Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Is this it? Huh…”

Sadayo Kawakami came to a hesitant stop and looked at the half-graffitied sign before her, then toward the elevator that was nestled away in an alcove in the already-obscure alley.

“Could it be any seedier...? Whatever. He swore by it, so I may as well…”

She took it up, eyed the doorplates as she meandered down the corridor… and while she didn’t know what to expect, the room beyond the blue door took her a bit off guard.

The fluorescent bulb overhead was steady, though dim to the point where she almost had to squint for a moment to fully take in her environment.

The couch, while unstained, seemed fairly worn, as though it had been picked up from a thrift shop on a bargain— the occasional tears in its fabric were taped up with as close a match in color as the owner could find. Above it was a bulletin board, tacked full of notices that, for the most part, seemed to be photocopied with poor contrast from a machine that was clearly low on toner. The posters and notices elsewhere in the room— medical diagrams, cute images of cartoon characters— were crudely duct taped onto the wall.

Either they don’t care at all, or they hardly get enough business to stay afloat...

A surprisingly vibrant plant caught her eye for a moment, but given the vibe of everything else in the room she quickly presumed it was fake.

“Can I help you?”

The sudden voice made Kawakami jump a bit, and as she jerked to the left she saw a young woman behind the reception window, leaning on her arms. An amused smile crossed her face.

“Skittish, are we? It’s fine. What can I do for you?”

“Sorry, you caught me a little off guard,” Kawakami replied, collecting herself once more. “Uhm… a friend of mine recommended you to me, so I wanted to see if you can do anything to help me out.”

The woman behind the counter— who had to be a couple of years younger than her, if Kawakami had to guess— raised a brow skeptically. The shoulders of her white labcoat rose and sank slightly with a slow, somewhat hesitant breath.

“That… depends on what you’re here for, I suppose.”

“Oh… well.”
Kawakami blinked in disbelief. Is the receptionist always this rude to people? No wonder they don’t get much business… 

“I suppose it’s just anxiety,” she thought aloud. “It’s just gotten more severe, and I can’t say I know how to deal with it, is all.”

The woman clicked her tongue quietly, her eyes boring into Kawakami’s own as if to try and pierce a potential lie. After a moment, she nodded her head to the side as if to say ‘might as well,’ and stood from the shabby office chair she had been seated in.

“Alright, let’s take a look. Go ahead and pop into the exam room for me.”

She disappeared from sight before Kawakami could say anything, leaving her standing there in confusion for a moment.

Wait, is she…? She’s far too young!

With a cautious breath, she opened the other door which led into the clinic’s sole exam room.

While the room she entered wasn’t pristine by any means, it was at least a bit more reassuring than the lobby. Quietly, she sat on the examination bed and a moment later her suspicions were confirmed as the woman from the receptionist’s desk entered the room from a curtained doorway near the only other entrance.

Without looking at or addressing Kawakami at all, she turned to the door and locked it before leaning against it and eyeing her new patient.

“So what is it you’re here for, again?”

Though unsettled, Kawakami spoke up in as level a voice as she could muster, the same kind of energy she would channel when she had to stand firm as a teacher.
“I’d like to look into something for anxiety,” she asserted plainly.

After another second or two, the woman gave a nod and crossed the room to sit in the nearby office chair.

“You’ll have to excuse my skepticism; it’s not uncommon for me to have people coming in after being ‘referred’ by someone to try and score drugs from here.” She bowed her upper body slightly, causing the dog tags around her neck to jingle.

“Tae Takemi. Welcome to my clinic.”

“Ah… Sadayo Kawakami. It’s nice to meet you. I apologize as well, I didn’t know you were actually the doctor…”

Takemi closed her eyes, chuckling quietly. “I get that a lot, too. I assure you, I’m a fully licensed medical physician.”

For a moment, Kawakami tried to process the fact that the young lady with the goth-punk aesthetic before her was, in fact, a certified doctor. Regardless, she still felt obligated to clear her name.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think ‘scoring drugs’ would go well with my line of work, anyway,” she noted as Takemi handed her a clipboard of paperwork. As they continued their conversation, she filled out her personal information.

“Oh yeah? What is it you do?”
“I’m a high school teacher, at Shujin Academy.”

Takemi’s brows lifted as her mouth twisted into a smirk.
“God, maybe you do need the good drugs then. High school? Yikes.”

“They’re not all bad,” Kawakami replied, wrapping up the details on the page. “One of my students referred me here, actually.”

“A student, hm?” As Takemi accepted the clipboard back and began to skim over the information, her eyes flitted back up to the woman before her. “Thought you said it was a friend.”

“Ah—! Well, it’s more that… … It’s complicated. He’s a good kid, and he’s helped me out a lot. Nothing inappropriate.”

“A student at Shujin who’s a good guy and knows this place… hm,” Takemi muttered quietly, before chuckling to herself once more. “Sounds like you must teach my… let’s say ‘assistant’.”

Kawakami’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait, does Amamiya-kun—”
“Yyyyep. He’s helping me with trials for a medicine I’m working on right now. S’a good kid.”

She set the clipboard in her lap and crossed her legs.

So, Kawakami-san. Explain your situation to me. —I mean, I get the whole anxiety thing, but give me a little more detail.” 

“Well, I don’t know how to explain it without sounding a little crazy… but as soon as my alarm goes off in the morning, I’m filled with dread. Really, as soon as I wake up.” 
Kawakami’s face showed an amount of concern that was a bit unlike her. Not that she was never empathetic— once her students got to know her better she could be surprisingly so— but in this moment she seemed to understand that what she was feeling was innately wrong. 

“I love teaching, and frankly I would do anything for my students… but I suppose with having to take on a second job and attempt to balance both… I’m a bit overwhelmed each day before it even begins.”

Takemi nodded quietly, jotting a few notes down in the margins of her new patient’s paperwork. Eventually, as she finished up the last few words, she spoke.

“Yyyyyep. Sounds like classic anxiety all right.” She set the clipboard down on her desk and lifted her gaze to meet Kawakami’s. “If Amamiya trusts you, I’m not going to make a big deal out of this. I’m gonna send you home with a trial run of something, and all I ask is you let me know how it makes you feel. Of course, if there’s any significant side effects, stop taking it immediately. Got it?”

Kawakami nodded. That was… weirdly easy, she thought.
“Of course. Is there anything else I should know?”

“It’s possible you’ll feel kind of fuzzy when you try it, like you’ve got cotton in your head. Don’t let that alarm you. And it’s not something you need to build up in order to be effective, just take them as-needed.”

Kawakami nodded as the doctor stood and made her way back behind the curtain for a moment. The sound of sliding cabinet doors reverberated from the other room, and after about thirty seconds, Takemi stepped back out with a small, orange plastic container.

“There’s a week’s worth in here; don’t go more than once a day. If you’re able, I’d like you to come back then and let me know. If necessary I can switch you to something else. Sound good?”

Kawakami took the bottle, still a bit surprised at just how easy the ordeal had turned out. “Yes, it does. Thank you so much, Takemi-hakase.”

“Whoa, alright then,” Takemi smiled softly. “Let’s just stick with ‘-san’. I feel weird asking a girl near my age to be so formal.”

“I didn’t want to ask,” Kawakami confessed, “but now you’ve got me curious. I mean, you look like you’re fresh out of college, not med school. How young are you?”

With a coy smile, the physician picked up the clipboard once more and scanned the writing on it.
“I ammmm…” she paused for a moment, then nodded, “four years older than you. Almost five, actually.”

“Wh— You’re joking!”
Absolutely bewildered, Kawakami shook her head. “You look, like… twenty-two!” In response, Takemi’s smile grew, though she was clearly trying to stifle it.

“I appreciate that. Don’t act so alarmed, though. You don’t look as old as you clearly think you do.”
“Wha—?”

Takemi leaned back in her chair, motioning a hand in the air.
“Have some confidence. You’re a good-looking girl, nobody’s gonna think you’re past your prime or whatever.”

Kawakami’s eyes fell to the side as she recalled her boss at Victoria  saying he was going to start giving priority to ‘younger girls’. She couldn’t help but mumble her reply.

“If you say so…”

“Anyways,” Takemi said, shifting her legs and standing up, “I suppose we’re getting off-track. Keep me posted on how these are working for you, and I’ll see you a week from now.”

“Y-yes, thank you again,” Kawakami said as she followed suit, delivering a slight bow after standing. “It’s been nice talking to you, ah… Takemi… -san. I appreciate the help.”

“Of course. Get home safe, yeah?” Takemi opened the door, allowing her patient to move to the exit.

“Mm.” With a final bow, Kawakami turned to the clinic’s exit.

As she left, Tae Takemi’s eyes flitted nonchalantly down the woman’s body, giving her figure a quick once-over before heading back to the reception desk.

Huh. Cute, she thought to herself.

Chapter Text

“Nngh… Noooo…” 

Kawakami groaned quietly to herself as the beeping of her alarm clock pulled her from her slumber.

Before even forming a true thought, her mind settled on a quiet, repeated nononoIcan’tdothis. She pulled the covers tighter for a moment, before shaking her head gently. 

You have to, Sadayo. Your students need you.

She extended a hand to the bedside table, feebly grasping for the pill container she had been provided with, and slipped one into her mouth. With what little effort she could muster she lifted herself upright, downing a sip of water and swallowing. Deep, slow inhale… and, exhale. It’s going to be okay.

She turned on the lamp beside her and eyed the small orange bottle, which was now empty. Last one, huh? So I’m seeing Takemi-san today, then. 

It was something to look forward to, at least. Takemi seemed rather nice, if not a bit snarky.

She made it through the work day a little more easily than expected, and by mid-afternoon she was back at the clinic, sitting opposite the young doctor.

“So, Kawakami-san… How’re you feeling?”

Takemi looked up from the clipboard as she set it in her lap. Her expression was, to Kawakami’s surprise, shockingly attentive.

“Ah… Good, I think.” Kawakami tried her best not to feel uncomfortable in the exam room. The first few minutes in a doctor’s office were always so awkward, to her. “You weren’t joking about the cloudy feeling… but I’ve been making it through my work days without too much difficulty, so I suppose you could say it’s been good.”

“That’s wonderful.” Takemi closed her eyes with a smile as she nodded, as though she were pleased with her own work. “If it’s all fine with you, then, I guess we’ll keep on prescribing that to you.”

“That would be a huge relief,” Kawakami replied, bowing her head graciously. “What do I owe you?”

As she swept her purse into her lap, Takemi waved a hand dismissively. “Put it back, it’s free of charge.”

Kawakami almost began to stammer. “What?! No, I can’t do that to you. Seriously, how much?”

A chuckle left Takemi’s lips as she shook her head lightly.
“Well, how about this: being a disgraced, back-alley medical doctor doesn’t really leave me with a lot of options in the ‘friends’ department. Hit up a bar with me or something and we’ll call it even.”

“Uhm… You want to hang out with me?” Kawakami asked in disbelief, her brow raised. “I promise you, I’m really not that exciting…”

“Well, I was going to say a club or something, so be glad I toned it down this much.”

“Oh, god… Yeah, I think maybe I’m too old for that kind of thing.”

“‘Old’ is a matter of perspective, Kawa-chan.”

“K-Kawa-chan?!”

With a quiet giggle, Takemi stood up. “Doesn’t have to stick if you don’t want it to,” she teased. “But that said, you’re my last patient for the day and I don’t mind closing up a little early, if you do in fact wanna hit the bar.”

Kawakami thought about it, for a moment— but only a moment, as there weren’t many times in which she felt she couldn’t use a drink, and the offer of actual friendship was appealing as well. If anything, she was nervous about disappointing the doctor.

“I think that’d be nice.”

She had to admit, the interior of the bar was far more welcoming than anticipated— and not just because of the large, heart-shaped “WELCOME LOVE” sign that hung above the shelves.

The bar had a healthy, pink-orange glow to it, with bead curtains and drapes bordering each booth. Given that it wasn’t particularly late, however, Kawakami was unsurprised to find that the place was empty.

Well, almost empty.

“Lala-chan! Refill, pleeeeease!”

The slurring woman at the bar turned to look at the two that had just entered. For a moment she seemed confused, then her eyes lit up.

“…Oh! I remember youuu!” Her face suddenly appeared more sober, if only for a split second, as she lifted a hand in a friendly wave. “It’s… Takeshi, right?”

“Eh, close enough,” Takemi said with a smirk, and as the two approached the bar to grab a seat, the strange woman shouted toward the back. 

“Scratch that, Lala! I’m goin’-a head out. See ya tomorrow!”

She hopped up from her seat and, as she walked out the bar (with remarkable coordination for a drunk gal, Kawakami noted), a raspy tenor voice called out to her.

“Don’t do anything stupid, alright? Go straight home and get some sleep.”

Kawakami turned around to the source of the voice to find a plump woman with gaudy makeup, dressed in a purple kimono and with equally purple hair. The voice coming from her was a bit surprising, at first, but Kawakami was of course nothing short of a consummate professional… at least, that’s what she told herself.

“Welcome, darlings. …Oh, and who’d you bring me today, doctor?”

Takemi chuckled quietly. “Hello, Lala. This is a friend of mine, Kawa-chan.”

Turning a bit pink, Kawakami stammered out a correction. “Ah— Sadayo Kawakami,” she nodded, and was met with a somewhat more theatrical bow from the bartender.

“Lala Escargot. Welcome to my little slice.” She turned back to Takemi. “So what can I get you?”

“I’ll take a mojito blanco, please.”

“And you?”

“Oh, I’ll… have a gin and tonic.”

“Coming right up.”

As Lala stepped away to prepare the drinks, Takemi scanned her new friend with a wry smile. “Maybe I was wrong,” she remarked with a tilt of the head.

“Huh? About what?”

“A gin and tonic? Are you sure you’re not forty-five?”

“H-hey!” Kawakami stammered, shocked. “It’s not that bad! … Is it?” Her wide-eyed gaze shifted into a stare off into space. “Oh, god, am I that bad?”

“Hey, relax… I’m just messing with you.” Takemi nudged her with her shoulder. “No judgment, I swear.”

A moment later, Lala returned with their drinks, pausing for a moment to ensure that both of the women were satisfied.

“I hope it’s not rude to ask,” she began, eyeing the doctor with intrigue, “but I’m dying to know. Have you spoken to Ichiko at all since last week?”

With her eyes fixed on the counter, Takemi raised a brow. “You certainly love your gossip, Lala. No, nothing since.” She took a long, delicate sip from the straw, indicating she was already finished with the conversation.

More than able to read the room, the bartender nodded. “Of course. Sorry to pry, I’ll leave you two ladies to enjoy.”

As she disappeared into the back, Kawakami looked at the woman beside her with curious eyes.
“What was that about?”

Takemi paused, staring at her drink for a moment before returning eye contact. “Why don’t we, ah… abscond to one of the booths, first.” Her voice dropped to a mutter as she added, “I could imagine Lala-chan might want to eavesdrop, otherwise.”

With nothing but a quiet nod, Kawakami agreed and followed the doctor to a booth against the back wall, where Takemi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay, so,” she began. “I don’t want this to, ah… freak you out or anything. But I was a little messy the last time I was here.”

“Huh?” Kawakami shook her head, a bit puzzled. “Why would that freak me out? It happens to most people, doesn’t it? Lord knows I’ve been there.”

“Well, that’s not the part, obviously. I’m not a huge regular here or anything, but I’ve been coming by a bit more recently. You know, just trying to get out more, maybe find… people, I don’t know.”

“Sure, of course.”

“Anyways,” Takemi continued, taking another sip to pace herself. “The girl we saw when we came in, Ichiko Ohya— she’s a journalist, so she’s always trying to get some big scoop or ‘uncover the truth’ or whatever. She saw me, started asking all about my supposed medical malpractice. About as drunk then as she was when you saw her tonight. I try to direct her somewhere else, but she’s not having it. Says she needs some variety in what she publishes, because most of what she has is— get this— information about the phantom thieves from a ‘tall high school kid with glasses’.”

“You don’t mean…?”

“Yep. I’m beginning to wonder just how many older women Amamiya tends to favor. So once we both realize that, she lightens up a bit and we start talking about the kid. I drink more, she drinks more, it gets late, and…”
Takemi lifted the drink to her mouth once more, before pausing and setting it back down with a sigh.

“… we end up making out in one of the booths.” She seemed a bit embarrassed by the fact. “It’s not much, but, that’s probably why she left when we got here. And obviously why Lala asked.”

“Oh… Wow, I had no idea.”

“To be fair, you couldn’t have unless I said something directly.” Takemi chuckled. “Anyway, just don’t get the impression that that’s why I brought us over here. I’m not trying to… you know.”

“Oh! No, no, I don’t think that!” Kawakami’s hands raised in what might have been overcompensation. “Honestly, I’m just glad you invited me out at all. It’s nice. Usually I’m just at home, watching TV or contemplating getting a cat.”

“Okay, now why does that not surprise me?”

“Anyways,” she continued, not letting Takemi get more than a brief word of teasing in, “you’re fine. I’m not ‘make out at a bar’ material, anyway.”

“Lala! Can we get a shot of vodka, please?”

As she heard Lala’s confirmation from across the bar, she turned toward a curious Kawakami.

“You’re too hard on yourself. Every time you say something self-deprecating, I’m ordering you a shot.”

“Wh-what?! I’m not doing that—”
“Then you better start being nice to yourself. It’s an easy fix.”

Kawakami groaned as the small shotglass was set on the table before her, and picked it up with a face full of resentment.

“You’re a monster.”

“I’m keeping you young.”

Gulp.

“Ghh… ugh…” Kawakami made a disgusted face, shaking her head as if it would Etch-a-Sketch the taste away. 

“How’re we feeling?”

“Annoyed. There’s gotta be a way I can get you back for this.”

“In all seriousness, though,” Takemi said, pretending she didn’t hear anything, “thanks for accepting my offer. You’re right; it is nice.” She smiled, raising her glass before taking a long sip. “Nice to not be lonely.”

“See, that’s what I don’t get,” Kawakami replied. “Not to sound like I’m fawning, but… you’re hot. You do know that, right? Surely that kind of look attracts some attention.”

“I do happen to think I’m attractive, yes,” Takemi responded with faux modesty. “But obviously looks aren’t everything.” She leaned in, a gleam in her eye as she smirked at her friend.

“I could have a real dud for a personality. Or, maybe I’m hung up on an old lover. Or…” She paused, cocking her head. “Maybe I just need to find the right person who sparks my interest…”

She leaned in with each word, her voice growing softer and softer, until she was a few inches from Kawakami’s now-pink face.

“Ha!” Just as sudden as her voice had dropped, an entertained laugh burst from Takemi as she leaned back. “Wow, you are thirsty.”

Blushing furiously, Kawakami covered her face. “Y-You can’t just do that!” She moaned quietly to herself. “Seriously!”

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“No, it’s fine, I’m just…”

“Lonely too, huh?”

Eyes cast downward, Kawakami let her hands drop from her face. “I mean, yeah. Who isn’t, these days? We’re all just trying to get by.”

Takemi was going to say something, but she thought better of it. Instead, she took a moment to collect her thoughts as her eyes traced the lonely woman in the yellow sweater beside her.

“Listen, Kawa-chan…”

Kawakami laughed quietly. “You can call me Sadayo, you know. I won’t complain.”

“I’ll consider it.” With a minuscule smile, she continued. “I was being honest when I told you I wanted a friend to go places like this with.”

The pause in between her sentence and the next felt everlong. Eventually, Takemi took a deep breath and finished the sentiment.

“… But all jokes aside, if you’re looking for something a bit bigger… you can… come home with me, tonight.” Her eyes darted to the side as Kawakami looked up, blushing heavily once again.

“Uh! Wait… Really? Wait… I mean… You’re sure…”

“Sure I’m interested in you either emotionally, romantically, or sexually? Yeah, I have a pretty good handle on that kind of thing. But, again… it’s no pressure, I’m perfectly content with a friend. I’ll defer to whatever you feel in particular, here.”

Kawakami sat there for a moment, bewildered. “Um…” Her voice came out as hardly more than a whisper. “I know that I’m… kind of drunk?”

“Of course,” the other woman replied quietly in understanding.

“But, I… would like that. I think that’d be nice.”

She seemed as though she were terrified of sounding stupid. Either way, Takemi nodded quietly and reached out a hand, brushing Kawakami’s hair to the side.
“Well… we can always wait until we’re sobered up to be sure,” she murmured with a smile as her hand fell onto the teacher’s knee.

“Mmm…” Kawakami shook her head. “I’m sure. It’s not even late… so we’ve got time. …right?”

“Heh…” As Takemi’s thumb brushed up and down against the woman’s leg, she nodded softly.

“That we do.”

Chapter Text

The train ride back to Yongen-Jaya was difficult for Kawakami. Through most of the trip she stared downward with her hands in her lap, her gradually sobering mind racing. With each stop, the lurch of the train caused her body to lean into the young doctor, which only served to fluster her further. 

What are you doing, Sadayo? This is ridiculous…

Eventually they reached their stop and, navigating various turns in the residential district, found their way to Takemi’s apartment. As they entered and Takemi flipped the light on, Kawakami blinked a few times and surveyed the scene. It was nothing extravagant, about on par with her own, but she found it daunting nonetheless. She eyed the black leather couch in the center of the room, then the not-quite-separate kitchenette, and finally a closed door with some studded leather fashion accessories hanging off the handle. Before she could say anything, however—

“Here, I’ve got you.”

“—Oh! Ah, thank you…”

Takemi slid the plain beige coat off of her guest’s shoulders and hung it on a nearby hook, before doing the same with her own.

“It’s no problem. I’ve got to be a good host, right?”

As she spoke, she unhooked the several straps on each of her heeled pumps and set them to the side. When she stood upright once more, she was nearly a half foot shorter than Kawakami, to the latter’s surprise.

“Anyway, I know my place isn’t much, but,” Takemi waved toward the couch, “make yourself at home. Do you want any wine?”

Kawakami shook her head softly. “Ah, no, I’m okay… I had enough at the bar, I think…” She took a seat, sitting somewhat awkwardly by herself as Takemi’s voice responded between the clinking of glasses.

“That’s fair. You don’t mind if I have a glass, do you?”

“No, not at all.”

The not-quite-silence in the interim was deafening for Kawakami: the soft pop of a cork, the pouring of liquid and crystal hum of a fingernail striking glass and resonating. She looked down at her phone, opening and closing her messages absent-mindedly in an effort to waste time. When Takemi’s voice suddenly spoke up from her right, she nearly jumped.

“If you change your mind about a drink, just let me know,” the doctor said in earnest, seating herself and pulling her legs up onto the couch at an angle. After a sip of wine, she continued. “I know anxiety is a bit of a… well, let’s say a bitch.”

Her teal dress was already short, but the attempt to get comfortable put most of Takemi’s thighs on display. Paying it no mind, Kawakami nodded. “I appreciate that. I don’t know that I’d call it anxiety, right now…” She shook her head and set a hand on the cushion. “Just nerves, I suppose…”

“Makes sense,” Takemi replied. “Like I said, though, I’m not gonna pressure you with anything. That includes drinking.”

“Thank you… I don’t really do this, so it’s not something I’m very well-versed in…”

“You mean, women?”

“N-no… Well, yes, but just… the whole thing. I’m not the kind of woman people flirt with and take home.”

It was the understatement of the century, Kawakami felt. People never really showed that much interest in her, and she had just kind of grown to accept it. It made enough sense to her… she was, by her own admission, fairly plain in both looks and fashion.

Before she could dwell on it any further, a small, sharp pain struck her right arm.

“—Ow! You flicked me!”

Takemi leaned back into her original position with a smirk, swirling her wine glass playfully. “You said no to drinks so I’m not going to force you to take more shots… but I have to punish you for beating yourself up somehow.”

Rubbing her arm, Kawakami grumbled her response.
“Well, we can’t all be pretty, young-looking doctors…”

As Takemi leaned in once more to punish, she flinched. “Don’t you dare!” The outburst drew a pleased giggle from her host’s lips.

“Fine, fine. But you really are pretty, you know.”

Kawakami blushed and looked away, mumbling something resembling a thank-you. At the very least, Takemi was nice to her…

“Hey. Come here.”

“Wh—?”

She looked up to see Takemi sliding her legs back onto the floor, sitting up more properly. She then patted her lap gently before repeating herself.

“Come here. I’m serious, c’mon.”

Slowly, Kawakami drew closer, halving the distance between them. “Uhm…” She steadily lowered herself, her eyes looking up at Takemi cautiously like a dog, until she found herself laying across the couch with her head in the doctor’s lap. After a moment, she felt almond-tipped nails scratching gently against her scalp, and a wave of bliss flowed through her body. Takemi chuckled to herself.

“You really do carry a lot of tension, huh?” She said at a gentle volume. “Tell me a bit more.”

As Kawakami spoke of her stresses, she began to feel them melt away. Maybe it was just because of the head scratching, or the fingers that were slowly playing with her hair… but suddenly they didn’t seem as heavy as they typically did.

“I can’t say why it doesn’t feel as bad at the moment, but…”

“You’re probably just less lonely.”

The remark was said with simple conviction, but it still took Kawakami off guard.
“What do you mean?”

“Well… If you don’t have someone to share things with, everything can seem a lot heavier. How often do you get the chance to actually talk to someone about your problems?”

Kawakami couldn’t help but laugh.
“I mean, the only one who’s ever bothered to listen was Amamiya-kun, so…”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Takemi rested her other hand against the collarbone of the girl in her lap. “It’s alright, though. It’s obviously not a bad thing that it feels lighter now, right? Just embrace it.”

Kawakami took a deep breath, nodding as well as she could in her horizontal position. It really was nice to get everything off her chest. And, while she enjoyed Amamiya’s company, there was definitely something different about speaking to a female peer. Even though they didn’t have much in common, Takemi seemed so relaxed and non-judgmental about pretty much everything. As a fingertip brushed against her neck, Kawakami shivered.

“Sorry about that,” the doctor’s quiet, calm voice said with a chuckle, “it was an accident.”

“It’s fine…”

After calming her body back down, Kawakami just lay there in silence. For the next ten minutes or so, both women simply relaxed with hardly a word in one another’s company until the gentle play of fingers in her hair caused Kawakami to nearly pass into sleep. Or maybe she did drift off, she wasn’t quite sure— her eyes had closed and her breathing slowed, and when she heard a voice once more it felt as though her calming swim was cut short by being yanked up to the water’s surface.

“Hm…?”

She blinked a few times, first slowly, then a bit quicker, and as she swallowed her mouth felt almost dry. The amused laugh of the doctor was the first thing her mind fully processed.

“I said, ‘are you gonna fall asleep on me?’”

Kawakami immediately shot upright, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, oh my god… I’m a terrible guest!”

“You’re fine, really. I’ll take it as a compliment. … How are you feeling, by the way?” Takemi eyed her curiously as her guest regained her bearings. A moment later, she responded.

“Better, I have to say. I guess I got a little too relaxed, huh?”

The fingers that once scratched Kawakami’s scalp were now tidying her mussed hair. “No such thing,” Takemi replied. “It’s good that you can relax around me. I’m flattered.” She leaned forward and picked up her glass of wine, polishing off the last drops. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can get you though?”

As Kawakami repositioned herself on the couch, her hand brushed against her host’s. Almost immediately, it retracted sharply. “Sorry—”

“Kawa-chan, you know you don’t have to apologize.”

Thin, delicate fingers set themselves upon her hand, and while Kawakami didn’t blush, she felt a heat flood her cheeks and could swear she felt her own heartbeat.

“I know… I’m just…”

“Nerves again?”

“That, yes.” Slowly, she lowered her head onto Takemi’s shoulder, and a moment later she felt the doctor’s fingers wrap around her own.

“Hey, I get it. Who says I’m not nervous? I haven’t exactly brought a pretty girl home in a while.”

Kawakami’s gaze turned downward, flustered by the comment. Takemi’s quiet, deliberate voice pulled her back up, however.

“Would it kill the mood if I kissed you?”

This time, Kawakami did blush, and as she searched for the proper words in response she found herself failing miserably.

“I— I mean, I’m not sure about ‘kill the mood’, but— …that is to say— I’m just— …Yes. —I mean, no, it wouldn’t kill the mood. But, yes, you… can do that.”

With a chuckle, Takemi placed her hand on the anxious woman’s cheek and slowly closed the distance between them. Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “That’s okay. Your goal is to relax, just breathe.”

It had been a very, very long time since Sadayo Kawakami had kissed someone, long enough that she had forgotten the flood of serotonin that comes with it. And, well, she had never kissed a girl. It must have been incredibly obvious to Takemi.

“Are you feeling a little less nervous?”

“Ah… yes,” a blushing Kawakami replied. The doctor smiled and brushed her head against her affectionately before kissing her cheek. When their eyes met once more, their lips followed suit.

Takemi did her best to take it slow, with calm, deliberate kissing and hands that kept from wandering too much… and minute by minute she felt Kawakami pressing ever closer. Once their bodies were as tightly flush as they could be while sitting upright, Takemi inquired again.

“You doing okay?”

“I am.” As Kawakami replied, her voice was tinged with disbelief that she was even doing such a thing, as though she were a bit embarrassed of how juvenile she was acting. Even so, her fingers tightened on the fabric of the woman’s dress. “I just… suppose I like being close to you.”

For the first time all night, Takemi’s smile was more genuine than wry.

“You can get as close as you want.”

The offer was a relief for Kawakami, who began touching her host with caution. Fingers brushing gently, then a hand on the arm, then finally resting on Takemi’s thigh as the doctor caressed the warm skin of her waist just beneath her sweater. The nerves were still there, Takemi noticed, but Kawakami was clearly more willing to reciprocate and so as her hand slowly ran up and down— without going too far— she tested the waters of comfort once more.

“Do you want something more?”

Pretty sure that she could feel her heart hammering all the way up to her throat, Kawakami sheepishly nodded.

“That… sounds nice.”

Chapter Text

It was only a few minutes later that Kawakami found herself sitting on a set of blue-grey bedsheets, more or less in the same position as before. She had felt unbelievably awkward taking the doctor’s hand and being led to the bedroom, but only a short moment later her mind was calmed by the affection she was being given once again.

Takemi brushed a hand across her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Girls were lovely, she thought, but something about the way they looked in the light of the bedroom made them all the more beautiful. As she thought this she felt herself smile, and the kisses that followed trailed from Kawakami’s lips to her jawline, then down to her neck. She smiled as she felt the body beneath her shudder, followed by a hand feebly clenching the fabric of her dress. With a giggle far more youthful than her usual, she leaned into Kawakami until the two were perfectly horizontal.

Anxiety bubbled within Kawakami’s mind— not the kind she had expected, but an uncertainty about what she should be doing in the moment. Should I… say something? I feel like I should be touching her back, but…

While she lay there overanalyzing her situation, a gentle hand slid up her ribs to her breast, caressing her gently. She inhaled quietly in surprise, which led to another soft laugh from Takemi.

“You really haven’t been touched in a while, huh? Are you okay?”

“Yyyes, sorry… Like I said, it’s…” Her voice dropped to a mumble. “… a bit new.”

“I can tell; you’re very red. Should I stop?”

“No!” The notion surprised Kawakami so much that she almost shouted it. Sheepishly, she continued. “…I’m just not really sure what I should be doing in return… Is that silly?”

Takemi hummed in amusement. “Then, like I said: relax, and let me take care of you. You don’t have to do anything at all. Just say the word if you want me to stop or slow down, yeah?”

Kawakami nodded with a quiet, uncertain “okay”, and took a breath once more to compose herself. Takemi reassured her with a kiss on the cheek, then on her lips, from which calm flowed once more.

Once her partner was suitably relaxed, Takemi’s hands returned to their work: warm flesh was greeted by thin, articulate fingers that slid up Kawakami’s stomach before tracing small, slow swirls around her nipple. Using body language as a gauge, she brushed a fingertip across the small nub playfully a few times, then, when Kawakami squirmed lightly, began rolling it between her fingers.

“Mm…”

Takemi smiled through their next few kisses, pleased with the reaction she’d gotten, before letting her kisses travel along her partner’s jawline. The gentle tease of her chest drew another soft moan from Kawakami’s lips… followed by a sharp inhale.

This time it wasn’t Takemi’s fingers, but instead her teeth, which lightly tugged at the woman’s earlobe, sending a swell of sensation shooting up from between her hips and into her stomach and chest. Her legs quivered against Takemi’s own, causing the doctor to smirk.

“Interesting… Looks like I found your weakness,” she said, before dropping her voice to a quiet and sultry tone. “Is there anything else I can do for you…?”

Kawakami felt her whole body shudder as Takemi’s breath hit her ear. She opened her mouth to respond then, with pink cheeks, closed it again without a word, instead just looking up at her partner starry-eyed.

“Oh, I know that look,” Takemi whispered, sitting up slightly. Her fingers, which were still lovingly caressing Kawakami’s breast, slid back down to rest against the waist of her denim skirt. “You want it all, don’t you, babe?”

The question only made Kawakami’s face grow pinker, but she knew Takemi wasn’t wrong. Her body was flush with heat, and every touch electrified her in a way she had forgotten was possible. Sure, while she was working as a maid she had male clients who wanted to pay a little extra for ‘special services’, but… this was different. Takemi’s touch was delicate and sensual; she seemed well aware of how a woman would like to be handled, especially a woman like Kawakami who didn’t find herself worthy of love, let alone most physical intimacy. She lifted her arm, her fingernails gliding up and down Takemi’s back for a moment, before replying in a hushed tone.

“… Is that okay?”

The doctor chuckled, then tilted Kawakami’s chin toward her. “Of course.” With a gentle motion of her fingers, the button of Kawakami’s denim skirt came undone, and the zipper slid down to its lowest point.

“Sit up for me, would you?”

Kawakami did as she was told, and in the next moment the sweater that concealed her frame was lifted over her head and tossed to the side of the bed. Trying her best not to seem flustered, she glanced away. “I’m not really matching, today…”

Sure enough, the beige bra that she had on was a sharp contrast to the red-and-black underwear that peeked out from behind her skirt’s zipper. Takemi chuckled to herself.

“Is that supposed to be a problem?” She rested her hands on the waist of the skirt, nodding toward it in a silent ask for permission. With a bit of hesitation, Kawakami nodded in return.

The skirt dropped gently to the ground, and as Takemi eyed the sight she chuckled beneath her breath. “Well then…”

“Ah, sorry, I’m…” Kawakami drew one of her knees up, attempting to block a bit of the woman’s view. “I mean, I hope you’re… okay with my body.”

With a smirk, Takemi gently moved her knee out of the way before crawling on top of her. “Actually,” she cooed as she neared Kawakami’s breasts, then lips, “I was just thinking how fucking beautiful you are.”

“Wh-what?!” Kawakami uttered in shock, squirming beneath her. “I’m really not; my chest is pretty small, and my thighs are… I mean, compared to you haaaa— ”

She shuddered midsentence as a single fingertip ran up between her thighs, teasing a hint of wetness. As she faltered, Takemi spoke over her.

“What did I say about being mean to yourself? You’re beautiful, Kawa-chan. Every inch of you.”

Takemi continued to run her fingers along the thin cotton, rubbing small circles as she kissed Kawakami’s lips, jaw and neck. In return, Kawakami’s hands began grasping at Takemi’s dress, tugging fabric higher until it was almost to her hips. As she whined quietly, Takemi whispered in her ear.

“You’re feeling needy… I love that.”

She sat up, shuffling her body as she slid off her dress, revealing a matching set of black lace-trimmed underwear that were adorned with small white skulls. Still upright, she began rubbing between Kawakami’s thighs once more, taking in each expression and sound she made with a satisfied smile. After a minute or so of teasing she delicately pulled the fabric to the side and resumed, her fingers becoming slick with wetness as Kawakami gasped and squirmed beneath.

“Ohh… my god,” she whispered, causing Takemi to giggle. With the blessing, she continued and teased the entry of her fingertips, pulling them back every time Kawakami seemed to get too excited.

“S-Stop! Please…” she muttered between breaths, to which Takemi smiled.

“You’re right, I’m being too mean. I told you I’d take care of you, after all…”

She leaned back in and kissed her once more, and on their next descent Takemi’s fingers slid as deeply into Kawakami as they were able, before pulling back out. A long, drawn-out whimper stayed muffled between their lips, and turned into a series of moans as Takemi slowly picked up speed.

“Hahh… hahh… g-…god…”

“Everything okay, Kawa-chan?”

A heat flooded Kawakami’s face. Between the nickname, the doctor tending to her body, and the whimpers coming from her own mouth, she felt positively embarrassed. All she could do in response was close her eyes and nod.

Takemi slowed her pace once more as she giggled contentedly— though it quickly became apparent that the only reason she was doing so was to adjust her body. As her lips traveled downward they stopped to tend to Kawakami’s nipples, suckling and teasing gently with teeth.

“Mm…”

Takemi’s eyes glanced up to meet those of the woman beneath her, and as she saw the sheer extent to which Kawakami had melted, she smiled.

“You’re so lovely…” she whispered, her fingers slowing down even further before delicately withdrawing and tracing ‘Kawa-chan’’s shimmering-wet folds. “I could play with you forever.”

Kawakami’s moans faded to quiet mewling as she watched Takemi kiss her breast again, then her ribs, then stomach. Something in her chest lurched as she realized that the woman showed no sign of slowing down, and as she felt soft lips kiss the mound above her slit a wave of tingling swelled between her hips.

And as those lips brushed against sensitive, pink skin, she let out a cry.

With a giggle, Takemi gently parted Kawakami’s legs and began kissing and licking her slit. With every little cue— a whimper here, clenched thighs there— she switched her approach up until she heard the consistent labored breaths and moans she’d been dying for.

Kawakami’s legs twitched as she tried her best not to reflexively shut them. Briefly, her hands grasped at the sheets beneath her; after a few seconds, Takemi’s hands crept up and interlocked their fingers together as she continued her work.

“T-Takemi-sa haahh…” 

Kawakami’s voice trailed off into a startled moan as the tongue between her thighs plunged deeper, curling like the beckoning of a finger. She gripped Takemi’s hands tighter and soon found herself unable to form any words at all, inadvertently rolling her hips against the woman’s mouth.

“I-I…”

One of Takemi’s hands drew back, and as Kawakami grabbed feebly at the spot where they once were, she felt the thin fingers slide inside her once more. Almost immediately after, the warmth of Takemi’s mouth overcame her as well, tongue delicately fluttering against her clit. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, and as her moans and whimpers grew higher and louder, a feeling swelled in her hips that she hadn’t felt in quite some time.

As Kawakami reached her peak, the muffled, excited moans of the woman between her thighs pushed her up and over the top.

A long, trembling cry filled the air as the full of pleasure flooded her body, wave upon wave spreading straight up her spine and to her fingers and the tips of her toes, before she felt herself clenching every muscle in her body as though to keep the sensation in. Takemi’s loud, pleased moans continued from below as the pulses slowly grew fainter and fainter… and by the time Takemi lifted her head and eyed her with a lewd smile, Kawakami was laying motionless, quietly panting and trying to calm her breath.

“Oh, my,” Takemi chuckled, climbing up slowly and collapsing beside her. “Looks like I took a bit out of you, huh?”

Kawakami let out a staggered exhale that was as close to a laugh as she could muster, then weakly nodded.

“Y… Yeah… …Takemi-san…”

“Oh, come now, Kawa-chan…” Takemi replied in a soft tone, cutting her off and tracing a finger along her breast and stomach, “I’d say you’ve earned calling me ‘Tae’.”

She leaned in closely and kissed Kawakami’s lips. For a brief moment, the woman was startled— she’d never tasted herself, after all, and was a bit confused and surprised by it— but soon she kissed back, pressing up against her paramour.

“Sure, ah… Tae.”

They kissed again, and in a surprisingly affectionate move, Takemi brushed her nose playfully against Kawakami’s cheek.

“Good girl. Now, then… would you like to stay the night?”

The praise flustered Kawakami, who had been about to respond with a sheepish ‘I don’t know’. As she met Takemi’s eyes, though, she found herself unable to speak louder than a mumble.

“If you’re sure you want me…”

Her eyes shot wide as Takemi’s fingers playfully latched onto her nipple. “No beating yourself up,” the doctor replied, with a stern but loving expression. “Take a hint, Kawa-chan. I like you. I want you. Stay with me.”

As her glare softened, she released her grip and ran her hand slowly through Kawakami’s hair. “You’re lovely and I intend to make sure you know it.”

“I still don’t know much about being with women, but…” Kawakami began, but Takemi cut her off.

“… but I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Including the tonguework.”

She chuckled, which in turn made Kawakami giggle. And as they kissed once more, Kawakami felt herself melt into the arms of someone whom she believed would actually, truly love her.