Ren followed her down immediately. He planted his hands firmly on the floor on either side of her head, caging her in.
Maki's breath caught in her throat, her chest rising and falling rapidly under the oversized black t-shirt.
Her dark green hair fanned out in a messy, beautiful halo against the tatami mat. She stared up at him, her amber eyes impossibly wide, completely stripped of her usual fierce bravado.
Is this it? Maki swallowed hard, the frantic thought echoing loudly in her head over the sound of the TV. Is today the day? Am I actually going to lose my first time right now?
Her mind instantly spiraled into a uniquely Zen'in brand of panic. She was a powerhouse. She threw cursed spirits through concrete walls for a living.
Ren was a normal, fragile civilian. If things went too far, if she got too lost in the moment and gripped him too hard...
I have to control my strength, she reminded herself frantically, her fingers curling tightly against the floorboards. I can't lose control. I can't hurt him. I have to be careful—
Her frantic thoughts were abruptly cut off as Ren leaned down, entirely erasing the distance between them.
His lips pressed against hers, soft and hesitant at first, feeling out the boundary. Maki let out a muffled, surprised gasp, and that was all the invitation he needed.
Ren tilted his head, parting his lips as the kiss slowly deepened, his tongue gently sliding past her lips to meet hers.
Maki's entire body went rigid for a second, her enhanced muscles tensing under the flood of new, overwhelming sensations.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind violently warring between giving in and her fear of accidentally crushing him.
Sensing the rigid tension in her shoulders, Ren pulled back just a fraction of an inch. His lips brushed against hers as he exhaled, his voice a warm, soothing murmur against her mouth.
"Stop," he whispered gently, his dark eyes looking down into hers. "Don't think so much."
He knew exactly what she was doing.
Maki looking up at his soft, reassuring expression, the iron-clad grip she had on her own anxiety finally shattered.
Screw it, she thought, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. She was strong, but she wasn't a monster. She wouldn't hurt him.
Letting out a shaky sigh, Maki finally gave up the fight.
The remaining tension bled out of her posture as she melted back against the floor cushions. She opened her mouth, kissing him back with a sudden, desperate heat that made Ren's head spin.
The kiss deepened rapidly, the background noise of the dramatic movie completely fading away as the reality of the moment finally crashed over them both.
Ren slowly shifted his weight, his hands leaving the floor beside her head. He traced his palms down the sides of her arms, his touch feather-light and burning, before sliding down to her waist.
He gripped the soft fabric of his own oversized shirt where it bunched around her hips, before his hands moved lower, finally settling bare against her smooth, powerfully toned thighs.
A soft, breathless sound escaped the back of Maki's throat. She let her hands leave the floor, reaching up to tangle her fingers desperately into his dark hair.
Yielding completely to the heavy, intoxicating gravity between them, she shifted her hips, slowly lifting her legs to wrap them firmly around his waist, Pulling him so close there was no space between them.
Ren broke the kiss, his lips trailing down the sharp line of her jawline before pressing against the sensitive skin of her neck.
He felt Maki's breath hitch sharply as he kissed the pulse point there, before he gently bit down, letting his lips linger just long enough to leave a blossoming, bruised reddish-purple mark against her pale skin.
A quiet, desperate gasp escaped her lips. Maki's fingers dug into his shoulders, her back arching slightly off the floor cushions.
The intoxicating haze of the moment had completely taken over. Ren's hand slid up under the oversized black t-shirt, his fingertips brushing against the warm skin of her stomach, entirely ready to move onto the main thing.
And then, a loud, obnoxious pop song blared through the apartment.
RING-RING-RING!
Maki froze, her eyes flying open. Ren groaned, his forehead dropping against her collarbone. The buzzing vibration was coming from her heavy weapons case resting near the hallway.
"Ignore it," Ren muttered against her skin, pressing another kiss to her collarbone.
RING-RING-RING!
"I..." Maki swallowed hard, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. her lips swollen and her face flushed crimson.
"I can't. It's my High school emergency line. If I don't answer, they might send someone to my location."
That was the ultimate mood killer. The absolute last thing Ren needed was Satoru Gojo teleporting into his living room right now.
With a heavy sigh of defeat, Ren rolled off her. He stood up, running a hand through his messy hair, and walked over to the weapons case. He dug through the side pocket and pulled out her aggressively vibrating smartphone.
He glanced at the bright screen. His eyebrows furrowed together in a mixture of profound annoyance and utter bewilderment.
He walked back over to Maki, who was sitting up and aggressively tugging the oversized t-shirt back down her thighs, her face still bright red.
Ren made a deeply weird face, turning the screen toward her. "Maki... why is someone named Panda calling you?" he asked, his voice deadpan.