Written Wonderland

How did I let all this happen, Mizu thought to herself, tuning out a lecture for the one of the gen eds should couldn't get out of with her AP classes. She thought over the course of events in her head, from the cuddle party to meeting Serio to them asking each other if they wanted more. And from there to making him dinner, getting ice cream, tugging on his belt loops. The first night he stayed over. The second night he stayed over.

And how Serio and Mizu's roommate, Yukiko, were almost bound to run into each other at some point.

Right, she thought, rolling possibilities through her mind. Mizu could cook again, for the three of them this time, but something about that soured in her mouth. Serio already felt... indebted to her for planning and initiating. And, honestly, she was tired. While her photography major coursework was straightforward and even enjoyable most of the time, there was also her accounting major, which often involved tedious amounts of time and paperwork. Not to mention her internship. She just wanted warm sheets, a camera, a beautiful body laid just so... But that's why she was doing this. To make all of that more possible, more real.

Not cooking at home, then. Ordering in? Out to eat? Surely she had earned enough to cover a meal? But which of them would pay? Would everyone pay for themselves?

She was probably overthinking this. The whole point was just Serio meeting Yukiko. That's it. That's all she needed to accomplish. And, if luck was on Mizu's side, the two of them would talk, and Mizu could just sit back and watch two people she cared about get along.

Coffee house, then? There was a late-night study spot close to campus. They could talk and bring some homework... But it was a little quiet there for get-to-know-you conversations, wasn't it? It wasn't a library, but...

Somewhere close to there, then, in case they wanted options?

In defeat, Mizu sighed almost loud enough for the student closest to her to hear, but she actually just wanted to collapse onto the desk in front of her. This was why she hadn't done relationships in high school. They were complicated. They took up too much time. They...

A flash of pinching one of Serio's nipples while his hand explored between her legs.

Mizu squeezed her legs a little tighter together and stared down at the professor at their podium, more to recenter herself than to pay attention.

Finally, she pulled out her phone and texted Serio.

My roommate is asking again about meeting you. Any thoughts on a good place for that?

Maybe she didn't have to preempt everything herself. Maybe that didn't leave Serio any openings. And, maybe, if this was going to turn into anything meaningful, Mizu would need to learn to do that.

Serio meandered away from the business building toward one of his favorite little clusters of trees, leaning against one as he switched his phone back on and caught up on notifications now that he had some time between classes.

My roommate is asking again about meeting you. Any thoughts on a good place for that?

His heart fluttered nervously as he read Mizu's text, his mind immediately beginning to roll over options. He supposed he'd hoped he could just meet the roommate at their place sometime, but, now that he really thought about it, he could understand that putting a lot on Mizu. He lamented that he couldn't just have them both over, make a good first impression and all that. But his little hole-in-the-wall apartment wasn't exactly the impression he'd like to make. Perhaps neutral territory was the way to go, anyhow.

How about a picnic? We could enjoy some autumn leaves together by the river.

Mizu stared at her phone for a while, hoping he might start typing right away, but he didn't. It made sense. He was probably also in classes and likely getting more out of them.

She pocketed her phone and took notes for the rest of the lecture, if only to keep her attention from wandering off.

After class, she walked along the path to the library, heading toward an empty area of grass to pull out her sandwich. Almost as soon as she sat down on her jacket, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She unzipped her lunch and pulled her snacks out onto her jacket before she let herself look at her phone.

There was a message from Serio.

How about a picnic? We could enjoy some autumn leaves together by the river.

It was a beautiful image, and Mizu was grateful for the thought. She had been thinking about doing some of her coursework photographs down by the water. It would be a great opportunity.

She started typing out a response but quickly realized that making, packing, and transporting food for the three of them only exponentiated what she would need to prepare. May as well just cook at home at that point.

Finally, she messaged back, That's a good thought. Maybe we can meet there in the afternoon this weekend and just go for a walk?

That's a good thought. Maybe we can meet there in the afternoon this weekend and just go for a walk?

Hmm. Serio chewed a small frown when her message came through. What was the friction to a picnic? Well, conversely, what was his friction to just going for a walk? A walk felt transient, he supposed. Maybe that was the point - perhaps this was meant to be a quick meeting? He felt a little bit sad about that, though. Still, he didn't want to toss this back and forth so much that they both got discouraged. Perhaps he could try offering a "yes, and" here.

Sure. Does your roommate also like photography? Maybe we can make a photoshoot of it

((OOC: I do think Yukiko would have been HAPPY to model for Mizu if that's ever come up. She may have at least made comments that she'd be happy to model, and she might occasionally ask Mizu to take photos of her outfits and stuff. She probably hasn't done much photography of her own as far as Mizu knows, but is pretty game to try out various artistic pursuits. Mizu would know her as a very artistic person overall, focused on fashion and jewelry and crafty type stuff, but very open-minded and curious.))

Mizu took a tentative bite of her sandwich, watching the phone screen as the app informed her Serio was typing. She looked up for a moment at the trees, the falling leaves, the busy students, the blue sky, and smiled to herself slightly. Serio had offered a beautiful idea.

She looked back down at her phone screen.

Sure. Does your roommate also like photography? Maybe we can make a photoshoot of it

Mizu smiled. So he had understood her appeal to going down toward the river. He was an observant one, then. Paying attention. She liked that. She liked that a lot. It was a rare quality these days, it seemed.

She sent back, You read my mind exactly. She could probably list "photobombing" on her résumé. Saturday at 3?

After a moment, she decided to be brave and send another message.

We haven't... talked about the other night at all.

In another message, she sent, I want it to feel more real than it does in my memory. Maybe...

She took a deep breath and sent another.

...maybe we can do it again sometime.

You read my mind exactly. She could probably list "photobombing" on her résumé. Saturday at 3?

Serio chuckled, surprised and delighted by the humor in Mizu's reply. That also gave him excellent data about her roommate. He felt much better about whatever her friction had been to a picnic, too.

Then, she surprised him again with a follow-up message before he'd quite finished chuckling.

We haven't... talked about the other night at all.

His heart fluttered nervously again. What did she want to talk about, exactly? Her comment about being more than friends, perhaps? She messaged once again before he had much time to spin up about it.

I want it to feel more real than it does in my memory. Maybe...

Another pause, his heart still fluttering, until she finally added,

...maybe we can do it again sometime.

He let out another soft chuckle at that, shaking his head lightly. Was she backing out of something else she was trying to ask for, or was she just feeling that much gravity around their interactions the other night? Well, fair enough; it was weighty.

Yes, he messaged back, definitely.

He let that stand on its own for a moment before adding,

And Saturday at 3 sounds great.

In the preceding days, Mizu had read Serio's last texts over and over again.

Yes, definitely.

She thought of their last encounter, the fullness of it all. Being nude with him without fear. She had said exactly what she had wanted--and didn't want--and he had respected her and had gone above and beyond what she thought that sort of pleasure could feel like.

Curiously, she thought of the moment when Serio's hands had maneuvered between vulva and clitoris, giving her the sensation like she was being pulled out into the night sky as she orgasmed. It had felt... masculine, somehow, and she still didn't know what to make of it.

Finally, the day before they were to meet Serio along the river, she found Yukiko sitting at the dinner table, sat down herself, and asked, "Do you have some time to talk?" Realizing she should probably give Yukiko a little more to go on, she added, "I don't... I don't have..." Mizu took a deep breath. "I have questions about some intimate matters, and I'm not sure who to ask."

Yukiko was definitely looking forward to meeting this guy her roomie was so taken with. Mizu was all in all pretty stoic, but even through that, Yukiko was pretty sure she'd seen some dang adorable butterflies fluttering from Mizu about him. In some ways, it was no surprise when Mizu had a particular sort of air about her the day before they were all going to meet up, but Yukiko had been content to go about her life perfectly normally, figuring Mizu the type to prefer stewing on things privately.

So, she was a little surprised when Mizu up and sat down at the dinner table with her that evening.

"Do you have some time to talk?" Mizu asked, and Yukiko nodded, eyes wide as she finished chewing her current bite of ramen. "I don't... I don't have..." Mizu went on, stammering before she took a deep breath. "I have questions about some intimate matters, and I'm not sure who to ask."

"Oooh!" Yukiko cooed with a quiet excitement, her eyes lighting up. Granted, she wasn't sure how much wisdom she'd have to impart, but she was delighted that Mizu was opening up about such things. "I'll do my best to help ya out! What's up?"

"Oooh!" Yukiko said, and the enthusiasm immediately made Mizu think this was a horrible, terrible idea. How was she supposed to talk about all this? Or even find words for what had happened with Serio?

"I'll do my best to help ya out! What's up?"

Mizu took another deep breath.

"Maybe not 'questions' exactly. Mostly..." Mizu looked down at the table. "I don't have any concept of what physical intimacy really looks like for most people, and..."

Gods, where was she going with this?

She looked back at her roommate.

"I think Serio and I are navigating it well. Our paces seem well matched. I just feel... sort of masculine sometimes? But not always. I think Serio is comfortable with it. I don't know." Mizu looked up at Yukiko with slightly pleading brows, unsure exactly what she was asking.

"Maybe not 'questions' exactly. Mostly..." Mizu looked down at the table. "I don't have any concept of what physical intimacy really looks like for most people, and..."

Oh, it was so tempting to cut in--like, hon, physical intimacy looks pretty dang different for different people! But Yukiko bit her tongue, trying to listen patiently while Mizu searched for her words.

"I think Serio and I are navigating it well. Our paces seem well matched. I just feel... sort of masculine sometimes? But not always. I think Serio is comfortable with it. I don't know."

Yukiko lightly tapped her chopsticks against her lips, blinking wide as she contemplated.

"I mean..." she started a bit hesitantly, "I do, too? Sometimes? I don't think it's terribly strange. But, maybe you and I are just both anomolies," Yukiko chuckled just briefly, offering a shrug at that thought. "Hard to say. It's good that he's comfortable with it, though! I'm really glad to hear that you guys are well matched and navigating things well. But, so... what are you worried about, exactly?"