[Fiction] Lunchtime [MC - Mature Content]

[Sakurako Hino]

*The following may contain mature subject matter, reader discretion is advised.*

October 4th. A rainy day.

Not too much to notice though, but to Sakurako it's just enough to bring out some gear for inclimate weather. After her changes, she's always felt colder faster. She grabs a poncho and puts it over a black turtleneck sweater and long black skirt. The only bright colors on her are her yellow rain boots and the transparent pink poncho, with her ever present long pink hair.

She grabs a large white box-like carrier with a handle on top, then pulls up the hood on her poncho before heading out. Tightening the drawstrings to her hood, she heads over to her small car and starts winding her way through Tokyo traffic to an old friend.

Arriving at Long's place is no small feat, it takes time, and patience. Something Sakurako is notorious for not having. She has always been quite hyperactive. Strangely enough not today. Probably the cold autumn air sapping a bit of her usual exuberant energy.

She heads up the stairs to Long's residence, her package in tow. She's walked this path a few times before, with her occasional cleaning of Long's place while he was away. She remembers how the steps always dirty, no matter the effort put in to cleaning them. Amazing that the stairs are all that is left of the old residence. She looks up, and sees that there indeed have been changes.

She reaches the doormat to his home, and rings the doorbell.

"Long-kun! It's Saku-chan! Are you home?"

She feels a bit intimidated. his isn't the house she left. She knows bits and pieces of what happened, but not the whole story.

[Long]

Long rose from his chair in the living room and quickly made his way to the door. His form shifted into the more compact "human" form he'd grown accustomed to using and his Eufiber clothing adjusted to fit him in the form of black jeans and a soft grey T-shirt. Thin socks covered his feet as an afterthought. He opened the door and smiled. If there was someone he'dd wanted to catch up with and hadn't had the chance to, it was Sakurako Hino, the pink-haired Endeavor.

He opened the door and greeted her warmly. "Sakura-chan it's good to see you." It was uncharacteristic but he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. After all, they'd fought for each other, bled for each other, there was no harm in a show of affection.

There hadn't been alot of time to tell her what had happened why he'd been forced to leave Japan again. Perhaps today he could tell her the truth about what went on.

[Sakurako Hino]

At first, Sakurako feels warmly welcomed as she's brought inside, but Long's emotions start to show through. She returns the hug, tightly for a few moments, before releasing and stepping back.

"I... brought some lunch with me. I thought we could take some time to re-connect." She loosens up the hood of her poncho. "I haven't been talkative since I really started to get cracking with my company."

She pulls the hood of her poncho back. "To both my detriment and to my regret, it seems." Her pale, rubbery, yet beautiful skin glistens from the drizzle that had deposited on her face.

"It seems we both have been through changes."

[Long]

"A nice home-cooked meal I didn't prepare, it's been awhile." Long chuckles as he takes the Poncho and hangs it on one of the racks by the door. "You've been very busy lately it's understandable."

He nods to Sakurako and smiles. "My changes are generally at my discretion, I wear this form because most are intimidated by my natural form. Besides I happen to like looking somewhat like I used to."

"Come in and sit down, make yourself at home. The children are out with Saori right now so we have the house to ourselves.

[Sakurako Hino]

"If only my changes were as... mutable." She sets down the package, then stretches out, and it's noticable her joints can move further than normal. "Then again, I'd rather be flexible when needed."

She turns to him while her arms are still up. "How are the children?"

[Long]

"They're doing well enough, all things considered. They enjoy their new status, and I think things are starting to normalize for them. Though right now having Timeslip away isn't helping things. Finally they were going to have a mother again, and then she goes and kills a Utopian in broad daylight." Long's frustration shines through his tone, it was clear Timeslip's actions didn't sit well with him.

"If it weren't for other arrangements I'm sure Utopia would have already have come knocking. Thankfully I am not a man without friends." He walks into the kitchen and begins fixing a pot of tea for himself and his guest. "Can i get you anything?"

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako's face legnthens. She knows what Timeslip has gotten into. "I spend a couple months away from the news and the world goes to hell." She looks for a seat. Feeling the weight of the world start to move in a bit. "It seems you're at an impasse." She takes her case and moves into the kitchen. She figured it out after seeing the glint of a couple pans down the way from where she stood.

"I'm going to take a seat in the kitchen. Not too far from where it was."

She wanders over to the table. "How bad is the situation, currently?"

[Long]

"Angela is currently one of the most pursued novas on the planet. If Utopia captures her she will spend the rest of her days in Bahrain and virtually everyone she's associated with is guilty through association. It can't be ruled as self-defense because T2M is deputized by the UN as a peacekeeping force. Thus it's automatically murder even though they were preparing to use lethal force against her."

He uses a small accelleration field to ready the tea faster and takes a seat across from Sakurako. He pours them each a small glass and nods to her. "This all coming on the heels of my brother turning over custody of Misato and Benkei to me. It's been eventful to say the least. Kou and several members of Nippontai paid me a visit when I returned home, and thankfully agreed to give me and my family some space. I went to Singularity's little get-together in Ibiza but nothing much happened there."

He looks a Sakurako, his face reflecting a variety of emotions, but foremost among them was a sort of sadness. "The war hasn't come, My wife is gone again, and I am left alone to shepherd my family through uncertain times. There are times I just want to get away from it all, go back to how it was before. This is certainly one of them."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako puts her hands on her legs, looking stiff, as if she was bracing for impact. She had known Timeslip herself, and had considered her a friend. Could she have changed? Or for that matter, was she truely guilty of taking another Nova's life?

She looks back up to Long. "Something I have learned, the harder you try to keep the water in the dam, the harder it tries to break out. I don't think things can be the same, but with what you have..." Sakurako smiles, to a normal person walking into the conversation, this would be completely odd to the atmosphere of the meeting. "...you can create something new." Sakurako loosens up, and slowly, her tail starts to worm it's way out. twitching slightly here and there as it telescopes out and stretches.

"I think we both have alot of new things on our plate. I think in times like these it's good to take stock of where you are and where you're going." Sakurako is quite cheerful, and unconciously puffs up a bit in response. "I would take it since you'r children are back, and you still have many friends, that you aren't truely alone. The situation with timeslip though..."

She deflates back down to a normal state, as her tone becomes more serious. "...that is quite out of our hands and left to fate. The important part is that you should be there for your children. Give them a solid foundation and you'll feel even in the chaos you're in, that you have a center."

[Long]

Long is actually taken aback by the tail. He nods to it."That's definitely an new feature." He smiles and returns to the more pressing issue.

"The children are the most important thing in my life. There's little I would not do in order to protect them. For them to be such young novas, and to be so eager to learn, I can only hope to give them a family experience half as good as the one I grew up with. My father was a great man, and an even better father. It's times like this that I truly feel his loss, and the murder of my granfather. I could use their advice. I know nothing of raising children. I just do my best. Saori helps so much, but she needs to have her own life. The events of the last few months cost her as well."

His tail uncoils from his waist and lashes about behind him. Black claws extend from narrow slits at the tips of his fingers and scratch the ceramic cup. Looking closer one could see numerous scratch marks, indicating this is Long's usual cup.

"As for being alone, It isn't like I can tell the children why certain people fear them, why certain people see them as research subjects... All I want for my family is that we be allowed peaceful existence. I could give up my own power to achieve that." He stopped to allow the meaning of his words to be clear.

[Sakurako Hino]

"Long..." Sakurako looks at Long, wide eyed. She recollects her calm. "Long, that is something I have wished for myself on many an occasion. But... untill an alternative can be found, we have to learn to deal. At least here in Japan you have greater freedom in telling people NO. The minute you leave her borders though... the UN and Utopia would be all over you and your kids."

She looks down, like a messenger bearing bad news. "Thing is, you're definately not alone in your struggles." She leans foreward, gently placing a hand on the cup. "I think it is best to remember that a warrior excells if in battle or in peace."

She smiles again. "I've had tremendous chaos in my life. I've managed now to rise above it and seize the day. I have faith in you, Long. One of a few novas of which I can say that to."

She uses her prehensile tail to open the large lunchbox on the table. "I'm sorry for what you have gone through, I hope my being here... will give you some comfort while I am here."

[Long]

Longs hand closes over Sakurako's. "You have always brought cheer to my life and a smile to my face, Sakura-chan." He chuckles softly. "Even when I was standing over you on the deck of the Hikaru Maru fighting Deathsquand, I was smiling because I was so proud of how well you'd done, how I hadn't been too late."

"My children will not stray from Japan, though in my duties I may be called upon to do so. It is simply the way things are. It would be nice however if they could get out more, and meet other novas they can trust. Ones that will simply let them be themselves."

Realizing he was still holding Sakurako's hand he looked at her and smiled. "So what did you bring with you today?"

[Sakurako Hino]

"Well, alot... I thought some sushi and some tempura would be a good start, with various little extras. I had to take one of the big cooler cases with me that I usually use for computer equipment."

She laughs quite heartily. "I know how much you eat when you want to." Indeed she carried a lot, but on several trays that stacked, allowing her to carry alot in a cooler-sized box.

"I swear, the last time you ate, your stomach would look like this.." Sakurako puffs out her stomach, looking like she had ate at least something her size. he starts laughing soon after. "Don't worry, it's temporary and just air."

[Long]

"It smells wonderful. Considering I can eat a deer that weights over 2 hundred pounds and still be hungry it was a good idea."

He chuckles at her little display. "I seem to remember you calling yourself "Fuusen" for a time. So tell me what have you been up to all these months?"

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako lets out air then starts talking. "Well... for a time there was some... ill choices of direction. I discovered joining the WCK was a mistake, and... well, having a fling with Wakinyan is bad for a personal reputation."

She scratches her chin as she lets off a large yawn, as she finishes deflating. "Of course, I became fully rubberized, down to the bones practically, and that I can stretch for a small distance. Craziest of all, I'm networked with a honeycomb of air bladders throughout my body now. And there's the tail..." Her tail swishes back and forth... "That thing is a complete mystery. I guess my node thought I needed a third appendage."

She giggles as she starts setting up plates out of the bottom of the case.

"Recently I decided to use the name I always have. Endeavor. Fuusen fit me, yes, but it was causing some confusion."

[Long]

"Yes I did smell that particular interaction.." his mind finished the comment he wouldn't utter. ...And I was very jealous of it.

"Hey don't knock the tail." he said as he fixed a plate of Tempura two of the different kinds of sushi she'd brought. "Tails are rediculously useful in all aspects of life."

[Sakurako Hino]

Her tail stretches over to where Long is. "And don't worry, both I and Waki are over ourselves. An old friendship, nothing more. An old understanding." Her tail seemingly peeks over the table edge. "I've discovered tt stretches a good distance with me. I can do alot of strange things with it too..."

She gets up and pushes her chair to the side, retreating her tail back. She then inflates only her tail into a ball. She then sits on it. "I've found this useful when needing to do long hours in front of a computer. It's strangely not uncomfortable."

She takes a pair of chopsticks and gives a pair to Long. "But quite frankly, things haven't been fun without having you around. Nor fulfilling."

She smiles

[Long]

Long watches her demonstration and nods. He begins to eat slowly, careful not to snap the chopsticks with his claws. "I've missed seeing you too. Those months I was alone I did find my thoughts drifting to others I cared for. You figured prominently in that. When we were exiled from Japan, I didn't think I'd see alot of the familiar faces I know here again."

His tail slides under the table and brushes against Sakurako's right leg. "Your company is doing well. I saw the quarterly reviews and they're very promising. So what is next on your innovation list? Do you have any plans, any dreams you'd like to see come true?"

His blue eyes meet hers as he smiles, his fangs present but somewhat lessened in this form. There's a palpable chemistry in the room, one that had existed for well over a year now, yet had never been given the chance to develop.

[Sakurako Hino]

"Well... I am building what I would consider the next generation of cargo aircraft, bringing back the concept of lighter-than-air craft. Using a flying-wing design that is highly aerodynamic, I plan on squeezing as much speed as I can. My ultimate goal with the model is Mach 1."

She rocks back a little on her tail-ball.

"I'm just hoping the first model is a success in any category. I always get nervous when blazing new trails like this. The Jinbocho is going to be my new secondary home and office when complete. Not as big as the old Hikari Maru II, but still a work of engineering talent."

She looks at long, as she pulls up a chair and lets the air out of her tail through her mouth in a large yawn-like sigh. She sits normally again, and strokes his face. "You know... I think the more important thing than accomplishments or goals is that I am here today... I'm glad I can actually sit down with you one on one."

His eyes pull her in. She hesitates though. Knowing previous relationships. She sheepishly takes a bite of her meal.

"You just don't know how many mistakes I've made with my heart since we last had any long legnth of time together." She looks at her plate. "Perhaps I deserved what came as a result."

[Long]

Long's right hand caresses Sakurako's heft cheek softly. His claws are less than a cenimeter to her eyes, barely remaining in his fingertips. His tails continues rubbin her leg. He drinks in the look in her eyes and smiles softly.

"I'm glad you're here too Sakura-chan. I really am." He can feel her breath, can almost smell the anticipation. For all he'd gone through to remain faithful to his wife, here he was thinking of how right now, it didn't matter. all that really mattered was the pink-haired nova before him, and those Magenta eyes meeting his cool blue. "I see no mistakes here."

[Sakurako Hino]

There was a time when Sakurako would pull back. Show restraint. Knowing Long was already spoken for. But this time, for some reason...

Sakurako finally works up enough courage and moves closer. "You know... you have a little bit of something on your..." Sakurako pecks him on the lips, then starts a long kiss. For the first time, she knew this was not just hers or someone else's. It was theirs.

[Long]

Timeslip's face plays across his mind and he paid it no heed. He wanted this. He'd wanted this for a very long time. He returned her passionate kiss and pulled her close to him as he cupped the back of her head with his hand.

She felt so warm in his arms, thier embrace, the firery kiss, it just simply felt right. All a fire needed to get going was pressure and heat and they'd certainly amassed alot of both. He stood holding her in his arms and reveling in the happiness he saw reflected in her eyes.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako no longer cared how was with whoever. For well over 2 years, there was a gulf between her and Long. A wide divide yet to be filled by any meaningful contact. After her time with Wakinyan, she's felt more free. Free from her past. Free from old wounds. Perhaps the person before her is who she should have been looking for in the first place.

Sam was fun, yes, and Ronin was someone that felt like he was the one. But Long... he's here. Everything is on the table. Literally.

Sakurako keeps her lips locked with Long, letting herself drink in the moment.

[Long]

Lifting her off her feet, Long carried Endeavor to one of the unoccupied rooms of the house. "This will always be yours." He managed between tender kisses. His tail slid the panel closed behind them. Here, it was only them, and their love for each other unleashed.

His tail coiled lightly around her right ankle and sent vibrations through her in rhythm with his soft purring. His right ham slides down her back to rest on her rump which he caressed gently. He can feel a shiver run through her as the tips of his claws make contact and slide over her black skirt. His left hand works up her back and under her black turtleneck sweater where it comes to rest between her shoulder blades. The skin to skin contact sends a ripple of curent through them both as Long holds Endeavor to him.

He can hear her heart beating faster, he can smell the waves of pheremones coming from her, and though he's subjugated his most of his emotions and power he can feel the need burn within him, The need for this, for the love of another, to love and be loved.

His tail continues it's work even as his Eufiber seems to melt away from his torso, leaving his athletic upperbody nude, except where his long raven black hair fell down his spine and over his shoulders. As he held her aloft his tail began one of the more fun tasks, coiling around her feet and sliding off her socks slowly. The whole time he continued to kiss her gently, working his wat from her lips to her cheeks to her chin and then to her neck. He drank in the pleasure of it all, the light sighs Endeavor made only forcing him to keep control of himself even more.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako is lost in passion. She knows what Long is doing, and she doesn't care. In fact she wants more of what he wants and she's willing to pay wholesale. She grabs Long's strong and defined shoulders and begins pawing at him playfully. Moving her hands in calculated motions. Knowing where his nerves are, and playing them like a guitar. She moves down to his lower torso, and plays with the sensitive areas of his torso, stomach, and sides, playing off his reactions with positive re-enforcement.

Thing is, she's being rewarded for her efforts as well. With each motion she almost feels like she would melt. Long feels her loosen up to the point where she is like a rag doll, yet still able to move like she normally would.

"Finally..." Sakurako whispers. "...the truth is out."

[Long]

Something clicks in Long's mind as he continues working his hands across Endeavor's body. She has a bad reaction to Eufiber! His pants seem to melt away removing what remained of his Eufiber clothing. All that was left was a pair of Tiger-print boxers. It's almost comical that he's clad only in his boxers before he's gotten any of her clothing off, but then it was a necessary sacrifice. He could and would take his time. He knew how to savor this, how to make her savor this. He allowed his tail to coil further up Endeavor's right leg up her thigh and her waist where he intensifies his purring and the vibrations transmitted through his tail.

Her light touches send a cascade of pleasure over him as he decides it's time to return the favor. He begins working off Endeavor's shirt, revealing pale, plastic-like skin of her stomach and then breasts restrained by a pink lace bra. With her arms over her head in an effort to remove her shirt Long takes the opportunity to kiss her across her collar bones. As the shirt passes her lips Long takes hold of her hands and holds her there. Blinded by the shirt over her face she doesn't see him come up and kiss her passionately while she can't see.

After several moments he removes the shirt completely letting her hair fall back down her back. "We have all the time in the world. There's no need to rush this at all." He smiles as her fingers find a pressure point on his back, relieve tension and stress. He kissed her nose playfully and continued smiling. This hads been a long time in coming.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako's retractible tail begins to worm it's way out from under her, and starts probing Long. Tickling his back.

"Yeah, I know. I think this is something we haven't said although we knew it."

She embraces Long, cuddling him. She strokes his long black hair, and plays idly with it. "Then again, sometimes we never say what we truely want."

[Long]

"Indeed. Sometimes it doesn't need saying."

Long casually undoes the clasp of her bra and tenderly removes it, revealing tender white breasts and drops the bra on the floor. His hand gently caresses them as his other hand begins unzipping her skirt.

His head drops down to her breasts as his tongue darts out to tease rosy pink nipples. She can feel his lips on her breast as he kisses her softly then a further tease as his mouth opens and closes, his fangs poking into her flesh ever so slightly. She moans softly as her fingers continue to work over his muscled shoulders and then down his back. The skirt falls to the floor as they stand there, Her with her head against his chest and him holding her lovingly to him, drinking in their mutual joy.

Each of them is at the last line of defense, the final barriers keeping them apart only a pair of thin layers of silk. Long looks into her eyes and smiles. He's ready if she is.

[Sakurako Hino]

"Long... I know that look." She quirks an eyebrow, knowing what he's looking for. It's happened before, and it's going to happen again. This time though, there is a feeling of permanence to what he's about to do. She feels a warmth begin to swell within her, and she lays back further into the bed.

"Long, I don't think we need to hesitate. I'm ready, if you are." She smiles, loosening up as the warmth within moves out, and she relaxes.

[Long]

Long smiles as The last layers of defense are removed. He takes his time, working his hands up from Endeavor's ankles, slowly caressessing her calves then her thighs as he parts her legs and kisses her gently just above her sex. He kissed up her stomach and past her breasts as his hands firmly grasped her hips. Then as he finished kissing her neck he met his lips with hers and entered her gently.

He worked slowly, as they both established a rhyth to the tides of their passion. His hands worked across every ench of her body as he continued on. The tender caress of Long's claws against her side, His lips against her neck and shoulder, The soff, gentle feel of the fur of his tail casually rubbing her right ankle, it was a perfect harmony.

Time seemed to slow as he thrust deeper and deeper into her. Thankfully somewhere in his mind he remembered Vegas and kept it limited to normal strength, This called for tenderness, not power.

He looked into her eyes as the culmination of their feelings continued, each thrust, each gentle touch of their hands bringing them closer and closer. His eyes radiated a profound happiness, an absence of loneliness that Endeavor had never seen before.

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako was open. Completely lost. When she found herself again, it wasn't the intelligent woman she was known to be. It was the one who was alone. ho never knew one she could love. After the incident with DeathSquad, she felt guilt of endangering him. She had always felt some sort of kinship with Long. But she always felt distant from him. Afraid. She never opened up to him even though in all honesty she did have some love for him. She lied to herself. She went elsewhere to find love, every time it was in vain or those she loved had to leave.

Now though... The truth was hers to know and his to give.

She grasped unto long, grabbing his body in the throes of passion. She glared into his eyes, as her emotions took full control. She went into a lock with her arms and pulled up, allowing him to bring himself closer than ever. Loosening her body for ease of movement. Calculating out through passion the most direct path to the consummation.

For this moment, and perhaps onward, Sakurako finally felt what it was like to be a Nova. Free of constraint.

It was then she finally knew who she was.

"Long..." Her eyes flared with energy. "I love you more than anything in the universe. You... complete... me..."

[Long]

The words didn't stop him, but he slowed his rhythm just to allow himself the time to process them. They echoe in his mind as even as he continues to kiss Endeavor's right shoulder and his right hand idly traces a line down her left arm out to her hand where he interlaces his fingers with hers. He can feel her free hand dig into the muscle over his shoulder blades, even as her tail rubs along his right leg.

Do I really love her? Can I really love another? These thoughts rang in his head. The image of himself lying broken and bleeding on the remains of the Hikaru Maru came up. His life in a pool around him he couldn't help but remember the happiness, the satisfaction of knowing he'd kept his promise. Sakurako would live, he had protected the one he cared for. He'd given all he'd had to give, yet he'd wanted to give her more. Here, now, was a chance to say what he'd begged a little more time to say then. Yes, I do, and can.

He looked down into her eyes and nodded. His left hand slipped under the small of her back as he angled her for another push and thrust himself completely into her. "I love you to Sakurako, I always have."

[Sakurako Hino]

As she bent back from his thrust she screams "YES!" as her arms drop. She clutches the bed with her hands, grasping the sheets with every ounce of might she can. This was not an empty sojurn by any means. There was meaning with every motion. A song behind every moment. Everything else was about just her... this wasn't selfish. This was about THEM. Long and Sakurako. Together at last and nothing in the world was stopping it. Finally. Resolution and rebirth.

Or perhaps even more a new beginning.

Every stroke and push kept Sakurako on fire. Her eyes glowing brighter. Long could see it easily now as even her eyelids would not hide the light. The room lit up in a light magenta glow, as if fireflies were dancing around them.

She continued to hold on. Sparks of energy drummed the bed. It was her blasts made of kinetic force at their lowest setting, going off in reflex. Letting off small glowing cherry blossom petals made of pink quantum energy.

"Long... don't stop! Please!" She wanted more, and she was sure Long did. She didn't want him to stop untill they both were exhausted. And for Novas... that can be a long time.

[Long]

Amidst the whirling maestrom of pink energy petals Long felt his own passionate fire flare within him as the blue flames of his own expression licked out across the bed and room. flickers of blue played over his flesh and hers as they moved together as one. Her begging, pleading tone asking for more only heightened his arousal, as he thrust in longer harder strokes, The bed shaking with each movement, threatening to fall apart on them.

The intermix of blue flame and pink cherry blossoms plays about on the walls around them, His glowing blue eyes matching her glowing pink in intensity. Time loses all meaning as they drink in each other's love and happiness. Hours pass as they move in unison, building ever closer to their beautiful conclusion.

She was someone he could protect, that he had to protect, and she welcomed him with open arms. In this little room, in the house he'd built himself a second time, He was with a nova he truly loved, and he couldn't be happier.

"You're so beautiful, so wonderful, my Sakurako."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako pants heavily. Enough to inflate a little then deflate a little with each inhale and exhale. The feelings she has are intense enough to taste in the air. She grips Long's hips, pawing at them then grasping them as if they were a life preserver. Pulling him in and not wanting to let go for any reason.

"Long-kun... Your strong and gentle at the same time... you truely are wonderful..."

She pants, groaning sometimes, and panting as before. Every time helping long keep his stamina by doing some of the work herself as well. After a while she starts laughing and sighing. Enjoying every moment to the last he will give. And se will remember it well she gathers.

[Long]

As they each move in perfect harmony time seems to stop all together. In one moment the world is bright and clear and there is only happiness. Long's eyes close as Endeavor's legs tighten around him and pull him deeper into her. Her back arches as her eyes flutter and her fingers dig into him as she screams. His own climax is equally strong, His claws tear into the matress as his fangs hold tightly onto her shoulder and his seed is released deep inside her.

They laid there for some time, looking into each other's eyes as they drank in the beauty of what's transpired.

An hour later they're laying there still, Long on his back and Endeavor partially beside him with her head resting on his chest. "You were wonderful Sakurako, simply wonderful."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako strokes his face, looking longingly into his eyes. "Long, you were as well." She nuzzles him, slowly, soaking in his warmth. "Was this... what you expected if we ever met for more than a few moments? This... exceeded my expectations."

She rolls over to get closer to him, touching chest to chest. She playfully traces the contours of Long's torso with her fingers. "You know, maybe I should stick around, if I'm welcome in your home." She buries her face into Long's chest. "I want to stay for a while. We shouldn't have forced ourelves to be apart like we did... we were lying to ourselves."

She sniffles, crying slightly. "I don't think for now we should be apart at all... Then this would have been for naught."

[Long]

"No, this was never an expectation of mine Sakurako, but it was a dream. Abeautiful dream I never thought would become reality. We each had our own agendas, our own hurts, our own worries. But not any more." He smiled as he kissed her head softly and tenderly rubbed her lower back.

"You have always been welcome in my home Sakurako, now more than ever. This room and if you desire, the one adjacent will be yours, Though this one will be more like ours." His eyes gleam mischievously as his tail flicks about over her rump.

He lifts her head and softly wipes away her tears. "Whoever said I would let you leave now that you're finally here? I will never ask you to leave. I will always be here for you. I promised you that once, and it's a promise I'll keep. I want you here, with me."

[Sakurako Hino]

Sakurako sits up, starting to feel reassured that this may have more permanence than she once thought. "Thank you... Long."

She massages his chest, starting to smile. "So, up for a shower in a little bit? I always feel a warm one with someone is far more nicer than showering alone."

She smiles, her intent being innocent, but wanting more quality time with Long. "That, and I really should start getting things in order. After all, if I'm going to be staying with you I'll have to move a bit of my office here. Shouldn't be too hard. I should be able to get the first bit over here in no time."

She leans over against Long's chest. "That, and I was thinking of getting that one idea you had offered to help me with going... I have the resources again to pull it off. Plus I figured out how to do it without breaking the bank."

She turns over to look at him. "Doing this in low gravity sound intriguing?"

[Long]

Longs eyes radiate a soft blue light as his hand traces up Endeavor's spine. "Of course it does." He smiles and continues. "A nice shower then we can start moving things in." He throws back the sheets and climbs out of the bed, walking nude to the adjoining bathroom. His tail swings idly behind him as he turns on the water for the western style walk-in shower.

He'd heard Endeavor come up behind him, closing the shower door behind her. Under the cascade of warm water and steam they made love again, consummating their plans even further.

They dried each other off gently and once back out into the main room, the both got dressed again. Long's Eufiber flowed over him, reforming into the same simple outfit he'd had on before. He emerged from the room as Endeavor pulled her shirt back on and nodded. They'd been at it for five hours, which gave them another three before everyone would be coming home. He cleaned up the leftovers in the kitchen and smiled as Endeavor emerged from the room.

"We're all set to go, Sakura-chan, We've got about three hours before everyone returns home. I figure we can move what ever you;d need immediately in that timeframe and move more as needed."

He didn't know how the others would take it, but he knew Saito would approve in some way. The children knew who Endeavor was, one could hardly grow up in Japan without knowing. His current worries were Timeslip, Saori, and Chien. Chien wouldn't be an issue though Saori might. He'd have to explain it to her.

Timeslip however gave him pause. She had terrifying power, and from how she'd acted since her Chrysalis, he wasn't sure that she wouldn't try to harm Endeavor. Then again there was the horror etched into her soul it seemed at having taken the life of another nova. He nodded once with assurance. Things would be alright, he'd find a way to make this work. His family would endure, it always had.

Endeavor had moved up beside him and taken ahold to his left hand. "A quick trip to your old home, and then we return to your new home." The warpgate opened and Long looked down to Endeavor and smiled. He felt truly happy, and nothing could take that away.

Two hours later after half a dozen trips through the warpgate he set the last box down in the second room he'd give Endeavor as her "office". He sat down on the couch in the den and smiled as Endeavor came and sat with him. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her softly. "Welcome home, my beloved Sakurako."