Chapter 135. Wrapped in Your Presence

The sun had already risen when Akihiko turned the key to Ayaka's apartment.

The morning light casts golden hues across the wooden floors and bookshelves, the air still tinged with the familiar lavender scent of home.

He carried her in.

Literally.

Ayaka buried her flushed face in the curve of his neck, her arms looped loosely around him as her fingers absently toyed with his shirt collar. "I can walk, you know."

"No." he murmured, voice warm and sleepy. "You barely stood up straight getting out of the car. I'm not risking it."

"You're being dramatic."

"You love it."

She did.

God, she really did.

He set her gently on the edge of her bed, crouched down, and pressed a kiss to her knee. "Stay here. I'll run the bath."

Before she could protest, he was already moving—jacket half off, hair a mess from the night, sleeves rolled back like domesticity was something he wore easily now.

Ayaka watched from the bed, the ache between her thighs and in her chest both reminders that last night hadn't been a dream.

She touched her lips.

She could still feel his kiss there.

The sound of water running snapped her from her daze.

She stood and walked toward the bathroom, only for Akihiko to catch her hand before she even reached the doorway.

He pulled her in, fully clothed as she was, until they stood close, framed by soft steam curling around their bodies.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight today." he said.

She blinked up at him. "Akihiko—"

"I'm serious." His voice lowered, rough with something tender and stubborn. "Not after last night. Not after what we said. I want today to be with you. Just us."

She didn't fight it.

He undressed her slowly, his hands reverent like he was still memorizing her all over again.

Then he pulled off his own clothes and led her into the warm bath, settling behind her as she leaned back into his chest.

His arms locked around her waist.

Her eyes fluttered shut.

They stayed like that for a long time.

No words, just the soft lapping of water and the sound of him occasionally brushing her wet hair aside to press lazy kisses to her neck.

"I used to dream of this..." she whispered finally, her fingers drawing circles over his arm. "Coming home to you. You're holding me like this."

His embrace tightened around her.

"I won't let you go again, Ayaka." he murmured, voice thick against her skin. "I don't care if I have to follow you to work, sleep on your sofa, or anchor myself to your ankle like a damn cat. I'm staying."

She laughed softly, turning her face to kiss his jaw. "You'd be the grumpiest cat."

"And the most loyal."

He moved in the bathwater behind her, his hands slipping lower beneath the water, possessive, claiming. "You're mine. I'll never let another man near you again. Not Miura. Not anyone."

She shivered at the intensity in his voice.

"You're being clingy." she teased.

"I've earned it." he muttered into her ear. "Let me be clingy. Just today."

"Fine." she said, leaning back. "Today."

When they got out, he wrapped her in a towel and dried her hair himself, every movement slow, tender, and worshipful.

He kissed the scar on her stomach from her previous surgery, his touch so careful it made her breath hitch.

And then he followed her into the bedroom.

She expected him to get dressed.

He didn't.

Instead, he pulled her into bed, tangled the sheets over them, and wrapped his arms around her like she might disappear if he let go.

She faced him, their foreheads pressed together.

"You're staring again." she murmured.

"I can't help it." He brushed a thumb over her cheek. "I missed everything about you. Your laugh. Your stupid anime collection. The way you cry at those trashy dramas."

"I do not—!"

"You do. And I'm going to sit through every single one of them with you now. No more missing anything."

Ayaka buried her face in his chest, overwhelmed.

He tightened his arms around her.

"I don't care if we just lie here the whole day." he said. "Just let me hold you. Let me prove I'm not leaving."

So they did just that.

The entire day melted into warmth and soft touches.

They shared snacks in bed.

Fell asleep again after lunch.

She found herself laughing into his chest, tangled in his limbs like it was the most natural place to be.

And every time she moved away—even just to grab a book or fix her pillow—he pulled her back with a soft, "Stay."

By dusk, she stopped resisting.

Because something in her had finally shifted.

Not because the pain had vanished, or because she wasn't afraid anymore—but because, for the first time in three years, she believed him.

This man, who once walked away without goodbye, was now holding on like she was the only thing tethering him to the earth.

And maybe she was.

------

Sunlight spilled through the cream-colored curtains, brushing warmth against Ayaka's skin.

The apartment was quiet, save for the rhythmic ticking of the clock and the low, steady breathing of the man beside her.

She stirred beneath the soft, tangled sheets, her cheek pressed to the bare chest of the man she once feared she'd never see again.

Akihiko.

His breathing was calm, even, as if he were still caught in sleep's embrace.

But his hold on her — one arm curved snugly around her waist, the other beneath her head — was anything but loose.

He clung to her like a man afraid she might vanish.

She tilted her head, eyes drifting to his face.

For a long moment, she simply lay there, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear.

It was real.

He was here.

His scent — fresh and faintly musky — clung to her sheets and skin.

His presence radiated warmth like the sun outside.

No ghost.

No dream.

Just Akihiko.

Soft, quiet, disheveled in a way few people ever got to see him.

She tilted her face up to study him.

His silver hair was a mess.

A few strands stuck to his forehead.

His brows were relaxed, mouth parted slightly, the edges of a sleepy smirk still visible even in unconsciousness.

He looked… human.

Not the brilliant, untouchable Ice Prince the world revered.

Just hers.

She couldn't resist.

She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his jaw, then his cheek, and finally the corner of his lips.

His lashes flicked.

"Stealing a kiss early in the morning?" he murmured, voice hoarse and thick with sleep.

Ayaka froze mid-kiss. "You were supposed to be asleep."

"I was." he said, cracking one eye open, "until someone got greedy."

She gave him a shove, laughing under her breath.

But he caught her wrist and pulled her back down onto his chest.

"No escaping." he whispered. "Not today. Not anymore."

She sighed in a mock defeat and settled into his arms again. "You're sooo clingy for an Ice Prince."

"You like it."

"I'm getting used to it."

He opened both eyes then, crystal blue and devastatingly tender. "You don't have to get used to it. This is how it's going to be from now on."

Her heart swelled in her chest.

"You promise?" she whispered.

His fingers brushed over her lower back, his lips brushing her temple. "I swear."

They stayed like that for a while, warm and silent, their limbs entangled, the scent of their shared night lingering in the air.

She didn't want to move.

She didn't want to lose the moment.

Akihiko's voice broke the calm. "Are you happy?"

Ayaka looked up at him.

He was gazing at her intently, blue eyes unguarded.

"I am." she whispered. "Are you?"

"Now that I have you again?" He kissed her forehead. "Yeah. But I'm never letting you go this time. You know that, right?"

She smiled. "You've said that ten times already."

"Get used to it. I'm your clingy Ice Prince now."

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She groaned and reached for it, squinting at the screen.

"Makoto?"

Akihiko blinked, shifting to sit up against the headboard. "This early?"

She answered. "Hello?"

"Ayaka." Makoto's voice was tight, almost breathless.

"What's wrong?" she asked instantly, her posture straightening.

"Sorry to call so early… I need Dr. Nakamura's number."

"What?" She glanced at Akihiko, confused. "Why? What happened?"

"It's my mom. She collapsed this morning. I brought her to Tokyo Medical Center. The team's checking her now, but I… I think it's serious. I need to talk to him. Please."

Her heart jumped. "I'll put him on—hold on."

She handed the phone to Akihiko, who didn't hesitate.

"Miura. What are her symptoms?"

Ayaka quickly climbed out of bed, pulling on whatever clothes she could find.

She could hear Akihiko's tone grow sharp, precise, focused — the doctor taking over.

"Understood. That's why they referred your mom to a surgeon. I'm on my way."

He ended the call and looked at her.

"I need to see her myself."

"I'm coming too."

They were both dressed and out the door in under five minutes.

The drive to Tokyo Medical Center was brisk, tension thick in the air.

Akihiko's fingers gripped the wheel tighter than usual, his jaw set.

Ayaka's hand reached over, settling over his.

"She's going to be okay." she said softly. "You're going to take care of her."

He didn't say anything at first — but he smiled softly at her.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, the sky had fully brightened, but there was a heaviness in the air neither of them could shake.

They rushed through the sliding glass doors together.

It wasn't just any case.

It was personal.