When Takumi showed up to get her that afternoon, Eri stepped back, looked into his eyes and admitted miserably, "Takumi, I don't know what to do."
"About what? What's wrong?" he asked rather anxiously. He'd thought that they'd taken another step forward the night before, but Eri was keeping a definite space between them.
"I want to sleep with you every night, but I feel like it's wrong to move in with you suddenly," she complained uncomfortably.
He looked at her a little incredulously, looked at the space between them, and then stepped forward. Eri not only didn't move away, she shyly reached out to him, and he let out a sigh of relief and hugged her happily.
"I want to sleep with you every night too," he informed her with amusement. "And why is that wrong?"
She pushed away enough to look up at him anxiously, and said, "Because it will only have been two weeks tomorrow?"
"Mmm," he agreed. His eyes narrowed and his cheeks rose with a repressed grin as he added, "We should celebrate." She gave him a blank stare, and his smile escaped his control, as he explained, "Lots of people celebrate two weeks, then a month, then two months, and so on?"
"Oh," Eri said as a blush washed across her cheeks. "I did tell you I've barely dated."
"Yes," Takumi agreed lightly, but his smile faded. "Eri… Gods. I don't know what to do, if you tell me you want to sleep with me every night can I ask you again or not?"
"Ask me?" she asked.
"Please move in with me? I really, really want you to," he said quickly.
"Oh," she replied.
He gave her an uncertain smile.
She blushed again and complained, "I guess I should, since it is silly to make you stay here so that I'm not spending every night at your place."
Takumi pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I wish you sounded more enthusiastic, but I'll take it! Thank you. I'm so freaking happy right now!" He kissed her again.
"What will we do with my stuff?" Eri asked after a little while.
"Let's go apartment hunting? You can just bring what you need for now, and then we can get a bigger place and bring the rest?" he suggested.
"Okay," she agreed dubiously.
Miyuki laughed as she came up behind them, and said cheerfully, "Congratulations Takeshi-kun, now can you two give up the doorway?"
They both blushed this time as they moved aside.
Miyuki told her daughter authoritatively, "You and Takumi-kun should both come to family night."
"Family night?" Takumi enquired curiously.
Eri's blush deepened as she explained, "At my grandparent's place once a month. Everyone who can make it comes to dinner."
Miyuki pouted and told them, "Yuki already said they won't make it to this one, but at least they came to visit last weekend."
Eri asked Takumi shyly, "Would you mind going? I think my grandparent's are pretty cool. My grandma is a manga artist, and my grandfather is retired now. But it gets crowded sometimes when very many of my aunts and uncles bring their kids."
Takumi grinned at her. "Sure, I don't mind being included in your family."
Miyuki winked at him as her daughter hid her face.
--
Takumi helped Eri pack enough to get by for a week, and then carried her off triumphantly. She laughed as he had to make her mount and dismount from the bike three times, in order to get her bag strapped on in a way that neither covered any of his signal lights or her seat.
Once they had unpacked the bag into his apartment, they ordered delivery instead of going out, and Eri told him ruefully, "I should start cooking when you don't feel like cooking so that we don't spend so much."
Takumi set down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Okay, that's it. Let's talk about money."
Eri gazed at him with a surprised expression. Hesitantly she set down her food and agreed, "Um, okay?"
Takumi backtracked and started with an apology, "Sorry. It's just… I would love it if you feel like cooking, but you don't have to. And you don't have to work until you're too pregnant to work either." He ran his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture, and then continued, "I may not make enough to support you and the baby and keep going on six weeks of exotic vacations every year… But I think I probably make enough that I can take care of you and take you somewhere fun for a couple of weeks every year."
"Takumi…" Eri almost whispered as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"If there's anything you need, tell me." He added with embarrassment, "And going out on dates and eating out is stuff that I've already been doing so it's not extra." He looked at her a little anxiously.
After a moment she pointed out, "But if we're going to get a bigger place it will be more expensive than this?"
He looked around and then grinned. "Not necessarily. This place isn't cheap." He told her the amount his rent was currently, and her eyes widened again as he asked, "Do you have any idea what kind of place you'd like to get?"
Eri silently shook her head and Takumi picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating. After a moment she followed suit, and took another bite.
After a little bit, Takumi suggested, "Let's start looking Saturday morning?"
"Okay," she agreed.
--
In the morning when Eri woke up she felt really tired again. But she turned in his arms to see if he was awake, and after a moment Takumi opened his eyes and whispered, "Gods. I love mornings with you Eri."
He kissed her enthusiastically, and warmth and pleasure temporarily washed away her fatigue.
Later, when they were getting ready to leave for the day, Takumi told her, "I meant it about celebrating today. Is there anything you'd like to do? Anything I can buy you?"
Eri shrugged, and when he looked disappointed she apologized, "I'm sorry, I don't know. What kinds of things do people usually do?"
Takumi blinked and then admitted a little reluctantly, "Well, I've usually gotten my girlfriends some bit of jewelry and flowers for anniversaries?"
Eri didn't focus on the mention of his previous girlfriends, instead she told him shyly, "I really liked the roses you got before. I do like flowers."
He hugged her against him and kissed her, before telling her gently, "Okay, I'll get you something."
--
When they were arranging themselves on his bike Takumi exclaimed suddenly, "I should get you your own key! What are you going to do after class? Do you want my key?"
Eri looked at him in surprise and asked, "Should we bother getting me a key if we're going to move out? I can do my homework in the library until you're done with work. Although if Chisa didn't have club things again I'd hang out with her instead, because she just broke up with her latest boyfriend I think. We haven't really talked about it."
"Oh." He looked a little startled as he offered hesitantly, "I'm sorry. Do you need to spend some time with her in the evening when she's done?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. She's been acting kind of weird lately, crying in one class, and then totally happy in the next. But she seemed really happy all day yesterday. Can I let you know later?"
"Alright," he agreed. He checked her position and then set off sedately into the traffic.
Eri couldn't help smiling as she leaned against his back.