When they got to his house, Kiri led her inside then turned and asked lightly, "Dinner, a bath, or me?"

Hikaru laughed and answered, "All three, in that order?"

Kiri looked at her in surprise and said, "Hikaru, I was joking, I'm not planning to do anything to you tonight. It would be taking advantage."

Hikaru looked back at him and said steadily, "But I think we should do that, we should eat, then I should take a bath and you should scrub my back, and then, we'll see?"

Kiri bit his lip and nodded.

Hikaru set her things down by the table.

Kiri beckoned her into the bathroom and asked, "What temperature?" As he started the tub filling.

Hikaru looked blank and he laughed and set it on the default, which was a little cooler than he liked. He showed her the controls. Then said, "It will shut itself off when it's full." He went into the kitchen and started pulling things out.

Hikaru watched for a moment and then asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Kiri grinned at her and said, "Sure, come stand here." 

She came over to him, he turned away from her and drew her arms around his waist. Then he began chopping vegetables.

Hikaru hugged him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I don't think this is helping," she said.

"It's greatly improving the morale of the cook," he replied cheerfully. They stood like that for awhile as he started the cooking. "Being held by a beautiful woman in my kitchen makes me feel very happy," he said lightly while he stirred the sauteing vegetables.

Hikaru shifted uncomfortably and said, "People easily mistake me for a boy, I'm not that beautiful."

Kiri stiffened and replied, "I don't understand how anyone ever takes you for a boy Hikaru. You are gorgeous."

He turned to her, she looked back dubiously. He put his arms around her waist and kissed her. She returned his kiss and clung to him. He backed her up against the wall beside the little hallway and pressed into her as he kissed her jaw and her cheek and her throat. She shivered as he slid his hands up under her shirt and unfastened her bra. He cupped her breast in his hand and kissed her more deeply. 

When he started to lift her shirt she put her hand over his and said, "Kiri."

He stopped. He turned away, still breathing heavily. "Sorry."

"Kiri," she said.

"I think we should skip the back scrubbing," he said.

"No," she said stubbornly.

"Hikaru," he said, "I am so close to losing control and I meant what I said about not wanting to take advantage of you tonight."

Hikaru wrapped her arms back around his waist and set her chin on his shoulder. "There's a reason," she told him quietly. "I want you to scrub my back, OK?"

He nodded.

"How can I persuade you that you are freaking gorgeous?" he asked.

Her breath huffed against his ear, "I believe you, or at least, I believe you really think so Kiri. I think you're biased though."

He laughed shakily and said, "I love you, and I think I've burned our dinner."

He stepped forward and rescued the vegetables. Hikaru looked them over and said, "It's not too bad, not like if I were cooking.

He laughed.

"I'm serious," she said. "I can bake OK, but I hate trying to cook anything that you can't start and then leave alone."

Kiri grinned at her and said, "It's fine, I like cooking, I'll always cook for you."

Hikaru blushed.

--

They sat cuddled together as they ate the slightly singed food. "It's good," Hikaru told him. He gave her a wry look. "I mean it," she said. Your food is as good as Kao-ji-chan's food, and he's a chef."

"Your mom's food is pretty good too," he replied.

"My brother's too," she said. "I'm the only one who doesn't enjoy cooking."

He hugged her.

"I don't mind doing dishes though?" she suggested.

"OK," he replied. Then added, "But there's a dishwasher under the counter, so it's not much trouble."

Hikaru laughed.

--

She looked at him uncertainly as she entered the bathroom. "Will you wait until I say I'm ready?" she asked.

He nodded. "Do you want bubbles?" he asked with a grin.

She shook her head and said, "Not this time."

He waited outside the door while Hikaru climbed into the tub and knelt in the center, then called out, "OK."

Kiri came in and started washing her back. When he finished he traced some of her scars with his fingers and asked quietly, "Do you want me to wash your hair?" 

Hikaru looked up at him with a startled expression. "OK?" she replied uncertainly.

He washed her hair, and she melted. He laughed and hugged her. "Don't stay in too long, the water won't get cold," he said quietly into her ear. He kissed the edge of her ear and left.

Outside the bathroom he turned to face the door, slid down the wall, and cried.

--

When Hikaru came out, dried and dressed in her pajamas, he was still sitting there, and she stopped, startled.

He looked up at her and asked a little angrily, "Did you think I would care? Do you think I'm that shallow?"

Hikaru looked at him unhappily. "No," she replied.

"Then why?" he asked. He clambered to his feet and stood in front of her.

"Because the ones that hurt aren't the ones that say things like 'you're ugly' or 'I bet you did that to yourself to get attention', it's the ones that don't want to care but can't help being afraid or disgusted anyway." She gulped and looked at his set face and added, "And I didn't want you to see for the first time, while we were, when we were in the middle..."

He hugged her to him and buried his face in her hair.

"Hikaru I love you, and you're beautiful," he said.

She hugged him back.

He drew her back into the living room and down into his lap. They cuddled for awhile. After a bit, he drew a deep breath and asked, "Does this mean I can take your shirt off now?"

Hikaru laughed and nodded.