Not long

Akira was in no rush either. He slowly and methodically brewed the tea. After all his time learning from Sojiro he considered himself a patron of the culinary arts. And that included tea.

‘How many minutes is a few? 3 minutes? 4? 5?’

“Um, not to rush you Akira,” Sae said while painfully twitching “but I really need to go to bed soon. How much longer will this take?”

“Oh, don’t worry Sae, the process doesn’t take long.”

‘Thank God’

“Only about 15 more minutes.”

’15 MINUTES!? I have to stand here, clothes draped all over my body for the next 15 minutes? Oh God I think I’m gonna be sick.’ What’s worse is the feeling didn’t diminish as time went on, it only got worse. She’ll never make it. Sae knew that. She’d spew her guts all over the floor before he was even halfway done.

What was her alternative. She couldn’t just leave. Akira said himself he only felt safe with her there. And if he’s here alone and feeling unsafe he might just leave without finishing making the tea. And Sae couldn’t bear a night without Akira’s special tea almost as much as a night in her clothes.

It was only 8 precious seconds more until Sae couldn’t bear it anymore.

“AKIRA!” Akira stopped brewing.

“Look I didn’t want it to come to this but- but I need to tell you something I discovered about myself recently. I’m a nudist. When I’m in my own apartment I need to naked. Head to toe.” She noticed Akira’s bemused expression “ I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks about my lifestyle. It’s my home, it’s my space, it’s my life! SO if you’re going to be in here, you should know I’m going to be naked. And you’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Woah, hey, I never ,meant to offend you by being here Sae. If being naked is how you feel comfortable in your own skin, that’s no business of mine. Don’t mind me, I won’t say anything if you disrobe.”

Sae was shocked. She couldn’t believe haw well he was taking this. When she became a nudist, she was resigned to being alone forever. She didn’t think she’d ever find anyone so open. Sae enthusiastically shed her t-shirt and sweatpants.

“Ah, that feels so much better.” She sighed, and she lounged next to Akira naked as the day she was born. “Y’know, I didn’t think you would be so open to this.”

“Yeah, well, I live people who prefer nudity as well.”

“You know other nudists?”

“Yeah, you could say that. They prefer to stay discreet though. Don’t like anyone knowing how they live.”

“Well I can understand that, I know how people are about nudity, even if it’s in privacy of your own home.” She said that last part with a tinge of anger.

“Yeah, it’s not for me but I totally get it. It’s all about living in the most natural way possible. Covering ourselves everywhere we go is just something humans made up.”

“Yes, exactly! I can’t believe some people think this is weird! If anything they’re the weird ones!”

After Akira had been so kind and open to her about her lifestyle, she felt a twinge of guilt over that last statement. “Not that I think you’re a weirdo Akira! It’s just that-“

“It’s fine Sae I know what you meant.” He said with a smile and continued brewing.

When Akira finished her tea, she drank up and was greeted by her favorite eyes again. The eyes she always forgot about when she wasn’t looking at them because other she would never do anything. Just be endlessly lost in blissful memories of the eyes. The soft words were here like always. But this time she heard something.

She just barely managed to make out, ‘The **** should no longer be necessary.’ Whatever that meant. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered to Sae when she had the eyes. Soon Akira left and Sae headed to bed as usual. She was glad that she had someone who knew her secret and supported her lifestyle. With her clothes off like this Sae felt completely free.