Final: Always You

Hana lay curled against Sohei, their bare skin still warm, the air in the room quiet and still. Her heart was racing, her body still tingling from everything they'd just shared. Wrapped in his arms, legs tangled under soft, rumpled sheets that smelled faintly of lavender and something that felt like them, she felt grounded—like this was real.

Sohei's arm was draped over her waist, his fingers lazily tracing soft circles on her skin. The touch was light but full of quiet possession, like he didn't want to let go.

Her head rested against his chest, rising and falling with each steady breath. His heartbeat echoed in her ear, calm and strong. It was comforting, anchoring her in the quiet truth of the moment. No pretending, no walls. Just the two of them—close, real, and completely open.

Sohei shifted slightly, brushing a gentle kiss against her temple, slow and tender. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low and rough, thick with sleep and emotion.

Hana hummed softly, her fingers drifting down Sohei's arm, tracing the shape of his muscles and the small scars along his skin. She smiled to herself. "I should be asking you that," she whispered, a teasing edge in her voice.

Sohei chuckled, the sound deep and low, rumbling through his chest.

His arm tightened around her, pulling her closer. "I'm great," he said, voice full of contentment. "You totally wrecked me, though."

There was a hint of wonder in his tone, and Hana's face warmed with a mix of pride and embarrassment. She lightly smacked his chest, but he caught her wrist with ease, his grip gentle.

He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her palm, his eyes locked on hers.

"And you love me anyway," Sohei said, his voice playful but touched with something deeper—something that made Hana's heart skip.

Warmth spread through her chest. "Yeah," she said softly, the word slipping out before she could second-guess it. It was simple, true—and she didn't want to hide it anymore.

His usual smirk faded into something softer, more real. Instead of teasing, he gently cupped her cheek, guiding her gaze back to his. His thumb brushed over her skin, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as he looked at her like he was memorizing everything—her eyes, her breath, the way she looked at him.

He leaned in slowly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. It was soft, steady—like a promise that he was there to stay. Then he kissed the tip of her nose, making her smile despite the storm of feelings inside her.

Finally, he kissed her lips—slow, quiet, and full of emotion. Not rushed or heated like before, but deep and full of meaning. It said everything they hadn't said out loud. Hana melted into him, her hands resting on his shoulders, fingers curling into his skin.

When he pulled back, she hesitated. Her heart pounded as she whispered, "…Sohei?" her voice barely breaking the stillness of the room.

"Hm?" he murmured, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face, his touch so gentle it made her heart ache.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his for any sign of recognition.

Sohei frowned slightly, as if confused by the sudden shift in topic. "At the company?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to piece together what she was getting at.

Hana hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip before shaking her head. "No… before that." She felt his body still beneath her, his breathing growing shallow as he waited for her to continue. "…The café," she clarified, her voice soft but steady. "The spill incident."

Sohei didn't respond immediately. Instead, he reached out, tucking her closer against him, his lips ghosting over her hair as if to steady himself. "Of course, I remember," he finally admitted, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant, as if he were revealing something he had kept hidden for a long time.

Hana's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest. She had always wondered. That day at the company, when they were officially introduced, he had acted like he was seeing her for the first time. But he had known. The thought made her stomach flip, a rush of emotions flooding through her—surprise, relief, and something else she couldn't quite name.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her fingers tightening slightly against his shoulders as she waited for his answer.

Sohei exhaled, his fingers trailing absentmindedly down her spine, sending shivers through her body. "Because I wanted to see if you remembered," he admitted, his voice low and tinged with something that sounded almost like vulnerability.

Hana pulled back slightly to look at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I spilled coffee all over myself," she pointed out, her voice tinged with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Kind of hard to forget."

He smirked, the corners of his lips curling upward in that way that always made her stomach flutter. "You also looked completely horrified and ran out before I could say anything," he added, his tone teasing but his eyes soft, as if the memory was something he had held onto, something he had cherished.

Hana groaned, burying her face in his chest, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I thought I'd never see you again," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his skin.

Sohei hummed in amusement, his hand stroking her back in soothing motions, as if to reassure her that it was all in the past now. "And then fate threw us back together," he said, his voice warm, almost reverent, as if he were marveling at the way their paths had crossed again.

Hana peeked up at him, her expression softer now, her heart swelling with a warmth she hadn't known was possible. "And the keychain?" she asked.

His fingers stilled against her back, and she felt his body tense slightly beneath her. She sat up slightly, searching his face, her eyes wide with curiosity and something else—something that felt a lot like hope. "During the company trip. The one you chose for me," she clarified, her voice trembling slightly as she waited for his response.

Hana flushed, thinking back to the delicate keychain he had given her—a small glass bottle filled with dried flowers. She had kept it with her ever since, always wondering why he had picked that one out of all the others. "I chose it because it reminded me of you," Sohei said simply, his voice quiet but filled with a sincerity that made her chest tighten.

Hana's heart skipped, her breath catching in her throat. "Why?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes searching his for answers.

He brushed his fingers against her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch so gentle it made her want to cry. "The flowers," he murmured, his voice low and filled with something that sounded almost like reverence. "Pressed and delicate, but still beautiful. Preserved in glass, something that lasts."

Hana stared at him, her throat tightening as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She hated how emotional she suddenly felt, how his words seemed to reach deep inside her, touching something she hadn't even realized was there.

"I didn't understand it then," he continued, his gaze steady, his eyes locked on hers as if he were trying to convey something words couldn't quite capture. "But looking back… I think I was already drawn to you, even before I knew it."

Tears spilled over, and Hana quickly wiped them away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Sohei noticed, his expression softening as he reached out to cup her face gently. "Hey," he murmured, his voice filled with a tenderness that made her heart ache. "No crying."

"I'm not," she lied, sniffling as she tried to blink away the tears, but they kept coming, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

He sighed, pulling her down into his arms, letting her bury her face against his chest. His lips pressed to the crown of her head, lingering there as he whispered, "I love you, Hana."

She lifted her head, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw, her lips trembling slightly as she whispered, "I love you too."

Sohei grinned, his eyes lighting up with a warmth that made her stomach flutter. Before she could react, he flipped her back onto the bed, his body hovering over hers again, his expression filled with a playful mischief that made her heart race.

Hana gasped, her face burning as she realized what he was about to do. "Wait—" she started, but he cut her off, his lips grazing her ear as he murmured, "Not my fault. You started it."

Hana groaned, slapping a hand over her face as he laughed against her skin, the sound low and warm and filled with a joy that made her chest ache. And just like that, she knew—she would never get tired of this. Of him. Of them. And that was all she needed to know.

-The End-