After a few more rides Kiri said, "Our dinner reservation is soon, do you want to try to squeeze in one more or go a little early?"

"Where is it? I thought we were staying for the ferris wheel?" Hikaru asked.

Kiri grinned and leaned in to kiss her. "It's here in the park."

They went to their dinner reservation which turned out to be on a paddle boat that went round and round the castle moat. Hikaru giggled when she saw it. Because it wasn't on a real river, they had it set up so that the shallow water passed just inches below them, right beside their table. The moat was scattered with colored lights and fountains.

"It's beautiful, but noisy," she commented after awhile.

Kiri grinned and replied, "I don't think talking is supposed to be a highlight, given the ads they presented with the dessert menu."

"What ads?" Hikaru asked curiously.

He held it up so she could see the hotels near the park listed and smirked suggestively.

She blushed and said, "Isn't that only because after all day out and then eating, people will feel tired? They look like ordinary hotels."

Kiri replied, "Sure." He grinned at her. "But it's kind of tempting, if we stayed out all night, maybe you wouldn't try to be so quiet."

Hikaru gasped and looked away. Embarrassed, she asked, "Has it bothered you so much that I find it embarrassing to have your mother staying with us?"

Kiri caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. "No, Hikaru, it's fine, I was afraid it would be worse. Sorry she decided to visit suddenly."

"It's fine," she said, and looked at him hesitantly.

"What?" He asked, and caressed her captive fingers.

"Do you really want to stay out all night?" she asked. "We'd have to get up really early so I could get back in time to dress for work and you could get ready to leave." She clutched his hand tightly.

He looked at her and released her hand. She let go reluctantly, but he stood and came over to kneel beside her.

"Kiri?" she asked a little breathlessly.

He kissed her gently. They kissed for a little while. "However you want to spend the night, is how I want to spend it with you," he said.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He hugged her. 

"Normally," she mumbled against him.

"Normally?" he asked.

"I want to spend tonight normally, like we're going to spend hundreds more, not like this is the last one," she tried to explain.

He was silent a minute, but his hands petted her reassuringly. "We will spend hundreds and thousands more," he said finally.

Hikaru pulled back and kissed him again. "Then it's OK that this is the last night for a couple weeks," she said when she pulled back.

He cupped her face in his hand and asked, "Was it wrong to come out today?"

She shook her head and replied, "No, I've loved it. Our first whole day together has been wonderful."

"Yes," he agreed, and kissed her again.

Then one of the staff came and asked him to return to his seat, citing the limited amount of space on the floating restaurant.

Hikaru snickered a little as he sighed and reluctantly relocated.

When they were asked if they wanted dessert, she said, "I'd rather get icecream or something later, if you don't mind Kiri?"

"Sure," he agreed with a grin for her.

--

Later when they were strolling hand in hand, Kiri said quietly, "Thank you."

Hikaru looked at him inquiringly. "For what?" she asked when he didn't explain.

"For telling me what you want, for being with me, for everything," he said, and blushed.

Hikaru said, "You are so amazingly cute when you blush." And then she blushed.

Kiri grinned and pulled her into his arms and kissed her for several minutes in the middle of the path.

"Kiri," she protested when he showed no sign of resuming their progress.

"OK," he agreed and released her, except for an arm about her waist.

She leaned into him a little. "I want to thank you for those things too, you know. For being with me and everything."

"I love you," he said quietly into her ear.

"I love you too," she replied. And a moment later said, "I'm sorry I don't say it first very often."

Kiri squeezed her and said, "I don't care about that."

They rode the ferris wheel and watched the fireworks. And then they stopped watching the fireworks and kissed for awhile. 

Hikaru asked, "How long do we have up here?"

Kiri replied regretfully, "Not long enough I think."

Hikaru stared at him for a moment and then blushed. "Not like that!" she protested. "I mean, anyone could see us."

Kiri laughed and groped her breasts. "I don't think anyone could see us with the fireworks," he said reassuringly.

She wriggled and grabbed his hands. "Kiri, don't," she protested.

"Sorry," he said contritely.

"It's OK," she replied quickly, "I like it, just not now please?"

"Yeah," he agreed, and hugged her.

She kissed him.

He asked after a moment, "Why did you want to know how long?"

"I just thought we've been going around longer than usual," she said a little breathlessly.

"Oh, yes, it's for the full fifteen minutes or so of the display," he replied and kissed her a little more.

Hikaru giggled.

"What?" Kiri murmured.

"If we had been doing that, that would have been long enough?" she suggested with embarrassment.

Kiri grinned and said, "Yes, if I'd pounced on you right away. But you don't even want me to fondle you." He sighed regretfully.

Hikaru wriggled with embarrassment. "Well, I don't really want to do it somewhere like this, but that's not why I asked you to stop touching me."

Kiri went still and asked uncertainly, "Why then?"

Hikaru hugged him reassuringly and almost whispered, "Because when you do that it makes me want you to do more."

He laughed. "Hikaru," he said helplessly.

When he didn't continue she kissed him. And then they kissed until they were forced to disembark.

"We missed a lot of the fireworks," she said as they made their way out of the park.

"Sorry," he replied.

"I'm not sorry," she returned.

"Oh?" he asked curiously.

"It was lovely," she said and leaned in to kiss him again.

"Yes," he agreed.

--

In the morning Hikaru's alarm went off early. Kiri kissed her and apologized. "I changed it but if you'd rather sleep, you can snooze it for half an hour."

Hikaru grinned sleepily at him and pulled his arm over her hip. They started with kissing, and when they were finished, Kiri put her hair up for her.

They had breakfast with Tokiko. Hikaru shyly invited her, "Oka-sama I'll be having lunch with part of my family after I play, if you'd like to come and meet my mother and my uncle you'd be welcome to join us?"

Kiri's mother accepted the invitation politely. Hikaru and Kiri told her the easiest way to get to the restaurant. Then Hikaru and Tokiko exchanged contact numbers, just in case.

Hikaru took the bus downtown. Kiri offered to drive her but he had to get ready to fly out still, so she said, "I'd rather you not rush so hard and travel safely."

He sighed and agreed, "Alright. I'll miss you." He hugged her tightly.

"I love you," she replied, "so I hope it's fun, and one of those times you can say you love your job."

Kiri grinned at her and whispered, "Marry me?"

Hikaru smiled and touched his earring. Reluctantly she said, "I need to go."

He nodded, but they stood in the doorway and clung to each other so long that Hikaru had to run to catch the bus.

Tokiko smiled at him when he sighed and shut the door. Kiri looked at his mother and asked somewhat suspiciously, "What?"

"You seem very much in love," she commented with a grin.

"I am," he answered. "I told you so," he pointed out with a sigh.

"But?" she asked watching his face.

He looked like he was going to deny it but instead answered reluctantly, "I'm afraid she'll outgrow me. Right now I'm the one who makes more money, who knows more about things, and I can still take care of her. But she's probably going to catch up and surpass me all too soon."

Tokiko regarded her son with disappointment. "And then you won't love her so much?" she asked flatly.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'll still freaking adore her. But what if I'm not enough for her then, or the age difference starts to matter?" he asked.

His mother raised an elegant eyebrow at him and replied, "If you really think that she's that kind of woman, you shouldn't marry her."

Kiri grinned sardonically at his mother and said lightly, "I knew that you'd see that she's already a woman and not a child pretty soon." He sighed and added, "And I don't care, I'm going to cling to her as tightly and for as long as she lets me."

"I see," said his mother.

He shrugged and then packed and left in time to take his flight.