By the time Eri and Alex reached her house, the tension from school had finally started to fade.

  Not completely.

  Becca had a way of lingering in the back of your mind like an unfinished question.

  But for now?

  They were safe.

  Eri pushed open the front door and immediately kicked off her shoes.

  “Home,” she sighed.

  Her ears rexed almost instantly, rising back to their normal height, and her tails stretched behind her in a slow, relieved wave.

  Alex stepped inside after her.

  “I’m starting to understand why you rush home every day.”

  “Because of Becca?”

  “No,” he said. “Because this pce is peaceful.”

  Eri smirked slightly.

  “You haven’t seen it when Yui is energetic.”

  As if summoned by name—

  Mira’s voice drifted from the living room.

  “She’s at a friend’s house today luckily.”

  Eri peeked around the corner.

  Mira was sitting on the couch with a book, clearly pretending she hadn’t been waiting for them to walk in.

  Her eyes flicked up briefly.

  Then immediately toward Alex.

  Then toward Eri.

  Then toward their faces.

  Her smile slowly appeared.

  “Oh good,” Mira said calmly. “You survived the Becca interrogation.”

  Eri groaned.

  “She’s getting scary.”

  “She’s getting close,” Mira corrected.

  Alex nodded.

  “Very close.”

  Mira shut her book.

  “Well, lucky for you two—”

  She waved toward the hallway.

  “Your room is Becca-free.”

  Eri rolled her eyes.

  “Thank you for that information.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Eri grabbed Alex’s sleeve.

  “Come on.”

  Mira watched them walk down the hallway.

  Her grin widened slightly.

  “Oh this is going to be fun,” she muttered.

  —

  Eri’s room felt immediately calming.

  Soft afternoon light streamed through the window.

  Her bed was slightly messy from that morning.

  A few bnkets, pillows, and the usual clutter that had slowly built up over the past few weeks.

  Alex sat down on the edge of the bed.

  Eri dropped beside him.

  For a moment…

  They just sat there.

  Quiet.

  Finally away from the stress of school.

  Eri flopped backward onto the mattress dramatically.

  “Today was exhausting.”

  Alex leaned back on his hands.

  “You handled it pretty well.”

  “She asked if we had met before.”

  “Yeah.”

  Eri groaned and covered her face.

  “She’s so close.”

  Alex nodded slowly.

  “She just hasn’t made the final connection.”

  Eri peeked at him through her fingers.

  “…Do you think she will?”

  “Eventually.”

  Eri stared at the ceiling.

  “…Great.”

  Her tails swayed zily behind her on the bed.

  Alex gnced at them.

  “You know they twitch whenever you’re stressed.”

  “They do not.”

  “They absolutely do.”

  She rolled onto her side to gre at him.

  “They are perfectly controlled.”

  One tail flicked dramatically.

  Alex pointed.

  “See?”

  “That was intentional.”

  “Sure it was.”

  Eri huffed.

  Then after a second…

  She scooted a little closer to him.

  Her ears twitched slightly.

  “…Hey.”

  “Yeah?”

  “…Thanks.”

  “For what.”

  “For not panicking when she asks weird questions.”

  Alex shrugged.

  “I’m used to weird situations now.”

  Eri smiled faintly.

  Her tails slowly curled around behind her again.

  For a moment they just looked at each other.

  The quiet was different now.

  Softer.

  Warmer.

  Alex spoke first.

  “…You know Mira definitely suspects something.”

  “About the kissing?”

  “About everything.”

  Eri groaned.

  “She’s impossible.”

  Alex chuckled.

  Then his expression softened slightly.

  “…Eri?”

  “Yeah?”

  “…Can I try something?”

  Her ears perked slightly.

  “What kind of something.”

  “Just…”

  He hesitated.

  “…this.”

  He leaned forward slightly.

  Eri froze for half a second.

  Then her ears turned pink.

  “…Oh.”

  But she didn’t move away.

  Their faces were only inches apart now.

  Alex paused just long enough to give her time to stop him.

  She didn’t.

  So he closed the distance.

  The kiss was quick.

  Soft.

  Warm.

  Eri’s tails immediately fluffed out slightly behind her.

  Her ears turned bright red.

  And for a second she forgot how breathing worked.

  Then—

  The door opened.

  “Oh good, you two are—”

  Mom stopped mid-sentence.

  Eri and Alex separated like two magnets being violently pulled apart.

  Eri sat straight up.

  Alex nearly fell off the bed.

  Mom stood in the doorway.

  Silent.

  Blinking.

  Her eyes moved slowly between them.

  Then to Eri’s ears.

  Then to Alex again.

  Then back to Eri.

  “…Well,” she said calmly.

  Eri wanted to evaporate.

  “Mom I—”

  Mom held up a hand.

  “Nope.”

  She turned around.

  “I did not see anything.”

  The door closed again.

  Eri buried her face in a pillow.

  Alex covered his face with both hands.

  “…We’re dead.”

  Mira’s voice came from the hallway almost instantly.

  “DID YOU SEE THAT?”

  Mom’s voice answered.

  “Yes.”

  “WAS IT CUTE?”

  “Extremely.”

  Eri made a muffled screaming noise into the pillow.

  Alex started ughing helplessly.

  Eri looked up, horrified.

  “Why are you ughing?!”

  “Because your mom just approved our retionship in real time.”

  “That is not what happened!”

  From the hallway—

  Mira yelled through the door.

  “IT ABSOLUTELY IS!”

  Eri grabbed another pillow and threw it at the door.

  “GO AWAY!”

  Mira ughed.

  Mom’s voice drifted back down the hallway.

  “Dinner in an hour!”

  Then quieter—

  “And Alex, you’re welcome to stay.”

  Alex blinked.

  “…That sounded very accepting.”

  Eri slowly sat back down.

  Her ears were still red.

  Her tails were still puffed.

  “…I can’t believe that just happened.”

  Alex grinned.

  “Your mom seems happy.”

  Eri groaned again.

  “She’s going to tell Mira everything.”

  “She already knows everything.”

  “…True.”

  After a moment—

  Alex gently bumped her shoulder.

  “…Worth it though.”

  Eri looked at him.

  Her ears slowly rexed again.

  “…Yeah.”

  Her tails curled around slightly behind her.

  “…Worth it.”