,” Motoko admonished him, not knowing that Keitaro barely heard her, struggling to keep silent as her mother jacked him off.

“I-I'll try,” Keitaro squeaked, astonished by how excited he was at the danger of the circumstances, and hoping that Motoko couldn't hear the wet, slick sounds as Chiharu stroked his cock.

“So all we have to do is call the plumber?”

“Yes, that's all, he'll answer anytime, just give him a-HREEK!”

“Keitaro?”

Keitaro was standing on his tip toes, his ass cheeks clenched tightly as Chiharu's finger gently probed around his asshole. “S-stubbed my toe!” he rasped.

There was silence on the other end and then a long sigh. “You're such a klutz, Keitaro…”

Keitaro couldn't respond, watching in fascinated silence as Chiharu took hold of his free hand and forced it into her panties. The fabric was damp against the back of his hand and she was so wet she was practically dripping. For a few seconds he did nothing, before giving in to the unspoken request and slid a finger into her tight, wet pussy. “J-just call the plumber, h-he'll handle everything,” Keitaro explained hoarsely.

“I understand. Sorry to have bothered you Keitaro.”

Keitaro barely heard her, entranced as Chiharu lifted her left leg, putting her heel on her right knee, opening her legs wider. He eased in a second finger and began to pump the both of them into her in a slow, steady rhythm. “It's okay,” he murmured, watching Chiharu's face twist in pleasure.

“You'll be back tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure,” Keitaro replied absently, clenching his teeth when Chiharu leaned forward and bit him on the shoulder, continuing to stroke his raging prick.

“Do-do you have any plans for tomorrow night…?” Motoko asked softly after a pause.

Keitaro bit down a cry that almost escaped his lips. “I-I'm sorry, what was that?”

“…never mind Keitaro. Never mind. See you tomorrow.”

“See you.” When Motoko ended the call Keitaro turned off his phone, dropped it onto his discarded pants and after pulling his fingers out of Chiharu, took hold of her shoulders and pushed her against the wall, spinning her as he did, pressing her left cheek against the painted drywall.

“Keitaro?”

Ignoring the question Keitaro grabbed the waistband of Chiharu's panties and brusquely yanked them down her legs. Grabbing her right leg under the knee he lifted it up, using his left hand to position the tip of his cock against her engorged lips and without hesitation shoved his entire length into her soaking passage.

“Uhhh!”

With her right cheek pressed against the cool wall, Chiharu could only see Keitaro out of the corner of her eye, her view further obscured by her hair as he began to relentlessly ram his iron hard cock deep into her. He supported her right leg with his right hand, his left arm snaked around her so he was cupping her left breast, squeezing the mound as he thrust into her. Chiharu could feel her inner walls being repeatedly stretched and released as Keitaro's prick moved in and out of her.

“Hunh! Hunhh! Hrahhh!”

Chiharu could feel Keitaro's harsh pants against her shoulder as he leaned forward and took her earlobe between his lips and sucked eagerly on the soft flesh. She hissed when Keitaro pinched her sensitive nipple, rolling the stiff peak between his fingers, his warm breath washing over her ears. The frantic thrusting was rushing her towards her peak with maddening quickness, every time Keitaro's cock pushed into her it amplified the waves of pleasure that threatened to overcome her. “K-Keitaro,” she gasped, trying to get in a word between her own cries. “T-this is -Ahhh!- t-too much… I -Ohhh!- can't stand this, I-I'll -Ahhh! g-go crazy… Mmmm!”

Keitaro put an end to Chiharu's words by leaning forward and crushing his lips against hers, his tongue forcing its way between her lips as he shoved his member into her sopping wet hole. The kiss muffled their cries as they continued to writhe against each other, sweat coating their bodies, making it a little difficult for Keitaro to keep his hold on Chiharu's leg. Breaking the kiss Keitaro rested his chin on her shoulder, his half lidded eyes not really seeing as he let himself give in to his atavistic impulses.

Chiharu tried to keep her sweat soaked right arm from sliding along the wall as she reached behind with her left and grabbed Keitaro's ass, desperately trying to pull him against her tighter. Through a haze of ecstasy she felt Keitaro's left hand slip across her chest as he brought his hand to her face, placing one of his two largest fingers into her mouth, and she instantly started sucking on it. `This-this is the finger he had in me,' Chiharu dimly realized, most of her consciousness too occupied for coherent thought. “It's too good -Unnh! -can't take much - Hahh! -m-more…” she panted around his digit as Keitaro continued to fuck her mercilessly. He eased the finger out from between her lips and slipped the second one between his own.

Chiharu let out another gasp as she felt her leg buckle, but Keitaro continued to hold her up, supporting her weight in his arms and on his cock. Now completely unable to move Chiharu could do nothing but cry out louder as Keitaro pushed himself into her even faster, his firm flesh rubbing up against her slick walls, even as she kept gripping at him. She could feel sweat beading up on her forehead and dribbling down her chest between her breasts, the scent of her own musk strong in her nose as her pores opened up.

“Unnh! Unnhh! Hrahh!”

Chiharu could hear Keitaro crying out in time with his thrusts, frantically and irresistibly pushing her towards orgasm. She wanted a moment, a second, an instant to pause, shake her head, try to clear her mind, but Keitaro wouldn't allow it, overwhelming her higher consciousness and thoughts with base desire.

“K-Keitaro, p-please… Ahhh! Let me go…Ohhh! I can't stand it… Haaah!” An unbridled scream was ripped from her throat as she came, all the tension letting go in an instant. Her fingers and toes curled while the rest of her body went rigid, her own scream sounding louder than thunder in her ears. Even as she started to shudder uncontrollably Keitaro continued to force his prick deep inside her, the swollen head brushing up against nerves that were already overloaded, and Chiharu felt herself fall into a second orgasm even as she trembled from the first. A second scream was torn from her already raw throat, and her pussy latched onto Keitaro's cock and squeezed reflexively, as if determined to not let go.

With a stentorian bellow Keitaro went as hard as steel, his cock pushing even deeper into Chiharu before he fired off a volley of his seed, followed by three additional bursts. The molten fire launched into her pushed Chiharu over the edge a third time, and through a grey haze she realized that she and Keitaro were both screaming, their bodies held together tightly. They both shuddered heavily, panting harshly, Chiharu sobbing openly as they desperately tried to catch their breath, and she went limp, Keitaro slumping forward, but still holding her as his head rested on the wall.

As Chiharu tried to regain her senses, and swearing she could hear someone clapping on the other side of the wall, she felt Keitaro's lips on her cheek and she turned to kiss him. Their kiss was slow, languid, and very passionate, and although Chiharu was surprised when Keitaro stepped away from the wall, he didn't set her down, and they didn't break the kiss until he'd reached the bed, carefully sitting on the edge and laying back, allowing her to lean back with him. His deflating prick slipped out of her and a mixture of his seed and her lube dribbled out, coating both their thighs. Moving away from the growing wet spot, Keitaro went to the center of the bed, slipping under the covers, Chiharu joining him moments later as she rested her head on his chest and embraced him.

Silence reigned for nearly ten minutes, both of their breathing returning to normal and savoring the intimacy, before Chiharu finally spoke. “Are-are you upset Keitaro?” she asked timidly.

“Why do you ask?”

“I didn't leave you alone,” she replied with a blush. “When you were trying to talk to Motoko.”

“Why do you think I'm mad?”

“It seemed like you wanted me to wait, and you were… intense, afterward.”

Now Keitaro blushed. “I wasn't angry,” he assured her. “I-I think I was…” Keitaro trailed off into an unintelligible mumble.

“What?” Chiharu pressed after a moment.

“…turned on…” Keitaro was now beet-red, and he couldn't meet Chiharu's eyes.

Chiharu's eyes widened briefly before a contemplative look fell over her. After a long silence, during which Keitaro felt himself start to sweat for an entirely different reason, she turned his face to make him look at her. “You know what I think?”

“N-no…”

“I think I should make you call Motoko back. That was incredible…”

“Really?”

“Did n't you hear the screams? I think everyone else did…”

Keitaro blinked again, completely at a loss for words. Fortunately for him, Chiharu didn't need any as she kissed him again, humming contentedly as he ran his fingers through her hair. Keitaro could feel himself getting drowsy when Chiharu took hold of his lip tool and gave it a squeeze; to his astonishment he felt it twitch in response to her light touch. “Aren't you tired?” he asked when she broke the kiss.

“Didn't you say we've got all night?”

“Well, yes…”

"Then we'll sleep late." Chiharu then pressed her lips against Keitaro's, continuing to stroke his hardening prick. He unhesitatingly began to explore her sweat slicked back with his fingers, his right hand reaching down to squeeze and caress her buttocks, teasing her asshole with his finger, making her squirm as she tried to avoid the intruder. Breaking the kiss Chiharu slid upwards, forcing her breasts into his face and he greedily took her left nipple between his lips and sucked on it deeply.

Licking the sweat coating Chiharu's nipple, Keitaro ceased probing at her ass, not wanting to press things too far. 'She didn't actually shove a finger in either,' he reminded himself. Eagerly running his tongue over her overheated skin, Keitaro moved from Chiharu's left breast to her right, occasionally planting kisses as he went. Her silver streaked hair was draped over his face, damp from her perspiration, and he loved how it was splayed over him.

When Keitaro's cock reached full hardness Chiharu gave him a quick kiss on the lips before she pushed herself back up, turned her back to Keitaro and straddled him. His erection brushed up against her thigh as she positioned herself over it, took hold of it in her hand and sank down onto it, her warm, slick pussy easily letting his cock slip inside. Taking a moment when she fully enveloped Keitaro's hardness, she leaned back and supported herself on her hands before lifting almost all the way up and thrusting back down.

"Unnh!"

Keitaro reached down and grabbed Chiharu's hips, forcing his own hips up as she frantically began to ride up and down his entire length. It felt like his cock was on the grip of a warm, oiled glove as it easily slid into Chiharu, the warm walls causing incredible friction, sparks shooting up his entire spine. He could only see her black and silver hair cascading down her back, but her face was reflected in the mirror over the bed and he managed to lock eyes with her.

"Oh God!" Chiharu paused for a second after thrusting down onto him and moved her hips from side to side and Keitaro felt like his mind was going to short circuit. Just as he felt he couldn't take another second, she lifted back up and resumed her rhythm, further prolonging the exquisite torture for Keitaro. He could hear himself crying out hoarsely, drowning out Chiharu's pants and gasps, and they only got louder when she once again writhed from side to side when she bottomed out.

Chiharu felt Keitaro's fingers gripping her hips so tightly she idly wondered if he'd leave bruises. His cock was stretching her and every move either of them made sent tingles up already oversensitive nerve endings. Looking up into the mirror she met Keitaro's gaze as she resumed moving up and down his pillar of flesh, watching him grimace as he desperately tried to hold himself off. "C-cum in me again... please..." she gasped between her cries.

She felt Keitaro go stiff, his back arching as he thrust himself up so hard his butt left the bed. He cried out at the same time she felt silken heat flood into her, mixing with what he'd left in her earlier. The rush of warmth pushed her over the edge, feeling like she'd been filled with his essence. 'So much...' was the only thought that she managed to have before she came once again, crying out and falling backward against Keitaro, his prick slipping out of her, a final jet of his seed landing on her stomach.

The two lovers shuddered against each other for a few minutes, trembling as the struggled to regain control of their bodies. Chiharu barely remembered rolling off of Keitaro before slipping back into his arms. She did recall listening to his breathing for a moment as he brought the blankets up to cover them both before she fell asleep, completely exhausted.

Although she and Keitaro woke up late the next morning and made love again before getting out of bed, and once more in the shower before going their separate ways, she never did hear him murmur "I love you," to her just before he too fell asleep.

End of Part Three

Author's Notes: None, except this was pre-read by Rx7.

All errors are mine, not his.