The first thing Hana noticed was warmth—solid and steady against her back, with an arm wrapped loosely around her waist. She felt safe, surrounded by a familiar scent: Sohei. His cologne, clean and woodsy, mixed with the soft scent of sleep.
Her eyes opened slowly, still clouded with sleep. This wasn't her bed—the sheets were softer, the pillows more plush, and the scent in the air was different. Warm. Masculine. Comforting.
Then she felt it—the calm rhythm of breathing behind her, the quiet rise and fall of his chest against her back.
She had slept over at Sohei's place. In his bed.
Hana tensed, her heart pounding as the memories of last night came rushing back—the movie, dozing off, and now waking up in Sohei's arms. Her body was pressed against his, and the closeness felt both comforting and overwhelming.
She shifted slightly, trying not to wake him, but the movement only brought her closer. Her back pressed firmly into his chest, and her breath caught as she realized just how close he really was.
Sohei's arm tightened around her waist, his fingers resting lightly on her shirt like he was instinctively pulling her closer. She could feel the warmth of his skin, the rise and fall of his chest, and his breath brushing against her neck. It made her pulse race.
Hana's mind scrambled. Should she move? Stay still? Try to sneak out of bed?
Before she could decide, Sohei stirred, letting out a low, sleepy groan that sent a shiver down her spine. His arm shifted, hand brushing against her hip.
Then—his lips grazed the back of her neck. Light. Unintentional. But it completely froze her.
Her breath hitched. Her body went still.
Was he awake? Did he mean to do that?
Or was it just… sleep?
Hana's face burned, the heat rushing from her cheeks to her ears as she lay frozen in place.
"Mm… morning," Sohei mumbled, voice thick with sleep. His arm tightened around her, and he nuzzled into her hair like it was the most natural thing in the world. His breath was warm against her skin, and the casual closeness sent her heart racing out of control.
Panic flared. She stiffened, then quickly shoved at his arm and twisted around to face him. Her eyes were wide, her voice barely working.
"Sohei," she whispered, completely flustered. "I—I slept over?!"
Sohei opened one eye, smirking lazily. The morning light streamed through the curtains, lighting up his face, the soft stubble on his jaw, and his messy hair.
"No," he teased, voice low and raspy. "You broke in while I was asleep."
Hana stared at him, speechless. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Sohei chuckled, stretching a little before propping himself up on one elbow. As the sheets shifted, they revealed just enough of his chest under his loose T-shirt to make her quickly look away, her face somehow turning even redder.
"You fell asleep on me, remember?" he said, his tone light but laced with amusement. "What was I supposed to do? Wake you up and kick you out?"
Hana covered her face with her hands, mortified. "I can't believe this," she muttered, her voice muffled by her palms.
Sohei reached out, his touch slow and deliberate as he gently pried her hands away from her face. His fingers were warm against her skin, his thumb brushing against the inside of her wrist in a way that made her breath catch.
"You're cute when you're embarrassed," he murmured, his voice lower now, more intimate, as he studied her with a gaze that felt heavy and unreadable.
Hana's breath caught, her heart pounding as she looked up at him. Sohei's expression was different—still playful, but gentler, more focused. There was something in his eyes that made her chest tighten in the best way, like he was really seeing her.
"Sohei…" she began, her voice barely a whisper.
But he shook his head and gently brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Relax," he said softly, his gaze steady. "It's just me."
She swallowed hard, gripping the sheets as she tried to calm down, but his closeness made it impossible. Then he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead—so tender it made her heart ache.
They were still tangled in the sheets, close enough that she could feel his warmth through his shirt. All she could feel was his hand slowly trailing down her arm to her waist, his thumb brushing lightly over her shirt, sending a shiver through her.
Sohei leaned in closer, his breath warm against her cheek, filling the quiet space between them with something heavy, electric, and real.
"Hana," Sohei murmured, his voice low and slow, like he was savoring her name.
"I—" she tried to speak, but the words barely came. Her mind was spinning, and she was suddenly aware of every place their bodies touched. Sohei's fingers brushed the edge of her shirt, lightly grazing her skin underneath—slow and teasing, testing her reaction. Her breath hitched, chest rising in shaky, uneven beats.
"You're blushing again," he said with a smirk, his face so close his lips were just inches from hers. His dark eyes held hers, playful but intense, making her stomach flip.
Hana gripped the sheets tightly, trying to ground herself. "You're doing this on purpose," she whispered, though her voice was shaky and too soft to sound convincing.
Sohei grinned, completely unrepentant. "Maybe," he admitted, his tone light but his gaze intense. His fingers curled slightly against her waist, his other hand reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. The movement was so natural, so intimate, that it left her completely breathless.
"We—um, we should get up," she said weakly, though she didn't move.
Sohei hummed, smiling slightly. "We could…" he said, leaning in a bit more, his breath warm against her skin. "Or… we could stay like this a little longer."
Hana let out a squeaky protest, face burning, and gave his chest a light shove. "Sohei!"
He laughed, deep and warm, before finally rolling away with a sigh. "Alright, alright," he said, still grinning.
Hana quickly sat up, cheeks flushed as she tried to collect herself. She glanced at him—and despite everything, she smiled.
Sohei stretched beside her, slow and relaxed, his shirt lifting just enough to reveal a glimpse of his toned stomach. She quickly looked away, face burning—but it was too late. He caught her.
His smirk grew, eyes glinting with amusement as he leaned on one elbow, staring straight at her.
Hana jumped up, nearly stumbling as she rushed toward the bathroom. "I'm going to wash up!" she blurted, voice a little too high and fast.
She didn't wait for a reply, slamming the door behind her and pressing both hands to her flushed face, heart pounding.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Hana gripped the sink, her face still burning. How did this even happen? She'd fallen asleep at Sohei's place. In his bed. With him. And the way he looked at her—the teasing smile, the soft touch at her waist—it was all too much. Her mind was spinning as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm down.
She took a deep breath and grabbed the toothbrush Sohei had let her use before. Brushing her teeth helped distract her, the simple motion grounding her thoughts.
But just as she started to settle, the bathroom door opened.
Hana froze, toothbrush still in her mouth, as Sohei casually stepped in like it was totally normal. He ruffled his hair, grabbed his own toothbrush, and began squeezing out toothpaste, completely unfazed.
"W-What are you doing?" she asked through a mouthful of foam.
He looked at her in the mirror, calm as ever, eyes dancing with mischief. "What does it look like?"
"It looks like you're invading my space!" she snapped, still brushing.
He smirked, leaning casually against the counter. "Pretty sure this is my bathroom."
Hana stared at him. Her face grew hotter as Sohei calmly brushed his teeth beside her, his bare arm brushing hers with every small movement. The closeness was too much, and she wanted to melt into the floor.
"Why are you doing this?" she hissed, trying to finish brushing before she completely lost it.
Sohei glanced at her through the mirror, mouth full of foam. "Brushing. My. Teeth," he said, muffled but clearly amused.
Hana groaned, quickly spitting and rinsing her mouth with more force than necessary. He was too calm, too casual, and it made everything worse. As she wiped her mouth, she saw him smirking in the mirror—his eyes sparkling with smugness.
Then Sohei leaned against the sink, arms crossed, watching her with a look she didn't trust. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by something quieter, more serious—and it made Hana's stomach twist.
"…What?" she asked carefully, barely above a whisper, her heart starting to race.
His expression softened, something almost vulnerable in his eyes. "Last night," he said, voice low, "I couldn't fall asleep right away."
Hana froze, her breath catching. Something about his tone made her nervous.
"I was fine at first," he went on, glancing down before looking at her again. "But then… you grabbed onto me in your sleep."
Her eyes widened, heat rushing to her face. "I— I what?"
Sohei let out a quiet breath, shaking his head a little. "Yeah. You were completely out, but at some point, you just—" He gently took her wrist and mimed the way she'd held onto him. "Like this."
Hana was horrified. She slapped both hands over her face, her whole body burning. "Oh my god," she groaned through her palms, wanting to disappear.
Sohei chuckled, low and warm, as he reached past her to grab a towel and casually dried his face—like he wasn't completely turning her inside out with this conversation.
"I won't lie," he said, voice softer now, more sincere as he set the towel down and turned to face her. "It wasn't easy. Having you that close… knowing you trusted me enough to stay, to fall asleep next to me…"
He paused, eyes dropping to the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck, his usual confidence replaced by something quieter, more vulnerable.
Hana's heart pounded. She gripped the hem of her shirt, fingers trembling slightly. She didn't know what to say, but she couldn't look away from him.
Sohei looked up again, stepping a little closer. "I had to remind myself to take it slow," he said, barely above a whisper. "To not go too far… even when all I wanted was to hold you tighter."
Hana's fingers curled tighter around the hem of her shirt, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of what he'd just said. But before she could respond, Sohei straightened, slipping back into his usual smirk like he was trying to brush it all off.
"Anyway," he said lightly, "just thought you should know."
She blinked, still reeling. Her heart was racing, her thoughts a mess. She didn't know how to answer the quiet honesty he'd just shown her—but one thing was certain: she was in deep. And for once, she didn't feel like running.
He had wanted more. She could feel it in his eyes, in his touch, in the low, rough tone of his voice. But he had held back—for her. That realization washed over her, leaving her breathless.
"…Sohei," she whispered, unsure what she even meant to say. Her voice shook with emotion, her chest rising and falling as she tried to find the right words.
He gave her a faint smile, one with no teasing behind it. "You make it hard, you know," he said quietly, his tone filled with something raw.
Her breath caught. Then his fingers moved, brushing lightly along her cheek, pausing at her jaw. The way he looked at her—slow, intense, like she was the only thing in the room—made her weak.
His hand slid lower, fingers grazing her collarbone, then resting at her neck. His thumb stroked her skin softly, just enough to make her shiver.
"Tell me to stop," Sohei murmured, his voice low and rough, like he was barely holding back.
But Hana didn't say a word. Instead, she leaned in—just enough to feel his breath on her lips. Her heart pounded, her mind spun, but she couldn't pull away. She didn't want to.
His grip on her tightened slightly as he lowered his forehead to hers, their noses brushing in a soft, almost shy touch. "You're making it really hard to behave, Hana," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice—but mostly something deeper, something that made her chest flutter.
Her fingers clenched into his shirt, pulse racing. "You don't have to," she whispered, the words out before she could take them back.
Sohei stilled, eyes locking onto hers, searching for hesitation. For a second, she thought maybe she'd said too much.
But then he moved—his hand lifted her chin gently, and his lips brushed hers.
The kiss was slow and full of meaning—nothing like the playful ones before. It was deeper, heavy with everything they hadn't said. Hana's hands slid up his chest, wrapping around his neck as she pulled him closer.
Sohei let out a soft groan against her lips, his other hand gripping her waist, fingers pressing into the fabric of her shirt. His control, held tight all night, was finally slipping—and Hana didn't mind at all. She wanted him closer. She wanted everything.
She barely registered when he backed her up against the sink, the cool edge pressing into her lower back. His lips trailed from her mouth to her jaw, his breath hot against her skin as his hands gripped her hips, pressing her closer. Her pulse raced, her head spinning as she tried to keep up with the intensity of it all.
"Sohei—" she whispered, her fingers tangling in his hair as she tried to anchor herself.
He huffed against her skin before pulling back slightly, his eyes dark with something dangerous. "You're not making it easy to stop," he murmured, pressing one last lingering kiss to the corner of her lips before finally exhaling.
Hana was breathless, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm the storm inside her. She licked her lips, her mind still reeling as she looked up at him. "… I don't want you to stop," she admitted, her voice trembling but steady.
Sohei's eyes flickered with something unreadable before his smirk returned, his lips curving into that familiar, teasing grin. "Careful, Hana," he said, leaning in again, his voice low and rough against her ear. "I just might listen."
And as he pulled her closer, his lips brushing against hers once more.