Aiko’s small hands clutched the front of Nash’s black hoodie so tightly that her hands were trembling due to her own pressure.

Her body pressed fully against his tall, muscular frame. She barely reached his chest, so she had to tilt her head way up to look at him. Her red twintails brushed against her shoulders with every shaky breath.

She wanted him. Right here. Right now. Her voice came out soft and trembling.

"Nash..." she whispered, her fingers twisting harder into his hoodie.

Nash’s large hands rested firmly on her slim waist. His thumbs moved slowly across the bare skin where her short top had ridden up. He looked down at her, for a moment he staying silent, then he let out a low breath.

"Aiko... wait a bit," he said gently. "Let’s not do it here."

Aiko’s eyes widened. She shook her head quickly, her red twintails bouncing.

"No! I do not want to wait!" she protested, her cheeks turning pink. She looked away for a second, embarrassed, then forced herself to glare back up at him. "You... You’re always like this. I... I have been holding back for so long already. Every time we get close, something always stops us. I am tired of it! Right here is fine. I do not care how it looks or how it smells. I just want you now."

She rose up on her toes, trying to close the small gap between their lips, her soft breasts pressing more firmly against his hard chest. Her fingers pulled at his hoodie as if she could drag him down to her.

Nash gave a soft chuckle. He gently held her shoulders to keep a tiny bit of distance, though his thumbs still stroked her warm skin.

"You are really something else," he murmured, a teasing smile on his mouth. "Listen, I want this too. Badly. But your first time should not happen against cold rusty metal where any sailor could walk by and see us. You deserve a real bed. Soft lights, time to relax, you know the good stuff. I want to take my time with you and make sure you feel good, not rushed and uncomfortable."

Aiko puffed out her cheeks in that classic way, her pale face growing redder. She looked embarrassed but stubborn at the same time.

"I do not need all that fancy stuff!" she hissed. "Stop treating me like I am some fragile doll. I am not scared of a dirty pier. I just... I really want you right now, okay? What if we go back and something happens again? What if we get another mission or someone interrupts us? I do not want to risk it. I have waited enough!"

She tugged harder on his hoodie, her small body trembling against his. Her fruity strawberry scent mixed with the dirty air as she shifted closer.

Nash’s expression softened. He cupped her flushed face gently with both of his big hands, his thumbs brushing over her warm cheeks. He leaned down until his forehead rested lightly against hers.

"I am not going anywhere without you," he said quietly. "You are mine, Aiko. That means I am going to do this the right way. I do not want you looking back and remembering your first time as something quick and dirty on a pier. I want you to feel safe and wanted. Trust me on this."

He pressed a slow, tender kiss to her forehead, his lips warm against her skin.

Aiko made a small frustrated sound in her throat, half groan and half sigh. She buried her face against his broad chest for a moment, breathing in his warm, masculine scent. Finally, she nodded slowly, even though her body still burned.

"...Fine," she mumbled into his hoodie, her voice muffled and pouty. "But you had better make it really worth the wait. Or I will be mad at you forever."

Nash chuckled softly.

"I will. I promise."

They left the pier and got into a taxi that took them back through the underground streets. Aiko sat really close to Nash, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her top the whole ride. Every time the car turned, her red twintails swayed against her shoulders. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The smell of strawberries coming from her skin filled the whole back seat.

Neither of them talked much, but the air between them felt heavy and warm.

When the taxi stopped in front of Velvet Rest, Aiko peeked out at the love hotel. It was squeezed between two boring-looking buildings, its pink and purple neon lights shining softly in the kinda dirty commercial area.

It wasn’t fancy or anything, but it was clean enough for their world. Down here, in the underworld, people just did it wherever, alleys, rooftops, even in parked cars. Nobody cared. Nash was the weird one for wanting something better, like an actual bed.

At the front desk, Nash paid for the whole night. Aiko stood behind him, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat.

Whole night. The words spun around in her head like a song stuck on repeat.

This wasn’t a quick stop. This was hours, until morning. No rushing, no escaping. Just the two of them in that room, doing all the things she had been imagining for weeks.

Her stomach twisted, half excitement, half nervousness so deep it made her hands shake.

She pressed her thighs together, suddenly realizing how wet she already was just from thinking about it.

Nash turned around with the key card in his hand and saw her nervous face. He grinned, the kind of teasing smile that made her cheeks burn.

"You look scared now," he said, leaning down a little so his breath brushed her ear. "Thought you wanted me right there on the pier?"

Aiko stayed quiet for a second before puffing her cheeks and glaring up at him.

"I am not scared!" she shot back. "I am just making sure! Stop teasing me, dummy. You’re the one who said no back there."

Nash laughed softly. He stepped closer, his tall body casting a shadow over her small frame. He leaned down until his mouth was right by her ear.

"Last chance to run," he murmured. "Once we go inside, I won’t hold back."

Aiko’s breath hitched. Her body was heating in a record time, filled with embarrassment and something even hotter.

Her face burned.

"You... You won’t get rid of me that easy!" she huffed, her voice shaky but stubborn. "I’m not running! Stop trying to scare me!"

Nash’s grin widened.

"Good. That’s what I wanted to hear."

He took her hand.

"Come on. Let’s go."

The hallway had warm orange lights and some quiet music playing. As they walked, they passed closed doors.

Behind one, Aiko clearly heard wet kisses, soft moans, and the creak of a bed. The sounds were raw, totally unashamed. She swallowed hard, her steps slowing down a little.

Soon that’ll be me, she thought. Making those noises. Moaning like that because of Nash. Everyone in this hall will know exactly what we’re doing...

She was so lost in her thoughts that she bumped right into Nash’s back when he stopped. Blinking, she realized they were at the end of the hallway.

Room 17. Nash slid the key card in. The door clicked open.

The room was warmer and cleaner than she expected. Soft yellow lights lit up a huge bed with white sheets and thick pillows. Through the open bathroom door, she saw a deep tub, and the air smelled faintly like vanilla.

Aiko stepped inside, looking around slowly. Way better than that rusty pier. The bed looked soft, big enough for everything she’d imagined. But her nerves just kept growing. Her hands trembled a little. Her breathing stayed quick and shallow.

This place was more than a room, it was the place she would enter a new world.

She turned to Nash and tried to sound confident, but her voice came out smaller than she wanted.

"So... d-d-d-do we start n-now?"

Nash closed the door behind them. There it was, the confirmation. There was no running now. Aiko’s heart raced even faster.

He looked at her flushed face, her nervous eyes, then gave her that slow, teasing grin.

"Not yet," he said. "Bath first."

Aiko pouted immediately, her twintails bouncing as she shook her head.

"You’re doing this on purpose!" she accused, cheeks burning. "First the pier, now a bath? Are you trying to torture me?"

Nash laughed as he pulled off his black hoodie in one smooth move, revealing arms and a chest so toned Aiko’s brain short-circuited for a second.

This girl was so full of surprises, one second teasing, the next flustered, then panicking.

She was angry, yet she stared at him like an expensive paint, her heat pooling low in her stomach.

"It’s tradition," he said, tossing the hoodie onto a chair. "You’ll thank me later when you’re relaxed. Trust me. I’ll be fast."

He turned toward the bathroom but paused at the door, glancing back with a smirk.

"No peeking."

Aiko crossed her arms, trying to hide how flustered she was.

"I won’t peek! Who do you think I am?"

Nash chuckled and closed the bathroom door behind him. The sound of running water filled the room.

Aiko stood there for a second, his bare chest still burned into her mind. Then she sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her knees together tightly, gripping the mattress with both hands. The sheets felt cool and smooth under her fingers.

This is really happening. The whole night is ours.

She patted the bed lightly, imagining everything that would happen here. But the nerves just kept growing.

What if I’m bad at it? What if I make weird noises? What if I’m too nervous and just freeze? Nash has been with so many girls... what if I disappoint him? What if he gets bored of me after this?

The water kept running, the sound making her anxiety worse.

Aiko frowned. She raised both hands and slapped her own cheeks, hard.

"No," she muttered to herself. "You waited too long for this. You’re not backing out now. You’re Aiko. You can do this."

She took a deep breath, then grabbed her phone with shaky fingers. Opened the browser. Typed fast:

"best positions for sex"