The alarm woke me up early in the morning, Shizuka was not in my arms anymore and all the lights in the apartment were switched on contrasting with the darkness outside; I should start School at 6 in the morning, but it will take me ten minutes or so taking the bus but that won't be necessary since Shizuka can drive and we're heading to the same place.

I heard humming and shower noises; Shizuka is taking a shower. Standing up I realised that she had been tidying up. She took care of the mess that she did when she arrived yesterday, she placed the remains of my dish from yesterday in the fridge as well.

That fool.

Just when I was heading into my room I heard the shower stop and she came out from it. This house has a total of five rooms and two showers; she always uses mine.

Shizuka's body was uncovered for me to see as she gasped, the beauty blushed and covered herself with a towel before walking towards me.

"Good morning, Brand-chan" She hugged me and I answered the hug.

"What's wrong?" She's usually not this clingy in the morning, Shizuka's always in a rush either to go to college or to school, she looks rather relaxed now.

"Nothing, I just... slept really well yesterday, you should have a shower now I'll prepare breakfast" she smiled my way as if to 'assure' me; but she was not assuring shit.

"W-Will you?" I asked with a reluctant voice as if saying 'you better leave that to me'.

"I can at least prepare some fried eggs and toast, mou... just go... we have to drive off in an hour at the latest".

Stating that; Shizuka walked back to her room and I paid attention to her swaying body, her face looked at me through her shoulder and I noticed a mild blush.

Sighing I took my towel and went inside to take a shower and prepare myself, this woman is looking for it.

**

**

[Shizuka's POV]

C-Could it be puberty?!

Brand-chan is looking at me... like he wants to eat me alive.

And I don't mind it, in fact... I have been hoping this would happen for a long time, but now that it is happening, I don't know what to do!

Should I ask Rika-chan for advice? Brand-chan is finally looking at me that way but... I don't have the experience to answer him.

I like this boy, I have done so for the last year, we have been living for three years together, until then I saw him just as a little brother, but... Brand-chan started changing, growing up.

In primary school he got into a lot of trouble and was what you could call a 'bad boy' it was the first sign of me not doing the right job as his carer. I wasn't able to set him straight, I was barely able to keep his grades from making him repeat a year... if that happened his parents would literally kill me.

From then I began to notice how lacking I was and how little attention I had been paying to him, he began preparing his own food, eventually, mine too; going around without telling me anything, having girlfriends... and all that while I focused on my studies instead of taking care of him.

I'm so useless, Brand-chan... that is why you had to get girlfriends instead of looking at me, right?

I don't know when I started 'liking' this boy... the same way a woman likes a man. But one time I slept with him; compared to before, I began noticing my own reactions... it was as if I myself was going through puberty, I began to get excited and giddy each time I saw him but... when he didn't look at me that way I... began drinking.

Because it makes sense that he won't look at me that way, I'm way older, moreover, I'm also useless, totally not wife material.

Rika-chan has come several times, she's a friend of mine and she also likes Brand-chan quite a bit, as friends of course, though I can see how clingy she is too knowing that he is an outlaw. She knows my feelings for him but her advice for me was to not act upon them, Brand-chan is ten years younger than me.

He's strong, dependable, and surely will make money his own way in the future if he doesn't make it in school, as sad as that would be... he's like the person I have always been looking for, but... he's too young. My hormones didn't seem to care though.

I thought he wasn't interested in me at all, until yesterday. Brand-chan grasped my breasts... that wasn't something that hasn't happened before, I'd always tease him by showing him my naked body, getting touchy with him, and allowing him to touch my breasts and even my butt. Perhaps that's the reason why he always found it easy to find a girlfriend.

I may be a klutz but I know how much I'm packing... maybe my behaviour with him boosted his confidence; I even washed him up sometimes and we have slept naked together.

Nevertheless, every single one of those instances was provoked by me while he was at the receiving end, just remaining nonchalant and following up with my games.

But yesterday, when he took my naked breast I... I felt his lust.

I know how it feels because countless men lust after me, I can sense that gaze, let alone the palpable lust they emit when they simply touch my shoulder as if expecting me to give them an inch.

Yesterday Brand-chan, no... Brand Mercer... lusted after me.

And I had desired that for soooo long!

I need to keep this momentum going, helping him more in the house, taking better care of him at school, anything. I know he currently doesn't have a girlfriend, he broke up with that girl because she left for Tokyo, and it had visually affected him, I tried to console him several times and he moved on eventually.

I pumped my fist while frying some eggs, "I can't allow any of those girls from getting close to my Brand-chan... until he becomes an adult... and I can confess my feelings".

With determination, I set up my objective, but then a speck of boiling hot oil jumped from the pan on my hand, burning my determination away.

"AUCH!"

I slapped the pan that fell to the floor together with the eggs.

Moou, I have to clean this before Brand-chan comes out or he will be fuming!