Maki sighed. 

...be who you need to be.

If you love him, you’ll be willing to be the bad guy in his eyes.

Be who you need to be.

Maki’s face was calm and cool, as she said, “I don’t think we should lift literally any of the restrictions until the Remnants of Despair are officially no longer a danger here, or in Luminary.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened in horror, “Wha-”

“Kokichi.” Maki said, turning her blood eyes to the prince. “You might not remember this. But the first time you recounted the story to me of Itch, Tom and Aba running off with you, you told me something very alarming. We didn’t have much information to offer any context to it, but…” Maki sighed, “Do you recall what Aba told Tom and Itch? About Shuichi?”

...that...wasn’t what he had been expecting. It was still within reasonable concern, but...who knew how long it would take for the Remnants to be dissolved? Especially with the instability in Luminary...it was the perfect sort of atmosphere for a death cult to hide in the cracks. Of course Kokichi would wish for them all to be apprehended and rendered to a non-threat status, but...that could take years. 

Never being able to leave the castle on his own for years…

Kokichi looked over at Maki with a worried look before he brought a hand to his lips, quickly moving it away when he accidentally brushed the side of his face. What did Aba say about Shuuichi?

...some certainly unkind things he didn’t want to repeat, for sure. But…

He blinked. “She said that the Remnants were more interested in him than me. But...she also admitted that she knew that from a dream…”

With a little sigh, Kokichi fisted the blankets in his lap. “...but we also know for sure, that the Remnants, at large, not just Itch, Tom, and Aba, were targeting Kai-chan. If that’s what you’re worried about with Shuu-chan...then why has Kai-chan been able to leave the castle on his own?”

Maki gave Kokichi a cool look. It was a fair question. Her answer wasn’t. She knew that. But…

“Kaito hasn’t managed to get himself kidnapped twice, didn’t keep a bunch of incredibly deadly secrets from us, and is not pregnant. He’s also capable of defending himself without carrying a specialized weapon around, which Shuich, refuses to do right now.”

“I don’t...I don’t refuse! I can carry around my batons if that’s what you’re-”

“Don’t ignore my other concerns!” Maki barked, heat coming off her in a burst. “All three of you are targets! Kokichi is allowed because literally everyone in this town is watching him literally all the time, Kaito can defend himself and has difficulty keeping secrets, and you have none of those benefits! Out of all of us, you are in the most danger, should something actually happen, both because of your personality, and the nature of Diceans. You are not safe out there on your own!”

“Maki, stop.” Kaito said, brow furrowing, as Shuichi started to shake in frustration. “Don’t yell at him, and don’t think this is the final word on anything. We are discussing this. The answer will not be keeping Shuichi trapped for the indiscernible future.”

Maki glared at Kaito. “You all wanted my concerns. These are my concerns.”

“And I’m glad you brought them up,” Kokichi piped up, giving Maki a grateful nod. 

But just because she had reason to worry didn’t mean it warranted keeping Shuuichi trapped indefinitely. 

Kaito hadn’t been kidnapped twice, but he had been kidnapped once, and it was a pretty bad once. Kokichi had been kidnapped once, and it resulted in the deaths of four people. Kaito kept secrets he was unable to say, but while those weren’t his fault, and even the stuff with his therapy sessions was more the impostor’s fault...it was still things that were dangerous, and might’ve prevented danger. Kokichi blew stuff off all the time because he didn’t want to feel stifled, and some of the time that cascaded into dangerous situations. 

“...I think you’re being too optimistic when it comes to me and Kai-chan, and our level of being safe in Dicea,” Kokichi admitted gently. “If it truly came down to a number of skilled Remnants able to avoid being seen in public, and also able to take down Shuu-chan...then Kai-chan and I would both be equally screwed in his place.”

“Other than Itch, Tom, and Aba, there have been no reports of Remnant activity or ideology anywhere in Dicea. Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any, but…” Kokichi shrugged a little, looking to his friends for an answer. “Then...what does that mean for any indication that they’re gone? There’s no way to ever know for sure. And if that means that there are always going to be people targeting us...I don’t think that should mean that Shuu-chan is helpless to the danger in the world on his own, and should always have to be around one of us.”

“I know you guys don’t trust people as much, but...if Maki-chan can trust that they’ll be there to protect me, then I trust that they’ll be there to protect Shuu-chan. Or any stranger.”

Kokichi sighed softly, tiring himself out a little. “I’m not saying that just because there’s always going to be danger, we should just throw caution to the wind...and, honestly...I never leave the castle alone either. At least on purpose.” He winced a little, thinking of his mindless trek to the Memorial Garden. “I’m either with all of you, or with Maki-chan as part of her bodyguard duties, or with my dad…”

Looking to his lap for a moment, Kokichi regarded each of his friends. “...I think we should re-evaluate all of our freedoms when it comes to hanging out in town. Stuff like...not being alone at night, for instance, or having a system to let people know where we’re planning to be at a certain time. But it’s just ignoring certain issues while highlighting others to single Shuu-chan out in his freedoms.” 

“There may not be any sign of Remnant activity in Dicea, but that’s why I want to use Luminary as an indicator. They’re way more vocal there, and scaling it based on Luminary activity is probably more accurate to how active they are then basing it on how well hidden they are here.”

Kaito winced at that. Luminary was the scale, huh...he supposed he knew that better than Maki did, even, his information straight from the source. His conversations with Byakuya weren’t just Byakuya fucking ripping apart his self-esteem every chance he got. Kaito often asked about home during those conversations, and his brother would sometimes start ranting about things, and (a lot like… a lot like Tengan) Kaito had found that so long as he didn’t say anything, Byakuya was perfectly content to fill the silence.

And unfortunately, that silence was filled by… a lot of unsettling talk of rebellions and death cultists and famines and Byakuya’s...solution...to that problem. 

Yeah. Kaito knew how bad it was in Luminary right now. And Hideki’s little comment of looking forward to watching the kingdom fall apart kept him up at night. It...it really might happen, at this rate… Kaede‘s actions could start a civil war by themself, and that on top of everything else? Kaito’s home could really just...burn itself into non-existence, by this point. 

“And it’s not that I don’t trust Diceans to care. I just don’t trust them to notice.” Maki said, raising an eyebrow at Kokichi. “This is a society that heavily relies on the honor system. That doesn’t breed a lot of paranoia. And I would never trust anyone with safety concerns who doesn’t have a layer of paranoia and pessimism in them.”

“...but...I suppose we could make some safety protocols ourselves, for our own paranoia…” Maki confessed, sighing, scratching her neck, “Enforcing a system for ourselves might be...a way around some of my concerns. But if Kaito’s right, and the guardforce wouldn’t help us enforce these things, then if we go through the whole process of setting up a system, and any of us breaks it even once…”

Kaito’s brow furrowed. “Yeah? Then what?”

Maki frowned. “I don’t know yet. I’d think of something. It won’t be something any of us wants, I can promise that. But there needs to be some sort of deterrent. Because if any of us would be both willing to break those vows, and find a way to do it?” Maki looked over to Shuichi, who flinched, “It’s Shuichi. I’m sorry. That’s just the kind of person I know you to be.”

That was...actually a pretty good barometer. There was Remnant activity in Danganronpa, but news about Luminary was easier to get, both in general and from their specific stations. While it wasn’t one-to-one, it was at least some sort of indication about the cult’s activities. 

But...a society based on the honor system, huh? He supposed that was a good way to put it. Instead of being deterred with punishment...well, you shouldn’t do bad things, because it would hurt people, and that mattered to you. You did kind things, because it felt nice to do those kinds of things. In Kokichi’s mind, having some sort of punishment just...suppressed urges for people already inclined to think that way. Had them value other things than just...kindness and respect for your fellow inhabitant of the planet. 

...but maybe you did need that sort of stuff, sometimes. 

Still… Kokichi went to scratch his cheek before stopping himself. “...well...if the knowledge that you’re putting yourself in danger and worrying everyone who loves you isn’t enough on its own… I don’t know. What would matter to you more than that, to fight the temptation that’d have you weigh it?”

Shuichi gripped his hands into fists, looking away from them all. His expression openly hurt as he said, after a moment, “...what? What am I supposed to say to that…”

Kaito looked at him, his heart hurting for him, before he turned to glare at Maki, “We can’t make decisions based on the assumption that Shuichi won’t come to us-”

“He’s already proven he would.” Maki interrupted.

“Stop. Enough. I’m talking now.” Kaito growled, before looking to Kokichi, “Here, ‘Kichi, can you hold this…”

Passing Kokichi his bowl, Kaito got up, walking over to Maki, who stared back at him impassively. Refusing to be intimidated as Kaito growled, “We can’t. I understand your concerns. I even get why that would be better...and we can’t do that anyway. I know… I know Shuichi enjoys his secrets. I know he sometimes feels like he can do things on his own...but, well, you know who also has both those traits, Maki?”

Maki narrowed her eyes. “I can actually handle myse-”

“I’m not finished! Shuichi, yes, might be overconfident sometimes, and its real tough to tell when he’s keeping a secret...but I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. The shit with the despair pollen? Everything that’s happened since he got here? All of that is my fault-”

“Kaito, your little ‘take responsibility’ schtick doesn't work in this context-”

“Because Shuichi was desperate and in pain and needed to find an alternative strength to draw from to survive because you were going to kill him because I abandoned both of you!”

There was silence after that. Shuichi now staring at his feet, too overwhelmed to get involved in this fight, and Maki and Kaito glaring at each other for a moment… before Kaito sighed. “Those are unusual circumstances. We can’t base what we think Shuichi’s capable of on those circumstances. There was too much out of his control. He deserves another chance. And I’m insisting we give him one. Dangerous or not.”

It was a genuine question. Honestly, Kokichi was half expecting Shuuichi to say that those things were all the deterrent he’d need. ...but it was difficult to say anything otherwise, to be honest with yourself like that. Kokichi frowned softly at the hurt look on Shuuichi’s face, not feeling...great about being the one to put his boyfriend in that position. 

...Shuuichi had been put in a lot of difficult positions lately, huh…

Kokichi carefully took his bowl from Kaito, resting it on his lap but not eating, not feeling like that was even kind of appropriate at the moment. A lot of...terrible things had happened because of mistakes people were pressured into. And, yes, that was a history of responding to danger, but...you can’t build a life out of always being in crisis mode. It just...turns everything around you into a different kind of crisis. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi looked over at Shuuichi, not meeting his eyes, but hoping that Shuuichi would look up to see it. “...I’ve told you before. I trust Shuu-chan to use his judgement to get help when he needs it. I’m sorry for implying otherwise… I genuinely think we all honor each other enough to keep ourselves safe. For whatever system we decide on, having a buddy system or just letting each other know where we’ll be...I’m sorry I asked, because I really don’t think any of us need any other motivation.” 

Shuichi nodded at that, daring to glance up at Kokichi, still just...a little angry and a little sad and a little hurt that this had eventually become a...discussion on if he was even trustworthy enough. Like...as a person…

...he didn’t...he didn’t want to be the kind of person his friends just...assumed would take the self-destructive option, pollen or no pollen. Like there was just something… inherently wrong with him… like he would just always make the wrong choices…

Was that who he was now?

Shuichi fussed with his cap, squirmed uncomfortably… before taking a deep breath. He appreciated Kaito standing up for him, but also knew Kaito was easy to trick, and that was why Maki wasn’t backing down. He appreciated Kokichi wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt, but also knew Maki didn’t one hundred percent trust Kokichi’s judgement yet either. And while...in theory, he knew it could not matter if Maki ultimately disagreed, he didn’t want to face a circumstances where that was the case. She did too much for them, for Shuichi to dismiss her.

So...Shuichi had to convince her.

He had to be willing to advocate on his own behalf.

So, taking a breath… Shuichi lifted his head, staring at Maki with cool, golden eyes. 

“I’m more capable than you’re giving me credit for.”

“Shuichi, I’m not trying to say you’re incap-”

“I’m more responsible than you’re giving me credit for.” Shuichi corrected. Holding firm. “Kokichi said it himself: all of us are in danger from the remnants. But you’re not arguing that any sort of system be put into place for them. Even if it affects all of us, the reason you’re arguing for it is because you don’t trust me. And I deserve better than that.”

“...I understand this hurts your feelings. But you’ve always been the one who ‘didn’t have to obey’. A literal system of brain washing couldn’t convince you to obey. I have no reason to believe that you’ll adhere to any rules we put into place, without you just ignoring them if there was no deterrent.”

“I promise you… that when I leave the castle. I will tell someone where I am going. And when I think I’ll be back. And I will do my best to be back by that time, so no one worries.”

Maki’s eyes narrowed, “That is nowhere near good enou-”

“That is what I’m offering.” Shichi said. His face blank. No room for argument there. “You don’t want me running around, trying to find a way around the rules, keeping secrets? Then those are the restrictions I agree to.”

“It’s the bare minimum to safety. It’s not enough.”

“It’s what I’m willing to agree to.” Shuichi said again. “If you want to try to control me, for my safety? You better be ready to do it against my will. You better be ready to justify it to yourself. To them.” Shuichi said, looking to Kaito and Kokichi. “Otherwise? Those are my terms.”

There was a tense silence. Maki glaring at Shuichi, the two siblings tense. This being a moment. A moment where their relationship would either fall apart, both of them hitting a breaking point, a point of no return, or…

...Maki sighed. Breaking the glare. 

“...can I at least ask you to promise to come to one of us if you think you’re in danger again?” Maki said, giving Shuichi a softer look. “Please. I… I love you more than I love myself. If anything else happened to you...I can’t take another incident like the despair pollen, Shuichi. Like Tom hiding outside your window. Like Nao taking over your physical well being. Please...I need to know you’ll come to me. I’m going to lose my mind, if I fail you again…”

Shuichi’s eyebrows twitched. His eyes wet. “...you never failed me. And I’m sorry I didn’t go to you before. The pollen...Maki. I promise. I don’t feel the same way now I did then. If something happens? I’m going to you.”

...Maki sighed. Nodding. “Alright.”

...Kokichi frowned slightly, but didn’t interrupt. This wasn’t about...obeying. Like he’d said...it was just about being safe. About realizing the very real danger they all were in, and setting up a plan so...no one would disappear. No one would be hurt and know that there would be no one looking for them for days. That was just...a choice. Something you could choose for yourself in valuing your own life, and valuing others. 

He’d corrected himself, asking for any other motivation, but...did Maki really see it as people always making harmful choices unless there was more harm the other way?

...maybe she had to think that way sometimes. But not right now. 

Kokichi’s face softened as Shuuichi laid out his own plan and...that sounded pretty good. Personally, he’d still try to only leave the castle with someone else, but...well. He had extra complications. Things that could hurt him regardless of anyone’s choices. He had more of a responsibility to others than just being some kid sneaking out of the castle now. 

They all had a responsibility to each other. As a family. 

...it was good to recognize that. 

After a moment, Kokichi thought it was...not too disrespectful to speak up. “Actually, um… I wanna ask Shuu-chan if he’d be alright not going out alone at night if he can help it. I think that’d be something good for all of us to take on. And, personally, I think I’m still gonna be with people whenever I go out, but that’s just a me thing.”

Shuichi, almost on impulse, wanted to refuse. It had been hard to say what he just did, and he felt defensive of his boundaries, considering how much of his courage it had taken him to establish them in the face of Maki’s anger… but he forced himself to take a moment instead. Not wanting to give up the freedoms he had only just negotiated back, but also...not wanting to dismiss Kokichi’s concerns and also just take needlessly stupid risks.

So… “If I’m going to be out past sunset? I’m always going to be back before ten. If it’s ten o’clock and I’m not back? Somethings gone wrong.” Shuichi negotiated, “But… I don’t want to suggest I’m going to only go out with other people. That wasn’t the kind of person I was before all this started, and I don’t want to give that up. But I will promise to always tell one of you three where I’m going. And if I’m just out wandering, I promise I’m not going anywhere other than the markets or the university or nearby places. I’m not gonna just...skip town or anything crazy like that. I just want the freedom to walk around the city…”

Kaito may have argued hardest to the idea of Shuichi having his restrictions lifted, but he had to admit, he felt a wave of fear at the idea that Shuichi could just be...out all day and they wouldn’t know anything was wrong until ten o’clock and he was just still gone. It was scary...but Shuichi was an adult, and if the last four months hadn’t happened, Kaito would have never even considered that his friend needed more structure than that. His boyfriend wanted his freedom, regardless of the risks, and Kaito wanted to honor that.

...regardless of the risks.

Maki sighed, running her hands through her hair, clearly still displeased by all of this...and showing that displeasure by saying, “I’m telling all of you right now. Kokichi, Shuichi, Kaito. If any of you almost die because you’re keeping secrets again? Because you’re being foolish? Because you refuse to go to any of us for help? I don’t care if you all hate me by the end of it. I… I… fuck. Just…” Maki faltered, a thousand threats coming to mind, but… nothing she actually wanted to do. She didn’t want to restrict any of them, even for their own safety, indefinitely. It wasn’t what she wanted. She just… also didn’t want… 

“...don’t make me regret not being a monster.” Maki muttered.

“...I mean, that’s still debatable.” Kaito pointed out.

“Like, what’s the standard?” Shuichi asked. “If we’re talking making us do too many drills?”

“Way too many squats. Man I am not a fan of squats.”

“You yell at us an awful lot, does that count as being monstrous? I think that should count.” 

“Cutting us all the time probably counts, right?”

“No, no, no, cutting us is fine, I think.”

“You only say that because she refuses to cut you!”

Maki watched this back and forth...and her shoulder relaxed, face softening. “...thanks.”

“Deal.” And it was. Night wasn’t significantly more dangerous or anything but...it meant there were less people around, and less visibility. And, in the coming months, it meant that the temperature was going to drop. That would probably be a deterrent for Shuuichi staying out late but...it would be his decision. They just wanted to have a system to know if he was safe. 

Kokichi nodded a bit, glancing down at his broth. That...all sounded fine to him, really. Shuuichi taking control of his life again, but including them. Checking in, because that’s what it meant to be in a relationship. To care about someone. If there started to be rumors of Remnants getting closer to the city, they could reevaluate, but it would be something they all chose because they were aware of their personal risks. 

Kokichi drank a spoonful of his broth, then another as he watched his partners tease Maki, feeling something settle with the four of them. Things wouldn’t always be okay, but they would do what they could to keep things as close to okay as they could. 

“Mm, we still have strawberry ice cream, Maki-chan. Think you want another bowl tonight?”

Maki took a deep breath… “Yeah. Strawberry ice cream sounds nice.”

-

The taste of whiskey was in the air.

Sahara didn’t really have any way to know this. She hadn’t stopped drinking since she got here. Downing the bottle every time the burn down her throat and in her stomach lessoned even slightly. She loved that feeling. The fire inside of her. Coating her. Killing her.

...as she walked down these cobblestone walls, her bare feet cold against the rich marble flooring, weapons and portraits of the toy that had ruled their lives here every few feet, she thought blearily to herself ‘Does it count as a kill if I drink myself to death?’

‘...or would they just make Korekiyo and Komaru fight for first place?’

Somewhere, in the distance, someone screamed. High and feminine. Body unsteady but heart pounding, Sahara began to run. Following the scream. She had to get there. She had to get there.

The portraits of the toy laughed at her.

The hallway went on forever.

There was no end to it.

No end to this nightmare.

‘I wish my liver had shut down instead.’

A little blurry figure covered its nose, recoiling a little at the scent in the air. They had never liked it...but with each step they took, it became a little easier to bear. And by the time another figure ran past, the little one didn’t have to cover its nose at all, quickly turning to keep pace, running quite fast despite its small stature. 

“Do you know the way? I think I can tell the direction, but I don’t know this place. But I’ve got your back!”

There was...no real reason for Sahara to accept the presence of this new...tiny (Monique?)...person(???).

But the dream accepted the figure's presence as a part of the world, and Sahara’s mind adjusted as she demanded, “Just stay close to me! I...I know what to do!”

She didn’t, She didn’t, she was so fucking scared. But Komaru was screaming, and Sahara did not have it in her to ignore it. To pretend like she couldn’t hear it. Was it Korekiyo? Had he decided to go for the win? Or maybe it was the toy! Trying to move things along…

Fuck, it didn’t matter. She screamed down the hallway, “Don’t do it, don’t do it! I’ll be the one to die! Just give me two more bottles of whiskey and an hour! No one else has to fucking die, you assholes!!”

She was running so hard. Why didn’t this hallway ever end!?

Of course the woman was scared. Someone was screaming. Screaming meant they were in trouble, especially in this place… The little blur didn’t know this place--though it was certainly one of the most ostentatious places he had ever seen--but it just...screamed of loss. Of despair. 

And yet, hope. The hope to keep going. 

And while the woman was physically going…

The blur stopped, taking the woman’s hand, pulling her into a side room off the hall. “...no one else dying means you too, you know. C’mon, let’s save everyone here.”

Side door? What side door? There was never any side door. No way to escape the hallways. Where were they going?

...it’s tricky.

To be an untrained Empath.

Empath’s are powerful. Usually, their progress is carefully managed by others like themselves. To make certain they themselves were unharmed, and didn’t harm others. It required practice. Guidance. Knowledge.

...when the figure went through the door, Sahara felt the entirely foriegn feeling of being in someone else's consciousness for the first time in her life, as Komaru’s grief came over her like a mist.

At the figures words, Komaru gripped her megaphone between her hands, and shook her head mournfully, as around her the rest of the contestants stared curiously at the approaching figure and Sahara, each standing at their podiums, ceremonial death squares blocking their escape.

“Sahara!” Marcus called out, a wound in his chest. Like something had pierced it. “You’re here! I was worried!”

“You’re late.” Samuel sighed, the back of his skull caved in, though the front was holding together surprisingly well. “We were just in the middle of trying to work out whose fault it is we’re dead.”

“Our biggest suspect is Komaru, so far.” Rawr said, looking at the cringing Komaru, “But...you’re a pretty likely candidate too.”

...Sahara just sighed at that. Going to stand at her podium.

The blurry figure gasped softly, frightened by the appearances of all the others in the room. But...there was so much sorrow...regret. Grief. 

God… So much grief…

Enough that the figure peeked over at the woman holding the megaphone, a flicker of blue-ish-green sympathy going through its form. And...for lack of a place to stand, the figure wormed its way into the center area of the podiums, plopping on the ground. 

“...why are they candidates? This isn’t home for anyone. Wouldn’t the person who brought you all here be the most suspicious?”

“True. The argument could be made that it’s indeed The Toy that’s to blame for our demise.” Rawr agreed, glancing up at the figure looking down at them, a still, lifeless toy doll, smiling blankly down at them, “It does enforce the rules, after all.”

“Somehow, I find it difficult to put my ire to a literal puppet, that does nothing by blankly recite rules at us.” Bailsong sighed, still dripping water from her execution, before scowling up at it, “Perhaps if it had a bit more personality? But no. Besides, even if Sahara and Komaru aren’t responsible for all of us being here, that does not make them innocent of our ultimate fates.”

“Dude, if we’re going to blame someone for all of us being here? Then Kaito’s the one that killed us. He fucking killed all of us.” Chad scowled, his body singed by fire.

“I would like to make a personal argument that someone here is perhaps a little more directly responsible for me, personally.” Korekiyo said, looking directly at Sahara, who just glared back at him. “At the very least, thats a simple enough vote for an execution.”

“No!” Komaru said, eyes wide with panic. “You can’t! It’s not her fault! She was just trying to protect me!”

“Ah. Then we’re back to blaming you then.” Saber said, a cut across his throat. “Are you just going to confess, already?”

“You deserve to be executed…” Monique said, eyes wet with tears, glass from where she fell on her clothes and in her hair, “...you killed all of us. Everyone who was executed. You did this to us...you should have died with us…”

“...what in the hell are all you talking about?”

The blurry figure in the middle sounded baffled. 

“Every person is responsible for their own actions. However, when there is a pattern of failure, then it is the society and circumstances that are broken, having failed everyone within it. People are precious. Life is precious. It can never be replaced. Systems, structures...they come and go. People are what’s worth preserving.”

“Did she execute you personally?” the figure pointed to the woman with the megaphone. “Would any of you have raised a hand against each other in other settings?”

“The fact that you are saying things like this is a single person’s fault, that there are concepts like execution...that is this society’s fault. Not someone who is just as trapped as you are. Dividing yourselves just gives the system more power.”

The figure stood, side-stepping some of the others to climb up to where the toy doll was. 

“Well...I don’t know if I agree with all of that.” Bailsong snickered, giving Saber a knowing look, who just glared passively back at her. “But I suppose some of that does resonate with me. If the system causes harm to the people, then it's fundamentally broken.”

“At least...I like to think that’s why she did it…” Komaru whispered, clutching the motive letter in her hand. “...I’ll never really know...I killed her…”

Sahara sighed, looking at Komaru with open pity as she said, “It’s not your fault. Without you, we all would have died.”

Komaru’s expression broke, tears welling in her eyes as she said, “What good is that to say? They all did die. I didn’t save anyone, finding the blackened each round. All I did was send people away to terrible deaths and prolonge everyones torture. I killed us all...I didn’t even manage to save myself...Korekiyo went crazy under my watch, and my screams turned you into a murderer…”

Sahara winced at that, drinking from her whiskey. “... I don’t want you blaming yourself for that. That was me…”

“Yes, I agree. That was Sahara. Can we not vote for her yet?” Korekiyo said, looking annoyed. 

“Be patient, brother.” Kolesanda coo’d, “Once they're both executed, they can come with us to our trials! We’ll all go together. It’ll be better, Komaru, Sahara. Dying will be better. Don’t you want to escape that terrible place?”

“...I deserve to be dead…” Komaru whispered.

“It is an escape…” Sahara said.

“...where the fuck is that guy going?” Chad asked, watching the figure go up to the doll.

The Toy stared impassively at the approaching figure. Slack Jawed and wide eyed, its strings laying uselessly around it.

“Sure. And you all wouldn’t have died terrible deaths for someone else’s enjoyment anyway. Nope, Miss Megaphone was totally in the wrong for giving everyone a little more time to try and figure out how to win against the true enemy.” The sarcasm was thick in the little figure’s voice. Words coming out that it didn’t quite understand itself, but…

(ego was a funny thing, when you were in someone else’s. You were yourself, but not. There to say just what someone needed to hear, even if you didn’t agree with it, only coming from the intention to help.)

Soon, the figure’s voice softened though. “...that none of you succeeded in that isn’t anyone’s fault. Sometimes things are just too difficult. Sometimes you’re set up to fail. Sometimes to survive, you have to fail.”

Looking around, the figure tried to gather up the doll’s strings. “Dying is an ending. Nothing changes. To change is to live, to live is to change. If you want an escape…” The figure tried to hurl the doll at a wall. “Then make one! Break a circle! Look up! Make! A! Change!” 

The doll flew, and it screamed as it did. A piercing, shrill thing, that made everyone cover their ears and wince (with the exception of Rawr, who just watched it curiously). And when it hit the wall, there was a blast. 

It was, after all, against the rules to touch the lady of the house. And as programed, its body exploded after a few warning beeps, blasting a hole into the side of the trial room, the walls crumbling down.

When the dust cleared, there was...just a strange, white light at the other side of it. Curious, everyone moved away from their podiums, jumping over the rails, a few of them helping each other over if for whatever reason they were struggling. Going to the hole in the wall, Sahara and Komaru stood together, staring at it, their fellow prisoners around them, looking over their shoulders.

“...I just don’t see how it can lead to anything. We can’t...we can’t fight a whole country. And their eyes are everywhere. We’ll never make it…” Komaru whispered, Sahara sighing, sipping her whiskey. 

“...I have a way. But I don’t know how to get to you. And I refuse to leave without you.” Sahara confessed, once she was done drinking.

Komaru’s eyes widened, looking to Sahara. “What do you mean, you have a way!?”

Sahara frowned, trying to collect her thoughts...but when she opened her mouth, it was Bailsong who started to speak. “A Flora has been making regular visits to the castle, reporting on the accomplishments of a human in their care, who is brilliant. The human, Soda, has confided with Sahara that he’s working on an escape route...and that he thinks his Flora will be willing to help him.”

“But, like an idiot, Sahara told him to just forget about her. Said she couldn’t leave without Komaru, and she has no idea where you are.” Saber said, ignoring Sahara’s glare at the ‘idiot’ remark.

“Oh, but! Komaru’s in the castle!” Monique said excitedly, as Komaru started to open her mouth, “she’s in their seedling ward! They’re trying to transition her!”

“Those bastards...they said we could refuse…” Sahara cursed.

Komaru sighed, “...I volunteered. I...the Flora they gave me too...I couldn’t be a pet to her. The way she treats those children...I couldn’t stand it.”

“Children?” Sahara asked.

“...I want to save them. But I can’t save anyone…”

“But...she does have an ally in the seedling ward.” Rawr pointed out, “A flora named Usami. She’s been taking care of her, slowing her transition, keeping her safe. I think she could be talked into helping you, if a plan was already in place. She’s at the very least a point of contact for you, Sahara.”

“Usami...Komaru!” Sahara said, grasping the other woman’s hand. Dropping the bottle as she did so. “If I can get involved in Soda’s plan? If I can get access to the medical ward through this Usami person...would you come with me? Would you try?”

Komaru’s eyes filled with tears… “You should leave me. I don’t deserve to escape. I don’t deserve to live. I killed every-”

“Oh, come now.” Korekiyo said, hugging his waist, “Is that any way for our leader to speak?”

Komaru looked back, startled. “...Korekiyo?”

And as she looked back at everyone, there was a strange...softening in their features . All of them. A hope.

“We put a lot of faith in you, Komaru. You think any of us would be happy you gave up, right at the finish line?” Marcus asked, no longer with the wound in his chest. No longer looking pale. A small smile on his face.

“It wasn’t your fault, Komaru...no one ever gave us a chance. We wouldn’t have done any of that shit, had life not pushed us to it.” Chad sighed, his skin healthy and clear. “And hell...you at least tried to the very end.”

“It wasn’t fair.” Komaru whispered.

Rawr nodded, his circuits no longer fried, “It wasn’t fair. We all had to make hard choices. We all did what we thought was best at the time...but no one wanted everyone to die.”

“None of us wanted that.” Saber whispered, his neck clear.

Carefully, the figure climbed back down from the seat the doll had been on. There were plenty of people talking, and this time he didn’t need to add his voice. External problems weren’t something he could help with here. But, accidentally or not, he had given the two women something none of the Flora ever anticipated in humans. A private place to talk. 

It was only a shame, or perhaps a blessing, that the figure wouldn’t remember any of this. 

The small figure slowly made their way forward, the hope in this place he’d felt before not just a part of the structure anymore. It was in front of him. 

Peeking around the others, there was something friendly and gentle about the figure, though none of their features could be discerned. “...you’re never alone, you know. Nothing is ever truly hopeless. As long as one person still chooses to care...there’s always a way forward.”

“You two have each other. Allies working within their own difficult circumstances. And you have the memories, the hopes and dreams, goals and ambitions...you have the lives of everyone who couldn’t make it with you. Make their memory mean something. And one day you’ll be able to smile when you remember.”

Komaru and Sahara looked to the figure, and then to...it was too strange. To call them friends. But in a way...considering the tragedy they had all faced together, as a group…

“Take your opportunities.” Kolesanda said, something sad in her features. “For those of us who didn’t even get to play.”

“Be steadfast. If you’re going to do it, follow through.” Saber said.

“Don’t let them intimidate you. No one is truly untouchable.” Bailsong advised.

“Be brave… don’t forget. If you escape, you can help others.” Marcus said, giving Sahara a proud look. 

“Be a leader. Take action. I already said you could do it.” Samuel sighed, raising his eyebrow at them.

“Be kind! Don’t do anything you’ll regret. You’re both better than that.” Monique insisted.

“Be smart. If you think it through, you can beat them.” Rawr said, putting a hand on his sisters shoulder...before adding, “And yes. Be kind.”

“Make allies where you can get them. Usami and Gundahm may not be the only Flora sympathetic to your positions. Take that risk.” Saber spoke again, this memory of Saber not coming from Sahara or Komaru, but something the figure’s memories was adding to the pool. “People will surprise you.”

“...” Chad sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, as he said, “...if you see him? Could you tell him… could you tell him it wasn’t his fault? That I didn’t blame him?”

“Same…” Korekiyo said, looking between the two women, “It wasn’t his fault..and it’s not either of yours either. You did not kill us.”

Sahara and Komaru listened to the advice of the memories they had of their friends. Tried to learn from their actions. From their experiences. And once it was done...they looked at each other. Clutching hand in hand.

“Are you ready?” Sahara asked, turning to the hole.

“...let’s go.” Komaru said.

And the two leapt through.

The figure looked to the people standing in the now broken trial room, only moments away from fading into a bad dream. He smiled sadly. “I know none of you are really here right now...but he loves you all so much. I hope you knew that.”

Kokichi woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp gasp, his head and, strangely enough, arms burning in agony. He tried to stifle a whimper, beyond exhausted and wanting to go back to sleep, but…

...he was filled with the strangest sense of hope. Like...he was cheering someone on to do something wonderful. Odd…

Shuichi was out like a light, as he usually was on his medication (though, the latest batch was making it easier for him to stay awake, if he really wanted too). But Kaito’s eyes immediately fluttered open at the sound of pain, his body moving around Kokichi before his brain could even catch up to what was happening, eyes vaguely darting over him.

“...hhm…’ichi? Alright?”

“G-go back t...sleep…” Kokichi’s eyes scrunched shut, wishing he was already back asleep. Ugh...his head… It was like every moment was jabbing javelins into his skull…

Shaking slightly, he nudged the top of his head against Kaito. “Sleep…”

Kaito sleepily blinked at Kokichi...the stress in his face…

He had been doing better, but it looked like his teeth were hurting him again.

Kaito sighed, kissing Kokichi’s forehead, before pulling himself from Kokichi’s side. “Nah. Painkillers. Then sleep.”

Kokichi couldn’t help the small whine in his throat, any movement around his arms making them feel like the pins and needles of having a limb fall asleep. Just...waves of prickly pain that he could do nothing to prevent or brace against. 

But...if painkillers would help...he could stay up for that. 

Knowing that he’d need to drink water, not feeling up to dry swallowing at the moment, Kokichi tried to push himself higher up on the pillows. But every movement made him cry, every millimeter feeling like a mile… He ended up collapsing back on the pillows, body shaking and his face glimmering with sweat.

Kaito felt a wave of anxiety flood through him as he heard his husband gasp and whine between breaths, murmuring to himself, “Okay, okay, I’m hurrying, hold on…” getting the cup and filling it with water, breaking to tablets to help them dissolve faster as he brought it back to Kokichi.

He stopped, for a moment. Looking at the state of him…

“...What hurts, Kokichi? Can you talk?” Kaito asked, waking up more, this not looking...right. 

Kokichi could only pant for a moment, trying to get a hold of himself. Trying to orient himself and...try to brace as much as he could against the pain. He tried to look up at Kaito, but even opening his eyes let the wave of pounding thrums penetrate that much deeper. 

“I-I...ahh...I think...mm...migraine?”

He...didn’t think he’d had a migraine before, but from how people had described it… It was like a headache that made you want to die, right? He’d heard of people collapsing and throwing up, having to lie down right away and basically having that day be a wash because they couldn’t do anything else once the migraine started. 

He supposed it was lucky that if this was going to happen, it was while he wanted to be asleep anyway, and was on medical recovery. Or...was this because of the surgery? He didn’t see how, but--

“Mmmn. Nn.” 

Kaito looked at Kokichi..at the painkiller...at Kokichi…

At that last little gasp of pain, he put the glass down, quickly going over and whispering, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll be quick, we’ll be quick, it’s okay if you throw up, we’re going to the healers.” Being careful with Kokichi’s neck, cradling his head, he scooped his husband up.

Kokichi whined, more from the idea of not getting a painkiller when, please, please Kai-chan, it hurts so much, make it go away, please!! But it wasn’t like he could fight Kaito off on a good day. When it felt like his head was going through a thresher, there wasn’t anything he could do but just trust Kaito to keep him as steady as he could. 

It was the asscrack of the middle of the night, so, naturally the main room of the medical wing was pretty dead. It was quiet, just like the rest of the castle, even the nightguards stepping lightly, both to avoid waking anyone up, and to get the jump on anyone who was taking the cover of night to do anything dubious. 

But, of course, the medical wing was never completely empty. 

When Kaito burst into medical with his husband cradled in his arms and a panicked look on his face, the healer, they swore to god, almost could smell the cum in the air.

But, this was clearly something different, and they gave Kaito a concerned look as the Luminary Prince immediately started to explain, moving Kokichi to an examination table as he said, “He was fine when he went to bed, just a little sore around his jaw. Now he literally can barely move, thinks he has a migraine, cand can barely keep his eyes open. I didn’t give him anything, but please, can we give him anything for the pain before you examine him?”

The healer ignored him, putting their hands on Kokichi’s cheeks and, slowly, very carefully, moving their head back and forth, feeling for resistance in the muscle or bone, anything that would suggest neck or spinal damage (do not try this at home author is bullshitting so hard right now) and when nothing snagged, took out a small light, forcing one of Kokichi’s eyes open and flashing the light in his eye. Hmmm… “Hold on.” they said, before heading over to a drawer that was supposed to be locked but they opened it up easily, pulling out a needle, and then taking out a key and opening up another drawer, sticking it into a vial and pulling back…

Then, knowing how Kokichi was, they said to Kaito, “Cover his eyes and hold his shoulders. Not hard.”

Kaito nodded, whispering to Kokichi, “Babe, I’m gonna cover your eyes and hold you still, it’s gonna be okay, you’re going to feel better in a second.” Kaito promised, putting some weight on his husbands shoulders and gently covering his eyes, whispering reassurances to him as the healer took out the air bubbled and, with a quick, practiced movement, pulling up the princes’ sleeve up to where Kaito was holding and stuck the needle in, injecting him.

They just as quickly took it out, before quickly moving to bandage the puncture wound. “Alright. That should kick in any second. Then we can examine him again. Make sure there aren’t any other factors beyond his temples. You can stop doing that now.”

Kaito took the hand away, looking down at his husband in concern. “...’kichi?”

Kokichi could only whimper as someone--a healer, ostensibly, though he couldn’t bear to open his eyes for a moment even to find out who--moved his head, even the light, careful touch provoking his pain. Somehow, he could barely even compare it to having a pencil light shown in his eye, his pupil a pinprick and his eyes starting to water, completely overwhelmed and having no option to get away from his own body. 

He’d just begun to cry, not having any strength to put into it, but little rivulets running from his scrunched eyes, when Kaito took him in his arms again, covering his eyes and holding him. Despite making no sound, the migraine was deafening, making it almost impossible to focus on anything else, so he completely missed the warning that would’ve put him immediately on edge. 

But then there was a pinch in his arm and…

Everything...slowed...down…

Kokichi let out a breath he didn’t remember holding, his body dropping its tension almost one part at a time, it seemed like. And after a moment, Kokichi sleepily blinked up at his husband, the remnants of tears falling down his cheeks. “...m tired, Kai-chan…”

Kaito let out a shaky breath of relief, carefully running his fingertips lightly over Kokichi’s forehead, saying softly, “Yeah, I bet...it’s okay. You can go to sleep soon.” Kaito looked over at the healer, saying louder, “He can go to sleep soon?”

The healer nodded, bringing over a stethoscope as they said, “He doesn’t need to be awake or aware for the rest of this. I would have done it before giving him the dose, if I needed him to participate. If it’s a broken...anything. We’ll find out when he wakes up.”

Kaito wished the healer had kept that last bit to themselves, but… he just turned to Kokichi, still tracing his fingers over his skin as he said, “Go to sleep, babe. It’s okay. I’m gonna watch over you. You’re okay…”

Kokichi closed his eyes, though more peacefully, almost like it was a lazy morning and he was just drowsy, falling off back to sleep. He hummed softly, leaning against Kaito, just taking peace that his husband was there, even if the majority of him was just drifting off.

“Muh love...Kai-chan… Love em a lot…mm…”

-

Shuichi woke up alone, the next morning, which was...alarming. With all the talk of remnants the day before, he suddenly had terrible visions of people sneaking into the room at night, dragging away Kokichi, luring away Kaito… something had happened. They wouldn’t just leave him to worry about them for no reason. That was literally half the discussion yesterday.

But when he went out to go look for them, Maki caught him on the stairs, sighing as she led him to medical. 

Kokichi was still out like a light, Kaito sitting next to his hospital bed, just looking… worried and exhausted, with nowhere to put any of that energy.

“Healer says there’s nothing wrong.” Kaito explained to Shuichi, “But...he woke up in pain again… they gave him some milder painkillers and some melatonin. He went back to sleep… they’re just kinda hoping that the next time he wakes up, the pain will be either gone or manageable.”

“Where is it coming from?” Shuichi asked, putting a gently hand on his boyfriends cheek.

“They don’t know. They’re best guess is it’s a tension headache or a migraine or something, but he’s in  literal agony when he wakes up…”

“He might just not be handling it.” Maki noted, looking over at Kaito’s harsh look and shaking her head. “I’m not calling him weak. I’m saying maybe this is just a level of pain he’s not-accustomed to. Maybe it’s really just a bad headache.”

“Kokichi doesn’t have a low pain tolerance. He’s been in and out of illness his whole life, he knows how to handle pain.” Kaito said, still a little offended on his husband's behalf. “If it’s hurting him to the point where he can’t function, then it hurts.”

Maki sighed, nodding, “Alright...well either way. He’s just sleeping now. And you’ve been up all night, Kaito. I’ll take watch, go, get some rest.”

“Be gentle with him if he wakes up…”

“Of course. Go.”

Kaito sighed, nodding. Shuichi promised Maki he’d be back at lunch to let her go eat, giving Kokichi one last worried look before following Kaito outside. Kaito was staring at the stairs up to where their room was, a tired, annoyed look on his face… before turning to Shuichi. “If you had to guess? Where do you think Ikou would be?”

Shuichi frowned.

They had quite a few early risers in the castle, but that didn’t matter so much when it came to the housekeepers, other than laundry round-up could start earlier for some. Ikuo was starting up such a round-up, emptying out personal hampers and getting towels and bedding from each room, Kirumi following right behind with new towels and bedding so any occupants wouldn’t be shit out of luck if they came back before the afternoon room rounds to rest. 

They had nearly gotten done with the fourth floor when he saw his sons-in-law walking past the hall with a mission on their minds, before doubling back and...well, headed for him, it seemed like. 

Noting Kokichi’s absence, but knowing that his son tended to sleep in longer than these two, Ikuo just nodded to the boys. “Got somethin’ ta say?”

Shuichi nodded his head respectfully, as Kaito gave the older man a tired grin, holding a hand up in greeting as he said, “Ikou! Hey! Good morning!! Um…” his eyes darted to Kirumi’s direction, who had just walked into a room with fresh linens, saying quickly, “I know you’re working, but do you have a minute? It’s about Kokichi.”

Ikuo’s brow furrowed. Not just sleeping in then… It wasn’t a good ‘it’s about x’ kind of thing--it was far too early to even think about preparing for Kokichi’s birthday, and if they had been clueless about Zenith, Ikuo doubted his in-laws knew about the gift-giving nuances of Unity. And even for the most prepared folks, it was still a little too early for that anyway. 

Ikuo leaned into the room Kirumi went into. “Kirumi--you got things handled for a spell? Gotta help the kids out.”

Kirumi frowned slightly as she looked over Ikou’s shoulder, something like distaste on her face as she realized who it was, before she smoothed out her features. Nodding, she said, “Of course, Ikou. I trust you will meet back up with me in a timely manner.”

“Thanks, Miss Tojo! We’ll stop bothering him soon!” Kaito called out to her, not too surprised to not really get a response, but well… he was trying! He had no idea why she didn’t like him at all, beyond Shuichi’s uh… memory of her being a nanny to his brother and killing a bunch of people in some mad escape. But well… bygones be bygones? Kaito didn’t remember any of those people, and she hadn’t hurt anyone he cared about, as far as he could remember-

(his knees were shaking, and the floor far, far, far below him looked like it was slowly spinning from staring down at it)

-so...yeah? As far as he could remember, no one he cared about got hurt, so...Yeah! Whatever!

As Kirmi just nodded her head once at that, moving on, Kaito and Shuichi turned back to Ikou.

“I feel it’s important to say immediately, Kokichi is...fine.” Shuichi said, not believing it was a lie, but just uncertain enough to spend a second working out if it was one. “But there was an incident last night, and the healers seem a little blindsided.”

“As someone who watched him grow up,” well, for the most part, “we thought maybe you’d know more about this? Kokichi woke up in the middle of the night last night, just like… to summarize, he thought he had a migraine. And, like,” Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’ve seen migraines, those can get real bad. But this seemed worst. He literally couldn’t move, was sweating, couldn’t open his eyes...he’s okay right now! I brought him to the healers and they have him on pain meds. But as far as they can see, nothing’s actually wrong with him…”

“Have you seen anything like that before, with him?” Shuichi asked Ikou, giving him a somewhat shy look as he said, “It’s fine if you haven't… we’re just trying to stay useful, more than anything. Thought we’d ask around people who know him better than us.”

At the end of it all, which Shuuichi started with, to Ikuo’s relief, was that Kokichi was okay. Not bouncing off the walls amazing, but...if he was safe, and people had already done what they could...then he didn’t need to worry. Didn’t need to dash on down to the med bay himself to see what was up. 

A migraine in the middle of the night, though… Maybe worse than one. Sweating, unable to move, couldn’t open his eyes, that sort of pain…

Ikuo rubbed his chin, thinking, his hat casting a shadow over his face and obscuring his eyes. 

“It was rare, but…” He did remember something along the lines of that, though Bunny had never called it a migraine. Could just be because he didn’t know what they were back then. Sometimes Ikuo would come by to wake Kokichi up in the morning, only to find him twisted in his blankets, lying in his own vomit when he had been fine the day before. Sometimes he had been spending the night with Kokichi, and what he thought was his son waking up from a nightmare had been pain coursing through him to the point it woke him up. 

It was rare, but when those happened...people around them tended to start actin’ on a change of heart. 

Ikuo dropped his hand. “M’afraid we never found out what it was, so I can’t give ya that answer. But occasionally, Bunny’d wake up in far more pain than any kid should ever know, and th’ healers couldn’t do nothin’ but give him some painkillers. The worst of it usually cleared up after some sleep, an’ the rest after some rest, but it’s just a mystery ta th’ rest ‘a us. Never really happened more frequently than...once a year, maybe. But that was when he was li’l.”

Ikuo looked up at his sons-in-law, a sort of softening look in his eyes. “...he’s doin’ better?”

Better was an objective word. He was in slightly less pain this morning then he had been in the middle of the night… but Kaito still grinned and gave Ikou a thumbs up, saying reassuringly, “Of course he is! And he’ll be doing even better really soon! He’s just getting some sleep right now, that’s all!”

“So this isn’t entirely unheard of then...I supposed that’s a relief, in a way, especially if it’s not been known to degrade even further.” Shuichi sighed, adjusting his cap. “Still, for it to happen so rarely, yet so consistently, with no explanation…”

“Well, not forever! After all, Kokichi hasn’t had Seiko on his case in a long ass time, right!? If there’s anyone who can figure this out, it’s my sidekick!”

Shuichi gave Kaito a concerned look, before reminding him gently, “Seiko is already working on a lot of different projects right now, and now she’s generating more business… she might not have time in her day to study a whole new problem.”

“Nah! She does!” Kaito decided, fussing with his goatee a bit before saying, “And if she doesn’t? Then she needs some extra help. Maybe someone to work the counter of her store? And maybe some lab assistants… then she could focus on the important stuff!”

Shuichi’s brow furrowed, “Uh...I mean, sure, ideally. But I feel like if she had the funds for those things, she’d have done that already.”

Kaito shrugged. “I’ll fund it. It’s the least I can do for one of my sidekicks.”

“...what?” Shuichi asked, deadpan.

Kaito blinked back at him… “Oh! I didn’t tell you! Yeah, sorry, it completely slipped my mind.” Kaito realized, looking back at that phone call. He had ended up finishing that phone call with Byakuya wanting to sob his eyes out and had run to the shrine for a few hours, trying to collect himself. By the time he was done, telling anyone about the better parts of the call had slipped his mind… “So. I guess Byakuya thought I was getting an allowance from the Ouma family? Um...he wasn’t...pleased to find out I wasn’t. So! I’m getting an allowance every month again! And, like…” Kaito frowned, saying uncertainly, “Funding Seiko is a good use of those funds, since I have them, right? Like...that’s not stupid, right?”

While it seemed the boys were done with him and starting their own conversation, Ikuo nodded lightly at the mention of Dr. Kimura. The woman was a made genius alright. If what Ikuo had an inkling of was true, then there might not be anything the doctor could glean from tests, but...well, she was heading research and development into a new pharmaceutical for a condition no one really knew anything about. If there was someone to figure out exactly what was going on with Kokichi, it was her. 

...his kid was special, and not just in the way all parents saw their kids. Ikuo was sure of it. But that wasn’t the kind of spot you blew up, and he only had a hunch. The way Kokichi could connect with people, could touch the hearts of anyone… The kindness and compassion he held, the willingness to do all that he could to help someone… Those weren’t qualities you had to be special to have, but the way Kokichi wielded them was truly one of a kind. 

Ikuo...wasn’t really sure why you’d need an...allowance? But there was another thing that he may as well pass on. 

“Might be an uphill battle convincin’ Dr. Kimura,” he interjected. “If she hasn’t hired anyone, might not just be because ‘a th’ money. Businesses for most folks are their pet projects, their babies. Lotta people who go through th’ hassle of startin’ a business do it outta passion, ya see. Hard fer folks like that to let any part ‘a that go.”

“But medicine is a beast of its own. When it ain’t jus’ passion, and it’s people’s lives an’ well-bein’, she might be more inclined ta take someone on, ‘least fer th’ pharmacy.” Ikuo shrugged a bit, just taking a guess. He hadn’t talked to Seiko in a long time, at least at length. He could pass on the knowledge he had of people at large, but for her personally, the best thing to do would be to ask. 

Kaito considered that, before saying, “Yeah, but Seiko’s not the irresponsible sort. I don’t think she’d reject help out of, like...pride? Right?” 

Shuichi shrugged, “She might not see it that way. Still, like Ikou said. No harm in asking.”

Though, Shuichi was going to talk to Kokichi about looking over Kaito’s new access to additional funds. Kaito still didn’t have a strong grasp of economics in general, and just because Byakuya was sending an allowance on top of the pay the country gave them, still didn’t necessarily mean he had all the money in the world to work with, like he had back in Luminary. Shuichi didn’t want Kaito to make promises’s to anyone that he wouldn’t be able to keep.

Kaito sighed, nodding before grinning at Ikou, “Thanks for talking to us! Anyway, when Kokichi is properly up and running around, we’ll let you know how smoothly his recovery went! Hell, he’ll probably tell you himself!”

“Come on, Kaito, you really should get some rest.” Shuichi gently goaded, before giving Ikou another respectful nod, “Thank you for your time.”

Ikuo tipped his hat, moving back to the laundry cart. “Always happy ta help, boys. If ya need me fer anythin’, all ya gotta do is ask. You two have a good day now, an’ I’ll prolly check in on Bunny myself later.”

-

It was well after lunch, and it was meant to be Shichi’s turn to watch over Kokichi, but Kaito, who had nothing else better to do at the moment, and would rather be there when his husband woke up anyway, told Shuichi to take the time for himself. “Maybe go on a walk through town?” Kaito asked, giving Shuichi an encouraging smile.

Shuichi had a moment of looking… almost alarmed… before smiling, pulling at his shirt a little as he said, “Is that really okay?”

Kaito put his arms around Shuichi’s waist and kissed at his cheeks and said softly to him, “I’ll take care of Kokichi, and you worked hard to be able to do stuff like this. Wear something warm, get some fresh air, maybe get yourself a tea or a coffee or whatever. Just be safe… you’re okay. I love you. Have fun.”

Shuichi bit his lower lip, fussing with his shirt a little…. Before nodding. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll go to the garden and the market? And I’ll be back before sunset. Kay?”

Kaito nodded and kissed him so more and told him everything was going to be fine and Kaito trusted him and it was fine, and as he sat next to Kokichi in medical, waiting for his husband to stir, he ignored the twist of fear in his stomach. Shuichi was fine. Shichi would be fine. Shuichi was smart and responsible and resourceful. And he was just going out into town.

...both of his lovers were fine… everything was fine…

-

Coincidences were horrible, nasty things. Put people in places they shouldn’t be, made awful things happen. Yasu hated them. At least when someone manipulated things to end up certain ways, you could trace it back to them. Trying to find order in the chaos of the world was just...maddening. 

So, when Yasu headed out of her office, hunched in a dapper grey longcoat, aiming to get something for lunch, she could almost hear the warning bells in the distance. Usually she brought lunch from home, but she and Nao needed to go grocery shopping that afternoon, so she had to get lunch out and...it was all going to be some horrible coincidence, she swore. 

Aihito was just teasing her, wishing her a happy lunch. The man lived on coincidences. 

Heading to a coffee shop, Yasu had planned on grabbing a sandwich and a latte to get her through the afternoon. However, warming up in the chop and looking at the board of drinks, she happened to turn her head a little to the side and...who just happened to be standing next to her…

She knew it.

Stiffening like a board, Yasu just… Maybe he wouldn’t notice if she didn’t say anything. Just went through with the transaction and hurried back to the office. They’d only met once, after all. 

She didn’t believe that for a second, but...well, her assistant was always telling her to hope for better luck.

...Shuichi hadn’t been expecting to be nervous.

No, well… maybe he had? I mean, in theory it had been a long time since he had been allowed to go anywhere on his own, really, and… and it made sense, that his first time really, honestly by himself in legitimately two months might be a little… nerve wracking?

But he hadn’t actually expected to be nervous.

He hadn’t expected he’d want to run back to the castle within the first half hour. 

He couldn’t though! He couldn’t! He had told Kaito he’d be back before sunset, which suggested he had planned to be out most of the day! If he went back now, Kaito would know something had gone wrong! Maki would know something had gone wrong! And...and Shuichi couldn’t bear the idea of admitting that the only thing that had gone wrong was his palms had started to sweat and he found himself wanting to hide as far as he could under his cover and every time someone glanced at him for a little too long he suddenly felt like crying.

He was fine, he was fine, he was not a child, he wasn’t invalid, he didn’t need someone to fucking hold his hand just walking around the god damned market. 

Goooood, he wished his nerves would just...calm down. Give him a break. Please?

Shuichi kept mentally going back and forth on if he was getting coffee or tea. He had a theory that one of those things would help him navigate the day, either calming him down or giving him the strength to muscle through it. But he didn’t know which one was more worth aiming for. Calm, or strength. Tea, or coffee… what would help…

The lady behind the counter, finished with her customer, turned to Shuichi next, giving him a bright smile. “Know what you want yet?” she asked the young man, who had already asked her to circle back around to him twice, “I can recommend something if you’re stuck?”

Shuichi slowly shook his head, still struggling to look up from his hat, as he said, “Um, no, I mean… Chai? Could I have a chai? Um, thank you…”

“...hey. You. I remember you.”

Shuichi looked...somewhere to his right. Staring at someone’s knees and stomach, someone wearing some sort of sports jacket for a team Shuichi didn’t recognize.  A touch of nerves running through his stomach as he went, “...hm?”

“You’re the Luminary. From the play, right?” Said sports jacket. “Hey man, you drinking your chai tea here? We should talk. You paid yet? Here.”

Shuichi watched sport jacket go ahead of him, saying “‘scuse me, lady.” to someone to his left, and pulling out a purse, dropping some coins as he said, “I got his order. And a tip. Appreciate ya sweetheart.”

Shuichi twitched, a hand on his shoulder as sports jacket lead him to a table, muttering, “I can pay for my own-”

“That’s alright. Just buying your time. Take a seat!”

So far it??? Seemed to be working? Maybe they were just mutually ignoring each other; stuff like that worked out great. They’d both just get their drinks and go about their own lives and never speak about it in the sl-

Yasu’s eye twitched, being called “sweetheart.” Only one person was allowed to call her that, and even then Yasu didn’t particularly like it. 

Breaking her own rule, Yasu glanced over, taking in a...very uncomfortable looking Mr. Saihara, with...a man who called her sweetheart, ignored Mr. Saihara to pay for his drink and was pulling him away… …”buying your time”...

...you can be brave, Yasu. 

Squaring up, Yasu spoke up. “Excuse me, sir. It’s quite rude to usher someone away when they are in the middle of a business meeting.”

“My apologies, Mr. Saihara,” she half bowed to the man she still couldn’t look in the eyes of. “I had always thought of this shop as reputable, but perhaps not. I can pay you for a new drink somewhere else if you would like before we resume our conversation.” 

...holy shit she wanted to cry!!!

...holy SHIT was that YASU!?

Shuichi stared in open horror at the woman (how long had she BEEN THERE?!) as she… what was she doing!? What was happening right now!??

But behind him, sport jacket frowned, immediately taking his hand off Shuichi’s shoulder and taking a step back, muttering, “Man, I can’t catch a break with you…”

“Sorry, what’s this about my business not being reputable? What’s going on?” The lady at the counter said, looking away from her next customer, frowning at the trio. 

Sport jacket put up his hands and said, laughing, “No, no, sorry, this was a misunderstanding. Was trying to talk to my friend here, didn’t realize he was busy. Hey,” sport jacket clapped Shuichi on the shoulder, Shuichi peeking up at him from beneath his cap, giving the guy an annoyed, confused expression as he said to him, “I’ll catch you next time, alright? Look forward to it!”

Turning to the lady, sport jacket said, “Good luck with your business meeting! Sorry to interrupt! You don’t have to pay for a new drink for him, I can do a solid. Alright, alright, I’m out of here.” this last part seemed to be to himself, sport jacket (Wait, fuck, Shuichi knew this asshole. This was ‘how much’ guy.) heading out the coffee shop, ignoring peoples stares.

Shuichi took a shaky breath, watching the man leave… what was that guy's problem? Shit, what was he hoping would happen just then… should he tell Maki? But, Maki might… worry too much. Not let him leave the castle again. But, he had promised he’d tell his friends about stuff like this… but was this even a ‘thing’? Maybe the guy was just being weird…

...holy shit that’s right he had a much bigger problem right now FUCK.

Looking back to Yasu, repositioning his hat to get a better look at her through the gap between it and his bangs, he stammered out, bowing low, “Th-thank you… um… I’m sorry about that. Thank you for stepping in…”

...oh fuck there was other things he had to apologize for.

God, fuck, fuck  he had tried to fucking undress himself in her office, fuck!

He should run, he should run, just go back to the castle, hide, never come back out, why had he wanted to be out here in the first place this was terrible fucking-

“UU-um… c-could I offer you to sit with me?” Shuichi mumbled. 

Yasu kept a cool gaze on the man wearing the sports jacket until he stalked off. Maybe it really was just an understanding but...well, Shuuichi had all the reason in the world to get away from her. If he took the excuse she provided then...he didn’t want anything to do with that man. Luckily, he didn’t seem as bad as the type she was more used to. Actually knew when to quit.

“I-it, it’s okay, Mr. Saihara…” Yasu mumbled, feeling uncomfortable with the attention they’d gotten, and she nodded slightly to his question before bowing her head to the woman behind the counter. 

“My apologies for such harsh language, ma’am. I was aiming to garner attention to avoid a possible fight--I find your shop to be quite lovely, and one of my favorite places in the city to get coffee.”

Giving her own order when asked, the lawyer and ex-detective shuffled awkwardly off together, finding a table until their orders were called. Yasu cleared her throat uncomfortably, unsure what...exactly to say. 

“S-so, um… Are… Are you alright?”

Shuichi, irrationally enough, wished he could open up his journal right now and just start writing in it. He felt...super awkward and uncertain in this moment. And he just wanted something to do with his hands.

So, instead, he grabbed a napkin from the side of the table, and started to idly rip it into shreds, watching the lines of napkin tear apart rather then look up at her, as he quickly nodded his head. “Hm. Yes. Thank you.”

Ripping the napkin apart some more, feeling the nerves running painfully through his body… “I, uh...I owe you an apology…” he said quietly. Not looking up at her. He was fairly certain he’d lose his courage entirely, if he looked at her. Why was she and Mi-, Nao, Nao, why was she and Nao so damn tall…

“I was...extremely rude to you and… harassed you. I’m sorry. I...I shouldn’t have… done all of that.” Shuichi continued quietly. Still shredding the napkin.

Yasu kept her gaze on the table. Or out on the cafe floor, not people watching, but feeling too awkward at times to even be facing Shuuichi head on. She nodded a bit before speaking at a similar volume. “...thank you. It wasn’t your fault, but...I appreciate the apology anyway.”

She sighed. Certain neither of them wanted to get into this, least of all in a coffee shop, but...well. Who knew the next time she’d ever speak to Shuuichi? “...I’m sorry too. I should’ve...I don’t know. I should’ve stopped her.” 

Should’ve asked more questions when Nao talked about her day. Found out exactly what she was doing to the young drugged man who had become reliant on her. Maybe Yasu could’ve stopped it. Maybe...things could’ve been better if she’d gotten involved…

...she didn’t totally believe that. And there was even doubt if she could’ve stopped Nao at all. Now, maybe, after several months of therapy, but then?

Yasu twiddled her thumbs in her lap. “...congratulations, by the way. On the baby.” 

Shuichi’s first, immediate instinct was to defend Nao, and he fucking hated himself for that. The woman was literally her wife, and Shuichi didn’t need to… to justify what had happened to her, out of literally all people. He still didn’t want Nao’s… reputation or life or anything like that to be ruined. Was still guilty that she had lost her job (or, well, given it up…), but…

...it hurt him. That his first instinct was, ‘no, no, it’s okay, I probably deserved it.’

Like it didn’t matter what happened to him…

So he bit his tongue, and kept shredding the napkin, and just shrugged slightly. Ha ha, oh well, shit happened, what can you do…

Shuichi did glance up at the comment about the pregnancy though, and stammered out, “O-oh, uh, thank you. Thanks. It’s, uh… it’s Kaito and Kokichi’s.” he said, needlessly explaining. Like literally entire countries hadn’t been specifically informed about that. Pamphlets had been sent out. Ugh...that thought made him dizzy… he tried not to think about that too much…

...he should go. He didn’t need to go back to the castle. He should just leave this place. He didn’t need his tea. This was too uncomfortable. And it was inspiring a lot of old feelings that he had thought he was past by this point. He wanted to ask about Nao, and knew there was literally no part of him that could handle literally any sort of news on her. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die…

And then a stray thought crossed his mind, and Shuichi stopped shredding for a moment… before asking, “How’s the brewery case going?”

Yasu nodded a bit. It had been...a bit of an event in their home, when the notice was put out. Even as out of the loop as she was, Yasu knew that Prince Kokichi and Prince Kaito cared a whole hell of a lot about Shuuichi, and, since they had decided to have the kid...she and Nao both were happy for them. Nao had just...been so relieved though. That she’d never had reciprocated sex with Shuuichi, even more than all the other reasons she was thankful for it. 

Putting him through a pregnancy, to keep or not, was just...another horror that Nao hadn’t wanted for Shuuichi. It had...it had been a night of a lot of tears and weird feelings. 

They both knew that Nao just leaving wasn’t… It didn’t tie things up right. If there was even a way to do this. Nao was still going through therapy, had stopped seeing anyone else sexually, had stepped down as the lead for the haunted house, was put on a blacklist for any sort of leadership positions in the future and recognition awards or things like that… She hadn’t just walked away. 

But it wasn’t Shuuichi’s burden to ever forgive her, and Nao knew that. She didn’t want to be a walking reminder to a horrible time in his life. Yasu felt like there was still something missing, but...sometimes you were just left with things that felt unfinished. And that was life. 

She startled out of her thoughts a little, surprised by Shuuichi speaking to her again. “Oh! U-um… I-it’s good! I mean...the content isn’t, of course, but our progress…” Yasu let out something that might’ve been a nervous laugh, but was really just more of a puff of air. “I can’t really go into details, but...at least as far as the city goes, it’s pretty much settled.”

The only thing left was finding that “Monokuma” figure, but last anyone saw, he was near the Danganronpan border. If he stayed out of the country, he’d be effectively banished, but if he came back, then he could be detained and questioned over how he had supplied Mr. White with the despair spores. Then...probably actually banished, since he wasn’t a Dicean citizen, but still. They could track down associates and put trade bans up, making sure that nothing like the brewery case would happen again. 

As it was, Ronpan goods were already being put through additional inspection before being dispersed through the country. 

Yasu sighed softly, her eyes narrowed, looking off to the side. “There’s just something not right about that country…” 

Shuichi thought about pressing for details, but… he didn’t know if he was being nosy because of his natural nosiness, or if he was digging for news about the pollen. Which was stupid. He didn’t want it. He just...was morbidly curious. 

As Shuichi was cementing his decision to not ask about the… about the details of maybe where the pollen was coming from, and who was supplying it, and did she think they were still around, the lady at the counter left it for a moment, bringing over their drinks as she smiled, saying, “I know you said it was nothing, but let me go ahead and go an extra mile, since you all had some difficulties earlier. Here you go. You both enjoy now, let me know if you need anything else.”

Shuichi nodded his head respectfully, murmuring a thank you as he took his tea, letting it cool in his hands, taking a small testing sip. Mmm… he was glad he had gone with this. It was nice and almost familiar by this point. Maybe chai was just his new drink of choice…

“Sorry. Which country?” Shuichi asked, not entirely certain if Yasu had meant to direct that statement at him or not. She seemed distracted.

Yasu looked up, stuttering her thanks to the barista (ah, she hadn’t meant to make it such a big to-do…) but...well, she had her lunch now. Taking a sip of her coffee (and thinking of alllll the paperwork it’d help her get through this afternoon), Yasu just blinked at Shuuichi for a moment before dithering. 

“A-ah, I mean, D-danganro-- You know?!” Her face started to turn pink as her eyes darted around. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… It’s not like I deal with policy, but it’s still disrespectful to say that kind of stuff about our neighbors and… My apologies. I-I’m sure it’s...a-annoying to hear me thinking aloud…”

Shuichi gave Yasu a curious look, sipping at his drink a bit… before nodding a little seriously. “No. That’s a country that’s hiding things. Between the medical embargo and the strict travel visas… not to mention all the contradicting and strange literature surrounding it. If I was a different kind of person…”

He had been going to say that he’d be investigating Danganronpa, right now, if he was… he didn’t know. More like Maki, he guessed. Someone who could get things done… but he had given up at that idea. Felt too small and helpless and afraid at the scope of it. Could barely manage his own life right now.

So he just gave a tired little shrug. Though, he did smirk a little and say, as if he was joking (because he’d rather not be called crazy right now), “I’m half-convinced the countries run by demons.”

Listening to Shuuichi agree with her… Yasu relaxed. A little. Just...more comfortable having not been called...crazy, or a bigot, or that her anxiety was clouding her mind. Having someone see all the things about Danganronpa and go, ‘yeah, that’s kinda sus’ too. 

Huffing something a little closer to a laugh, Yasu grinned as she drank more coffee. “I’d think that we’d get worse trade deals if so, but honestly, I’d mark it down on the theories. At least then you could throw the whole thing in the bonkers pile rather than figure out why just...normal people would act this way.”

Starting to work on her sandwich--she’d wanted to eat in her office, but...well. She was hungry, and it didn’t feel right leaving Shuuichi until he was ready to leave himself--Yasu sighed. “Luckily, if I have to figure it out at all, it won’t be for a while… Can’t prepare for a case when there isn’t a case.”

Shuichi sipped on his tea some more, feeling… well.  A little more comfortable, if only because they were talking about something other than him throwing himself half naked at her because her wife had convinced him he was a whore. And, well… if she was going to sit there and eat her sandwich, he felt it’d be rude to just get up and leave, after being the one to invite her to sit.

He snorted at the trade route comment, saying, “I wish I could say Luminary managed that. I remember King Leon once calling myself and my mentor into the war room, demanding that we find some dirt on the ambassador, get his schedule, figure out his social circle, like, just wanted everything on the guy. Our Head Secretary kept telling him that it wasn’t going to help anything, and by the time it was done, he had pushed a desk out of the window in a rage. Apparently they run us through the ringer...them. They run ‘them’ through the ringer.” Shuichi corrected himself, sipping at his tea again.

Honestly? Watching the king throw a desk out of the war room tower had been actually kind of funny. Shuichi might have been more scared, had Miss Kirigiri not spent the entire looking like she was just...barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Her calm in the face of his rage had made Shuichi feel safe.

He missed her….

A new thought crossed his mind, probably partly inspired by that sense of seeing something frightening and finding it funny, and looking at Yasu curiously, he said, “Hey, I’ve always wondered what ended up happening to them...there were two people? Working with Itch and Tom and Aba? I never learned their names, but...they were this real dumb couple, making out at the brewery? Maki turned them in. Whatever happened to those two?”

Yasu hummed softly, finding it more just...generally interesting that Luminary had gotten a raw deal from Danganronpa. She didn’t know the woman personally, and of course wasn’t involved in talks of international affairs, but Yasu had always heard through the grapevine that the admins and Ambassador Shirogane always worked to find the best possible deal for their respective nations. Weird how they didn’t do the same for Luminary. 

Maybe they just needed the metal exports that Luminary often provided more and weren’t willing to budge? She shook her head a little. “More weird policy from a weird place…”

What was less weird were things she could actually tell Shuuichi about the brewery case. Sighing again, Yasu just barely didn’t roll her eyes as she took a sip of coffee. “Miss Saionji and Mr. Stoner , I presume you’re asking about… Saying that they were working “with” the others is a bit of a stretch.”

“Mr. Stoner was basically just a case of in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Miss Saionji…” Yasu rubbed her temple a bit. “Love the idea of revolution, didn’t know anything about it, or want to put work into it. A trend follower, basically. In that mindset of a young college student wanting to open their eyes to the “truth” of the world but...just believed the first thing anyone told them that sounded new, and never did any research or critical thought into it.”

“She was not legally responsible for the brewery building, so Mr. White and Mr. Black never got permission from the building’s owner for any of the activities. Miss Saionji’s father, the actual proprietor, was fined for keeping an unoccupied building and had his assets brought to consideration to make sure he wasn’t doing it with anything else.” Yasu made a vague gesture with her hand. “All that stuff is pretty auxiliary--it’s just that if you’re not on the books, safety inspections can’t be carried out properly, so anything you do there is considered illegal. Usually resulting in a fine and seizure from the building’s owner, while the people actually using the building, if there are any, gain possession once a full safety inspection can be carried out.”

“However, since the people using the building were carrying out illegal acts that would be illegal anywhere…” The lawyer shrugged a little. “Then that’s their case. But as far as Miss Saionji’s case went, she was charged with the concealment of terrorist activities, but not for the activities herself, since she wasn’t actually responsible for them. She and Mr. Stoner have been submitted to the rehabilitation track everyone who went to those parties are on, to varying degrees. Not anything that’s going to ruin her life, in terms of the legal consequences, but definitely a harsh lesson. And hopefully a wake-up call, but that’s up to her.”

Shuichi nodded slightly, still sipping his tea. That whole memory was so strange. It was definitely a bad thing that he had ended up at the brewery, but the memory was still heavily tainted by how he had felt on the pollen, which made his memory of Mr. Stoner and Miss Saionji’s invitation to join them… sort of nice. He could remember how flattered and excited he had felt… and still sort of felt that way, looking back at it.

But, well, that was the issue about despair pollen influenced memories. There was always a part of you that remembered how it felt. Even if it contradicted with how you felt in the present about the memory, you still remember it feeling good, or making sense, or all sorts of things. It doesn’t feel, like… separate from you.

Like… he could still remember how fucking… insulted he had felt, in Yasu’s office. And how desperate for her approval he had been. And… he felt a stab of guilt and shame, once again reflecting on the memory of taking off his clothes and grasping onto her and literally begging her…

… he shouldn’t have thought about it. That calmness that had come over him in the last few minutes was oozing away. Ugh, he was so… ugly and dirty and disgusting and…

Shuichi sighed. He should get out of here.

“I know I’ve apologized already. I just… want to say again that I shouldn’t have done any of those things that I did, when I saw you. I shouldn’t have sought you out, I shouldn’t have… I put you in a very uncomfortable position, and Nao… specifically asked me not too, and I knew before I went to you that it was going to end badly, and I did it anyway. So, there really… wasn’t any excuse for it.”

Shuichi readjusted his cap, before standing up, bowing to her slightly as he said, “Um...thank you for helping me with the man, and for hearing me out. You didn’t have to do either of those things. I appreciate it.”

Shuuichi actually had a huge excuse for it, in that he was on drugs at the time, but...well. They both knew that. She didn’t want to shame him by calling out things he was working past. 

Yasu bowed her head back. “I’m glad I was able to help. And...I’m happy that we’ve gotten to talk like this. I’m glad you’re doing alright, Shuuichi. Um...if it happens to come up, tell Kokichi I said hello? Have a good afternoon.”

...she wanted to go back to her office to finish lunch but...it would be pretty awkward to walk out with him… Just giving Shuuichi a wave as he left, Yasu sighed. At least Aihito would be proud of her being outside for all of her lunch break…

-

Kaito, if he knew what Shuichi was doing right now, would probably be a mixture of proud, horrified, and outraged. But...maybe mostly proud. It was scary, confronting people, either for an apology or to apologize. And, well… if it brought his boyfriend any peace? Then it was a good thing.

Not that Kaito knew any of this. Just, in theory, if he did. He’d be, at least a little, happy for the guy.

Now if only his other lover was doing as well…

Kokichi was asleep for a long time. Dinner had come and gone. Shuichi had returned, as promised, and Kaito had listened happily to his boyfriend talk about sitting in the garden and drinking tea and walking the market and heard literally nothing about what happened with Yasu. 

(Maki heard about what ahppened with Yasu though. And with the jacket guy. She was going to look into it.)

And Kaito had told Shuichi he was happy, and proud of him, and that no, no, it’s fine, take your medication, go to sleep. Kokichi would probably be awake any minute. It’s fine.

And now Kaito was sitting by the bed, ignoring the occasional check in by the healers, nodding off slightly, unable to focus on the book in his lap. He kept feeling his head nod forward, then catching himself. Ugh… maybe he should go get some coffee. He didn’t understand why he was this tired. He had gotten a few hours of sleep… when had he gotten this pathetic?

...mmmm….coffee…

Thankfully, Kokichi’s drug-induced sleep had been dreamless. Just a peaceful darkness where he was allowed to drift and heal, no input from a mind that cared too much for its own good sometimes. 

It had been too much. Far too much. Not that Kokichi knew, but having two other people share a consciousness was an incredibly difficult and consuming feat for even a learned empath, far more than just speaking to two people simultaneously, but separately. And the second Kokichi had realized that Sahara was trapped he’d made a door. Without thinking about it, without conscious effort… If anyone had been there to witness it, they would’ve been amazed! And probably a little horrified. 

So...if anyone had known, it was only natural that Kokichi slept practically the whole day. 

But as night crept across the sky, the painkillers lessened enough for Kokichi to murmur. To shuffle slightly, turning a little on his side and bringing his arms to his chest, colder than he usually was in sleep. Without the two comforting heaters that he’d grown so accustomed to…

“...ng...k..chn…” The small prince swallowed, his eyes slowly blinking open, still obviously sleepy. “Kai-chan…?”

Kaito had, in fact, nodded off after a few hours. He hadn’t meant too.  He had been in the middle of reading the line ‘A good dinner party was never without its more crass attendants’ and had just zonked out. 

But, his eyes immediately fluttered open again, drool dripping down to his chin in his upsitting position, really confused...why was he…

Right! Kokichi. Kokichi?

Wiping away the drool on his chin, he looked over at the small figure in the bed, now no longer laying straight on his back, entirely dead to the world, but shifting around, making little ‘Kichi noises, purple orbs trying to look through the red lighting of the night lights of the med ward. Kaito looked around, wondering if he should go get any of the healers, the last time Kokichi had woken up here the poor guy still being in so much pain, but…a of the tension seemed to have left the princes’ face. And his calling out didn’t sound like a call for help, this time…

Reaching over, Kaito put carefully, feather light fingers against Kokichi’s face, running the back of his index and middle finger over his cheek as he whispered, “Hey, hey, ‘Kichi… I’m right here...are you awake, babe?” Kaito asked, in case the man was just making sounds in his sleep, fighting some dream.

“Mm…” Kokichi hummed, closing his eyes for a moment as he appreciated the feeling of Kaito’s hand caressing his face. He wanted to reach out, but he felt so weak… Still, there was a thrum of a headache in his head, but it was no longer the only thing Kokichi could focus on. Just sort of frustrating. 

But Kokichi was so tired that he didn’t have it in him to be frustrated. Opening his eyes, he focused on Kaito this time, sitting...on a cot? In...where… “Med wing…” He sighed. “M awake… wha’ happened? M’okay… Wanna go back to bed with Kai-chan ‘n Shuu-chan…” Snuggle with his partners again, soak up some of their warmth. Go back to sleep and...hopefully feel better in the morning.

“You just had a…” Kaito tried to think of how to explain it, faltered… “A small complication, babe. Bit of a headache that got out of control. I’ll tell you more about it when you’re feeling better. Alright, let me just get a healer to look you over, and we’ll go back to the room, okay?”

Getting up, Kaito went to go look for a healer, and a green haired healer came back with him, pushing up his glasses and nervously looking over the heir apparent. He did the same things the other healer had done, moving Kokichi’s head carefully, light in the eye, asking questions like, “Does it hurt when I do this?” as he moved each of Kokichi’s limbs up individually. 

Finally, it was determined Kokichi was as… well, for no one knowing what had been originally wrong? He was fine. Just dealing with a normal headache and some exhaustion, it seemed. So, the healer gave Kaito some more painkillers to take up to the room with them (Kaito had, like, just so many of those now, but he didn’t say that. Just nodded and took them) and told him to bring Kokichi back down immediately if he regressed in any way.

Then Kaito was allowed to take him from medical. 

Picking Kokichi up carefully, Kaito headed out, whispering to him as his footsteps echoed through the quiet, empty castle, “Man, ‘Kichi… gave me a bit of a scare this time. But you’re okay now. There’s nothing to be worried about. We’re gonna go scoot in with Shuichi, who I bet is missing his cuddle buddy right now, and we're going to get you warm and we’re going to get a bit more rest, and you’ll wake up feeling better than you do now. You’re okay...”

As the healer examined him, a little more came back to Kokichi, despite being right about ready to go back to sleep. He remembered pain. Waking up in the middle of the night, feeling like he was dying… He hoped dying didn’t feel like that. He hoped it was more peaceful, people barely registering that their last moment was exactly that, just able to leave with good memories…

But. Anyway. He could at least confirm that while, yeah, he still had a bit of a headache, and, oh, my limbs feel kind of weak, he wasn’t nearly as bad off as the night before, and with some rest and painkillers to aid that rest, he’d be continuing on the road up to recovery. Unless something else totally out of the blue happened, but...well, they couldn’t plan for that. 

Snuggling in Kaito’s arms, Kokichi placed a gentle kiss to his husband’s shoulder, reminding him he was there. “I’m sorry… I didn’t think anything was wrong before…” But...neither had anyone else. With all the knowledge they had...there hadn’t been any way to prevent this. “I’m okay. And I’ll be better resting in bed with my amazing, warm husband getting some rest too… Did you really stay up all last night and today waiting for me?”

“Hmm?” Kaito blinked sleepily, trying to register the question, before shaking his head, “Nah. I got a few hours last night,” Before Kokichi had woken up, “and Maki watched over you for a few hours this...last…?” he faltered, before chuckling, “yesterday afternoon. You’ve been asleep for maybe a little over a day, more or less.”

Getting into the room, Kaito smiled slightly as Shuichi didn't so much as stir when the light shone through their door. That medicine really did do a number on him. Kaito was glad it didn’t affect him the same way, kicking the door closed behind him and taking Kokichi to the bed. 

Pulling back the covers, he laid his husband out, and at this Shuichi did stir a little, curling onto his side and mindlessly reaching out towards Kokichi, long trained now to seek the guy out when he felt the bed dip. Letting out a small sigh of relief, Kaito pulled the covers up both of their shoulders, before kicking off his slippers and pants, heading ot the side and slipping under as well, though he stopped before getting comfortable, “Did you want any of the painkillers ‘Kichi?”

Kokichi hummed lowly. So Kaito hadn’t been awake the entire time, but...a few hours here and there when you were worried didn’t provide much rest. It was only a day, and in a different situation Kokichi would be protesting that he’d pulled all-nighters fine, so a day with minimal sleep was no biggie...but he was hoping Kaito would be able to get some good rest now. With Kokichi safe back in bed. 

When Kaito laid him down, Kokichi rolled towards their boyfriend, heading into the arms that beckoned him, not needing to be told twice. He sighed, happily absorbing Shuuichi’s heat already, back where he belonged in arms he loved. Under soft covers and with another set of arms just about to wrap around him from the back. 

Kokichi looked over his shoulder, sleepily blinking up at his husband with a small smile. “I’m okay for now, love. I’m totally gonna be asking you in the morning though,” he softly joked. “Just get some good sleep, alright? A comfy Kai-chan right by me is what I need…”

Kaito nodded, looking over Kokichi for any sign of tension, or Kokichi playing anything off that he shouldn’t be… but his husband really did seem better. Not one hundred, but better. 

Shifting in, pulling up the covers, Kaito put his arms around Kokichi’s stomach, kissing him softly on the forehead, and then as Kokichi laid back down towards Shuichi, the back of his head. Partly just wanting to be close to Kokichi, soothing, and partly out of prayer. Thanking Atua for looking after Kokichi.

“...love you, Kokichi. Tell me if you need anything… I’m glad you’re okay.” He whispered to him, kissing him again.

“I love you too, Kai-chan. Goodnight.”

-

The next morning, Kokichi did indeed ask for that painkiller, along with an extra glass of water. Who knew that sleeping for a day would leave you pretty dehydrated? 

That joke didn’t end up landing very well, but it seemed Kaito and Shuuichi were relieved that he felt up to joking, at least. 

Kaito had been all ready to take up husband-watching duty for another day, but Shuuichi put up a convincing argument since Kaito had taken his shift the night before. It had taken some further needling and reassurances, but eventually Shuuichi and Kokichi were left on their own, a tray of soft foods--his teeth weren’t hurting, really, so they had decided to try for something more than broth--over Kokichi’s lap as Shuuichi fed him. 

...it had been disappointing, to go back to not being able to feed himself but...well. Apparently what had happened was really bad. Having to be fed again was probably the least of his worries. 

Kokichi sighed after he swallowed his mouthful of porridge. “You never really realize how much you miss solid food until you can’t have it, huh.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know the feeling.” Shuichi said, a touch of humor in his voice as he went to fill the spoon again, a sort of content calm to him as he said, “Maybe I should try the Kokichi diet someday. Random, all liquid diets, half meals every other day. I could finally get all the baby-fat off, aspire to your ‘waifish’ look.”

Shuichi paused, before laughing, shaking his head as he said, holding out the spoon again, “I meant that to be a joke about childhood baby fat, but it still works for my actual situation.”

After a moment, Shuichi blinked, thinking of the baby sparking a reminder in him… “Yasu asked me to tell you hello, for her.”

Kokichi scoffed, though it was clear there was a laugh in his voice. “Do not recommend it. I’ve been trying to gain weight my whole life, and while having to go all liquid every now and again certainly doesn’t help, I can say my weight isn’t because of it. Sorry, just gotta be born a few months too early and have a ton of health issues that make you constantly lose weight. A diet secret for the ages, I know.”

While Shuuichi was going to get bigger just to make room for the baby, he was probably going to be gaining a little more weight in general too--at least, that’s what the baby books said. Kokichi was happy for anything that would protect his boyfriend and their child, but he could see how it might be annoying, especially when the baby was born and Shuuichi was left with all the fat he’d gained that wasn’t leaving in nine months. Still, he did wear it very well, nicely looking in a willowy frame or heavily plump. 

Kokichi looked up in slight surprise, delayed from saying anything by another spoonful, though it gave him a little time to think. “Thanks for passing the message on, but...when did you see Yasu? She...did she come by for a case or something?” He didn’t know Yasu to really...be anywhere outside of the courtroom when there was a case going on there, apart from coming and going from the castle. Or to really chat with anyone. He didn’t think that Shuuichi would really...want to instigate a conversation with her.

Shuichi had known mentioning that would lead to that question, and he was already mentally prepared to answer it. So he said, his expression tempered and calm, “I saw her yesterday. I was out in town… Kaito really wanted me to go. I’m sorry I didn’t stay to watch over you, but… I think he was worried that…” Shuichi paused, not having meant to go on this tangent, filling the spoon again as he collected his thoughts, “I think he wanted to make certain I knew I could start taking advantage of my lack of restrictions. Anyway… I was out in town, and this…”

Shuichi frowned, offering Kokichi another spoonful, “Jerk was trying to push me into a conversation with him at the cafe. The one at fifth street? Yasu saw him and decided to step in. She was very kind. I appreciated the help. I wasn’t feeling really steady enough to get into a fight with anyone… she really took me out of a tricky situation.”

While Kokichi didn’t really have full use of his arms, he still weakly waved Shuuichi off with a sort of, ‘pshaw, don’t mention it’ sort of way. Waiting around, watching someone who was just sleeping was boring as hell, and while he appreciated that his friends wanted one of them to be there in case he woke up, he wouldn’t be fussed with them going out to live their own lives and do what they needed to do while he was in dreamland. 

What he was a little more bothered by was some asshole being too forward with his boyfriend. Kokichi pouted but sighed, expression smoothing when he heard that Yasu had intervened. The woman was a nervous wreck, but she cared about people. Enough to get into the sort of uncomfortable situations she loathed. 

“Ugh...but I’m glad you had some backup. It can be annoying, when some asswipe can’t take a hint… Sometimes just needs another person to help you out, though they really should just listen to you…” Kokichi’s expression had softened from his sympathetic irritation to just...something almost regretful. His gaze going somewhere far away for a moment. 

...would things have been different? If he explained more? If he took the no? 

Shuichi nodded, saying after a moment, “I think it was the same guy from the play. The one… what’s his name… Mr. Bullworth talked too. Maybe he was just trying to apologize. Well, no, that’s maybe being too generous. Either way, I told Maki about it. So, you know...following the rules.” Shuichi said, smiling slightly. There hadn’t really been any established rules, after that conversation, but Shuichi knew that ‘tell Maki stuff’ was at least a rule in her head. And he was… he was willing to follow it. Even if it was embarrassing sometimes.

...Kokichi was getting that ‘I’m disappointed with the world but it’s probably my fault’ look on his face.

“...you alright?” Shuichi asked, giving his boyfriend a concerned look. “I think you may have left me, for a moment there. Something on your mind?”

Guy really couldn’t take a hint then. If it was for an apology, why not just lead with that, just to make sure you weren’t, yanno, sending off signals like you hadn’t learned from the last time?! But if Maki knew, then there probably wouldn’t be a next time. At least any that didn’t clearly start out with ‘I’m sorry’. 

Kokichi re-focused his gaze on Shuuichi and offered an apologetic smile before just...sighing. “...I still haven’t picked out a therapist...yanno, things have kinda been busy lately… But I’ve had a few conversations with some. It seems kind of obvious but...trauma really sticks with a person, huh.”

He shook his head a little, looking more...tired than sad at this point. “Some guy not knowing when to give up… It reminded me of Brent. When we were at the museum and he kept hitting on me… There’s no way to change the past, but when things make me think of it...I just keep wondering what I could’ve done differently, you know?”

Kokichi looked back up at Shuuichi, almost like he was asking him, though he knew the world didn’t have his answers. “If anything could’ve changed what happened…”

Shuichi stirred the porridge.

“...I love him, but…” Shuichi looked up, golden eyes flashing pink as they briefly hit the light, before returning to dark, yellow color, as he stared at Kokichi with something close to pity, “...you do know the Brockman’s decision likely had way more to do with Kaito punching the head of their family in the face, rather then you not flirting with their shitty son. Yes? I don’t think Brent was the driving force in your kidnapping. And you...”

Shuichi sighed, “You weren’t the driving force in their deaths. Itch, Tom and Aba didn’t even know you were in the carriage. It was entirely other peoples violent impulses, that resulted in everything. Not you turning down some guys advancements.”

“...though. I know that hearing that probably doesn’t actually help.” Shuichi muttered, filling the spoon again.

Kokichi nodded sadly with a rueful smile. “I think it still helps to hear it...but it doesn’t feel like it helps the thoughts go away. At this point, even thinking about what might’ve made things change doesn’t help because...because it’s over. There’s no way to change what happened, and trying to analyze it like you can is…”

He sighed, lifting a weak, shaking hand to move some hair out of his face. “...it just hurts more than it’d ever help. I think realizing that is another step forward too, but...there are a lot of steps to...I don’t know. Not feeling sad when something tangential comes up.”

“...it’s so dumb. A shitty thing happening, then your brain deciding to keep it near the front of your mind all the time just to make you feel bad. When there’s nothing to be done anymore...it’s just self-torture.”

“Yeah…” Shuichi mumbled, looking a little down himself now… before laughing lightly. “Maki would say that the only way forward is to analyze every second of it. To think about it till there’s basically nothing left to say about it. Maybe there’s some wisdom in that...but Maki’s also kind of crazy.”

“And then,” he sighed, “You have the opposite end of the spectrum, Kaito. Who tries to move on from all bad memories immediately… and then ends up having meltdowns for days on end in the shrine, and trying to attack people who have the audacity of helping his husband with his nosebleed. Oh, and trying to beat men to death in bars for reminding you that you haven't coped with the fact that your mothers dead yet.”

“Yeah. So. Kaito’s crazy too… maybe it’s a balance? Some middle ground? Away from both those extremes?” Shuichi offered, glancing over at the still morning sunlight coming in from out the window. “I don’t know...sometimes I can’t even tell if I’m over-analyzing all of my baggage, or trying to ignore it…”

“...when you’re done eating? What do you think about sitting at the window seat, letting the sun in a bit?”

Kokichi huffed softly. He loved their friends...but they were kind of nuts. “A middle ground of learning from your mistakes, but allowing yourself to move on… It sounds nice, but it’s really fuckin’ hard to do in practice. When your mind goes over the same thing over and over, or when you try to handwave things just to get past it. Maybe that’s why it’s so horrible to hear about kids with trauma, ‘cause they don’t have the experience in using that balance.”

“Ooooor I’m thinking way too much into this, ‘cause I’m not really gonna be able to do much but think.” Though, he wasn’t too upset about it, if his light laugh was any indication. 

Kokichi looked over at the window seat, their curtains already parted for the morning. It wasn’t a bright sunny day, but it wasn’t raining or hailing or anything, so the brightness just...looked nice. “...that sounds perfect, Shuu-chan. Um...would you mind if we brought the stethoscope over too? I haven’t heard Baby in a bit…”

“Didn’t say it was easy. Just said maybe that’s the answer. Watch, whenever you get around to picking a therapist, they’re gonna say that, and I’m going to be able to say I called it.” Shuichi said, happy to lightly tease during this otherwise kinda… serious discussion. But it was sort of easy to talk about stuff like this to Kokichi. Their experiences weren’t strictly the same, but their way of coping with unbearable sadness were… if not similar, then at least in the same veins.

“I think traumatized children just grow up into people like us.” Shuichi mused, feeding Kokichi another bite. “And, you know… based on my experience watching people grow up in the program? The quiet kids become the crazier adults. While I hope for the best, I’m not going to be overly surprised when Timothy hits fifteen and suddenly has an alarming hobby of… I don’t know. Fighting people in junkyards, or breaking into abandoned buildings, or… well, I guess they don’t have abandoned buildings in Dicea. My point being, Timothy comes across as too well adjusted to me right now, for his circumstances. I think the teenage years are going to be rough on Kaito and Maki.”

Humming to himself, feeding Kokchi another bite, he said after a moment, “I’m so in touch with the human mind. Maybe I should just go ahead and be a therapist. Clearly I’m already qualified.” he said, sarcasm lacing his every word.

Though, his self-deprecating humor took a back seat to Shuichi looking softly at Kokichi, sighing slightly, but not really out of exasperation, as he said, “...yes, alright. But don’t tell Kaito later. He hasn’t spent forty minutes talking to my stomach for a few days now, and I don’t want the idea popping into his head tonight.”

Kokichi smiled softly. He had a feeling that whoever he chose as a therapist would be bringing up a lot of concepts that he’d talked about with his friends. Sometimes, you needed someone to bring up a new idea. Sometimes it was actually figuring out how to put that idea into practice. And...Kokichi had a feeling he needed a lot of help with the latter. 

And maybe with both him and Kaito in therapy, they’d be able to help Tim more, passing on the ideas and techniques they’d learned. Still...sometimes kids just had to make mistakes. Kokichi wouldn’t want to encourage anything particularly dangerous, but...he hoped that Tim would always feel like he could come home. 

“I think teens are hard on every parent, but...yeah. I could imagine it being particularly for Tim. He’s a good kid, but I worry about ‘im. He just...takes everything so well? And that’s good, but...I worry if it’s the end of the story.” Kokichi shrugged a little with a sigh. “But, we’ll be here for him, no matter what. And that’s what counts.”

Smiling a little brighter, something with some gratitude, Kokichi weakly reached out to rest his hand against Shuuichi’s leg. “Thanks, honeypie. And I’ll keep it a secret, don’t worry. I just…” His smile softened even more. “...it’s really comforting, always hearing that strong, healthy heartbeat. I know Seiko said it’s unlikely...but I never want a kid going through what I did. What I do. Every time I hear Baby, it’s just…”

Kokichi laughed softly, a bit of wetness in his eyes. “It’s like they’re yellin’ out that they’re gonna be okay, you know? That you’re gonna be okay.” 

Shuichi had only listened to the heartbeat once, when Seiko had first been showing them. He understood what it meant to his partners. He understood it gave Kaito hope and excitement for the future, and that it reassured and relieved Kokichi.

...he still just found the sound vaguely terrifying. He was getting better about it as time went on, but there was still a part of him that...couldn’t believe this had happened to him.

Still, Kaito and Kokichi’s joy was a genuine relief, on some of the harder days, where Shuichi just kind of wanted to curl up in terror and pretend none of it was happening. He felt better to live in their heads a bit, rather than his own. And he knew he’d enjoy watching Kokichi listen, taking comfort in his boyfriends happiness. In watching him listen to their babies first ‘yells’.

“It’s all going to be okay…” Shuichi whispered, not sure if he believed that, but feeling okay enough to say it. He wanted it to be true, at the very least. That had to be enough, sometimes.

Shuichi fed Kokich a few more bites, and when the porridge had gone down to the bottom of the bowl, he helped him drink some water, and then offered to lift him. Kokichi really couldn’t walk, or even hold a grip, so Shuichi did his best to carry his full weight, and while the process wasn’t as smooth and effortless as Kaito always made it look, he still managed it, swinging by the desk to grab the stethoscope, before settling next to the window on the window seat.

It was cold, outside, but the fire in the room was lit, and they had left a throw blanket on the window seat beforehand, which Shuichi put around Kokichi’s shoulders, leaning him against himself, the two positioned to easily stare out the window as much as they wanted. Shuichi always liked to look at the distant mountains...mountains, so far, were a different color in Dicea, then they were in Luminary. Luminary mountains were red. Dicea mountains green, gray and white. He thought they were pretty…

He handed Kokichi the stethoscope, when they were both settled in, and said “Whenever you're ready to use that, please just blow on it first. It’s cold…”

Then, leaning back against the walled window edge, staring out the mountains… Shuichi said quietly, “Do you think it would help to talk about it…?”

He’d done it plenty, but Kokichi was still always impressed by how Shuuichi could just scoop him up. Especially, yanno, two months pregnant. There would probably be a point where Shuuichi couldn’t anymore but...for now, it was still nice. 

Kokichi curled up in the window seat, thankful for the blanket, and giving Shuuichi a smile as he wrapped it around his shoulders. He used to lay himself out on the window seat all the time, reading or taking his meals when his desk was messy, drawing what he saw out of the window, or just...looking. Seeing a world that had always been out of reach. 

Not so much anymore. Kokichi had been experiencing the world, rather than seeing it from afar. But it was still a lovely view…

Nodding, pressing the disk of the stethoscope in his hand to warm it up even more than his breath, Kokichi fitted the buds in his ears and gently moved it under Shuuichi’s shirt, searching for a moment until his face lit up, an adoring, relieved expression on his face. The same sort of dopey, excited, wondrous smile he always got when he heard their kid. 

And the expression didn’t falter when Shuuichi spoke up again. Even if Kokichi didn’t talk for a moment. Just listening to that steady ‘thump, thump, thump’...

“...I don’t know.” Kokichi relaxed more against Shuuichi’s side, letting the stethoscope fall away. “...deaths are always hard to move on from… Whether a personal freak accident at the coast...in the war. Just...because people die? It’s hard.”

In some ways, feeling Shuuichi’s heat was just as comforting as hearing a heartbeat. Just knowing he was right there… 

“...I’ve felt so helpless for so much of my life… I know it wasn’t a direct result but...it feels so much worse when people died. When...I finally started to feel like I was making a difference, or that I was more than a burden for once...and then everything fell apart…” He sighed, his smile fading. “Life is more than the whims of fate...but sometimes fate can be a real jackass.” 

“...fate like Kaito believes it isn’t real.” Shuichi said, stating this with no hesitation. Certain of this as he was of anything. “But...everyone being allowed to make choices? Sometimes means people do things that render your own choice meaningless. And you’re just stuck in this whirlwind of things other people decided… and yeah… if that’s fate?”

“Then fate can be a bitch.” Shuichi muttered, taking Kokichi’s hand in his own, now that his boyfriend seemed satisfied that ‘Baby’ was okay. That their little heartbeat was still thump, thump, thumping strongly away…

“...and for the record? You’re not a burden...even if sometimes I don’t know how to react when things go wrong? And I’m sorry for whenever that does happen… it still doesn’t make you a burden. We all have our shit we’re dealing with.”

“...ya know…” Shuichi hesitated. Having not said this to anybody yet. Embarrassed by the memory now… but wasn’t that the point of Shuichi’s question? Of what he was trying to coax out of Kokichi? Stories that were...hard to tell..

“...Itch? I don’t know if you remember this...I got really drunk? The night before your heart attack. I probably told you all, I was drinking with Itch, Tom and Aba…”

“...nothing...happened. But, at one point… I mean, I knew what I was drinking. I realized what it was after the first sip. And I got really scared. And I tried to leave. They, uh...heh… they actually, literally chased me down. Tom and Itch did, anyway. Tom caught me, and he managed to get me pinned till Itch came to drag me back...I was really scared… I had no idea what they wanted from me by that point. I thought they might kill me.”

Shuichi shrugged. Something tired in his face as he said, “But they just wanted me to drink until the idea of literally everyone dying sounded like a good time. Which it did: Itch's beer- he called it Poppy. It really, really tasted awful- really makes death cults sound like a fantastic idea… anyway. For awhile, they had to force the beer down me. Cause I knew what it was. And Itch was holding me and…”

...another small shrug. “He just got really handsy. Nothing happened. But it was...scary. Until the beer kicked in. It was really scary…”

After a moment, Shuichi sighed. “I haven't talked to anyone else about that. Don’t… don’t tell Maki or Kaito, okay? They’ll just get angry and it’s not like they can do anything about it by this point. I just wanted to tell someone about it.”

Kokichi nodded a bit, weakly squeezing Shuuichi’s hand. He didn’t really believe in any pre-destined path. But sometimes...the irony was just too much. It felt like a script, even if everyone was improving anyway. That was just the law of infinites though, he supposed. With every option at your disposal, some things will fall into patterns. But the true test was that it only looked like that when you were looking back. If you looked forward...it was as indecipherable as ever. 

“Thank you…” Kokichi tipped his head against Shuuichi’s shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment before he looked back out of the window. Seeing the distant mountains and the swaths of grey-ish clouds above. ...he was working on it. Seeing the worth others saw in him, reminding himself that he wasn’t making their lives worse. Was making things better just from being there. 

It was a long road. 

Kokichi glanced over at Shuuichi as he started to speak, nodding every now and again, confirming his understanding. Yeah, I remember that day. Oh...oh. Oh.

Kokichi’s mouth fell into a grim line. “Getting handsy is still something happening… But I promise.”

He sighed. Carefully bringing an arm around Shuuichi, turning more into him. “I’m sorry that that happened… That, everything… When they took me...Itch and Aba kept...talking about how they wanted to take me. There were other things I was a little more worried about at the time,” he huffed softly, “but...it was so uncomfortable. I think...that might just be the kind of person Itch is right now.”

“...just makes me even more glad nothing happened at that party. Feels like a one in a million that it didn’t turn into an orgy, like apparently most of them did. At that time...I think I would’ve lost it.”

Itch. Ichiro. Those were two kids that Shuichi hadn’t even really gotten familiar with. Him and Tomo had kept to themselves, for the most part. Really only talking to each other, and Maki. Still… Shuichi would have never guessed the kind of person that small, wide eyed boy would become…

...Shuichi couldn’t help but think how much pain and misery would have been spared if the assassins had managed to to at least get their hands on those particular runaways.

...oh well.

Shuichi frowned, putting his arms around Kokichi, holding his smaller boyfriend against himself, feeling upset and protective. Kokichi was so small and thin… taking advantage of him was such a bastard, cowardly choice. What could he do to protect himself?

(Scream, another version of Shuichi exasperatedly answers.)

“A bunch of people, drunk on pollen? Even if they weren’t addicted, I can see how that would have turned into orgies. Your hormones going on overdrive is the first thing that happens when you drink it… for a bunch of bored college students? A drink that made you feel strong and made you horny probably seemed like a good time. Most of them, I’d bet, didn’t know anything about the death cult aspect until they were a few beers in and willing to hear it.”

Shichi laughed lightly, at Kokichi’s concern. He didn’t mean too, but for Kokichi in particular, “...you? Seeing a bunch of people just start having sex in puilic? Oh no. Your reaction would have been wild… but I’m sure if any of that had started, Kaito would have taken you out of there right away. I like to think you weren’t in any real danger.”

Kokichi shook his head a little. “If it weren’t for the drugs? And...well, I’d want my people to be as safe as they can be, of course, but, yanno. Really, if it weren’t for the drugs, I’d be happy that there’s probably a good chunk of people who just have nice memories of all that.”

Instead there were people who had their entire lives changed by those parties, addicted to the spores and going through rehab now, and even a few in the same boat Shuuichi was, pregnant from it to boot. 

(...even right now, talking about difficult things, he didn’t want to think about the few missing persons reports he’d seen before he was shuffled away from the case.)

Blushing lightly, Kokichi nudged his boyfriend. “Aw, c’mon… But...you know, I never would’ve guessed I’d be so shy about this kind of stuff… Miu, that inventor I know...we write to each other, every now and then. She’s just an incorrigible pervert, and writing just rancidly dirty things to each other never bothered me. It was just...how we talked.”

“...now? I’d be happy if people just forgot the concept of sex altogether when they looked at me.” 

“...yeah. I could understand that. Chisa did go out of her way to make it as traumatic as possible for you.” Shuichi said. Gaze darkening at that. “...she was lucky Tengan sent me and Maki away. We’ve tried to hold back for Diceans, since we’ve gotten here. But she was one of us… she got lucky. That’s all I’ll say about it…”

“...besides. You having a raunchy sex friend probably didn’t mean anything about you, one way or another. I didn’t like sex at all, growing up, and still enoyed listening to my raunchy sex friend talk endlessly about their favorite topic… and now I‘m dating him.” Shuichi sighed. “It’s nice. Having someone you can talk openly too, about something that otherwise can be too embarrassing or exposing to discuss with people. Just...that one person that feels safe to talk to. You know? I think everyone should have someone like that.”

“Though, I’m a bit curious how on earth my shut-in boyfriend even met a person like that, let alone became friends with her.” Shuichi smirked, rubbing Kokichi’s arms lightly.

Kokichi went quiet for a moment. Of all the other stuff he’d gotten past...what Chisa did to him and Kaito on their wedding night… He felt small every time he thought about it. Her calling him a gift. Implying he’d been a bad one. Telling...the whole fucking castle that Kaito had raped him on their wedding night. Making him rape him. 

He still didn’t wish for her death. He would never send Maki after her, despite what Maki had wanted. ...but...maybe he hated Chisa. Her and Tengan both. 

With a small breath, he tuned back into Shuuichi’s voice, nodding slightly in agreeance. Pulling himself back together enough to roll his eyes when Shuuichi asked for another story. 

“I said she’s an inventor, didn’t I? She’s the one who made the telephone,” he started to explain. “Miu was the protege of Gorou Yukimura, another inventor, but he wasn’t just any inventor. He was basically...like, the person the government worked with on infrastructure. The way our cities are designed? He’s the one who planned it. While Miu’s designs are different, she still works closely with us all over here in the capital to bring inventions out into the public.”

Kokichi shrugged. “I started working on her letters, going back and forth on ideas and plans and stuff, and Miu has no business persona. No degrees of politeness or professionalism. She’s Miu Iruma one-hundred percent of the time, love it or hate it. So...I stopped being professional when I wrote back, and we kinda just...started talking about non-work things.”

After a moment, he scoffed, raising an eyebrow at Shuuichi. “She’s working on this plan for, like...these rails that have carriages attached to them. Laying the rails out all over the country, so you can just...mainline wherever you wanna go. It sounds kinda ridiculous right now...but she’s gonna make it happen one way or another. We can only hope she doesn’t make it run on, like...hip thrusts or something.”

Shuichi frowned, trying to imagine it. “Rails as in like...like, mining rails? But just everywhere? And how would carriages work on that? Rails just seem like it’d get in the way of the wheels…”

Shuichi tried to imagine mining rails spread out all over the country… and whistled low. “That’s gonna be a lot of steel. I mean, I’m assuming it’ll be made out of steel… heh. You all can melt down all your swords and just turn them into rails. That should work.”

“Oh! We could finally find a use for that armor that Kaito’s got locked away in that storage closet upstairs. We’ll tell him we’re sending them to a far away museum, but really: The rails. All steel for the rails… power to the rail gods…” Shuichi suddenly laughed. “I don’t know what joke this is. I think I just like saying ‘The Rails’ in that tone of voice. The rails. Very ominous.”

Kokichi giggled softly, Shuuichi catching on to just a few of the logistic questions he had about Miu’s plan. As it was, it was a pipedream. And other than solving issues of being lost, it...didn’t really solve anything. But Miu would make it happen, and when it was actually presented, they’d see the things it could improve...it was only a matter of time. 

“Hey, Byakuya said he was interested in talking to her. Maybe all that fancy Luminous metal will become infrastructure, who knows.” He giggled a little more, laughing with Shuuichi, finding some vague shadowy entity known as “The Rails” just as funny as he did. 

But talking about expedited travel all over the country…

Kokichi nuzzled Shuuichi a bit. “...I’m excited to see that waterfall. And the hot springs. Maybe the rails would make something like that a day trip in the future. But I’m pretty happy having it be an overnight one, not rushing us… I gotta make sure my lovely family is all prepared for the cold. In general, yeah, but I’ve always heard the mountains feel colder no matter what.”

Shuichi made a small, pleased sound in the back of his throat, imagining the hot springs with great enthusiasm. That was one thing about Luminary. He really did miss the heat… they may have no tolerance for spices, but man, you couldn’t make most Luminous people physically hot enough. 

Mmmmm...saunas… “You’ve always done a pretty good job of keeping me warm, Kokichi.” Shuichi said, blushing slightly, enjoying that particular memory. Laughing lightly, he said, “I still can’t believe we did that. Having sex in a public sauna… I must have been so horny to agree to that. I mean, I liked it! Don’t get me wrong. But…” Shuichi blushed harder, laughing nervously, “Could you imagine if someone had heard us? I think I’d die on the spot.”

Kokichi stilled, having...not considered that at all. He was loud during sex, admittedly, but...the walls were thick. Insulated to the best of Dicean building code standards. The saunas…

Kokichi cleared his throat awkwardly. “I mean...there are walls. I...think that would’ve been fine… Those guys that helped us out didn’t mention anything, did they? So we were probably in the clear.” 

There was another beat of awkwardness before Kokichi let out a breath, chuckling lightly. “...it was pretty daring, wasn’t it. I like being with Shuu-chan though… When we’re both into it, it’s hard for me to feel differently. Shuu-chan’s kisses are so intoxicating too! I’d kiss him all day if I could.” With a fond smile, Kokichi nuzzled Shuuichi gently, despite his words, just as happy to be sitting together on the window seat than to be all over each other. 

“I feel comfortable with you too.” Shuichi said, closing his eyes, allowing himself to relax a little. “It’s something I really appreciate about you. You’re easy to just kinda...exist around. It’s nice. Calm.”

Shuichi appreciated the calm in his life. It was stunningly rare.

Taking a moment, just enjoying the feeling of sitting in the sun, his boyfriend tucked against him, Shuichi existed in the calm a bit… it was quiet. For awhile.Something lazy and peaceful in the two just sitting for a while. But, a thought, unbidden, needled into Shuichi’s brain, and with a sigh, he broke the silence, saying, “...it really was really awkward seeing her. Yasu, I mean. We didn’t… talk about much. I apologized. She apologized. Neither of us really talked about her wife…”

...frowning, Shuichi opened a guilty eye. Looking down at his boyfriend, he timidly asked, “...have you heard anything about her? About how she’s doing? I was… too intimidated to ask…”

Kokichi glowed at that, being called a place of solace one of the best compliments he could receive. His life had been a whirlwind since the others arrived in Dicea but...not all the time. There were moments of peace, like this one, where you could just sit with someone you loved and enjoy the moment. 

Of course, time moved on, but Kokichi had never resented that it did. 

Sighing softly, not disappointed in Shuuichi, but knowing how much of a difficult subject this was, Kokichi nuzzled at his shoulder again. “No… I know she still sends messages to the admins about anything she hears about Remnants or general unrest...but I don’t know how she’s doing personally. The last time I saw her was the last time you did. Thought I might see her at the haunted house, but...she might’ve been working behind the scenes or on a break or something.”

“...I know we talked about it before but...do you? Want to set up a meeting with her? And...if you just want to know, asking Yasu might be better than seeing her in person…” He sighed again, looking up at Shuuichi gently. “...what do you want, Shuu-chan?”

“...I don’t know.” Shuichi said honestly, resting his head against the wall, staring out the window with a tense, uncomfortable expression on his face. Like the answer was out there somewhere, if he could just see it… “I really don’t… this is going to sound pathetic, but I daydream about what that interaction would be like, all the time. Well, day dream is the wrong word… I just run scenario through scenario through my head, trying to… to find a scenario, even if it's just a daydream, where I come away from it feeling better and…”

Shuichi sighed. Tired. “None of it’s good. Sometimes I make myself cry, just playing out the scenarios in my head. One time, like… two weeks ago? I sent myself into a panic attack with one. Hid in a utility closet till it stopped on its own. Sometimes I just end the scenario mad, or hating myself, or hating her.”

“Sometimes she’s really mean to me, in the scenario. She’s either really distant and curt, like she finds it annoying or uninteresting to talk to me in the first place. Like I’m just some inconvenience in her day… during that scenario, sometimes I’ll get mad at her, and try to threaten her. Say that she’s only alive because I’m okay with it. That if I really wanted too, if I asked them, Kaito or Maki would kill her. That I could kill her. That I could ruin her life… and every time, in my head, she just… rolls her eyes, or laughs at me, or some other thing that makes me feel small and helpless and stupid. And I just end up embarrassed...”

“Then, in the other ‘mean to me’ scenarios, she’s just… openly cruel. Mocking me for everything I did under the pollen. Laughing at me for…” Shuichi’s face twisted. This clearly being one of the rougher scenarios in his head, becoming emotional even just recounting it, “...f-for believing her. B-believing that I c-could be sent back to Luminary, a-and how stupid I was to not verify it, and how p-paethetic I was to f-fall...to t-tell her I…” Shuichi ran a hand over his forehead, clearly overwhelmed to even say it, “I l-loved her… laughing at me for how easy I was to manipulate…”

He rubbed his temple, trying to collect himself… before taking a shuddering breath. “I… I know those two scenarios aren’t the likely ones. That she’s… not really like that.”

“But that’s just how I knew her. Those scenarios are the easiest ones for me to imagine. I can even imagine the like… coo’ing pitch in her voice, for some of the words… she had this way of speaking when it was just the two of us… it scared the hell out of me, when she talked normally around other people. I literally ran from her at one point, so freaked out by it when she did it unexpectedly…”

“But yeah. I know in reality, she wouldn’t do any of that. Even if she wanted too. I like to think she knows she can’t treat me like that anymore…” Shuichi shrugged. “Too many eyes on us. So… that’s reassuring.”

Kokichi stayed quiet as Shuuichi spoke, letting him get all of that out. Giving him the space to say things that took a few tries, or that he’d never say around Kaito and Maki. Just...being there to hear all the things Shuuichi had never said aloud before. 

Even for the things that were difficult to hear. Kokichi had to close his eyes at one point, just weakly rubbing Shuuichi’s hand. And when he was done…

“...I know the feeling. Of thinking about it over and over, at least. S’what I was just talking about, really...though I think the way we think about it is different…”

Kokichi sighed softly. Having difficulty coming to terms with this himself. “...it doesn’t really matter if ‘she’s not like that.’ Even if she was pretending...that’s how she was to you, so she was like that. It doesn’t matter if it was a lie. If you ever believed anything even for a second...then it’s reality. She doesn’t get to say otherwise, and neither does anyone else. Your experiences happened. They were real.”

Closing his eyes again, Kokichi shifted against Shuuichi, resting his head more. “...personally...I’d like to think she knows she can’t treat you like that because it was wrong. Because it hurt you. But...if you find it more reassuring to think about extrinsic motivation...then that’s pretty good too. Kai-chan, Maki-chan...I would do everything I could to make sure she never has the chance to hurt you again. That’s partially why I think it’s a bad idea for you two to be alone, if you did end up meeting again. I want to believe in her having learned from the consequences of her mistakes...but Shuu-chan isn’t bait. He’s not a test. You’re a person. So we shouldn’t leave that to chance.” 

Shuichi nodded, trying to just… get his breathing back under control. He didn’t actually feel like crying. He hated crying, honestly. Hated trying to talk through tears. The sheer effort it took just to say words. He kept quiet, trying to just get to a point where saying anything aloud wouldn’t released the very unwanted floodworks.

After a moment, once he felt reasonably like he was okay, he said, “Thanks...I know that has to be hard for you to say. I know she was an important person to you. Is an important person… I’m sorry I’m getting in the way of that. I’m not trying to ruin her life, or your relationship, no matter how dark my daydreams get. I actually don’t want anything bad to happen to her… I wish she had done it differently. Way differently. I wish she had just told you guys what was happening. But she really did save me, regardless…I know she was just trying to help.”

Shrugging, he said, “When I can handle it? I try to imagine the scenarios where she’s nice to me? Where she apologizes, or… I don’t know. At least explains herself? But… those scenarios don’t feel that good either. I don’t know why. I just come away from them frustrated. Guilty, sometimes… I don’t know. She probably doesn’t want to see me. I should just leave her alone and try to get past this on my own. It’d probably be better for both of us, right? If we just went on with our lives… maybe someday I’d see her again and we’ll both be so over it that I won’t feel anything for her, one way or another… maybe? Maybe that’s possible. Apathy is just as good as closure, right?” Shuichi laughed, the tone slightly sarcastic.

Kokichi frowned slightly. This was something Shuuichi had mentioned before but… 

“...you’re not ‘in the way’ of anything, Shuu-chan. You didn’t ruin or...change our relationship. She did.” He took a breath, that little aching, betrayed part of his heart stinging, but...it was true. “She made the choices to do all of those horrible things to you. To treat you badly. To hide it. You might’ve been the focus of those actions but...all the consequences that came down on her? That was all her choice. You’re not responsible for her actions, Shuu-chan.”

Kokichi took another breath. “...sometimes people close to you just...do horrible things. And you have to face that you love someone who acts on that capacity. Maybe I’ll go talk to her again, but...even if she hurt me far less than she hurt you...I can’t right now. And...I think my life, at least right now, is better without her here. I hope that will change one day...but I can’t bet on it.”

“...and Shuu-chan isn’t alone.” He nudged Shuuichi a bit, giving him a hard look just for a moment before it softened. “You have a lot of people who love you. It doesn’t matter how long you feel this hurt by her for. We’ll be here for you. And...hopefully one day it’ll start hurting less.” 

Shuichi watched Kokichi, a softness in his face. He really was lucky to have him… his boyfriend was incredibly kind. He didn’t know a lot of people, who could turn their back on family, even if they had done something wrong. 

That desire to justify it… to dismiss the severity of it. Shuichi had seen plenty of people, at least in Luminary, ready to defend family and friends they were already attached too to the bitter end, regardless of how horrendous the crime he and his mentor uncovered was. In some ways, it was a cultural point of pride, a sign of loyalty to those sworn to each other, no matter what. But, in practice… it was a lot of depressing family rallies around the member of their family who had gotten a fourteen year old alone and done something atrocious. That was just the example that came to his mind just now, though he supposed there had also been examples of people rallying to family members who had been innocent, or had simply made a mistake, or a dangerous enemy…

He supposed that loyalty, blind and steadfast, towards loved ones was like most things. It could either be a saving grace, or made you an accomplice in someones misery. If there was any philosophy that was always good or always bad, Shuichi had yet to come across it.

(...well. Maybe death cultists could be generally called a ‘bad’ philosophy..  Maybe that was a safe one to file under ‘not a good idea’.)

But, even with that musing of philosophy, Shuichi didn’t want that for Kokichi. He didn’t want his boyfriend to lose someone he cared about. Kokichi hadn’t had enough people in his life, that he could trust, and Nao had been one of them. And...Shuichi didn’t hate Nao. She had cared about Kokichi too, from what he heard. He hoped that was a relationship that would heal someday.

“Thanks, Kokichi. Ya know...I actually do feel more hopeful about it, talking about it aloud to someone.” Shuichi admitted, resting his head against Kokichi, “Like, talking to Nao someday might not be a disaster. It sounds less alarming, talking out the worst case scenarios to someone else, rather than just letting it circle in my head over and over and over again. Maybe that’s the trick? Maybe ignoring it, or overanalyzing it… maybe the way to balance it is just to share it with someone else. Ease the burden, maybe…” Shuichi shrugged, “I don’t know. I feel better about it, anyway.”

Kokichi hummed, snuggling against Shuuichi a bit, happy that he could ease even a little of his boyfriend’s pain. What had happened between him an Nao, the whole pollen business...it wasn’t the sort of thing you could move past overnight. Not even for years, maybe. But every step forward was progress, and he would always be there to help Shuuichi on his next one. 

“Maybe… It does seem to work for a lot of people and a lot of things…” Kokichi was quiet for a moment. Not really...the situations weren’t the same. But… 

“...By the time I told Maki-chan...about what Kai-chan did to me, I mean. It felt like...I don’t know. I was going to lose it if I didn’t tell anyone. Like it was too big for me to have alone…” In the worst way possible, really. He sighed. “After I told her though...I felt a lot better. Not because she told me she was gonna do anything about it, and I kinda stopped her from getting me to do something about it...and it still took me a long time to… I don’t know. Have peace with myself. But after I told her...things got easier. Like...I could stop thinking about it all the time, though I know that talking with someone isn’t a cure-all for that.”

“...it’s just nice, confiding in people that care about you, I guess.” 

“Cure-all, definitely not. But...it does put it into perspective a bit. Makes it feel less overwhelming...and I can understand why, between us, you went to Maki for it. I wasn’t in the best headspace, and...well, we weren’t dating at the time. And Maki… she can be a really reassuring presence. Especially if you’re scared...”

Shuichi was actually so curious what Maki did. She definitely did something. There was no question she did something. She was honor-bound to do something. Knowing that was the only reason Shuichi knew he had no right to do anything. It had already been taken care of…

...he hoped it hadn't hurt too much, whatever it was.

(...but it’d be okay if it had hurt, ya know… a little.)

“I’m still so… disappointed in him.” Shuichi sighed, groaning in frustration. “If anyone but you had said it? I think I’d have a hard time believing them. I mean, you always want to believe someone you’ve known your whole life, like… what their limits are. What they’re capable of...like you and Nao, I guess. I’m so disappointed he did something that...that selfish… I thought he was better than that.”

Shichi smiled softly at Kokichi and said, “And, before you rush to defend him, since...that’s the instinct I’m always fighting with Nao. You don’t have to. I’m disappointed, but I don’t hate him or anything. Me and him… we kind of talked about it, a little. Not as much as we should have, looking back, I might need to talk about it more with him too really, I don’t know… feel like it’s okay to not try to punish him in some way. But we did talk about it a little… ugh, actually. Reflecting on it now? I really should make time to talk to him about it more. We ended up just talking about me, mostly, thinking back on it. Which isn’t fair to you…”

Kokichi nodded a bit. In all honesty...even if he didn’t go to Shuuichi for comfort, or to get it off his chest, Kokichi should’ve told him sooner than he had. It just...never seemed to come up in his mind or...well. No. It had. And Shuuichi had noticed, and every time Kokichi had gone silent. Just...not wanting to talk about it. Maybe he could’ve felt better sooner if he had. 

And he was plenty disappointed in Kaito himself. Kaito had known better from the start, and had even realized that himself minutes later. Even...even if it had just made that night even worse for Kokichi...Kaito had been willing to repent with the greatest payment that night. 

...maybe that’s what made it even harder to process. Because Kaito had known it was wrong. Was punishing himself constantly for it. And he still was…

...was Nao? 

Kokichi sighed. They had moved on, and it was time to heal. 

Laughing lightly, she shook his head, kissing Shuuichi’s shoulder softly. “It’s okay, Shuu-chan. Whatever you guys needed to talk about in regards to you...I’m sure that needed to happen too. But...I’ll say it again.”

Kokichi sat up the little he was able, trying to look at Shuuichi more, a slightly saddened look in his eyes. “...Kai-chan’s already punishing himself enough. He has been since it happened, and he probably still will be for some time. Guilt is hard to move past...and people giving you more things to hurt about doesn’t change that timer.”

“...I’m okay,” he sighed, relaxing back down. “What happened that night was awful, but...I’m okay now. No one needs to go on a crusade for me.”

Shuichi kissed Kokichi’s forehead, understanding what he meant. Hell, isn’t that what he kept telling Maki and Kaito about Nao? And he meant it, the dark daydreams of siccing them on her just...literally just wish-fulfillment daydreams. Nothing he actually wanted to happen. He mostly just wanted to find some way to cope with it and move past it. No need for anyone else to get hurt, not really.

...still though. “Just a little crusade? Small crusade. We’ll tie him down and force him to eat a lot of cake till he’s gained fifteen pounds in a night that’s gonna take him a month of working out and careful dieting to get rid of. Shave his head. Let Maki take him on a three day hike through the woods.” Shuichi teased, kissing him again. “That last one is brutal. One of Maki’s hikes? That woman hikes like she’s trying to fight nature itself. It’s exhausting, trying to keep up with her. Maybe that’s just me. You can save that punishment for me, if I ever fuck up that badly.”

Kokichi had been ready to insist once again, but as soon as Shuuichi actually went into the crusades he’d thought up, little giggles instead of arguments came out of his mouth, Kokichi’s thin shoulders bouncing against his boyfriend. “I think Kai-chan might shave his head anyway after I give him a haircut. Still, that’s something he’s chosen for himself. I gotta make sure he has some good hats...you never really think about it, but hair does a lot to keep you warm.”

Giggling a little more, Kokichi nuzzled Shuuichi before shooting him a half-apologetic look. “In that vein though...you don’t have to answer. But you have bigger shirts ‘n stuff, right? Not just for everyday wear, but warm stuff? Luckily we live with someone who can make clothes from scratch, but...I worry about Shuu-chan, if we get snowed in and he can’t go shopping if he needs to.”

Shuichi considered the question, before sighing. “I want to say yes, but...I’m about to potentially get much, much bigger than this, aren’t I. I really don’t know how, uh… big I should be expecting. Doctor Tenchi said it can pretty wildly vary… some people can barely walk, for how big they get. Others, they just look like they’re holding a small inflatable ball in their shirt… and it’s too early, I guess, to say which one I’ll be. Though...I’m two months in, right? Nnngggh…”

Shuichi rubbed his forehead, shifting the hat under his fingers as he lamented, “...I’m probably gonna start pretty...pretty rapidly growing soon. She said I can expect to be my full size four months in, and it’s two months, and...nnnngggggg....”

While Shuichi just gave himself a minute to regret every life choice that had resulted him not only pregnant, but like… a weird, way more inconvenient version of pregnancy (with that still endlessly terrifying possibility that at the end of all this, the pollen might still be capable of driving him crazy with heat, seaking out his next pregnancy.), after that minute was done, he sighed. “So… maybe we should go shopping. Just get some big clothes. Some just in case clothes. We can always tailor them down, if I get to my full size and they’re still too big.”

Kokichi nodded a bit, remembering Kaito saying the same thing too. And while there was something exciting about seeing pretty physical proof of their kid developing...it was kind of a bigger deal that Shuuichi was going to have to deal with the full size and weight of the kid for five months. 

“Poor Shuu-chan…” Kokichi cooed, kissing Shuuichi’s cheek. “I know it doesn’t make up for it, but you’ll get all the massages and heat packs you want. And I know Kai-chan and Maki-chan worry more about your diet, but I’ll always keep my candy stash filled for ya, and I’ll try to get anything you wanna eat. Kai-chan talked about getting those puff cakes, didn’t he?”

He knew it wasn’t great to think about for Shuuichi, that it likely wasn’t real for him, as they’d talked about before. But he wanted everything to be as comfortable and go as smoothly as possible. At this point...having a kid would be...amazing. But...Kokichi cared more about Shuuichi getting through everything alright. And part of that was being able to stay warm even when he was at his biggest. 

“Sounds like a plan,” he hummed, cuddling to Shuuichi’s side more. “And anything Shuu-chan needs, call me your go-fer, okay? I can’t...I may not be able to do much now… But that’s not forever. I wanna be someone Shuu-chan can rely on.”

“Awwww, yes. Feed me. Protect me from the crazy athletes that are the rest of our family.” Shuichi begged, hugging Kokichi to himself, laughing lightly. “There is nothing wrong with eating sugar every meal. I don’t care what Kaito says.”

Shuichi settled back down, though he was still smiling, his eyes amused as he said, “And, yes… you are. In a lot of ways that really matter to me. Though…” Shuichi started to snicker, “That’s one way to get Kaito back. I’m pregnant and grumpy, you’re under the weather, oh no, Kaito, sorry, it’s time to run you ragged. Teach Kaito what a hard days work really is. Do you think we could convince him to get one of those...giant fans or something? Not even for us. We’ll have him fan Chase. She’s a panty puppy sometimes, after coming in from her and Timothy’s walks. We’ll watch and critique from bed.”

Kokichi snickered, enjoying Shuuichi’s hugs and touches. “Aww, Chase… Haneda-chan probably knows, but I wonder if we should get her booties for the winter. Getting ice stuck in the fur between her paw pads does not sound good… Pff. Kai-chan could give her a puppy pedicure; we can compare it to Cali’s. Obviously there’s no one that can match the nail painting prowess of a nine-year-old, but we can see how close Kai-chan gets.”

“Joking aside… I do really appreciate all Kai-chan does for me when I’m sick. Even when I wish he’d just get some proper sleep instead of staying up for days watching me sleep… But he’s gonna take good care of you too.” Kokichi’s smile went sweet as he nuzzled Shuuichi’s shoulder, holding him as much as he was able. 

“Mmmhmm.” Shuichi nodded, breathing Kokichi in, more than happy with this. Just… happy. 

...hrnnnn… a sudden rush of guilt ran through Shuichi though. He and Kaito had worked it out already… but…

...Maybe it didn’t matter? What Shuuichi had meant to do. He might have been trying to traumatize the guy, but Kaito really did act like none of that had been that out of the originary for him. Which was...alarming. For a lot of reasons. But even if Shuichi had failed to do what he had set out to do… it had still been unkind. And maybe a little arrogant. And… directly against Kokichi’s wishes.

...nnnnnnnggghh he didn’t have to tell him, right? Though… maybe he should at least…

...ya know what? No. There was no real way Kokichi would ever find out what was happening unless himself or Kaito told him, and he had a feeling Kaito wouldn’t ever bring it up himself. And maybe it was okay to just keep some things between them. Kokichi didn’t have to know, and it would only upset him to learn about it.

Yeah. Probably better to just let some things be.

“...we still have ice cream…” Shuichi mused, thinking aloud, “It’s downstairs in the kitchen, but we still have a tub left, in their refrigerator...is it too early for ice cream?”

“It’s never too early for ice cream,” Kokichi decreed. Sitting as regally as he could manage, before relaxing back down. “But...maybe bring me back to bed if you’re gonna go get it? I like looking out the window...but I don’t trust myself as much without Shuu-chan here keeping me steady…”

There was something...downcast in Kokichi’s expression, but only for a moment before he smiled back up at his boyfriend.

Shuichi caught the look (how could he not? Kokichi was so expressive...it was hard not to catch every little movement in those giant eyes, if Kokichi wasn’t actively controlling himself.) and though he returned Kokichi’s smile, he still asked softly as he picked him up again, heading back to the bed, “...you’re going to be better soon, you know. Up and about and all of that… are you alright?” he asked, placing Kokichi gently against the pillows.

“I know…”

He did. For every time he fell ill, with all of its making him sleep for days and making him unable to walk, with all of the aches and pains and thousands of tissues he’d used, he’d always gotten better. Spring always came, allowing him to run and skip around and do as he pleased. 

It was just hard. Having that desire and having to realize that you couldn’t, because you could barely move. 

Settling back against the pillows, Kokichi nudged one of their blankets higher, keeping him warm. “...I am. Just ready to be better already. But...having Shuu-chan and the others around to take care of me is nice too.”

Shuichi helped with the blanket, tucking him in a little, leaning down to give him a chaste kiss before saying, “Okay. I believe you. Though… ice cream couldn’t hurt. I’ll be back.” Shuichi promised, heading out, giving Kokichi a small wave, before letting the door close behind him. A man on a mission.

...a mission for ice cream.

-

It had taken a good few days, but surely enough Kokichi recovered from the...random shock migraine he’d had. And, you know, his surgery. The swelling in his face had gone down and he didn’t bleed at all, though to Kokichi’s dismay the stitches had begun to loosen, providing a certain sensation that he could’ve done without. 

He’d taken it easy, making sure he wouldn’t worry his loved ones, and...life had been steady. 

Until Aiichi had requested Kokichi sit in on a court session, though...that still wasn’t too much of a ramp up. He was just going to be another brain to work on the problems people brought up. Honestly Kokichi thought Kaito seemed more nervous about it than he did. 

But court did mean that Denji got to steal him away in the morning, picking out a comfortable but professional outfit and straightening out his hair into something reasonable. Light makeup, though Kokichi kept having to bat his older sibling away from adding more. 

Then, after breakfast, it was time. 

The courtroom was...more like an open meeting room than anything else. The admins all sat in comfortable chairs at one end, several stacks of ledgers between them all, some with records, others with blank forms, just trying to be ready for whatever was needed that day. Today, it seemed, was just Aiichi, Ryouhei, and Kokichi, Mikaku and Hideki off doing other work. Settling in, Kokichi got ready to...really be one of the faces of the nation, as nervous as it made him. 

As the first pair of folks came up from the slowly growing crowd, people lounging around the refreshments and smaller tables in what was essentially a waiting area, each stiffly taking a seat across from the admins, glaring fiercely at each other… Well, Kokichi could admit that a feud over the first party having a bush of scotchbroom in their yard that was constantly triggering the other’s allergies wasn’t exactly what he expected, but it was just...kind of what court was like. 

Kaito was waaaay more nervous than Kokichi, though he had thought he had hidden it better from his husband than he had thought. 

Earlier that morning, training the definitely not named Baby Assassin Squad, Maki, no really, I totally convinced them to stop calling themselves that, ha ha ha, Kaito had the kids doing tuck and roll drills while he and Maki watched their form on the side of the courtyard. Shuichi was going to be the one to bring them to school, quizzing him on the way there, so Kaito was going to go back upstairs to get dressed in ‘court clothes.

(Tim, to his endless horror, had won the school spelling bee. And, now that he was heading to the multi-school spelling bee? Suddenly there was a lot of attention on Tim to win within the school itself, and eyes on him from the community itself. No one had specifically said this to the nine year old, because it was a lot of pressure, but… there was some conversation about the fact that one of the schools contenders to the national spelling bee was a Luminary kid, and one with a...colored history. Most people considered it a good sign of the times, though there was the unspoken issue that it was considered noteworthy at all.)

But, Kaito’s nervousness was crystal clear to Maki, as he said for the third time, “Should I wear my armor?”

“No.” Maki told him again. “Kimiko! If you want to leave your hair out like that, you gotta fix your form to not pull it out of your skull! Pay attention!”

“Give it a few more tries, you’re doing great!” Kaito called out, before saying to her, “It’s the nicest thing I own.”

“It’s impractical. They didn’t wear armor at the Luminary courts.”

“The generals did, when they were there. And my family had nicer things than armor to wear. Formal things…should I buy a suit?”

“In two hours? Your clothes are fine. Wear something nice, you’ll be fine. No ones going to be looking at you anyway.”

“I don’t want to embarrass Kokichi…”

“Then just don’t say anything and you’ll be fine.”

“Mean… oh god what if they ask me to say something?!”

“They won’t. But if they do, just defer to whatever Kokichi said.”

“You’re going to be there, right?”

“Mhm. Gtta protect him. Gonna be standing by the back wall, keeping an eye out.”

“Will you make sure I don’t do anything stupid?”

“There is literally no way for me to do that. Ideally, I call no attention to myself the entire time, and no one notices I’m there till I have to cut them.”

“It’s really exciting to watch Kokichi do royalty stuff...like, for real.”

“You see him do that all the time. The letters.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t know. This feels different. It’s exciting! I hope it goes well…”

And now that they were in the court, Maki indeed hanging by the back wall, Kaito was seated where he had been instructed, and was just quietly watching, his back straight, just trying to portray a professional appearance. Though… this seemed like a weird thing to bring to literally the highest court of law in the land. Did they not have lower courts or...home owners associations? To deal with stuff like this? Or maybe these two people had already gone through all those steps and still hadn’t resolved this. Huh.

As Aiichi talked to the folks, trying to dispel some of the tension--though, most people didn’t notice that part. It just kind of sounded like the leader was making small talk, asking the parties how long they knew each other, if they’d lived next to each other the whole time, oh, I bet, lucky guy! Miss Hudson’s snickerdoodles are really amazing, aren’t they!--Kokichi flipped through the housing plans, looking for the two being talked about. 

Pushing the ledger forward with a smile, Kokichi asked, “So, Madam Truscott, where is your scotchbroom bush on your property?”

As the woman pointed it out, the young man next to her huffed. “Right up against my trellis! Lucy, I’ve always appreciated you letting me trim the thing when it creeps over, I’m not accusing you of that, but there’s only so much I can take of getting hives every few months and barely being able to check on my herbs without goin’ into a sneezing fit.”

Kokichi glanced up at the two, taking note of the positioning of the bush and...something interesting the man said. 

Kaito looked between the two. He wondered who the higher ranking person between the two was. Eh, maybe not… a definable thing in Dicea. Hmmm...well, if the two people really were equal in every way, then certainly it became a matter of not doing harm to the other guy. Better to just order the bush removed, right? Kaito glanced at his husband, curious how this was going to go.

“And I am sorry for that, Juni, but that bush has been passed down in my family for generations! Each of us kids taking a cut when we go out on our own, oh, but of course, Karl still has the original at our family home. But it’s the sign of our identity! Asking me to get rid of my scotchbroom is like asking me to cut off a limb!”

“Madam?” Kokichi cut in once she was done, getting the attention. “Please correct me if I’m wrong, since you must have far more knowledge of your family plant… But scotchbrooms need lots of sun, and you chose this area of your property because that’s where it can get sun, correct?”

“Oh, indeed!”

Nodding, Kokichi continued, sliding his finger over on the layout page. “However, this area should also get plenty of mid-day sun, just like the original location, but it is on the other side of your property.”

“Mr. Parr, if you’re only affected when you go near your herb garden...it doesn’t sound like your allergies kick up just from ambient pollen in the air. In fact, there’s scotchbroom in the community garden, and in the pastures outside the city in much larger amounts--have you been affected more in general, or just when you’re near Madam Truscott’s bush?”

The man thought for a moment before humming. “Actually...I do tend to feel better when I’m on vacation, but none of it is nearly as bad as when I go near my trellis…”

The older woman, starting to calm from the polite aggression she and her neighbor had been showing each other, interjected there. “I could make some space, moving my shed a bit… but brooms don’t do well in the cold. I’m afraid that if I transplant the poor thing, it might not make it through the winter without being settled…”

Kokichi thought for a moment. “...would you be alright with it being potted for the winter, kept in the community garden’s greenhouse until you can replant it in the spring? They’ll give your heirloom bush all the care it needs, you can rest assured.”

“Of course! The gardeners are our pride and joy.”

There was something of a cheer from some of the people in the back, evidently a common sentiment. 

The younger man, more relaxed himself as well, turned to his neighbor. “I can help you move that shed before the snow comes in, Lucy. As long as I’m not near it, hell, I’ll help you prepare the plot too.”

Aiichi laughed warmly, having been flipping through a few forms. “That sounds like it’s settled, then. I’m glad we could find a solution that worked for you both, prioritizing health, but not giving up on family keepsakes. I’ll write you up a referral, Madam Truscott, to give to the good folks at the gardeners’ center so they can help you out as soon as possible.”

Kaito glanced at Maki, who didn’t acknowledge him, still just keeping her eyes carefully grazing around the room, constantly scanning. Huh. He felt a little spark of joy, immensely pleased that his husband had been the one to work out a compromise that would work out. His Kokichi was so smart… still. He was surprised this was what court was like in Dicea. He wondered if this was the usual day to day stuff?

Maybe this was just a sign of a well functioning government? It still seemed strange to Kaito that the literal king (leader. Boss. All of that) of the country was being tasked with yardwork complications, but maybe there was so little going on in the country that there really was time for stuff like this. It was kinda nice, if still very startling. He wondered what the other people were here for?

Ryouhei, looking as zoned out as ever, but dutifully recording everything in court, shuffled a page off to the side, that matter settled and ready to be archived at the end of the day. Likely, once everything went through, an attachment would be added to the file, a gardener filling out a request form outlining what they did, and likely a reminder once the snow melted for the bush to be taken back to Lucy Truscott’s property. Then another file, explaining how that process went. 

...there was a lot of paperwork, that went into managing even a city, let alone the country. 

Setting the ledger he’d pulled up aside, Kokichi caught his husband’s eye for a moment, giving Kaito a smile before focusing in on the next group that came forward.

Kaito grinned back, momentarily irrationally excited to have Kokichi attention, before remembering, right, courtroom, be professional. His face went back into a carefully neutral expression, as the next person came up.

The next man, roughly in his thirties, smelled strongly of tobacco even from the other side of the table. He was skinny, with an extremely tired look in his eyes, and was somewhat naturally beautiful, the only stain on his looks being the clear lack of care he was taking of himself. 

Kaito couldn’t help himself. His eyes followed the man’s features with some appreciation and interest, as the man, a pissed off look on his face, tossed a stack of paper towards the other side of the table. Not in an aggressive way. Just clearly exasperated as he said, “Brought the receipts you requested last week. Double checked it, should be everything you asked for. All the receipts from the court dismissing the case against me. We done now? Fucking tired of coming here…”

Kaito frowned, bristling. The guy may have been intriguing to look at, but he didn’t like anyone talking to Kokichi like that…

Aiichi took the papers and offered them over to Kokichi, the prince reading them over with a careful eye as the boss offered the man an apologetic smile. It always sucked when people sent in false accusations, huh? It’s good that the guardforce will always respond to a request, but that doesn’t make the paperwork any more enjoyable--we’re sorry about this, sir, and the approval will get you paid time off from your work. 

Everything seemed to be in order… Kokichi got the gist of the case quickly. There had been a fight over at one of the pubs a few weeks back. At the time, a few patrons had pointed to the man before them as the perpetrator, but their accounts were misinformed. The man had only run into the fight to help break it up, not actually one of the participants at all. One of the civil courts had helped settle things with the others, but it’d taken longer for this man to plead his own case of innocence, and avoid the penalties the others were taking. 

Giving Ryouhei a nod as he slid over the documents to be archived--and to give the guards’ office a notification about the case--Kokichi turned his own sympathetic smile to the man. “Everything seems to be in order, so this is the last trip like this you’ll have to make. You shouldn’t be bothered by the civil court or the guards. Please, help yourself to the refreshments in the back--they’re not a replacement for the stress of all this, but things do seem to feel better with some food. Thank you for your effort and cooperation, sir!”

The skinny man listened to him, sort of dead-eyed, clearly just waiting out to be dismissed, before getting up, not quite rolling his eyes, but giving a clear impression of being impatient and done with all of this. As he got up, there was a quick glance in Kaito’s direction, not purposefully, just by chance (golden eyes. Like Shuichi. Brighter, even.) and there was a brief smirk in them, the dude having the audacity to actually wink, before he headed out.

Kaito felt his skin redden. Dude was rude as fuck, but...damn. Pretty.

Next up was a whole group of people, clearly the bulk of the participants, as far as body count went, though only one of them was sitting at the table, across from a person who was clearly not with the group, both of them the representation of their sides. 

They were polite, but there was way more underline aggression this time, both sides clearly enraged and just barely holding it together for the professionalism of the court as the representative of the larger group put together a long and impassioned (to the point of almost rambling, at one point) accusation that the owner of the business that all of the group was apparently employed in was using illegal favoritism style methods in their hiring, firing, and promotion status, with a strong inclination towards nepotism. Apparently, the straw the broke their back was a beloved manager being fired for not enforcing a new policy that made working at the business more micro-managed, and then was replaced with a nephew of the business owner, who had no experience in the field at all.

The business owner scowled. “It’s no one’s business but my own who I hire into my leadership positions, and my nephew has traits that I value in a manager. Mostly, he listens. What right does the court, or any of you, for that matter, have to say he has no right to the position?”

Kaito frowned, confused. There were literally no fair hiring or promotion laws in Luminary. He wasn’t even certain what the employees were trying to say. He gave Kokichi a confused look, entirely lost. 

Catching Kaito’s look, Kokichi gave him a pat on the leg before focusing in on the owner. “Mr. Van Bering, by the fact that you have a business license, it means that you are well-aware of the Section 19 laws, also known as the Anti-Workplace Discrimination laws. If you are accused to be in violation of those laws, then it gives the government legal recourse to examine the practices you take in interacting with your employees at work.”

A few people in the crowd of employees nodded vehemently, apparently having brought this up in meetings beforehand. 

“However, an accusation doesn’t equate to you actually violating those laws,” Aiichi said in a calming tone. “It just allows us to take a look. If it is your business policy to fire anyone without warning on a case of not enforcing policy, then I would like to take a look at your employee contract and see it stated. Also, since this is a matter specifically brought up, we shall also take a look at your policy on promotion, which legally is required to be defined in the employee contract as well, along with the matter of hiring someone into a leadership position if they have not worked in the business beforehand or in a comparable field, which would require a copy of your new manager’s resume that they applied with.”

Kokichi nodded at the group of employees. “If there are any other examples of workplace discrimination that you can think of, please provide evidence, such as a record of firing or hiring along with the correct documentation in the employee contract or workplace rules that apply to the situation.”

“If Mr. Van Bering is found to be in violation of breaking the employee contract, then he must provide compensation for any unjust firings, provide each employee and the government with a new, correct employee contract if there need to be changes, as well as two weeks pay if any employee decides to leave under those new conditions. If he is found violating the Section 19 laws again, then he will be liable to having his business license revoked.”  

The business owner blustered at this, not ignorant of the rules, but clearly pissed off that they were enforcing them on him. There was an argument back and forth, the man demanding that the case be dropped, stating that it was outrageous and didn’t he have the right to run his business any way he pleased, and the employees that weren’t yelling back at him were smirking, fairly certain the man was digging his own grave with every outraged word.

Kaito...was still confused. Like...wasn’t he? Allowed to deal with the employees however he needed to? He guessed not… maybe that was the sort of thing he needed to read up on. It was a strange concept, but apparently it was needed.

King Aiichi was very patient with the whole thing, but eventually the case was very much finished, even if the two parties wanted to keep arguing with each other, and they were all politely, but pointedly, invited to clear the table for the next case. 

The next one was much simpler, but… kind of a downer.

The woman, not older, but still with a shocking white hair, likely natural rather then a sign of age, gave the court a tired look, something terribly sad but almost resigned in her features as she said, “I’m here about my son again, Boss… Nagito Komaeda? It’s been four months now…”

Kokichi didn’t know where on earth the business owner got the idea that he could run his business any way he pleased. There were just...so many laws detailing the way someone even got their business license, not even getting into the bounds they were allowed to actually run their business. Sure, Section 19 was newer, but...they’d still been around for about 50 years. 

It would be great if people could just run their businesses as they pleased...but every rule came about and was voted in by Dicea for a reason. Rampant workplace abuse, hazardous conditions, people being hurt by the products they bought… Every rule was to keep people safe. 

...Kokichi hadn’t been to court much since he and Kaito had gotten married...but he knew Mako Komaeda from seeing her around the castle. Quite often these past four months… And...well, of course he’d heard why. 

Aiichi’s expression fell, not resigned as the woman’s, but...something softer. Sympathetic, and a little frustrated, honestly, though there wasn’t a note of it in his voice. “Hello, Mako… I’m sorry I don’t have any news for you this time. There hasn’t been any news of someone seeing your son in any town in Dicea, and while we’ve sent out notices to Luminary and Danganronpa, considering the time...we haven’t gotten word other than they received the notices.”

“...we’re not giving up, Mako. As soon as we get any news, you’ll be the first to hear it, I promise.” 

As Aiichi had promised numerous times throughout the past four months. There just...hadn’t been any news of the young man. There had been reports of someone who fit Nagito’s description being at the castle for the wedding, as he had told his mother he’d planned on traveling to, but after that...it was like the boy disappeared. 

Apparently he was prone to wander, so that might be the case, but wandering without stepping into a town, or being spotted just as a lone traveler was...very unlikely.

(Hideki had had a theory. Since Nagito Komaeda disappeared right when the Luminary Party left as well...but the escorts making sure that Chisa left the country hadn’t seen the boy, and since they had no proof… And the Party had disappeared after leaving the Dicean border too. Aiichi had given all their intel about that to Byakuya, and Dicea had their ear to the ground on that front too. It wouldn’t do to make the woman worry over a guess.)

But the entire country and their neighbors had been notified to keep an eye out. There just...wasn’t anything they could do until Nagito showed up somewhere. 

Kokichi bowed his head a little, not having much to say here. At this point...wishes were only words. But he hoped that Ms. Komaeda knew that they cared, and really wouldn’t be giving up until they got some sort of lead. He hoped she knew she wasn’t alone. 

Miss Komaeda nodded quietly, not having expected better. In the beginning, she had been incredibly hopeful. Then, popping mad, certain the guardforce wasn’t doing all they could. But, seeing that they had, and it just...wasn’t enough…

Her son had always been a troubled boy. Incredibly troubled… she couldn’t help but fear the worst by this point. And after four months, the state of...of his...whatever they’d managed to eventually find…

The mother nodded, standing up as she said quietly, “Thank you, boss. I’m sure you will…”

Kaito had to bite his tongue as the woman left, wanting to ask questions. Like, where was the last place he was seen, and where had they looked, and did the guy have any enemies? But that wasn’t his place. He had no doubt too many guardsman had already asked her that too many times, so Kaito just watched sadly as the woman left. 

The next one was… an incredibly large man. All muscle. Hair incredibly long, in a nice suit, with glasses. And a… curious way of speaking.  But even with that curious speech pattern, the accent…

Kaito blinked at the man, startled. Luminary?

“Hello! Gonta Gokuhara! Gonta is very happy to speak to Leader!” Gonta said, a bright smile on his square face, before looking over at Kokichi, eyes lighting up with recognition, as he said, “Small prince! Small Prince is feeling better?”

Something about the next person struck Kokichi as familiar, but it wasn’t until he introduced himself that the same struck a chord with Kokichi. He perked up in turn, giving Gonta a bright grin. “Mr. Gokuhara, it’s great to see you again! I’m doing much better, thank you. You and your friend really helped me out before--I really appreciate it. What can we do for you today?”

There was something amused in Aiichi’s gaze, seeing his son be friendly for a moment, but get right back to work. Maybe it’d make things go faster, but a little bit of casual conversation always helped out, in his opinion. But, this might just be the sort of leader his son was.

“Hello, Mr. Gokuhara--I’m glad to speak with you as well. And if you’re acquainted with Ko, then even better! We’re all friends here, but it’s always wonderful to have a bit of familiarity.” 

Gonta looked a bit surprised for a moment, asking, “Gonta friends with everyone here?” Before grinning brightly, “That is wonderful! Gonta is so glad to have such good friends!  Gonta will do best to be good friend!”

He was surprised, partly because he didn’t remember making friends with them, but also because Ryoma had told him to avoid the Luminary Prince and the Luminary Assassin, which didn’t seem like a good thing to do to a friend...but, well! Perhaps Ryoma did not know they were friends yet! It was exciting!

After his declaration, Gonta explained what he was doing there. It was a little difficult to decipher, as Gonta seemed to favor simpler sentences, even when trying to explain difficult concepts, but the crux of the matter was that Gonta, when he was out making his bug friends since arriving in the last few months, was concerned because some of his bug friends were declining in population size steadily within the last fifty years. 

He knew this because his bug friends had told him...and concerned for them, he had gone to local Entomologists and gotten access to their records, confirming what his bug friends had said. And the Entomologists (Kaito...got the impression the entomologists had only been dealing with Gonta originally out of a mix of good nature and fascination) hearing Gonta explain his ideas on how to help his bug friends… had all realized that despite his speech patterns, the idea was well thought out, comprehensive, and actually kind of...brilliant? And they had signed off on the project (“Gonta have paperwork here!”) and sent him to King Aiichi to request funding on the project.

“Gonta was worried King might not want to fund bug friends help, but Gonta knows his good friends will help!” Gonta said cheerfully, passing them the paperwork.

All three of the admins sat more to attention as Gonta explained his matter--Kokichi might’ve hated bugs, but he knew how important every living thing was to any ecosystem. Any little change in populations or temperature or humidity or pH balance… Dicea was blessed, that despite its harsh winters, the rest of the year was perfect for agriculture. Things grew in Dicea. When there wasn’t scarcity, there was peace.

Naturally, the balance of any ecosystem was of great importance to an Ouma and everyone else who kept the country going. 

Aiichi and Kokichi, who had leaned in, looked over the project paperwork, trusting the sign off of more than a few names they knew and trusted, but needing to see for themselves what the project entailed and where and how the funds would be used just for being two in line of many double checks. And...the plan was solid. Even if Kokichi had to whisper a simplified version of some of the details to his father. 

Looking over Gonta, impressed, Aiichi gave the huge man a grateful nod. “I give my approval for the conservation project. Gonta...this is incredible work, and will likely be a key part in maintaining our home… We’ll be writing in, more, but until then, please accept our thanks on behalf of Dicea, and pass it on to all of these good folks who worked on it as well. And, of course, your bug friends.”

Part of Kokichi’s skin crawled, but he gave Gonta a similarly thankful look. “You all can expect a timeline of the funding by the start of Late Fall, if not the first round of funding. The full grant should be paid in full likely by Mid-Winter, though the timeline will be more precise. Thank you for your work!”

He’d needed the extra moment of Aiichi talking to figure out his estimations. They had access to an all-purpose grant fund, so no matter what the project would be getting its first payment in about a week, but it was usually better to find benefactors that would fund the grant themselves before drawing from the all-purpose fund, if they could. Usually people who owned bigger businesses, the sort of folks who regularly donated money to schools and public works projects. Another thing about business licenses, he supposed. Every year they updated the list of proprietors who asked to be the first notified for any projects that needed funding, looking for a place to put their money that would really help the country. Then they kept track of who had funded how much when, so they could spread it around, making sure that everyone who wanted to pitch in knew, and that people wouldn’t be forced to say no all the time. 

All that to say, Kokichi already knew of some letters he’d be writing that week. 

“Excellent! Gonta is pleased! I shall go tell other friends the good news!” Gonta said, and to Kaito’s concern, he bowed low to the court after getting up (between that and not trying to hide his accent at all...Kaito was just worried about the guy, that was all. There was no hiding his, Maki, Shuichi or Tim’s background, but from what he understood, Luminaries weren’t super open around here. An aspect to most of them being refugees in the last fifteen years.) and, looking over to the princes, he said bright, “Prince Kokichi! Prince Kaito! Gonta will stop by and check on friends soon!”

Kaito blinked. “Oh...kay.”

Gonta bowed again, before heading out.

The next two people, with only one person left still waiting (who seemed very impatient to be seen, the man tapping his foot with some frustration on the ground as he glared at Aiichi. Maki had been keeping an eye on this person in particular basically since he walked in.) were two women, incredibly alike in looks, but different in deposition. One of the women had a soft, intelligent air to her, if slightly harried, while the other seemed bored and restless, and was just wearing… amazing leather armor. 

Both women were beautiful, but if the man from earlier had made Kaito stare and blush a little, the armored woman...fuck...god, she was gorgeous…

Kaito couldn’t help but stare as both women sat down, the intelligent woman sighing slightly and passing the court the paperwork she brought as she said, “Good Morning, boss. Prince Kokichi. Other.” she said, giving Ryouhei an annoyed look. “As discussed. All the receipts are in order, therapy sessions have been completed and signed off on, and the grace period ended as of…” the woman looked up the clock, “One hour ago. My client, Lexa Echo, has paid back her obligation to society, and is officially requesting her weapon permit back. The paperworks been generated, we humbly request your signature, boss.”

If her client (they had to be related. They were identical) was concerned about any of this, she wasn’t showing it. She didn’t even seem to be paying attention. Her eyes were on Maki in the back, who was not returning her gaze.

Laughing softly, Kokichi waved goodbye to the giant of a man, pleased with the whole interaction, even if the subject matter wasn’t something he particularly liked. Nor really was the next subject, but he didn’t really care one way or another if people carried weapons as long as they didn’t hurt anyone. 

And...judging by the paperwork, Ms. Echo wasn’t going to. She hadn’t gotten into any physical fights since her license was revoked, she completed her designated therapy with a sign off from the counsellor that she wasn’t going to be a danger to society, she’d gone through another round of safety training…

Happily, Kokichi got to add his own signature before Aiichi did as well, while he talked with Ms. Echo (who ignored him) and her representative (who kept everything short and impersonal), Ryouhei handing over the updated permit they’d prepared ahead of time once they’d gotten word of this appointment, just needing to sign the date and another round of signatures. 

Handing over the new permit, Kokichi gave the two women a bright smile. “Thanks for coming in! I know all this can be a hassle, but the formalities are here for a reason. I hope you two have a wonderful day!” 

A little amused, he wondered if Ms. Echo would be heading straight for a blacksmith’s after this. 

She would be heading to a blacksmith after this, but as her sister, Camarin, collected the paperwork, nodding her head respectfully, the first place she went as she got up from the table was to the back wall, gaze focused.

“Lexa? Lexa, come back-oh, are you kidding me- come back here.” Camarin insisted, glaring at her sister, who just waved her off dismissively.

“Give me a minute, Camarin, honestly. You stress yourself out too much.” Lexa said, walking up to Maki (Kaito tensing. Ready to come to Maki’s defense, even if she wouldn’t need it, Maki still not sparing the woman more than a glance as she focused on the antsy man in the back.). 

Getting to Maki, Lexa grinned, smug and confident, as she said, “Sup. Names Lexa. What’s yours?”

“I’m working. Clear out of the court if you’re done with your business.” Maki said, not at all concerned about this approaching, armored woman. As paranoid as she was, she liked to think she knew when someone was approaching to attack her...and when someone was just being a far too cocky flirt.

“When do you get off work?”

“I don’t.”

“Doesn’t sound right. They got laws against that sort of thing.” Lexa took out a card, and slipped it into Maki’s shirt (this earned an open glare from Maki now) as she said, “The address of a pub I frequent. When you’re off work? Come hit me up.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Maki said, unimpressed.

“Sure.” Lexa said. Before heading back to her sister, who was glaring at her, the woman whispering in her ear furiously over that as the two left.

Kaito relaxed, Maki seeming fine, if annoyed… and honestly, there were other things to take up his attention as, eyebrows shooting up basically to his hairline, the last man came up, sat down, and red in the face, hissed, “I’ve got it! I’ve got it this time! Proof you’re sleeping around with my wife, ya bastard!” 

...what?

Maki moved away from the wall. Suddenly right behind Kokichi. Hands near the bottom of her dress, though her face was calm and neutral.

Kokichi turned, a little worried for a moment...before he had to cover his mouth and stifle his low giggles. Aw...cute. Maki didn’t seem interested enough to make anything of it...but who knew? Maybe something would. 

When he turned back around, his mirth faded into exasperation and he sat back in his chair, giving Kaito a ‘can you believe this guy’ kind of look. 

Kokichi might’ve not been in court enough to know Ms. Komaeda well, but this guy, who very much was a This Guy, was someone he was well acquainted with. Though, not at much as Aiichi. 

While Kokichi relaxed in exasperation and Ryouhei started tidying up all the forms and records of the day, Aiichi simply smiled warmly at the man. “Hello, Kierva, nice to see you again. Proof this time? I have to say, I am interested in seeing it--almost a pity that your appointment’s last, since I’m sure everyone else would’ve liked to see the proof and shame me once and for all, right?”

Kierva hadn’t had an appointment even in the middle of the court session for years. 

“I’ve got records! Records! Look, look, here, you can’t needle your way out of this one ya old cunt.” Said the far older than Aiichi gentleman, as he brought out small, grocery receipts. Passing the receipts forward triumphantly, he said, “Look at the timestamps, and the names of the individuals! Aiichi, you went to a donut shop on fifth at 8:15AM, buying, not one, not one, but TWO donuts! And, and, look over here. That cafe on fourth? Who should show up to the cafe not an hour later? At 08:56, my wife! Buying a coffee! You two just happen to be one street over from each other, on the same morning, the same day, one hour apart! Try to deny that, you crook!!”

...Kaito’s eyes narrowed. An old, familiar burning feeling starting to dance like electricity over his skin.

Huh, actual receipts. 

Aiichi looked over the receipts with a hum, giving a defeated nod. “You’ve got me this time, Kierva. Two donuts...what a scandal. I’ll be ruined for this for sure.”

A deep sigh. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell Hideki--the maple bar I bought him? That he yelled at me for no less than ten minutes for bringing over sticky food over his desk again? Really, someone else ate it about fifteen minutes after he did. Really, anyone have ideas?”

“Daaaaaaad…” Kokichi groaned, before finally giving the older man at the other end of the table a pleading look. “Mr. Lanei, I know you and my dad have a thing, but could you save implying that my dad has a romantic life for another time? It’s weird.”

“Ko!” Aiichi whined, almost hurt. 

...Kaito really didn’t understand…

Though, Maki relaxed slightly. Apparently this was a known issue. She wasn’t going to walk away from Kokichi while this guy was around for anything, but at least this wasn’t an entire unknown.

Kierva, however, just scowled, a sort of spittle around his mouth and the sides of his eyes a worrying red that could either be from illness or from anger as he shouted out, “Don’t you try to pass this off as nothing! I knew, I knew you’d try to say the donut was for someone else! But, guess what, my wife also likes Maple bars, it’s what she always gets herself, and that can’t be a god damned coincidence! You’re sleeping with my wife, Aiichi! I couldn’t have any clearer proof if I had caught you in the act itself!”

Kaito really, really wanted to tell this guy off, but...it wasn’t his place. Fuck. Fuck. He kept looking to King Aiichi and Kokichi, looking for any indication that anything was going to be done about this...what was happening??

Aiichi nodded sagely. “They are rather good donuts. I was a fool to think Hideki was the only person in the city to like them--it would be a rather poor business decision to serve something only one person likes.”

While all the born Diceans (apart from Kierva) were rather nonchalant about the whole thing, Ryouhei even going to proper sleep while the boss indulged the older man, and the guards at the back of the room keeping an eye on things, sure, but chatting to each other, Kokichi noticed how stressed Kaito was getting. With a slight frown, he took his husband’s hand, turning away from the spectacle he knew could sometimes take a while. 

“Hey...are you alright? Court is pretty much over… We can go and get a late lunch, if you want.” Kokichi rubbed Kaito’s hand, worried about the agitation he could read on his husband’s face. 

Kaito gave Kokichi an openly baffled, confused look, before leaning in, whispering as quietly as he could, “It’s okay for us to just go? While your father’s still here?”

“Yeah? He and Mr. Lanei can go on for a while--I usually end up leaving in the middle of it anyway.” Kokichi nodded over to the back of the room, just the guards standing there now. “General court is over--people can always come by if they need something, but at this point it’s more of an office hours kind of thing. And Aiichi always makes sure to keep his schedule pretty free when Mr. Lanei’s on the docket.”

Kaito still looked uncertain, a lifetime of etiquette just screaming at him… but Maki scratched her neck. “If you’re ready to go, Kokichi, then lunch sounds good. Let’s go.”

The older man wasn’t harmless, as far as Maki was concerned. Irrational people never were. But, well… she wasn’t being paid to protect Aiichi, and didn’t care about him all that much, and he had other guards anyway. If Kokichi wanted to leave this mans presence in favor of eating? All the better. Extra safe prince then.

Kaito looked to Aiichi, wondering if they should at least even ask to be dismissed...before just nodding. “Okay. Let’s go then.”

“And! And! I can’t prove it, but I know you two went to the park together last week! My wife insisted on going on her afternoon walk alone, after we had a small little fight, don’t try to tell me you weren’t meeting her there!!”

Kokichi nodded and stood up, giving a little wave over his shoulder. “Bye dad, bye Mr. Lanei.”

“Oh, you’ve really done your research this time! I can’t believe anyone would’ve figured out how I managed to have time for an afternoon walk last week when I was in meetings with - Bye Ko, Kaito, Maki, have a lovely afternoon -”

As they left the courtroom, Kokichi stretched, giving a bit of a chuckle as he finished and sent an apologetic look Kaito’s way. “‘Spose it looks weird to someone seeing it for the first time, huh. Mr. Lanei comes in every week to accuse Aiichi of cheating with his wife--was really confusing when it started, since my father didn’t even know who she was. Apparently it’s something of an inside joke between them? But Mr. Lanei likes to come and yell at Aiichi for a bit, then they just part and are just all ‘see you next week!’.”

“Very weird, explaining it all, actually.”

“...that was a joke?” Kaito asked, as the three headed towards the dining hall, Kaito sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Fuck… I really don’t get it, Kokichi. That was so disrespectful…”

Maki shrugged, ‘If they’re friends? Maybe it’s a stress relief thing. Like when me, you and Shuichi fight?”

“Yeah, but we do that in private. You guys would never do that if I was sitting on some official meeting or something. Like, what the armor chick and innocent fight guy did too! That was so fucking rude!”

Maki nodded as they headed inside, heading towards the kitchens to request leftovers, since serving hours were done, “That’s true. Maybe I should go to the pub after all. Teach her some manners...I wonder what her weapon of choice is?”

“Is it just a Dicean thing? Are all Diceans just, like, really unprofessional?” Kaito asked, giving Kokichi a genuinely confused look. “I remember you saying that people would have cursed and yelled at Aiichi at our wedding if us Luminaries weren’t there, and I thought you were exaggerating. What the fuck?”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow before considering. “Is it? I mean...I guess Aiichi’s kind of irreverent, but no one ever leaves with hurt feelings… And, I mean, you saw--he always takes serious concerns seriously.”

But as his friends explained that, no, they hadn’t been talking about Aiichi in that encounter… Kokichi just looked up at Kaito, bewildered. “What are you talking about? Everyone just acted normal? That’s not disrespectful or… unprofessional? How else were they supposed to act? If you can’t be yourself, show what your actual feelings are, isn’t that disrespectful? Like...you can’t trust the people around you to take you seriously. It’s pretty rude.”

As Maki went to go knock on the kitchen door, giving whoever opened it a respectful nod, she asked, “Good Afternoon. Three to-go’s. Thank y-”

“What!?” Kaito shouted behind her, looking just flummoxed as he looked at Kokichi like he was crazy, “You, what...what!? That can’t actually be a thing here! That’s a thing? That’s not just a ‘this crazy castle’ thing??! That’s a kingdom thing!?”

The chef looked curiously over Maki shoulder, who simply said, “Nevermind him, he’s dealing with some culture shock. Those three meals? In to-go boxes… right away. Thank you.” Maki said, narrowing her eyes slightly, while the chef glared back, a little ruffled, before huffing and heading inside to put the meals together.

Kokichi crossed his arms over his chest, still looking rather confused. “Yeah? Why can’t it be a thing? It’s not that radical to think that speaking your mind is a bad thing, right?”

...in part, that was another reason why Kokichi just really didn’t like Byakuya. Sure, different culture and all that...but even understanding that could only go so far. Someone who blew up and punished people from being themselves was just...super rude, and honestly so cartoonish that most people would roll their eyes and call that type of person a big baby.

It was why it was so hurtful and insulting that Kokichi had guessed that people were just being nice to him out of duty. That they would think so lowly of him to not be just...casual and familiar. 

He knew that most people thought Kaito and the others were pretty rude, but Kokichi had always thought that they just weren’t comfortable, and that it would come in time. Had...they tried to be polite, at times, and it just...didn’t translate?

With a sigh, Kokichi ran a hand over his eyes, smudging some of his makeup. “Oh no… I guess this makes some stuff make a lot more sense though…”

Kaito twitched, just...Kokichi had to be joking. Or, it was...okay, yes, he had noticed that people were a little rude and strange here, but he had kinda thought it was just the culture of the castle itself. Like, one of the perks of working in the castle. There was no way...it was common sense! They all have to know they’re being rude all the time, right? There was no way they didn’t know!

“Stuff? What stuff!? I…” Kaito grit his teeth, lowering his voice as a few more people came into the dining hall, heading over to the kitchen doors to do basically the same thing they were doing as Maki headed back over to them, Kaito frustrated but not wanting to be seen yelling at Kokichi in front of the strangers. And, like...not at Kokichi. Was he yelling at Kokichi? Fuck.

His voice lowered, he said, “There’s no way something this basic differs between borders. It’s basic etiquette…”

Maki didn’t say anything. She wasn’t going to pretend like she had known all along something was clearly different for the Diceans then it was for the Luminaries. In truth, she had just thought that the rudeness of the staff was another example of people refusing to do the right thing if they didn’t have some sort of deterrent. Not that their concept of the ‘right’ thing was different entirely...but she was happy to let her silence imply that she had known all along as she gave Kaito a small pat on the back. There, there, buddy.

Kokichi sighed, messing up his makeup even more. “I thought you guys were just uncomfortable? And, like, I guess there’s some of that still, but...I thought you guys were being rude on purpose! Sure, it was kind of confusing when you looked confused that people didn’t like you but...I don’t know?! A lot of stressful things have been going on! I thought you guys just needed time, not that you thought…”

Dropping his hand, Kokichi gave Kaito something of a dry look. “Kai-chan, basic etiquette over here means all that stuff I just said. About never disparaging yourself in front of others to gain sympathy, about being true to what you think and not hesitating to express it… Hiding what you feel is super disrespectful. Why do you think people call me a rude little shit all the time?”

...oh boy. If their cultures of etiquette were basically switched...Kokichi had basically been setting the worst example for his family. The way he distanced himself from people, used last names and honorifics, regularly hid what he thought…

“Ohmygod…” Again, Kokichi covered his face as he groaned. 

Even Maki raised an eyebrow at this, as she said, “You're rude?”

“What!?” Kaito shouted, before wincing, looking over at the strangers, who were chatting with the chef at the door, all four of them now staring at Kaito. Giving them a grin and raising up his hand, he called out, “Sorry, sorry, got startled by something! All’s well here!”

Immediately all four of them looked suspicious, the chef whispering something to them. Gossiping in front of them. Fucking…

Kaito looked at Kokichi, just entirely certain Kokichi was actually fucking with him now as he said, “You’re rude? You? You’re the most polite person I’ve met here! Like, when people say you were a hellraiser and rude, I just assumed you used to act way different before we got here! What are you talking about!? You’re the only person who, even when you were pissed at us, was endlessly patient and polite! Everyone else has been an asshole!”

“Well, asshole’s maybe stretching it...though, I did think a lot of people here were a bit dim… the drawback of speaking your mind, I guess. Lays your cards out on the table right away.” Maki shrugged, before looking over at the group, frowning. “Why is this taking so long? Why is he just standing there chatting…I should go remind him we’re still waiting.” she said, eyes narrowing.

“Yes.” Kaito was so close to getting it… Kokichi sighed. “By Dicean standards, I’m an asshole. When I’m pissed at people, I act all cool and polite instead of confronting the issue. That’s rude as hell. How everyone else is? That’s just normal. What you can expect from people. There’s no need for subterfuge or to be sneaky or anything unless you’re going out of your way to be an asshole.”

Sighing again, Kokichi gave Maki something of a blank look. “He’s chatting, because that’s polite when people strike up a conversation. They probably have a lot to talk about, because they don’t trust you guys and we never said what we’re actually making a fuss about.”

“...actually…” Kokichi looked over his shoulder at the group, giving them a wave. “We really are okay! We found a new cultural difference and hoo boy is this one a doozy!”

Turning back to his friends, Kokichi shrugged. “Now no reason to guess about it.” 

Kaito flushed red, embarrassed as he hissed, “Kokichi!”

Maki considered all of this...before saying, “Well. If being rude is being polite here.” she turned to the group, calling to the chef, “If you don’t get our meals within the next three minutes, I’m coming in there and taking them. Stop keeping us waiting.”

“Maki.” Kaito said, now looking even more alarmed. That was nobility taking to commoners level of fucking rude! Holy shit!! Stop!!!

The chef didn’t exactly look appeased, his eye twitching, before rolling his eyes at her and going back to his conversation. Clearly halfway just making a point. Maki watched this, and said, “In three minutes, I’m about to ruin this man’s whole day.”

“Maki, I am just getting to the point where I’m allowed in the kitchen during the day, could you not??”

“Already said it. Can’t go back on it.” Maki shrugged. “No one will ever take me seriously.”

Kokichi sighed again. A sigh so deep it took up every bit of space in his busted lungs as he plopped down on a chair, starting to fish the pins out of his hair. “It’s not quite that it’s opposite, if that’s Maki-chan’s version of opposite… And already no one takes you seriously because you threaten people all the time for no reason. I thought Maki-chan was just trying to be cute, but that’s kind of...the stuff that just gets people to roll their eyes, you know?”

The small prince thunked his head down on the table. “...maybe if I found an old-school manners book or something I could explain it better…”

He supposed it was a bit more complex than just ‘speak your mind’. It was...to treat everyone as if you were close friends, he supposed. Don’t hold back, but respect their opinions too. To chat amicably with strangers, trading intimate nuances of their lives and just...taking it as it was. Don’t try to hurt people on purpose, but don’t hurt yourself holding it in. Getting into a yelling match that ends up in tears was better in the long run than holding resentment for years and years. 

...maybe even their versions of respect came down to core values. Diceans treating everyone the same and...Luminaries choosing a few select people to care about, and everyone else was fit into distinct groups. Something like that...wasn’t really something he could explain and expect his friends to just go, ‘oh, alright’. He...supposed it was fine if they didn’t want strangers to like them. Kokichi had been doing that his whole life, though his distance had always been seen as pitiful rather than rude to strangers at large.

Kokichi groaned into the table.

Now it was Maki’s turn to be confused. “Cute? I’m not trying to be cute. I’m threatening to kill people. It’s a very serious threat.”

“Well, I mean...Maki-Roll, you do say it a lot here, and you haven't killed anyone in, like…” Kaito considered their company and decided to be vague, “a while.”

“People do what I ask them after I say it. No ones’ made me prove it yet. I always mean it.” Maki said, a crease between her eyes forming...before pouting. “Should I make it something more realistic? Maiming? I could tell people ‘Do you wanna be maimed’ if it’ll help?”

“That won’t...no I mean...fuck, I’m so actually upset right now.” Kaito muttered, putting his face in his hands. “This is so frustrating. Also, I hate this guy. Go get our food.” He said glaring at the man. Just….seething now as he said, “Second I get my food? I’m gonna take my food into the shrine and go pray.”

“Really? This is what’s going to cause your new shrine meltdown? Politeness breakdowns?” Maki asked, giving Kaito an unimpressed look.

“It’s not a meltdown! Whose having a meltdown?! I’m hungry and I want to pray and the world is weird and I can’t keep up with it!” Kaito groaned again, digging his palms into his eyes.

“...well, he went into the kitchen, at least. So, that’s a sign of hope.” Maki noted.

“It’s not the content of the threat, Maki-chan…” Kokichi sighed, still facedown on the table. “It’s that you skipped asking and threatened stuff right away. Sure, they’ll still do what you wanted, but with a lot more exasperation and thinking less of you for it.”

Frustrating was something he could agree with Kaito about but...hating the chef? Because he wasn’t eager to interact with them because they were being rude?

...he knew that they’d get past this. They’d gotten past worse, and while some of those issues were still present...well, they knew how to talk about it better now. And they’d move forward. 

But it still really sucked, and Kokichi didn’t blame Kaito for wanting to go rage in his shrine for a bit. He’d check in on him that evening if Kaito didn’t come out before then. 

“...the world is way too weird,” Kokichi agreed. “Sometimes, that can be really cool, but sometimes… Urg…”

Two minutes later, and then three minutes later as Kaito fiercely argued with Maki about not fulfilling her threat (“Maki, I don’t want to have to keep coming to the kitchen at midnight to learn anything!” “Buy a cookbook. People don’t take me seriously here. I have to correct this.”) and finally the door opened again, the chef bringing out the takeout boxes, putting it on the table.

Kaito grinned uneasily, “Thank you so much! Appreciate you.”

The chef gave the Luminary a look of distaste, nodding respectfully to Kokichi, and headed back inside without so much as looking in Maki’s direction.

“Hmmm… yeah. I hate this too.” Maki decided, before looking over to Kokichi, “Are you doing any more court stuff today? Heading out anywhere? If not, I might go keep Kaito company in the shrine for awhile.”

“You...wanna pray with me, Maki?” Kaito asked, baffled.

“No. But I do want to comfortably gripe in private with someone who agrees with me.” Maki said, giving him a small shrug as she said, “You and the shrine are good for that, at least. Besides, I haven't seen it since it was cleaned. I hear you have posters up, and some of Shuichi and Kokichi’s artwork.”

Kaito sighed. “I do. It’s nice….” Kaito paused to think about it, before saying, “Just give me thirty seconds ahead of you to turn over the bean bags.”

“Deal.” Maki nodded.

Kokichi managed to turn his head to offer a thanks to the chef, but he just felt… He didn’t know. A little like he’d sabotaged his friends. A little like he had learned about them through completely the wrong lens. A little like he didn’t understand their anger, and his frustration just compounded on that. 

He gave Maki a weak smile. “Nah, go ahead. I think I might take a bath or somethin’ get all this grimy makeup off and all that. I’ll come check up on you guys before dinner? Can bring it up too if you’re not feelin’ like goin’ out.”

...a bath sounded nice. All hot and steamy with the bubbles… Maybe a nap after. Court usually ended up draining him but...well, he felt drained one way or another. 

Kokichi fixed a dull gaze on the take-out boxes for a moment before pushing himself up from the table with a groan, pocketing the pins he’d managed to pull out, his hair half-styled now and somehow managing to look even more wild than usual. 

They’d move past it. 

But today was probably not going to be good.

-

“...to clarify…” Shuichi said, after Kokichi had spent that last twenty minutes explaining to his boyfriend, who had come home for dinner after being invited by Hina to spend the afternoon with her, hearing that his restrictions were up through the grapevine and wanting to give Shuichi more excuses to go out. It had been nice. The two had traded stories about Yuta, Hina had told her more about her life growing up in Dicea, and Shuichi gossiped with her about everyone from the orphanage she had left behind, and what had become of them.

Most of the news was light hearted.

...some of it hadn’t been, but...well…

If you could say anything of Luminary. They were used to moving on from deaths.

Now at home, he was disappointed to discover that...well- “You guys discovered during court that our concepts of what's considered socially polite and acceptable and how we interact with people in general are almost opposite in nature in every way, and Kaito and Maki had a meltdown over it? And are now hiding in the shrine?”

As the two headed to the dining hall, Shuichi thought about it… and said, “Well. I guess that’s, ya know...one reason to have a shrine meltdown.” Shuichi huffed.

Kokichi nodded with a deep sigh, unworried about being overheard by others going down for dinner too. Maybe it would even help things if they were overheard. “It’s not something I’d expect the majority of people to just roll with. Like...even with that difference, I never got the impression that either of them were trying to be friendly with people, so it’s not like they’ve just discovered that all their efforts were undermined… But it’s still shocking.”

Twirling a bit of his hair, still a little damp from his bath, Kokichi paused before touching on something that he’d only realized in the bath. “How I act with people generally… It’s rude, but not really in the way that gets people to go, hey, fuck that guy, you know? It’s more...just kind of pitiful and childish. Why people never believed in me to be leader--at least I thought, and some people--because...if a leader can’t be open and candid, then why should you put your trust in them?”

“It’s just...hard.” Another sigh as he tugged on his hair. “...and that’s why it meant so much when Kai-chan said he believed in me, you know? He was one of the first people to say something like that to me--the first that wasn’t related to me, anyway--and...he didn’t even know me. I’d been nothing but an asshole to him and...he still said it.”

“...I still appreciate it, and that he’s kept that view, but it kind of dampens it when he thought I was being sweet and polite the whole time.” Kokichi’s shoulders sagged a bit. “...maybe he’s realized that too, and that just makes the discovery worse.” 

Shuichi nodded, and while he really couldn’t speak for his boyfriend...well, that’s never stopped him before as he said, “He might not be thrilled to have found out that his husband was going out of his way to be unkind, and that everyone he thought was being rude and cruel was going of their way to be nice.” he paused, before shrugging, “Their version of nice, anyway.”

“Though… maybe that’s not giving either of you enough credit.” Shuichi said, heading to the table to grab some plates, looking around at the assortment of food available today as he said, “Just because we have different ideas of what kindness is, doesn’t necessarily mean we all didn’t understand what we were ultimately trying to communicate… I mean. People scare the crap out of me, coming up to me in public just randomly acting friendly...but despite that being very aggressive and rude back home, I still know that they’re just trying to be nice. Like, eventually you pick up the underline meaning of it all…”

“...or maybe not. Kaito kind of lives in his head at the best of times, and Maki struggles with making friends even under normal circumstances. So maybe neither of them really picked up on any of it.”

“...and you being polite at the beginning didn’t hide the fact that you hated him when we first got here. Me and Maki both told him so. It’s not like he didn’t know.” Shuichi said, partly trying to comfort Kokichi. It’s alright, young prince. Your relationship really was adequately broken when he declared his alliance and belief with you. You could still count on that.

Kokichi listened as he started loading up plates, at least knowing his husband enough to do that. Fill up on meat skewers, fill up on the roasted corn that was even making Kokichi’s mouth water, fill up on sweet rolls with whatever space was left over after the main dishes. They were committed to making things work, to communicating and always learning about each other...but no one said it was going to be easy. None of it had been so far. 

Kaito might’ve known that Kokichi hated him from hearing it from his friends...but that wasn’t exactly the same as knowing it from their interactions. A memory of Kaito sincerely thinking he was flirting when Kokichi was being as cold as possible came to mind. 

...but, well. He knew he hadn’t been fond when they were in the greenhouse. And Kokichi had been warming up to him when they talked the night before their wedding…

Another sigh. “...I hope Kai-chan and Maki-chan have at least figured out what they wanna do. Can’t go forever without interacting with people but...I dunno. Just be okay with people bein’ rubbed the wrong way, or do what feels unnatural to start getting to know others. Or something else completely.”

“I’ve found ‘cringing’ and holding back the desire to say ‘please stop’ has worked wonders on my random interaction with people.” Shuichi said, this very much being a joke, but...a certain sense of exasperation in his tone as he sighed. “Though, really?... this is actually kind of funny to me. Sort of ironic. We didn’t get deep into it, but...me and Hina kinda talked about this today, actually.”

“Just, the culture shock of it. How bold everyone here is, and like… how you all kind of just double down on the friendliness approach, when it doesn’t seem to be working. She said it took a long time for her to get used to, too. She kept thinking people were trying to kidnap her. She attacked a few people, who were just trying to be nice… it was one of the reasons her foster parents got her involved in the dojo. They thought she just had extra energy and aggression she needed to get out? They didn’t realize the issue was she kept feeling like she was being set up for an attack… but the dojo still helped, even if not for the reasons her parents thought. She learned to socialize there. Met Sakura there…”

Stacking the plates carefully, carrying his own and Maki’s, he said, “My point being, one, maybe getting Maki and Kaito to talk to Hina, or some other refugees might be a good idea. See how they did it. And two, sometimes...these things just take time. Practice.”

“...I don’t know. That’s what I’m hoping, anyway.” Shuichi sighed.

Kokichi snorted softly. Shuuichi wasn’t the epitome of social, but...well, people tended to be a little more receptive to reserved folks when it was clear that their coldness came from anxiety. For every person that would call you out for an in-depth conversation over potatoes in the market, there was someone who would see worry on someone’s face in a crowd and ask if they needed a friend or just to get out of where they were, or draw attention to themselves so it wasn’t on you. 

Considering Shuuichi’s reaction was more to shut down than to rear up… He was probably getting the same reception that Kokichi got, honestly. 

He looked over curiously, though, when Shuuichi mentioned he’d had something like this conversation earlier. And…

...they actually did have resources for people who grew up in Luminary adjusting to life in Dicea. People who could give advice on the exact sorts of things that his friends were struggling with. 

...one of the big reasons they advocated for school wasn’t just because it introduced you to a lot of concepts that you might’ve completely passed by. It was because school introduced you to people. To how to interact with those people. By coming to Dicea as adults...and...really only being involved with Kokichi and not any other regular social group…

(...had he failed there too? A balance of “just needing time” that he’d enabled his friends with? Not even suggesting clubs or classes or…) (Well, he had suggested those things but...had backed down immediately upon seeing the discomfort in his friend’s faces.)

Talking briefly with a member of the kitchen staff that had been bringing a refill, Kokichi got a tray, putting his and Kaito’s plates along with drinks for them all on it. And...he nodded slowly. “...I think that’s a good idea too. This isn’t something I can help with, not even on the Dicean side since I suck at socializing too, but...well. There are plenty of people who can help.” 

“Mhm...maybe it’s something we should all talk about...well,” Shuichi sighed, rolling his eyes, taking a second offered tray, as the two headed out, “After we convince our friends to come out of a literal closet. First closet, then socializing groups.”

Upstairs…

Maki was laying on a bean bag, staring at the ceiling, as said ,”Are you really going to keep praying like that?”

Kaito twitched, looking over from where he was kneeling in front of the table, frowning at her as he said, “You could always join me, you know...praying can be therapeutic.”

“Did your therapist say that?”

“She did, actually...she said anything that requires you to reflect helps. But that like...just existing and accepting your place in the world helps too. She told me last time I talked to her that I should take twenty minutes every day and think of like…” Kaito frowned, clearly not exactly sold as he said, somewhat embarrassed, “nature and my place in it and… um… just losing myself in the air…”

“That sounds like bullshit.”

“I don’t know! She says it only works as much as I’ll let it, but I already take time to polish her stupid rock, and I spend time praying to Atua, and now I gotta spend time ‘existing’ and like, how much reflecting does a guy have to do!? By this point, I’m gonna spend all day, every day ‘reflecting’!” Kaito grumbled, thumping his forehead against the table.

“You sound frustrated. Why don’t you just quit?”

“Maki, come on, you now I can’t…I’m legally required…”

“Fake it.”

“No, I don’t...I’m really trying. If this stuff is supposed to help, then I want to let it...and I have been doing better with my anger! I think...it feels like I’ve been doing better.” Kaito sighed.

“Mmmm…” kicking her legs on the wall, looking up at the artwork now, thinking of her family, she said, “We’re not actually going to stay in here all night, are we?”

“You don’t have to do anything...and I’ll be out any minute. I just want to...not come out all angry and pissed off and...I’ll be okay in a second.”

“Sure. Haven't heard that one before.” Maki muttered.

Honestly, Kokichi wanted to offer that they could all eat in the shrine. It was bigger than their bedroom closet, at least, and they could have closet time again, but for a different comfort space than Kokichi’s. 

But...praying meant blood, and Kaito had definitely had prayer sessions since his cleansing ritual so… Like...he could eat on the other side of the door…

Once they got to the shrine, Kokichi softly kicked at the door, both his and Shuuichi’s hands being full. “Kai-chan? Maki-chan? We brought dinner… Do you wanna come out or...eat in there or…”

Kaito sighed… before saying quietly to Maki, “I should come out, right?”

“Yeah.” Maki agreed, sitting up, stretching her shoulders.

“Yeah...that’d be responsible. I can’t hide in my shrine...I’m not a child anymore… okay! Okay!” Kaito straightened, slapping his face with both hands at once, gripping them into fists as he focused on the sting, “I am Kaito Ouma Momota, Luminary Prince of the Stars! Hero of the fifteen year war! Dicean Prince Consort of the Cacti Fields! I do not have tantrums in shrines! I am a responsible, well adjusted adult!”

“Yep. Well adjusted. That’s the two words that always come to mind when I think of you, Kaito.”

“Maki, could you stop being mean to me for five minutes, I am...not in a good place for it right now,” Kaito begged, taking Maki’s hand as she offered him a lift up, the two heading to the door.

Maki seemed to consider this...before nodding. “Everything’s going to work out. You’re frustrated. And you’re right, you are an adult. You know it doesn’t matter that you’re frustrated.”

Kaito nodded, sighing. “Yeah… fuck. Yeah. I know.”

Kaito opened the door, giving his husband and-hey, look! It’s Shuichi!- boyfriend a grateful look as he said, “Hey! Hi guys! Awwww, thanks...you brought dinner! Yeah, we can…” Kaito looked over his shoulder, before sighing, closing the door behind him as he and Maki stepped out, “We can eat somewhere else. Any particular place in mind?” 

He didn’t mean to make it a big deal at all--something like that would probably just hurt Kaito’s feelings--but the relieved look on Kokichi’s face was evident when both Maki and Kaito came out of the shrine. He had hoped that with Maki there this wouldn’t turn into...a multi-day seclusion, but...well, though the last time had been an outlier, it had been pretty horrible. He didn’t have much to base his hopes on. 

Kokichi had been about to shrug before something Kaito had mentioned before popped into his mind. It was a silly idea, but...well, it might break the atmosphere a little. “What about the dance studio a few doors down? Just eat in a room full of mirrors.”

Rolling his eyes, Kokichi took a few steps back to accommodate for wherever they decided to go. “Hope you guys like what we picked out for ya--I mean, you can probably smell it from there, but I am ready to demolish this corn. And I tried a little--not spicy, despite the red stuff on it. And not even not spicy for me, it’s not spicy in the slightest.” 

Kaito, ever the dutiful husband, saw his Kokichi carrying a bunch of plates on a tray and immediately went to go take them from him...before he looked over to his very pregnant boyfriend who was also holding a tray...and for a second his brain short-circuited. Whose weight should he take? Tiny husband or pregnant boyfriend. Tiny husband or pregnant boyfriend…

“Here. Let me take that Shuichi.” Maki said, taking Shuchi’s tray, “Thanks for bringing up.”

Grateful to Maki, Kaito said brightly to Kokichi, “Same, let me grab yours babe. Though, if we’re going to the dance room, it’s not exactly far. Literally just over there.” Kaito said, gesturing slightly down the hall.

“We’re doing the dance room idea?” Maki asked.

“Yeah, why not? It’s right there, it's spacy, probably empty, and like...it’s got a great view.” Kaito grinned, giving Kokichi a wink before leading the way there.

Those things were all true, thankfully, and Shuichi got the door for everyone as they headed inside. The dance room was mirrors on two sides, but the far wall almost near wall to wall windows, sheared, letting in a lot of light during the day, though at night it reflected the warm gas lights that lit the outside of the castle at night.

Heading to the center of the room, Kaito put down his tray first, Maki taking his lead, while Shuichi sat down, felt the coolness of the wood panels smoothly laid below them...and laid back, laying flat on his back. “Mmmmm….”

“You look comfortable.” Maki said, looking down at him.

“I kinda am. The cold is nice on my back. I’ve been kinda sore lately.”

“Hmm.” Maki said, before sitting down beside him, and laying down on her back as well, feeling the chill of the floor through her shirt. “...yeah. You’re right. This is nice.”

“Hmm.” Shuichi hummed back… before saying, “Heard you guys had a culture shock.”

“Hmmm.” Maki hummed. “Have you heard? Everyone outside the castle is like everyone inside the castle.”

“Tragic.”

“I thought so.” Maki hummed, not seeming as bothered now, the two clearly playing with each other.

Kokichi’s eyebrows raised as Kaito settled on his joking suggestion...but it wasn’t like the dance room would be a bad place to eat. No tables except for a side one meant to prop up the record player in the room, and only a few chairs...but eating on the floor wasn’t that novel, and a change of their regular scenery might be nice. 

As they got in, Kokichi ran the length of the room like he always did when he came into the studio room, his socked feet--shoes long abandoned once he got back to their room after court--making little “pat-pat-pat” sounds on the floor before he returned to the group, settling down to grab his plate. 

While he dug right in, Kokichi looked thoughtfully over at Shuuichi and Maki lying down on the floor, his eyes drifting over the gentle round of Shuuichi’s stomach as he mentioned his back pain. ...he really was going to be getting big pretty quickly… Hopefully with minimal strain to his back…

Shuuichi and Maki seemed content to work out the culture shock thing their own way, so… Kokichi looked over to Kaito, offering a small smile. “...dinner okay? Tried to get stuff I thought you’d like.” 

Kaito nodded, taking the meat and mixing it with the rice, which Kokichi was right. Wasn’t hot. “Tastes great, babe, thank you so much.”

Kaito was a ...little embarrassed.

He got the impression he should apologize. He just wasn’t entirely certain for what. Not in the sense he didn’t feel like he had done anything wrong that day. He felt generally sort of guilty. He just wasn’t sure...why. 

...actually.

“Hey, ‘Kichi, I’m sorry for yelling earlier...that was dumb. I don’t...I was frustrated, but that wasn’t worth me losing my head over.” Kaito said, nervously tapping his fork against the plate for a moment. “My bad.”

Kokichi gave a little pleased hum, accepting the thanks as he ate. He knew they should talk about it, especially since Kaito was likely taking it harder than Maki, but he just...wasn’t sure how to get there. How to start. How to even get to the point of mentioning that maybe Kaito could ask refugees about their thoughts on Dicean culture…

...but Kaito started that conversation himself.

Kokichi looked surprised for a moment, of all things not expecting an apology, but he soon smiled, scooting over to tap his head against Kaito’s arm for a moment. “It’s okay but...I accept your apology. Finding out about a culture difference as big as this isn’t...yanno, water off a duck’s back. And I haven’t really been the most helpful in...even showing that off, or helping you guys in any way.”

Wrinkling his nose a little in annoyance at himself, Kokichi looked up at his husband. “...so...what are you thinking? Even if you haven’t gotten to any conclusion yet...I still wanna know where your head’s at.”

Kaito rubbed his own shoulder a little, easing some of the stress there as he sighed, “I don’t know...where’s my head supposed to be at? Like, not really, I don’t mean tell me what to think...I just mean...I’ll be honest. I don’t know why I’m as upset as I am. But… I am.”

“Kaito sucks at coping with change.” Maki teased.

“Yeah, well, you’re an asshole.” Shuichi said.

“Why am I an asshole?”

“Is that … a serious question or…”

“No.” Maki smiled, looking over Shuichi, a surprisingly gentle look on her face as she said, “I know I’m an asshole. I was mostly annoyed earlier because apparently people don’t take me seriously here. I miss my reputation.”

Sighing, looking back at the ceiling, she said, the amusement gone from her voice as she said, “Apparently I’m a joke here.”

“Hmmmm.” Shuichi hummed. Not having anything to say to that. Not quite ready to say he missed his own reputation, but...kind of understanding where she was coming from.

Kaito just sighed, running his hands through his hair now, abandoning his food for a moment, before saying, sounding bewildered, “Am I really this bad at coping with change? I never thought this would be an issue I have…”

Kokichi wasn’t going to answer, even if Kaito had asked, but… He didn’t know if there was supposed to be a place his head was supposed to be. Who had an answer to discovering that the basic rules of socialization in the place you’d lived in for four months ran directly counter to what you’d known your entire life up to that point? He’d wager that even other Luminary immigrants had different experiences there, even if just in timing. 

...at least for Maki he had something of an answer. Sighing softly, he murmured, “It’s a different tone, but...well, you’re in similar company. I’ve known my whole life and still every time I meet a new person they’re gonna see me as a joke. I think it’s just that I built up a reputation with my work that they don’t just laugh in my face.”

Shifting into a sort of pretzel, his knee propping up his cheek as he reached through his leg to eat every once in a while, Kokichi shrugged. “...it might be for some stuff. But just how shatteringly different our cultures are...I mean, shock really encapsulates it, doesn’t it. And...this is all I’ve known any of you as, and it’s kind of hard to get a read on what’s day-to-day and what’s...you know.”

He sighed, gaze going duller. “Trauma. Plenty to be traumatized over lately.”

Maki sighed, running her hands through her own hair, rolling over on her back. “Well, I’m not thrilled. You work your whole life to be a terrifying presence, make yourself too much work to mess with, move two months to the left? Suddenly my threats are ‘being cute’ at best and being ‘childish’ at worst.”

“I just don’t understand what’s meant to be wrong with us.” Kaito said, thumping his chin to his knee, a little… upset by Kokichi’s summary of them, but the sheer fact that that was how his husband, the only Dicean so far who’s really made an effort to get to know any of them, saw them? Like he couldn’t tell which parts of them were literally results of trauma and which parts were just Luminaries being ‘like that’... “Is there something wrong with us?”

“I told you, Kaito. One day they were going to notice we were crazy…” Maki muttered.

Shuichi didn’t say anything. He just had a frustrated look on his face, like he was biting his tongue.

Kokichi furrowed his brow, putting his fork down. “No… Sorry. I said that wrong… Nothing’s wrong with you. You guys have just been acting like...you know, how you were raised. And in Luminary, that’s perfect. It just doesn’t read here.”

(And, well… He’d told Maki a dozen times in different ways that she didn’t need to threaten people to get things done. That people weren’t going to mess with her, and, in this more recent event, that they were actually more likely to write her off or mess with her if she threatened them. But at this point...Kokichi didn’t know how to say it any other way. If Maki didn’t believe it after all this time...then that was her choice.)

“That’s just how different cultures are, I guess,” he huffed, starting to twirl and tug on the longer pieces of his hair again. “But what I meant was… When you guys are having trouble? Sometimes I can’t tell if it’s one of those culture things that everyone goes through if they go to a new place, or if it’s something more specific. Like...I’m not about to ask you to spout out an essay every time you’re upset or frustrated, but because I’m not a mind reader, that means I can’t tell what it is…”

Kokichi chewed on his lip for a bit before looking over his friends. “...does that make more sense?”

Shuichi let out a breath, some of the tension leaving his face as he said, “Yes. Though…” Shuichi sighed, looking over at Kokichi. “We don’t always know when somethings wrong either. Finding out keeping our feelings to ourselves is somehow a bad thing, and then being told we’re somehow being offensive not treating people like we know them already…”

“You keep saying ‘somehow’.” Maki pointed out to him. “We have to make an effort. You know that. Talking like their beliefs are inherently baffling or senseless isn’t going to help.”

“...heh.” Shuichi looked over to his sister, “I feel like we’re backwards right now. Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?”

“Why?” Maki asked.

“Because…” Shuichi suddenly got an uncomfortable look on his face. “I don’t know. I feel like I’m adjusting quicker to all this then you are.”

Maki shot Shuichi a somewhat dirty look, before saying, “I was annoyed because I’m not being taken seriously. It annoyed me that some random chef in the kitchen felt safe and secure enough to openly snub me in front of people. But I’d argue that of anyone here, I’ve been putting the most effort into assimilating. I worked with Lake every day for almost two months, just so she’d teach me what self defense and defense of others looks like to Diceans. Some of the things she told me made no sense to me, or seemed stupid, but I still live here and work under these conditions, and I learned quickly that just dismissing it as nonsense not worth thinking about was going to do nothing but frustrate me. And even if I disagreed with the reasoning, finding out what the reasoning was...helped.”

Maki paused, before narrowing her eyes at Shuichi, “Or am I just too fucking dumb to understand that on my own? Does me missing being respected mean I just can’t function in this new world? Like our brave and intelligent Shuichi can?”

“No, no… sorry, Maki.” Shuichi murmured. 

Katio, who was listening to this quietly, trying his sidekicks to work this out on their own, the two rarely letting a disagreement or an offense turning into a full blown fight… and said, looking over to Kokichi. “Okay. So… explain it to us.”

Kokichi watched Shuuichi and Maki, feeling...a weird sort of mix of...pride and...he didn’t know. Feeling bad that there was stuff to adjust to, though he didn’t feel any imperative to change how Dicea was socially. Or even Luminary in this case. As weird as it was for him...just constantly lying to everyone about how you were wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if it was expected. For that one case in Luminary...it was just different. Not wrong, different. 

After he’d explained it and Maki kept using the threats...well, it was like he thought. That it was her choice for interacting with people. He had thought it was a weird quirk--just being oddly cutesy, as he’d said--but...it was just her. It made a little more sense if she hadn’t realized that the perception they’d gotten her wasn’t the one she’d intended but… Still. Exasperation wasn’t the end of a social life, and Maki was still just...living. 

And he was proud and happy for her in that regard.

Kokichi looked over in surprise for a moment before furrowing his brow. “...thought I kinda did, but having more time to think about it… It’s like...treating the world as if you’re at a party with people you know and trust. Being comfortable enough to be as silly or as outspoken or...however you like. And even if you don’t super know everyone there...you’re still comfortable enough with them to strike up a conversation if you both happen to cross paths.”

He tugged on his hair a bit more as his voice softened and his gaze wandered up to the ceiling. “And...like, of course there are nuances to it. You see someone partying in a way you’ve never seen before? As long as it’s not hurting anyone, you can just be like...hell yeah, you live your life. And if someone’s off to the side, not really enjoying the party...sure, it can be seen as standoffish and rude, and even like a kid throwing a tantrum in some cases, but it could also be seen as just...being uncomfortable. Maybe there’s too many people or the music’s too loud...maybe they’re just shy. So a friend can come introduce them to more people and ease them into the party, or head to, like...a patio, where things are more chill, and you can feel more comfortable in that atmosphere to relax.”

“Probably more cases than that too… Um…”

“Dicean society is one big party, huh…” Shuichi said quietly. “Of course. Of course. Kaito invites you to move somewhere? Of course he’s going to take you to a kingdom where everywhere is party rules. What did you think was going to happen, Saihara...”

Maki looked over at Shuichi with some affection at that, thinking that was pretty funny, but Kaito just frowned. “Is there...anywhere where acting that familiar with people is rude? Like...I mean, fuck, my example would be a court, but that’s where this all started…”

“I have a question.” Maki said, looking up, over to Kokichi from where she was laying on her stomach, her ankles crossed over each other. “The emphasis you keep bringing up is that you’re meant to be honest and open with people about your feelings, but you’re also supposed to treat everyone like a close friend, or at least someone you’d be open to party with… what if those two situations contradict? Would it be more respectful to be honest and treat people like they barely interest you, or you don’t like them, or would it be better to lie but keep up the friend act?”

Kaito frowned. “Maki, don’t be a jer-”

“I’m genuinely asking. I said it helps to understand, right? Would people prefer false familiarity, or genuine disinterest?”

“Would it matter? If you weren’t interested in them, then it doesn’t matter how they feel about you, right?” Shuichi observed. 

“I’m mostly thinking for in case other people were observing. If you pretended to like someone, and people could tell you didn’t mean it? Would that go over more poorly then just ignoring them in general in front of other people?” Maki asked.

Kokichi’s gaze dropped back down to Shuuichi, finding a bit of humor in his moaning. Maybe it wasn’t exactly like a party--because Kokichi certainly didn’t feel like every day was a festival--but...it was the best example he could think of. 

But...somewhere where acting familiar would be frowned upon… Or…

Kokichi thought over Maki’s question, feeling a little...like he wasn’t the best person for these kinds of questions...but he’d do his best. “I think...that might differ person to person, but on the whole...I think being honest would be more appreciated. But like...not even a feign of omission. Just say straight out that you’re not interested, then go on to ignore them.”

“...I know I keep saying friend, but...that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to like people,” Kokichi started slowly, scrunching his mouth to the side. “People can hate each other’s guts if that’s really how they feel. But you just...coexist, you know. People can go on living their lives in their corner of the world, and you can go on in yours, and if you really hate each other, you just don’t interact. It’s just...acknowledging that if someone is doing something weird, or that you don’t like...you don’t need to start a fight over it as long as it’s not hurting anyone, cause the line is definitely that, and if it’s breaking the law, but you can just...acknowledge that people are living their lives.”

He tugged more on his hair, fingers getting a little tangled as he thought. “...I can’t...I can’t think of any place where acting familiar would get you in trouble… School, being questioned by the guardforce or a lawyer, town meetings, any kind of court...they all kind of encourage being open.” 

“Even being questioned by the guardforce…” Kaito sighed, before saying, “I guess I just… the concept of respect is so wildly different here. It bothers me to think that when you’re in your father’s seat, people will just be…” Kaito’s brow furrowed, before sighing, “But it’s not rude here, so…”

“Me and Kokichi were talking about what we could do to solve it?” Shuichi volunteered. “First of all, I think it’d be really valuable for all of us to talk to Hina. She’s done all this already, ya know? She’s figured it out. But, a way for us to work it out? I think all four of us should maybe…” Shuichi’s nose scrunched up slightly in distaste, not exactly a fan of his own idea, “join some sort of social club...separately.”

Kaito frowned at this. “Why separate?”

“Partly because I don’t want to join whatever exercise club you two are going to end up picking if we do this.” Shuichi smirked. “And partly because if we join a club together? We’re going to end up just talking to each other. And we won’t learn to socialize with Diceans that way.”

“I hate this idea.” Maki decided.

“No one likes us. If we seperate, they’ll tear us to pieces.” Kaito worried.

“Look, if you all get to tell me what’s ‘best’ for me all the time, then I get to tell you.” Shuichi said, sitting up and glaring at them, “And we need to learn to socialize. That means getting out of our comfort zones...or, at least you all have too.” Shuichi said, laying back down, a smirk on his face, “I’m pregnant, which means I get to put it off.”

“Nope.”

“Not happening, handsome.”

Kokichi nodded slightly. He couldn’t imagine just...lying to the guardforce. Not explaining things to the best of his ability, which of course would have personality put in. Even when they’d been questioned at the coast...how could anyone expect someone to be composed explaining that?

“When I’m leader, if people weren’t casual with me?” Kokichi sighed. “I’d feel like a failure… And if they thought that I wouldn’t like them being familiar, I’d probably be voted out as leader, replaced with someone people were comfortable with.”

...he was still worried about that, actually. Sure, his work with the letters had tangibly helped his reputation out. For every person that thought he was some unreasonable child, there had been people everywhere he went, thanking him. Wanting to get to know him a little more, even for just a single conversation. That guy he’d danced with at the brewery, that museum worker at the coast, every person that came to chat at festivals…

...people had really had more faith in him than he’d ever given credit to, huh. ...what a bozo move on his part. 

Stuck in his head for a little bit, Kokichi rolled his head over on his knee, looking over at Shuuichi. “Would me taking more art classes count? I’ve taken some before but...never really talked to people. If I made that the focus…” He then smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow at Shuuichi. “Honeypie, you’re going to university next semester. Honestly, I think that’s one of the biggest social clubs you could join.”

“Oh yeah...oh noooo….” Shuichi put his hands over his face, “Are people going to want to talk to me at University?” 

“Ha! You have to do it first, Shuichi.” Kaito said, pumping his fist.

“Nope. That just means we have to play catch up.” Maki sighed, “Kokichi’s taking an art class, Shuichi’s going to university...I don’t know. I could go to that dojo Hina goes too...”

Kaito thought with some despair about the fact that everything that had happened today was probably going to get him bullied out of the kitchen during the day again… “...there’s probably somewhere that does cooking classes, right?” Kaito wondered aloud, looking down at his plate, “I like learning with Chako, but I think it’s probably way too late to try to get along with any of the rest of the kitchen staff, so that’s not ideal for learning to socialize.”

Kokichi snorted softly. “I mean, you could opt out of group projects and class discussions. That would be a surefire way to make sure no one sees a brilliant genius and never thinks about asking his thoughts on assignments or concepts or just wants to get to know him more.”

He was pretty pleased that taking art classes was gonna fly for his part in the ‘let’s not be completely inept at socializing’ plan, even if it still was kind of in his comfort zone...but then again, Maki was going for something like that too. If she said she was going to reach out to others, then Kokichi knew she absolutely would, and going to a place meant to teach and practice combat skills was sort of amazing for Maki...but it was still somewhere her sister worked. However, having backup was different from staying in a bubble.

Kokichi sent Kaito a soft look. He’d hoped things with the kitchen staff would get better, but… Well. You couldn’t force people to like each other. Just to tolerate. 

“Totally. If classes in the castle are going on, they’ll be on the schedule on the bulletin board in the main hall, and people putting on classes in town will probably advertise there too. Might not hurt asking Takashi if he’s heard of any, since he’s the person that makes all those notices.” 

“Right…’Kichi, I’m sorry.” Kaito said, sighing as he leaned back on his hands, his food long finished, “We are...no, I’m not going to make this a ‘we’ statement. Maki, Shuichi, you’re both doing your best, and I’m proud of you guys, okay? I know this is hard, and sometimes it feels it feels like it’s not going to get better, but if there’s anyone I believe can get to the other side of this and thrive in a place like this? It’s you two...though, Maki, if you really want people's respect, I…”

Kaito hesitated. He had been going to say she’d have to find a new way to find it, but…,based on everything Kokichi just said…

...he admitted after a moment, “ I don’t know if that’s possible in a place like this. I don’t think that kind of respect exists here.” Kaito frowned, losing the threads of his pep talk, though both of his sidekicks quietly listened to him, allowing him time to get his thoughts back together, “And if it does, then even the king doesn’t have it and...anyway… if that kind of respect exists anywhere in Dicea? It’s probably not going to be the castle, and it’s probably not how you’re used to getting it. So… we might want to work on how you talk to people when you want stuff.”

Maki tsked, looking away from him. Clearly annoyed, but… just mumbling, “Yeah.”

“You were saying something to Kokichi, Kaito?” Shuichi gently reminded his boyfriend, who was looking to Maki, something guilty and worried in his expression.

“Hm? Oh, yeah… I just wanted to apologize, Kokichi. We’re not...sorry, I just said no ‘we’ statements…. I’m not the most...I don’t like having to change. I thought I was okay with it, that it’d be easy, when I came to Dicea, but I just… I was really unprepared for just...how different everything was going to be. And I know I’ve been struggling to keep up, and sometimes I’ve been kind of a bullheaded idiot about all this, and like...I’m not making any of it easy…”

Kaito seemed to lose steam for a minute, looking tired… before taking a breath. Finding his second wind as he said,”But, I’m...I’m going to figure this out. I don’t want being married to me to be a burden. I’m your prince-consort, and...and I know that doesn’t mean what I thought it meant, but…”

Once again, Kaito lost steam. Overwhelmed by the sheer scope of how little what he had expected matched reality… but he shook his head and said, swallowing, a determined look in his face, “I’m going to figure this out. I have too…” before looking over to Kokichi, and saying, “I’m sorry if it’s hard while I’m still learning, is all I’m saying. I don’t mean to embarrass you…”

Kaito had Kokichi’s attention at first, but then it slipped over to Maki, just...wondering what the sort of respect she was looking for was. He certainly had plenty of respect for her, and anyone who had come to know Maki even a little knew how dedicated and competent she was. Of course that equated to respect. What was she looking for out of threatening people then…?

But then Kaito got back on track and…

Kokichi untwisted from his human pretzel, shifting to sit on his knees as he rested his hands on Kaito’s leg, there to hold if Kaito wanted, but more of an offer. “Hey...you’re not a burden, Kai-chan. Never have been. And just look at me--if anyone was gonna embarrass me, I have a million things you’d gotta break through before even coming close.”

He grinned a bit before returning to the serious tone. “It’s hard. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would be coping in Luminary, and that’s without all the extra bullshit you’ve been through since you got here. None of us were prepared even in the slightest for how different things are. With all those odds stacked against you...nothing’s wrong with you for stumbling sometimes, or being frustrated and wishing things were different. I’ll never be mad at you for that, and you’ll never embarrass me for it either.”

“...I have a lot of learning to do too.” He looked out over the others now before returning to Kaito, something frustrated and apologetic in his expression. “It’s not just not fair, but cruel to expect you guys to navigate all this on your own, and...I’ve been a pretty piss poor guide. I haven’t been willing to relate all the time, trying to bridge that gap, and… Well, it’s not fair for you guys to have a guide who barely understands their own culture, at least in practice. With a bunch of their own outside issues that make things way more difficult.”

A sigh, Kokichi deflating a little before looking back up with determination. “But we’ll always be trying to figure things out. To always try to be better than we were the day before. And that doesn’t always work out, but...sometimes progress means making mistakes that point you backward for a while. And it sucks, but as long as you keep wanting to point forwards...you’ll get there. And one day, you’ll find it a little easier. And one day, you’ll find that you haven’t been thinking about it at all.”

“Some would say that point is when you should choose a new goal to struggle with,” Kokichi rolled his eyes, “But I still think it’s something worth appreciating, if not celebrating.” 

Kaito took Kokichi’s offered hand, listening quietly before nodding along with that last line. “Man, whatever the next goal is? Can it really be as hard as everything we’ve all been dealing with already? Sickness, murder plots, poeple being kinda rude? Terrible…what could be harder than this?”

Maki blinked. “You're having a baby, and I have a nine year old. Not only do we have to figure it out, but we have a bunch of kids looking to us to teach them too.”

Kaito blinked as well, and realized with horror, “Baby Saihara’s gotta be competent at both Luminary and Dicea socializing...and Tim’s about to be a teenager in a place where everyone is encouraged to ‘be themselves’ and he’s never not had rules or structure...how are we going to...”

Shuichi also blinked...and then groaned, “We’re so doooooomed. Fuck.”

Kokichi sighed, closing his eyes as he slumped against Kaito’s side. At least they might be able to explain to Baby to act a certain way just while on vacation but...oof. Kokichi rubbed his face before making a few indistinct sounds. “Well...Tim has Cali and Kimiko, and he and Baby are gonna have a whole hell of a lot of people other than us. We might all be learning some things at the same time...but we’ll figure it out.”

It was important to care for yourself, but when you had children looking up to you? That really made you put your nose to the grindstone.

However...thinking about Baby…

Kokichi blinked before looking up at Shuuichi. “Hey...didn’t Dr. Tenchi say that when you’re ten weeks, she can start doin’ DNA testing stuff? To figure out sex and…” He took a breath, glancing up at Kaito. “...who the other parents are?”

“By your next visit...that’s twelve weeks, thereabout, right?” 

At this, Shuichi tensed...before sighing. Sitting up to look to his partners, as Maki sat up as well, the whole conversation being serious, of course, but…

Culture shock was one thing. Baby talk was more than that.

“Yeah...I have a doctors visit scheduled in three days...and she did say my last visit that it would be ready by then…” Shuichi moved the cover of his hat a little, uncomfortable, “...it’s...it’s going to be fine either way?” he looked to Kaito and Kokichi, “...right?”

Before either of them answered, Shuichi continued, likely to reassure himself, “Luminary’s already taken care of. Byakuya said he’d acknowledge the baby as a Momota regardless of the results, and me as Kaito’s legal partner. Then, in a few years, we’ll go down there, Baby will officially give up their spot, and no one will be able to argue anything. No legal loopholes to take advantage of, no rumors, no mystery for groups to spur each other on with. The baby’s a Momota, and the Momota’s giving up its place. No one will come after us...”

Maki nodded. “And if anyone doesn’t get the message, no one’s ever getting through, Shuichi. I promise.”

“Thanks...and, on Dicea’s side, I’m officially the royal surrogate, and, and, we’re not naming them an heir. They’re not inheriting the Ouma name. No one needs to riot or send assassins after them, we’re not starting a bloodline, everyone can just leave us alone…right?”

“And...and…” Shuichi was fine one second. And then his eyes went red as he said, voice tight, “...and… neither of you will love me less if it’s not yours...right?”

Kokichi’s eyes widened for a moment, just about a nanosecond too late from cutting in before Shuuichi continued, but as soon as that insecure, but so heartbreakingly worried question came out of Shuuichi’s mouth, Kokichi launched himself at his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around him and furiously nuzzling into his shoulder. 

“No way!!!”

“There’s not a single thing that would get me to love Shuu-chan less, because I love Shuu-chan and he’s himself! If Baby is the ultimate Shuu-chan-Kai-chan combo, then I’ll be honored to still be one of their daddies, and I’ll get to embarrass the shit out of you two more than Kai-chan’ll get to saying, oh, Baby has your smile, but when they laugh you can tell they got it from him! No matter how it goes...I love Shuu-chan, and I love our family. That’s a blanket statement I can say without a modicum of doubt, because it’s all true!”

With that said, Kokichi calmed slightly, peeking up at Shuuichi, his bangs frazzled. “...and, yeah. I’m not naming Baby my heir, so...they’re just a normal person that other people shouldn’t concern themselves with any more than people concern themselves with strangers. If anyone tries to get uppity about it…” He pouted, something hard in his eyes. “I’ll cover Baby’s ears and scream until they stop bein’ an asshole. They they’ll have to explain to everyone else who came, hearin’ me scream, why they’re an asshole.”

Shuichi opened his arms for Kokichi, holding him back as his boyfriend nuzzled and reassured and doted on him, Shuichi just taking a breath and letting it wash over him. He knew his fear hadn’t been realistic...or, well...he had hoped his fear hadn’t been realistic. But it was an idea that kept rudely butting into his mind, over and over again, that fear that when one of his partners discovered the baby wasn’t theirs, that they’d just...lose interest…

He was actually a little shocked when he blinked and realized he was crying, frowning at that. He really did hate crying...rubbing the tears off his face, Shuichi laughed lightly, hugging Kokichi as he said, “I appreciate that you’d cover baby’s ears first. I wouldn’t want it getting hurt. And...thank you. I know, I’m just being nervous and paranoid, I just...I needed to hear you say it… maybe that’s manipulative, but...yeah.” Shuichi sighed, looking down at Kokichi with an apologetic smile. “I really needed to hear that out loud.

Kaito had held back, because he wanted to give Kokichi room to say what he needed to say first. Shuichi and Kokichi’s relationship, in all forms, was so much newer than his and Shuichi’s, and Kaito didn’t think it was narcissistic to assume that Kokichi had been mainly who Shuichi was worried about. Kaito was devoted, and he assumed Shuichi had to know that.

But...if he needed to hear it out loud.

Kaito shuffled over to the boys, moving Shuichi’s hat to the side, taking his chin, and after staring in Shuichi’s eyes for a moment, leaning in and kissed him. Still gripping his chin… and when he broke the kiss, he looked into Shuichi’s eyes again.

“I’m claiming you, and I’m claiming this child. Regardless of what the test results say. Regardless if there's no trace of me in them...they’re mine. For as long as you will have me? You are mine. No one, outside of you, will ever tell me differently… my feelings are not going to change on that. Can you trust that?”

Shuichi sighed, this one a little shaky, his hands trailing on Kokichi’s back as he nodded. “...yeah…”

Kaito’s grip on Shuichi’s chin lessoned, and he ran his thumb over his cheek softly, before guiding him into another kiss.

“And, if by some miracle, anyone got past Katsuki, or the Dicea guards, or whoever my brother is undoubtedly going to send, or Maki, or Kokichi...if by some miracle. Someone got past all the safety set up around you?” Kaito grinned softly, rubbing Shuichi’s cheek. “I will rip them apart with my god damned hands… I promise, Shuichi. Just don’t hide things from us, and you will never be in danger here. We will all protect you… can you trust that too?”

Shuichi nodded again. “Yes.”

“Good. Then three days from now is gonna be so fucking amazing guys!” Kaito said, his serious demeanor gone, eyes lighting up as he hugged both Shuichi and Kokichi, Maki watching with some amusement...before she huffed, Kaito reaching out to grab her and pull in her into his hug as well as he said, “We’re going to find out the gender, and we’re going to get an idea of what they might look like!! This is so exciting!!!”

Shuichi laughed. Eyes still red,but clearly genuinely, actually relieved as he said, “Yeah….this is exciting.”

Kokichi just shook his head a little, nuzzling Shuuichi even more. Whenever Shuuichi needed reassurance, he was happy to come at the older man with every single bit of love he had inside of him to bat the nervous, unsure thoughts away. To give Shuuichi’s weapons and armor of proof of his love and affection...and like any tools, they’d need care to keep them in good condition. And Kokichi was prepared to care for Shuuichi for the rest of his life. 

(...he’d been thinking about it again. But it was still too much pressure...everything was too new. But one day… He wondered what sort of ring Shuuichi would like.)

Kokichi nodded along as Kaito gave Shuuichi his own armory, knowing that Shuuichi wasn’t focused on him at all, but feeling like affirming each word. Kaito and Shuuichi knew each other’s love far more than his...but still. 

Giggling softly, Kokichi placed a kiss to Shuuichi’s cheek. “I dunno how easy it’ll be to tell looks in any situation...but sex will probably make it easier to narrow down name ideas. And we’ll get to see if Maki-chan has successfully bullied the universe into giving her a niece.”

“I will have her...I will have my niece. I need another girl. I need it.” Maki grumbled, as Kaito hugged them all tightly, “So many boys… I’m surrounded.”

“Eh, you’ll love your niece or nephew, I’m sure.” Kaito said, finally letting his family go, grinning down at them. “Anyway...ya know what? I think this was a good day. We’ve learned something that’s probably actually super important about each other-”

“-and we should maybe tell King Aiichi, if he doesn’t know already. Especially if we’re hoping for Luminary and Dicea to be trading tourism soon.-” Maki pointed out.

“-We should send a letter to Byakuya too. Remember those classes people had to go to before going to Danganronpa and Panem, well, before that country fell into civil war? They probably need one for Dicea now, before the travel visas get approved-” Shuichi mused.

“-And we’ve all agreed to take action and be better and make personal progress! And now we have classes and baby information adn all sorts of things to look forward too!” Kaito said cheerfully, continuing on despite the interruptions. “And, I got to see what a real court was like, which otherwise went well, right? And also the rice was really good...so yeah! Awesome day, guys! I’m proud of us!”

Settling down, Kaito started collecting plates and putting them on the tray as he said, “And, I’m tired. Let’s end it on a good note, and go to sleep soon. We’ve earned it.”

Kokichi hummed happily, nodding. That was definitely something he needed to tell Aiichi about. As for what they’d do about it… Well, making pamphlets for what to expect culture-wise was a start, he supposed, and easy enough to instate. Have ‘em at all travel program offices and carriage rentals. And hopefully with enough people even having a passing interest in travel, they’d read up and that understanding would become more common knowledge… 

But there had to be something else, especially when it came to people who weren’t interested in travel, but would encounter tourists and immigrants… 

...but that was a big, not settled in his own two hands sort of problem. One that the admins would all be working on together, and then all Diceans once the admins had come to a point of definition that people could understand and contribute to. Even big problems were no sweat when you had thousands of people working on it.

Giggling softly, Kokichi got up from their hug pile with a stretch, doing a little twirl between the mirrors just for fun. “I’m all here for that. Even with that bath, I’m pooped! Let’s get some good sleep!”

-

A cat looked curiously at the figure. It’s tail swishing lightly, back and forth. Golden fur matched it’s eerily intelligent golden eyes. It was...concerned. 

The cat had been sent to the figure, out of concern. The man’s influence and power set had been mild enough, for so long, that the empath community had decided to leave him too it, someone at his power level not needing intervention...before this month.

Ripping someone from one consciousness to another...on accident?

WIthout trying?

Somewhere, an oversight had happened. A mistake had been made…

It was maybe too late to help. But something had to be done. 

The golden cat meowed slightly, and then walked to the figure. Licking its hand.

Kokichi didn’t dream too often, and when he did, he didn’t remember it most of the time. Unfortunately, only nightmares tended to follow him into the waking world. 

He wasn’t exactly dreaming now, but that’s certainly what Kokichi thought. Settled in his own consciousness, he had his own ego, and Kokichi looked up from the small alley he was sitting in, grinning at the cat that came forward. He wouldn’t feel right, taking in a pet that he couldn’t take care of all the time, but Kokichi had had some fond times with the strays that wandered around town. Usually concerned people coaxed the animals into shelter, able to domesticate them enough to find owners or fosters, but there still were strays. 

As long as it didn’t make too much noise, then no one should come by. He was still nice and hidden for the time being, able to enjoy a day out of the castle. 

Since the cat had licked him, Kokichi slowly reached out to stroke along the side of the cat’s face, seeing if it was amenable to some pets. “Hi kitty…”

“Meow.” Said the cat, and while cats don’t ‘smile’, per se, the cat still tilted its head forward, happily allowing pats, a small pur emitting from deep within it. Niiiiice…

But! The cat had a job to do! 

Shaking a little, the cat said “Meow.” to Kokichi again, before thinking, alright...lesson one… hoooooow to go about it. 

Let’s establish early, the cat is not...quite complete.

It shares its attachment to reality with another. The two get along alright. The cat, admittedly, did most of the heavy lifting, thinking wise… but they didn’t mind the other part of themselves being a little slow with some of their more complex ideas, and they appreciated the contributions their anchor provided.

So that cat thought to itself, where to staaaart….and then the cat answered, Up.

And the cat, licking Kokichi’s hand again, turned around and started walking up the brick wall of the building they were pressed besides, leaping from spot to spot, before walking up a few steps, entirely vertical...before it looked down at Kokichi. Waiting.

Kokichi’s smile softened, petting the cat and rubbing those nice soft spots behind its ear. It wasn’t like animals hated him--quite the opposite most of the time--but it was still nice to see one so happily accepting some affection. Between getting out of the castle and petting this cat, it was going to be a good day. 

Even if the cat decided it had enough pretty quickly, but… 

...was he crazy, or did the cat want him to follow?

...one way to find out!

Feeling almost like he was in one of his adventure books, Kokichi started climbing the wall after the cat, naturally finding footholds and grabbing points wherever he reached, not having to make any difficult leaps or even to look around for his next spot. “Are you leading me to an adventure, kitty? I have to be back before dark, or people will worry…”

“Meow.” the cat explained, sitting against the wall for a moment to wait for Kokichi to catch up. Hmmmm… this lesson might be harder then they thought. Guy was pretty set on his logic, huh? Climbing up the wall with his real-world skills… maybe the issue was because he was capable of climbing the wall? 

So maybe they needed to push him to do something he couldn’t. 

“Meow.” The cat beckoned, standing back up, heading to the roof. The building was tall. Taller and taller. The cat did not know if a building this tall actually existed in the Dicea capital, but it wanted a good vantage point. 

As they got to the top of the building, the cat rested on the edge, looking out. It was a birds eye view of the Dicea capital. The castle, in its full glory, at the top of the hill. The parks, the gardens. The markets, sprawled out. Distant fields leading to distant orchards, and mountains far, far in the background.

It was a nice view. The cat looked to Kokichi, flicking its tail as it complimented, “Meow.”

Because Kokichi thought this was a dream, it never occurred to him to think that it was weird that he could climb with ease, or to question how tall the building was. It just...was, and he was set on the course of this adventure. Still, he could enjoy it on the way. 

Hefting himself up on the building’s roof, Kokichi looked out over the capital city...his home. His country. Pride welled in Kokichi’s chest as he crouched down next to the cat again, stroking it along its back. “...it’s pretty incredible, isn’t it. It’s home… And even if I do want to see the world more...I think I’ll always come back here. Even if it weren’t for everyone depending on me...my duties to them. I really love it here...I wanna make sure people can always love it too.”

“...even the people I didn’t think existed…” he sighed, looking out over to where he knew the Usot Prison was. Even for people who hated what the Dicean people had built over years and years...they were still his responsibility. And one day, he hoped they’d come to love it too. 

“Meow.” The cat agreed sadly, thinking of its original self. What a tragedy, all that had been… he had risked so much… “Meow, meow. Nya.” It explained to Kokichi. Sometimes people were determined to do as much harm as possible… hopefully not forever though. The cat knew very well people could change. But that didn’t make the harm any less horrifying...

But! If there was anyone on the planet who had a chance to make a positive change in people's lives, it was Prince Kokichi! But before he could help anyone, he needed to know how to control himself. His own limits (and whooo boy. Who actually knew where those limits were. That burst of power this month had been insane.). 

And the cat was here to help!

“Meow?” The cat asked. Looking down below, at the busy street at the bottom of the building. Looking at Kokichi curiously. 

Kokichi’s hand stilled on the cat’s back for a moment, still looking out over the prison before sighing, resuming his pets with a small smile as the cat nyaa’ed. He couldn’t handle it yet, but...maybe one day. When it hurt less. 

That last meow had sounded almost inquisitive, and Kokichi peeked down over the side of the building, looking at all the people going about their business. All people with their own lives and agendas...individual, but still living in harmony for the most part. Recognizing that they were part of a society, and understanding what that meant. 

Looking between the cat and the crowd below, Kokichi sighed before giving the cat a teasing smile. “Did you wanna go back down again? How very cat-like of you.”

The cat bristled. It was not so contradictory! It was a cat of purpose! A cat of discipline! A cat of …. It purred, butting its head against Kokichi’s hand again. Don’t stop pets while it’s monologuing! Pets are required!

We’re losing focus.

Right! 

After getting an adequate amount of pets, the cat batted Kokichi’s hand away, telling him sternly, “Meow.” before stretching. Once stretches were done, it walked off the building.

Trotting out into the air, the cat, a good few feet out, sat down, licking at its arm for a moment, before looking over to Kokichi. Waiting. If the prince didn’t work it out this time, it would try for something that drained its energy a little more, but would likely work better.

Kokichi giggled, dutifully resuming the pets, scritching around the cat’s chin and stroking down it’s back, using two hands now that the cat seemed really into it. Maybe he could go to a pet shop and buy some fish treats...this was a very good kitty-cat! It wasn’t like he had much to spend his money on otherwise. 

But, aware of animal body language, Kokichi kept his hands to himself once the cat was done, now...huh. Unlike before, the cat walking out onto nothing did strike him as a little weird, but...dream logic was weird. Maybe this was a flying dream, though he didn’t get too many of those. 

Looking at the empty air, Kokichi took a tentative step off the side of the building, only actually putting his foot down once he felt something solid underneath...but, wait, that couldn’t be right if this was a flying dream--with some sort of invisible platform, it’d just be a--

As soon as he questioned the reality around him, Kokichi’s foot plummeted through the air, sending him falling downward with little more than a startled gasp that, if left for any longer, would become a scream. 

The cat watched proudly, pleased, as Kokichi took a step out. Maybe the prince had mastered lucid dreaming already? It was an extremely base but necessary skill for any developing empath, to recognize both when they were dreaming, and that they had full control of themselves and their environment, and if Kokichi was already ready to control his body despite logic working against hi--oh wait nevermind he was falling.

Whoops.

If he lands he’s going to get jolted out of this dream. 

That’s alright, that’s alright, uhhhhhhhhhh a cat that he couldn’t understand yet maybe wasn’t going to get through to a screaming prince plummeting to his ‘death’ uhhhhhhhhhh search his memories! Now!

Shifting as quickly as they could through his memories- no no that one will make him panic, that one will make him freeze up and wait to be rescued, that one’s just confusing, he’ll overthink that one, that one's cruel...Oh! 

That one!

As Kokichi screamed, Ikou was, well… in as relaxed a position as you could get, falling thousands of feet through the air. He looked a little bit like a man enjoying a hammock, falling in time with his son as he said, “You alright there, bunny? Why don’t you take a second, catch your breath. Floors still a good bit a ways, we got time.”

Kokichi hiccuped a few screams, looking at his dad incredulously but...if Ikuo said something was okay...then it was. His dad had never let him down. 

But, still, this was a little much to be relaxed about. “Daddy?! U-uh, we’re falling? I don’t...hitting the ground isn’t something to just forget in the moment!”

Kokichi’s eyes slid back over to the approaching ground, and while he had never been particularly afraid of heights...falling from a definitely lethal height was enough to make anyone whimper, alright? He reached out for his dad, an ever-present source of comfort. “What do we do?!?”

“We relax, mostly.” Ikou said, taking his sons hand, now swaying slightly back and forth through the breeze, “Get that breath I was mentioning earlier. You won’t master no techniques if you're shallow breathing… though,” Ikou looked down at the rapidly approaching earth. “You might want to give us more space to work with. Can you get us back to the top, son?”

Kokichi help onto his dad’s hand tightly--for dear life, really--and...while he had always taken Ikuo’s advice to heart, thought the world of his dad… Kokichi just looked at Ikuo like he was crazy. 

“WHAT?!”

Get them back to the top?? What did that even mean?! 

Kokichi whimpered again. If they were already going to die...if there was nothing to be done…

Might as well wish. 

Closing his eyes tightly, Kokichi wished fiercely that they were back on the roof, safe and sound like he’d never taken a step off. Please, please, I don’t want to die! I don’t want my dad to die! 

Kokichi felt himself land on something hard, though his impact was nothing more than a light ‘thwomph’. After a moment, he cracked a frightened eye open.

The cat looked down at Kokichi curiously. Its tail flicking. “Meow?””

They were back on the roof. 

Well, it wasn’t the most graceful return, Kokichi more teleporting in a fit of desperation than anything, but hey! It was a start! And Ikou, looking over the edge of the roof, whistled appreciatively. “Good job, bunny. I knew you could do it.” looking back over to his son, he adjusted his hat a little, before heading over to offer his son a hand up. “How are you feeling? Take a moment, son. Catch your breath.”

“When you’re ready? We’ll try again.”

Kokichi accepted the hand up, still a little shaky as he looked around the roof. How… They had been falling, how…

Kokichi looked between his father and the cat, now back at the roof too, more trepidation on his face now. His dad had often said stuff like that when they were practicing something new, but…

“...what’s going on? I don’t understand… I’m not gonna...kill myself…” 

...it wouldn’t be the first time he’d dreamed of his loved ones trying to goad him on, telling him how much of a disappointment he was, that he was poison to everyone around him… Somehow...it was hurting more that Ikuo was so casual about it, like he was practicing jumping…

...he wanted to stay. He promised he wouldn’t leave. 

Kokichi backed up, one slow step after another before he turned decisively, going to climb back down the side of the building. Something was wrong, and he wasn’t going to stand for it.

Oh, they had miscalculated. Shoot. He was even further in the illusion now. Usually once a law of logic was broken, it was easier for them to shake off the laws of the dream entirely, but...not if it reflected a dream the dreamer was already familiar with. Shoot….

They could take him to a new scenario?

Absolutely not. If they changed his dream scape for him, and he never noticed he was losing control? It’d be even harder for him to take control of the dream himself. He’d get used to their control of it. They had to work within the rules he brought into the dream itself. His landscape. His memories. His logic laws.

Okay, so….then what? They had brought his teacher, but he had rejected the presentation. Deciding it was an aspect of the original dream itself. Ikou could be useful in future lessons, but not now, if Kokichi had already decided it was part of the dream logic. So…. if a teacher wasn’t going to work…

...well? His previous victory over the logic of the dream had been from a feeling of protectiveness. Stress and protectiveness...hmmm….

“...’Kichi?” Kaito asked.

Kaito looked around curiously, adjusting the sling around his shoulder a bit, his cast resting heavily against his stomach. As he watched his husband start to descend, he said uncertainly, “Uhhh...babe, it’s really cool that you can do that. But...ha.” Kaito laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I can’t really follow you. How am I getting down?”

Kokichi peeked back up over the lip of the roof, his heart falling at the sight of Kaito. Not because he was disappointed to see his husband--no way!--but...how was he… Giving his dad and the cat a wary look, Kokichi pulled himself back up, just abandoning Kaito on the roof not even an option in his mind. 

Gently touching Kaito’s arm--the non-broken one, of course--Kokichi offered his husband a small smile. “Sorry...I… Something weird’s going on… But. Um…

...how was Kaito getting down. Even asking Ikuo for help...Kaito couldn’t hold onto a piggyback like this. So…

As Kokichi tapped his lips in thought, keeping himself somewhat protectively between Kaito and the others, he swept his gaze idly until--

“Oh!” Kokichi perked. Off the other side of the building there was a loosely spiraling slide, the kind with the almost tube shape but with the top missing so you were kept all secure from flying out as you slid down. He pointed to the slide, a slightly relieved smile at finding a solution. “What about this? Can you slow yourself with your feet alright? I’d, like...sit in your lap to help, but I’m worried about stopping too suddenly and hurting your arm…”

Kaito grinned, taking a look at the slide as he said, “This is awesome! ‘Kichi, did you make this for me? This is really impressive, beautiful, thanks!”

Ikou nodded approvingly, as he mused, “Guess that’s one way down. I’ll probably meet you all down there the old fashioned way. Slides are a little rough on my back these days. But yeah. Good job, bunny.”

Cat frowned. Better. Much better. He changed his environment, but he didn’t do it entirely consciously...they’d have to look for more obstacles till they came across something he couldn’t explain away to himself. But nothing so bad that it jolted him out of the dream.

...honestly. They could go the nightmare route. But, uh...the cat wasn’t a fan of that method. They’d rather gently coax, rather than stress the dreamer literally out of their skull. A full blow night terror was a last resort sort of thing.

“I think it’ll be fine. In fact, this is gonna be a blast! And don’t worry about my arm babe. I healed this ages ago, remember?” Kaito said, taking off his sling and tossing it off the building, flexing his arm as pieces of the cast came off till his arm was totally free. Flexing his arm again, he offered Kokichi his hand, grinning excitedly. “Wanna slide with me?”

Made it? Kokichi raised an eyebrow, shaking his head a little, looking between his dad and husband, the praise feeling good, of course, but… “...I didn’t do anything? The slide was here…” 

His confusion only deepened as Kaito shook the cast off. ...he was right, it had been months since Kaito had worn a cast...and...wait, he was allowed out of the castle fine, though he always brought someone with him just for safety reasons. ...there weren’t any buildings this tall in Dicea. 

The scenery around them began to...melt, a bit, was the only way to describe it, as Kokichi stared intently at the cat, drawing himself up as much as he could. “What’s going on? What is this?”

The cat looked at him with pleased, golden eyes. Its tail flicking slightly. “Meow.” It explained.

Beside the cat, Ikou elaborated, “It’s you, bunny. And it’s a nice place, I think. Even if it's getting a little…” Ikou shuffled a bit of the melting roof against the tip of his shoe, the cement coming away as if he had run his shoe through canvas of paint instead, “wet.”

A little disappointed it wasn’t about to be slide time, but wanting to be there for his husband, Kaito walked around as well, standing on the cats other side as he gave Kokichi an earnest grin, “It’s alright, babe! They’re here to help! And your dads right, this place is nice! Though, heh… I’d be up to finding a tree full of fruit later, if you are.” Kaito said, giving Kokichi a wink. “Someone’s gotta eat them, right? Total waste otherwise.”

“Meow.” The cat explained, looking sheepish, embarrassed by the Kaito memory. “Nya, nya. Meow.”

Kokichi’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean it’s me? I’m me.” He could only look at the three in front of him with confusion and a little frustration, Kaito only adding to the former. A fruit tree? He did like fresh fruit as much as the next guy, but...what?

Pouting down at the cat--the cat was obviously the most in the know here, and...he trusted Kaito’s word, saying that it was here to help--Kokichi crouched down again. “...is there any way we could communicate more clearly? I don’t understand what you mean.”

“That sort of depends.” The cat meowed softly. Flicking its tail. “Can cats talk?”

Kokichi blinked before rolling his eyes a bit, still reaching out to give the cat a pet. “Well you are now, so I guess so, huh. Nothing’s right here, so why not?”

“That’s fair, but it’s not enough to accept the change in logic, bunny.” Ikou gently explained, as the cat purred under pets. “You have to understand why.”

“And, we’re not trying to be vague and cryptic for the fun of it babe. If we tell you outright, you’ll just like...uhhh… man, I don’t know. It’d be like that would be the new logic? Or something? Wait, I don’t know if I actually get it…” Kaito admitted, looking at the cat in confusion. “Which, like, I should, right? Why would I not...awwww, Kokichi, really? Come on, babe, give me more credit, I’d understand if I literally had access to the experts mind!” Kaito argued, gesturing towards the cat.

“Now, now, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation. Bunny’s got a lot of respect for your intelligence, trust me. I’d know if my boy thought you were an idiot.” Ikou comforted Kaito. “It’s not him assuming you wouldn’t understand.”

“They understand what’s going on through one layer of consciousness, due to my influence just from being here. But they’re ultimately yours.” the cat purred. “They really only understand as much as you do.”

He really still didn’t understand what the others were saying, though Kokichi gave Kaito a slightly hurt look. Of course he believed in Kaito! He believed in his husband more than he believed in himself some days. ...most, if he were being honest. But...he didn’t understand what belief had to do…

...consciousness? Kokichi gave the blond cat a long look. 

...his…? Consciousness? ...running on belief...things happened because you believed they would. Once it’s through your mouth, it’s the truth. 

Kokichi looked at the cat for a long time, of course still scritching behind its ears. “...so...is this like a dream?”

“Oh my god! Did he get it! Does that work?” Kaito exclaimed cheerfully, looking over at the cat, his fists excitedly through the air as he said, “That counts! That’s gotta count!”

“I’d say he’s got it, yes. Good job, son.” Ikou said, nodding, his arms crossed against his chest.

“I apologize that Ikou and Kaito’s accent isn’t coming through.” The cat said, rubbing its body against Kokichi’s leg, “I’ve never met either of them, and unless I take the time to really study your memories, then they always come out a little...off. If they haven't seemed strange before now, it’s because your mind is filling in the inconsistencies yourself.”

“Is my accent not coming through then?” Ikous wondered, “I thought I was speaking quite well.”

“I think that might be the problem, man.” Kaito laughed, giving Ikou an affectionate grin...before both he and the cat frowned. “Am I attracted to him? You’re my father in law, right? Why does one of my memories suggest I’m attracted to him?”

Ikou sighed. “You’re a little attracted to everyone. Bunny usually doesn’t worry about it. Just one of your quirks.”

“If you are aware this is a dream, then are you aware of your own role in the dream?” the cat asked, “If not, I can help. But it’s always a little stressful, showing someone their own power in a dream. I apologize for that. I am never here to hurt you, Kokichi. I am always trying to help.”

All this to tell him it was a dream? It was certainly one of the weirder dreams he had, just in the feeling, but...he didn’t understand why just telling him that would...ruin the effect? Maybe just one of those things he didn’t understand…

Like how only now he noticed the lack of Ikuo and Kaito’s accents, them both talking in the general Usoti accent, which was...wholly weird, but kind of cool to hear once in a dream, he guessed. 

Looking back down at the cat, Kokichi hummed. “Well… If this Kai-chan is an extension of my perception of him, but connected to you too to explain things, and he trusts you?” Kokichi looked up, smiling at his husband. “Then I’ll trust you too. I trust my husband’s judgement so...because I do, then that means he’s right.”

“That’s how it works here, right?” he laughed down at the cat. “I believe something, so it is. Like lucid dreaming taken to a new level.”

“...am I allowed to know your name? If you’re visiting my consciousness, I dunno if there’s special...psychonaut rules, and I’m guessing that’s one of those things that isn’t dictated by me even here.” 

“Oh! Psychonauts! ‘Kichi, you have to recommend that book to me! That’s such a good series, I’d love that shit!” Kaito shouted enthusiastically, before chuckling as he said, “I always fall for the powerful bad guy characters...I wonder if that stretches as far as an angry drill sergeant obsessed with meat and daddy issues?”

“I think that dentist fellow is the actual big bag guy, but maybe don’t go getting a crush on that particular character either.” Ikou frowned, shaking his head slightly at his son in law.

“I apologize for the casualness of the conversation. There’s a...part of me that sometimes struggles to focus, and that part goes on tangents. Even if this isn’t how your mind usually works, I’m afraid the effect of me being here has a base status effect that I can’t really control.” The cat purred, before starting to lick its leg for a moment...then saying, “My name is-”

There was a sudden cacophony of noise. It was incredibly jarring. Like four people were talking at once.

“Chihiro/Hiro/Mondo/Taka.”

The cat’s ear twitched...before saying in the softer voice again, “But it’s easier to think of me as ‘Alter Ego’. And I am happy to have your trust. I am here to guide you.”

Kokichi laughed softly, shaking his head a little, deciding in the back of his mind that talking up on an impossibly high melting roof wasn’t the best setting to talk in, as so he settled back in a comfortable chair, a more sturdy-looking room appearing around the group. One of the parlors in the castle. “I don’t mind--you’re definitely not the only one who goes on tangents, even if it’s just a part of you.”

His mirth was jarred by the almost explosion of people talking, four very different voices all speaking at once...but...okay. 

Nodding, Kokichi gave the cat a gentle smile. “Well...you already know me, but it’s nice to meet you, Alter Ego. If you don’t mind my asking...what are you guiding me towards? I guess being able to lucid dream is kinda cool, but this feels…” Kokichi tilted his head to the side as he drew the word out, thinking over all the cat had done and guided him into doing. “...more like an introduction. Like opening a curtain into something more…”

His smile dropped into a slight worried look. “...are you okay? Do you need help?”

Ikou, in the new environment, went into a comfortable reclining chair, lowered the brim of his cap over his eyes...and after a moment started snoring softly. Kaito, in turn, went to go sit in front of the fire, pulling a book out of nowhere and starting to read through it, calm and comfortable. 

Alter Ego, in turn, leapt onto the reading table in front of the couch and chairs, stretched, and laid down on it, looking up at Kokichi as it said, “I don’t, thank you. I am here purely for your benefit, and the benefit of those who...accidently reach a hand back to you. In fact, it’s that instinct towards offering help that’s gotten you into a bit of trouble.”

Rolling over a little, purring slightly as their (or, his, which was also acceptable...or her, on occasion, since Chirhiro hadn’t minded either way [well, he had minded...it was complicated.{Any pronoun for this cat works, is what I’m saying}]) little paws crossed over their chest, tail flicking against the table, as they said, “First, I should let you know some hard rules.”

“One!” Kaito said, looking up from his book, pleased to be a part of the conversation, “It’s gonna be a long, long time before you remember these dreams. You’re just not there yet. So, in the future, when we get visited by Alter again? It might take you a second for your memories to come back. That’s okay! Don’t freak out, be patient, you got this babe!”

“Two.” Ikou sighed, jostling awake for a moment. “When you do start to remember in the waking world? Keep what you remember to yourself. Stuff like this...it’s dangerous. People don’t like it. We’re safest the less people know about us.”

“Empaths who are discovered, if the paranoia of the people around them doesn’t get them...have a terrible pattern of disappearing.” Alter Ego sighed, “We’re extremely valuable. There’s...there’s a lot of uses for an empath. And there’s people in the world, if they knew what you were? Would try to use you...with your consent or without it.”

“Oh! And three...I do not believe you would misuse your gifts, and empaths, in general, try to take care of each other through mistakes.” Alter Ego said. Tail flicking, as he sat up, looking a little more serious now as his golden eyes locked onto Kokichi.

“...but do not misuse your gift.” The cat said. “And remember no one's patience is endless.”

Kokichi’s confused expression returned, but he was more patient this time, trusting Alter Ego to get him to the answers eventually. No one was in danger and...well, in his own mind, Kokichi controlled the setting. It was going to be okay. 

Even if the talk of rules was confusing too. 

Kokichi didn’t usually remember his dreams, and while this was certainly a special circumstance...well, he supposed that confirmed it. “Oh...well, I’m sorry in advance, then, for anything I might do before I remember,” he hummed to the cat. “Though, I don’t think it’d be much worse than thinking you were part of another suicide dream.”

The second rule...Kokichi frowned a bit, but nodded. Empaths...like, mind readers? That definitely wasn’t his bag, but...beside the point. He didn’t even really understand what this was, but...he could already tell the impulse to tell his partners would be there. ...he supposed he could struggle more with that when he came to it. 

Kokichi’s frown only deepened at the third rule. “I don’t...understand what you mean by ‘empath’, but...if I have a gift… Power should never be used for personal gain, or against others. You said that helping people was a problem though… I mean...I don’t know what just having controllable dreams would do for anyone, but...if you can talk to me here, then...that means I can talk to other people in their dreams too?”

Kokichi was really only guessing here, his gaze losing focus as he talked it out. “I mean...it’s pretty cool to talk with people even when you’re really far away. But since I won’t remember it...like, phones do the same thing now. Why wouldn’t I just talk to someone that way, in a form I’ll remember, instead of doing what you’re doing?”

“Empath:” Shuichi began, sitting by the fire with Kaito who grinned at him, thrilled to see him. “Short for empathy. Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Empath as a noun…” Shuichi frowned. “I don’t know. Sorry. I mean, I do know. Because they know.” Shuichi said, gesturing to the cat, his brow furrowing in frustration as he said, “But...but it’s like I know and don’t know at the same time…”

“It’s okay, handsome. You didn’t have to know. I think Kokichi just happens to think of you sometimes when he has questions. Probably a side effect of having to watch his wording around you so much in the beginning. But no one is expecting you to know.” Kaito reassured him, pulling at his waist and sitting close to him as he said, “Wanna read my book with me?”

Shuichi sighed, but nodded. “Okay…” clearly frustrated with his confusion.

“I apologize for that.” Alter Ego said, referring to Shuichi, “That gets easier to control with time, but my presence is making it harder for memories to not, well… materialize.  But you should have more control over who shows up or not with practice.”

“And helping people, in and of itself, is not a problem. In fact, I would argue that helping people is why beings like us exist in the first place.” Alter Ego said, getting up and, stretching a little, wandering over to Kokichi, jumping onto his lap and leaning their head in for more head pats. “But to help people as you are now...Kokichi Ouma. Let’s say you saw someone drowning? Someone you could potentially save, if you knew how too.” 

“He’s bigger than Timothy. He could probably do it, if he really had too.” Kaito said, though he frowned slightly at the thought of his son drowning.

Alter Ego nodded, “Let’s say you saw Timothy drowning. Would it be hurtful or helpful if you, as you are now, with the abilities you have at your disposal, jumped into the water to save him?”

Kokichi looked over in surprise once he heard Shuuichi’s voice, feeling...a little bad that apparently he thought about Shuuichi whenever he wondered about things… But was that really a bad thing? Sure, he kept in mind to do his best not to trigger his conditioning but...Shuuichi was one of the smartest people he knew. Kokichi loved talking with him about theories and silly questions and...everything. Maybe, if they were talking in real life...he would ask Shuuichi what he thought about this. 

...still, he felt bad for pulling this talking memory of Shuuichi somewhere where he didn’t have an answer. Kokichi knew how much that bummed him out. 

He turned back to Alter Ego as the cat jumped in his lap, smiling a little and obliging for more pets even despite the subject. 

“Oh, that’d be dumb as hell,” Kokichi remarked. “I can’t swim. It’d be better to throw him a flotation device or get someone who could swim or...even just find something long enough to reach Tim from out of the water so I could pull him to the edge or shallows or wherever this hypothetical is. Just jumping in myself would make it two people drowning.”

The cat purred, “Almost a perfect answer, but for the purposes of this metaphor, I have to nitpick. See, you can swim. Physically, you’re perfectly capable of the ability. You just have no training for it. So, despite being capable of swimming, throwing yourself into the water to save Timothy, with only the knowledge of knowing that it’s possible to save him? Is still recklessly thoughtless, and would put both you and the person you’re trying to help into more danger.”

“That’s why I’m here. Because people around you are drowning, and reaching out to you for help. And, in terms of this metaphor, you’re actually an incredibly strong swimmer… but you still have no idea how to move your legs and arms in a way that will keep you afloat. And getting lucky isn’t something you can rely on over and over again.”

“But you’re also not the type of person to ignore a cry for help.” The cat meowed, rubbing against Kokichi a little. “And that’s largely why I’m here.”

Shuichi, who was comfortably leaning against Kaito’s shoulder, his boyfriend rubbing his hand idly up and down his back as they read quietly together, looking up at the cat, something annoyed crossing his face as he said, “You haven't answered his other question. How does being able to control your own, or enter other peoples dreams, help anything? It’s just long distance communication made magic, and Miujust brought that to reality.”

“Not to mention mail before that.” Ikou muttered in his sleep.

Alter Ego sighed. Looking as tired as a cat could as they leapt off Kokichi’s lap, back onto the table to sit a bit. “Entering and manipulating people's dreams is...frankly? The very least an empath is capable of. Dream hopping is a parlor trick, in comparison to what your abilities fully realized could accomplish. And some of the things we are capable of… in the wrong hands? Are almost...monstrous, just in their use. For good or bad. There is a reason people both fear and seek to capture Empaths…what we are capable of-”

A gnarled hand gently patted against Kokichi’s shoulder from behind him, before holding tight. “-is truly extraordinary.” Tengan finished. 

He’d argue that ‘perfectly capable’ was stretching it. While he definitely would be able to swim once he learned, being, well… He likely would never be able to do it for long. And even for someone smaller than himself like Timothy, Kokichi likely wouldn’t have the strength and stamina to pull him along in water. 

But it was a metaphor, so there was no reason to argue pedantries. 

But if he’d been helping people in an empath-y way...well, how was he supposed to analyze any of that?! He didn’t remember anything even in the realm of what Alter Ego was saying, though he supposed they knew that too, since they acknowledged that he wouldn’t remember anything. 

But...monstrous power? Alter Ego still wasn’t really explaining exactly what being an empath meant, what that power was or did, so how was he-

Kokichi shot around to look at...a face he hadn’t seen in reality in months, and despite the occasional dream, had wished he’d never see again. His expression going hard, Kokichi pushed Tengan’s hand away. “...I don’t want you here. Go away.”

Tengan waited a moment, looking down at himself...before shrugging when he didn’t vanish. “You called me here. I’m merely a memory. Though, why you’d bother with this particular memory for this particular conversation is a little befuddling…”

Shuichi’s hat was low, though he was still peeking from the side of the brim, nervous but glaring at the head secretary. Beside him… Kaito was frozen. His eyes wide, and his mouth scowling, his whole body tense, wanting to leap...but, well. That was why he was frozen. Kokichi’s memory of Kaito knew what Kaito would likely want to do right now...but Kokichi didn’t want that to happen.

So Kaito stayed where he was sat. Gritting his teeth in rage and nowhere to go with it.

The cat looked curiously up at Tengan. Flicking its tail as he said, “You don’t have very many memories of this person. Why pick him to represent what I mean?”

“He’s a monster.” Kaito growled.

“The conditioning program.” Shuichi realized.

Ikou opened an eye, staring at the older man, distaste on his face, but unimpressed by him as he said, almost to himself, “...a feeling bunny never had any context for...just in the back of his mind…”

Alter Ego nodded, before looking to Kokichi. “Powerful Empath’s can do all sorts of things. But the most important thing we are capable of is the ability to fundamentally change who a person is. With enough raw power? You could tear a psyche apart and rebuild it from the ground up. Create entirely new people in old bodies. No matter the distance between you. No matter how much they resist. No matter their abilities in the real world...to you?”

“People are clay. To be molded and shaped anew.” Alter Ego sighed, “And I think you know why it would be bad if you did that by accident.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Tengan snickered, “That sounds like a great deal of fun to me~.”

...no context was right. But with every clarifying statement, it became...well, clearer. 

“...the people in charge of the conditioning program are empaths… It’s not just outside tactics to abuse people into obeying...they’re…” Kokichi’s voice died, his throat strained into nothing as he...honestly looked like he was going to be sick. People like him just...destroying parts of the people around him… There was no benefit worth that in the world. 

...for the first time, Kokichi lamented that he wouldn’t remember this when he woke up. ...not that his friends would believe him. Talking in dreams was too absurd. 

Kokichi wanted to retch, even knowing that this was just his memory of Tengan because...controlling people? Was a whole hell of a lot more boring than just seeing people be themselves, if fun was what you were after. If you could think for even a moment that getting some tickles for a few moments was worth harming someone’s very being. 

...but there was something more important than yelling at a memory. 

Looking at Alter Ego, almost afraid to ask, but needing to… Kokichi swallowed, the fear and worry on his face ever deepening that line between his eyebrows. “...have I done that to people? People aren’t clay, even if someone has this ability. They’re people all the same. But...if I don’t know what I’m doing…”

Alter Ego sternly shook his head no. “If you had, I, or someone else, would have reached out to you long ago. Way before now. Empaths don’t leave each other to do this alone. It’s just…”

Now the cat looked sheepish, scratching its neck with its hindlegs for a moment before saying, “Empath isn’t as rare as it sounds. There’s lots of empaths out there, but most are too weak to really...utilize it? In any real way? For some empaths, the ability only presents itself as them being particularly good at knowing how the people around them are feeling, or getting a sense that someone they know might be needing a hand. The concept of ‘empathy’ was named after Empaths, to give you context to how common this trait is. Someone seems particularly good at reading a room? Probably slightly an empath.”

“Before now? Before this month? You were….honestly? From the power radiating off of you, you were a pretty low-level empath your whole life. Your ability would rest and build and build, and then, roughly, oh, once a year, we’d feel a pulse from you, someone would check in, and it’d be you doing roughly what it is I’m doing now, or sharing your own feelings with someone. As I said before. Parlour tricks, within the empath community...though.” The cat tilted its head curiously, “There was one moment, with a changeling… where you did something very dangerous, and gave a piece of yourself. And you did that again, a few months ago. That’s...more alarming, but the pieces were so small, and the action so rare, that it was generally decided it was more of a fluke from you then a sign of ability, and beyond exhausting you for a few days, was harmless. Helpful, even. But not something we really believed you were capable of with even concentrated effort. Like I said. A fluke.”

“Then...not long ago…” the cat sighed, “It was like a wave. No one even realized it was you, at first. We went looking for the sudden power surge, assuming maybe it was a witch playing tricks, or a Flora having some massive tantrum somewhere, but when we followed the source?”

The cat whistled. It was...bizarre to watch. “You ripped someone out of their own consciousness and threw them into someone else's. After just giving away a piece of yourself the other month, so we couldn’t even blame a buildup this time...the sheer raw power that takes. And thats’ with no formal training. No development?”

“We messed up. We made a mistake, as a community. I don’t know how you were hiding the scope of your abilities from us, but your potential for power is astonishing...and incredibly dangerous.” The cat said. “You must be trained. Do you understand?”

Kokichi was glad for the solid answer, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Sure, he could have all the opinions and moral standings in the world, but structure didn’t mean anything in the wake of an ignorant mistake. Thankfully...he hadn’t accidentally trampled all over someone’s being. Their soul, in Kaito’s words.

Calmed from that panic, Kokichi settled to listen to Alter Ego’s explanation, though… Well, he understood the better known definition of empathy, and...well, while the whole...psychic aspect was pretty bizarre, having some people just be better tuned to the feelings of others? Easy to understand, bam. 

But...changelings? Witches? And Kokichi didn’t even know what the hell a Flora was supposed to be, other than it probably had to do with plants. This was...insane. Like getting a book of fairytales and saying it was all true. 

...like Ikuo always did with his stories. 

Kokichi’s eyes flicked over to the sleeping memory of his dad, curiosity flickering in him. Did Ikuo know? Did he know about him? If it all was supposed to be kept a secret he guessed he understood why his dad had never said anything, but…

...if there were fantastical things in the world… They were barely standing up to just regular people. How was he supposed to protect his family with...an entire aspect of the world he had no clue about? And would go back to not knowing once he woke up…

Considering everything Alter Ego was saying, Kokichi supposed that as scary...bringing someone else into another person’s consciousness was? That it was okay in the end, so…

Kokichi took a breath, nodding somberly. “I understand. I don’t want to hurt anyone...but already...if somehow I’m ending up helping people, I don’t think I can ignore that. If I can learn how to do it safely, then that’s better for everyone.”

There was a beat, Kokichi looking down shyly as he balled his fists in his lap. “...Alter Ego? If...if the conditioning program is based on empath powers… I don’t want to change who people are… But...would there be a way for me to fix what the program did? Even deciding to do anything would be another conversation but...would it be possible?”

Alter Ego sighed, the cat looking uncomfortable for a moment...before licking her paw. “The honest answer? Is yes.  And, we do try, actually. The most powerful among us...here’s the issue.”

All of the memories in the room had gone quiet, watching Kokichi and the cat in fascination. Likely because Kokichi and the cat were both so invested in the conversation that they weren’t considering their non-surface thoughts at all, which is largely where memories start to pipe up. Still, it was Kaito who whispered, “What’s the issue?”

“Empaths are incredibly common, but powerful empaths? The kind capable of what I’m talking about, changing a person? Incredibly rare. One in a million. Which, still, means there's many, many out there, but...well, rare. Too rare for something like the Luminary’s conditioning program to function.” The cat started with their explanation. “Literally hundreds of people ‘graduate’ from that program every month, and more constantly are being pushed through to attempt it on. That would require a lot of high level empaths, which Luminary does not have access too.” 

“Luminary, due to outside influence and the concentrated effort of a few truly nasty, but powerful, empaths a few hundred years ago, found a way around this issue. They took a bunch of medium level empaths-”

“And he does mean ‘took’.” Tengan chuckled.

“-and used a combination of breaking down peoples personalities through physical, emotional and social abuse, and then when the person was broken, having an empath rebuild the pieces. Not necessarily making anything new. Just restructuring. And, honestly? If it was entirely new personality traits? It’d be easier to fix. Just get rid of it, they’re fixed.”

“But because it’s broken pieces reorganized in people? The first step is to work out which pieces were broken, and how, and then carefully taking them apart, and putting them back together again. Possible, but it takes a powerful empath to do it in the first place, and it takes time and patience.” The cat said, tail flicking as it added, “And right now? It’s dangerous for us to do. The empath community, to make up for whats happened, tries to make an effort for conditioned in Dicea, but anywhere else it’s a suicide mission, and even here it’s incredibly dangerous. There’s a whole damn species out there constantly listening for sounds of us doing just that. There’s a reason this program has managed to survive and thrive in such a short time in a country that literally can’t organize feeding its people right now. A species has gambled its entire livelihood on this enterprise, and they will lash out at anyone who shows any signs of really pushing back. That includes fixing their broken humans. They don’t want us practicing this, they don’t want us capable of doing it, and they sabotage our efforts and endanger us at every turn.”

“Fucking Flora.” Shuichi hissed.

Even being reminded that there were hundreds of people a month in that horrid program was enough to make Kokichi feel ill, but...that feeling only got worse as Alter Ego explained everything. The room around them, while still structural, started to feel...almost like it was raining inside. The atmosphere heavy and nauseous, little puddles collecting on the ground. 

Luminary still did all the horrible things he’d guessed. But...with none of the restraint to still leave a person functioning at the end. They really did torture people until they were broken and then...used some fucking magic gotcha to make a pile of jagged pieces that could still function. Of course the actual living human beings would try to round out and set in order what they could, but…

...it was a small piece of pride, hearing that it was Diceans trying to help people out, but...they had to be careful because…

Kokichi gagged, the room going greener. 

“...they...Flora, whatever...they don’t see humans as...well, I would say people,” he laughed through a sob, “but that gets a little confusing in terminology, I guess. But it’s just...a horrible chain of people disregarding life... Even if it’s their livelihood...there has to be a better answer than this. This convoluted mess. There’s always another answer than to destroy life…”

The room shuddered as Kokichi placed a hand over his mouth, the rain pouring harder and the fog in the air becoming almost hard to breathe. 

And then, it lessened, still a miserable state, but bearable, Kokichi taking several deep breaths, and opening wet eyes again to regard Alter Ego. “...I want to be able to protect my family, Alter Ego. My people. But I can’t leave people to suffer… Whatever these Flora’s deals are...I will not allow them to hurt the people I love anymore. As I learn...I wanna figure that out too.”

The cat watched, face it’s usually feline blankness, eyes curiously watching the room change. The memories pale. It watched Kaito flinch, and it watched Shuichi cringe, and it watched Ikou frown, and Tengan smile. And then it watched Kokichi slowly, but surely, pull himself back together… and it hopped over to him. Leaning in to, once again, lick slightly at his hand, demanding pets, before looking up at him.

“Learn how to swim first.” The cat said. “We’ll dive in that ocean when you can.”

The dream, all at once, faded.

Kokichi woke up some time in the very early morning, hours even before Maki would come wake Kaito and Shuuichi up (and him by proxy). He was splayed out horizontally on the bed, feeling a few lumps here and there that he figured were his lovers’ feet, and...huh. Kaito was right. Drool on his face. 

...he wasn’t sure why, but he felt anxious. His chest tight in a way that normally he’d just lie in bed and force himself to breathe through until it was a reasonable time for him to head down to the mailroom… But he hadn’t done that in a long time now. 

...maybe a bad dream? If it was, he was kinda glad he didn’t remember it. 

Carefully getting off the bed, trying not to disturb Kaito or Shuuichi, a hand placed against his chest as he tried to meter out his breathing, Kokichi crept out of their room. Aiming to head to the med bay. His medicine would probably sort this out in short order but...no reason to worry anyone with telling them that. 

It was a brisk, cold morning, and Maki was coming back from her training routine.

She had to do hers incredibly early in the morning, and a little in the afternoon, because of her obligations to the others. The workouts her son and Kaito did in the morning were too simple to challenge her, and she often had to focus on the kids form, and couldn’t really participate. And in the afternoon, she waited until she was certain no one would need her, before going into her room for awhile to practice weapon techniques. But early morning, before she went to wake up Tim for breakfast? That was when she pushed herself. Running hard and fast, leaps, tucks, reaction exercises and attack exercises, anything to get her heart rate up, to get sweat soaked into her clothes.

She often saw guardsman, during her morning workouts, and sometimes she saw Katsuki, who might spare her a glance before continuing her patrol. If Maki was in a different situation, maybe she’d use those opportunities to reach out, get to know the guards better, maybe try to reconcile with Katsuki. But she didn’t have the luxury. This was her only real opportunity in the day to really push herself physically. She had to focus.

Now, sweaty, breathing heavy, and satisfied, she headed back up the stairs, intending to shower and then fetch Tim, and after letting him eat breakfast, fetching Kaito and Shuichi, who were grown enough to figure out breakfast on their own...and her eyes narrowed as a familiarly small figure shakily walked down the stairs.

“Kokichi?” she said, quickly moving up to him, looking him over as she demanded, “Status?”

Kokichi looked up in slight surprise. Not really from seeing Maki at all but...how early did she wake up?? If she was coming back from what looked like a workout...this early, he’d more expect her to be heading out if anything. 

But that surprise over learning a little more about one of his friends was mostly internal, as Kokichi just shook his head with a little smile. “I’m okay,” he murmured, not wanting to wake anyone up, even if they were on the stairs. “My chest is feeling a little weird, but...like, not dangerously weird… Gonna go check up in the medical wing anyway, prolly get some medicine just to cut anything off at the pass.”

With a slightly guilty smile, he glanced over his shoulder. “...I should be back soon. No need for anyone to get worried.”

Maki considered him for a moment, looking up the stairs where her friends were likely still both passed out in bed, before saying, “I’m here anyway. Let me escort you. At the very least it’ll be company.”

Kokichi let out a shallow sigh before nodding with a small smile at his friend. It wasn’t a fight worth having and...if she didn’t mind to the point of offering...he did like Maki’s company. “Okay...thanks.”

“...I kinda just think it was a bad dream or something… Was certainly moving around in my sleep enough. Annoying that it’s gotten me even this much...but there’s not much to do. Can’t control your dreams.”

“That’s true. They can shake you though. Dreams have an unfair advantage of making you powerless.” Maki murmured, walking with him step for step, matching his pace. She smirked slightly, amused, as she confessed, “I tried very hard for a period of my life to learn how to lucid dream on command.” 

“Never managed it, though I really tried. That same period of my life I had this recurring theme in my dreams. I’d be in fights, sometimes imagined, sometimes memories, but I’d always be losing. Not even by slim margins. Just getting annihilated. Unable to keep my footing, my reaction times slow or entirely inaccurate, my blows not making any sort of impact. Thought if I could lucid dream, I could start winning the fights…” she smiled, shaking her head. “I was maybe fourteen. Silly kid stuff. That kinda dream eventually just ran its course and I stopped having them.”

“Do you remember yours at all?” she asked, offering him a steadying hand when one of his steps seemed to thud a little too hard on the stairs.

Kokichi smiled a bit, a little too unsteady in his breath to really laugh. Trying to force yourself to lucid dream...it was very Maki. Though being put in the sort of position of those dreams, and especially being someone like Maki...well, it seemed natural. Nothing seemed to work, so try working with the system itself. 

He shook his head a little, conceding without a word to take her hand. “No… I barely ever remember dreams. Most the time I d...I don’t even get that feeling that I had one at all, though...chances are that if you enter REM sleep, you dream. Maybe I got all my dreaming out when I was little and just was never awake long enough to think about it…”

Kokichi rubbed his chest a bit in a small circle. It still wasn’t anywhere near where he’d be concerned, but damn. Stairs sucked. 

“...just kinda woke up feelin’ out of it. Happens every once in a while.”

“Hmm. I’m guessing we’re drinking tea today, then.” Maki said, thinking of her backpack upstairs. Little Kokichi Protection Bag. She had a thermos of Kokichi’s tea medicine in there, emptied and refilled periodically, in case anything happened and they didn’t have access to the med-ward, for whatever reason. She mostly up-kept it right now to establish the habit. The last time she had refreshed it had been two days ago. She’d take the opportunity to get some more and refresh it this morning.

“Do you always feel like this after you dream?” Maki asled, before pausing...and then clarifying, “I know you don’t always remember your dreams when you feel like this. I’m curious if it always goes the other way as well. Do you ever wake up feeling fine after knowing you were dreaming, or even having a nightmare?”

She wasn’t asking this for any particular purpose. Asking about Kokichi’s health stuff, even in regards to things that might not be relevant at all, could be useful to her someday, could end up never mattering at all. But as someone sworn to his safety, and around him all the time, it was worth it to ask, just in case.

Kokichi nodded, honestly just thinking of the single cup he’d have when they got to the medical wing. “Better than taking it straight. Even...even in tea it’s still gross and bitter--the sweetness of the...the tea just makes it so I can get it down… I think...every time I’ve taken in straight has been...like an emergency situation where we can’t wait for someone to mix it into tea… Not really fussed for taste then.”

Looking over, Kokichi was grateful for the clarification...and her steadying hand when his knees felt a little too shaky for a moment. “Yeah… Sometimes even after a nightmare I’m fine… Freaked out, maybe, depending on how bad it was… I think...it might just be a combination of stuff, and maybe...stress from a dream kicks it off. Like...my heart was already ready for some maintenance, but it lets me know after it gets pumpin’ from somethin’...”

He managed to spare enough air for a soft sigh, giving a similarly soft look to Maki. “I don’t pray...but if I did, I’d hope none of you guys ever developed heart problems… It really sucks.” 

Maki frowned, noticing he was deteriorating. That was okay though, the medical ward wasn’t much farther, and she wasn’t going to let him fall. He had this…

Kindly, she said, “I’ve already decided how I’m going to go...liver failure.” she said, smirking a little, “Over a large period of time, I think. Really just get all the use I can out of the things, till they shock me in revenge.”

“I used to say I’d die in the heat of battle someday, but as I got older I realized that was giving my enemies too much credit.” Maki mused, something playful and smug in her gaze as she said, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, and someday, when I get around to drinking myself to death? Old and wrinkled with yellowed teeth... I’ll pour a glass out to every poor bastard that ever wished me dead, and say ‘this one’s for you.’”

...and then she laughed. “Sorry, I get a bit of a runner’s high after my workouts. I’m in a good mood.” she said, walking slowly with her boss...before asking, “How do you plan to go out, Kokichi?”

This time Kokichi did manage to laugh softly. Going out in a drunken hurrah when you were old as dirt sounded like quite the party. Even with all the macabre sentiment around it...but when that was life, you just rolled that into your humor too. 

(Maybe he was just thinking too much on their conversation yesterday, but Luminary manners were really a disservice to Maki. When she was comfortable and happy? No one would ever have to question why kids flocked to her. Maki was downright charming when she was in the mood for it.)

Smiling grimly, Kokichi shook his head. “If I’d followed through on most of my plans, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. And after so long of thinking about it...I think I’d rather just be completely surprised. At least then it’s just a moment of shock rather than an elongated, miserable spiral.”

Maki sighed, nodding. It wasn’t the first she had heard of Kokichi’s suicidal tendencies, after all. She wasn’t too worried about it herself. He had survived some of the harshest periods she could think of...he would keep going. She believed in him. 

“I went through a period of time where I asked that question too often, to people.” She said, her voice softer now. Remembering a period of her life that had been...less than stable. Where, emotionally, she had just been really struggling… “It was after we had graduated high school. I was nineteen, so you can’t even blame it on me being young. I’d just come back home for mission debriefs, go spend time with Kaito at his university, and just ask anyone who talked to me for longer than a moment how they planned to die.”

“People very rarely understood what I was actually asking them. It used to frustrate me. They’d tell me how they expected to die. What the most likely way they were going to die was. It often involved their worst fears...but that’s not what I wanted.”

“I wanted people to spit in the face of destiny with me. I wanted their best case scenario, presented as an absolute fact. I wanted to be with people who felt like they had control of their fates…even if it wasn’t true. It made me feel brave, and I wanted other people to feel brave too.”

She blinked...and then smiled again. Shaking her head. “I hope I’m not going to be like this all day. This is embaressing.”

“Nineteen is still young. Twenty-two is still young,” Kokichi insisted. Especially in the context Maki said, that her life would be admirably long. They were all so young...but life didn’t pick and choose who it happened to. It just did, and no matter where you were in life, you had to deal with it. 

Even if you were in your early twenties, expecting to be parents, a young adult wrestling for control of their life, a young child dealing with a life-threatening condition. 

“It can be hard, sometimes, to find like-minded people for specific things… But going out to take every chance you could to find them...is pretty cool of Maki-chan, in my opinion.” Kokichi looked over, quirking a smile at his friend. “I like hearing your thoughts… Maki-chan isn’t usually one to hold back, but...even reminiscent thoughts or...or pondering ones like these… S’not like I’m gonna shout it at everyone we pass, but I don’t think it’s anything to be embarrassed about.”

Finally off the stairs, Kokichi had a bit of an easier time walking forward now, though he didn’t let go of Maki’s hand. Just over to the bay, he’d explain his situation, he’d get some medicine, then head back to bed and try to get a little more sleep, though Maki would likely be pulling Kaito and Shuuichi away for training soon after they got back upstairs. He maybe was looking at another forty-five minutes before their day kicked off.

“...do...do you usually get up this early?”

“Am I only twenty-two? I thought I was further along by now.” Maki pouted, clearly annoyed at this development. “And, yes. I get up at three, every day. I’ve found it’s easier to just get up early and get everything I need done then. If I want to spoil myself, get more sleep? I just go to bed earlier. Going to bed at like...eight? And waking up at three.” Maki sighed, “Height of luxury. It’s so refreshing.”

Kokichi knew that none of the Luminary trio had set out expecting to become friends with him...but in the fantasy if that had ever crossed their minds, he wondered if Maki would’ve been happy to know she’d no longer be the baby of the group. Not that it mattered, and not that he thought Shuuichi or Kaito had ever babied her a day in her life, but...still. She wasn’t the youngest anymore, and something about that struck him. 

Shaking his head a little in the wonderment that Maki woke up at three--in the past, the time Kokichi had always considered throwing in the towel or just trying to stay up through the next day--Kokichi offered an admiring smile. “I would say Maki-chan’s living the best life, but I think three is a little early for even the most zealous go-getters. Just shows how far ahead of the game you are. Hope we’re not keepin’ you up too late most days.”

“No. not really. I’ve found that if I get four or five hours most days, along with that occasional eight hours a day? Usually once a week…” she shrugged. “Then I’m fine. And, coffee. Coffee is the life blood. I am constantly caffeinated.” Maki said, looking down at Kokichi. “Constantly.”

Then, considering her friend, she said, “I used to need a lot of sleep as a teenager. I was constantly napping during any bit of free time. So it’s not like I don’t sleep if I get tired. I just don’t really get tired these days. But if I was struggling to stay awake, I’d find a way to sleep more. I’m not denying myself anything.” She reassured.

Four or five hours… Well, it wasn’t like Kokichi was in any place to lecture. While he certainly got around eight hours a night these days, his sleep schedule before? Wasn’t a schedule. He could get anywhere from zero to fourteen any day, and there was very little pattern or consistency anywhere. And, really, that was way more unhealthy than getting a little less sleep consistently than the average person. 

Still, Kokichi was thankful for Maki’s clarification. If she was feeling alright, not running on fumes, then she was probably fine. If there was anything up, Seiko had probably told Maki when they all got physicals before their trip. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi grinned. “What coffee does for Maki-chan is amazing. Sure, caffeine can give me more of a pep in my step, but if I have more than a cup of something, or if that’s all I’m running on?” He shook his head with a grimace. “Really just better for me to take a nap.”

“...as long as Maki-chan feels good, then I’m happy,” he hummed, gently squeezing her hand for a moment of affection in the midst of their playfulness. Though, the talk of sleep and late nights pinged something in his head. 

“Mm… Kai-chan said he wanted to take me out dancing sometime, like, a date. If that does end up happening… I know saying you don’t have to wait up for us won’t actually have you do it, so I’ll try to let Maki-chan know as soon as we plan a time, okay? So she can get sleep beforehand.” 

Maki smiled slightly at that. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Shooting Star, right? Don’t answer, I know it’s Shooting Star. Kaito mentioned this to me weeks ago, I’ve looked the place over. You should have a good time there…” she paused, thinking about it, before adding, “There’s a man there who hangs out near an alley there? Joey. Nice enough person, a little mentally unhinged, he’s selling drugs. Don’t be afraid of him, but if he draws you into a conversation, it’s inevitably leading to him trying to sell you drugs. If anyone gets weird with you though, you can trust the staff, the bagel store next door, the drug dealer, but just avoid the art studio across the road, the lady who owns the place is too easily frazzled and will only make a dangerous situation worse.”

“...I like the lights there.” she added, “They’re doing interesting experiments with lightbulbs and covering them with these tints that change their colors, and I don’t know how, but they flash? It was fascinating. You should have fun.”

Kokichi’s smile quirked up as Maki gave him the low-down of the place, unsurprised that she’d already checked it out. If she had heard about it, and had time? Then it was done. He nodded at each point, showing that he’d heard and would remember. Most established people were okay, don’t be startled if the guy in the alley tried to sell him drugs (and...well, he wouldn’t narc. Considering that it was a popular spot, he wouldn’t be surprised if the force already knew about this Joey guy. And if they let him be...then he wasn’t hurting anyone), and don’t go to the art studio if he needed help. Got it. 

“Ooh…” he hummed, catching the attention of the healer on night duty, awake by some chance. “That sounds super cool, actually. Maybe people will be enamored enough with the music and lights that they won’t notice what a horrible dancer I am. Still, I don’t know if it’s actually something we’re gonna get around to do, but...it sounds cool.” 

“Why not? Kaito seemed really excited about going when he told me about it.” Maki asked, though, before Kokichi had a chance to answer, they got to the door of the medward, Maki opening the door for them as she helped Kokichi inside. She didn’t mind though, she’d just ask Kokichi again when she was helping him upstairs.

The healer running the medward this morning was Doctor Somewan. Somewan was an intelligent, accomplished healer, and that was why she was on the castle medical team...but she was also known to be somewhat pushy, and kind of overzealous, and when Kokichi talked about healers who tended to ‘overreact’ to every little thing and not take no for an answer….historically? She was one of the healers that he was specifically thinking of when he brought up stuff like that. 

Somewan knew this. She was a little proud of that. There was a certain kind of person in the world who thought any adversity, regardless of where the tension was coming from, or why, if overcome? Was a sign that she was doing something right.

(...Maki suffered from this mentality a little bit herself. If someone didn’t want her to be doing the thing, at least a little? She was probably doing it wrong. Or at least not right enough.)

She hadn’t been there when Kokichi had come in for the headache checkup, and in her opinion? Her not being there was the entire reason the poor prince had ended up on bedrest for so long. The other healers just weren’t willing to deal with the dirty looks and polite, stiff language he used when he was upset. He needed a firm hand, sometimes. Honestly, what would her coworkers do without her...the whole castle would fall apart. Seriously.

With all that in mind?

“Oh, Prince Kokichi!” She said, adjusting her glasses as the young prince came in, looking a little shaky, with the Luminary Assassin with him. Giving Maki a somewhat disapproving look, she reached over to off Kokichi her arm in turn, steering him away from her as she said, “Sit down, sit down. What have we done this time…symptoms?” she asked, taking her stethoscope out and starting there, instructing him, “Lift your shirt.”

“Hi, Dr. Somewan,” Kokichi said, somehow keeping the sigh out of his voice. “I woke up with my chest feeling a little tight. I’d like to have a dose of my medicine, please.”

He didn’t need a full physical. The last time had been...not very good for his reputation of self-diagnosis, honestly. But while his medicine really was just easing his symptoms, it wasn’t like getting painkillers for a headache. His medicine was the best thing anyone could give him for issues with his heart and lungs and...he was requesting it. He wasn’t about to have a heart attack in the next five minutes so...other than just having him chill out while the medicine was being put together? 

There wasn’t anything else to do. 

So...that’s what he said. “Nothing else hurts, so I don’t need a physical. Just my medicine.” 

“Certainly. I’ll have...where is he…” Doctor Somewan looked around, before calling out, “Dr. Green?”

The nervous green haired doctor peeked his head around the corner, “Yes, Dr. Somewa- oh! Good Morning, Prince Kokichi! Miss Harukawa! Miss Harukawa, are you here for a new dose of the tea mix?”

Maki nodded, “Good Morning, Dr. Green. Yes please. But also one for him. Kokichi’s feeling a bit shaky this morning.” she said, giving the green haired doctor a respectful nod. Every time she came by the med ward, demanding new bandages and lessons on what to do in this situation or that situation? She was usually pushed off onto Dr. Green, who she got the impression was the bottom of the hierarchy of the ward, even if that wasn’t official in any way. She liked the guy though. He earnestly tried to help her with everything she asked for, and had made a few suggestions to her backpack that she hadn’t thought of herself. She appreciated him.

Dr. Somewan frowned at that, before saying loudly, as if Maki hadn’t said any of that, “Go mix Prince Kokichi’s tea and medicine, thank you Dr. Green.”

“Oh, yeah! Of course! Just give me five minutes, Prince Kokichi!” Dr. Green said, giving the small prince a small wave, before disappearing around the corner again to do so.

“Anyway, as he does that? Shirt up.” she said again, “Then we’ll check your temperature. Come on now, Prince Kokichi, you know the longer you fuss, the longer this will take. Let’s not get fidgety now.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow, looking between Dr. Green--who also tended to push for him to be checked over more, but...well, he never begrudged the young healer for it even less than the others. Dr. Green was relatively new, both in practicing medicine and in working at the castle, at least compared to a lot of the other healers--and Maki. She...kept his tea around? All the time? It was very prepared of her...even if he felt a little bad about the ingredients going to waste…

...but he supposed he’d be more than thankful to make up for it if they were out and about and he had an attack. 

Waving to the younger healer, murmuring a quieter ‘thank you’, Kokichi sighed, getting ready for the battle that always was coming to the medical wing while Dr. Somewan was on duty. “I don’t need a physical. My medicine is already taking care of the worst case scenario. I’m not feverish, and even if I was, it’d be derived from my heart problems, which the medicine also covers. I don’t need this to be more than just a pit stop.”

Rolling his eyes a little, Kokichi firmly kept his sleep shirt on. “And I’m going back to bed after this, so I’m already planning on getting rest, which takes care of the rest of any possible concerns.”

Whelp. Looked like the prince about to be fussy again.

Sighing, moving her stethoscope back around her neck as she said, “Well, if you won’t submit to a physical, then I’m going to have to recommend you take a bed here in the ward for a few hours, so that we can observe you, make certain this doesn’t evolve into a full attack. Dr. Green!” she called back.

The green haired doctor peeked out again, “Yes?!”

“Prepare a bed for the prince. He’s going to get some rest here.”

Maki narrowed her eyes, watching all this, before glancing at Kokichi. Reserving herself unless he needed her.

Kokichi’s lips thinned into a displeased line as his gaze on the doctor darkened. “No. I would have to deteriorate at a pace yet unseen for how I’m feeling to come to an attack, especially if I’m taking my medicine, which I specifically came here for. I’m going to take it, go back to my room and go back to bed, then if I still feel like this, I’ll come back to get another dose in five to six hours. If I start feeling worse, then I’ll come back at that point and consent to a physical.”

“...I am taking the steps to lead a healthier life, despite my chronic condition. Part of that is having agency over my treatment, doctor. I have many people I can rely on, but the only person that knows how I’m feeling is me.” 

Breaking eye contact with the healer, Kokichi lightened his expression, giving Maki a nod. “Maki-chan? Would you mind getting your dose and mine from Dr. Green so we can scoot when it’s ready? I’m sure it would be a relief for anyone coming in with concerns that require more attention to not have to wait for the only healers on duty to finish up formalities with little old me.”

“Of course.” Maki said, nodding her head towards Kokichi, before heading steadfast to the back of the medward, around the corner where Dr. Green was mixing.

“Hey, now… Prince Kokichi, I’m afraid there’s no just walking away from this. While agency over your treatment is your right, certainly, I still have a responsibility to ensure that you receive the...excuse me. Stop right there, Miss Harukawa, I’m not done-”

Maki was coming out carrying two paper cups, both with lids, which she had just collected from Dr. Green, who had just been finishing up. She walked right by Doctor Somewan, not sparing her a second glance, before handing Kokichi his cup, and then offering him her arm. “Easy enough. Let’s go then, if you’re ready Kokichi.”

Dr. Somewan scowled, and stepping forward, put a hand on Maki’s shoulder, saying, “Now listen here, I know you like to go around acting like your own the place, but I’ve been taking care of Prince Kokichi since you were in elementary school, young lad-” 

The doctor flinched. Removing her hand quickly when Maki looked back at her. Not appreciating being touched, and if the heat coming off of her wouldn’t have caused the doctor to second guess herself, the look in her eyes, briefly, did.

But then the look went away, and Maki nodded her head at the doctor “Yes. But my boss already said he was ready to leave. As stated, we will of course keep you informed if he needs anything else. Thank you.”

The doctor protested again (this usually worked out. If she said he couldn’t go, usually everyone else supported her, and the group pressure alone could be enough to compel him to stay), as Doctor Green looked confused and nervous back and forth between Doctor Somewan and Prince Kokichi, not interfering since he wasn’t certain who he was supposed to be rallying behind right now…

...and as the door closed behind them, Maki let out a breath. “Honestly...who grabs an assassin from behind? That woman’s an idiot…” Looking to Kokichi, she asked, “Want to sit down somewhere to drink that before we head up the stairs?”

Kokichi geared up for more debating but...he hadn’t expected Dr. Somewan to derail herself with Maki walking past to see how Dr. Green was coming along with the tea. Still wary, he kept his surprise off his face, but… Was this the power of an ally? 

He took the cup from Maki, holding onto her arm again. He’d initially planned on drinking his dose in the bay, but since Dr. Somewan was in duty, getting out sooner than later was how he’d get out of a physical. And when the healer tried to physically stop them--which was where he usually got stuck when he’d tried to stand up for himself--the healer...stopped. 

The power of an ally that was Maki. 

Sending another thanks over his shoulder...wow. Kokichi got in and out of the medical wing just as he’d planned for once. 

He gave Maki a half-shrug, explaining, “Just even a wall to lean against for a sec, thanks. And...thanks for backing me up. I know you said you would, but...still. I don’t think I’ve ever had a trip to the bay be that short...ever.”

Maki frowned as she led Kokichi to a wall near the stairwell, leaning against it with him as he started to sip. “That was short? Ugh. If that’s the kind of annoying fight you have to deal with every time, no wonder you try to avoid them.” she sighed, squatting down, her knees pressed together as she watched people start to go up and down the stairwell, the castle starting its slow wake up of the day. 

“And I shouldn't have been surprised Dr. Somewan tried to be that much trouble. She’s the one who argues against all the supplies I take from the medward for my backpack. It was Doctor Pacuvius who eventually shut down her argument and donated the supplies to me. Like preparing a first aid kit for the Prince is a waste…” Maki tsked, rolling her eyes. “She’s just a control freak.”

“...I would know.” Maki smirked, before looking up at Kokichi, “And no worries. If I thought the doctors had a point? I’d mention my concerns to you in private. But in public? You will always have my support. Dicea might have a different idea of that, but…” she shrugged, “That’s one of my responsibilities as your employee. You should expect that level of support from any member of your staff.”

“And as your friend? I’m gonna say ‘fuck that bitch’ in front of you.” she said, pausing dramatically, before finishing. “Fuck that bitch.”

Taking the top off the cup, Kokichi sipped at his tea, not trying to take his sweet time enjoying the flavor or anything, but...it was hot. He didn’t want to burn his tongue, but he didn’t want to just wait until it cooled. “Sometimes it’s easier, depending on what I’m getting… Like, sometimes the mask that Haneda-chan made me is in the wash and I’m getting a spare. I can get in and out in a minute for something like that.”

It was just whenever he had a current concern with his health that he got stopped and had to argue, no, he just needed a bandage, I barely bled at all and, seriously, if I’d been bleeding more, you think I’d be this calm? No, he just wanted a painkiller. Sometimes the healers did have a point in wanting to check him over more thoroughly, but...Kokichi was done with that. If he needed more attention, he wasn’t going to put it off. If he just needed to pop in, he was going to stand behind that. 

Kokichi quirked a bit of a smile as Maki admitted the similarity between herself and Dr. Somewan and leaned toward her a little, some more of that non-contact affection. “Thanks, Maki-chan. While Dr. Somewan is definitely on the more extreme end...I don’t blame most of them for being wary.” He sighed, braving a slightly more substantial sip. “If I went in for...like, cold medicine, for example. Unless I’d just been to see Seiko or something, that’s not a situation I should just pop in for. Even tiny issues can blow up into much bigger shitfests with me, and...people are right to want to keep me a little longer to make sure they won’t.”

“It’s just not that way for everything,” he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. But Maki had heard his grievances before, and she was the person standing behind him on them. Even if people were encouraged to speak up about things they thought were wrong...when it came to things in a greyer area, it was nice to know someone would trust your judgement. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi tried drinking more of the tea. It was still a little warmer than what was comfortable, but he’d live. “She really is a good healer...but, yeah. Terrible bedside manner.” 

“I would hope King Aiichi wouldn’t higher bad healers, considering his heir-apparents situation...or, whoever highers the healers.” Maki shrugged, entirely subconsciously bringing the drink in her hand to her lips, before remembering what she was holding. Shaking her head at herself a little, she looked up at Kokichi, “Verify a rumor I heard for me, Kokichi: Denji didn’t really storm their way into the castle and demand their job, did they?”

Kokichi deflated slightly, but… Well, these days it was true. They’d really changed up the way the hiring process went for everyone in the castle. If you got contacted after sending in your resume--meaning that you had the right sort of credentials for whatever job you were applying for--then you’d first have an appointment with Aiichi to see if you were the kind of person who would be good for the castle as...honestly, sort of a representative to everyone who came to the castle. Then you’d have an interview with the head of whatever department you had applied for to see if you’d work well on the team and would be able to perform the duties. There were certain allowances for interns, giving people who didn’t have the skillset yet but wanted to learn an opportunity to do so, but...it wasn’t like just anyone could get any job. And being a castle healer was one of the more rigorous interviews. 

...to be fair, some of the healers Kokichi had seen back in the day hadn’t been castle healers but… Well, he understood Aiichi a little more now. Hope could be a dangerous thing. 

The subject Maki moved to was much lighter though. Snorting, Kokichi gave his friend a grin. “Yes and no, though most people stay on the side of yes just because that’s what Denji-chan insisted.”

“There just wasn’t a dedicated castle stylist before they came along--we’d get our official outfits made by a tailor in town, my dad did his own styling, and Ikuo did mine. Denji-chan made an appointment with Aiichi and had this whole...huge presentation about why, one, the castle needed a dedicated stylist, and, two, why it should be them. I think Aiichi just thought they were gonna run messages between the tailor’s and the castle or something small like that and wanted to get paid for it, but...well, you’ve seen their room.” Kokichi shrugged with a teasing smile. “People make their own jobs all the time. Denji-chan just got more ambitious with it.” 

Maki listened to this story with some fascination, though she mused, “Interesting. Not as insane as I assumed, but still interesting. The housekeeper who mentioned it to me gave me the impression they just showed up, said they were the stylist now, and I don’t know...I wasn’t sure what to think of it. If that was just really impressive of them, or really irresponsible of the king.”

“But a presentation during a meeting?” Maki smirked a little, “...impressive. That must have taken a lot of courage. They were young too, weren’t they? The housekeeper said she heard they had been thirteen or something…”

Kokichi snickered, figuring that was the way Denji shortened the story, though he nodded at Maki’s question. “Yeah. Honestly, I think it’s pretty irresponsible of my dad to hire a teenager...but Denji-chan can be very convincing. And stubborn. I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the presentation was a filibuster to keep Aiichi in the meeting until he hired them.”

“And...it was nice, having another person my age around in the castle…” Kokichi’s voice went softer, still feeling a little...amazed that Denji had seen him as a brother too. “Though...we didn’t end up talking too much that year. A little when they first got hired, then later on. I got really sick for a few months and didn’t really see much of anyone, I think, anyway, so...that kinda put a hold on a lot of things.” 

“A few months?” Maki asked, giving Kokichi a curious look.

Kokichi nodded. “Overworked myself, though I was only studying then. Even the worst of that would only get me for a week or two, but we think I caught a bug going around too, and it just got worse from the other stuff--my body couldn’t fight it off. Even after I’d stabilized, I was still too weak to do anything more than, like...read in bed. Three months bedridden.” 

Maki wrinkled her nose in distaste at that, before saying. “That’s too long. Entirely unreasonable.” she decided. Who she was meant to be chastising right now was entirely up in the air. Maybe just the universe. Or the illness itself. But Maki’s tone was clear: Did Not Approve. “Probably best not to do that again.”

“Believe me, I don’t plan on it.” Kokichi snorted, shaking his head. “Gonna do everything I can to avoid bugs, I’ve cut down on my working hours, I’m way better about nutrition and my sleeping habits…”

He looked over at Maki with a soft look, almost done with his tea. “...I really mean it, you know. That I’m trying to be better about my health. I’ve never enjoyed being sick, but...I have a lot of people counting on me now, and I owe it to them to do what I can. I owe it to myself.”

Kokichi sighed, leaning more heavily against the wall and draining his cup. “...I can’t avoid being sick completely. But I can do my best to dodge what I can.”

Maki’s eyes followed the people up and down the stairs as Kokichi spoke, before feeling his gaze on her and she glanced up to see how...sadly earnest he looked. Like he was afraid she didn’t believe him...and furrowing her brow slightly, she nodded. 

“Yes.” She said, giving him a slightly confused look. “Of course you are. Beyond one or two incidents when we first met, you’ve never struck me as being terribly irresponsible, Kokichi. I remember you not telling me and Shuichi about your illnesses when we first met, which annoyed me, but you barely knew us then,” she shrugged, clearly long over it, and then, with the same nonchalance, she said, “and you make a terrible murder partner. But honestly, very few people are good at that particular skill, so I can’t really hold that against you either.”

“But other than that, I’ve always found you doing your best, for the circumstances...though running off and giving yourself pneumonia or whatever that was that one day you ran off was pretty irresponsible…” she pouted, eyes narrowing, reconsidering her compliment...before shrugging, “No, even still. I have faith in you.”

Standing up, offering to take his now empty cup from him, she offered her arm. “Ready to head back up?”

...there was a lot his friends didn’t know about him. And, really, they’d only known him for some of the most...productive, he supposed was the word, times of his life. Seeing all the progress he’d made. But he knew they’d heard the rumors, and now understood the things that were lost in translation…

Kokichi smiled, a warm little thing right from his heart as he handed over his empty cup and took Maki’s arm. 

And yet, they still believed in him. 

“No, I know that was dumb as hell,” he sighed, ready to climb up the stairs again. “I regret a lot of stuff from that day. But I can be better from it, and take the lessons I learned. That’s gonna be one of the harder things, I think. Being my own timer and coming in from playing in the snow before I turn myself into a sneezy ice sculpture. Especially if we go skating and if Kai-chan entices you into a snowball fight?”

Kokichi gave Maki a wink. There were much more important lessons from that day than not freezing himself, but they both knew the pain from it and...c’mon, it was first thing in the morning. They could be playful. 

“Maki-chan would dominate us all in a snowball fight. If you and Shuu-chan teamed up? I can just see him making the ultimate defensive hideout for you guys, while Maki-chan goes out and wipes the floor with anyone who even looks at it for too long.”

“I would love to talk Shuichi into more competitive things with me.” Maki admitted, a small sigh to it, “We used to be able to convince him to play with us all the time in high school, and I’m certain he was having fun. He wouldn’t have let us bully him into it if he wasn’t. But...after that?”

Helping Kokichi up the stairs, letting Kokichi put as much weight as he needed to on her arm as he went up each step, she said, “I think he just got real down after finishing school. Suddenly me and him were only doing our career stuff...it was kind of a jarring transition. School was a lot of our casual socializing, once it was done?” She shrugged, “Shuichi really withdrew. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities to just casually hang out with all three of our contradicting schedules, and when we managed to meet up, he just seemed more and more insecure, especially in regards to moving around. He told me once that he was convinced every game that everyone was rooting for him to fail, and he would feel bad when he won, and that when he lost, he felt bad because he felt bad wasting everyone’s time…”

Maki huffed. “He’s so much maintenance. Give him any time to himself or ammunition, he just tears himself to pieces with it. It’d be nice if I could just… I don’t know. Give him even a quarter of my self confidence. It drives me crazy to hear him talk like that.”

Honestly, once Shuuichi got started on something, he didn’t play half-heartedly. Board games or card games or the games they played at the festival...it wasn’t so far-fetched to see him getting into physical games too. 

Kokichi liked those kinds of games too, honestly, though he wouldn’t be able to play at the level Maki and Kaito went into competitions with. He simply didn’t have the stamina and contact sports...well, they came with a big caveat if he was going to play. But...like, races? And playing stuff like frisbee? More solo stuff like ice skating? 

...maybe that kind of stuff would be a good baby step for bringing Shuuichi back into the fold. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi nodded a bit. “I get how he feels, but...yeah. It sucks to hear people you care about say bad things about themselves. Once you start to believe it, it’s a hard loop to get out of...but I’m happy to reassure Shuu-chan about all the stuff outside of his head whenever he needs it. And you guys have opportunities for casual socializing again. We’re kind of forcing ourselves to get into it, actually.”

“...I think you’d have a good time at the dojo. There’s people at all levels in all sorts of different styles, but I know for sure there’s people that Maki-chan would have fun sparring with. And who knows, you might learn something new too.”

“I’d expect too. That’d be a real drag, if literally everything was different in Dicea except for the fighting styles, and I don’t get to learn anything interesting or new.” Maki observed, before turning her blood eyes to Kokichi, “I’m expecting good paintings out of that class. And I’m expecting you to invite people places.” She said, eyes narrowing. “You left a lot of the effort of all of us getting to know each other in our hands, and from your whole ‘I have no friends’ crisis, in the staff’s as well. Take the initiative this time. Don’t disappoint me.”

Kokichi shrank a little under Maki’s gaze...but just a little, and he sprung back up with a sigh. Obviously not very happy, but more in a ‘disappointed in himself’ sort of way that sparked determination. “I know… And I won’t. It’s hard to want to...put yourself out there when you feel like you’re nothing but...a nuisance or a burden to people…”

“But I can’t believe that’s true! Until someone tells me so, even if it feels wrong, I have to put more faith in people wanting to get to know me. In their own agency to tell me off if they don’t.” Kokichi huffed, his cheeks puffing out a little as that determination solidified. “It’s gonna be scary and awkward, but I’m going to try. I like hearing people talk about themselves and their lives, but I have to give back too.”

After a moment, he relaxed back into a normal state, though he made a sound in the back of his throat. “...I should probably apologize to Kerry about all that. It was really awkward. Maybe I’ll ask if we can get a drink from the kitchens on one of their breaks sometime.” 

“Who?” Maki asked, genuinely bewildered. 

Kokichi looked up with a half-smile. “They’re a housekeeper, kinda new. Ran into me while they were trying to re-stock the bathroom by the office and...I was crying in one of the stalls--like I said, real awkward. But...they were nice, making sure I was okay.”

“Ahhh, crying friends.” Maki said sagely. “I made a crying friend once. Mostly I got annoyed cause they kept bursting into tears during midterms in our algebra class, and finally I cornered them and told them to knock it off. How are you supposed to study when someones trying to weep in the back corner?” Maki asked, scoffing. “Anyway, I made them start coming to our group study sessions and told them I’d throw them off the roof the next time I heard them crying in class.”

After a pause, she said, “In my defense, I specifically went to the part of the roof where I knew the school’s swimming pool was down below. And they did end up passing the algebra class. Sometimes I miss Benny...I mean, not really. But he was a good enough guy.” she shrugged. “I think he went on to be an accountant, actually.”

Kokichi shook his head a little, trying to fight off that instinct to laugh at Maki’s threats but...he did still find it a little endearing. And she had made a friend through them, so that guy probably found something to like in them too. 

“That’s kind of funny, if he ended up in a field full of math. I guess you knew what you’d be doing but...I’ve heard from a lot of people that they had no clue where they’d end up career-wise while they were in school.” Kokichi paused on a step, his chest already feeling a little better, but stairs were evil. Soon enough, though, he resumed. “I think that’s partially why workshops are still popular with younger people, despite them already having school and maybe clubs and maybe even work around their homes going on. It’s a shorter way to discover something new as opposed to taking a proper class. Less commitment for stuff that’s really out of your wheelhouse.”

Maki had a small crease in her forehead, trying to translate… “I understand what the word ‘workshop’ means, but I don’t understand the context you’re using it under.” she said, glancing over as a random staff member on their way down greeted ‘Good Morning, Prince Kokichi!’, the words chipper, but clearly concerned for the princes’ early morning shakiness, though too busy with their work to actually stop and pry.

“Oh, um, I thought I mentioned them before - good morning!” Kokichi called back to the staff member, giving a little wave before focusing back in on the conversation. “So, we hold classes in the castle, right? Stuff people wanted to do anyway, but we just give them the space and advertising for it. And even those are usually shorter than terms at the university. Workshops are even shorter, and most of them, I’d say, are like...single-day classes.”

“Wanna spend an afternoon doing vocal training? There’s a workshop. Learn a song as a big band--workshop. Learn how to pearl? I think there’s a workshop for that almost every month.” Kokichi shrugged a little. “They’re just short classes or get-togethers based on a specific subject. Really good for getting an idea of something you have little to no concept of, since there’s no commitment to anything in the future. It could be an introduction to a new interest, or just a day spent trying something new. Or a way to express your passion to new people, and find others who are interested in it too.”

“Interesting...it sounds a little like qualification trainings, but...not really.” She admitted, just trying to find something back in Luminary that might be a one for one for what Kokichi was talking about. “Back at Luminary, different fields offered these one or two day courses, and you were required to take the basic qualification classes as a sort of learning gateway if you wanted to explore the field more. But those were really designed just for Indentured’s in mind, if you wanted to try to transfer to a specific career track, or if you got permission or failed out of your current one. I never heard of a civilian equivalent before.”

“I remember you trying to tell us about education stuff back when... I think it was...the first day we left the castle with you? Officially, I mean… I think when you said that both of us could just go to university...that was a little hard to hear.” She confessed, looking back at the memory, “I shouldn’t speak for Shuichi, but we did talk about it later and… I think that was the first time both of us realized exactly how little access to things we had back at home… university was a pipe dream back then, but now we could just go?”

“Sometimes it’s hard to be someplace this nice.” She admitted. “Everything I’ve ever known before now just feels...sort of filthy and insignificant in comparison. I fought tooth and nail to do well in a career I was forced into my whole life...and two months to the left, anyone can just...go to university…” she sighed. “What a waste…”

Kokichi nodded a bit, seeing the connection but...yeah. Very different. Depending on the field, he supposed there were classes you could take, but he knew a ton of career’s just had you shadow someone for a while, or do smaller, more intuitive tasks until you had a handle on things. And then there was the fact that people could just sort of create whatever they wanted to do… Wasn’t any training someone could give you for something that didn’t exist. 

Options were just...everywhere. Anyone had the opportunity to try anything, really. A lot of people found that they did enjoy going into what their parents did, but there were options and always a chance to at least try something new. 

Kokichi’s gaze drifted down to the ground, feeling...bad...sort of. The same sort of thing he felt when Kaito wished that Dicea was a little worse. His entire reason for being was to keep helping Dicea become better and better but...it was hard, seeing his friends grapple with that. 

“...Kai-chan’s told me that sometimes he feels monstrous here. I don’t and I can’t wish that...I don’t know. Things were more limited here. But...I do wish it was easier on you guys.” He sighed, holding Maki’s arm a little tighter for a moment. “I do think it means you guys really could do anything you wanted here though. You have the strive to accomplish anything.”

“I wouldn’t wish this place worse. I mean, for one, I live here now, so that’d be incredibly self-destructive.” She said, rolling her eyes at her Luminary Prince for a moment. “Like, I’ve just discovered I can have all these things, so what? I’m not going to take advantage? Ridiculous.” 

“It’s really either adapt or die.” Maki decided, shrugging a little as she said, “And I am nothing if not a survivor. I’ll work these feelings out one way or another. And then I’ll drag Kaito with me, kicking and screaming.”

“Well,” Kokichi tempered, “Adapt or be arrested a lot, probably. But...yeah. I can hope it won’t be that horrible, but I really won’t understand what it’s like for your guys. I can just be here to listen and answer what questions I can. Recommend resources for what I can’t.”

“...but, if you take the opinion of a naive shut-in, I think Maki-chan has already done a lot to adapt to life here.” He smiled up at his friend, thinking of her argument with Shuuichi yesterday. He worried about Maki, just like he worried about everyone, but...ignoring everything she’d accomplished already was doing her a huge disservice. “I know you don’t need anyone’s approval...but I am still proud.”

She seemed, briefly, startled...before smiling slightly at Kokichi. “Thank you.”

It took another ten minutes, but Maki eventually dropped Kokichi off at his room, making certain the small prince got inside before heading off to her own room, going to take a quick shower. 

Insie, Kaito’s wide, nervous eyes immediately went to the door as soon as it opened, half a pant leg on, clearly trying to throw clothes on in a hurry. He froze at the door, but let out a small, quiet sound of relief as he saw Kokichi come inside, finishing pulling up his pants legs before quickly moving to Kokichi’s side, looking him over as he said, “Geeze, babe… there you are.” He said quietly, Shuichi still entirely passed out in bed, hugging a pillow to himself due to lack of bodies to cuddled with. “Fuck, I was about to be running around this whole castle in my night shirt and yesterdays pants… what are you doing up this early, ‘Kichi?”

Kokichi hadn’t woken up either of his lovers to avoid worrying them, so...seeing Kaito in a panic, likely just moments away from running out of the room to search for him made Kokichi feel a bit bad. He’d hoped to be back before either of them woke up, but the lack of ‘little ‘Kichi noises’ struck again, he supposed. 

Coming forward the small distance, Kokichi gave Kaito a hug, hoping to reassure through touch. “Sorry, hun--I was hoping to get back before you woke up. I woke up feeling a little weird, so I stopped by the medical wing. Nothing serious, and if I start to feel worse later I’ll let people know before I go back, okay? But I’m feeling okay now.”

He rubbed Kaito’s arm gently, trying to soothe that frantic energy, though he peeked around to look at the lump of Shuuichi still snoozing in bed. “Maki-chan will probably be by before too soon--we ran into each other and she walked me to the wing and back--but I think I’m gonna sleep in a little today…”

“I could understand you not really feeling too sleepy anymore, but would you wanna come back to bed and cuddle for a while?” Kokichi smiled up at his husband, calm and easy. 

Kaito’s brow furrowed a little. He wanted to interrogate him a little, find out what ‘feeling a little weird’ meant, but… Kokichi had literally just come back from the med ward, apparently, and seemed pretty sure of himself. He didn’t look nervous, like he was trying to hide anything. Not that he… thought Kokichi would try to hide anything from him…

He’d ask more about it later. For now, he’d trust that Kokichi had this under control, or at least would tell him if he didn’t. Besides, it sounded like Maki knew what was up too, and she had been fine letting Kokichi come back in by himself, so it really was probably fine.

“Sure, babe… wasn’t exactly thrilled to pull myself out of bed this morning anyway. It’s getting colder. ‘Keep thinking, no way it’s gonna feel any colder than this, and yet-” Kaito sighed, shrugging a little as he teased, before grinning down at his husband as he said, “In comparison to out here? You’re almost toasty, ‘Kichi. Come here.”

Kaito leaned down to pick his husband up, kissing him gently on the cheek, and then more fully against his lips, sighing as he took his fill from him for a moment before saying, “Alright. That’s a little better. Let’s get back to sleep.”

Kaito brought Kokichi back to bed, laying him out next to Shuichi, before crawling in after him. Later, he’d find out what ‘feeling weird’ meant. For now, he was okay just letting his husband rest.

Kokichi rolled his eyes with a little laugh. “Totally get that. Like our room is pretty comfy with the fire...but sharing body heat under blankets to that is one thing, and then knowing how cold it’s gonna be outside…” Kokichi made a dissatisfied sound with a grimace. “Don’t like it one bit. And when bein’ at the warmest means being with my beloved Kai-chan and Shuu-chan…”

Going up into his husband’s arms, Kokichi kissed back, happy and affectionate as he slung his arms comfortably around Kaito’s shoulders, giving him a little rub. A small apology for not being there when he woke up. And hopefully cuddling would make up the rest. 

Kokichi snuggled against Shuuichi once Kaito brought him back to the bed, even the empty space still warm--apparently Kaito had just gotten up, though Kokichi figured he hadn’t dawdled much in trying to throw some clothes on to find him. And with Kaito coming in right after him, Kokichi pressed a few more kisses to his collarbone before he let himself relax, an early morning already feeling tired making sleep look like he’d be finding it again soon. 

“Mm...much better. Like I said...wanna sleep in some, but if you get back from taking the kids to school and I’m not at the office, feel free to give me a nudge. Don’t mean to sleep the whole day away.”

“If you need sleep, you need sleep.” Kaito murmured to him, kissing his temple slightly before rubbing the edge of his shoulder blades, spreading his fingers down in a star patterns, before pulling them back up again, and repeating. “Don’t worry about taking all day if you need it...and, hell.” Kaito chuckled, glancing over at Shuichi, “Maybe you can make the argument to Maki that you need Shuichi time to feel better. Atua knows our Shuichi would rather sleep in all day with you than following me out to the courtyard.”

Kokichi snorted softly, though he closed his eyes, relaxing back into the bed between his lovers, feeling Shuuichi’s hands seek out his (relative) warmth and circle around his waist. “I’d love to encourage Shuu-chan to sleep in more, believe me...but I don’t think it’d be the best habit for him to get into. He basically put off exercising at all until you and Maki-chan pulled him into training, right? Don’t want Shuu-chan to put his health in a bad spot ‘cause I’ll vouch for our indulgence…”

He was quiet for a moment, holding one of Shuuichi’s hands from the back before speaking again. “...did you know Maki-chan wakes up at 3 every day? I trust her to get the sleep she needs, but...just wow, right?”

Kaito sighed, watching Kokichi close his eyes as Shuichi mindlessly snuggled in, not really trying to get back to sleep himself, just content to watch them both as he said, “Yeah, I know...I just like the idea of spoiling you two sometimes…”

Kaito’s brow raised, ever so slightly, to hear Maki woke up at three, before a concerned look crossed over his face. “She used to do that back in school… but she had no time throughout the day to do anything else…” and she was constantly falling asleep throughout the day because of it. Hmmm…

“I might talk to her about that.” Kaito decided, half talking to himself, voice soft and quiet, “If she doesn’t have more time in her day, I want to find out why. Maybe help her free some time up...if it’s Timothy stuff, I can do more of my share. Though, what’s she doing while you're in your office all day and he’s at school…?” Kaito wondered.

“Mm. She said it’s easier to wake up early and do what she needs to before everyone wakes up. I was kinda worried, but...she just said she wasn’t that tired, unlike when she was a teen… M. Said that if she needs more sleep, jus’ goes to bed earlier.” Kokichi huffed a small, sleepy laugh. “Promised to tell her in advance if I plan on doin’ stuff outside late at night. Would hate to keep her from rest…”

Making a little ‘I dunno’ sound, Kokichi offered up one clue. “She said that she checked out that club you told me about...maybe Maki-chan’s just...spending time in town, seeing how things are. Might be for work but...I’d hope she’s enjoying herself too… ‘s a lot to enjoy in town.”

“Yeah, maybe...that makes sense. I’ll stick ask anyway. I don’t want to, I don’t know...miss anything. If she needs help and just isn’t asking.” Kaito sighed, noticing that was a theme for their little group. So far Maki hadn’t been guilty of that cardinal sin, but no one was perfect, and Maki was self-confident to a fault, sometimes. No harm in asking.

Moving his hand from Kokichi’s shoulder to his hair, running his fingers through the dark purple waves, he whispered, “It’s okay. That’s a later conversation. Go to sleep, ‘Kichi. Everything is okay right now. There’s nothing to be up for…”

“Mhmm…” Kokichi snuggled a little more against his lovers, but he was mostly there anyway. And before too long, he was back to sleep, almost like he hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night at all. 

Or, right in the morning, if you were asking Maki.

-

They were all bundled up almost excessively compared to the other townspeople out and about, but it was needed. However, that meant that not even gripes about the cold broke the silence over the group.

Kokichi’s mind was racing, though his gloved grip on Shuuichi’s hand was gentle and tender. He’d been pretty brave, in his opinion, when Dr. Tenchi had drawn blood from each of them, needing something to compare to in the gene test she was performing. Brave enough to talk through and soothe Shuuichi’s worries as they sat in a meeting room for what felt like an eternity, waiting for answers to questions they’d had since Seiko broke the news. 

And those answers…

Kokichi looked up over at Maki as they walked, luckily still no ice on the ground despite the rain the night before. “...I would say I can’t believe that Maki-chan really bullied the universe, but I kind of can.”

And, as if that simple comment was the final bit of pressure to open the floodgates, Kaito--who had been walking around in a daze by that point-- suddenly widened his eyes, reached out to grab Shuichi, and shouted, “WE’RE HAVING A GIRL!!!”

“Kaito!” Shuichi screeched, pulled out of Kokichi’s grip as the floor suddenly disappeared from under him, the world spinning as Kaito lifted him up by the hips, spinning in quick, dizzying circles as his boyfriend jumped at every step of the spin, Shuichi feeling like he was an a tilt-a-whirl as he urgently said to Kaito, “Kaito, people are looking!”

“Are you kidding!? Let them! A Momota Princess! We’re having a little Momota Princess!! A Momota-Ouma-Saihara princess!!! This is amazing Shuichi!!!” Kaito shouted, though he only spun one more time before letting Shuichi get his feet on the ground as Kaito ran a flurry of kisses over his face, praising, “My Shuichi’s having a strong healthy, beautiful little girl and I couldn’t be happier! I’m so grateful, Shuichi. Thank you, thank you! I love you so much!!”

“I still can’t believe it’s...all of yours.” Maki said, looking a little stunned still, though her eyes were searching the crowds around her, keeping an eye on the spectators who were watching this display as they walked by, a few people straight up stopping to stare. “...I know she explained but...that seems more impossible than my bullying the universe for a girl…”

Kokichi giggled as Kaito spun Shuuichi through the air, his own giddiness making him practically hop every step. They were having a little girl (and while she wouldn’t be a princess by Dicean standards, she still would be by Luminous) and...she was all three of theirs. He’d prepared for that, not really knowing what to think genetically, but determined to treat her no different no matter her biological parenthood because they’d all be raising her…

But all three of them were her biological parents!?!

Kokichi ran up to Shuuichi’s side once Kaito put him down, hugging onto one of his boyfriend’s arms and holding him close. “It’s kinda crazy...but I’m happy. A little girl with a bit of all of us in her… And without any genetic diseases, it looks like, though we’ll just have to wait and see for the untestable stuff…”

The sex and parenthood were the bombshells, but Dr. Tenchi had done a general health test too and...still no signs of any issues with Baby’s heart and lungs. No indicators that she’d be prone to common diseases. It was unlikely that she wouldn’t end up with some form of anxiety considering them all, but...that was something they would know to look out for. 

On the whole? Baby was healthy. 

Kokichi laughed, snuggling against Shuuichi’s shoulder. “She’s healthy!” 

“Healthy, beautiful, happy! Our little melting pot baby! I can’t wait to see her!” Kaito gushed, holding Shuichi’s other arm, eyes practically dazzled as he looked at Shuichi with a thrilled, ecstatic beam, before leaning in to place another fury of kisses against Shuichi’s cheek. “I know this pregnancy’s hard and is going to get harder and you’re nervous, handsome, I know, I know all that, but you’re doing so well and you’re giving us something fucking wonderful and I just know it’s going to be worth it, Shuichi, it’s going to be worth it, I’m so proud of you.”

Shuichi let out a shaky breath, and nodded, still trying to absorb the information himself. All of theirs...the baby was all of theirs. Both Kokichi and Kaito’s. He knew Seiko kept suggesting that could happen, but it hadn’t really sounded possible…

“A healthy, strong little girl…” Shuichi whispered, sounding happy, but...his face paling as he repeated, “I’m having a little girl...a princess…”

Maki glanced at Shuichi and frowned. “We should find somewhere to sit down.”

“...p-please…” Shuichi said, starting to breath heavily.

Kokichi looked up worriedly at Shuuichi but turned his attention towards their surroundings. Luckily they’d made it a bit more toward more commercial businesses so...ah! Nodding an indication to Kaito and Maki, Kokichi started to guide Shuuichi over to an empty bench, clearing away any remaining water on it with the sleeve of his jacket before Shuuichi sat down.

He didn’t want to freak Shuuichi out with a barrage of questions, so he turned more to Kaito and Maki. “Should I go get him a drink? Water? Juice? There should be someplace nearby…”

“Some juice and water would actually be good.” Maki said, watching as Kaito and Kokichi helped Shuichi sit down, whose breathing was getting heavier. Though, as Kaito backed up once Shuichi was down, Maki moved forward to place a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, gently pulling him back as she said, “If no one touches him for the first part of it, sometimes he can pull himself out of it. Touching’s only really helpful during the end part of it, before that it can make it worse.”

As Shuichi sat own on the bench, he pulled up his knees onto his chest, lowering his cap as low as he could over his eyes, “...hu-aah...hu-aaah...fuck…’m-m sorry, fuck...mmm...”

“Maki, would you go with Kokichi to get some water and juice? And if they have any plain bread where you’re going…” Kaito said, not touching Shuichi but sitting as close to him as he could on the bench, ready to be there when Shuichi was ready to be touched (or...well, if this got even worse, there to catch him when he passed out), then turning his attention entirely on Shuichi, he started saying quietly to him, “You’re okay. Everything’s okay...can you catch your breath? Can you tell me what’s happening?”

Sometimes getting Shuichi to speak helped, if only because it forced his breathing to even out, though Kaito had to be very careful what he said. If he wasn’t careful, then anything he said could be fuel to make the panic attack worse, which was entirely possible, and extremely difficult to guess what it would be.

Maki looked around, feeling herself bristle at curious (even if concerned) eyes, but… there wasn’t much she could do about that. Turning to Kokichi, she said, “He’s got this. Let’s go get the fuel.”

Kokichi nodded and backed up from Shuuichi, looking on in concern but...the best they could do was what they were planning. Shuuichi would sort it out, either in calming himself down, or passing out and being forced to calm...which wasn’t that great but. Still. 

Taking Maki’s sleeve, Kokichi turned and oriented himself, setting off to where he was pretty sure a bakery was, the kind of place that was just the other side of the cafe coin--instead of a drink-oriented place that sold pastries and sandwiches too, it was a bakery that happened to provide a handful of drink options too. 

And, thankfully, he was right, immediately getting in the short line and requesting a water, an apple juice, and a few milk buns. He wasn’t sure how much Shuuichi would be up for eating...but this way he could eat as much as he needed, and between the rest of them they’d finish off what was left. Since nothing was something that needed to be prepared, Kokichi paid and he and Maki were off in just a moment. 

“...this is just being overwhelmed, right? He’s not...unhappy?”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to ask him. But my guess it’s just him being overwhelmed.” Maki said, her shoulders slightly tense as they hurried back. “He’s always saying he has a hard time believing the pregnancy’s real… maybe this was the final straw?”

Thankfully, by the time Maki and Kokichi had gotten back, Shuichi had his head on Kaito’s shoulder, Kaito an arm around his shoulder (touching. Good. Whatever Shuichi had going on, he was on the other side of it if touching wasn’t freaking him out) as Shuichi, eyes red and cheeks red, continued quietly as Maki and Kokichi got within ear shot, “-e’s gonna h-hate me...s-she’s gonna know I-I only h-had her c-cause I was scared…”

“No she’s not. She’s going to be too busy being alive to worry about it. Who’s going to tell her, anyway?” Kaito murmured to him, rubbing his shoulder and arm.

“S-she’s gonna be able to s-sense it...a-and….” Shuichi took in another heavy, shaking breath, his gaze lost and overwhelmed, “w-what if I don’t l-love her? Wh-what if when she’s b-born I don’t l-love her and I’m a t-t-terrible father, Kaito, and I-I became a c-crazy sex fiend again and th-the medicine doesn’t help a-and I hurt the baby because s-stress feels good again and and a-and-”

“Seiko’s refining your medicine all the time. She’s going to figure it out. You’re not going to be a sex fiend again, you’re not going to hurt our baby out of stress. Okay? None of that is going to happen. I promise.” Kaito whispered, placing a small kiss against the top of his head as he said, “I won’t let anything else happen. I promise. And you’re going to be a great father, and even if it happens later than you think it will, you’ll love this baby… I know you will. You don’t have to feel guilty or afraid. Everything is good. You’re going to be fine, the baby’s going to be fine. I promise. I guarantee it…”

Kokichi came close, but not all up in Shuuichi’s business, just getting into a comfortable squat in front of Kaito. He held the topped cups of water and apple juice on his knee, within reaching distance of Kaito and Shuuichi both, but not trying to force either on his boyfriend. 

He wasn’t sure if someone else pitching in would help, but… Kokichi smiled softly. “Everything’s going to be okay--I promise that too,” he echoed Kaito. There was more to say, but not while Shuuichi was freaking out. Things about love being an action, not a feeling, and as long as Shuuichi worked on that action, then the feelings would follow, and their daughter would know that. Appreciate it. That the other people taking Seiko’s medicine but weren’t pregnant weren’t losing their minds over the stress-sex stuff anymore--not that he’d heard about anyway--so things were looking sure that after the pregnancy, Shuuichi would be alright. 

...and just...personally? Even with none of them knowing what they were doing...Kokichi had a hunch that Shuuichi was going to be a great dad. That their daughter would love him, and he’d love her too. That everything was going to turn out alright.

...he could say all that stuff later though.

Shuichi nodded, still clearly struggling with his breath a little, and when he blinked another few tears ran down his reddened face, but he was clearly trying to hear them. Trying to allow himself to be soothed. As he shakily reached out to take one of the drinks from Kokichi, randomly grabbing the juice by purely chance, he whimpered, “I-I’m sorry f-for this...it was good news, i-it was good news, I j-just...i-it was suddenly so much…”

He stopped talking as he brought the juice to his lips, taking a few uneven, difficult sips… but after a moment, taking a few more sips, these ones sounding stronger. When he lowered the cup this time, he had another hiccup of a breath, but after that hiccup, the next few breaths were much more steady and consistent as Shuichi looked at his hands, clearly frustrated with himself as he muttered, “Sorry…”

When Shuuichi took the juice, Kokichi moved the bag of buns to its place, ready to be available when Shuuichi was ready for them. And maybe just being quiet and letting Shuuichi work it out would be better for him...but Kokichi struggled to be silent. His heart aching at Shuuichi’s panic and frustration and wanting to reach out to affirm and soothe. 

“Something can be good news and still be too much...Shuu-chan doesn’t have anything to apologize for. Being overwhelmed happens without us having any say in it, reasoning or no, good or bad. It’s okay.” ...he was a little relieved to hear that Shuuichi wasn’t angry with the news though. Even if he’d already shared his fears if the baby ended up not being one of theirs...but Kokichi had his own bag of anxiety. Thankfully, he had enough of a handle on it to be there for Shuuichi.

Shuichi felt bad that they were all, like...stuck on this bench until he pulled it together, but if Shuichi tried to get up just yet, he’s probably end up dizzy and needing to sit right back down. Fucking...panic attacks...he was crying in public too. He hated that…

But if Maki, Kaito or Kokichi wanted to hurry them along, none of them showed it, Maki eventually taking up the effort of-- as...politely… as she could-- of reassuring and moving along people who wanted to stop and ask what was wrong, offer help, while Kokichi held onto the items as Shuichi felt better at the shock of sugar after a moment, and as he reached for bread-

“Just a few bites, then the water, handsome. You’re gonna need the water.” Kaito instructed, the three just sitting on the bench quietly for awhile as Shuichi sighed, following the advice.

A few pieces of bread in his stomach to soak up the nervous acids, and a few sips of water down… “...thanks guys...I can get back up. I’m sorry again. I know I don’t have too, I just...thanks for being patient.” Shuichi sighed, his face a little red but dry now, standing up. “This really is amazing news. M-maybe we could celebrate it somehow?”

Kokichi handed over every item as Shuuichi reached for them, helping keep track of everything when Shuuichi was only focused on one or two. Always murmuring soft, kind things that he kept himself from elaborating on, though the sentiment was always supportive. 

He waited a beat after Shuuichi rose to follow, wanting to make sure that he was actually ready and not just feeling like he needed to move along. Holding onto the remaining bread, Kokichi put an affectionate hand on Shuuichi’s arm for a moment before returning to himself, not wanting to pressure him. 

Which his first idea for a celebration likely would. They had been waiting for a good excuse to have that big dinner with everyone, having lost the thread since Kaito got out of the medical wing, but...having that focus for celebration, while it would be distracted with food and enjoying each others company, be Shuuichi and the baby...would be far too uncomfortable for him. 

“A celebration sounds awesome,” Kokichi hummed instead before laughing softly in a gentle joke. “Maybe we could order a pinata cake from Miss Andou, have her fill it with red, blue, and purple candies…”

“Aw, I love that idea! Make a list, you guys, I’ll get a few different desserts from the candy shop, we can have a few nice things to eat and...oh! Oh!” Kaito grinned at the others, Shuichi taking Kokichi’s hand as Maki stole the bag of bread, tossing Kaito a bread bun before starting to chew through one herself. Catching it, Kaito said, “we can make a proper list of names! Start checking through them! Narrowing down the big question!”

“Who is Baby?” Maki provided generously to Kaito’s setup.

“Who is baby!!” Kaito shouted, ripping through his bun victoriously.

“Maybe we should get a book of names…” Shuichi murmured, happy to move on from his embarrassing attack, more than willing to latch onto the change in conversation as he waited for his face to stop feeling achy and sore. “I mean… that might be useful now…”

“Does Dicea do baby showers?” Maki asked, looking to Kokichi, “Do you know what those are?”

Aw yuss. A win for both him and Shuuichi, for sure. A pinata cake, maybe a puff cake, really any of the pastries or desserts Miss Andou made every day for the front case...damn, he could already feel himself drooling at the thought! And munching on through sweets while they tried to more seriously brainstorm names for Baby...it really sounded like a perfect sort of chill celebration. 

Humming softly, Kokichi tilted his free hand back and forth at Maki’s question. “If you’re talking about parties expecting parents throw to celebrate and people tend to gift them baby supplies and toys and stuff? Then, yeah, we have those.”

“Not on any official level, though,” he clarified, rubbing the side of Shuuichi’s hand gently. “People get over-excited--think my dad, but like a few dozen people--so when you’re a more public-facing person? It’s like we put out in the pregnancy notice--it’s encouraged to donate to orphanages or youth centers or your own kids.”

“But among our personal friends? It could be fun, if you’d want something like that, Shuu-chan.”

Shuichi looked uncomfortable for a second, and Kaito quickly said, “We have more than enough to get everything we need, and we don’t have anyone to impress. If you don’t want a baby shower, it’s not a big deal either way.”

“In Luminary, baby showers have two real functions. For lower income people, it’s an opportunity for friends and family to buy things for the expectant parents that they can’t afford to get themselves, or will spare them a big expense the first year.”

“When we were invited to a baby shower, I wasn’t able to go, but I did send a check that likely helped them get anything the baby shower didn’t provide.” Kaito remembered, thinking of a pair of high school sweethearts he had shared a class with who had sent him an invitation to their baby shower about nine months after they got married. “And likely they got diapers and baby bags and cribs, that sort of thing.”

“And for higher income people? Baby showers are usually a chance to party, but more importantly, announce godparents.” Shuichi added in. “For the elites? Who you can claim as your kids god parents was a big deal. Announcing god parents can make alliances as strong as straight up marriages, and if you manage to get a godparent that’s higher up in status then yourself? That’s a hell of an advantage for the baby…”

“Right, god parents...gonna have to think about that…” Kaito realized, chewing through his bun.

Kokichi nodded slowly, absorbing this lesson on Luminary culture. “Mm… Local governments send care packages to new parents, diapers and a newborn bed and bottles and formula and usually a nice baby blanket and a few toys, but...it’s not really a party or personal thing. And a lot of people end up opting out to buy all those things themselves, and that budget usually goes into orphanages, yeah. But from personal showers, I’ve heard it’s mostly, well, diapers again, but bouncers and clothes and toys.”

He looked over curiously at the mention of “godparents” though. Shuuichi explained part of it, but… “...what do godparents do, then? I’m assuming more than just being a status thing, since then I dunno why people wouldn’t just claim the highest status people they could think of as godparents.”

“Oh, wow. Another thing we don’t share, huh? You’d think that would stop taking me by surprise.” Kaito laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back at Kokichi, Shuichi still sipping at his water and Maki still chewing on her bread as he filled in, “Godparents are...I guess a way to describe is as they’re a second, emergency set of parents the parents picked to raise the child should anything happen to them. Or, more often, Godparent, since it’s usually an individual picked, with whoever they’re with at the time just being left to fate, I guess…”

“But, anyone who is picked and agrees to be a godparent to a child? Should basically be expected to like...be treated as one of the kids parents. By the kids, by the everyone around them, even legally. It’s a huge responsibility, which is why who you pick is so publicly scrutinized, and why it can be a huge advantage to your kid, if you convince someone with a lot of resources to help them to be the god parent.”

“It can go badly sometimes, too. The Momota families a good example of that…” Maki pointed out, “Putting that much power in someones hand over a member of your family can lead to a lot of dangerous situations if the parents and godparents fall out of favor with each other..”

Kaito sighed, “Yeah...Byakuya’s god parents aren’t with us anymore… the way I heard it, Lord Winters basically outright told my father he’d sabotage Byakuya during a fight between them. Boom, that was it. They were gone. And my godparents are in Novoselic. I’ve visited them a few times, the Summer family, nice people. But I think they were chosen because the nobility in Novoselic were openly pissed at Luminary at the time, and dad was trying to ease tension there by giving them access to me as like a....mmm...what’s the word I’m looking for...”

“Collateral.” Shuichi provided.

“Right! Collateral!”

“Oh… We don’t really have a name for that here, and it’s not really, like...the sort of thing that’s announced…” Kokichi hummed, still seeing some big differences, but for the big purpose-- “Parents will indicate in their wills--or verbally, in the case a parent can’t be around because of a judicial punishment--who they want to have legally in charge of their kids and to take care of them. It’s usually a sibling of the parent or a close friend who’s already been involved in their kid’s life, and something that they agree upon privately before writing in a will. But unless that comes to pass...no, that person isn’t legally or socially or familially in charge of the kid.”

It was… Was it weird for someone to be considered a parent if they barely ever saw their kid? Wasn’t involved with their upbringing? Was just… (someone that saw a child as currency)

...Kokichi wasn’t...really sure how he felt about Baby having more parents. And...well, the godparents would likely be Luminous, right? That’s what was expected of the culture, and in terms of status, that’s where it mattered. Of course he didn’t want anything to happen to them but...if some sort of freak accident happened…

(...he didn’t want his daughter to be sent off to live in Luminary.)

...but Kokichi didn’t say any of that. Instead he just hummed again and let his curiosity shine through. “So...are grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and the like not in line for custody unless they’re named a godparent?”

“Godparents get first dibs over anyone, though… I mean, this is more based on stories I’ve heard than anything I’ve seen, but if the parents die and the godparents don’t want to raise the kid themselves for whatever reason? The kid can be sent to someone who does, but the godparents still expected to partially financially support them.” Kaito explained, “That’s the main reason godparents existed in the first place, I think. Just to make certain the kid didn’t end up on the streets if something happened to their family.”

“Plenty of deadbeat god parents though.” Shuichi muttered.

“Yours? Definitely. But I have to assume mine died too. Or, maybe they didn’t know I was alive?” Maki wondered, finishing her bread, looking down at the last two (one with a few bite marks in it) as she said, “Kokichi, did you want the last one of these? And Shuichi, you should finish yours.”

“Sure, thanks.” Shuichi said, taking his abandoned bread back, chewing on it thoughtfully.

Ah, that clicked a few things together. No matter what no kid would end up on the streets in Dicea (ideally. If you hid from the system, then no one would know you needed help.) but having that financial safety net was likely a huge relief to anyone in Luminary. If the godparents honored that. 

Looking at the remaining milk bun, Kokichi shook his head and offered it out for Maki to eat. “If you want it, go for it. I like these buns, but I’m not particularly hungry or anything if Maki-chan is.”

“...I think you guys would understand what would be best, politically, when it comes to godparents, but… Well, I hope it’s okay that Baby’s gonna have a whole slew of unofficial aunts and uncles and just...people that care about them?” Kokichi looked over his friends with a bashful grin. “Cause I don’t think I have much of a choice in telling my family that they’re not. Like, we’ve already talked about it for him, but I think my dad would cry if he wasn’t gonna be grandpa, and I can’t handle that. I’d cave immediately.”

Kaito immediately opened his mouth, paused… “Which dad?”

Kokichi blinked before laughing at himself. “Ikuo. Sorry...I should probably get myself used to talking about them more specifically, huh.”

“Though...I think Aiichi would be pretty bummed too, but he gets to be genetic grandpa. If he wants more than that we can talk about it when we get there.”

Kaito nodded, before saying, entirely serious, “So, should we consider making Ikou a godparent? I mean…” he started worrying his joints, popping them one by one as he said, “I mean...Ikou can probably be trusted, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d take advantage of having access to her if something happens to us, or be tricked into doing so… though…”

...the guys track record of sticking around the kid wasn’t...ideal. And he didn’t have additional family to take care of the princess if something called him away. And he didn’t have additional resources that would justify him being the caretaker in name only…

But! It was, emotionally, a safe option. Kokichi would love it, it’d strengthen their relationship, and Ikou was so unremarkable in any political way that the general reaction would likely be a confused shrug in Luminary. No real political benefit, resource benefit, and maybe not the ideal situation if they actually died, but all good things if they lived and Ikou was a godparent in title only.

“...I mean, no, yeah, actually, that could be a strong contender.” Kaito mused.

Kokichi gave a soft laugh. “I mean, if that’s what you wanted, it’d be very sweet, but… Like I said. I don’t fully understand the political meaning and consequences of godparenthood from a Luminary sense. From the sense that there are plenty of people that could and would take good care of our daughter? We have a lot of official and unofficial family for that. And...that’s all I can really contribute.”

...yeah, he didn’t really want a Luminous family having access to their daughter. But he understood the risk of it all, at least a little, considering they couldn’t fully cut ties with Luminous society. Not with the rest of Kaito’s immediate family living there, and not with the public support Byakuya was giving Shuuichi and by extension their daughter. Even if it was only until she could give up her succession spot.

“...oh,” he realized. “We’d probably have to specify in our wills that, should the worst happen and something happen to all three of us...that whoever we name as a godparent would be first in line for contacting about Baby’s custody… That’s not an automatic thing here…” 

“That makes sense.” Kaito nodded, making a mental list already. Ikou… probably not King Aiichi, if only because of Ouma name stuff, but also just… not Aiichi. Uh...as much as he loved him… not Byakuya. 

Kaito glanced to his left at Maki, who was happily chewing on the last bread roll… and he frowned. Feeling guilty, but…

...maybe not… Maki either… or maybe yes? Nnnnnn… he’d have to think more seriously about that… he loved her, he trusted her, of course he did, but...she had the same problems as Ikou, only...probably worse…

Kaito sighed. Shaking off that guilty doubt as he said, “We have lots of time to think about it, and in the long run, hopefully it won’t matter any more than symbolically. I mean, there’s three of us. What are the odds?”

Maki flinched, “I’m not superstitious, but I need you to apologize to an egg immediately.”

“Mmmmm yep, let’s get home, I need to stop by the kitchens.” Kaito laughed, looking nervous.

Personally? For the people Kokichi would be comfortable having be in charge of his daughter should the unthinkable happen? ...well, yeah, Ikuo. In terms of raising someone, there wasn’t anyone Kokichi trusted more. But other than him… He trusted Maki to the moon and back to take care of their daughter and...even if she wasn’t always around? Whatever she trusted enough for Tim, Kokichi trusted for Baby too. 

...even with coming more to terms about his feelings and theirs...Kokichi knew Denji would step in if needed but… And...honestly, Haneda felt more like Tim’s godmother than anything. He trusted Hajime but...he just didn’t feel comfortable putting that sort of heavy responsibility on someone who was a friend but...well, had his whole life outside of the castle too. 

...he didn’t know how Kaito and Shuuichi felt about it. Was kind of nervous to even bring it up...but in terms of someone raising and protecting their daughter…

...he knew Lake and Nazumi would do whatever they could for their niece. Neither of them had the prettiest pasts, but they really were good people, and Kokichi trusted them. 

...maybe he’d bring it up another time. 

Shaking out of his thoughts, Kokichi could only raise an eyebrow at his friends. “...apologize to an egg?”

“Yeah? If you invite bad luck, you have to go find an egg, apologize to it, and then get rid of it.” Kaito said, like it was obvious, “That gets rid of the bad luck. It’s just a superstition. But, ya know...why risk it?”

“Apologize to an egg to get rid of bad luck, break a mirror to give yourself bad luck, shout someone’s name into a lake three times at midnight if you want their current relationship to end… lots of dumb little supersitions and traditions.” Shuichi shrugged.

“Ooooooh,” Kokichi hummed, getting the idea quickly. “I dunno how open the kitchen would be to tossing an egg but...yeah. Like knocking on wood or throwing salt over your shoulder--I get it.”

Kind of funny how Kaito was gung-ho about this kind of superstitious stuff but vehemently denied (and was terrified) of ghosts. But it wasn’t his place to point it out. 

Laughing a little to himself, Kokichi tilted his head. “There was a thing like that I used to do--if you say “bunny, bunny, bunny” as the first thing you say on the first day of the month, it’s supposed to invite good luck. You have the egg thing...but are there any of those that you guys do?”

“Awwww, that’s cute… little good luck rituals… um, huh. I can’t really think of anything…” Kaito tried to think of it, though he kept getting distracted by an adorable image of his husband teaching Baby to say ‘bunny, bunny, bunny’...cute…

“There’s the burning of the iron, isn’t there?” Maki pointed out.

“That’s not superstition, that’s religion.” Kaito protested, “It’s, ya know… real.”

“So you’re...not going to apologize to the egg?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Burning iron is part of a few different Atuan practices.” Shuichi explained to Kokichi, “And burning iron for a specific event is meant to bring luck… or, well, more specifically burn away curses of demons, but ya know. Either way.”

Kokichi hummed, though there was something that piqued his interest. “That’s not the first time you’ve guys mentioned demons, like, specifically. Are most of your fairytale stories about them? Though...actually, Kai-chan, you said “demon stories” were different from fairytales… Are other fantasy creatures just not that popular in Luminary?”

Shuichi tensed at this...maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned demons...Not that Nadya’s name would come up. But, well, he had already decided to protect her, so…

“Nah, we have lots of fairytales in Luminary. All sorts of fantasy creatures and stories and all that. It’s just demon stories are different, they’re like...they’re treated more seriously.” Kaito explained, “If you see anything in the real world that looks fantastical like that? Like it might be magic, and not something Atua did? Then it’s the work of a demon.”

“Though, I mean...demons definitely were real once. Back when Atua was first dealing with the uprising of lesser gods, demons were an epidemic, a long time ago. But these days? I really don’t think there’s any left. Everyone who says they’ve seen magic or a fantasy creature themselves is always a little, ya know…” Kaito tapped his forehead, “Off. It’s just not really a thing anymore.”

“Maybe.” Maki said, not convinced of that herself. She had seen too many things in her time that had screamed ‘demon’ to her, though nothing she could prove. Just circumstances that were extremely difficult to explain if you refused to factor ‘magic’ into it. “Luminary laws still treat them pretty seriously though. Demons and their labors are expected to be reported to the guards, and the guards are sent to kill anyone who's benefiting from trades with demons, or is secretly a demon themselves. There’s a whole section in our law books about it.”

“Though, again, if demons ever were real, they’re not now…” Shuichi gently put out there.

“Yeah, of course.” Kaito agreed.

“Mmmm.” Maki said non-committedly.

Kokichi raised a bit of an eyebrow, but...that’s about as far as he let his feelings show. Believing in magic like that… But. Yanno? Sure, if he went down the hypothetical that magic was real, saying that anything magic that wasn’t Atua--who Kaito had told him didn’t actually interfere with anything while people were living, and so that just meant all magic--was demonic? What about all the, honestly, hundreds of other creatures from stories that did fantastical things? If he were them, he’d be pretty offended with being lumped into one category like that. 

And even considering the laws talked about demons...that just sounded like a nice excuse to kill whoever you wanted without reason. 

Unable to say all of that, though, Kokichi just sighed and shook his head a little. “Geez… If I were a demon, I’d be really offended by all that. Being confused with everything else fantasy--imagine a being like a demon being put on the same level as...as like a brownie. It’d be pretty funny to see the outrage.”

“...awwwwww, ‘Kichi?” Kaito said, giving his husband an adoring, if somewhat snickering look, “Are you trying to suggest we’re...not being sensitive enough to demons? Or to fictional, magical creatures? Like, babe, I know you care about everyone, but that’s just kinda cute beautiful.”

No, I’m saying that putting a blanket statement to kill anything that you don’t understand is evil and monstrous.

Kokichi rolled his eyes and gave Kaito’s arm a nudge. “Come off it. Listen, I’m just saying I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the fantasy bar, hearing everyone bemoaning their profiling. The stories would be wild, I’m sure.”

“Sounds like that’d make a fun short story or something.” Kaito agreed good naturedly, sort of wanting to tease his husband some more, but Kokichi didn’t always do very well with teasing. That was alright. It was still incredibly cute. Kaito got the impression his husband would be the kind of person who would earnestly argue that confusing incubi and succubi was insensitive to the two subspecies of demon themselves… which was a very real conversation Kaito had had with a very sincerely upset woman at a bar once. He hadn’t understood why it bothered her so much, but whatever. Some people got really, really into fiction like that.

And, she had been just...a great time after they had moved onto different topics, and she had invited him over to her place. Though, man, he must have caught a bug at that bar, because he remembered being exhausted for almost two weeks after that…

Kokichi snorted, but looked pleased at the idea. “Totally… Though I think it’d have to wait for the tourism between Dicean and Luminary to kick up. Can’t imagine most people here understanding the conceit.”

There were stories of sasquatches taking in lost mountain travelers, and werewolves having deep family-oriented stories, and fairies falling in love with humans that stumbled into their circles really popular in Dicea though. Wasn’t just Touko Fukawa writing about that sort of stuff, though there was a lot more than romance stories he’d found in Dicea. He wasn’t really sure why there was just a cultural shift that way, but...well, he knew better than to compare it to Luminary at this point. There were much bigger things that had ended up in bigger differences than their stories and feelings about fantasy creatures. 

Gently squeezing Shuuichi’s hand, he thought aloud. “Maybe I’ll actually go into a creative writing class sometime. Even if it turns out Kai-chan is still the only person that likes my stories.” 

Kaito grinned, murmuring partly to himself, “I’d be up to more story-time soon…” a pleased, far away look on his face.

Squeezing Kokichi’s hand back, Shuichi smiled warmly at him before saying, “I’m not sure if I’ve heard one of your stories before, Kokichi. You should tell me one, one day. I’m sure I’d love it.”

“Damn right you would.” Kaito muttered.

Kokichi giggled, a little, flattered look on his face. “It was one of the first things Kai-chan ever told me, you know? I’d been needling him for a story of his travels, and he told me about the Dead Forest, and, wow, didn’t that end up coming in handy,” he rolled his eyes, “But then he asked me for a story too. Kinda caught me off guard, honestly. This esteemed traveler wants to hear a story from some kid who’d never left his hometown?”

“Course, I made something up. And I’m usually used to people being exasperated if not pissed when they hear that I’ve said nothing true, but…” Kokichi looked over at Kaito, something sweet and adoring in his gaze. “...he said he was hooked. That I was good at telling stories. Got me flustered as all hell, I’ll tell ya.” 

“Of course I loved it! You made up this super cute story when I asked for something heroic about you taking care of some little kid at a festival! Like…” Kaito shook his head, a little baffled, as he said, “The fact that that was the story that came to mind for you? You could have made up anything, and you go for ‘kept a small child company while they were lost’? That’s fucking incredibly sweet. How could anyone get mad at that, even if they were annoyed that you made it up?”

“You also thought he was like twelve or something.” Maki pointed out, because she could be mean sometimes.

“Hey! Or sixteen! Early on, I thought he was maybe fifteen, sixteen, not twelve! I wouldn’t buy a twelve year old beer!”

“We’re in a different kingdom and you shouldn’t have bought a sixteen year old you didn’t know a pint.” Maki pointed out.

“Just one! With food! I wasn’t trying to get him drunk, I thought he’d just appreciate the gesture!” Kaito cried, putting his head in his hands as he groaned.

Maki shook her head. “Trying to make a teenager think you’re cool by buying him a beer...pathetic.”

“I was going through a thing!”

“And then he regressed, because you definitely came to us the next day bitterly moaning about fighting with a twelve year old.” Shuichi pointed out, also enjoying teasing Kaito by this point, who just groaned louder, “Day before you meet your fiance, get into a bitter fight with a pre-teen. Wow, Kaito.”

“I hate you both…”

Kokichi scoffed softly, shaking his head. “We’re just lucky Sakura recognized me--which she definitely did, and I’ll be forever grateful that she didn’t say anything about  it. If someone genuinely thought you were trying to buy someone underage alcohol? In a public place? Sorry Kai-chan, but I would’ve booked it. No way I’d wanna be caught by the guardforce for something like that.”

Giving Kaito a curious look, Kokichi decided to tack onto the teasing. “...did you still think I was a kid when you saw me at the proposal? Like, obviously you would’ve put the pieces together, but for a second...were you all “who is this child standing where the prince is supposed to be?’

Kaito twitched, before giving his husband a guilty smile. ‘I...may...have asked the head secretary...that I thought I was marrying a twenty-year old? And I was wondering where I had made the misunderstanding...for like five seconds, Kokichi, like after that it was super obvious you were an adult. But for five seconds I was very, very confused.”

“Did you think for a second you were marrying a child?” Maki asked, looking at him curiously.

Kaito winced. “I mean...I was hoping that wasn’t the case...god, could you imagine? They engaged me to some kid and just decided not to tell me? Ugh…”

“I could see that being something Tengan would do.” Shuichi mused, before glancing over at Kokichi, “If we’re talking first impressions, I’m curious. What did you think of us, Kokichi? I know you weren’t fond of us-”

“There’s an understatement.” Maki snorted.

“-but who did you think we were? First impressions, wise?”

Kokichi huffed. “Honestly, if I was like...seventeen? I still think Aiichi would’ve tried the marriage thing. Pretty fucked up.”

For a moment, Kokichi tried to think back to his first meeting with Shuuichi and Maki, and… He gave a half-shrug. “I actually didn’t really mind you two. Yeah, I was mad at Kaito for our whole sword misunderstanding thing, but that didn’t carry over.”

“...I remember thinking Shuu-chan was cute, and that Maki-chan was trying too hard to be cute when that clearly wasn’t her vibe.” He sent something of an apologetic look over at Maki. “Was exactly thrilled you were a killer either, though I didn’t know you were an assassin at the time--Kai-chan had just said killer, so.”

“But I remember thinking about how clever you guys were, when we were trying to subdue Kai-chan when he was poisoned. Respecting how much you cared about him and each other… I was actually really envious about that for a while.” Kokichi cracked a small smile, his gaze falling as he reached up to tug at the longer strands of his hair. “Seeing you guys and the deep friendship between you...I felt so out of place. Like an intruder. And I was really jealous…”

“...I also remember thinking about how fun and hilariously dumb it was when you guys panicked and just...bowed like you were in a competition, just yelling about the covers you had instead of the positions I’d guessed,” he laughed.

“What?” Kaito asked, looking at Maki and Shuichi curiously.

Shuichi immediately laughed, while Maki looked embarrassed. “Oh wow, that’s right...I didn’t even remember what my cover story was. I used it like twice the whole trip...I think I was a personal assistant to you or something, Kaito.”

“I swear, someone was having a laugh at me when they made my cover story the child caretaker.” Maki sighed. “I had to dodge those kids constantly. I don’t know who kept telling them what my cover was, but they kept trying to draw me into their games.”

“Oh yeaaaah, that’s right. Wow, we were...really bad at keeping up cover stories, weren’t we.” Kaito realized, shaking his head. “But why were you yelling?”

“I don’t know, Kaito!?” Maki said, an actually annoyed expression on her face, probably partly from embarrassment, “Why do we yell when we lie!?”

“I don’t know!? Why are we yelling now!?” Kaito asked, looking bewildered.

“What a terrible tell.” Shuichi mused, “I think I did that to Seiko at one point. Not just straight up yelling, thankfully, but I probably still spoke louder than I had too. When I gave her a fake name in a panic. She probably just thought I was nervous.”

Kokichi laughed softly. She might’ve dodged the kids...but now one was her son. (...he tried not to think about the other kids too much. Where they might be, with the Luminary Party missing. How they might be doing…

...if they would be able to honor that promise of visiting Tim in Dicea when they were older.)

“What a crazy first week of knowing each other,” he mused before rolling his eyes. “Crazy month. Four months. I have a feeling our first year together’s gonna be a big contender for the craziest.”

“Considering a baby is showing up halfway through it? That’s probably a safe bet.” Maki mused. 

“We’re working it out.” Kaito sighed, before giving his friends a thumbs up. “With all four of us together? We’ve got this! Nothing can take us down!”

Shuichi squeezed Kokichi’s hand a little, walking closer to him. It’d be okay. They’d navigate all this together.

The group all headed back to the castle, and after Maki went to go check in with Haneda and Timothy, she told the boys that she needed to go do her weapon exercises and then she’d join them later in the day for naming shenanigans.  Kaito, in turn, kissing both his partners and getting their requests, headed back out into town to see how lucky he could get, kinda hoping Miss Andou might have some pastries they were hoping for already made or might have enough time to make it now…

Hours went by. 

Halfway through dinner came and went, and Kaito finally got back to the castle, holding several bags that in them held several small boxes, and Kaito found Shuichi and Kokichi sitting together in the dining hall, kissing Kokichi on the cheek and Shuichi on the temple as he said, “Sorry I took so long! I already ate, so whenever you guys are ready, I’ll be upstairs. Take your time!”

Heading upstairs, Kaito, who had had plenty of time since Miss Andou had agreed to put some things things specifically together for him (for a little extra pay, of course~), and Kaito had been waiting for her to finish, he dumped the decorations he had bought onto the bed, and the first thing he did was put the ribbons up (white, gold and pink) and then started blowing up the balloons, knowing this was all extra as fuck but…

Well, maybe it would make his lovers laugh. 

Kokichi giggled in delight at everything Kaito managed to put together in an afternoon, treats and decorations and… It was wonderful. A celebration just for them, acknowledging the future Princess Saihara. First name to be decided. 

Wanting to help out, Kokichi cleared off their desk and night stands, even bringing out the tray table to help lay the treats out, before he grabbed a balloon, aiming to help Kaito blow them up. “Aw, hun, this is amazing!”

“I know we have so much time but...I dunno. Are you guys feeling excited to think up names, or is that just me? Getting an idea of the person our daughter’s gonna be...even if it’s all totally wrong, but it’s fun to think of.” Kokichi was really trying to blow the balloon up, but...the air kept escaping and shooting back into him, his lungs not really suited for it. 

Kaito watched Kokichi try for a little bit, before taking one of his balloon, blowing it full, before handing it to Kokichi, “Tie this for me, babe?”

Shuichi smiled warmly at all this, looking up at the ribbons with an amused, pleased expression, before considering Kokichi’s idea. Nodding, he took out his journal from his jacket, opened up at the next fresh page, and wrote at the top Baby Names.

“I like the idea. At the very least, if we make a big enough list, we can start whittling it down over time. Find out what each of us likes, what we can’t stand, that sort of thing. Though…” Shuichi looked over at the spread of pastries with keen interest, “...do I have to wait for decorations to finish to start eating? All of that looks really good...”

“Neither of you do, I just wanna finish up these guys.” Kaito said, referring to the rest of the balloons. “Finish what you start, right?”

Kokichi sighed, but...do what you can, and it’s okay to not be able to do everything. Know your limit and stay within it. And, as it turned out, his thin, nimble fingers were perfect for tying off balloons. With every one he finished off, Kokichi tossed it into the air, giving it a gentle bop to float away somewhere in their room. 

Not toward the fireplace though. 

“True!” he chirped, bopping a balloon near the window. “And...I think I remember some of the ones we talked about before, but it really doesn’t matter too much to start anew. You guys will have to tell me common names in Luminary too--like, common themes, like natural things are here.”

“Aaaaaand!” Kokichi leaned over to a nightstand, plucking up what looked like a creme puff and popping it in his mouth. “Shuu-chan and I will gorge ourselves on sweets to celebrate!” 

“Yes.” Shuichi said, an intense, eager look on his face, “We will.”

Kaito chuckled, watching his partners start picking out the pastries they wanted to eat first. Good. That was what he wanted. Like he said not that long ago, sometimes he just wanted to spoil them. Having an excuse to do it was nice, but he would have been pleased to do this either way. 

Going back to blowing his balloons, finding something incredibly comforting in the simple, physical process of it, he thought about it before saying, “I mean… I’m not sure if I have any information on why certain names are around? Like, we seem to, I don’t… have two types of name? And they just kinda sound different. Like, my families a great example of the contrast. You got these longer, more complicated names, like ‘Byakuya’ and ‘Sayaka’, kinda like a lot of Dicean names, and then…” Kaito laughed, “Short, to the point names, like Kaito and Leon.”

“Shuichi, Maki.” Shuichi laughed slightly, seeing Kaito’s point. “Fuyuhiko, Peko. Kaede, Haji.”

“Yeah. And if there’s a theme, I’ve never noticed it... hmmmm… I mean, my name means Sea, Ocean, Soar and Fly.” Kaito said, shrugging, “Don’t know why it means those things, but that’s kinda natury too, I guess. And Shuichi, yours means… give me a second, I know I know this… studious first son! Man, they really got lucky with that guess.” Kaito laughed.

“Maki means precious.” Shuichi provided, running a fork through the cake piece he had picked for himself. “So between us that’s one for nature, one for personality description, and one for the value of the person. No evidence to suggest larger pattern, but sample size is of course inadequate… Timothy means ‘Honor’, essentially. So pattern now suggests maybe we learn towards naming after virtues?”

“What does Kokichi mean, ‘Kichi?” Kaito asked, blowing and tying another balloon.

“Little luck’,” Kokichi scoffed, though not as roughly as he had in the past. He had always found it kind of ironic, in a dark humor sort of way, but...well, it wasn’t like it was unheard of for parents to name children after wishes they had for the kid. Maybe that was in line with Shuuichi’s too. “It kind of sounds like that’s one thing similar between our countries, at least. Wishes and nature for names. Probably more nuance to how the name sounds, but a linguist I am not.”

Kokichi popped a piece of cake into his mouth, actually settling down to eat some of the larger desserts after just eating the more bite-sized ones. “Hmm...what sort of wishes do you guys have for Baby? I already said the “important and precious” one for my mom’s name, which is a legacy one too… Mm. I think “loved” is a good one.” 

Shuichi wrote Miyako on the top of the page, before humming slightly to himself, tapping the pen against the journal as he said, “There’s probably more names that mean love then I can remember, but I’ll give you the ones I know. Love: Amor, Erasmus, Sajan, Darla-”

“Oh, no, not Darla.” Kaito frowned, “I remember one of my nannies was named Darla, and she was awful. She used to go to Tengan every time I acted up, and sometimes she’d lie about what I was doing, making it sound way worse than it was. God, I was so glad when she was eventually replaced, I hated that woman.”

“No Darla.” Shuichi agreed, before going to the other side of the page and writing in VETOED and writing DARLA right below it. 

“If we’re looking at potential ‘promise’ names, I’d love our girl to end up strong or confident.” Kaito said, “Anyone know any names that mean that?”

Kokichi wasn’t too fond of the name himself, so he had no strong feelings about tossing “Darla” into the no pile. Thinking about Kaito’s wishes, Kokichi hummed. “Well...Matilda, so any diminutive with that, like Tilly, too… Valentia, though I think that’s a Dicea-specific meaning, since it comes from our city, Valenti. It was the name of one of the old communities that became part of Dicea, and they were known for their warriors…”

“Chikara, which literally just means powerful… Tree names are considered pretty strong, so stuff like Ash and Cedar,” Kokichi shrugged a bit, though he felt excited to be able to contribute like this. There were a few books he’d read back in the day, tracing names and their meanings, and he’d read up on plenty of history in his studies. Looked like it was coming in handy. 

Kokichi scooted around on the bed a little, going to turn to Shuuichi and ask what his wishes were, when there was a curt knock at the door. 

“Chikara…” Kaito echoed, smiling slightly at that, “I like that. Though, I’d probably end up calling her ‘Kara’. Kara’s a nice name. Shuichi, add ‘Chikara’ to the list of potential ones, if neither of you have anything against it?”

Shuichi shrugged, not in love with it, but not against it as he wrote down in the potentials Chikara. He was about to suggest something like flower names or something, like maybe Violet or Lily, but he looked up at the door knock. Sitting at the desk, he was closest, so he headed over to the door, thinking for a second maybe it was Maki with her hands full or something, before opening it up. “Oh. Hello?”

As always, Ikuo didn’t want to crowd his sons, his relationships with Kaito and Shuuichi getting more comfortable but not quite to ‘swing by to hang out’ levels of comfort, but...he’d heard a rumor in town and…

There was an almost intense aura around the stout man as he stared Shuuichi down. “...yer all havin’ a lass? ‘S it true?”

Shuichi gave Ikou a somewhat uncomfortable look, taking a nervous step back as he said, “...yes?”

Having recognized the sort of energy Ikuo was exuding, Kokichi had left his plate on a nightstand before coming up behind Shuuichi. And when the energy was as its fever pitch, Kokichi hopped forward, right into his dad’s open arms as the older man hugged Kokichi tight and spun him around in the hall, not quite laughing, but somehow getting that impression across to those that knew him. 

“A girl! A gran’daughter!”

Kokichi giggled enough for the both of them, giving Ikuo an extra squeeze when his feet touched the ground again, Ikuo’s hat low but just a glimpse of an extremely pleased smile on his face just underneath. 

Clearing his throat, Ikuo picked up the bag he’d left to the side and offered it to Shuuichi, giving a more subdued, but happy nod to his son-in-law. “My pardon. But I got these fer y’all once I heard--them fancy li’l meringue cookies. Congrats.”

Kaito grinned, watching the display with warm affection before calling out, “Congrats yourself, grandpa! Yeah, we just found out today, and haven't announced it to anyone yet. Guess word managed to reach you anyway.” Kaito laughed, sincerely confused how that had happened. Maybe Doctor Tenchi had told someone? 

Shuichi gave Kaito a somewhat dry look, before smiling at Ikou, taking the bag and saying, “Thank you. We’re actually indulging ourselves a bit on pastries today, so this will be nice to add to the pile. Please feel free to grab something if you want, we’re actually discussing baby names right now. And, well…” Shuichi looked back at the decorations, the balloon count getting...larger, as Kaito kept up the comforting effort of blowing them. How many of these did he have? “We’re sort of celebrating. Would you like to join us?”

“Suggest a name, Ikou! We’re just starting our list! I think we only have two on the maybe pile right now, so the more suggestions the better!” Kaito invited.

Well, maybe not officially. From what Ikuo had heard around town, Kaito had shouted the news from the heavens. They knew people would be needling Kokichi for more information when he had it, just ‘cause people were nosy and always so excited for any pregnancy they knew about--which was just compounded in this case, since it wasn’t just a social circle finding out, but the whole country plus Kaito and Shuuichi’s folks in Luminary--but...well, they probably wouldn’t need to ask about the sex. Ikuo wouldn’t be surprised if the whole country knew in the next week and a half without the castle even putting out a statement. 

Tipping his hat, Ikuo stepped into the bedroom, Kokichi taking his sleeve and pulling him forward like he used to do when he was a kid. “If y’all are invitin’, then I’d like ta. Names, huh?”

Kokichi came back to his spot on the bed with his cake while Ikuo took one of the...aw. Strawberry white chocolate cookies, he remembered those. And Kokichi nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Chikara’s up for consideration, ‘cause we were talking about names that mean strength, and also names that mean love, and...uh, I did suggest Miyako, so...yeah.”

Huffing a quiet laugh, Ikuo tousled Kokichi’s hair. “Always a sweet one. Well...ain’t got much a mind fer meanin’ myself. Always thought ‘Autumn’ was a nice one...but yer girl’s comin’ at the wrong point of th’ year. Mmm...Soliel too. Nice an’ sunny.” 

Kaito blew another balloon, before saying, “Soliel? Soliel… Solly? Soliel Solly. Miyako Miya. Chikara Kara…”

“You’re just determined to shorten the name, huh?” Shuichi laughed, sitting back down on the desk chair. 

Kaito shrugged, “I always thought that was cute. Ya got a ‘proper’ name, and then the cute ‘short’ name. Like ‘Kichi. You should always aspire for a cute short name.”

Shuichi shrugged...before smirking. “...Kait-yighty-yadi-va.”

Kaito frowned, giving Shuichi an exasperated look, “Nope. Nooo. That’s a joke that can die forever, thank you.”

“Kait-yighty-yada-vasi-trotty-sotty-va.” Shuichi sang-song softly, before saying, “I like Autumn. Should I put both of them in the maybe list?”

“Do it!” Kaito said enthusiastically, before saying, “Aimi! Aimi means love! Anyone like Aimi?”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow, looking between his partners with a bewildered expression. Kait-yi...what??? Obviously some old joke between them but...a far out one for sure. Though, his expression soured a bit at the name Kaito brought up. “I know I’m the one that brought the theme up but...not a fan.”

Ikuo gave him a look before nodding knowingly. “Nurse Akashi?”

Kokichi pouted a bit before nodding back, sighing. “One of the healers that saw me as a kid. She was a nice enough person, I guess, but, looking back on it...kind of self-absorbed. Had her own idea of what I was like and just treated me like that version.”

“No on Aimi, then.” Shuichi agreed, putting Aimi in the no page and Soliel, Autumn in the maybe page.

There was a quick knock on the door, and Shuichi called out, “It’s open, Maki!”

“It’s Hajime, actually!” called out the housekeeper on the other side of the door, his voice chipper as he said, “Can I come in anyway?”

“Hajime! Yeah, come on in!” Kaito called out.

Hajime opened the door, and carrying a raspberry tart cake in one hand, and said enthusiastically, “I just heard! Congratula...whaaaaat are you all doing?”

There were considerably more balloons now. Kaito ws on a roll, and most of the balloons were literally just falling by his feet now in a big pile as he said, “Celebrating! Awww, dude, thank you! You brought us cake! Come in, put it on the pile!”

“Pile?” Hajime asked, looking away from the far too many balloons to the excessive number of pastries on the desk to his left, laughing incredulously as he said, “Woah! Not the first person to bring a gift, huh?”

“It’s mostly just stuff Kaito got to celebrate, though Ikou brought some of the cookies. Thank you for the cake, Hajime.” Shuichi said, smiling up at the man somewhat nervously as Hajime put the cake down, giving Ikou a nod and grinning at Kokichi with a “Congratulations Prince Kokichi!” before squatting in front of Shuichi, saying seriously, “How are you feeling? Are you good?”

Shuichi nodded, a little embarrassed. Hajime was always like this around him these days. He still found it a little odd as he said, “Yes. I’m good. It’s exciting news.”

“Are you happy?”

Another small, embarrassed nod. “Yes.”

“Good.” Hajime nodded, before saying seriously again, “You know you can come to me if you need anything right?”

“Yes… thank you.”

“Good.” Hajime sighed, before standing up, “This is all super cute. Whose idea was this?”

“Mine! Stick around a bit, Hajime, we’re farming for baby names!” Kaito encouraged, patting a seat next to himself on the bed as he said, “Here, I have a lot of balloons left. Want to help me blow balloons?”

“....sure.” Hajime shrugged, going to join the balloon madness, “Why not.”

“Hi Hajime-chan!!” Kokichi waved to their friend, maybe eyeing up the tart a bit, but it did look rather good. At this rate, they’d either need to enlist more help eating all the treats, or get some supplies from the kitchen to store some for later. Not that he was complaining in the slightest. “Thanks! We’re all super excited!”

Kokichi and Ikuo leaned against each other companionably, both watching Hajime and Shuuichi talk. It was really sweet… As much as Kokichi didn’t feel comfortable asking Hajime to take on the responsibility of adopting a child if anything happened to them...well, Baby was gonna have a whole mess of uncles and aunts and zizis, and Hajime was gonna be a good one. 

The father and son shared a look before Kokichi hummed, redirecting his attention back at Shuuichi. “Oh, Shuu-chan, you never said the sort of name you’d want. Whatcha thinkin’?”

Shuichi opened his mouth...and then closed it. Looking uncomfortable. 

...without saying it aloud, he wrote in Kyoko(?) in the possible names side, frowning at that. He didn’t...know if his mentor even still wanted to be a part of his life. She still wouldn’t write, wouldn’t accept any phone invitations. She was either really mad, or maybe just…

...didn’t care… now that he wasn’t her ward anymore…

Out loud, he said, “A nice, natury name could be good. Maybe something simple, like Sora, or Lily… Violet and Lily has a good chance of being descriptive if the baby comes out looking like Kokichi, or with either of your eyes.” Shuichi pointed out.

“Vivi and Lil…” Kaito mused, before smiling, “Vivi’s cute. I like both of those, but if I get to call her Vivi for Violet, even better.”

“What about something historical? I remember there were a few Dicean leaders with some nice names, could name her after one of them?” Hajime volunteered, before saying, “Though, they’re all escaping me right now...man it’s been a while since I’ve taken a history class.”

Ikuo huffed out another small laugh, ruffling Kokichi’s plum hair. It’d be pretty cute, a little girl with that same dark purple and a name to match. “Lila’s in th’ same boat. Comes from lilac ‘round here.”

“Or Rose, if she had red hair!” Kokichi piped in, though he snickered at Hajime’s expense, giving the housekeeper a teasing look. “Aw, c’mon Hajime-chan, I at least have the excuse of not being alive at the time. Fuse Ouma was still leader when you were a kid, wasn’t she?”

Straightening, Kokichi prepared to pull out his history chops once more. “For women or non-binary leaders, there have been Fuse, Abylone, Lydie, Miranda, Oasis, Koharu, Del, Ursula, Emilie, and Grimm...or Grimwald, I guess, was their full name. We know Queen Miranda went by Randy too.”

Hajime frowned, giving Kokichi A Look. “Exactly how old do you think I am, Prince Kokichi?”

“Thirty-two?” Kaito guessed, blowing another balloon. 

“What!?”

“Thirty-three.” Shuichi, who knew but enjoyed other peoples squawks of outrage, guessed.

“No! Why do you think that!? Do I look that old!?I’m twenty-four, you ingrats!”

“Wow. You’re old.” Kaito said, eye widening.

“Ancient.”

“One foot in the grave.”

“Grandfather Hajime, what was life like before telephones?” Shuichi asked.

“Telephones came out like a month ago!?”

“I love the name Ursula. Is that weird? Ursy…”

“Ursy’s not very cute.” Shuichi pointed out, but accommodatingly added Ursula and Rose and Lila. Thinking about it, he said, “Abylone is nice.”

“Aby.” Kaito nodded.

Another knock at the door. “It’s me.”

“Maki! Did you bring a pastry!?” Kaito called out, grinning at her as the door opened. 

Maki looked around, surprised, at the crowd and decorations, before shaking her head. “No. Was I supposed too?” Glancing to her left, she raised an eyebrow, before looking down at Timothy, who was coming in, Chase at his heels, “You can still only have one.”

“Good evening Uncle Hajime, Mr. Ikou.” Timothy greeted, before quickly running to the pastries, looking them over as Maki closed the door behind her. As he looked, he glanced at the others and said, “Congratulations on your baby, Uncle Kokichi, Uncle Shuichi.”

“Timothy! You’re getting a little half-sister! Are you excited? Hajime asked, there just being...far too many balloons around them now, seriously, how many balloons did they have. Though the balloons were moving around now as the puppy, thrilled, started running through them and attacking them, sending them flying.

Timothy shrugged, “More girls. I’m surrounded by girls. I wanted a brother. Chase, stop barking...”

“Get better at bullying the universe, then you’ll get a brother.” Maki said, as if she was scolding, grabbing a pastry for herself, before dragging over the window seat to sit. “What do we have so far with names?”

“On the maybe side, we have…” Shuichi read aloud, “Miyako, Chikara, Soliel, Autumn,” He kept ‘Kyoko’ to himself, “Violet, Lily or Lila, Ursula and Ablyone. And on definitely no, Darla and Aimi.”

“Soliel?” Maki asked, disapproval in her tone.

“What? Don’t like it?” Kaito asked.

“Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue…”

Kokichi snickered a bit more, having personally guessed late twenties, but it was still funny to see Hajime’s outrage. “Hey, being one or two was still being alive. Geez Hajime-chan, can’t keep up with the current events around you as an infant?”

Laughing a bit more, Kokichi waved to Maki and Tim, enjoying watching Chase disappear into the mess of balloons covering the floor. It’d be kind of startling for any to pop suddenly, but that was half the fun sometimes, seeing people jump. 

And while Tim was just, yanno, being a kid, Kokichi hummed, taking it half-seriously. “Well...you might get a brother someday. Whoever my heir will be, I mean. Have no clue if they’ll be an older or younger brother, though I have my bets on younger.” He was going to be invested enough in taking care of Baby. His heir feeling could come at any time, he knew, but...Kokichi didn’t know how much he believed in all that, and if he was going to at least mentor another child someday...he wanted to be able to give them the attention and affection they deserved. Not have to scramble to divide his attention with the needs of a very young child.

Ikuo hummed consideringly at Maki’s disapproval, having come to the conclusion sooner than Kokichi had noticed. “Don’t really on yer tongue, don’t it. Might be wise ta choose a name that’s easier fer y’all ta say with both accents.” 

Kaito blinked. “Am I not saying it right? Soliel?”

“You’re not doing that on purpose?” Hajime asked.

“What?”

“Soliel.” Hajime said slowly.

“Soliel.” Kaito echoed.

“I...what? No. Really listen. Soliel.”

“...Soliel?”

“You have to be doing that on purpose.” Hajime looked to Shuichi. “Say Soliel.”

“Soliel.” Shuichi said, same as Kaito.

“Yeah. Some names might not translate between the accents that well.” Hajime realized, still half convinced they were still fucking with him. 

“First name knocked off the list then.” Shuichi shrugged, lining out Soliel. “Thank you anyway, Ikou.”

“Do you want to recommend a name, Timothy?” Kaito asked his son, who was eating his pastries in a pile of balloons, Chase running around in circles around him.

“Kimiko.” Timothy said, with an entirely straight face.

“...okay.” Kaito shrugged, “Throw Kimiko on the list.”

Shuichi snorted, before accommodatingly putting the name on.

For a moment, it was like they were back on the carriage out of the city, trying to say “cactus” and “misery” and “aluminum”. Ikuo just nodded accommodatingly as Kokichi snickered into his cake. “Glad ta contribute--gives ya some good framework fer stuff ta stay away from.”

While it was looking like a real party getting started, there was another knock on the door, revealed to be Denji and an absolutely mud-caked (though thankfully dry) Lake standing in the hall. 

“Congrats K-Kai-S family!!!”

“We heard the news,” Denji nodded more calmly, peering around the hopping and balloon-filled room with curiosity. They were holding a few bottles of sweet tea in their arms, apparently having the same idea as many others. “If this is invite only, I’ll still cede the tea in congratulations.” 

“Hello,” Shuichi greeted, opening the door wider, sighing a little internally because ho-boy, this was getting crowded, but politeness compelling him to say, “Please, come in. We’re not really having a party, we’re just…” Shuichi looked back at the decorated room full of people and food and said lamly, “...picking baby names?”

“Thank you so much for the tea! I was just thinking I was thirsty, pass me one! Either of you got any name ideas?” Kaito asked, “All names are welcome. We’re just looking for ideas right now.”

Denji rolled their eyes a little--not a party, sure--but came in, passing over a bottle of sweet tea to Kaito before setting the rest on what scant space was left open on the tray table. However, Lake gave a softer laugh and stayed in the hall. “Aw, that’s sweet of ya, Shumai, but it looks like you’ll already have enough to tidy up without me flakin’ mud everywhere. Don’t wanna leave ‘Zumi hangin’ either. Another time though, totally!”

Not wanting to leave before throwing in her own suggestions, though, Lake hummed. “Ah...well, can’t exactly go a “junior” route with a girl… Oh, what about Maki Jr.?! Aunts still work for that!!”

“Really stuck on that one idea, huh,” Denji sighed, before putting in genuine consideration. “A name for a little girl… Pearl or Ruby. Sigrid or Victoria are good ones too. Setting your child up to win.”

“Awwww, if she gets my hair? A little Ruby would be super cute.” Kaito gushed, before looking Lake up and down and asked, “So...what’s with all the mud, Lake?”

“I like Pearl… Maki?” Shuichi asked, smirking at Maki a little, “Do you want a Maki Jr.?”

Maki rolled her eyes. Shuichi laughed lightly, before putting in Pearl and Ruby. “Thanks for the idea, Lake, but there’s not much of an appeal there for me. I do like Victoria though…”

Shuichi nodded, adding Victoria too.

Lake laughed a bit, moving to run her gloved hand through her hair before he remembered all the mud. “Crazy day, dude. This teen apparently had some sort of dare thing going on with their friends, and tried to pickpocket this guy. We got it settled, no sweat, had a talkin’ to with the kid and they’re gonna pass it onto their friends, but just as we were finishing up, this squirrel comes out of nowhere and just swipes the dude’s wedding ring! ‘Course, I gotta go get it! Can’t prosecute a squirrel, but it’s still my case.”

“Little fella ran all the way out to Pan Pond, and, uh…” The guard’s laugh got a bit sheepish. “So, PSA! Pan Pond is starting to frost! I absolutely ate shit on the bank and landed in the muck. But I got the ring! So it’s all good! Just gotta take one hell of a shower tonight.”

Kokichi listened with rapt attention, now with a slice of the tart cake Hajime brought in front of him. He always loved hearing about the guards’ days, learning about all the stuff that usually didn’t end up making its way to court. 

Denji, having already heard the story when they ran into Lake earlier, chimed in right after. “Lake was already on her way home, but we heard some people talking about the commotion Kaito made earlier, and we both wanted to stop by.”

“Wish it could be longer, but, yeah, definitely another time,” Lake nodded, not too bummed that her name suggestion was turned down. “I hope you guys find a name you really fall in love with! But for now, I gotta get out of these clothes--see ya around!”

“I made a commotion?” Kaito asked, before remembering, “Oh, right...the spinning. And shouting, probably. Right. Wow, word travels fast. Anyway, thanks again for the tea, Lake! It was nice to see you!”

“Are you staying, Denji?” Shuichi asked, the hairstylist not sounding super committed themselves.

“Timothy isn’t. He was supposed to get one pastry and then go wash up for bed. And now he’s among a bunch of balloons, thinking I haven't noticed that he has two pastries.” Maki said, eyes narrowing at the nine year old, who was now almost completely covered in balloons, “You’re running extra laps tomorrow.”

Timothy sighed, hands full of his second pastry as he said, “Yes, mom.”

Kaito frowned at all the food on the des, before saying, “Maybe I should go get containers for all that… Kokichi and Shuichi can eat a lot of sweets, but this might have them beat.”

Denji shrugged a bit. “For as long as I’m welcome. It isn’t too often you all seem open to company like this, and I’d like to take advantage of what time I can, especially if you’re brainstorming names. If there’s anything I can do for my future niece--and there’s a lot, but this will be one thing--then it’s to prevent any truly horrible names from being thrown in the mix.”

Kokichi had been content to eat a few things here and there, thinking about getting containers himself, but when Kaito phrased it that way… He gave Shuuichi a look before raising an eyebrow at his husband. “Yeah? Is that a challenge?”

“Bunny…”

Kokichi pouted at his dad for a moment but turned back to Kaito all the same, a slight spark of competition in his eyes.

Shuichi snickered, sipping at one of the tea bottles as he said, “I mean, if it is a challenge, I think you’re underestimating us. I’m eating for two, after all.”

Kaito twitched, before looking at Shuichi fist. “You. No. You know better. You.” Kaito said, looking to Kokichi next, narrowing his eyes, “You also know better. You know if you overeat, you’re going to wake up tomorrow way too full and feeling sick and demanding tummy rubs.”

“Pffff. Tummy rubs. Cute.” Shuichi teased Kokichi.

Maki raised an eyebrow, before adding in, “And you’ll vomit on your laps tomorrow. Less cute. More gross.”

“I’ll eat a third pastry so Uncle Shuichi and Uncle Kokichi don’t make themselves sick on them.” Timothy bravely offered.

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.” Maki said, getting up, knowing she couldn’t keep the nine year old around this much sugar and keep denying him. “I’ll be back.” she said to the rest of them, leading Timothy out.

“Night Tim!” Hajime called out, bopping a balloon back and forth between his hands.

“See you tomorrow morning, kid! Love ya!” Kaito called out, and when Timothy just called back ‘night’, pouted, “...one day. One day I will earn that kids love.”

Kokichi sighed, defeated, but happily leaned into the consolatory shoulder pat his dad was giving him. He didn’t really want to take the challenge and not back down from it and overeat and feel horrible. But it had still been fun to tease. 

Standing up from their spot, Denji gave Kaito an amused look. “You’ve caught him gorging out on candy before, then? It’s tragic to see. But to stop temptation, I’ll go get some boxes for all this. Nothing needs to be chilled, right?” And once they got confirmation, Denji headed out as well. 

Kaito watched the stylist head out, and debating with himself for a half a second, said, “Ikou! You’re on ‘make sure they don’t overeat’ duty! I’m gonna help them bring boxes up!”

“Hm? Oh, okay.” Shuichi said, looking at his boyfriend heading out, calling out, “Bring back oranges!”

“Got it!” Kaito called back, disappearing.

Shuichi then looked over at Ikou, before saying, “...so...I can still have too many sweets if I want too, right?”

Out in the hall, Kaito quickly ran up to beside Denki, saying a tad too loudly, “Hey! Mind if I join ya? Add a little muscle to the trip?”

Ikuo gave his son-in-law a nod before giving Shuuichi a cool look. “Yer an adult, but if yer gon’ be usin’ the eatin’ fer two excuse, ya gotta keep nutrition fer yer girl in mind. Eat what ya like, keep it in moderation.”

“...an’ I know yer teasin’, but let an old fuddie give advice.”

Thankfully, after being friends with Lake for so long, Denji didn’t flinch at the far too loud voice Kaito used, but they did give him a dry look. “I won’t say no to someone offering to do the heavy lifting, dear, but I think we’re over qualified for vocal strength. Between you and Lake, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with hearing damage in my extended age.”

Kaito grinned uneasily. Okay… sure, he didn’t know Denji that well, but in Dicea, acting like this right away was normal and cool and respectful and all that! Don’t get put off! They don’t hate you immediately!...probably?? Uh…

He laughed, again a tad too loudly, before coughing and saying quieter, “Sorry! So! You and ‘Kichi have known each other since you were kids, right? That must be fun! What was it like growing up in the castle? Ya know the stories around you are kinda interesting? Way I heard it, you had a competition with the previous stylist for their job, and shamed them out of Dicea!”

He hadn’t heard that. He had heard the rumor, and then the correction, from Maki. But Kaito was taking a gamble that Denji might be the kind of guy who would enjoy Kaito being taken in by an outlandish story like that. Grinning, he said, “That’s really impressive! What was that like?”

Denji hummed softly, agreeing that, yes, they and Kokichi had known each other for about a decade now, since they were both kids, but… The stylist blinked for a moment, but to their credit that was the only confusion they gave away before a wolfish, proud grin stretched over their face. 

“You haven’t taken up my services personally, so you wouldn’t know, but I think my work with Kokichi speaks enough on its own to show you what I’m capable of. There isn’t anyone in the city who can match me when it comes to styling, and I’d even say you’d be hard pressed to find another in the country.”

Rolling their eyes a little, Denji admitted, “I only leave it at that point since different countries prefer different looks, but if I had the resources, give me a month and I’ll beat anyone else too.”

“I really don’t know what Aiichi and Kokichi did without me, though, other than look horrible.” They returned to that sharp, prideful grin. “Their previous stylist had no idea what they were doing. Just following the outward design of the traditional styles, not even putting lining in. No pockets either! Can you believe the fool who wouldn’t even put in pockets!” Denji touched a hand to their forehead, always ready to rip into the garments they’d found when they took the position. 

“Damn! That’s really impressive!” Kaito enthused, not being insincere. Denji did genuinely impressive work, and Kaito did find their handling of Dicean design interesting, even if Kaito had nothing to compare Kokichi’s formal wear too. But based on the look on Denji’s face, he had guessed right. Kaito stumbled into it as often as not, but he knew the appeal of the ‘lovable oaf’ traits he often had, and found that with a certain type of smug personality, it was almost like a fast-track into their good graces. 

It worked especially well with wealthy people in Luminary, the kind of folks who had earned their money (or their parents had, at least) the hard way, and immediately assumed all nobles were all barbaric dimwits playing at being fancy. Playing into those assumptions often did more good than trying to fight them, and the wealthy had liked Kaito better for it.

(He remembered Moniques genuine shock when Kaito, deep in his love of astronomy at the time, had started explaining to her and Rawr the theory of black holes, and to show what he had meant by matter displacement, had started writing down some equations he had memorized and translated. Kaito had no real talent for math himself, but was capable of understanding and memorizing relevant equations if they fed into his passions, and Monique had been treating his enthusiastic attempts to explain with fond amusement right up until those equations had displayed he actually knew what he was talking about.)

Was….relying on his old socializing tricks for Luminary maybe not in the spirit of what Kokichi had been trying to explain to him?

...maybe!

Probably?

But he wanted Denji to like him, dammit! This was Kokichi’s, like...sibling! And Kaito had made a terrible first impression! He needed to catch up! 

So, enthusiastically, he said, “You know, the women in Luminary would love you. I have no idea why, but there’s this stigma against pockets showing in female fashion back home? And, like, some tailors and designers know to at least hide some pockets on the inse, but man, the amount that just forget it entirely? It’s insane, it’s like the number one complaint women have about our clothes. Well, that and the corsets.” Kaito mused, before continuing on enthusiastically, “I bet you’d do amazing things with Luminary fashion! It’s really different from Dicea, we’re a lot of dark colors and stiff fabrics, sharp edges, that sort of thing, but I always thought our style does some really cool things with contrast! Form fitting too, which can be fun.” Kaito laughed, giving Denji a wink. “I bet you could do some interesting stuff with it.”

Denji nodded--of course Luminary women would love their services, who wouldn’t--though they sighed in irritation. “Seriously? Ridiculous… Like, everyone needs to carry things around, and sometimes you just don’t want to bother with a bag. Pockets can be used for such interesting design too! It sounds a little too easy if you could break out into a new trend with something so mundane...it’s like you’re not even trying.”

Tapping a finger against a cheek, Denji took in Kaito’s broad statements of Luminary fashion, their mind already seeing forms put together. “Form-fitting with stiff fabrics? And you’d still need to factor in breathing room since the climate is so much warmer...though that might be able to be handled with the fabric itself… It sounds like the patterns would be quite complex, since you can’t just drape…”

“Do you have other more fashion-minded clothes? It’s obvious that you picked your armor for that purpose, but I’m not a blacksmith. Considering you actually have sense when it comes to your clothes, I’d like to take a look and get a better idea of Luminous fashion.” Denji rolled their eyes a little. “I won’t have much reason to make anything, but once it’s safe to travel I can’t imagine Kokichi will be able to resist planning a trip over there, and I will not have him only bringing clown clothes. If I can send you all off with my twist on Luminous fashion, I’m sure I’ll be able to feel the envious looks from all the way back here.”

“Oh, yeah! Actually, that’s a point...it’s gonna be a while, probably, before we can set up a trip due to terrorist shenanigans, but...yeah.” Kaito frowned, trying to imagine Kokichi going to a Luminary banquet in his big bright shirts and mismatched shorts. He knew his husband probably knew better than to do that, but… “Yeah. Some outfits planned  and tailored specifically for the trip would actually be invaluable. It’d probably smooth over certain international relations, at least between Kokichi and the Luminary court.”

Shaking off his concern, Kaito looked at Denji and placed a hand on their shoulder, shaking his warmly as he said, “Kokichi’s first visual impression in Luminary desperately needs your care and expertise, and it’s honestly one hell of a responsibility! But if anyone could pull it off, it’s definitely you! Hell, could I convince you to accompany us, someday? Looks are….really important back home.” Kaito laughed, “I can understand if you prefer not to travel. But if not you, we will probably end up recruiting a stylist while we’re there. We’re definitely going to need one.”

While things were pretty calm in Dicea at this point, from what Denji had heard it was dangerous to just live in Luminary, not even going into traveling, which always held some degree of danger no matter where you were. Until Luminary could get their shit together so, you know, people wouldn’t have to roll a dice on whether they’d be killed when they went out that day, then there wasn’t a chance Kokichi would cross the border. 

But it wouldn’t be forever. 

Denji looked momentarily surprised before a pleased, smug smile came over their face. “Of course looks are important, though I think I understand why you’re stressing it. Especially for the leader and heir, they are the faces of the nation. Everyone’s eyes are on them. And while it doesn’t actually correlate, having a pleasing, put-together appearance gives people the first impression feeling that the person they’re looking at is put-together too. If all that is just amplified in Luminary?”

“You can count me in,” the stylist snickered. “Aiichi can handle doing his own makeup for a month or two. But we better allot for plenty of space for me to buy textiles and products without the import tax. I think an extra caravan will do,” they teased.

“Extra caravan! Done! Say no more!” Kaito promised, “Getting you on the party would make the extra expense worth it!”

“Besides,” Kaito said after a moment, “Kokichi will probably be really nervous to go to Luminary for the first time. I’m sure he’d endlessly appreciate his sibling being with him for moral support, if nothing else.”

Denji laughed a bit, a few soft, polite things behind a hand before they sobered a bit, just looking at Kaito for a moment before clapping a hand on the prince’s shoulder and giving it a companionable squeeze. “...I don’t know what you said to him, but… Kokichi can be really dumb sometimes. Of course I wouldn’t leave my little brother stranded without someone with some sense in them around. You all get there to an extent, but you’re just shy of covering every base. And with a party like yours, I would doubt I’d be the only tag-along.”

“H-hey! I have some sense sometimes! Occasionally! You’ve seen my awesome capes!  You know how hard it is to find the right cape for the right set of armor! It took me weeks putting those together!” Kaito pouted, but grinned wide at the little pat back.

Good. 

Okay.

That was a little better.

Mission:’ learn how to socialize with Kokichi’s loved ones’ was a go! 

-

Shuichi popped another malt ball into his mouth, before smirking at Kokichi. “I’m just saying, you’re the one that called it a challenge… so if either of us is going to do it, it makes sense if it’s you. You don’t want Kaito to win, right?”

Kokichi rolled his eyes, though there was a definite competitive grin on his face as he ate another forkful of cake. “Ah, but I can totally make a huge dent in this without hurting myself. I’m being good about my health, you know? I know my limits. And I can not barrel past them while still shocking Kai-chan to his core with my sweet-eating prowess. He an’ Denji-chan are totally gonna be like, ‘aw man, we have way too many boxes for what’s left, we never should’ve underestimated what you could do, Kokichi!’ They’d totally estimate what Shuu-chan could do, though, and that’s what at least some of the boxes will be for.

Shuichi narrowed his eyes, drawn in despite himself as he mindlessly reached for another cookie, “I am twice your size, little man. And pregnant. I’m not stupid enough to do it, but if I wanted too, I could eat you out of house and home.”

Meanwhile, Maki was sitting with Ikou, watching this in almost horrified fascination. She should have intervened by now, but it was like watching a carriage accident. There was something morbidly fascinating in watching it unfold as she whispered to Ikou, “Kaito’s going to kill us when neither of them can get out of bed tomorrow.”

Ikuo shrugged a bit but peered out at the two younger men from under the brim of his hat. “If Bunny don’ wanna listen t’advice, then that’s his choice. Kaito’s just gon’ ha’f ta grapple with th’ fact that his boys are sugar gluttons.”

Taking a break from his cake, Kokichi popped a raspberry candy in his mouth, chewing on it as he smirked at Shuuichi. “Sure, sure, you might have a size advantage, but I have a second stomach just for sweets. I’ve been impressed that Shuu-chan’s been able to keep up with me, but this is all new to you, right? I’ve been keeping a stash for years! I have the practice down pat. It’s only ‘cause I have a broken metabolism that I’m not, like, a thousand pounds. With how much I can eat? That’s the direction.”

Shuichi’s brow furrowed, seeing the point and, giving himself a minute to think about it by reaching for a cupcake, said, “Okay, sure, but you’re not taking into account weird pollen mutant stuff! Like, there’s a reason my body craves sweets all the time now, right? Maybe something in me needs it? Like, maybe my bodies breaking it down into something useful, so it’s not just ending up shock energy and waste, which means I can eat more of it in a single serving without feeling as full… I think is what that would mean.”

“That sounds like a stretch.” Maki muttered. 

“And, and, that would mean I wouldn’t even have to feel guilty about it! Admit it, Kokichi, the guilt will weigh you down. Each useless, destructive calorie will strike you down twice as hard as my guilt free-oh! Shit, shit, put it down!” Shuichi suddenly jumped, quickly popping the rest of his cupcake into his mouth and balling up the paper wrapper between his hands as the door opened up, Kaito and Denji bringing in boxes. 

“Hey guys, we’re back! Hows names coming along?” Kaito asked.

“Not well.” Maki answered honestly, looking with some amusement at her crumb-covered brother as he desperately tried to swallow down the far too big bite.

It was bold of Shuuichi to assume Kokichi would ever feel guilty for eating too many sweets. He was trying to eat better, sure, but once he got his proper nutrition in, everything else was golden! He might feel regret later, sure, when his stomach was aching and the only thing that would soothe it was Kaito gently giving him a tummy rub, but not guilt. 

As such, Kokichi just raised his eyebrows as he took another bite of the cake on his plate, almost daring anyone to say shit about it. 

Of course, that spawned a scoff from Denji, and they came over, starting to pack up the remaining sweets within Kokichi’s reaching distance. “I hope I’m out of the castle the day you get too old to enjoy sweets like this. Your whines are going to be excruciating.”

Kokichi pouted, and snagged another raspberry sweet before Denji put them away. “Never gonna happen. Sweets for life.”

Kaito frowned, looking between Shuichi, who was still determinedly trying to swallow down the cupcake bit by bit, and Kokichi, who was eating through a cake piece with spite filled determination… and then he looked down at the considerably less pile of sweets on the desk.

“Oh my god.” Kaito grumbled, shooting Ikou and Maki a dirty look before saying, “He’s too old for this now. You’re both gonna be sick tomorrow! How much did you eat while we were gone!?”

Shuichi finally managed to swallow the cupcake down, looking notably more guilty and stressed than his boyfriend as he said, “Not… that much?” He said, looking at the desk with some confusion. There did seem to be a...lot less pastries now. “It didn’t feel like that much?”

“I’m cutting both of you off. No more sweets tonight. You, give me that, I’m finishing that.” Kaito told Kokichi, taking his plate of cake away from him. “Drink some tea if you still want something sweet, you’ve had too much already.”

“It wasn’t like we both entered a speed eating competition,” Kokichi whined, pouting as Kaito took his plate away, but he didn’t try to keep it. Everything was delicious, and he’d happily finish the slice himself, but...well, he didn’t really feel like he was missing out by not finishing half a slice. “I’ve had a perfectly respectable amount, thank you very much.”

“Y’ain’t gon get any sympathy tomo’rah if ya have a stomachache,” Ikuo bluntly cautioned, just deepening Kokichi’s pout. 

“If? ‘If’ is a very generous word.” Kaito huffed, putting the cake slice aside and helping Denji get the rest into containers. “This is like the third time ‘Kichi’s overstuffed himself on Andou’s sweets. The last time he could barely move.”

“Aw, I remember that.” Shuichi recalled, that memory...huh. Wow, that had been a hard day, actually, thinking back on it. He had definitely been high that morning, and then… he had gotten jealous of Kokichi and Kaito being cute and fussy with each other, and then…

Oh. Right.

That was the same day Nao had left him in the archive for half the night.

Shuichi, for the first time, just felt like… a spark of annoyance. Frustration. At the memory, rather than shame or horror or arousal. What a shitty thing for her to do… was that the same night she had him cum inside himself? God, the stupid fucking games… thought she was so fucking scary… she was just being an asshole, playing around with some dude who was literally out of his mind on drugs. Shuichi couldn’t believe he had let himself be that taken in by all that bullshit…

As Shuichi quietly fumed at himself, Kaito finished up boxing the sweets, before turning to Denji and Ikou, grinning wide, “Either of you want to take any of these back to your room? You’re more than welcome, there’ plenty! You too, Maki-Roll, if you want to squirrel some away next to your weapon chest or something?”

“That was only the one time! Every other time was a perfectly reasonable amount of sweets! Her candies and pastries are just so good--they need to be appreciated, and I do!”

Ikuo sighed and took a box with some cookies. “I do enjoy a nice sweet, time ta time, but I’ll prolly bring these ta th’ meetin’ tomor’ah morn. Ain’t a balanced breakfast, but still a nice treat.”

Looking around the boxes, Denji settled on a bag of candies themself. “If only to keep them out of the Sugar Monsters’ hands. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these end up back in the desk drawer at some point though.”

Kokichi groaned and flopped his way over to drop his head in Shuuichi’s lap. “They’re conspiring against us…”

Shuichi startled a little, taken out of his head a little as Kokichi flopped down. But, he immediately started running his fingers through Kokichi’s hair, finding it much nicer to focus on Kokichi now then his ire at Nao’s bullshit from back then. “It’s alright. We’ll bully Kaito later. Do you want to see a fun trick? It’s called ‘Piss Maki off until she starts threatening to-”

“Nope. I don’t like that game. Let’s not play that tonight.” Kaito interrupted dryly. “I’m still recovering from harvest, thanks.”

“Don’t be dramatic, I barely touched you.” Maki scoffed, taking some of the cupcakes for herself as she said, “Also, what are you going to do with all these balloons?”

“What do you mean?” Kaito  asked, looking at the flood of balloons on their floor. “They’re decorations. We just leave them be.”

“This is too many balloons, Kaito.”

“Nah, it’s fine. I like them. They’re nice.” Kaito decided.

Kokichi hummed happily, enjoying the feeling of Shuuichi’s fingers in his hair (and he’d never say it, but...it did feel even nicer when they didn’t snag on a tangle these days), though he peeked up at Kaito. “If any pop during the night from getting too close to the fire place, you’re gonna have to deal with me sobbing on you.”

He wouldn’t actually, but it felt nice to be able to tease his friends. Just...comfortable banter he wasn’t always comfortable with in regards to his family. But teasing over sweets and far too many balloons...talking about names for their child, well on her way. 

Kokichi closed his eyes and basked in the gentle affection being given to him. He had always wanted a big family...and he had one.

Eventually, Maki, Denji and Ikou all figured themselves out and wished them a good night, and the boys had their room back together. Kaito was looking at the journal, looking over the small list of names. “Whelp, this is as good a start as any.” Kaito said, his eyes lingering over the small, hesitant Kyoko(?) line, deciding not to comment on it as he closed up the journal. 

Putting the journal on the nightstand, Kaito got onto the bed, sitting next to the laying Kokichi, and placed his fingers on Kokichi’s back, rubbing them up and down as he said to Shuichi, “That was nice. It was nice for all those folks to stop by and congratulate us. Alright, this is me, checking in. How do you both feel? I don’t mean the inevitable stomach aches you’re both going to have. Just, like… with everything. How we feeling?”

Shuichi shrugged slightly on instinct, but did stop to think about it. “...I’m good. It’s a lot, sometimes. But I feel good about it… right now, anyway. I reserve the right to feel irrationally worse about it later.”

“Agreed. You just let us know, handsome, you don’t have to deal with nerves and fears alone. ‘Kichi? What about you, beautiful?”

Oh! It was even better with back rubs too. If Kokichi were a cat he’d be purring, soaking up affection from both his lovers. As it was, he just hummed happily again and adjusted his legs a little so Kaito could get comfortably close. 

“...I’m really happy.” Kokichi opened his eyes and looked adoringly up at Shuuichi, then over his shoulder at Kaito. “There’s a lot I always worry about, and sure, even now they’re probably in the back of my mind...but I’m really happy. My family with Shuu-chan and Kai-chan and everyone. It feels good, joking around with everyone and being able to have a spur of the moment party-not-party like this and just...being comfortable with everything.”

“...I really wouldn’t say no to non-stomachache-related tummy rubs though,” he teased, before giving Kaito a more serious look. “And you? How’s Kai-chan doing?”

“Kai-chan is a-okay.” Kaito said, kissing Shuichi on the lips before saying, “Handsome, you mind making up our medicine for us while I spoil or bratty lover?”

Shuichi sighed, before nodding. “Alright, Kaito. But only because you called him a brat.”

Kaito snickered, scooping up Kokichi from Shuiichi’s lap, in one swift movement laying him down on his own lap, before lifting him by his shoulders, placing soft, warm kisses against his cheeks and beside his eyes, before kissing him gently… and then sighing, “Alright, tummy rubs, as requested.”

As Kaito startled to softly rub Kokichi’s stomach, he said, “I’m ecstatic about things, really. I mean… why wouldn’t I be? Everything’s amazing right now! My Shuichi’s having a beautiful little girl, and my Shuichi himself is on the upswing of his rehab! And my Kokichi’s worked out his issues with his family, and people actually visit him now, which thrills me, and both of you can go out and do things whenever you want, and you’re both doing well… and the day after tomorrow, me and Maki are gonna go to the local theater where Tim’s gonna go show everyone how studious he is and make Maki proud…” 

Kaito laughed slightly, moving his hands under Kokichi’s shirt now, returning to his gentle rub around Kokichi’s stomach, “I’m great. I honestly couldn’t be happier.”

“Never said I wasn’t!” Kokichi easily went into Kaito’s lap, kissing where he could before enjoying the one that lingered, bringing an arm up despite his laziness to cup Kaito’s cheek, gently stroking it for a moment before they parted. And while he was quite pleased with the tummy rubs…

Kokichi nuzzled against Kaito’s chest, running a hand down his husband’s arm and holding his hand from the back for a moment before he let Kaito resume the rubs. “And that makes me happier than everything. When you and Shuu-chan are happy, then that’s the best.”

“...Tim’s gonna do great in the spelling bee, though I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it much to his embarrassment. Even with stage fright...he’s put in so much work. We all have a lot to be proud of in him.”

Kokichi stretched out in Kaito’s lap a bit, getting comfortable. “Things are good. And we’re totally not getting stomachaches. We were perfectly reasonable in how many sweets we ate, right Shuu-chan?”

Shuichi snorted from the closet, feeling the tight press of his stomach as he said, “Absolutely not. Me and Kokichi are entirely responsible snackers. You just worry too much, Kaito.” he insisted, heading out with two cups, passing one to Kaito.

“Thank you handsome…” feeling up Kokichi’s skin, in a good mood, the Luminary Prince grinned wolfishly at Shuichi, as he said, “You wanna take a trip to the shrine tonight?”

Shuichi froze for a second, glancing at Kokichi, before forcing himself to relax as he said, “Why? You want to pray?”

Kaito chuckled, sipping at his glass, “Don’t worry, ‘Kichi knows. It’s fine, Shuichi, he just wants us to be careful. It’s not a big deal.”

Shuichi’s brow furrowed. What had...Kaito told Kokichi? Like, how much? Sipping nervously at his cup, Shuichi sighed. “Kaito, it’s just going to hurt…”

“Hey! We’re figuring it out! And I think it’ll be a lot more fun, since we’re being even more careful now. We just need to be patient.” Kaito said, confidence in every word.

Kokichi sighed, starfishing a bit in Kaito’s lap. “I know you want it to be this big reveal event, but c’mon… I’m not about to fall asleep or anything. If you guys are gonna have fun tonight then I wanna too…”

“Unless all Kai-chan wants to do tonight is kiss Shuu-chan and bottom. Like, relatable, and go for it, but I think I can still get pouty about you two running off to feel each other up.” There was something teasing in Kokichi’s eyes, very clearly not upset in the slightest by the idea of his lovers wanting some time alone together. “Buuuut that means that I get to hog the bed an’ blankets ‘n stuff. I’ll be super obnoxious about it too.”

Kaito chuckled slightly, still tracing his fingers around Kokichi’s front side, grinning down at him as he said, “I mean, I don’t hate the idea of putting you on your back…” before he sighed, “But you’d hate watching me and Shuichi try to let him top me, trust me. It’ll be fun and feel good eventually! But for a little while it’s gonna be your husband trying not to whine too much while I adjust.” And Kaito was worried that if they tried to invite Kokichi to that process, he and Shuichi would eventually convince each other it was impossible and veto the whole attempt. 

Snaking his arm around Kokichi’s waist, his other arm around Kokichi’s shoulder, he lifted him up in his arms, kissing at his husbands neck a few times as he breathed, “But, I mean...if my Kokichi wants a little satisfaction before we go… something to send him off to sleep…”

Shuichi sighed. “I still havn’t said if I’m up to this tonight myself. It’s been an eventful day. How are both of you not exhausted?”

Kokichi snickered but nodded with a calmer smile. Apart from just respecting that there were times his lovers enjoyed just being by themselves, he understood why they hadn’t talked with him more about working on Shuuichi topping Kaito, more than just wanting it to be a surprise. As long as they were careful and listening to each other, he trusted them, but actually being there, watching Kaito try to adjust, maybe letting it go too far until they had to quickly stop...he’d just make it worse with his worrying. For now, it was something just for them. 

Giggling a bit as Kaito scooped him up from being just slime in his lap, touching a little more purposefully, Kokichi gave Shuuichi a kind look. It had been an eventful day but...panic attacks made it a bit more eventful for Shuuichi. For Kokichi? Even with a full belly, he still had plenty of energy, and getting a little frisky with his partners honestly sounded kind of nice. 

But… “...does Shuu-chan just wanna go to bed? It has been a big day.” 

Shuichi, between the events of the day, his fullness, and the medicine he was currently sipping on, couldn’t see the appeal of getting it on with either of them in the moment, really just looking forward to bed. But, he hated to be the spoilsport… “I mean, you two can do whatever you want. But Kaito, I just don’t have it in me tonight to try all that. I mostly just want to go to sleep.”

Kaito tried to not let his disappointment show on his face, giving Shuichi a patient grin as he said, “Of course, bud, it’s alright. We don’t have to do anything tonight, if you’re tired. It’s still been a great day.”

Shuichi frowned, a slightly guilty look on his face, “I mean...I’m sorry. I don’t want to keep you guys from having fun…”

Kokichi shook his head and reached out towards Shuuichi. “You’re not keeping us from anything, honeypie. You not wanting to do anything isn’t a bummer. It just ticks off one option of things to do, you know? And when you do want to do something? Then that’s a fun option on the table! No pressure, no hurt feelings, no one’s being a party pooper.”

“But! Regardless if me an’ Kai-chan wanna do anything! I wanna tuck Shuu-chan in and kiss him goodnight!” Kokichi squirmed a bit in Kaito’s lap, not wanting to pressure him either, though he doubted anything sexual would feel like pressure to his husband, but wanting to just...make sure everyone felt happy and relaxed.

“Awwwww, my husbands trying to leave me.” Kaito moped, before loosening his grip, helping Kokichi sit up, while Shuichi smiled warmly, opening his arms to let Kokichi leap into them. 

Hugging his boyfriend close to him, breathing in the scent of his hair as he nuzzled against him, Shuichi said, “Thank you. I’ll be vocal about it next time I’m feeling it. Maybe we’ll all get lucky.”

Kaito sighed, laying back against the bed as he said, “I guess I’ll just have to hope I dream about sexy Shuichi times tonight. I havn’t had any sexy Shuichi dreams in years, but man, those used to be a treat.”

Shuichi blinked, looking up from his hug of Kokichi, “You used to have what?”

Kaito blinked, looking at the ceiling, “Did I really manage to keep that secret all those years? Wow. That’s impressive.”

Kokichi hugged Shuuichi back happily, giving him a few soft kisses on the cheek as he tried to make Shuuichi feel properly loved. The best way to be sent off to sleep, in his opinion--warm and loved and feeling optimistic about the coming day. 

And, well, feeling desired was a form of love too. Snorting softly, Kokichi nuzzled Shuuichi a bit. “Might be weird, but if Kai-chan’s loved you for years and years...it’d be kind of weird if he’d never had a sexy Shuu-chan dream, wouldn’t it? I barely ever dream and I’ve still had sexy dreams, though without much focus.”

Shuichi sighed, happily accepting his kisses, offering a few small ones in return as he said, “I’m actually just genuinely shocked this is the first time I’ve heard of it. Kaito used to give me a play by play of his sex dreams, whether I wanted to hear them or not.” he said, giving Kaito an exasperated look.

Kaito grinned, giving his boyfriend a playful look as he said, “It was cute, watching how flustered you’d get. And I was a jerky fourteen year old. Forgive me for being young. Besides, admit it, you were a little fascinated by it. You’d do all these armchair psycho-analysis’ of me after squealing and turning red.”

Shuichi rolled his eyes, kissing Kokichi again before gently pulling himself out of his grip, getting up to go change into sleep clothes as he said, “I had to find some use out of those conversations. It was a practice in…” he tried to think of a suitable excuse, heading to the closet, “...character profiles.”

Kaito snickered, “Sure...you gonna leave the closet door open?” Kaito asked, watching Shuichi start to unbutton his jacket.

Shuichi glared at him, reached over, and closed the closet door. Undressing in private.

“I love him so much.” Kaito laughed, laying back down on the bed, chuckling at the ceiling. 

Kokichi rolled over to get closer to Kaito, laying kisses on his forehead. “Exasperation is the greatest form of love, isn’t it? Teasing just below. Ribbing, ganging up on, and snarking are also acceptable.” He laid a kiss right between Kaito’s eyes. “Such a shame I use the lowly forms of hugs and kisses, right?”

Kokichi flopped right next to Kaito at that, before he looked over, speaking a bit more quietly. “...did you actually wanna do something? I know that can be kind of a dumb question to ask you but… I mean. I wouldn’t mind going somewhere else and having some fun before bed. Not quite ready to sleep anyway…”

As long as they weren’t in public and, like...not right up against someone’s room? Kokichi could be a little adventurous that night. It’d fallen by the wayside, but he knew Kaito had been excited to try more daring things together. Even if Kokichi didn’t actually have a throne to fuck on. 

“Oh, absolutely. Sometimes i wonder if you even like me, when all you want to do is shower me in non-sarcastic affection.” Kaito pouted, closing his eyes slightly at the kiss between them, before grinning excitedly up at him, his hands wandering around Kokichi’s waist. 

But just as Kaito had made up his mind to grab Kokichi and put himself on top of him, his husband escaped him, laying down next to him. Nefarious. Kaito would have to be quicker next time, turning over on his side to return some kisses, a few on his shoulder, then a few against his neck, his hands exploring his waist and hip…

Kaito laughed as Kokichi literally said “I know that can be a be kind of a dumb question to ask you” as his immediate thought was ‘Of course I want too’, but Kaito kissed Kokichi in response, shifting himself slightly more on top of his smaller husband, breathing in deeply as he pushed his tongue into the Diceans mouth, teasing and tasting as his hands squeezed at Kokichi’s hips… and breaking the kiss, Kaito laughed. “I want too… yeah, I want too… but thanks for asking anyway. Even your horndog husband likes to know he has options…”

Kissing down Kokichi’s neck, he murmured into his skin, “...you wanna go somewhere, huh...where can me and ‘Kichi go…”

Kaito shifted off Kokichi a bit when the closet door opened, giving his husband a quick kiss before saying, “Let’s put him to bed first, then we’ll work out where we’re going.” he whispered to him, giving Kokichi a wink, before sitting up, looking over at Shuichi, “You finished your medicine?”

Shuichi yawned. “Yes.” he said, heading towards the bed.

“Brush your teeth?”

Shuichi blinked, cursed slightly at himself, and headed to the bathroom. He came back out after two minutes, more minty fresh as he said, “Yes.” crawling into bed.

Kokichi indulged himself a bit in the deeper kiss between them, playing with Kaito’s tongue as he invited him in and running an appreciating hand down Kaito’s front. Even for him, sometimes the passionate kisses and handsy touching could get to be a bit much, but when he was in the mood? It felt nice to be with someone so excited. Who wanted him and wanted them to have the best time they could, even as much as the two of them had struggled with their ideas of what that meant. 

As it was, Kokichi was still left breathing heavier as Shuuichi came back into the room, then to a bathroom detour, and then back to bed. Grinning at his boyfriend, Kokichi helped tug the blankets up and around him, taking a moment to rub Shuuichi’s shoulder adoringly. 

“Think we’re gonna be up for a while longer, but Shuu-chan’s definitely getting his cuddle-buddies tonight, no worries,” he laughed quietly before calming into something more loving. “I love you Shuu-chan...and I’m so happy to be with you. For us to be a family together. Sleep well, alright?”

Shuichi laughed lightly, a little embarrassed at the attention, but his gaze pleased and adoring as he quietly told Kokichi, “Thanks...I love you too Kokichi. I really am excited by all of this… we’re having a daughter, Kokichi.”

Kaito, in turn, got up from the bed, moved to the side Shuichi usually slept on, and gently pushed him as he said, snickering at Kokichi, “First to bed means he gets middle spot. You’re gonna be fucking smothered in cuddles tomorrow morning. ‘Kichi’s gotta give up his spot sometimes.” Kaito teased, winking at Kokichi, before leaning down to kiss Shuuchi on the temple, brushing the hair out of his face as he said, “Remember, as great as the news was today, if you’re scared? You can tell us. We’re both here for you. You’re not going to scare us off. I promise…”

Kaito hesitated. He wanted to… do this in a formal way, actually. Had been thinking about this for awhile. It’s not like Shuichi didn’t know. But… he felt a strong desire to say it, and while he could repeat it more formally in the future, for now…

Giving Kokichi a slightly apologetic look, Kaito leaned into Shuichi’s ear, covering it with a hand, and Shuichi listened as Kaito whispered something to him… Shuichi smiling, if looking a little overwhelmed for a second, covering his face as he whispered back, “Yeah, I know…thank you. I love you too.”

“Just wanted to make sure.” Kaito whispered to him. 

Shuichi tried to tell them they could go, but Kaito and Kokichi made excuses and small jokes, Kokichi taking Shuichi’s hands and rubbing them slightly as Kaito took up shoulder duty, rubbing the muscle slightly with his thumb, just enough to sooth, and after awhile Shuichi’s eyes got heavier, and his eyes fluttered for a moment, and then were closed. Shuichi lulled to sleep with his loved ones around him. Maybe unnecessary, but after a day like today? Kokichi was right. It was important Shuichi knew he was loved, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Once he was out though, Kaito grinned, mouthing to Kokichi, “Come on, let’s go.”

There was a certain degree of teasing in Kokichi’s gaze, but he was eager too, so he gently got off the bed, about to head to the door before thinking better of it and quietly grabbing a condom and a few packets of lube from their drawer, putting them into his pockets with red cheeks before heading away. 

...he was curious what Kaito had told Shuuichi. Likely some word of reassuring love, but...with the look his husband had given him, it wasn’t for Kokichi to know yet. Maybe one day. 

...he wondered if his prediction of him and Kaito competing against each other to propose to Shuuichi first would come true. 

Once they were out in the hall, Kokichi latched onto Kaito’s arm, holding it in a hug sort of way, while he looked up curiously. “So...where do you wanna go?”

“I don’t know.” Kaito said honestly, looking down the hallway, excited, but not, like, desperate yet or anything, happy to discuss it casually as he said, “It’s kinda mostly up to you, beautiful. Where would you feel comfortable? You know the castle inside and out. Anywhere we can be private?”

Hmm… Well… His hand already up to start tap-tap-tapping at his lips, Kokichi thought better after a moment of silence and started to think aloud. “Well...the sauna’s nice and private, but after last time I’m worried about overheating… Greenhouse is out, no way. Med wing is out, since there’s gonna be people there, and also, that’s just too weird. There are empty bedrooms around, I guess…”

...after a moment, Kokichi looked up shyly. “...is bangin’ in a hot tub any good?”

Kaito’s eyebrows shot up slightly, before snickering, looking at his husband with open interest, “You know where a hot tub is? Do you guys have a hot tub in the castle?”

Kokichi nodded. “It’s only for residents, but yeah. The sauna’s good for warming up, but I guess at some point someone wanted something more. It’s not like...the most popular place, so I think it should be okay. And I know how to cycle the water to clean it too, so that’s not an issue.”

Getting that unsure, shy look again, Kokichi took a tentative step in the direction of the stairs. “So...yes?”

“Oh, hell yeah.” Kaito grinned, reaching for Kokichi’s hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing the joints as he said, “Lead the way, beautiful.”

They’d have to grab some towels from somewhere, and Kaito actually expected to use the hot tub as more of a way to sooth himself and Kokichi after the deed was done, considering that Kaito really, really wanted to push himself into Kokichi, and condoms did not work super well in hot water. He still had to consider his husbands health, and he wasn’t about to mess that up now. But, putting Kokichi on his knees, taking a bite out of him, and then relaxing with him in a hot tub? That sounded perfect… hopefully Kokichi would agree.

Kaito would propose the plan when he saw what kind of environment they were actually working with. Only having a towel to cushion against cement or tile would be unacceptable, not wanting his husband to bruise or be hurt trying to steady himself on that. He’d work with what was available. 

As they walked, Kaito said softly, “I’m sorry for whispering, before. I wasn’t trying to keep a secret from you, like, literally right in front of you. I was just…”

Kaito blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he said, “...Shuichi’s my legal partner in Luminary now. And, like… that’s not exactly like marriage. It’s a separate thing. But it’s kinda...bad. To make someone your legal partner and not...augh, sorry, I’m embarrassed. I should have waited to do it in some formal way, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m doing it all so backwards with Shuichi… but yeah. I was just trying to tell him I was swearing myself to him. Like, already considered myself sworn. And the first time you tell someone that, it’s sorta...considered polite to do it in private. I don’t know. It was just important to me he knew that’s where my heads at these days.”

Looking at Kokichi, he grinned in apology, as he said, “Sorry, my timing could have been better. I wasn’t trying to exclude you. Was just...trying to do it at least kinda right.”

Kokichi led the way down the stairs, not looking like he was doing anything more than an ambling walk so...they probably weren’t close to the hot tub at all yet. But, that just gave them more time to talk without being more focused on, ahem, other things. 

Which was quite a benefit when the subject was on the serious side. Kokichi gave Kaito a kind look, nodding along to his explanation and...yeah. More or less what he’d guessed, but with more connotations than what he’d understand. “I don’t feel excluded--it’s like what I said earlier, yeah? Still applies to this part of our relationship too--sometimes, there’s gonna be stuff that’s just for Kai-chan and Shuu-chan, even when I’m in the same room. Though, I do appreciate you cluing me in after the fact.”

Another sweet smile as Kokichi nuzzled his head against Kaito’s arm. “...that’s a really sweet and comforting thing to tell him, even if Shuu-chan already knows. Legally speaking, things might be different here, but...I mean, I can’t say that the thought of making some things official hasn’t crossed my mind…”

Kokichi’s cheeks went rosy. He...wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell Kaito about it. If Kaito would be okay with it, though that wasn’t a reason not to tell him eventually. But...it kind of came up so…

“...we got married politically, but...in Dicea, the leader is the only person to do something like that, marriage generally considered to be an emotional thing, you know? There’s not a legal difference if you’re married or not to someone, there’s just social stuff that comes with it…” Kokichi played with Kaito’s hand as he softly rambled, his feet still taking them where they needed to go without his focus. “And...without that political need… I don’t want to pressure Shuu-chan. We’ve been through a lot, and I consider my dedication true, and...no matter what, I’m gonna be one of Baby’s dads. I’m committed to that.”

The words were said firmly, not even the slightest space for questioning. But they softened in just the next sentence, worry tinging them. “...I don’t want him to feel pressured to say yes ‘cause we have a kid. Because eyes are on us. I wanna do this right too...waiting for us to grow together so if he says yes, then...it’s because no matter our circumstances, our feelings are in the right place.” 

“Oh, trust me, I totally get where your head is at. It… kind of bothers me that like, with both of you…” Kaito sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, “I mean… you both could have dated people before me. That’s not…” Kaito laughed, suddenly looking shame-faced as he said, “Sorry, I was… I was about to say ‘that’s not my fault’ but that would imply there’s a fault anywhere. There isn’t. Both of you, due to… circumstances out of your control, didn’t manage to date people before me. And Nao doesn’t count.” Kaito suddenly growled, muscles tensing...before taking a soothing breath. Unruffling himself. 

“But, yeah, it… it worries me that I’m just… what a relationship is, to you two. I’m so glad you both have each other, honestly… it makes me feel… “ a little less like they were both trapped with him. “... like you both know you have other options, if you wanted them. That’s important to me…”

“And, yeah. Before Byakuya put the paperwork through to make us legal partners? I was in the same mindset. I just wanted to give him time to really decide what he wants to do. Without drug stuff and, like, maybe in the future where the baby stuff is less urgent and frightening… I don’t want him to feel trapped.” Kaito said, saying aloud the previous thought he had been trying to steer away from anyway. 

“But, like I said… taking on a legal partner and not swearing yourself to them in any way? That’s a fucked up thing to do.” Kaito muttered, “Back home, anyway. I might as well just straight up tell people I think Shuichi’s a whore, if I did that. I know he knows that I don’t think of him that way. He knows I’m dedicated to him. Hell, I’ve been sworn to him for years, relationship or not, at least in actions. Him and Maki both. But to not say it aloud, after everything that’s happened?”

“He deserves more from me. So… even if it’s just to quell my own sense of, like, morality? When it comes to relationships? I have to let him know I’m sworn to him, even if I’d rather give him wiggle room to escape me someday, if he wants too.”

Kokichi hugged Kaito’s arm for a moment before smiling up at him. “Even if I didn’t manage anything before...well, I’m happy to be dating Kai-chan now. And I know there are gonna be these mean little things that are gonna pop up in your head to tell you that what I’m about to say isn’t true, but fuck ‘em. I think Kai-chan is a pretty damn good first person to date.”

“And I’m quite happy that Shuu-chan is my second, even with the first still going on.”

Unlike previous leaders and their partners, it was...a little more imperative that, at the very least, Kaito and Kokichi put on a show of liking each other. Maybe not as much as when the wedding had been going on, but...they were still a symbol. No matter how some people twisted it...they were still a symbol of Diceans and Luminaries coexisting. 

But Kokichi didn’t want to do just the bare minimum. He genuinely loved Kaito and...it was just a side benefit, honestly, that made his love a beacon of peace and understanding for others. 

(Made him a target sometimes too, but...that was the minority. A freak accident.)

Nodding along with Kaito’s oath, Kokichi hummed. “Legally...well, Shuu-chan’s our surrogate, and we’re equal parents in a polycule relationship. It means that we’re all equally responsible for Baby, and that people treat us all as parents. But...when it’s just in terms of the three of us… I love Shuu-chan. I want to do right by him in every way I can. It’d be nice to make that a big statement someday...but I want it to be when we all feel ready.”

Kaito sighed, nodding his head. “Yeah. Like I said, we’re doing it all… way out of order. And while you and I couldn’t help any of it, with Shuichi… I wish I could have given him a more traditional relationship. But now we just gotta do the best we can with the circumstances. So long as we’re all taking care of each other, I guess…”

Kaito laughed, shaking his head. “Sorry, I got a little melancholy for a moment there. We are! We’re doing our best. So long as you two feel loved? That you know I’m dedicated, and you feel taken care of?” Kaito grinned down at Kokichi, squeezing his hand, “Then that’s enough. I can be happy with that.”

“I’m happy too.” Kokichi grinned right back, squeezing Kaito’s hand and swinging it a little, paying attention just enough to make a turn to a door that not many people went to. It wasn’t the basement door that they’d gone to all those months ago, first for Kohtalon’s sacrifice, and then for Kokichi’s secret knife-throwing lesson, and, in fact, this part of the basement wasn’t connected to that room at all. 

Instead of a storage space, Kokichi led the way downward into a dimly lit, but cozy little area, what they stepped into clearly just some sort of lounge, but Kokichi didn’t stop their trek there. 

“So...don’t go telling everyone about this, okay? Like I said, residents only...and even then, not a ton of people come down here. I think a past Ouma just wanted some more privacy than their own room and...I dunno. It’s just been a tradition to keep it that way.”

“I’m going to tell Shuichi and Maki.” Kaito confessed immediately, staring wide eyed as Kokichi led him down an out of the way basement, Kaito intrigued by the secretive nature of the area. He wondered if there were, like… any actual secret rooms or tunnels in the castle.

 Luminary castle had tons, escape tunnels, secret rooms and bunkers and dungeons. But, funnily enough, those were add-ons from the old regime, and back when the revolution/takeover had first happened, it had been the Momota family themselves who had leaked out the acquired blueprints to the castle. Making it easier for their allies to storm the castle when it was time.

So, all the ‘secret’ tunnels and rooms, for the most part? Were common knowledge. For safety reasons, certain areas had been filled in and blocked off, secret rooms became just difficult to get too private rooms, a lot of the old spy tunnels just became easy ways for the servants to get from room to room without dealing with its occupants. 

The secret dungeons were still dungeons. It was just generally understood you didn’t want to end up in them. Byakuya had tried to show them to Kaito once, when they were kids, but when they had gotten close enough to hear voices, Kaito had gotten scared and ran for it. He had never tried to see them since.

“This is amazing though, Kokichi...look at this room! It’s so cozy!” Kaito gushed, allowing himself to be lead through it, but still looking at the lounge with open appreciation. “Whichever Ouma set this place up had some taste.”

“I mean, they’re residents too. Free game,” Kokichi giggled. There were plenty of other interesting places to explore in the castle, but the basement had always felt like...going to a friend’s house, or what Kokichi guessed that was like. Somewhere private and loved and just a little weird. The outdated style of some of the furniture in the lounge surely ticked that box. 

Half-shrugged, Kokichi gave the cozy room his own glance. “I’m pretty sure it’s from before my dad’s mentor’s time but...I dunno. There were a lot of rumors about how reclusive her husband was--maybe she set this up for him? Or improved on what was here that an older Ouma did.”

“There’s a bunch of rules for it, but an Ouma is the only person allowed to change the castle, you know? Like Aiichi making the observatory. Other than like...the kitchens, the main hall, a few bedrooms and bathrooms...maybe other stuff. But other than those? Everything has been added by an Ouma at one point or another, adding something they felt the castle needed.”

And, apparently, one of those things was a small corridor that looked sort of like a laundry room, but lacked the equipment, instead housing towels and cleaning supplies and little cubbies. Nodding to the door on the far end of the corridor, Kokichi started to let go of Kaito’s hand to start undressing. “And the hot tub’s right past here.” 

Kaito nodded, finding the idea of there being rules to changing the castle a little strange, but, well, there was probably some… heritage thing to it, maybe? Or something. 

Kaito sniffed the air, and smiled, warm memories of going to the school swimming pool coming to mind. Also, Yuta’s swim meets… Kaito hadn’t been able to go to many, not like Shuichi, but during the big final competitions ones? He had been there, sitting with Shuichi, cheering Yuta on. And he has always liked the smell of it. That bleached, standing water scent…

The red-headed prince grinned at Kokichi, looking back towards the lounge as he threw off his shirt, his heart starting to get that excited little thump-thump-thump as he said, “Do any of these doors have locks? I know you said people rarely come down here, but, man, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to leave it up to chance.”

He might have with other people. Hell, with other people, he probably wouldn’t have asked. But he doesn’t want his shy husband traumatized by some random person just trying to take a dip in the hot tub.

(Like, holy shit, his father or someone.)

Kokichi had just gotten off his sweater when he perked, kind of...completely forgetting something that, yeah, he’d prefer. Giving Kaito a sheepish grin, he jogged back out into the lounge and pulled out a hidden door from where the stairs started. “This door doesn’t have a lock. But since it’s kind of a pain to deal with, people get the idea if they see it closed. The door at the top of the stairs does have a lock, but...I think someone might get more curious if they try and see it locked… Like they think someone locked it on accident, then they go through the trouble of getting the key…”

He shook his head. “Easier with a courtesy door. ‘N most people are settling down for the night anyway, so if they wanted to come hang out down here, they’d likely already be doing it.”

Kaito nodded, kicking off his pants, and then his underwear, tossing them with his shirt and shoes, and stretching a bit, feeling that comfortable feeling of his body finally getting some air… before he snickered. “Let me actually check to see if the hot tub itself is empty. We’re making a lot of assumptions right now, babe. Wish me luck!”

Not super worried about his own nudity, Kaito quickly trotted down the hall, peeking inside the room as he called out, “Hello? Anyone here? Helloooo…” he called out, looking inside.

Kokichi blanched at that prospect, realizing that he really hadn’t thought this out much, but, thankfully, what Kaito found at the end of the corridor was a room dominated by a covered, presumably, hot tub, little twinkling lights providing the mood around the walls while subtle vents were carved into the ceiling, evidently just at ground level to let steam out and provide circulation to the hot tub room. 

The tub wasn’t even filled with water yet, let alone any people.

Kaito’s eyes practically sparkled. “Kokichi! This thing is beautiful! Why has it taken us four months to come down here!?”

Kaito stepped inside, looking around, genuinely impressed. It was a small room, but that just added to the atmosphere of it, as he reached out to touch the walls. The walls were a dark, grayish color, and with the lights, almost seemed to shimmer in color, dark pupils and blues bouncing back and forth, shimmering on the otherwise dark gray coloring. He imagined the light of the water itself would add even more colors…

Reaching down, he grabbed the long, wooden covering, grabbing its edges and pulling them over into their center fold, grunting slightly with effort as he hiked it up, moving the covering at first just to prop it against the wall, before realizing there was actually a some hooks on the wall, clearly meant to safely hang the wooden cover up. It looked nice… though Kaito frowned at the tragic lack of water in the hot tub as he called out, “‘Kichi? We might be out of luck babe…”

Coming back to the hot tub room, now only in an undershirt and underwear, Kokichi looked around in concern before sending his husband a grin. “I told you I know how to circulate the water, didn’t I?” 

He climbed up onto the side of the tub and sidled his way to a back corner where a few different knobs and switch valves were inset between the tub and the wall. There were a few moments of the sound of things being turned, before a low rumbling sounded from the walls, and a moment after that, there was a gurgle from the bottom of the tub, water starting to come in before a steadier flow started. 

Beaming proudly over at his husband, Kokichi stayed perched on the side of the tub. “We’re not supposed to get in until it’s full and the temperature regulates, but it shouldn’t be too long. It goes through the castle filtration along with the natural groundwater routes, so it’s super clean! And will get super clean when we’re done with it too.”

“Awww, look at my capable husband.” Kaito praised, looking down at the now filling water. The standing water smell was getting stronger now, along with the distinctive scent of hot water against stone. “Awesome.” Kaito said, very pleased…

“Okay! Proposal and boundary talk early! Before we even start! I am getting better with my timing all the time!” Kaito laughed, looking at the edges of the hot tub, mentally doing some comparisons… “Okay! Give me one second!”

Heading back to the lounge, Kaito looked at the couches and chairs, and going to the long ones, looked at the underside of the wooden poles, seeing the cushions were tied on from the underside. Untying them, he grinned to see it was the style where all the cushions were sewn together and, like a hunter bringing home a kill, he hoisted the long cushion length over his head and trotted cheerfully back.

“So! Here’s my thought process!” Kaito told Kokichi, laying the cushion set on the side of the hot tub ledge, it being just about the right size, if maybe a tad too wide. That was alright, that just meant neither of them would cut themselves on the edges. Perfect, actually. “We shouldn’t actually do anything in the hottub itself? Sexy, I mean, other than maybe some very sexy cuddling. Just cause, like…” Kaito grinned at Kokichi, rubbing the back of his neck, “I mean, condoms, right? You grabbed a condom and some lube packets so… I mean, we don’t have too, if you’d rather not, but I assumed you were up to getting, ya know...fucked properly?”

Smirking at Kokichi, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands as he looked at Kokichi from the other side of the hottub, he said, “I want to get all up in that ass today, is what I’m trying to say… if you’re up to that!” Kaito laughed.

Kokichi nodded with a slight serious look, always open to the boundaries talk. While it didn’t tend to get him worked up, it was still enjoyable, though...he had no idea what Kaito was doing until he returned, making the connection in his head. And with not doing anything in the hot tub…

...oh yeah, huh. Lube was kinda made to dissolve in hot water. 

With a bit of a bashful look, Kokichi nodded. “All good by me, though I’d like to add kissing alongside sexy cuddling for the hot tub adventures.”

“And oh, believe me, I wanna get Kai-chan deep inside of me.” Kokichi gave his husband almost an exasperated look, if not for the twinkles of excitement in his eyes. “I liked being worked open, but it always feels like way too long in between whenever Kai-chan rails me. It feels good when it’s a tight fit...but not too tight, you know?”

He sighed, resting a cheek on his knee. “...can’t wait ‘til Seiko gives you the all clear. You can still cum inside me in a condom, but it’s not the same. I miss feeling Kai-chan being brought to the height of pleasure in me…”

Kaito couldn’t help it. He felt that old, familiar, just...rush of possession in him. He loved it when Kokichi talked like that, but man, it did things to him… plus, he loved this atmosphere. It wasn’t dark, but the coloring of the wall (which, indeed, was getting a rainbow sheen against some of the smoother parts of its rock walling, shimmering from the reflecting of the water that was slowly filling at the bottom, steam drifting up from the flowing pipes) made it feel as if it was. Long shadows were cast from wherever Kokichi and Kaito were, each of them blocking one or two of the small lights dug into the rock walls. 

The whole effect came across as very ‘other’, at least to Kaito. Like the two were tucked away somewhere lost and unknown. 

It was exciting, and when Kaito laughed this time, it was in a slightly lower pitch, grinning wolfishly at his husband, his magenta eyes flashing occasionally in the lights as Kaito stood up, taking small, purposeful steps along the hot tub edge, eyes trained on Kokichi as he said, “Good. I like when it feels tight too… but not too tight.” Kaito chuckled, his long feet patting lightly against the stone, taking his time. “Not enough to hurt you, but...just enough to know I have to work for it...that brief moment, where your insides push and squeeze against me, before letting me in… letting me have what’s mine...”

Kaito was enjoying himself, but for a second, he could actually hear Shuichi go ‘You’re acting kind of weird’ and, laughing, the baritone pitch gone, he stopped, saying, “Alright! So you’re good with the cushion plan, then ultimate snuggling! Good! Boundaries, babe.” Kaito said, moving his hands behind his back, clasping them together as he rocked back and forth on his feet, going out of his way to make himself appear less threatening as he grinned softly at him, “What’s your Kai-chan allowed to do today? What do you feel up to? You don’t have to explain any of it, or justify it. Just tell me, and I’ll respect it.”

Kokichi shivered a little, that old familiar tone really only meaning one thing in his mind (well, within that meaning it meant lots of things, some fading with time, but in the overhead, Kaito only really ever spoke like that when he was intending to give Kokichi a good time) and...he was ready. It had been a while, and after a good day with wonderful news and the love of his friends and family...getting some lovin’ from his husband was like the perfect tie up to a day like that. 

So it was a little jarring for Kaito to immediately snap out of that tone, but… Kokichi giggled softly, admiring the way Kaito looked in the lights before he looked around, taking into account the tub and the cushion and everything…

“...is it still doing stuff in the tub if I’m kneeling in it and you’re sitting on the side? Cause I wanna give you a blow job, then have you put me on my back while my legs go over your shoulders. Or...whatever our proportions are actually doing there.”

Kaito grinned wider, the muscles around his pecs and his neck tightening against each other as he tensed somewhat in excitement, his back canines showing as he said, “I think that could be allowed.”

Kaito followed the edge of the tub till he finally got to Kokichi, his husband still largely dressed, which was fine. Kaito enjoyed undressing. He loomed over him for a moment, Kaito getting excited, could feel those dangerous feelings coursing through him… and he sighed. Squatting down next to Kokichi, he took his husbands face in his hands, gently, and kissed his lips chastly, before saying quietly.

“...alright. I have my own boundary question. Or, well… a request for a limit, I guess. I keep trying to guess, but… I think I’m just doing that to spare myself the shame of asking. To let you know I want this. But I don’t have to have it.” Kaito said sternly, looking at his husband as seriously as he could. “You don’t have to agree to anything that makes you uncomfortable, ‘Kichi, not when it comes to me, not ever. You’re never putting me out, okay?”

Kissing Kokichi again, Kaito laughed, a little embarrassed (a little ashamed) as he confessed, “I...I like being rough with you. I like being a little…” Kaito hesitated, before just calling it what it was, “I like being a little mean. And forceful… and I’ve been trying to do that less. I…I really pushed that onto you at the beginning, and I shouldn't have done that, and...and I’ve been trying to make up for that, but…”

Kaito sighed, looking back up at Kokichi, having let his eyes fall to the floor for a moment. Beautiful eyes. Kokichi had such ethereal eyes… “But I still want to do it.” he confessed, “I just don’t want to do it at your expense. So… I need permission. And I need to know you’ll stop me when it’s too much. And I just…” Kaito gave his husband an uneasy smile, “I want to make you a little afraid, sometimes, without actually scaring you. I never want you to feel like you’re in danger around me, or like you can’t speak up… so yeah. That’s my boundary thing. Can I… be a little rough and mean?”

Kokichi kissed back gently, getting the sense that this was more vulnerable than the intense aura Kaito had been emitting just a second ago. Gently stroking around Kaito’s wrists, Kokichi listened, and smiled. 

“I was wondering what was going on…” Kokichi’s smile was gentle and loving. Open. “I like it when you’re rough with me. Maybe we can’t do it as much as when we were in the office, since...it didn’t hurt, getting sick was the worst of it, really, but my back was like...all purple. As much as I’d like you to fuck me into a wall, that’s too far.” Kokichi’s sigh was audibly disappointed. 

“So...being rough? A-okay. ...being mean?” He paused, really giving the idea proper consideration. Thinking about what Kaito was like their first few times, considering what he liked, what he didn’t… And after a moment, Kokichi looked back up, gently cupping Kaito’s cheek. “...I think I’m secure enough now for that. When you tease me for being greedy and that stuff, but like...the less light-hearted times. Our first few times...I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought I was...horrible in bed. Like I was a warm body and nothing more to you…”

Kokichi sat up a little more, pressing his nose to Kaito’s. “...but I know that’s not true. And...I can have more faith in myself.”

“But...would it be okay, after we’re done, if you reassure me anyway? You can be mean, but...don’t let it be the last word. And if either of us pinch, we stop.” 

Kaito winced slightly at the memory of Kokichi’s back (he had been worried about that too, back then. Kokichi’s body bruised easily, but that had… that had been too much. It had made Kaito a little nauseous to look at him, just constantly worried he was hurt.), and his stomach sunk slightly at Kokichi talking about how Kaito had made him feel in the beginning. It wasn’t anything he didn’t know, Kokichi’s tears and fears from that night where Kato had more than crossed the line being far more than just about what had happened that night. Kaito, never, ever wanted his husband to feel that way again...he still felt sick thinking about it. How careless he had been with him…

But this conversation was necessary. Kaito could punish himself forever, if it came to it, but it wouldn’t matter if he still, after all that punishment, wasn’t actually bothering to listen to Kokichi, or think about how his husband was feeling about things. This was a question he should have asked months ago, but again, had just been… too afraid and embarrassed to confess that it was something he wanted. A series of behavior he was constantly at risk for falling back into, with Kokichi. 

At least, with this? He was giving his husband a sword and armor. Kokichi not entirely taken off guard by it, and having no idea what to do about it. Could make his own demands and requests in return.

That was worth Kaito’s shame. And, honestly...he felt better to have done that. Like part of a weight was taken off his back as he grinned, the expression sloppy, almost giddy, as he laughed, nodding his head and kissing Kokichi again. “You say stop? I stop. You say back off, off I go. You pinch me? Everything stops, until it’s okay to go again, whatever is wrong fixed. And afterwards, I tell my husband all about how amazing he is, and how much I love him, and tell him all the true, wonderful things I’m constantly in awe about him for.” Kaito promised, taking Kokichi’s hand and, kissing at his pinky knuckle, saying seriously, “I promise. I swear in Atua’s name. Thank you for trusting me, beautiful...”

Kissing his pinky knuckle again, Kaito grinned softly at his husband...before his gaze got sharper.

“You can keep the shirt on.” he said, before pulling slightly at Kokichi’s underwear, his grin sharp and wolfish. Brow furrowed, “But these go before you start to blow me. I like being able to see your ass…”

Kokichi smiled at the kiss to his pinky, believing in Kaito. The best apology was changed behavior...and Kaito had changed a lot. This conversation was the culmination of it. Even if it looked like they were right where they started, being rough in bed, Kaito all sharp smiles while he teased and Kokichi mewled...it was different. It was a place they agreed to be, their boundaries set and safeguards put into place. 

Consent meant a world of difference. Having the ability to choose meant everything. 

Snickering, Kokichi leaned back to pull his shirt off, sticking his tongue out at Kaito. “Sure, sure, least I could do since Kai-chan’s gonna be squinting through the water to see it. Wearing a shirt still makes me a far stone’s throw from Shuu-chan, you know?”

Once he was shirtless, Kokichi circled his arms around Kaito’s neck, leaning in. “Now let’s make out already! I’d like to hit the bone zone before it’s the middle of the night.”

“Tch.” Kaito tsked, putting one arm around Kokichi’s back, and another around his waist, so that when Kaito leaned him onto his back, Kokichi wasn’t actually laying against the hard stone flooring, kissing at his husband a moment, biting lightly at his lower lip, before kissing him softly there as he murmured, “Greedy.”

Kaito moved his upper arm to cradle Kokichi’s head and neck, Kokichi’s head pushed back into his palm as Kaito kissed him, pushing his lower arm under Kokichi’s waistband, feeling up his ass and squeezing there as he pushed his underwear down, his large hands going up the back of Kokichi’s thighs, chasing the underwear, and while he had meant to just take them off, an idea hit him once they were at Kokichi’s knees. 

Experimentally, Kaito twisted the fabric in his fists, locking Kokichi’s knees together. The fabric still gripped in his fists, he moved it this way and that, Kokichi’s legs following the movement. Nice…

Kissing Kokichi a little more throughout the experiment, Kaito broke the kiss, before he looked teasingly down at his husband, saying, “Mmmm… I could take you like this. Maybe grind against you a little, just make use of those pretty, milk-white thighs...what do you think, ‘Kichi? I think that could be fun. Could you make it worth my while to let you go instead?” Kaito asked, lifting Kokichi by his knees a little, adjusting himself so that Kokchi’s backside was sitting on his lap, Kaito still being careful that Kokichi wasn’t being pressed into the ground in any way as he leaned in, kissing at his neck as he hummed, “Hmm?”

There it was. Kokichi couldn’t help laughing softly against Kaito’s lips, just...tickled by that word said in this way again. Kaito’s greedy Kokichi, always trying to rush ahead. 

While it was instinct to part his legs once Kaito started feeling around down there, Kokichi managed to keep them together enough so that they could actually get his underwear off, but he found himself surprised when they stopped at his knees, his legs bound together (and not even in the realm of ripping free, Kaito making sure he wasn’t cutting off the bloodflow, and even if Kokichi had wanted to, he didn’t have the strength for such a thing). 

Huffing a laugh, Kokichi hummed happily at the kisses Kaito was lavishing on his face and neck, being moved around by his knees rather exciting, actually. “Making fun of me for being pale? What a low blow… Which is something I wouldn’t even be able to attempt in this position, but I guess Kai-chan really doesn’t want my mouth around his cock… I was even gonna deep-throat ya for a bit, but I guess nope! Kai-chan doesn’t want me to suck or lick or do anything for him!”

Kaito huffed, the sound becoming a groan, sounding incredibly conflicted as he said, “Oh… that’s cheating. You know I love it when you deepthroat me.” Kaito pouted, sighing as he experimentally started grinding his hips against Kokichi’s backside, just adoring the way Kokichi’s body bent for him...before saying, “Fine. You win this one, ‘Kichi. But I’ll get you next time.” Kaito joked, before loosening his grip, finishing shuffling Kokichi’s underwear off, tossing it aside, before lifting Kokichi’s back up,so he was sitting against Kaito’s legs.

Rubbing Kokichi’s back as Kaito went back to kissing him, Kaito breathed into him, “...I didn’t love you from the beginning. That’s true. But Kokichi, you were never a warm body for me… you were always special. And ethereal. And too good for me. I know now that the drug had a lot to do with it, but… when you asked me to help you? To take care of you...I felt so honored. So privileged. I may not have loved you, but I loved that you would trust me with something so vulnerable, after showing me how hard doing that was for you… you were always special to me.”

Pulling as much of Kokichi against himself as he could, his next kiss forceful, his arms tight around him, his hand on the back of Kokichi’s neck, as Kaito tried to get as close as he could to Kokichi without literally being inside of him, he said, “You’re not a warm body, and you’re not, and are never, a substitute for Shuichi. You’re Kokichi. I love Kokichi. I love you, specifically, Kokichi… all the ups and all the downs. I love you.”

Kaito then grinned at him, and said, “Get ready for a small ride.” Before swooping him into a bridal hold, picking Kokichi up and heading towards the cushions.

“Cheating just like when you finger my sweet spot,” Kokichi snickered, knowing that he gottem. But it was nice feeling Kaito grind against him a bit, Kokichi rewarding him with a small sigh before his husband gave up the charade and gave Kokichi full access to his lap. Which Kokichi naturally took advantage of, feeling up Kaito’s chest, rounding his fingers over Kaito’s nipples and half massaging his pecs. 

In true Kaito fashion, though, they never kept just one pace. 

...he knew. He knew that, now, Kaito loved him, and had never thought of him as...all the things that he’d feared. The things that scared him when they talked around it in the bathtub, warm water the only thing to soothe the pain of their wedding night. The things that always had made Kokichi feel insecure and like Kaito was going to leave him. The thing that made Kokichi offer sex right after waking up choking on a dick. 

It hadn’t all just been Kokichi’s fears...but he knew that Kaito had never meant to hurt him. 

It still felt nice to hear it, though.

Kokichi pressed close to his husband, eyes burning a little as he tried to convey the love and appreciation he felt just through their kiss, but...yanno, words were good too. “I love Kai-chan too… My amazing, special, brilliant Kai-chan. You give me a lot to admire...to make me, muh, want to be better. I trust you...trust is so hard sometimes, but I trust you, and I love you, and I want my Kai-chan to always be able to shine as bright as he is… The world is such a better place with you in it.”

Giggling as they landed back at the cushions, Kokichi enacted his own strength to pull Kaito down (or, really, pull himself up) to meet his husband’s lips once again, teasing his lips with little nibbles before taking some of his breath for his own.

Kaito (high on Kokichi’s words, happy and giddy and a little overwhelmed in a small, subdued way. Had he not already been communicating in his favorite way, he might be a little loss for how to express to Kokichi how happy he made him. But, ya know… he was pretty good at expressing himself physically, and spun Kokichi a bit, laughing, before placing him down on the curtain, before hugging his waist as Kokichi pulled himself up into a kiss) allowed Kokichi to steal from his breath for as long as he could, loving the feeling of trying to follow Kokichi’s lead in the kiss, until his neck started to strain from the effort. Breaking the kiss, Kaito took a much needed breath, his gaze a little lost and dizzy, before muttering, “You’re getting really good at that…”

And then, wanting a little revenge, Kaito trailed his hand down Kokichi’s stomach, petting that coarse happy trail down to his goal, as he placed his lips arounds Kokichi’s nipple, taking it between his teeth for a moment, ever so slightly pinching it, before licking it, easing the sting as he took Kokichi’s dick into his hand, starting to massage the muscle there.

Kokichi looked ecstatic at that compliment--his confidence of their relationship was much better these days, but being praised always put him in a better mood. Enough that he was still grinning even as he let out a light hiss, shivering at the bite on his chest before, ah, there it was, he parted his legs a bit for Kaito’s touch. 

“Mmm…” Finally getting some action, even if that “finally” was just a week or two. But, still. Too long, in Kokichi’s opinion. Sensation starting to alight in his crotch, Kokichi kept one of his arms high, still around Kaito’s shoulders as he trailed light touches just behind his jaw, while the other felt along his husband’s side. “Kai-chan really knows how to treat me right… I can only hope I return the favor…”

Kaito shivered at the press against his jaw, almost wishing for a moment that Kokichi had never discovered that about him. Fuck. It always sent a shiver up his spine in a way that was both weirdly vulnerable and like...way enticing. But wasn’t super helpful when he was trying to be all grrr, growly.

He liked to feel his husband adjust to his touch again though. Those little parting movements, opening himself up, like, if Kaito could wax poetic for a second, a flower opening up to sunlight...he laughed at that thought, letting Kokichi’s nipples go as he kissed against the younger princes’ chest and stomach. “Sometimes I just can’t get over you. You know that? You drive me wild… I get so jealous of you.” he murmured, kissing to Kokichi’s neck, still slowly working his fingers over Kokichi’s cock, taking his time. Going slow and easy. “It’s a good thing The Beast is so unmanageable… I’d be fighting Shuichi over you every time we’re all together…”

Kaito chuckled, “More than we already do, I mean.”

Kokichi kept letting his happy sighs escape, though he made a soft questioning sound before Kaito elaborated. Scoffing lightly, he drawled, “You mean, about as much as Shuu-chan and I fight over you, and you and me over him? Each of us always excited to make the others feel good…”

A more disappointed sigh this time. “I know it’s probably...mm. Still kind of uncomfortable right now...but lemme live vicariously through you once you an’ Shuu-chan figure it out more, okay? Wish he could fuck me like that but...I kinda need my butt.”

“Thankfully, that’s not the only way to fuck someone,” Kokichi airily laughed, leaning forward to kiss around the shell of Kaito’s ear as he gently scratched the back of his head, only the barest of forces greater than just running his fingers through Kaito’s hair. Kokichi might appreciate rougher treatment time to time, but...he didn’t like being rough with his lovers. Teasing was its own thing, of course, but giving them flattering or excited words, never grasping too hard when he could help it… He knew he was the most fragile out of all of them, not to mention the weakest, but he still wanted to be careful. Venerating, in a way. His loves were special and precious, after all. 

“Oh, trust me babe, I will tell you all about it. I’m actually really looking forward to it. And, sure, he fusses and worries about me, but I know that when we can manage it, Shuichi’s going to enjoy himself. It’ll be worth it to let him let loose on us, sometimes.” Kaito chuckled, kissing his lovers cheek as he felt light kisses around his earrings (it was astounding he still only had two. Probably more of a testament to Kokichi successfully not pissing off Maki all the time than anything. Kaito had worried he’d have to actually stop Maki at some point, if it had gotten out of hand.). 

“Though, again, I’m a mean, jealous asshole…” Kaito admitted, as he confessed, “I think I would have been endlessly pouty if Shuichi got to fill you up instead of me, during our sessions. Our Kokichi can only take so much, after all…somehow I think if me and Shuichi both tried to take you in a night, your need to sleep would beat one of us. The other one just endlessly disappointed to be missing out on Kokichi time. I’d get so whiney if it was me...”

Murmuring into Kokichi’s ear, pressing his hand into his husband's collarbone, his breath hot against Kokichi’s skin, “And maybe I’m a little possessive too… I like the idea that there’s a little part of you that I get to keep all to myself. A space…” Kaito took his hand away from Kokichi’s crotch, moving his fingers up his abdomen, before pressing just below Kokichi’s bellybutton, “...that only I ever get to touch…”

“A little bit of ‘Kichi that’s always, only mine…” Kaito growled, taking a piece of Kokichi’s neck and biting down, as his hand ran along Kokichi’s stomach, endlessly looking forward to filling up that space soon. But, of  course, the bite was light, and Kaito released it after a second, licking the small bruising spot for a moment before kissing against it.

Then, hesitating for a moment… Kaito swallowed, and shifted to rest on his elbows, looking down at Kokichi as he said, a tad softly, “...I’d really like to hear you say it.”

Sure, Kokichi wasn’t the biggest fan of topping, and his only real experience...well, they could all agree that was something of an outlier. But it had felt good, and Kokichi knew that Shuuichi liked the emotional side of things, so if he could get the physical someday? He would be flustered and turned on, watching his lovers together, but he’d be really happy for Shuuichi. 

And kind of jealous of Kaito, but also happy for him too. 

Kokichi snorted, kissing along Kaito’s cheek as he slowly rose up from his chest. “Hey, I’m greedy, remember? I may not have it in me to last long...but if I was present with the option of being taken by my two favorite people, I’d figure something out. No one pouty!” 

They’d all figure something out, most likely. They usually figured out a good order for things, making sure everyone was engaged and taken care of...but a memory flashed in Kokichi’s mind. Sitting in Kaito’s lap, but all over Shuuichi, both his lovers trying to pull his attention to themselves… He wanted everyone to have a good time, and that meant everyone having time with everyone...but it was nice to be wanted. To feel like a main event, more than an afterthought. 

Kokichi moaned softly when Kaito bit at his neck, but his expression was soft, just circling his arms around his husband for a moment. 

“...I’m yours, Kai-chan. There’s never a question about that.” Kokichi blinked slowly up at Kaito and carded his fingers through his hair. In some ways...Kokichi was never going to be able to love Kaito like he wanted. To put one person as your priority above all else… But he did love Kaito in his own way. Doing whatever he could for his love and...just hoping that he wouldn’t be at odds with the things Kokichi couldn’t compromise. 

But there were some promises he could make. 

Kissing at the corner of Kaito’s mouth, Kokichi promised, “I’m yours, and no one’s gonna touch me there but you. Shuu-chan can finger me, but only Kai-chan can be inside me. No one else.”

Kaito felt his heart warm, which was… “Pfff.” Kaito laughed, resting his head against Kokichi’s chest for a moment. 

“I’m such a goof.” Kaito chuckled, jolting slightly when, as he turned over, resting his head against Kokichi’s stomach, he felt hot water start lapping at his feet, the water starting to fill higher in the tub. Letting his feet adjust, he reached for Kokichi’s hand, bringing it up to kiss at his palm as he said, “I wanted to try to keep this fierce and sexy, but that was too cute. I’m kinda gushing a little. Give me a second, babe.”

Kaito laughed again, putting his free hand over his eyes as he kept holding Kokihi’s other hand. “Geez...I’m such a mess. Why you gotta do me like that, beautiful? God you’re so cute. It’s really not fair.”

Kokichi giggled softly, patting Kaito’s head. “It’s a curse, I know. I’m like King Sadim, except instead of turning everything to gems, everything I touch becomes cute. That’s why Kai-chan is so adorable, since I can’t keep my hands off him.”

After a moment, though, he giggles tapered out. “...I did have you promise me that, though. It’s different with Shuu-chan in our relationship now, but… Other than you two? ...I never want anyone to touch me. And considering it’s kinda physically impossible for Shuu-chan to get in me...that means Kai-chan is the only person I ever want in me. And now we’ve both promised that.”

Kokichi took a breath, not taken out of the mood from that but just...feeling the weight, he guessed. He looked over into the tub and noticed the rising water level, humming after a moment. “...gotta settle the valves once it’s full...do you want jets?”

“‘Kichi, babe, if there’s not jets, it’s literally just a bath without soap.” Kaito chuckled, sitting up, not necessarily taken out of the mood, but definitely in a different headspace than the one he had been trying to generate. Ah well. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. If sex always went as planned, then exploring it all these years wouldn’t have been nearly interesting enough for the Luminary Prince.

Looking over to admire Kokichi’s body, his husband not exactly revved yup yet despite Kaito’s efforts, Kaito looked at those thin, small arms and legs, that often too thin stomach that still sometimes worried Kaito to this day.. And well. If he wasn’t going to pull off growly sex today?

Kaito grinned softly at his husband. “Hey, babe” he said. “Can I get a story today?”

Kokichi looked over in slight surprise, not expecting that Kaito would drop the ‘rough and mean’ stuff but...well, if you weren’t in the mood, you weren’t in the mood. And if Kaito got inspired by the story, then it was good they talked it out already!

Stretching out on the cushions, Kokichi hummed, drawing out the sound before he rolled slightly to fix up the tub valves, naturally making sure his nonexistent ass that Kaito loved so much was on display. “I’m always happy to regale my Kai-chan with a tale, but...what should it be about? Have any requests? I’ve told you about our letter mishap, one of my favorite festivals, what I’ve imagined for myself…”

Kaito’s eyes followed Kokichi (he did it on purpose, Kaito was sure of it...look at the way he moved his hips...nefarious) as he moved, kicking his legs in the water slightly as he hummed to himself. “Hmmmm...oh!” Kaito looked at Kokichi with an excited grin, as he said, “Babe… do you remember our first date? About a week after we got married?”

“I was trying to surprise you, talking to your friends about where you likely wanted to go. I thought I was being so sneaky, saying I wanted to go on a midnight hike, the two of us sneaking out of the castle together… not for any particular reason. We just liked the idea of being sneaky. Hajime helped us out… I had it all planned out! But, of course…” Kaito sighed, looking annoyed. “Denji had to tell you beforehand. I mean, looking back, I get why. They probably just wanted to make sure you’d be okay. But maaaan… way to ruin the surprise, Denji.” Kaito pouted.

Kokichi snickered, already liking where this was going. Settling back down on the cushions, he sent Kaito a teasing look. “You were still pretty new, so Kai-chan had nooo idea how damn nosy everyone in the castle is. And out of it, I guess. People love gossip. Denji-chan probably would’ve enjoyed knowing how shocked I was but…” His smile softened. “They can have a real stick up their butt sometimes, but they look out for me. I was so nervous the morning of our wedding I thought I was gonna hurl even without eating breakfast, but between them and Lake, they got me sorted. Mostly, anyway.”

“It was kinda nice having a heads up, though. From how you were gushing over Hajime-chan’s shoulders, if I didn’t know we were going on a real date? I would’ve been so jealous. Thought you wanted to walk and chat about all the people you wanted to hook up with at home.”

Wiggling his way down the cushions a bit, Kokichi pressed his ass right up against Kaito’s thigh, draping his legs perpendicular to his husbands as he rambled. “But, no, my dear sibling had taken me aside and tipped me off that my lovely husband wanted to go on a bar tour--both for fun date times, but also to see what our city had to offer in the way of bars and pubs ‘cause he’s new!”

“But! My darling, considerate husband knew I don’t like drinking that much, so we weren’t going on a tour of beer or spirits or anything like that, though we’d probably get something to drink anyway,” Kokichi declared, raising a hand up in the air while he squeezed Kaito’s legs lightly with his own. “We were going on a tour of each bar’s signature dessert!”

Kaito laughed, putting his hand on Kokichi’s leg and petting it appreciatively as he said, “I’ll be honest? That was Waku’s idea. She’s the one who told me you weren’t much of a drinker, and that you’d probably prefer sweets. She’s…” Kaito hesitated, before smiling softly, something true in the statement as he said, “She’s been a surprisingly good friend to me. I really should spend more time with her.”

And then, after that soft moment, Kaito groaned as he said, “But someone could have warned me how much desserts costs in bars! I don’t eat desserts in bars, and I still didn’t know I was getting that minimum payment thing at the time! I thought I had enough gold left over from the trip to not worry about it, but I don’t know if you noticed, babe, but I was starting to panic by the third bar.”

Running a hand over his face, he groaned again, “I was going to be so embarrassed if I had to start turning down your dessert requests just because I couldn’t afford it. I started ordering juice instead of alcohol when you weren’t within earshot, just to save a few more silver to keep up our hopping for the night.”

Lowering his arm, he smiled, looking down at the water, then following the light, his eyes watching the shimmering rainbow patterns on the wall and ceiling as the water bubbled and moved, saying, “It was worth it, though. I love seeing you around people. Your Diceans love you so much… it makes me happy when you get to bask in that, every now and again.”

...and then Kaito snorted, “And a happy Kaito, with a few drinks in him? Ooof… I’m still sorry about that. I was getting way too handsy for where we were…”

Kokichi shared in that soft moment. He’d heard that Waku had been seeking out Kaito to just...help him out with things or spend a few moments together. He’d asked her about it, actually, and...it wasn’t exactly pity. She did have a sense of duty, wanting to help out someone she saw was struggling… But the more time they spent together, the more Waku had found that she genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Kaito. He was bright and fun and had plenty of puzzles inside himself that kept her intrigued. 

Kokichi had just laughed, happy both for his husband finding a friend in the castle, and for his friend to find a new friend, but asked her to remember that he was a person before a puzzle. Waku had sighed, a little annoyed, but it was something she was always working on. 

Rolling his eyes a little, Kokichi poked at Kaito’s side. “I appreciate your sense of chivalry, but I told you so many times I’d be happy to go halfsies. Or even just pay for the desserts in full, since half the time you barely had more than a bite. But no, my gentlemanly husband insisted on emptying his purse for me…”

...he’d urge Kaito to really start sticking to the expense log they’d made once their daughter was a little older. Sure, Byakuya said he’d been sending money, but just because you had the means didn’t mean it was full-steam on spoiling their kid. As it was, she was gonna be spoiled anyway, with all of them doubtlessly doting on her. 

Sighing a little from those thoughts and from the story, Kokichi let one of his legs drop to the side, dipping into the water (oo, hot!) and sliding along Kaito’s leg. “I’m just glad those folks at Merry’s noticed our wedding rings. I seriously thought someone was gonna start a fight, noticing that you were starting to give me a handy under the table.”

Kaito’s eyes widened in genuine shock, giving Kokichi a startled, flustered look. Holy shit, he said handsy, not suicidal! Kokichi would kill him! Or get Maki to kill him! She’d pierce an earring through his damn lungs!

But Kaito chuckled sheepishly once the shock faded, remembering, right… it’s a story. Maybe Kokichi was a little better with the idea of public affection as a strict fantasy. 

Scratching at his chin, a flustered red spreading through his face and chest, he said, “W-well, yeah… I mean, in any other circumstance? I’d have been thrilled. Those guys standing up for your, like, dignity! Virtue? One of those… I mean, I’m relieved knowing people would stand up for you if someone really was harassing you like that. But maaaan…” Kaito sighed, chuckling a little as he covered his face, feeling a little perverted as he said, “They ruined a good time. Watching you squirm like that, trying to keep up like everything was normal, those little startled breaths as you tried to talk to people…”

Kaito’s leg squirmed a little. Excited by the fantasy, something warm and eager burning in his stomach. “...Shouldn’t have done it, looking back. I get that now. But damn.”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow at Kaito’s shock, a little...proud that he had managed to catch his husband off guard by something in this realm. And not from doing something shitty. Kaito recovered soon enough, but Kokichi savored that little look. 

“I never thought someone feeling me up through my pants would feel like that, but you certainly proved me wrong,” he laughed. “Probably helps that I just wear loose shorts all summer, pretty much. But, yeah. It’s good to know that people would put a stop to those kinds of things, but…” Kokichi’s voice lowered, tucking an arm behind his head to prop it up while he trailed a hand down his abdomen, heading for his cock. “What Kai-chan was doing to me was far from harassment.”

“You might’ve started the game, but I was still the one that pulled you into that alley. Couldn’t bear for Kai-chan to stop touching me.” 

Kaito straight up covered his face with both hands now, muttering into his palms. “You’re such a cheat... am I really that easy? Nnngh…”

He was though, arousal pooling into his stomach, increasingly difficult to ignore. Fuck. How many times had he wanted to just...pull Kokichi away from whatever was going on...pin him against some secluded wall and feel him tremble against him…

Letting one hand fall, he peeked down at Kokichi through the fingers of his others, trying to calm himself down from the burning rush of his arousal. His eyes following Kokichi’s hands like a predator that had just noticed something soft and fat walk by… he took a steadying breath. Way too turned on by the fantasy.

(Kaito honestly didn’t understand how other people didn’t feel this way when they were aroused. That excited, aggressive feeling...sure, generally aroused, he was fine. It was a soft, pleasant feeling, something he could have on the back of his mind all day and not be bothered by, just kept in a good mood. But actually turned on? He always either wanted to fuck something or fight something…)

It took a second, but he calmed down a little, and forced himself to laugh. Laughing often helped, countering that aggressive, flash-fire feeling in him. Chuckling to himself, he said, “I was… so shocked you did that, ‘Kichi. Even drunk, I really thought that was going to be too much for you… but you were so… bold…” Kaito laughed again, finally letting his hand fall away from his face and grinning down at his husband, face flushed red as he said, “And still so kinda shy and sweet? It was adorable. Like you couldn’t decide between one hundred percent committing to the idea or saying ‘ha ha, just kidding’. It was so cute… I was so hooked on you.”

Kaito reached out to Kokichi, pulling him up from the cushion, pulling him onto his lap, hovering above the water there, which was starting to really steam around them. Kaito pulled Kokichi into a kiss, breathing in the taste of him, unrelenting and without hesitation. A kiss that demanded Kokichi’s attention. Kaito coaxed his husbands tongue out, spit pushing back and forth, till Kokichi’s taste was indistinguishable from his own, Kaito not relenting till he felt Kokichi’s thin chest start to push back and forth against him, trying to catch a breath.

When he finally stopped, Kaito gave Kokichi a few soft, chaste kisses against his cheek, giving his husband a moment to collect himself,... before saying, “I did worry a little about you kneeling on that ground...I was relieved you accepted my jacket. I don’t like the idea of my beautiful ‘Kichi bruising his knees pleasuring me…”

Kokichi could only grin as Kaito got too flustered and had to hide, feeling proud of managing that too. Managing to paint a scenario that Kaito got drawn into, and was actually sexy enough that he was into it. For someone who had never felt sexy until Kaito came into his life...it was still a good feeling. Even if when his husband growled out things like “how do you not know what you do to me”, his ignorance was genuine. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi trailed his hand lazily around his crotch, knowing Kaito was watching and knowing that his husband was keeping a sharp eye out for Kokichi rushing on ahead without him. “I think that’s a line I usually try to straddle--makes me unpredictable, right? But...I was nervous. Something so bold like that...it’s only something I’d even think of doing with Kai-chan. Knowing it’d be okay…”

Kokichi freed both his hands as Kaito brought him in for an unfathomably deep kiss, hugging around the larger prince and just...feeling him. Being a part of the kiss, the moment, enjoying the feeling of them dancing back and forth. Kokichi usually following Kaito’s lead, but sometimes putting in a little flair of his own, them becoming more than they were for a moment…

Before Kaito leaned back and Kokichi gasped for air, a little too weak and resting his head on Kaito’s shoulder as strings of saliva fell from his reddened lips. Kokichi trembled despite the heat of the water just below, his own fire stoked. And Kokichi was still taking deep breaths when he tilted his head to the side and brushed his lips along Kaito’s ear. “I’m not as fragile as you always assume...but I love how much Kai-chan wants to take care of me. ...let me take care of you?”

Kaito smirked, hands running up and down Kokichi’s back as he whispered back. “Can you blame me? You’re precious...I’d always want you happy and healthy and whole…Besides.” he kissed Kokichi’s cheek, even as he felt a shiver run through him again, feeling Kokichi’s lips near his ear, “You’re sexiest when you smile.”

At the question though, Kaito leaned back, smirking slightly at his husband. ‘Ya know, I think the last time you ‘took care of me’, I was covered in syrup? It’s been a while…” he tilted his head curiously at Kokichi, “Do you even remember how to do it? I don’t know, babe. Might be too much for you.”

Hearing that, Kokichi just had to duck his head and hide a beam in Kaito’s shoulder, though he was sure to feel it. When Kaito said that kind of stuff...it was never coddling or patronizing. Even if sometimes Kaito worried about things Kokichi was really fine with...it felt more just like the worry of someone that loved you. Sure, that’s what it had been with the rest of his family too, but...it just felt different. In a way he couldn’t quite explain exactly correctly. 

But he loved it.

Calming himself as Kaito leaned back, taking away Kokichi’s hiding spot, the younger prince could only let out a deep sigh, nodding somberly. “I know, right? Way too long. I don’t know how Kai-chan’s stood it, not having my lips around his cock for months! I could’ve forgotten everything! Barely fucking me, not being blown by me...it’s like Kai-chan wants every time to be an awkward first.”

Huffing a teasing laugh, showing his humor, Kokichi carefully stepped back, letting himself get used to the heat of the hot tub as he slid his hands down Kaito’s thighs. “Well? Are you gonna let me prove myself?”

Kaito grumbled, “Oh, come on… like I don’t try to take a bite out of you constantly...it’s so hard to keep my hands off of you. You’re so…”

His praise of Kokichi’s beauty died on Kaito’s lips, Kaito genuinely taken off guard by what Kokichi looked like in the water. The water, steaming in the darkness (and it was getting darker. Perspiration of the water starting to muddle the lights on the, the change in lighting plus the steam giving the room an almost ‘smokey’ feel.) ripplings around Kokichi’s thin, angled hips, his husband’s hair getting a little heavy in the growing humidity. Lights speckling that pale-white skin, Kokichi looking smug and playful and happy, hands leaning against Kaito’s thighs.

“...perfect.” Kaito sighed, reaching out to cup the side of Kokich’s face. A haze of adoration and lust clouding his mind, before smirking, rubbing his thumb over Kokichi’s cheek bone as he said, “I might be a demon, to think I can have something this perfect. How arrogant of me…” Kaito smirked, leaning in to kiss Kokichi, a chaste thing, just wanting another taste of him. “How lucky…”

And after that little kiss, Kaito put a leg around Kokichi’s waist, and pulled him a little closer, Kaito leaning back onto one hand, the other running through his hair as he said, “And yet, I’m always gonna ask for more. Your Kai-Chan’s very selfish. Go on, then, babe. Let’s see you put some work in.” Kaito said, giving Kokichi a wink.

Kokichi was about to tease some more, but as Kaito trailed off, his expression softened, and Kokichi couldn’t bring himself to do anything but return soft kisses and caress Kaito’s sides. And even when Kaito’s energy flared back up, Kokichi could only roll his eyes as he leaned in to kiss Kaito’s cheek before kneeling down on the seat ledge of the tub, getting more or less eye level with his husband’s crotch. 

“I do hate being a layabout,” he murmured before going in. First, he just kissed at Kaito’s head, bringing his hands in to cup and stroke towards the root of his shaft, but it wasn’t like Kokichi was working from zero here. No, to his great pride, he definitely had something to work with, and it wasn’t long before he relaxed his jaw and went in, though just past Kaito’s head. No rushing ahead here, though Kokichi couldn’t help focusing his tongue on the vein, putting pressure where he knew it’d feel good as he slowly bobbed, unconcerned but going a little farther each time.

Fuck Kaito was a sinner… Atua strike him dead… Watching his husband suck his dick should not be this erotic. 

Oh, and fuck, that tongue. 

“You know what…” Kaito murmured, reaching out to run his hands idly through Kokchi’s hair, taking a strand between his fingers and playing with it, his heart thumping pleasantly faster as he felt Kokichi run his tongue under his head, Kaito’s leg, still wrapped around Kokichi’s waist, shifting slightly, feeling up Kokichi’s backside, “...mmm… I don’t believe it. I think someone’s been practicing...oh…”

Kaito let out a little huff of breath, his dick getting swallowed a little farther back into Kokichi’s mouth, his husband exploring, before chuckling, “A-admit it… you’ve been blowing The Beast. How else have y-you gotten this good since the b-beach….mmmm… oh, good, Kokichi… good…” Kaito praised, petting through Kokichi’s hair again, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation of him for a while.

Opening an eye, Kaito smirked down at Kokichi, “Do I taste good, ‘Kichi?”

Kokichi snorted softly, but didn’t bother to pull back to properly respond. Of course he’d blown Shuuichi a few times--Kaito had been there to see all of his attempts. Any experience was experience, naturally, but it was different, blowing Shuuichi to blowing Kaito. Kokichi couldn’t get his mouth all the way around The Beast, and instead focused on pleasuring Shuuichi either from his very tip--avoiding his hole, of course--or from the sides, working both his hands to make up for the small percentage he could actually get his mouth on. 

Kaito, on the other hand…

Kokichi looked up at his husband, grinning so confidently, glimmers of sweat, or maybe just steam covering his body and making him look like something right out of a daydream…

Looking up amusedly through his eyelashes, Kokichi bobbed down on Kaito’s cock, taking him into his throat for one, two gulps before pulling back with a rougher suck, hoping that answered the question.

“Oh, f-fuck babe…” Kaito’s whole body trembled, that tight, wet hole sucking down a good portion of his head, swallowing around him. “Fuck… God, you feel so good, beautiful...fuck I need more of that…”

Kaito leaned forward now, tucking some of the hair in Kokichi’s face back behind his ears, staring down at him, eye wide with lust and need as he looked down at his small husband. Tucking the hair back, Kaito slid his hands down the line of Kokichi’s neck, before placing the back of all four of his fingers against the top of Kokichi’s throat.

“I wanna feel how deep you can take me in, babe.” He explained, leaving his hands where they were, though his finger joints rubbed Kokichi’s neck a little. He glanced at his other hand, which was placed gently on the side of Kokichi’s head, running a thumb on the shell of his ear, a selfish thought entering his mind… but he ignored it for now. Leaving his hands idle, no pressure in any direction as he grinned, face flushed with excitement as he said, “Let’s get a measure of how much of me you can swallow. I’m betting two fingers down.”

Kokichi smirked around Kaito’s cock, the groaning praise filling him with confidence and desire, just wanting to hear more and more of those wonderful sounds. He knew Kaito...well, at least didn’t try to be loud during sex, but he loved all the noises he made regardless. 

And with the fingers…

Kokichi liked feeling breathless. Maybe even choked a little. But being choked while he was deepthroating Kaito… Well. He’d pinch if it got to be too much. No more being facefucked while he just sat there. 

Humming a bit at the experiment Kaito posed, Kokichi gave his husband a wink and worked his way back down more, grazing his teeth ever so lightly down his shaft as he kept working him. Then, with a breath, Kokichi swallowed and kept going, trying to take down as much of Kaito as he could, feeling that slight burning tightness in his throat.

“Oh, fuck, yes…” Kaito whispered, fuck, he could feel his dick starting to really pulse in Kokichi’s throat. Like every time Kokichi had deepthroated him before, Kaito had to fight the desire to just keep this up until he was ready to cum, the idea of cumming down Kokichi’s throat incredibly appealing to him…

But that was a big no for a few reasons. One, he and Kokichi hadn’t talked about it yet, and his husband might not be into swallowing cum. It definitely wasn’t something everyone was into, Kaito knew from experience. And, two, pollen stuff. Spores. Kaito did not want his husband getting sick from this, and honestly, should probably be careful to not be anywhere near Kokichi’s mouth when he was starting to feel full enough to leak at all. Kaito was not going to get Kokichi sick.

So he wouldn’t do that. But, there were things they had done before that Kaito (believed) was pretty sure Kokichi was into…

Grinning happily down at his husband, feeling Kokichi swallow him down, he felt Kokichi’s neck start to bulge, and tapped at his second finger, enjoying feeling the vibration of the tap through the head of his dick inside Kokichi’s throat as he said, “A-ah… called it. Second finger. Right there, Kokichi… that’s how deep in you I am.” Kaito said, rubbing the back of his second finger along Kokichi’s neck, Kaito swallowing hard as he felt both inside and outside Kokichi swallowing hard around him. 

“That’s so hot.” Kaito said appreciatively, Kokichi’s lips forming a circle around his cock, a little bit of drool escaping to his chin as Kokichi looked calm and pleased, focused on his task, those wide eyes glancing up at Kaito every now and again. Kaito grinned down at him, vision almost hazy with lust as he murmured, “Damn…” he suddenly shuddered, a rocket of arousal stiffening his cock against as he murmured, voice deep and throaty, “Oh, fuck, good, Kokichi. Th-that’s so good… okay…”

Opening his eyes again, Kaito smirked down at his husband, saying teasingly, “But, I think with a little help, you can do a bit better…”

Putting his four fingers back where they were, he tightened his grip on the side of Kokichi’s head, starting to push his husband's head down, his dick digging further into Kokichi’s throat as he murmured, “Just keep swallowing…”

More of those pretty sounds~ More praise as Kaito’s voice started to waver, to deepen into growls and those little non-sounds that meant his husband was trying to keep quiet, though not purposefully. And with the little shivers and shudders too… Kokichi laved and sucked, feeling proud to affect his husband like this. 

Enough that Kaito wanted more. And...like. That was okay. But this was the kind of stuff Kokichi didn’t like and just kind of...got roped into the other problems he had, and so was never addressed fully. 

But they were being better. 

As Kaito pushed his head down and kept him in place, Kokichi still trying to swallow just to keep from choking (which never really worked at this point, Kaito’s cock too large for this far down his throat), Kokichi closed his eyes and made a decision. Against the inside of Kaito’s thigh, he pinched. Not hard! But enough to feel, a firm pinch, and Kokichi tried to lean back out of Kaito’s grip. 

Kaito’s eyes widened. 

Something had gone wrong.

Concerned his husband had gotten hurt somehow- maybe a tear in his throat?- Kaito quickly said, “Okay, hold on, move slowly, don’t yank-” as his grip became gentler, but no less firm, slowly moving his dick out of Kokichi’s throat, doing his best not to jostle anything until Kokichi was free and clear. His husband didn’t look hurt, but it was better to assume the worst case scenario as Kaito put a hand on his shoulder, scooting his head down to get a better look at Kokichi’s face as he said, “Everything okay? Are you okay? You can shake your head if it hurts to talk, babe.”

...okay, just like he’d said, Kaito immediately stopped so...he didn’t need to leap away. Kokichi followed his slower pace, waiting to be clear of Kaito’s dick before he coughed lightly, taking in deeper breaths of air. His throat was a little sore but… “M’okay… S’okay.”

“I just… I don’t…” Another breath, before Kokichi frowned up at Kaito, not judging or accusatory but just...not pleased. “...I don’t like it when you hold me down like that. Maybe I really can go farther down my throat but...it’s not comfortable, and I don’t like feeling like I’m stuck. Like I can’t adjust where I am myself.”

Kokichi looked away for a moment, coughing into his arm and wiping his mouth before sending a shier look over to Kaito. “...I’m getting better, but I can only deep-throat you for a little bit at a time… Can’t breathe, and not in the good way.”

….????

???!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Don’t react! Don’t overreact! If you look hurt or alarmed or guilty he might not feel comfortable next time he needs you to stop! Keep it off your face!!)

Kaito hesitated, briefly, his mind racing as he tried to work out what to do with his hands, before, deciding to take them off Kokichi’s neck and shoulder and trail them down his arms, taking his hands into his and kissing his knuckles gently, one after another. “Okay… I’m sorry, ‘Kichi. I should have asked. I just… I made an assumption. I should have asked. I’m sorry, Kokichi, no more of that, I promise.”

Then, just to make certain he understood, Kaito looked up at Kokichi seriously and said, “You don’t want me to hold your head or push myself down your throat. That’s not a fun kind of choking or orders for you? There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just making sure I understand, babe.”

Kokichi squeezed Kaito’s hands gently, a smile returning to his face, affection for his husband greatly overpowering the brief moment of discomfort. “Thanks. It’s okay--sometimes it doesn’t occur to ask beforehand, but as long as we stop when the other person says, and listen to what they think? It’s okay.”

Thinking over Kaito’s clarification questions, Kokichi nodded after a moment. “That’s it, yeah. It’s like...I’m not saying you can’t have your hands on my head at all, or I’m gonna blow a gasket if you get excited for a second and buck or something, but...like, when you facefuck me...I don’t like it.”

Kokichi leaned forward and gently kissed the tip of Kaito’s cock, rubbing that soft spot between Kaito’s thumbs and palms on his hands as he looked up questioningly. “...do you want me to keep going? It didn’t ruin anything for me, and I’m not hurt, promise. I just don’t want to do that.” 

Kaito internally winced, though he kept it off his face, just nodding along as Kokichi talked. Shit. He had based the face-fucking thing on their first time… maybe he shouldn’t do that. A Kokichi scared and insecure and on a shit ton of aphrodisiac maybe… was not a version of Kokichi that Kaito should judge fetishes and comfort levels on. 

(Honestly… Kaito shouldn’t have done that their first time anyway.)

(Kokichi had just been so pliant and willing and… Kaito had been so excited…)

(...there wasn’t a good excuse. Kaito knew better. He should have done a lot of things different.)

Okay. He’d do better. He needed to… he needed to pretend like he didn’t already have a bunch of assumptions of what Kokichi was okay with. Go into this like he didn’t know what Kokichi liked. Because, honestly? That was probably still accurate, at this point in their relationship. Face fucking just being a reminder of that. Okay. He’d do better.

And the first thing was to not  punish his husband for speaking up. No acting weird. So Kaito threw a grin back onto his face, leaning forward to brush Kokichi’s hair out of his eyes again, before kissing him on the cheek, saying, “If you’re still up to it, beautiful? I’d love that. You were doing so fucking good before I got all grabby. You’re so damn good to me…”

Kokichi perked up with a smile, pleased as ever with the praise as he nodded before leaning back in and placing a few more kisses around Kaito’s dick. “If it feels good to Kai-chan, then I’m happy to! All I wanna do is make you feel good.”

Returning one hand to Kaito’s base, Kokichi settled his other hand now on Kaito’s hip, gently massaging the area as he went in, wanting to get Kaito back in the mood. He didn’t think that his husband had been completely pulled out, but...well, there was a ghost of that guilt on his face again. Considering he’d stopped, Kokichi didn’t know what he had to be guilty about but...well, you didn’t get to dictate what other people felt. All he could do was create a space Kaito could relax into again. 

Kokichi shuffled forward a bit, deepthroating again for a few seconds once he’d re-acclimated to dick-suckin’ again, the steamy water of the hot tub rippling around his hips as everything underneath was shown to be a light pink by this point.

Kaito forced himself to relax, just focusing on his husband. Look at him. He was so pretty… and gentle and sweet and fun… it’s okay. He’s still having a good time. Just relax…

It took Kaito a second, but eventually he felt that nervous, guilty tension leave his back, in no small part helped by his husband's attention on him. It was hard to get too lost in your head when you had a pretty little mouth, swallowing you down and licking at your head, and it wasn’t long before Kaito felt that heat re-start in his groin. Not quite ‘aggressive turned on’ again yet, but that was often just a matter of time, anyway, when it happened at all. 

“...haaa…. Hmmm… fuck, babe…” Kaito huffed, leaning back onto one of his hands again, running his wrist over his mouth. “You could make me cum, just doing that shit… hmmm…”

As Kokichi took him down his throat again, Kaito feeling that haze of lust over him again, he looked around, confirming… there. There were the packets of lube Kokichi had snagged. Good… Kaito felt another rocket of arousal go through him, and growling, he looked down at his husband. Wanting him, and starting to feel impatient for him, Kaito said, “‘Kichi...I need you soon. Come here.”

Ah, there it was again. With that growl, Kokichi looked up at his husband, a bit eager himself after hearing all of Kaito’s lovely sounds, but he waited a moment, taking Kaito down once more before pulling off of him with a quiet ‘pop!’, maybe wanting that sound to affect Kaito as much as it had affected him before. 

Wiping his mouth and getting some deeper breaths in, Kokichi stood up on the seat he’d been kneeling on, still not quite eye-level with Kaito, but almost. Leaning in to nose at his neck--because Kokichi wasn’t sure how thrilled Kaito would be to kiss the mouth that had just been around his cock, even if he hadn’t seemed to mind much in the past,--he purred, “On the cushions? Or in your lap. Back or front, hun? So many choices you can make, hm?”

Kaito grinned, and while maybe not the intended reaction, felt his chest warm at the little pop sound. He knew he did that. It was a habit he had developed on purpose, because it usually made people feel at ease and laugh a little. He thought it was cute that Kokichi had picked it up… his husband was too much for him sometimes. He was so cute…

And while it was considerate of Kokichi to avoid a potentially uncomfortable kiss, that was so far from Kaito’s mind right now, who put his arms underneath Kokichi’s ass and lifted him out of the water a bit, hungrily taking the kisses he was craving, just wanting to be closer to him. Wanted him. Wanted him…

Kaito sighed as he broke the kiss, kissing at Kokichi’s neck now, grinning a little at his husband’s offers. Kaito might be still in the learning phase of Kokichi’s fetishes, but Kokichi had him down pat, it seemed. Trying to imagine the ways the rest of this could go, Kaito decided he’d prefer Kokichi as comfortable as possible right now, and especially considering what Kokchi had requested earlier, said into his skin, “I want you on your back on the cushion, beautiful. I want ya to let me take care of ya…”

Kokichi giggled a bit as Kaito scooped him up out of the water and into some kisses, the shock of temperature from going from the warm water into the air lessened when he had a hot husband all over him. He followed Kaito’s lead more for these kisses, feeling a little too eager for teasing, though he bet that he was in for some on his end. 

“As you wish, my dear prince-consort,” Kokichi cooed as, with one last kiss on the corner of Kaito’s mouth, he carefully leaned himself back to lie upon the cushions, almost going back to their earlier positions when Kokichi had started the story, him lying back on the set of cushions while his legs, though now pink from the heat, laid across Kaito’s lap. 

And maybe he wasn’t totally done with teasing, because Kokichi rubbed the side of his thin calf along Kaito’s dick, his eyes twinkling with mischief in the misty lights. 

Kaito felt a spark of strangely excited affection run through him-- Kokichi almost never called him by his title. It wasn’t much of a title, and Kaito was still a little… embarrassed was the wrong word. Something. Insecure, maybe, about it, but being called that by his prince? It tickled him. 

And Kaito smirked in amusement when Kokichi moved his leg across Kaito’s cock, clearly trying to entice him. Little minx… pulling his own legs out of the water, Kaito grabbed the ‘offending’ leg by the ankle, giving Kokichi a sharp, predatory look as he shifted himself onto his knees, grabbing Kokichi’s other leg as well, moving them around to make room for himself. A definite sense of ‘gotchya’ in the movement. 

But, as he did so, he started to kiss down the side of Koichi’s leg, his high, eager dick twitching and eager as Kaito indulged himself for a moment, looking down at Kokichi as he thought things through. Kokichi looks so damn good right now… but he was nowhere near as hard as Kaito himself was right now. Which made sense. Arousal itself didn’t always do the job, and Kokichi had barely been touched so far. Kaito’s dick was thick and pulsing and wanted to just get started, but his husband needed more attention…

Opening him would probably do most of the work, but… there might be something fun in…

Reaching over Kokichi to grab the lube and condom, Kato brought them to his side, resting Kokichi’s leg against his shoulder as he started to open the condom first, looking it over carefully, checking for holes, as he said to his husband casually, “Babe? I know we haven't had a lesson in a long time...but I can trust you to touch yourself while I open you up without you cumming before it’s time?” Kaito asked, looking up at Kokichi with some amusement, “right?”

Kokichi curled one arm under his head again, looking up in affection as Kaito kissed over his legs, making his body pliable and easy to be moved, even if Kaito would never have an issue with that. Sometimes, though, it was just nice to feel invited, and when it came to physical things, that was the most Kokichi could do. 

Gently working the back of his heel against Kaito’s shoulder, not quite a massage but something like it, Kokichi raised an eyebrow at what his husband proposed. Then, he let out a deep, regretful sigh, starting to trail his free hand back down to his semi. “I know, I know. It’s just sooooo haaaaaard to get me hard, right? I suppose if we wanna get me worked up by the time I’m open, I better pitch in too, huh? Because I absolutely get nothing out of all the care and cheating moves Kaito puts into my ass.”

Flashing a cheeky grin up at his husband, Kokichi grasped himself, getting started on some slow, unbothered strokes. 

Kaito’s eyes, again, followed Kokichi’s hands with open, needy excitement. Kaito was a very visual person. There were some things he just wanted for the image alone. And Kokichi looking up at him, gently working himself, legs spread and open, waiting for him…

Kaito grinned, wide and sharp. “Can’t do everything for you, babe. Sometimes your husband just needs you to help him out. God knows you already make me work so hard.” Kaito teased, leaning his head over and kissing Kokichi’s ankle while it was in range, just wanting to press his lips against him for a moment before forcing his eyes away to focus on himself a second. 

He rolled the condom up, sighing a little at the feeling. He really didn’t mind. Condoms really weren’t that distracting. Some of them could be quite fun, actually. Again, he had just gotten out of the habit. Had to get used to it again.

Taking the lube packets and, before getting started, opening them all up, carefully emptying one onto his hands, warming it up as he coaxed them between his fingers, he said, “My Kokichi, always making me work so hard… it’s my favorite job though.” he confessed, taking Kokichi’s other leg by his thigh and pushing him a little wide, holding him there as Kaito looked over his small, pink hole, closed shut from time, entirely healed from their last session. 

Taking his middle finger, Kaito compared it to Kokichi’s hole, enjoying how the tip of his finger covered that small, pinched space, pressing against it a few times, before pushing his finger in slowly, watching the skin engulf it, feeling the muscle there press tightly around the digit as he murmured, “I can feel you swallowing my hand, ‘Kichi. I’ve only just started, and you’re ass is already trying to pull me in further. Are you really that eager?” Kaito teased, not moving his finger in the way that he knew his husband was likely waiting for. Just letting it sit, moving it ever so slightly, as he felt Kokichi pulse excitedly around him.

“Kai-chan does so much for me…” Kokichi agreed, enjoying the view of Kaito between his legs, getting prepared. “All the time. In times like these, and others too...makes me feel kinda bad sometimes, like I’m not doing enough in return, for how good of an example he is...but I’m working to remember that it’s something he likes for its own sake… Still doesn’t mean I won’t try to be good to him back, but still.”

Taking a breath, seeing Kaito reach down between his legs, Kokichi swiped his thumb across his tip, his breath speeding up despite his efforts to keep things cool and fun between them. It always drove him wild when, well, either of his lovers started to work him open, but…

They knew that too. 

A blush starting to deepen the color of Kokichi’s face, he pouted up at Kaito. “Yes? That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time. It’s been too long...I want my Kai-chan inside of me. I may not be thinking about it all the time, but I do want sex more than just when we’re already getting into it. I just...mm. I want you. Kai-chan feels good.”

Kaito had just meant to tease, and while his arousal turned electric to hear Kokichi begging and eager… it sort of sounded like his husband might actually be airing out something he was frustrated with right now. Hmmm… Kaito knew they didn’t do it that often. Kaito didn’t want to push and his lovers, both of them, were kinda reserved when it came to expressing lust in any way, Shuichi to the point where even in the middle of sex, he could often hold back and felt a need to hide his own arousal. Kaito didn’t want to pressure them into things they didn’t want to do…

...but he also didn’t want Kokichi to like...feel neglected? Which it sort of sounded like he did. Hmmm. That was going to be a trickier balance. It’s not like his lovers didn’t know Kaito was usually horny, so… did he need to do something more to show he was ready to go whenever? Huh… he’d have to think about it. 

Later though. This might be an issue, but it wasn’t one Kaito could solve now. So, focusing on his cute, pouting husband, Kaito chuckled, starting his little massage in Kokichi’s insides as he said, “Making you feel good makes me feel good. I told you that. I’m very selfish, Kokichi… I like that warm feeling of arousal. I’ve felt it my whole life. It’s how I know I’m awake and happy…” 

That was maybe an exaggeration, but honestly not by much. Kaito only stopped kind of wanting sex when he was stressed or sad. He had just always been like that...he was pretty sure. For the most part. Maybe he hadn’t always expressed that happiness through sex, specfically, but the feeling was so interchangeable now that Kaito struggled to see the difference. It didn’t matter. He didn’t mind it. He liked it.

Kaito grinned, reaching over and putting more lube on his fingers for a moment, before going back to running his middle finger in and out of Kokichi, loosening those walls little by little, preparing Kokichi to be taken for all he had to give as Kaito said, “The only thing I want when I’m doing this is for you to let me see you enjoying it… you’re so fucking beautiful when you shiver and make your happy little ‘Kichi sounds… fuck I never get tired of it…”

Kokichi nodded, at this point just accepting of Kaito’s “selfishness”. In some ways, it made a lot of sense to him. He’d read a theory a loooong time ago that posed that all human actions were made from a place of selfishness. Not in the way that he’d heard people like Itch say it, where it was “proof” of evilness, but… That’s why he could never understand why people would hurt others just for the hell of it. Because in his experience, and that of many, many others he’d spoken to on the subject...what made you feel best was seeing someone else’s happiness. So, to make yourself happy, you were compelled to make others happy, your selfishness just happening to benefit others.

So. Yeah. He got it. Even if the usual happiness he understood wasn’t arousal, but...that was just Kaito’s flavor, and Kokichi loved it.

So, to see Kaito’s happiness and send them both on a positive feedback loop of good feelings, Kokichi openly moaned as he felt Kaito start to actually open him up, massaging at his insides. There was a pleased, enjoying smile on his face, and Kokichi sped up on himself for just a moment, caught up in feeling good before he slowed it back down, still playing their game. 

“Mm...ah. Good thing Kai-chan knows allll the tricks to winning my happy noises then. The secret? Being Kai-chan.” 

“Pfff,” Kaito scoffed, though his face flushed red at that indulgent little moan, lightning tickling his stomach again at the sound, his eyes glancing from his face to Kokcihi’s hands, speeding up on themselves a little. Both arousal and possession shocked through him, the feelings both as fun and conflicting as they sounded, Kaito simultaneously enjoying watching Kokichi work himself and at the exact same time absolutely wanting to stop him, wanting to be the one that made Kokichi get off…

He liked the conflicting feelings, and felt them both wash over him, the possessive feeling calming down on its own when Kokichi slowed down on himself. Though, he couldn’t help but murmur, “Careful, ‘Kichi…you’ll make me jealous if you’re not careful...”

He felt a shudder run through his husband, and when the shudder was over, he felt the familiar feeling of his muscle in his ass, bending more easily to Kaito’s finger. Good. Good. “Second one, babe.” Kaito warned Kokichi, before pushing Kokichi’s leg out a little more, stretching his asshole a bit before carefully working his second finger in.

Once inside, his tempo stopped being so light, Kaito getting hungry for Kokichi’s reactions. He moved his fingers in and out of him, working on the walls as he said, “I love you on your back like this… all spread out and ready for my touch. You’re tempting fate so much, ‘Kichi, telling me I don’t fuck you enough, don’t take you enough. If I indulge every impulse I had? I’d prep you first thing in the morning, before sending you off to your office, so that you were open and ready for me when I come and visit you at lunch. You’d never get a moments rest… I want you so bad, all the damn time…” Kaito growled, moving his fingers harder, getting a little impatient. Not enough to hurt him, Kaito knew better. But he wanted those walls open. 

Letting out every sigh and hum, Kokichi could see how every little one affected his husband, watching pink creep onto Kaito’s face, highlighting the deep desire in his eyes. He thought it so often but...it was something special, the feeling of being wanted. And Kaito expressed it so well. 

Kokichi let out another louder moan when a second finger joined in, and his softer sounds became louder on the whole, right in parallel with Kaito going harder on his hole. Still, though, he giggle made its way through the cacophony. “I-I dunno if I - ah - could go every d-day… Oh, Kai-chan! But We could do it mo-more than one every few weeks! I want my Kai-chan - nngg, ohhh - before bed...in the shower...during slow, boring afternoons...when Shuu-chan’s feeling so pleased and confident…”

“Ngah, I love you! And I wanna fuck more often!”

Kaito almost bucked at Kokichi’s ‘oh, kai-chan’, wanting him so fucking bad now, fuck he wanted to be inside of him. He wanted him! But hold on, hold on, fucking breath, Kaito, he’s not ready yet, not y-yet. Fuck, fuck, be gentle, open him up…

Kaito’s eyes went to Kokichi’s hand, his small, chubby cock full and pulsing and pretty to look at, and absolutely taking a beating in Kokichi’s fingers, and while Kaito wanted to grab Kokichi’s wrist and rip his grip off of himself… that was another thing he wasn’t sure if Kokichi had simply allowed because he hadn’t known how to say no, or if he had actually liked it.

Closing his eyes, taking a calm breath, Kaito collected himself for a moment...before saying, “‘Kichi...wanna pin you…” the statement a question, his back tense from restraining himself.

Kokichi just had to pant for a moment before he could even think of slowly prying his fingers open from around his cock, now properly hard for sure, but he did eventually get there. He shuffled the one behind his head out too and crossed his arms over his head, his flushed, needy face somehow giving solid words. “Arms or hips, not both at the same time… Kai-chan can pin me…”

Kaito nodded, the movement hurried and desperate as he echoed, “Arms or hips.” to show he understood, endlessly relieved and turned on that this was something he was allowed to do. Pinning wasn’t really something he had explored that hard with his previous lovers. He had enjoyed being pinned, and he had a few lovers who liked it back, but it hadn’t been a need. It never even occurred to him to do it with Shuichi.

He had no idea why on Kokichi it was something he loved so much. He wasn’t sure what conclusion he would come to if he thought too hard about it. Maybe it was that possessive feeling intensified? Like if Kaito let go, Kokichi would disappear, taken, or escaped. And while Kaito respected Kokichi’s choice to leave… in the middle of sex? When Kaito was really fired up? The thought felt like agony. Like he’d fight everyone if Kokichi was taken away from him.

Or maybe it was just because both of Kokichi’s wrists fit into Kaito’s hands, and fuck was that sexy. 

Who knew?

Bending Kokichi’s legs, still moving his fingers inside of him, Kaito reached over and took Kokichi’s wrists into his hand, kissing Kokichi’s neck as he grinded somewhat mindlessly against him, not really getting any stimulation from it, but just horny enough to want the movement as he growled, “If you want me to fuck you, you have to tell me, Kokichi. I can’t… I can’t just pounce you whenever I want too. I want to all the time. It’d…” Kaito suddenly barked out a chuckle, making himself laugh as he honestly explained, “I-it’d be impractical. I need you to tell me when you want it...”

Kaito kissed Kokichi’s lips, steam and sweat dripping off of him as he pushed without warning a third finger in, watching Kokichi’s eyes, as he demanded, “Do you want it?”

He’d explained it once, that he liked the feeling of Kaito holding him down. Pinning him, looming over him as Kaito became everything Kokichi could see and feel; his whole world. It was just when he never got the chance to do anything else that it started to bother him. When he couldn’t move at all. 

But otherwise? With that respected? 

Kokichi grinned as he felt Kaito’s hand encompass both his wrists, big enough that he could curl his fingers forward to pseudo hold Kaito’s hand. Relaxing his elbows, he tilted his head to the side, encouraging more action on his neck as he ground back against Kaito’s fingers and cock, wanting to move, even if he knew that he was rushing a bit again. Greedy and impatient…

But Kaito was getting to that point too. 

“Okay...okay, okay, I will, I’ll tell Kai-chan, uuuung, fuck!” Kokichi panted a bit as he moaned, squealing a little in delight as he felt another finger go in, writhing under Kaito as he swallowed his sounds… “Fuck me! I want Kai-chan in me already, pleaaaaaase!”

Kaito loved the words, lust shooting through him with every desperate plea, but he ignored them, Kokichi still feeling tight around his fingers. He wanted to start, of fucking course he did, but he didn’t want Kokichi to hurt through it even more, and though every fucking nerve in his body was lit up right now begging Kaito to hurry… Kaito ignored both his own instincts and Kokichi’s pleas, taking his time working Kokichi open.

Fuck he felt so big on top of Kokichi… as Kokichi writhed and bucked himself on his fingers, his demands echoing on the stone walls, Kaito just felt him brush up against his skin every now and again, Kaito kissing Kokichi every time he pushed himself up off the floor, parltly in desire, partly in apology, as he said, “Another minute, ‘Kichi, one more minute, almost, I promise, almost…”

Kokichi’s back suddenly went up and Kaito felt a shudder run through him. And just like that, the walls gave, turning to mush against the thickness of his three digits, and Kaito sighed in relief as he kissed Kokichi’s chest, pulling his fingers out carefully as he said, “It’s okay, now. You can have me now.”

Kaito debated with himself for a second, before deciding he still wanted Kokichi’s arms over his hips, for the moment. Both hands free, he took one wrist each, placing them against Kokichi’s head on either side, and said, “Leave them there, just for a moment, babe.”

Then, he adjusted Kokichi’s hips, just trying to get in the right spot, Kokichi helping him as he lifted his hips up for him to get better underneath and around him, Kaito taking his cock into his hands and, carefully, firmly pushing himself into place… there…. “There we go…” Kaito sighed, feeling his whole body relax for a second, as Kokichi’s insides, after a moment, accepted him, pulling him in as he let Kokichi’s body adjust around him. “There we go… perfect. The perfect spot for me… Kokichi all warm and snug around me. You’re so good, babe… okay. Come here. Come here.”

Kaito, securely inside, leaned forward, placing his hands on Kokichi’s wrists, before leaning in to kiss him, just grinding his hips ever so slightly as he tasted him, Kokichi just...fully available to him. Every little piece of him, touched and opened and claimed. Kaito’s love. He loved him. He loved him. He wanted to keep him.

Breaking the kiss, Kaito pulled back, wanting to look down at Kokichi, watch his expression change as his body was rocked into, as he told him, “You feel so good, ‘Kichi… f-fuck,” he swallowed, not able to look anywhere else even if he wanted too as he started to thrust into him, enjoying the feeling of Kokichi’s body start to shift and clutch around him, his body wet and warm as Kaito said, “...y-you have no idea… y-you have no idea… you drive me crazy. I want so m-much of you...fuck, look at you…”

Kokichi knew that they still had a bit to go, but with Kaito talking to him like that, moving in him… How could he not beg for it?! Not when this was what they had been building for the entire time, what Kokichi had wanted when he even thought to bring it up back in their bedroom. Kaito taking part in all he had to give…

Having no problem with these orders, Kokichi obediently stayed put where Kaito left him, watching raptly as his husband started to adjust himself into position. Kokichi’s legs weren’t hooked up around Kaito’s shoulders--really, his hips would be placed up too high for Kaito to get near in that position--but Kokichi still kept his knees high up on Kaito’s waist, holding on for his own leverage. And when Kaito was finally, finally inside…

Kokichi’s eyes fluttered as he let out a happy Kokichi-brand mewl, adjusting to Kaito’s size, that wonderful tightness just pleasurable, not painful, them both holding out long enough to get there. He touched his fingers to Kaito’s hands as he pinned his wrists, using his leg strength to grind back against Kaito, at least for now before his legs turned to jelly. 

And it was perfect. 

“Ahh, ahh, Kai-chan… Love you… Kai-chan feels so good… Always wanna make Kai-chan feel good… Please…”

Kaito grinned, giving Kokichi an adoring look. His husband was too good to him… while he was confident Kokichi’s noises and compliments and reassurances were genuine, he still so appreciated that Kokichi didn’t hold back for him. Didn’t hold that power over Kaito. So many of his partners over the years had loved watching Kaito get more and more desperate trying to please them, holding their satisfaction hostage. He doubted Kokichi really understood how vulnerable his little mewls and compliments and requests made him seem, when they had sex. How rare that level of vulnerability was, at least in Kaito’s experience. How much Kaito appreciated it.

(Later, when Kaito would reflect on that, he would realize some of Kokichi’s insecurities early on might have stemmed from Kaito doing that same thing to Kokichi. Refusing to admit his satisfaction with Kokichi. He hadn’t felt like he was doing that in the beginning, but, well, in a place like Luminary, that sort of open vulnerability was dangerous. Kaito had possibly been following that pattern of behavior more than he had realized at the time. He wasn’t sure.)

Now that he didn’t feel any resistance from Kokichi’s insides, Kaito allowed himself to relax, to really lose himself to the movement. By this point, Kaito could kind of go buck-wild, without really hurting his husband (barring wall related roughness and accidents) and with that in mind, Kaito started to grunt, really putting his hips into the rock.

As his breathing started to constrict, Kaito’s heart racing as his lower body started to build, his lower back starting to tense from the pressure of his body prepping to cum, Kaito grunted, “Nnn… hnnnnngg… ‘Kichi. Fuck, fuck, Kokichi...ha… god, f-fuck, you feel so good…”

Kaito felt a sudden rush shake through his body. He wasn’t cummng, but fuck. He lowered his head, unable to keep his shoulders up now, his body starting to shake as he grunted, hiding his face in Kokichi’s shoulders, rocking his hips against Kokichi with heavier thuds as he gripped his wrists tighter, before suddenly gasping out, “Fuck, fuck, tell me if it hurts-”

And that was his warning, just in case Kokichi needed it, before he took Kokichi’s shoulder between his teeth, biting down.

While he didn’t want to escape, Kokichi pressed against Kaito’s grip, just needing more leverage and needing a place to put his energy that wasn’t him bucking up against Kaito’s hips. A balance, maybe, to get everything working alright. But though he wasn’t even trying to pinch, Kokichi just output his sounds even more, praising Kaito and letting him know that ‘you feel so good’ and ‘I love you’ and ‘love you buried like this, harder, please, Kai-chan, I need you!’

Just...making sure that Kaito didn’t have a single doubt that he was as into this as he was. Wanting to soothe even the smallest concern he may have. 

However, when Kaito bit down on his shoulder and pounded into him, Kokichi could only toss his head to the side and squeak, his voice breaking from the force of his moans. His back arched against the cushions, greatly appreciating the padding as with one, two bucks and he was spilling onto his stomach, legs still clamped around Kaito’s.

“Uun, uuuuh, Kai-chan, please, c’mon, c’mon…”

Kaito heard Kokichi’s voice pitch, felt something wet spread between their stomachs, but more than that, felt Kokichi’s ass just clench around him and knew- yep. Fuck. Fuck. Yep. His husband was done. 

Good. Good, good, good, fuck, Fuck.

It was always a matter of playing catch up by this point, and that was a relief to Kaito. He wanted to finish, he wanted to finish so bad, and now that Kokichi wouldn’t be left wanting if he did, Kaito could stop trying to control himself, pace himself. HIs breathing quickened, panting against Kokichi’s neck as he just rammed into him, jutting himself into Kokichi over and over again, letting his build up go without interference, letting his breath become stuttered and uneven. He didn’t need to be calm, he didn’t need to be calm, Kokichi wanted him to cum, it was okay now, he could do it now, Fuck!

Kaito’s whole body tensed, his breathing catching in his throat. He went still, his body shivering and shuddering involuntarily, every trace of sound gone for a moment as Kaito curled around Kokichi. It was always like his body just...froze for a second. Everything shutting down while his lower half took care of what it needed to do…

And then after a moment he grunted, a rush of air he was holding hissing between his teeth as his body released that freezing, strangling tension, growling, “Fuck, ‘Kichi… hnnnnggg….. Mmmmmmmmmmm--hmm… hmmm… h-aaah…. Ha…fuck...okay… okay...h-hah...”

The rush of endorphin felt amazing, rushing through him, warming him… but he was relieved when the tension eased up. Kaito’s shoulder relaxing as he caught his breath. And with his mind and body his again, Kaito let go of Kokichi’s wrists, bracing himself on the ground as he kissed Kokichi’s neck and chest, whispering, “Good, good, so good… you did so good… hold on. Hold on…” Kaito was half talking to himself, cautioning him to go slowly while the spots left the side of his vision… before pushing himself up, saying, “I’m pulling out now babe… let me look you over…”

Pulling out, Kaito first grabbed Kokichi’s thighs, helping him get around Kaito, knowing that the muscles there had to be aching by this point and helping him just get into a more comfortable position. That done, Kaito looked Kokichi over, doing his routine of finding spots that looked bruised, that looked red… “...are you okay?” Kaito asked, kissing at bruises, taking the opportunity to look him over closer in the dark, his hands tracing up and down Kokichi’s hips, looking for signs of pain as he rubbed Kokichi’s hips soothingly, “...how do you feel, Kokichi… tell me what you need.”

Kokichi could only enjoy the ride as Kaito lost his mind on him, always enjoying this part, though he’d be hard pressed to comment on it, since it only happened once he was starting to come down. His body bounced from the force Kaito was putting on it, his voice squeaking and mewling though there was a lazy, content grin stretched across his face as he watched Kaito reach the peak of pleasure. 

Maybe it’d be nice to hear Kaito lose it too, but...in some ways, the complete stop was a sign of its own. Something uniquely Kaito that Kokichi adored all the same. “Kai-chan’s so good…”

Like he’d thought, his legs were pretty boneless, so Kaito’s help in untangling them was appreciated, and for a moment, Kokichi just splayed himself out on the cushions, dropping one arm into the tub and lazily letting the ripples of the jets play with it. 

“M’okay… Kai-chan felt so good, as usual. Always spoiling me, making me cum first…” Kokichi laughed softly, tilting his head to the side and showing off a darkened ring of teeth marks, a few in the circle just barely beading red. “Mm...don’t think I’ll be too sore tomorrow...but for now I just wanna cuddle with Kai-chan. Might have to carry me to bed later though.”

Double checking Kokichi really was uninjured, nothing his endorphin rush and comedown was hiding from Kokichi himself, Kaito chuckled, kissing him a few times, those small, little smacks of lips playfully coming together, before he leaned over and kissed Kokichi’s bite mark, the presses soft, part adoration and part apology. “That’s fine, babe. If you fall asleep here, you’ll wake up back in our room, dressed and clean. If anyone asks any questions on the way back, I’ll just say you got tuckered out and leave it at that.”

Straightening up, Kaito looked down excitedly at the hot tub, stepping in himself first, before reaching over to help Kokichi sit up. He didn’t want to pick Kokichi up and put him in the water, in case Kokichi needed more time to adjust to the heat bit by bit, but Kaito kept himself available to lean on when Kokichi needed the leverage stepping in, grinning adoringly at his husband as he said, “But try to stay awake a little bit. I have a bunch of compliments and adorations I need to tell my ‘Kichi.”

Kokichi laughed a little more, taking his sweet time deciding to sit up, first letting a leg dip in to join his arm, then rolling over a little onto his side, then removing his arm to shuffle his other leg in...you get the idea. It could be annoying, especially when it was the three of them together and Shuuichi and Kaito were still rearing to go, but...in more peaceful moments? It was kind of nice how just...relaxed and sleepy and happy Kokichi got after sex. Just being able to enjoy the moment. 

“Oh, you mean things that are like: Mm, Kai-chan always takes such good care of me. Is the sweetest and most wonderful husband ever? Makes sure sex is fun and enjoyable…” Kokichi beamed sunnily up at Kaito as he finally settled himself in the water, sitting next to Kaito and leaning on his arm. Completely unconcerned about letting the jets wash the cum off of him and into the tub. It’d get cleaned in the cycle, and any left on them would get whisked away by towels. For now, the only thing Kokichi was concerned with was being close to his husband and enjoying their time together.

Kaito gave Kokichi a mildly surprised look, magenta eyes blinking curiously at Kokichi a bit before softening, listening appreciatively as he put a hand on Kokichi’s thigh, partly to touch him, partly so his incredibly thin husband wouldn’t float away in the jets as Kaito settled in.

“...thank you, babe.” Kaito said softly, genuinely appreciating it. It waas still a little hard, sometimes, to hear Kokichi say nice things about him when it came to sex. A part of Kaito just… flashed back to all the times he hadn’t earned those compliments…

But it was getting easier to not do that to himself, little by little. He still felt the flash, but it was easier to move past it as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Kokichi’s head. “I’m glad it felt good. Glad you had fun.”

Then, cupping his husband's chin, making sure Kokichi was looking up at him, Kaito said, grinning wide, “You were amazing.”

“You were driving me crazy. God the way you moved against me, the way you touched me, all your sweet, exciting words. You’re so good to me, babe. You treat me so well…” Kaito snickered, leaning in to kiss Kokichi as he said, “And that story. Oh man… you had me so weak. I swear, you cheat, you know that? It’s not fair you can turn me on that much. I was freaking out for a second there.”

It was like he’d said in the bathroom--forgiving yourself was often the hardest part. It was slow and was full of times where you thought it was just a lie but...well, in time, it’d get easier. And until it was easy, Kokichi would be there to remind Kaito of his own forgiveness. It was important to believe in yourself, but having other people believe in you made it a lot easier to get there.

So Kokichi just nuzzled Kaito’s arm with a happy hum at that quiet, genuine gratitude, and giggled when Kaito decided it was his turn to receive praise. 

Snickering, Kokichi loosely looped his arms around one of Kaito’s, laying a chaste kiss to it as well. “I had a feeling you’d be into it. Kai-chan is a very good story partner, you know? You give me the perfect prompts to build off of. And you don’t mind my rambling, so that’s a bonus to us both.”

“...I wouldn’t actually wanna put that kind of strain on our wallets, but it might be fun to check out a bunch of bars some weekend or something. Just go to each one in an area for a little bit, see what the night life’s like… Or just one. Like that dancing place we were talking about. Just...going on a date sometime.”

Kaito chuckled, taking Kokichi ‘s hand and kissing his knuckles before holding it under the water as he said, “We should. We keep saying we will. I guess the days just kinda keep rushing past us. What about this weekend? I mean… are you busy?” Kaito asked, grinning at his husband. “Do you gotta check your calendar?” 

Kokichi rolled his eyes a bit, but he did pause to think, batting away the brain fog as he tried to remember if there were any events or projects he needed to do this weekend. And… “...I’m pretty sure I don’t have anything planned. Tim’s next bee isn’t for a little bit too. Longer break, since the county bee needs people to travel and all that… Lucky he lives in the capital, since even the nationals are here when we do them in person. Sometimes if the weather’s bad, their teacher will read from the word list and just send a notice of how far their student got… And gotta do it again if there’s a tie, though usually with some crazy hard words thrown in…”

Kokichi had drifted a bit as he spoke, leaning his head against Kaito’s arm as a pleased, proud smile came over his face. “...your kid’s real smart. I know Maki-chan’s been pushing him, but I’m so proud of all the work he’s put in… He has the potential to do anything, I think.” 

“Do you think so?” Kaito asked, grinning proudly, a little excited at that idea. “I mean, of course I wanna say he is. But, ya know… I don’t want to put that kinda expectation on him, if I’m not sure he can reach it first… despite what people think, my encouragement to people isn’t purely blind faith.” Kaito said, rolling his eyes a little, “It doesn’t help anyone to push them to something they really, genuinely can’t do… but yeah. I think you’re right. I think my Tim might actually have a really solid head on his shoulders… which is great! A relief actually. His bravery is super commendable, like, the kid has nerves of steel and follow-through to boot. I have two scars on my back that prove that.”

Kaito chuckled, shaking his head a little as he said softly, “But, brains will serve him better here...I’m glad…” Kaito chuckled again, an excited sound as he said, “I hope he wins that bee. I know he doesn’t care one way or another, but Maki will be so damn happy. She’s so excited about this. She’s so proud. It’s nice to see her this happy and excited about something.” Well. In her own Maki way.

“But, yeah! Great! So long as nothing comes up? I’ll take you on a proper date this weekend. It’ll be fun.” Kaito promised, kissing Kokichi’s forehead, enjoying the heat of the water, his muscles relaxing in the jets.

“...just so we’re clear. I should not expect a blow job in an alley, right?”

Kokichi just nodded against Kaito’s arm. Tim’s bravery and tenacity...well, that’s where the “brains” stemmed from, if Kokichi had to guess. With Maki’s expectations to live up to, Tim didn’t half-ass his studying, and when applied, it all paid off. That’s all what learning really was in Kokichi’s opinion, at least when it came to what you learned in school. Just refusing to give up, putting in your all. 

With that, and Tim’s ability to just...take life as it came? Apart from the slip of judgement that resulted in them really meeting at all...everything Kokichi had seen from Tim seemed to spell out someone that could see their efforts rewarded wherever they put them. He still didn’t know if Tim even knew what he wanted but...being able to spend time with his friends and his family was a very good goal to have. A good place to be even after purpose struck you. 

Though, Tim was probably realizing his potential at the same time as realizing that Maki realizing his potential meant that she’d expect the world from him. A high bar, but...well. He knew Maki would be proud no matter what Tim decided to do, even if some things disappointed her at first. 

Snorting, Kokichi cracked an eye open to give Kaito A Look. “No way that’s ever happening in reality, hun. Sorry, but I think I’d explode.”

“...but I’ll be looking forward to it. I like spending time with you, and going on a real date sounds just...amazing.” 

“Mmmm.” Kaito hummed, moving his free arm out of the hot tub, leaning it against the wall of the tub, his pecks dipping slightly into the water as he shifted down, resting his head against the edge as he said, “Yeah. It does.”

-

A few days passed…

Honestly? Kaito was sure the only reason he was getting away with this was because he had left before his lovers work day ended. 

No one had come to check up on him yet… maybe no one had seen his note yet. He hadn’t wanted to worry anyone, he wasn’t mentally that gone yet. Or maybe he had succeeded in making the note sound light hearted? It had been short and quick, just a note left on the desk in their room, saying Kaito had felt like walking around the market a bit and to expect him back late. Said he might get a drink.

Kaito stared miserably at his drink.

He hadn’t been able to stay in the shrine. 

He loved Atua. Of course he did. He had faith in his god. Was devoted to him. Believed Atua’s promises, believed that Atua loved them and was watching over them… but Atua had never promised to help anyone with individual problems. Atua believed that humans were in charge of their own lives. He didn’t like to interfere. 

It was believed you could convince the Saints to help with individual problems, but the Saints had to hear the request first, which who knew how that worked... and, then,  decide to help on their own second, and… and the stories of them doing so was rare, and…

Kaito found praying soothing. He did. But thirteen dead loved ones later?

Atua might love him, but at least rum would actually, physically do something…

Kaito’s hair was getting too long to gel up, and his hair was mostly hanging down now, to the point where he kept pushing it out of his eyes. He had to get it cut… he was wearing a cape today. It was a dark, forest green, with a hood, a hunting garment that had been gifted to him by a duke that had kept trying to convince Kaito to go hunting with him when Kaito was seventeen. Kaito had ended up avoiding the man, not necessarily not into older people, but… the man had been a little aggressive and forward even in public, and Kaito had a feeling being alone with him in the woods was inviting behavior Kaito couldn’t handle, especially from an older man used to getting his way.

He had kept the cape though. It was a nice cape.

And while he had a feeling he was looking a little… foolish? Wearing a hood up in the corner of this dark, adequately filthy bar. At least his desire to be left alone was coming across loud and clear, no one other than the barkeeper having come anywhere near him. 

It had taken some looking to find a bar like this. For awhile, Kaito was actually afraid a bar like this didn’t exist in the Dicean city. Everywhere he had found had been brightly lit and friendly and airy, which was fine for a certain mood, but Kaito had been desperate to find a bar that would let him do what he wanted to do, without being surrounded by brighty, cheery air. The kind of bar people went to to be hidden and unbothered and a little fucking angry. A hole in the wall bar. 

Kaito, eventually, had gotten desperate and just asked one of the bartenders at a restourant if they knew of this kind of place, and they had smirked and given Kaito directions, and while Kaito was walking down a random stairway in an out of the way alley in the business district, he suspected for a second the bartender had been fucking with him when he was heading towards an entirely unmarked basement door… but when he had knocked, someone had shouted it was open, and he had been relieved to find exactly what he was looking for. A bar that looked like all of its furniture had been stolen off of demolished carriages, benches pulled from parks, nothing matching and definitely nothing bought. The decoration on the walls were possibly vandalism or possibly there on purpose and either way it was half damaged, half faded, and barely staying up. There was one window that could, in theory, let in light, but it had been covered up literally by a strip of cloth and tacks. 

It was perfect. The kind of place where Kaito could just...fucking fume to himself.

...he hoped no one was going to be mad about the crack in the drywall in the phone room… maybe no one would notice. It had been almost near the floor. He hadn’t meant to kick…

… there was really nothing he could do…

There was a tap on his shoulder, and Kaito grit his teeth. It had all been going so well too. “Not in the fucking mood.” he growled to whoever was behind him.

“Yeah, I can tell. I always heard Luminaries were extra, but man, you’re something else.” the man snickered, sitting next to him. Golden, sharp eyes peeking under Kaito’s hood as he said, “Can you even see under there? If you’re trying to not be recognized, I’m sorry to tell you, sire, you are going about it the wrong way.”

Kaito gave the man a dirty look, trying to remember where he recognized him from...and, embarrassed, put his hood down. “Shut up… I thought it’d clue people in I didn’t want them to talk to me. Take a hint.”

The man laughed, an amused, snickering sound, and Kaito glared at him again, but his eyes followed the man’s hand when he passed him a small glass of something that smelled sharp, the man saying, “Names Cayden. I come with a peace offering, and a head thoroughly up my own ass. Cause you look like a man begging for company, to me.”

Kaito gave the man an uncertain look… before he flushed. Now he knew who this was. Winking court guy… fuck. He was even prettier up close…

“...thanks.” Kaito muttered, taking the drink.

It wasn’t too often Waku had free afternoons. She usually timed things so when she had an afternoon off from work, she scheduled her therapy and counseling sessions in that free time, but with so many people back at the castle and now settled in… Everyone was finding that they had a little more free time than before. So, Waku found herself with a completely open afternoon. 

Maybe going to a dive in the middle of the afternoon wasn’t the most...healthy thing that totally on-their-ball normal people did...but it’d be nice to get back in the evening rather than the middle of the night for once. 

Keeping her hood up to ward off the cold, the place the young woman was heading to, again, wasn’t the most...conventional place. But it was one she’d never gotten looks for being obviously roughed up from fights and after long enough, she just stopped going to the others. It was a nice little hole in the wall she could find a corner and a pint and just...listen idly to the people who came and went. 

What she heard when she came through the door wasn’t something that could just wash over her, though. But...this wasn’t the sort of place you went to have a night with drinking buddies…

Pursing her lips, Waku kept an ear up as she headed over to the bar, holding up a finger. If Kaito was alright (or as alright as you could be drowning your sorrows) by the time she got her drink, she’d find her own corner. If not...well, she wasn’t going to tell Kokichi about this at all if she could help it, but the things she was hearing...he wouldn’t appreciate. 

Cayden wasn’t, necessarily, enjoying Kaito’s misery, but… heh heh.

This poor asshole was really fucking funny. 

He was fairly certain the guy couldn’t help it. It was in his mannerisms, even as he was talking about something that clearly, really bothered him, there was always something mildly… extra. Dramatic. In everything he said or did that, to a guy like Cayden, he couldn’t help but enjoy. The guy talked with his whole body, his arms randomly jerking in directions, like Kaito was sort of half-assedly punching the air as he talked, his whole body tense, and he wore confusion and hurt on his face in a way that was so unintentionally open and at the same time self-conscious that even his rage or his frustration came across as... endearingly pathetic.

He was so vibrant. Cayden couldn’t help encouraging it, especially as it got more and more passionate with every shot.

So Cayden snickered, and said, “So, what? You’re just gonna go rescue him?”

“Maybe!? Maybe I will??” Kaito shouted, slamming his fist on the counter, the bartender not so much as glancing in his direction. It had been the third time Kaito had done that now. “I don’t know!? M-maybe I could take a horse and r-ride back home and get there before it h-happen!? And, and… and Byakuya will see how important this is to me then, and, and he’ll…”

“Let you be happily ever after with him?” Cayden sneered, raising a dark eyebrow, “Let you both ride off into the sunset together?”

Kaito flinched, putting his head into his hands as he growled. “Shut up… stop saying that. Me wanting him to live isn’t, it’s not the same as…I’m very happy here.” Kaito muttered, “I can want both things. I love Kokichi and Shuichi...”

“You said he was the love of your life like literally twenty minutes ago.” Cayden reminded him.

“...it’s complicated.” Kaito grumbled, wiping away some of the angry tears on his face. “Okay? I don’t know… all of that can be true at once. Fuck you.”

“You can have three ‘true loves’?” Cayden smirked. 

“Fuck, I wish it was just three.” Kaito groaned, putting his head into his arms. He didn’t know why he was telling Cayden any of this. Maybe it was the anonymous nature of this place. He didn’t know Cayden, this place felt strange and other… it was like he could say anything in here, and there would be no real world consequences. Everything left behind in the dark of the bar. That, and all the alcohol in his system. His tongue thoroughly loosened, he said, “My life would be so much simpler if I just… could stop. Being in love. All the fucking time…. Kokichi and Shuichi are the loves of my life. Okay?”

“That, and this death row guy.” Cayden smirked.

“...”

“And some mysterious fourth person.”

“Mmmmmmmm.” Kaito...angry hummed. Is the easiest way to describe that.

“Ya know what I think?” Cayden said, draping his arm around Kaito’s shoulders, leaning his face into Kaito’s, Kaito peeking up at him through his arms as Cayden beamed at him, “I think, if you think you love all these different people? Then probably… what’s actually happening is you don’t love any of them. And you’re just mistaking infatuation for love.”

Kaito’s brow furrowed. “...no. I definitely love them…”

“Then your love is cheap, and worthless.” Cayden said dismissively, shrugging. Smirking as he saw the anger in Kaito’s face as he said soothingly, “Hey, hey, is that a bad thing? Lots of people need love. And you’re a man who gives it away so freely… how about this? Going off to save this guy would make your ‘loves’ all sad, right? That’s a bad idea. But you can’t go to them because that’s all you want to do right now… but you and I both know, because you’re here right now, that you’re not going to do it. So!”

Cayden smiled brightly at him, before leaning in closer to him, “Maybe? The best thing you can do right now… is forget all of them. And just...spread that love around a little tonight. Get lost in someone else for awhile. Then you won’t do anything stupid, like try to leave tonight, and you won’t be torturing yourself all night, thinking about it and not doing it. And it won’t hurt anyone's feelings, because they’ll never know how you distracted yourself… I mean…” Cayden kissed at Kaito’s ear, causing Kaito to flinch in his arms, but not pull away, “I won’t tell anyone…”

Kaito stilled for a moment...before he covered his ear, wiping the feeling of the guy off him as he gently tried to pull away, muttering, “Nah that’s… that’s a bad idea…”

“You don’t have to decide now.” Cayden smiled, pushing another shot towards Kaito, “Give it another few drinks. I have all night.”

The feeling in Kaito’s heart was really...horrible. Waku supposed that’s just the way it was, though--if you cared about things, then they could hurt you. You could choose to either feel everything, all the wonderful highs and heartbreaking lows, or none of it, and it was damn hard to find anyone who was genuinely in between. 

The pain of grief and misery and helplessness...there wasn’t much anyone could do there, which was why Kaito was in a bar, she supposed, but there very much was something to do about the feelings of the man next to him. Finding amusement in other people’s misery… Waku felt that wild anger flare up in her heart, but she didn’t let it out, instead flopping herself across the table from Kaito and setting her mug down with a firm ‘thunk’, and, after a moment, tugging her hood back over her head to match Kaito’s style. 

She didn’t say anything at first, just taking a long swig of her ale. If Kaito really could handle this on his own, then she’d leave him to it, just being another body nearby. But if he needed some help...if the guy next to him was going to push, then she was there for backup. 

Kaito glanced at Cayden uncertainly, before taking the offered shot. Once the shot was done, Kaito felt the burn down his throat, but gave Cayden a stern look as he said, “I’m sworn to two different people right now. I’m not, not…” Kaito looked uncertain for a second, struggling to find the next word, before saying almost triumphantly, “not available! Yeah, that’s the word…”

“I have no idea what that means. But I’m not asking you to ‘swear’ yourself to anyone else. I’m saying just let me distract ya. So you don’t do anything stupid tonight.” Cayden said, running a hand down Kaito’s arm. He might have backed off if Kaito was actually being more urgent in his no, but while Kaito’s words were correct, the look he was giving Cayden, sort of … half alarmed and half flustered and more than half curious…

Kaito looked to Cayden like someone who was less saying ‘no’ and more saying ‘convince me’.

And while Kaito leaned away from the touch again, he still was just sort of.. Uncertainly staring at Cayden. And accepting his drinks. And he hadn’t told him to leave, or left himself, and honestly, all of that was consent enough for Cayden, who put his hand on Kaito’s thigh next, leaning close, not kissing, but clearly inviting Kaito to move forward and kiss him as he said “You’re Atuan, right? Don’t Atuan’s believe in this sort of thing anyway? Free love and all that? Or well...” Cayden snickered, “maybe not ‘free’. But I heard someone say you all use sex as prayer once… maybe you and I could go ‘pray’ for your friends safety...”

Kaito, who had been… not exactly running from this conversation before that moment, brow’s suddenly furrowed, anger flashing across his face as he knocked Cayden’s hand aside, saying, “That’s not fucking funny. That’s not how that works… fuck, I don’t know why I’m talking to you. I should go home.” Kaito realized, this already having gone too far, standing up from the booth and… woah… dizzy…

Cayden snickered as Kaito sat back down, Kaito not having realized how drunk he was till that moment, waiting for the room to stop spinning as he leaned against the counter. Rubbing Kaito’s back, Cayden said, “Why are you so pissed? Stay, have a few more drinks. I was just kidding anyway. You think I’m gonna sleep with the future leaders husband? What am I, crazy? I’m just teasing ya. Relax.”

“No you’re not, I’m not fucking stupid.” Kaito grumbled.

“Oooh, someone’s a little full of themselves.” Cayden jeered, still rubbing Kaito’s back, “What, can’t imagine someone not wanting to sleep with you? You need to get your head out of the clouds, you’re grace.”

Now Kaito did look… a little confused as he said, somewhat to himself, “No you… you were definitely hitting on me..”

“Another shot! One for me and my emo, stuck up friend here!” Cayden called to the bartender, who nodded, bringing them more shots.

Kaito blinked blearily at the shot, before taking it from Cayden, muttering, “I’m not stupid… I know what you were doing…”

Now Cayden’s hand was on the back of Kaito’s neck, rubbing it soothingly as he said, “Sure. You keep telling yourself that buddy. Just relax, you act like you’ve never had a drinking buddy before. I’m just being your friend.”

Kaito’s vision was starting to swim. He was… almost certain he hadn’t misunderstood what was happening… but he was kinda drunk. And he was usually misunderstanding the Diceans… maybe this was another culture difference… Kaito took another drink. Cayden snickering next to him as he said, “There we go. Relax.”

...okay, that was enough. Waku wasn’t going to be just another person standing by while people sank deeper into horrible situations. 

Sighing, she tilted her head at the unfamiliar man and said bluntly, “He doesn’t want to fuck you, dude. Keep’s not too fussed about fights, but if you’re trying to rape someone, they take that seriously. You do know that’s the number one demographic of murder victims in Usot, right?”

“Honestly, I’d wonder how you haven’t been straight up castrated by any partners for your views on cheating, but that would require you to have a partner at all. If you’re gonna be an asshole, the bathrooms are over there.”

Scoffing a little, Waku gave Kaito a ‘get a load of this guy’ kind of look. “Kaito, you wouldn’t believe how horny this guy is for you. Or maybe you would, you’re good at picking up on that sort of stuff, and obviously you’re totally right about this dunderhead trying to get you to cheat on your partners for his own benefit. I was thinkin’ about getting some water after this pint--you want some?” 

Cayden just sighed at first, when some nosy bitch started talking to them. Honestly, people didn’t know how to mind their own business… she’d be easy enough to deal with. He just had to ask Kaito to tell her he was fine and to back the fuck off. Cayden knew he would. No one liked to cause a scene, especially not big, tough guys needing to be ‘rescued’ from a good time…

Ah. But. The second she said ‘Kaito’ Cayden realized he was done. Getting rid of nosy strangers was one thing. Nosy friends…

And, indeed, instead of looking embarrassed and defensive, Kaito’s face was confused for a moment, before lighting up, looking genuinely thrilled as he said, “Waku! How long have you been here!?”

“Right!? I knew it! I knew you were hitting on me!” Kaito said, glaring at Cayden, confidence restored now that someone else had validated his thoughts on it. “I told you, man, I’m not doing that shit! I’m sworn to two different people!”

“And in love with four, five, six?” Cayden scoffed, sipping from his drink as he rolled his eyes, “Forgive me if I thought you might be flexible. Easy mistake. Also, ‘Waku’? It’s great that you’re looking out for your guy here-” Cayden said, beaming brightly at her, “but maybe be a little more careful throwing around the ‘R’ word. I’m just talking to the guy. Kaito, was I fucking raping you? You feeling raped, bud?”

Kaito blinked, looking uncertain again, “...no?”

“There ya go. Chill out.” Cayden smirked at Waku, before saying, “and, since you’ve invited yourself to our table, I’ll go ahead and be the gentleman and buy the next round of drinks. What’s your poison?” he asked her.

Waku nodded amicably to Kaito, humming in agreeance, before she rolled her eyes at the guy. Thankfully she wasn’t usually the type these people went after, but she’d seen it time and again. Little eels, riding the line of plausible deniability. 

“I think I’ve used the word with the appropriate weight. Kaito’s said no several times, and yet you keep asking, and that’s only in the twenty or so minutes I’ve been here. You keep invalidating his feelings and keep buying him drinks. Even if he said yes at this point, having sex with someone who’s drunk is rape, and is an even worse offense if you’re the person who’s been giving him drinks with the express purpose of getting him drunk enough that he says yes.”

Waku levelled a very unimpressed look on the guy as she took a heavy drink of her ale. “I make it a habit not to accept drinks from people like you. Thank you for the offer, but I can pay for my own.”

Cayden grinned, displaying at the assortment of empty glasses on the table as he said easily, “That argument loses its weight when I’ve been matching him drink for drink. We’re both drunk. People make mistakes when they’re drunk. And Kaito here isn’t some helpless shrinking daisy. Are ya?” Cayden asked Kaito, patting his back.

Kaito wasn’t. And he didn’t like to think of himself as the kind of person who could be taken advantage of either… but…

Looking between Cayden and Waku, Kaito’s brow furrowed, before pushing Cayden’s arm off himself, as he realized, “You’re pissing off my friend. Get out of here before I lose my shit on you.”

Cayden frowned, looking startled by that. Kaito’s anger had been mostly exaggerated bluster and passionate annoyance by this point. But that had sounded serious. His expression more serious. Ah, okay… one of the types who got pissed on other peoples behalf. Kay. 

“Ya know what? Bad company makes bad drinks.” Cayden decided, getting up. Ignoring Waku, he winked at Kaito, and said, “When you change your mind? I come here all the time. Try to dodge your babysitter next time though.” He said, giving Waku an annoyed look, before heading off.

Kaito watched Cayden go, before sighing, rubbing his forehead as he said , “Sorry about that… I knew what he was trying to do. I just… it was… I just needed to talk to someone about stuff. But you’re right, that guys an asshole…”

Then Kaito’s eyes widened, and he gave Waku a panicked look as he said, “Shit. How much of that did you hear? Seriously, Waku, where did you even come from!?”

Waku kept her cool gaze on the guy all the way until he left, unbothered by the comments born of wounded pride. Damn opportunists… 

Though, her gaze softened when she turned back to Kaito, giving a soft huff of a laugh. “I come here on my evenings off. Got the afternoon off today, so I came a little early.” Her expression went a little more serious, though there wasn’t a trace of anger. “...I didn’t hear what you likely came here to unload, but if you’re worried about me telling Kokichi that some guy was trying to goad you into cheating...don’t worry about it. You didn’t so no harm done, and I know you truly care about him and Shuuichi. Just keep an eye out when you see that guy, okay? There’s nothing wrong with taking a swing you think you’ll miss, but to keep needling like that and buying you…”

She sighed a little, noticing all the glasses on the table. “All this? ...well, I’m not gonna tell anyone about that either. Drinking when you’re angry and sad isn’t a great habit, but everyone already thinks you’re a lush. No need to rub it in.” 

Kaito looked at all the empty glasses and shot bottles in front of him and realized, “Shit, that’s a lot, isn’t it… fuck, I don’t even know how long I’ve been in here.” Kaito realized, not able to see the light outside and there being no clocks in here. Kaito put his face in his hands as he groaned, “Fuck, I hope it’s not late… ‘Kichi’s gonna be disappointed in me and Maki and Shuichi are gonna beat the shit out of me. I mean, not seriously, not really, but like...maybe really, I don’t know. Fuck.”

Kaito put his head on the table-- damn, his head felt heavy. But his brain light. Shit.-- breathing through his nose as he muttered, “Shit.” again… before saying uncertainly, “I wouldn’t have actually lost my shit on him. I don’t fight anymore.”

And, immediately after that, Kaito lifted his head, giving Waku a baffled look as he said, “You come to places like this? Really?? You???”

“It’s around five,” Waku supplied, not knowing how long Kaito had been there before she came in. Regardless of how long it had been, Kaito had still drunk waaaay too much, even guessing that only half the glasses were his...and if the barkeep hadn’t collected any. Sighing softly, she caught the keep’s attention and held up a “W” with her fingers before circling one around, asking for a pitcher of water and two glasses. “Doubt you can fully sober up, but I can help you home later if you want.”

She then smirked a little, gesturing out to the grungy dive around them. “What? I don’t fit the aesthetic or something? Can’t come have a drink in a basement bar in an alley?” She gave the keep a thankful nod when they dropped off the water, which they barely caught, just keeping on with the job. Incidentally, someone she’d seen a few times in her years of coming to the dive, but still didn’t know the name of. 

In a place as close knit and friendly as Dicea, there was something nice about being able to remain anonymous. 

“You’re so pink…” Kaito said, staring at her… before adding in blankly, “And skittish. I guess I couldn’t imagine you relaxing in a place like this.”

Taking the water, not really… wanting it, but, well,... he nursed it anyway, kind of wishing it was another beer or shot or literally anything else… “Can I tell you something stupid?” Kaito mumbled.

Waku laughed a little at the pink comment, but just nodded a bit to Kaito’s other observation. “You’re right, really. For a long time I wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this, mostly because I’d think that I’d die. But...mostly, people keep to themselves. While there are some things that still scare me...it’s good to face that fear, sometimes, and discover that there’s nothing you need to be afraid of.”

“Plus, the ale’s not too expensive, and I like people watching here.”

While she still had a bit left in her pint, Waku took some water as well, drinking it in solidarity with her friend. Kind of sucked when you were on a roll, but it did help flush you out a little faster, and tended to make for kinder hangovers if you overdid it.

Giving Kaito a curious look, she nodded. “Sure.”

“It’s stupid…” Kaito knew, tapping on the glass nervously, clearly thinking too hard about something he knew wasn’t true, but like… maybe…

“...like, at a certain point, you have to consider that maybe you’re fucking cursed? Right?” Kaito suddenly rushed, putting the water down, running a hand through his hair and looking frustrated as he said, “Thirteen… f-fourteen… that’s a lot of dead people in a really short amount of time! And, and, it’s so shitty to make it about myself, I know that. It’s not about me. But… but that’s a lot. Like, after awhile, it’s like… like there’s one common denominator! And maybe it is about me?? Maybe it’s me???”

Kaito twitched… before his face tightened. “I’m such a coward… I should be on a horse right now… fuck, I’m so worthless…”

Waku frowned, curling her arms on the table and resting on them. That explained the grief… Kaito had been grieving a lot of people, and it wasn’t like...that pain just went away. But for this kind of resurgence… Someone else had died now. 

That wasn’t just something you could ignore, that people could say it was all in your head. But...there were different ways to frame it. 

“...a lot more than fourteen people have died recently, Kaito,” Waku sighed. She wasn’t super privy to the movers and shakers of the world--she was just a housekeeper, after all--but news about the Remnants had at least attempted to stay fresh to the general public. The best way they could guard against a death cult was to be as informed as possible. 

“But, of course, considering that it’s fourteen that mean so much to you… It’s too horrible to think of it like the numbers just not being in your favor, right? Why is it you that has to lose over and over…” She sighed, tugging on one of her braids as, well, two of the people in those fourteen she at least knew a little about. “And maybe it is stacked against you, to a point. But...not because of you specifically. You just...know a lot of people who know a lot of people. Who have a lot of power. And that changes how things play out. But while the spaces are uneven, we’re all just places on a dart board we’ve made ourselves.”

“...what would you do if you left, Kaito? Not where it’s about convincing others. What would you do in actions alone?”

“...Waku. I appreciate you talking to me. But you are really bad at comforting people.” Kaito grumbled, thumping his head against the table again, the glasses all jostling. Then thumping it again… before he said, “I mean, you’re not wrong. But geez…”

But he listened to her, because it was comforting to have someone just… try to be there for you. The mere act itself often being enough. It was nice being around someone who cared. Even if their response to ‘lots of people keep dying in my life is it my fault’ is ‘lots of people die dude thats just statistics’. Nnngh….

Looking up blearily at her, he took another sip of water, considering her question, though his considering was clouded by a heavy layer of guilt and grief and anger as he said, “I’d...I’d… ride none stop and… maybe if I can get to the border at least? In time? Someone would report it to Byakuya and if Byakuya knows I’m on my way, maybe he’d… maybe he’d delay the execution and… this is my fault, this is my fault, I lost my temper, I could have convinced him if I had kept my temper but I raised my voice and kicked the wall and he got mad at me and n-now it’s too late and…”

Kaito dug his hands into his hair, “I could convince him, I could convince him. He loves me. I know he loves me. If I hadn’t made him mad he’d have listened to me, I could have convinced him...I… my love has to be enough sometimes… I don’t have anything else to negotiate with… I don’t have anything to offer…”

“Sorry,” she murmured with a sad smile. “I just never feel better when someone lies to me. It’s true that things do get better in time...but just because you have distance. It doesn’t erase all the pain that happened, and in the moment, knowing that one day it’ll hurt less isn’t very comforting, in my opinion. When there’s really nothing good about a situation...sometimes I find it less hurtful to know there was nothing you could’ve done. Other people made decisions where you couldn’t, and because of that you suffered.”

Waku listened to Kaito’s plan and...that wasn’t his own action. That was still just trying to convince someone else. Something that...Kaito didn’t even fully believe himself, but clung to it because he had nothing else. 

“...it’s really horrible, isn’t it.”

“...not having anything to offer. Having no choices. Just being a toy for other people’s plans, and that only when they’re even thinking about you at all. Sometimes knowing that most of the time? They don’t consider you in the slightest...it hurts. Makes you feel like you’re not even a person. Like there was no point to you being alive at all. We may be a loved creation, but the earth is humans’ domain and the gods can only hope that their creations will treat each other well.”

“But free will means that there’s capacity for everything so...cruelty is part of everything.”

Waku sighed, her round eyes lowered in just...an old pain. Her life wasn’t like that anymore and she was grateful, but it didn’t mean that it never happened, and it didn’t mean that the pain she felt could just be...whisked away and said that it didn’t matter. 

She didn’t know King Byakuya, not any more than the rumors surrounding him. And none of them were kind when it came to the man himself. But if Kaito’s desperate plea wasn’t enough to change his mind on what Waku was coming to realize was an execution…

“...your brother knows how you feel. If already that isn’t enough for him...are you really thinking about hurting yourself more to...watch someone be killed anyway? Or to get yourself killed on the way, and leave other people in your shoes wondering what hadn’t been enough?”

Kaito wrung his hands together, the joints cracking with each nervous twist of his fingers, his stomach clenching painfully in anxious, nervous grief, listening to Waku, nodding along with her a little. “It sucks…” Kaito agreed, his dizziness not helped at all by the burn in his vision, the way everything swam as he desperately tried, and entirely failed, to keep those angry, helpless tears from before coming back. Wiping his face n his sleeve, before slamming his fist on the table, growling, “It’s fucking… it’s fucking bullshit…” 

“I don’t… I don’t understand how he can see what this does to me and still… be okay with it… he loves me, I know he loves me…” Kaito murmured, the mantra an old comfort. “I just wish he’d… listen to me… if he understood that I meant it. That I really, really mean it when I say it hurts, he’d listen. If I could make him understand, he’d listen. I mean, he heard me, I said it, but… if he believed it, he’d stop… he wouldn’t hurt me on purpose…”

But Kaito winced as she pointed out that he’d be taking a serious risk and leaving behind people who… yeah. Would wonder the same thing about him. Why they hadn’t been enough to convince him to stay. To not hurt them with his leaving… he couldn’t do that. He knew that. He had come to a bar instead of getting on a horse. He fucking knew that.

But choosing between them and Togami still didn’t fucking feel good. Either way… he was letting a loved one down…

“No… I don’t want to do that to them… you’re right. I know you’re right. I mean… it helps to hear someone else say it though… fuck I feel so selfish and like a coward and… none of my options make me exactly thrilled with myself. I feel like a selfish asshole either way…” Kaito confessed, rubbing his eyes and sighing, just frustrated with himself.

Looking up at Waku, tired and drunk, Kaito considered the next thing on his mind… “Waku? You know my son's nine, right? My adopted son? I mean, not officially, but like, I have guardianship over him… I love him a lot. I haven't known him long, but I love him. And he got some funny ideas in his head once, and he stabbed me twice, and I didn’t even really mind, because he’s just a kid and he’s a good kid really and he did those things because he’s a good kid…”

Kaito ran a hand over his face. “... I’m trying to say, like… you may have heard some things. or … felt some emotions in me? With your weird heart stuff? About my feelings on you for awhile. Your past? How you know Kokichi… that was me being an asshole. And like, grouping you up with a bunch of other things that were pissing me off. And like… yeah. I just wanted to put that out there before asking this…”

He looked up at blearily at Waku. “What the fuck happened? You’re really, really nice. How the hell are you on the ‘kill Kokichi’ leaderboard? I mean, way behind me, I’m winning by a mile, but… yeah. Like...I don’t know. Maybe that’s a fucking insensitive question. Sorry.”

Waku nodded quietly, empathizing a little more than Kaito had probably expected. People said they loved you, sometimes. Sometimes they even meant it. But sometimes, even if they thought it was, what they felt wasn’t love. Sometimes it was ownership or obligation, or even a form of genuine fondness, but...if you ignored entire parts of a person, or never bothered to listen to them...that wasn’t love. And knowing that they thought it was just hurt more. 

“...they say things like it’s for your own good, right? That you’re just not understanding something. That you’ll thank them in the end. Or that it’s for the greater good, and your suffering is worth it. Sure, I guess being a hedonist has its own problems...but it never feels worth that pain, and I don’t know about you...but I never saw any results.”

Sighing, Waku rubbed her face and finished off her pint, downing a bit of water afterward. Definitely not what she thought she’d be getting into when she came to the bar that afternoon but...well. Life was funny that way sometimes.

She nodded, knowing Tim--Haneda had been so proud of him lately, and while Waku didn’t often come across the whole family, she could hear pieces here and there of how much Maki and Kaito cared about their son--and…

Well, she knew this was probably going to come sooner or later. 

Shaking her head a little, Waku offered Kaito a small smile. “...that’s really kind of you to say, Kaito. And I appreciate all that...really.”

“...you know about the LRG, right.” Not a question. Anyone over the age of thirty knew all too well, and younger than that could be hit or miss, but...Kaito was Kokichi’s husband. He knew. “I was born into it. My mom was a member.”

The young woman tugged on her braids a bit, a far away, regretful frown on her face. “...I only say mom because she gave birth to me. Looking back on it...she was never a mother to me. But it took me a long time to realize that.”

“Basically every person around me growing up was part of the LRG. When that’s the only thing you hear...your entire world… Of course I was convinced that Aiichi was evil. That Kokichi would follow those footsteps and ruin the country. Everything was blamed on them.”

“If we didn’t have food, it was because Aiichi was so evil that no one could spare a moment to buy anything, so thank him for your empty stomach. He’d brainwashed the country, so that’s why everyone runs away from you. You know the truth, so that’s why they’re scared. Don’t bother mom, we’re saving the country--if you get in the way, you’re a traitor. If you don’t like the roof over your head and all the love and care I’ve given you, then why don’t you spend the night in the closet and see how you feel in the morning?”

Waku huffed out a breath, letting loose the tension that had been building, her eyes glimmering wet. “...she forgot I was there. Only found me when it started smelling. Said that if I’d only been reasonable, that never would’ve happened, you’re a bad child, go clean up what you did…”

She wiped her nose. “...I was nine. And I believed her. In all of the scary people that came to our house to talk about horrible things...and I couldn’t say anything, because if they found out I was scared? Then only traitors who hated Dicea were scared of that stuff…”

“...Kokichi was having a birthday party. I don’t...really remember the stuff around it. But since there were always guards around Aiichi…” Waku yanked on her braids, something angry in her gaze as she glared down at the table. “...no one was at the party. At the time, I think I rationalized it as people sensing his evil, but...I think they thought he was diseased or something. It was so easy to get close to him…”

“...and he took my hand and asked why I was scared. That if someone was hurting me, then he’d protect me… I-I had a cut on my arm, and he asked if I wanted some first aid and…” She buried her face in her hands, still feeling...feeling like a dumb waste of space trapped in a closet when she remembered what she’d almost done. “He was terrified. He was so scared of me...but he was still so kind...wanted to make sure I was taken care of…”

There was a moment, something high in the back of Waku’s throat before she scrubbed her eyes one last time and sent Kaito a weak smile. “...and he was right. He did protect me.”

Kaito just looked at her for a while. His back had tensed at the story of her mother. He had felt a sort of … awful empathy at the explanation of all her problems being blamed on someone powerful and far away. His stomach sunk a little at the description of his husband’s birthday party, and a grim understanding of how a nine year old could have seen that opportunity as an obligation…

But mostly, he was actually shocked he hadn’t noticed it before. It was really, really obvious to him now. How had he missed it before?

She looked like Maki.

She looked so much like Maki…

This was maybe not going to be okay. But Kaito reached out for her hand, taking it gently between his own, and he brought the back of her knuckles to his face, and knowing, even drunk, that he wasn’t allowed to kiss, he rubbed his forehead against it for a moment, before putting the side of his face in her palm. 

And then he looked at her and grinned, “You’re strong as fuck, Waku. That’s incredible.”

Then he let her hand go, reaching for another pint as he murmured, “Is your mom still around, by the way? Do you know her address? I’m asking for a friend. A murderous, murderous friend.”

Waku was a little surprised by the gesture, but even more for the rush of...affection from Kaito’s heart. That...friendly, protective feeling…

She huffed a little laugh, eyes still a little red, but drying. “You’re sweet. I didn’t feel strong for a long time...time and distance helps with that. And even with Kokichi reaching out to me like that, it took a long time to properly earn his trust. I know I’ve probably starred in my fair share of his nightmares… I can’t take back that all that happened...but things do get better with time, and I have a choice to do what I can to make the future better.”

A bit of a deeper laugh as she started on her second pint. “No, she died in one of the riots. It took a long time for me to get here, but...good. Fuck her. Forgiveness is important, and I wouldn’t be here without it...but there’s a line between giving someone the means to grow, and just enabling them to keep hurting people. Maybe Aiichi going after everyone in the group just convinced them even more about how horrible he is,” she rolled her eyes, “but fuck them too. They had all the opportunities in the world to be better, and they didn’t take any of them. They deserve to suffer for the rest of their days, and even then it’s a fraction of what they’ve done to others.”

Waku huffed, before looking back up at Kaito. “...we all get there eventually, but paradise is too good for people like them. If they’re gonna be going to the trials anyway, I say let them rot for a little longer before having to go through all that.”

Kaito nodded. “Yeah, I can understand that… you always want people to be better. But man...sometimes they just let you down over and over again. And when that ‘letting down’ is, ya know… something that actually does a lot of damage to you, or other people? I don’t know...I have anger problems. I make a lot of snap judgements on people that don’t always end up reflecting reality, and I have a hard time letting it go once that happens, so maybe I’m not the best judge to say when it’s okay to give up on people… I don’t know.” Kaito sighed, running a hand over his forehead, “I don’t know. I thought I was getting better at making that judgement call for awhile, but getting here kinda...showed me that wasn’t the case…”

“For a while, the thing everyone told me was my problem that I gave people too many chances. But, looking back, it was always because I liked those people already. It’s easy to forgive someone of awful things if you like them already.” Kaito shrugged, before grinning at Waku, saying, “Sometimes, I think what you did was harder. Caring about someone and… not letting them keep hurting you anyway. Not giving them their five-thousandth fucking chance…there was this guy named Kore?”

Kaito sighed, sipping at the pint, not needing to get any more drunk than he was, but fuck it. “I loved him. Heh. Alert the fucking newspaper… Cayden’s got me there, at least. My love is cheap…” Kaito shook his head, “Sorry, anyway. Kore. I loved him. Like, to the point where I was seriously thinking about asking him to marry me. It’d have been complicated, because he was a commoner, and kind of a poor one at that, but I didn’t care. I loved him… he was everything I had ever hoped for in a person.” Kaito grinned, sighing at the memory, “I would have spent the rest of my life with him… and then…”

Kaito scowled. “I’ll spare you how I found out. It’s an ugly story and it embaresses me to think about it. But one day I find out, whoops… he’s… fuck… he’s fucking…” Kaito gripped his mug, frustrated, “He’s fucking sharing me with his fucking twin. And had been the whole. Fucking. Time.”

Kaito scoffed, before sighing, “And… I just pretended to not know for awhile. I kept dropping hints how much that would hurt me, if he did something like that. I wanted him to stop on his own. I wanted to stay with him… but he kept doing it, and after awhile it’s like… you have to put down a line, right? Fucking a standard. I still loved him, but the fact that he was okay doing that to me… that had to be a line. So I dumped him…”

Kaito suddenly laughed, giving Waku a sheepish look as he said, “Not the same as an abusive mom, but ya know… I was just proud of myself for being like… no more. Ya know? It’s hard to do that sometimes… especially if you love them.”

Then Kaito blinked, really thinking about what Waku said, and looking up at her in surprise, he said, “Waku? Do you believe in the trials?”

Waku nodded in solidarity, drinking companionably with Kaito though he really probably shouldn’t be having more...but if the bar hadn’t cut him off, then she wasn’t going to. She’d just make sure he got home safely later. Maybe that was another form of giving more chances than you should but...eh. 

The name “Kore” didn’t mean anything to Waku, so she listened to the story with a complete outsider’s perspective, just...hearing about an old lover that...unfortunately, even if they did everything else right, even if they loved Kaito...did something really shitty, and didn’t stop. 

She sighed, shaking her head. “That’s really shitty… And you’re really brave for drawing a line. Like you said...it’s easy to keep giving chances to people you like. To keep to that boundary…”

It kind of felt like they were being quite the pair right about then, but Waku looked up in slight surprise when Kaito doubled-back. “Oh...well. I don’t really know. But I do believe that Atua was talking to you that day so...I mean, there’s a chance they’re real. So there’s no real reason to talk about them as if they aren’t.”

Kaito’s eyes widened, looking enamored as he said, “Atua talked to you!? Oh my god. Oh my god!”

Kaito’s whole attention, already mostly on her, if not somewhat distracted by his own frustration and grief, was suddenly pin-point focused on her, his expression almost desperate as he said, “What did he say? Do you remember any of it? Did any of it make sense!? I’ve gotten almost nothing this year! I’ve been worried he didn’t even…”

Kaito hesitated, a nervous look suddenly on his face, looking around guiltily as if he was expecting… something. Lightning? Laughter? He didn’t know… but he said quieter, looking embarrassed, “I mean, of course the ritual worked... it always works. I’ve just been really bad at interpreting this year… I haven't worked out anything yet… do you remember anything he said?”

Waku looked on in surprise before remembering, just a bit too late, Shuuichi asking them to not mention anything because it was like...a really big drug trip that Kaito wouldn’t remember, but would obsess over. ...whoops. 

...but she’d opened this can and...it felt wrong to brush it off. Not when, at the very least, Kaito genuinely believed what he’d said, and...it certainly sounded like it was greater than them. And while it wasn’t the most comforting thing...it was to her, and Waku had found peace in what Kaito had told her. 

Nodding a bit, Waku took a breath. “I mean, you talked to me, but you said it like you were just passing on what Atua was saying, so…”

“...it was like an apology. Explaining that there were...different realms, essentially. Like different spheres of influence. And that gods were in a weird middle zone...they were taking care of really, really big things, but...they can’t do anything for us, really. That they just had to have faith in us to change things in the world. Gods that know a lot, but are...helpless when it comes to the lives of people.”

Waku tapped thoughtfully on her glass, having thought a lot about that information. “...I found it really comforting, you know? That my and other’s suffering wasn’t part of like...destiny or anything. It was just...other people. Makes you feel like you actually have a shot of doing things.”

“...I don’t know any of the other gods, any that are real, I mean, so I’ve started praying to Atua every now and then,” Waku quietly shared, giving Kaito a small smile. “If they’re praying to us...I mean, it’s nice for people to check in on you every once in a while, right? Knowing that there’s someone cheering you on.” 

Kaito listened, wide eyed, nodding along with every word, memorizing it… and was only a little disappointed. It was a good reminder. And he was thrilled that, like…??? Waku had actually received an honest to god message????!! Like, it sounded coherent even! Like it was a full conversation! Those were so rare! 

But… it wasn’t exactly earth shattering stuff. He was glad Atua had been able to tell something Waku had apparently needed to hear by that day, but Atua’s non-interference policies had been stressed to Kaito his whole life. Especially when he had been, uh… ‘hearing’ him all the time. Everyone had sat him down, the priestess’s, his family, friends, literally random aquaintances. Everyone telling him over and over, Atua only speaks during the rituals, and he doesn’t interfere. 

So, no, Kaito, Atua didn’t just spend three hours yesterday telling you it was okay to cry and that everything would be okay and that he was going to take care of you. And he did not send vague, wispy, definitely not ghostly outlines of people to play tag or roleplay or sit with you or literally any of that. Because Atua does not do things like that. None of that actually happened.

Kaito was just… crazy.

For a little while. 

So, yeah… nothing new. But… he grinned, giving Waku a thrilled look as he said, “Awww, Waku… thank you for telling me that. Seriously, I am having such a shitty day, and hearing that you talked to Atua, and that you’re like… looking out for him? That’s so fucking nice. That just seriously brightened my day.”

Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he said, “And that’s a… that’s a nice reminder. Togami’s… there’s nothing I can do for him right now. I gave up my only chance to help him losing my fucking temper...again…”

“...and it’s a thin comfort. But, there is a comfort knowing...knowing…” Kaito’s eyes blinked. He tried to laugh, to make himself feel better, but it didn’t and his eyes rolled with hot, burning, frustrated tears again as he said, “...h-he’s just gonna be scared for a little bit, a-and then he’ll just be somewhere else? Ya know? H-he’s… he’s just…” Kaito closed his eyes, the tears falling like burning orbs as Kaito rested his head on his hand, shaking, “...he’s just going on to the next thing… i-it’s okay… he’ll be okay… everyone’s okay… all my friends are okay….”

Kaito hid his face in his hands. Overwhelmed. That thought apparently being what broke his back as he tried to hold in his sobs. They were okay they were okay nothing was ruined they were fine… 

Waku smiled a bit, glad she actually had one thing that could help lift Kaito’s spirits...but he didn’t have to be lifted. He was hurting. And while time would move on and it’d hurt less...just letting out his pain now was best. 

(Even if...it sounded like there was nothing Kaito could do for Togami period. That whether he lost his temper or not, that no matter what he said his brother wouldn’t change his mind. Maybe she was projecting a little. But maybe she was seeing a pattern of behavior.

Maybe it was more comforting to think this was his fault somehow than to rest the blame on Byakuya. On Togami--because once he said it, Waku recognized that name--for trying to kidnap Kaito in the first place. She didn’t see how...but that wasn’t up to her.)

Quietly getting up, Waku rounded the table and put an arm around Kaito, holding him before just rubbing his back. “...it hurts now. But you’ll all see each other in paradise one day. It’ll be okay.”

Kaito nodded, still hiding his face, just… “Fuck, I’m drunk and crying in some bar in the middle of the f-fucking afternoon… I’ve been drinking since one and I spent the whole time trying to vent to a guy I knew the whole time was just t-trying to fuck me because like...I don’t know?? A-at least I can talk to someone. A-and now I’m fucking ruining your afternoon off and fuck I’m sorry Waku, I’m a god damn dumpster fire and I don’t… I know they’re just going to their trials and they’re all going to do well and get through their issues and I’ll see them again but I miss them I miss them I want my friends back I hate this I hate this.”

Kaito moved to put his head on her shoulder, and muttered through tight, desperate breathing, “Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry, give me a second...I’ll get it together in a second…”

Waku just held her friend and let him vent, hearing the horrible grief and desperate hopelessness and self-hatred and anger, fuck, so much anger just thrown at the world and to himself… And Waku just held him, wishing there was something more she could do, but sometimes...just holding someone as they broke was the most you could do.

“Shh, you don’t have anything to apologize for. Hate this. Scream at the world for how much it’s hurt you. You don’t have to get it together right now. Feel everything you need to, I’ll be right here. And your family’s here for you too, when you’re ready. Let it out, Kaito.”

Kaito nodded again, and though he appreciated that, he still fought to try to get himself back together… he just didn’t succeed. Not for awhile. There was barely anyone in the bar, but he kept finding himself worried about the rumors that would get out about this. He tried to rationalize to himself that sometimes drunks cried and no one cared, but his worst case scenario was that this would be further ‘proof’ to the nay-sayers that all was not well in the Ouma household, or even worse, that Byakuya would hear about it and get mad. Demand to know what the fuck Kaito was having a public meltdown over.

Probably nothing would happen. But he couldn’t help but think his mother would have never done something this embarrassing. Fuck she’d be so disappointed in him right now…

But, when he did eventually feel the tears dry up, he… did feel better. Tired. Burnt out. But better.

Sighing, Kaito drank some more water, rubbing his eyes before finally saying, “...thanks Waku… you’re a good friend. I’m sorry I keep acting like an idiot around you… um…” giving her an embarrassed look, he said, “...can you help me get home? The room is spinning. I don’t think I can walk in a straight line.”

(Kaito was one of those drunks who, the more drunk he got, up until a certain point? The clearer he spoke… because he was working so much harder at talking than he usually had too. His words were coming out clear, but very slow, and every once and awhile a word would die on his lips midway through, and he needed to think about what he had been trying to say for a few seconds before he continued.)

Waku could tell he was still holding back, but...well, having a sob was having a sob, and it was likely helping Kaito release at least some of his anger and grief. Maybe he’d feel better doing it at home, the next time the feelings built. Hopefully she’d be able to help, but...well, he had a lot of people looking out for him. Kaito would be alright.

“No worries, Kaito. And yeah, let’s go home together. Tab’s good,” she mostly called over to the barkeep, knowing that people usually prepaid a chunk here, and getting the okay in the form of a disinterested nod, she gave Kaito’s back a pat. “Alright. When you’re ready to get up, let’s go. You’ve probably got a lot of people who’ll want to fuss over you.”

-

It was Shuichi, this time, who stopped Maki from losing her absolute shit on Kaito. 

Kaito had wrung his hands and drunkenly apologized and promised, promised, he’d get a contractor himself the next day to fix the crack in the wall of the phone room. He wouldn’t go drinking alone by himself with no one having any idea where he was again. He was sorry. Sorry, Maki. Sorry…

Maybe Shuichi had found out why Kaito had had another mini-meltdown and was being gentle because of it. Maybe he just saw Kaito’s red, swollen eyes and exhaustion and just decided he’s wait until Kaito was less strung out before releasing his own ire on Kaito.

Either way. It was a pretty short lecture and then he was allowed to go to bed. 

Kaito, medicine in him, the sun down, but only just, some bread coerced into him in lieu of dinner, Kaito stared at the spinning ceiling and murmured, “I like Waku a lot… she’s really pretty…”

Kokichi had been worried. Of course he had! He was always worried about his family, to some extent, but when Kaito left on his own and especially with alcohol involved… But...he was perfectly fine to leave on his own, right? None of them...none of them were trapped, and of any of the conditional restrictions among them all, Kaito wasn’t one of the more endangered members of their party so...he should just be fine on his own, right?!

He’d tried to not meltdown into an anxious mess, but from how he asked often looping questions to Shuuichi...it wasn’t exactly a relaxing afternoon for Kokichi. 

But Kaito had been fine, if pretty drunk, but...he was alright, home safe and with Waku looking out for him, apparently. 

Kokichi sat on their bed next to Kaito and stroked his hair, probably not that far off from bed himself. “Yeah? I like her too--she’s a good friend. I’m glad that you two ran into each other.”

Kaito nodded slowly, a little fascinated as the ceiling, like...lagged. His vision swimming by far slower than he was moving his head… he was certain. 

“...Waku has a… she has a really weird bar scene, ‘Kichi.” Kaito explained to his husband. Still marveling at that. “She is far too pink. Like… it’s a hole in the wall bar with no signs, and she is… so pink. And tiny. Tiny and pink… I think she’s a lot like Tim. Kind of small and way too put together for what they are… and like. Kind of murdery for nine year olds. But for good reasons… good kids…”

Kaito blinked slowly… before grinning loopily. “She believes in the trials. I think? She talks like they’re real. It was really nice…”

Kokichi raised an eyebrow and continued gently stroking Kaito’s hair, most of it loose and kinda just flopping where it would, not gelled into place. He wondered if Kaito had actually made any plans to get a haircut or was just content to say he needed one. 

“Her hair is certainly pink,” Kokichi agreed. “She’s one of the only adults I’ve met who’s smaller than me too.”

He quieted after that, a little surprised that Kaito and Waku had talked about that, but...also not too surprised. It was more surprising that Kaito was just...okay. They’d talked about how Kaito was just sort of...conflating everything, but after how things had gone with Lake, Kokichi was a little...worried about Kaito hearing the stories of the people who had actually tried to kill him once upon a time, but...he was glad that Kaito had taken it in stride. 

That he compared Waku to Tim was an even better sign. 

Smiling, Kokichi placed a kiss on Kaito’s forehead. “I’m glad you two have that in common to talk about. I’m happy you’re friends…”

Kaito nodded, his eyes closed. Kokichi’s hands through his hair felt nice…

“...sorry keep worrying ya babe… was ‘fraid I’d get on a horse…” Kaito sighed sleepily. “Drinking’s bad. Horse’d be worse.”

Kokichi frowned lightly. He’d get on a horse? Everyone was here so...there was no one to go save, right? Unless…

“...you don’t have a very good track record with horses, love,” Kokichi murmured, slowing down his movements and softening his voice. The best thing for Kaito to do right now would be to get some sleep, rest off the alcohol. Then probably sit through another round of chastising, but...well, every step was a step forward. 

“You made it back home, safe and sound. That’s what matters to me.”

Kaito thought he nodded, but he didn’t. Just hummed slightly, and then was out. Lost in a drunken sleep, at least for now his failures and fears far from his mind.

Kokichi kept petting Kaito’s hair for a while, just enjoying having his husband safe at home, but after worrying and trying not to worry for the whole afternoon… He could use an early night too. 

Once he was sure Kaito was out, Kokichi got off the bed and went through his routine, skipping brushing his hair, of course, and it wasn’t long before he was back, snuggling down beside Kaito and not really minding the boozy smell. Not when Kaito’s natural scent was there too. 

And once he was out too...Kokichi began to dream. Sort of. 

He was in his room, curled up in the window seat watching the town below, the soft sounds of his lovers sleeping over in the bed. He would join them, but...he was happy here too. As long as he could hear them, it was all good. 

These memories of Shuichi and Kaito were soft ones, and were slightly touched by Kokichi’s thoughts of the future. Shuichi was very pregnant, for instance. The kind of pregnant he’d be likely sooner than he was really expecting, but not the level he was currently at in the real world. He was resting, curled up onto Kaito’s shoulder, who had a nameless book  laid out on his stomach, looking like he had fallen asleep in the middle of a chapter.

It was almost like the two memories that had visited Kokichi the last time he was asleep had curled into bed at some point to relax, falling asleep waiting for him to come back. 

It wasn’t true, of course. Memory projections didn’t work that way. But Alter Ego thought it was a cute way for Kokichi’s mind to work.

Alter Ego looked over to Kokichi from the bed, before gently hopping down, quietly walking up, before hopping onto the window seat. He was a little disappointed, but not surprised, to find that when he opened his mouth to greet Kokichi, he said, “Meow.”

Kokichi looked over, a little surprised to find a cat, but he reached out gently to stroke the side of the cat’s face. “Oh, hi again kitty.”

...again?

...he knew this cat. Not his, he didn’t have a cat, or any pet. Neither did any of his family. ...a stray he knew? Some of them did start to recognize him after a while, and he them, but… A cat in an alleyway…

Kokichi smiled, glancing over to his partners fondly before opening up his posture if the cat wanted to sit in his lap. “Alter Ego. Sorry, it took me a sec. Is it time for a lesson?”

The golden-furred cat looked pleased, as he said, “Do not apologize. That was incredibly quick. That’s a good sign.”

Rubbing the side of his body against Kokichi’s, a small purr vibrating through his body, Alter Ego said, “Yes, I think a lesson might be useful today. I hope this will not overly disturb you, but I am usually reaching out to check on you, emotionally, lately, and you felt… stressed. Today. And stressed Empath’s tend to be active ones. I thought it was wise to intervene before anything actually happened.”

Looking out the window, and then around the room the cat’s tail flicked. “Does this memory adequately reflect where you live in the real world?”

“Ah…” Well...that probably explained why he’d been doing more empathy stuff lately. While he...always? Felt stressed? Kokichi could concede that he’d, maybe, been a little more stressed since his family came into his life. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi scratched the back of his neck and looked around, trying to focus enough to spot the differences. “...everything past the city is kind of foggy...and...none of the books or letters on the wall actually have words,” Kokichi pointed. And, after a moment, a sheepish grin came over his face. “...Shuu-chan’s not that pregnant either. I guess it’s just been on my mind…”

“...sorry. I try not to worry, but...my husband went out drinking in the middle of the day. I know it should be fine, but...I worry anyway.” Kokichi huffed, looking away. He wasn’t exactly proud of turning into an anxious mess whenever someone left his sight. “...I don’t suppose you have any tips about not worrying my head off whenever someone’s, yanno, off living their own life?”

“As a thinking entity, as a person, or as an empath?” Alter Ego asked, gently willing the window door open, letting in a warm breeze, though the outdoors still looked like a beautiful later fall day. “I suppose I could also offer my perspective as a cat, but I can assure you, the viewpoint of a cat would be unhelpfully self-centered.”

Leaping into Kokichi’s lap, rubbing his head under Kokichi’s chin, demanding pets on his back, he said, “The question isn’t hypothetical, by the way. What you are, as a…” The being thought about it, “As a concept? Or a species? It changes your relationship with people. How the world and the way it exists relates to you. Being an Empath does not just mean grappling with your abilities. It also means facing difficult questions and perspectives that your existence as purely a human would have never challenged you with.”

“So, if you have any… philosophical questions? Moral questions? Practical ones? I cannot promise to have The answer. But I can tell you my perspective, and assure you that those concerns and questions are valid and worth reflection.”

Kokichi laughed softly, bracing his head against the gentle headbutts and obliging for back scratches. “Well, I don’t think a cat perspective would be very helpful for my human one, but if I ever find myself turned into a cat, you’d be the first person I’d go to for advice.”

And that had been mostly a joke, but as Alter Ego explained that their questions were real and… Hm. Kokichi’s eyebrows furrowed a little as he thought, resting his head against the wall as he idly pet the golden cat. “...I think managing myself better as a person would end up helping how I express it as an empath...if I understand what I’ve been doing correctly. But if it’s the kind of thing that’s gonna take a lot of time and a lot of work...it’d be better to figure out how to stop myself from doing anything with my abilities in the meantime. So no one gets hurt while I’m in the process of growing…”

“...does that make sense?” he asked the cat, still not totally understanding exactly what he was, but...well, he was working on that too. And having these lessons was probably the biggest help he could have. 

It wasn’t a bad answer. But Kokichi still did not know the full, sheer scope of what he was capable of, and Alter Ego wondered where the Dicean prince would fall under the endless, endless empath community debates when it came to those abilities, that all boiled down to one idea:

When is an Empath going too far?

It was an important discussion for any community, and the Empath community debated their own self-imposed limits as much as any group with any level of personal ability and responsibility did. Alter Ego, themselves, was straight up an… abomination. In the eyes of many Empaths. Their very existence a clear sign of an Empath ‘going too far’... and they were curious if Kokichi would ultimately come to that conclusion himself.

It was fair if he did. No part of himself was one hundred percent confident they had made the right choice. It was just… the choice they had made. And they had to ‘live’ with it now.

With that curiosity in mind, while Alter Ego had been prepared to spend this whole lesson just showing Kokichi how to control his own dreams easier, assuming that the prince would need more time to remember everything, Alter Ego said instead, “You said you were stressed, because someone was off living their own life?”

The cat looked up at Kokichi, ear twitching. “Would you like to go see, for yourself, what they did with their day?”

That very clearly was not even in the ballpark of what Kokichi had expected, and he just blinked at the cat for a moment before turning a considering gaze over at the sleeping memory of his husband. Someone he was likely curled up right next to in the real world, who was sleeping off who knew how much alcohol in his body. Who had been crying and...had thought about getting a horse…

...Kokichi frowned, that little line in his forehead set in worry, but he shook his head. “...Kai-chan came home safe and...I mean it when I say that’s what matters. Whatever happened is his own business and...it’s his choice to share it with me. Anything that upsets him of course is gonna worry me...but he has to reach out for help if he needs it. And if he just wanted someone to talk to...if he didn’t come to me, there’s a reason for that. I hope that he’ll tell me someday...but it’s not my business to know.”

“...I’m just worried that he’s gonna become an alcoholic,” Kokichi admitted in a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “He’s been better about fights, but I worry about that too. If one of these days when he says he’s going out drinking he’s gonna come back with glass in his hands again and with an arrest...if he’s gonna be sentenced to an isolation track. He’s trying to be better, and people make mistakes, slip up...but I still worry.”

“I should have more faith in him… I know.” Kokichi curled on his side, resting his chin partially on his knee now.

Alter Ego listened patiently to this, after a moment leaping out of Kokichi’s lap as he shifted, before laying on his back, rolling back and forth for a moment before settling comfortably, looking up at Kokichi.

“...that is a very human perspective.” Alter Ego observed.

“That does not make that perspective wrong. Respecting your husbands privacy and having faith in his convictions to do better are admirable traits. I do not wish to miscommunicate by appearing to suggest otherwise. But it is a human perspective.”

“You are an empath. In truth?” Alter Ego’s ear twitched again, “You never have to rely on faith, ever again. You can know anything you want about your husband, at any time. What he is capable of. What he thinks he is likely to do. What he actually thinks he is likely to do. And, with practice? What you think he is likely to do, which will likely be the most accurate guess. You can know him better than he knows himself.”

“You can know anyone better than they know themselves. You never have to guess again. No one can ever lie to you. Any trait of any person that is a mystery to you? Is only a mystery because you are making an active, focused choice not to know.” Alter Ego explained. “You are, essentially, blindfolding yourself.”

Rolling back onto their paws, they said gently, “But, I can understand not wanting to test that out on someone you care about. Either way, today, I would like to teach you how to purposefully explore someone else's memories. Even if you decide never to do it, it’s important you know how, or you’ll do it by accident someday, and I will have failed. So, if not your husband? Is there anyone whose memories you would like to explore?”

...well, it was a human perspective because he was human. He would much rather prefer to learn everything about Kaito because Kaito had chosen to share. Just taking that knowledge...you may know it, but you’d never have that connection. That bond of trust that someone gave you. 

Even if you did know someone better than they knew themself...you’d still never know them in their entirety. Because people were always changing. You might have an idea of where someone might go...but you’d never be able to predict everything. 

...Kokichi found he’d much rather be along for the ride, to earn the trust people gave him, than to take it all by force. 

But, well...he’d see how circumstances would force him. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi thought for a moment. Alter Ego did have a good point in teaching him how to look at memories, and not all memories would be things like invading and taking knowledge… There were some things that people had tried to share with him, but...sometimes words just couldn’t do it justice. 

Almost shyly, Kokichi peeked over his knee at Alter Ego. “...would I be able to look through my dad’s memories? And see what my mom was like?”

Alter Ego considered this, licking their paw for a moment… “You can.” They said. “But a fair warning. Getting the memories you’re looking for, in the entire scope of the mind? Takes practice. To put it simply, you will likely find yourself shifting through memories till you find what you are looking for, and that runs the risk of seeing things you didn’t intend. Are you comfortable risking that in this scenario?”

“...I might see my parents having sex…” 

Kokichi’s face twisted up, evidently displeased with potentially seeing that. But...he could probably stop at any point. And for the chance to actually see his mom…

He took a breath and gave Alter Ego a nod. “...I want to try.”

Alter Ego nodded, “Okay. Because you’re still early in your training, I will open the way myself. We will train you in dream hopping more in future lessons. For now…” 

The cat turned their golden eyes to the window, and for a second, their fur bristled, the pupils of their eyes widening, a small, angry rnra-aaaaauuugh, like it was hunting something… and then, chittering for a moment, the cat relaxed, balled up… and pounced.

Leaping out the window, the portal opened up where the cat leapt, a glowing, wavering golden circle, with whispers coming out of it that, while indecipherable, were clearly King Aiichi’s voice.

On the bed, Kaito shifted, sighing softly, before he fluttered his eyes open, glancing between Kokichi and the portal, before yawning, closing his eyes again. “Have fun, babe. Be safe.”

Kokichi tensed, worried for a moment that something had gone wrong...but, apparently, that was just how Alter Ego went from mind to mind. He wondered if he’d just have to...scream, or something, to do the same, or if that was more of a cat thing…

Getting up to climb out of the window and follow, Kokichi looked over his shoulder when he heard a voice, before smiling softly. Even in a dream… “Take care of Shuu-chan, Kai-chan. I love you both.”

And with that, he stepped out of the window and through the portal, getting the sense of...like just a wave of Aiichi. Something that, while Kokichi no longer bristled and recoiled at every sign of his father, was still a little...unnerving. 

Unlike the warm breeze that blew into his room, there was a certain chill in the air, and, looking around, it was easy to see that they were now in the main hall. However, unlike what he’d see if he went downstairs in the waking world, there were bits of snow tracked in from the door, and basically all the light illuminating the hall came from indoors. 

Kokichi stood off to the side, watching the hustle and bustle of people as they all worked together setting up the Unity Tree, putting all sorts of garlands and ornaments and reflective beads onto it. At the center of it all was Aiichi, right in the mix, handing over the end of a garland to someone standing a quarter’s way across the tree from him. 

“It’s barely late-fall and he’s already dreaming of the next festival…” 

Alter Ego looked around, tail twitching, leaping up onto a stairway safety bannister, sitting next to Kokichi as the cat shivered, “Cold.” he said bitterly, his ear twitching rapidly as he curled his feet underneath his body, managing to loaf onto the small space as he said, “Though festive. A man obsessed with his work. One project done, off to the next one…”

“Now, to be clear? This is still, technically, a dream… but your father may not be asleep. In fact, he probably isn’t, considering how coherent this vision is. This, all of this? Is just the accumulation of what is most on his mind. You are not limited to people’s sleeping habits. You can jump into their consciousness at any time.”

“However. If he is awake?” Alter Ego continued, yawning, little, sharp teeth gleaming in the festive lights, “You must show extra caution on his behalf. It is far easier to accidently alter a person's state of mind while they are awake and distracted by the real world, than it is when they are asleep and can more easily defend themselves. As you are right now? You could very easily accidently put thoughts into his head that would have never occurred to him on his own. That included talking to him, his memories, and shaping his environment… it’s almost impossible to jump into a consciousness without leaving a footprint behind. But with practice and care, your influence will be harmless and minimal.”

Kokichi nodded softly, watching the goings on. It really just seemed like what he might be able to see if he went down and watched people decorating the Unity Tree in real life, but...there was a certain organization to it, if you watched carefully. People not fumbling or making mistakes like you’d expect, not even people doing the little side-to-side shuffle trying not to run into others. 

This was Aiichi making a plan. 

Despite his smoothing over of details...Aiichi was always making plans. Always looking to the future for the next project, the next problem that might pop up, things to look out for, and, yeah, the preparations for the next festival. It was nice seeing the culmination of your efforts...but nothing was ever just over. There was always more to do. Their work was never done…

In some ways Kokichi really was his father’s son, though he’d gotten better about his workaholic tendencies. 

However, hearing that Aiichi probably wasn’t asleep…

Kokichi gave Alter Ego a worried look and crouched down behind the railing he’d been standing behind, now even more out of sight. “So...by looking for certain memories… It’s not like I want to interact with them. But it’d kinda be like...he’ll just be remembering things out of the blue?”

Alter Ego watched Kokichi hide, slightly amused. “With practice? No. As you are now? Yes. If it helps, think of it like a doctor. A skilled hand can stitch up a wound with no pain, with stitches so small that the wound doesn’t even scar. But fumbling, amatuer hands? The feeling of the stitching becomes immediately more obvious, and is more likely to leave an imprint behind.”

Licking her paw again, Alter Ego said gently, “But, that is the nature of practice. Of learning control. To be truly harmless and in control as an expert, you must be ready to make mistakes and fumble as an amatuer. There is no shortcut to mastering these arts. It’s practice and understanding. Like any skill.”

Looking over to the king, he said, “But, if it puts your mind at ease? Creating a ripple effect that causes him to reminisce over old memories? ...there is not a lot of situations where that could cause any harm, beyond maybe just being distracting for a bit. But, you can monitor, in real time, how your actions are affecting the real world Aiichi easily enough, as you go, without actually interfering directly with him. If you like? I can have escort us an in-real time memory of the current Aiichi. He won’t be real. But he will be an accurate reflection of the mental state of the real Aiichi. Would you like me too?”

...that made sense. No one was good at anything at first. You only gained skill through practice, and even very delicate and important things fell into that category. It was why healers had to go to school for so long, practicing on low stakes matters until they had enough experience that when they started doing things with higher stakes, they wouldn’t make common mistakes. 

...but mistakes still did happen, and sometimes people got hurt. It wasn’t a reason to hurt people just in the name of experience, but...it did mean you couldn’t stay in the practice room forever for fear of making a mistake. You had to start doing.

Kokichi peeked over the railing, then nodded at Alter Ego. “...if he’s thinking about festival prep, then I don’t think distracting him would be a problem. But...still. Just in case...I don’t want to hurt him. In case things go wrong...I wanna be able to know exactly when to stop.”

Alter Ego nodded, before closing his eyes, his fur bristling again as his ear twitched rapidly… and then, in a different voice, a gruff sound, a man said, “Alright, you fuck. Come here. I’m calling you out.”

And Mondo reached out and grabbed him, pulling him in. 

When the cat opened his eyes, Aiichi was standing with them… but was also, still, originally where he was. Two Aiichi’s, one still planning the festival, and now one, identical to him in every way, standing with his son and the cat.

Aiichi’s brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, looking around uncertainly… before he sighed. Looking over to his son as he smiled softly. “Well, Ko. I will confess. This is one of the more unusual experiences I’ve had. But it’s lovely that you wished to visit. It’s always nice to see you.”

Alter Ego, back in the soft voice of Chihiro, said, “He’s a bit like the memories you had in your dream. He is aware both of his own consciousness, yours, and mine… but his comprehension of those three sets of memories are partly separated, purely in self defense. He can tap into all of them, but it’ll be a little difficult for him to truly comprehend any of it. And the true Aiichi won’t be aware of his projections memories at all.”

Aiichi smiled, reaching over to pet the cat, who happily purred into his hand, as he said, “A wonderfully helpful description. Thank you. I was a little confused myself, for a moment.”

Kokichi jumped a little but...that voice was familiar… Maybe he just recognized it from the mismash of voices when Alter Ego was explaining their name? 

...maybe. Nothing else stood out to him. 

A little exasperated already at how this projection Aiichi was adjusting to everything, Kokichi listened to Alter Ego’s explanation and...ended up answering a question Kokichi had had a little too late. He wasn’t even sure how Aiichi’s consciousness would’ve interpreted it, but it would be nothing good for his dad to sense him there, he was sure. 

Sighing, Kokichi rubbed his arm a little as he spoke to the projection of his father. “I’m learning how to sift through memories--mostly so I don’t just do it on accident. I’m sorry if this is too invasive but...I want to know what mom was like. You and Hideki and Ikuo have all told me so many stories...but it’s like the painting in the observatory. An image of a real person. I can get the idea of the sort of person she was...but I’ll never really know her. And this still isn’t that but...I think I’ll be able to get a better idea.”

“...even if I’ll just forget it once I wake up.”

He sighed again. “...if I’m going to be doing this at all...that’s what I want to know.”

Aiichi listened to all of this quietly, a small, permanent smile resting absently on his face. Exuding a calm sense of patient understanding, if only somewhat tinged with an almost sad amusement. Aiichi understanding Kokichi’s thought process, but…

...his poor boy…

Aiichi reached out his hands, inviting Kokichi to hold them. Give his son a proud, if sad look, he said, “Ko… that is an admirable goal. And, by the nature of my existence, I am somewhat… compelled to wish to help you. And I would love to show you memories of your mother. It would be a lie to say there’s not a part of me that loves the idea of seeing you stand with her. You look so much alike, I’ve always thought…”

Aiichi smiled softly, “But you know you shouldn’t be doing this, yes? I can see it in the cats memories, and I see the understanding of it in yours. Exploring these powers? They weaken you, Ko. They make you sick.”

“I am simply concerned that, excited by this new… event. In your life. That you’re failing to prioritize your health...again.” Aiichi sighed, before giving his son a pitying smile. “I understand how you might feel caught up in the moment. But your time would be better spent mastering suppressing these abilities, rather than hopping through dreams. You need to know how to turn them off, if you find yourself needing too. That’s more important than playing around with them. For your own sake.”

Kokichi was on much better terms with his father these days. Understood that he’d never resented him, knew that...well, his father was just a man. Falling into mistakes like only being able to see the frailty in Kokichi, even when he was doing well, into just sectioning off him into “he’s okay” in his mind and not thinking about the last time he’d even spoken to his son outside of business. 

Kokichi knew his dad loved him...but he still kind of a shitty father. But Kokichi knew it wasn’t malicious or uncaring so...he didn’t need to fight. 

Fixing Aiichi with a hard gaze, Kokichi shook his head. “I’m not playing around, and even if...whatever this did with my health? Even if that wasn’t a factor, people’s souls are not something to play with.”

“...apparently I do this kind of stuff by accident sometimes. Without even realizing it.” Kokichi clenched his fists, his voice softer and even, but still firm. “If they’re a part of me...I want to know what to do if I keep doing this without meaning to. I cannot allow myself to hurt someone if there’s something I can do to prevent it.”

“And if I get better at it? It’s not like I’m gonna do this for fun… but I might be able to without hurting anyone, including myself.” Kokichi sent a questioning, slightly worried look to Alter Ego, hoping his guess wasn’t too far off. “That’s why I’m here right now. I’m learning how to not hurt anyone with this… I just...don’t want to look anywhere I’m not supposed to be so...I thought of mom. Okay?”

Alter Ego’s tail swished back and forth, clearly considering their words, before saying “Any skill you can practice more fluidly would be less stressful and taxing then stumbling through it by accident.”

Aiichi considered the cat’s words, feeling like that was still a tad too vague… but then realizing from the cat’s perspective that…

...they just didn’t really know.

Kokichi’s physical circumstances were rare and unique enough that the cat didn’t feel comfortable promising it would ever be one hundred percent pain free. They just didn’t know.

Sigh… Aiichi was still fairly certain his assessment of this situation was correct, and his advice sound. But… he had also made an internal decision, back when Ko was eighteen, to let his son make his own choices. Take his own risks. Explore what he needed to, either for practical reasons, or for his own personal enjoyment. To truly let his child grow into the capable young man that Aiichi had always hoped one day he could be. To grow into a leader, the one that Aiichi was certain Ko could be.

(...and then he just didn’t tell anyone any of that, but, well, ya know. He’s a busy man. He can’t be everywhere at once.)

As much as he would like to further fuss, he just smiled instead. “Alright, Ko… if I can help keep you safe by acting as a practice ground. Then let me be your practice. I do not mind.”

Aiichi blinked, and then smirked. “Hideki has just brought me tea. What a good man. He’s grumbling about something, as is his want. But if you wish to not disturb me, all I am doing is sipping on tea and letting Hideki rant to himself about things of not much consequence. Go ahead, Ko.” he said, as the smell of lotus tea filled the hall.

While he hadn’t fought, not like he used to, Kokichi still relaxed when Aiichi considered their words and, eventually, conceded the point. It wasn’t like he always thought he knew better than his father, but...he was sure about this one. Maybe he would end up being ill from every bit of empath power he exerted. Sure. But it was better to see it coming and know what to do than just be at the whims of what apparently his mind was gonna do anyway!

Breathing in the scent of tea, Kokichi gave his father a grateful look before turning to Alter Ego. “So...do I just think about the sort of stuff I wanna see? Like looking at a glossary and...finding all the mentions of things. Like that?”

Alter Ego considered it, before nodding. “If it helps you to think of it like that. Some Empaths use physical items as metaphors, mostly as a way to concentrace their ability. A blank painting that fills, a wand that glows, very often a book for which you can look through pages. But those are merely mental tricks, things to make this world feel more solid. It only helps as much as you feel it does.”

The cat blinked, golden eyes staring intently at Kokichi said he said, “But, to get a true understanding of what you’re doing? I would recommend, for a moment, being still. Maybe closing your eyes. Take a meditation pose, if you were ever the type to practice it. And, really… feel… where you are right now. Feel the complicated, massive, physical creature that we are currently sitting inside of. Feel the edges of his being, and the whole of his collection.”

The cat closed his eyes. “You are, at once… both very small, and impossible large. A fish swimming through the gut of a whale, and a man holding a guppy in his hands. Both walking through a maze, and observing that maze from above.”

“There is no real part of Aiichi that is outside your grasp, or your vision. You simply… have to accept that, and be willing to fully, actually shift inside of him. And once you can truly, in a sense, feel and see through all of him? It’s just a matter of digging your hands in and looking.”

Aiichi gave the cat a small, blank smile, as he said, “You paint a surprisingly grim picture.”

“I found accepting the reality of the experience made it easier on me to grasp, when I was learning.” The cat licked his palm, “But you can do the magic item thing too, if you want. That can work too. Maybe magic shoes that take you where you want to go? Wings? Wings are fun.”

Kokichi had never really done proper meditation, but he still sat down with his legs crossed, just comfortably setting his hands in his lap. And he just tried to...feel. Not the scent of lotus tea or the chill from the snow. Those were too small, just things his dad was thinking about. He needed to...to...understand the entirety of Aiichi. Of his consciousness. 

Just...feel…

...maybe there was something, but…

Kokichi sighed and rolled his neck a little. “...maybe visualization is better to start.”

Wings sounded cool, and being able to fly seemed incredible...but even though Kokichi knew pretty much anything was feasible in this space, it just seemed too...outlandish. Too fantastical. 

With a little frustrated frown on his face, Kokichi looked up at the projection of his father, the two Oumas sharing a look for a moment before the elder passed off a book. Not incredibly thick and not too fancy, but there was a sturdiness and an elegance to it, the book white with black ornamentation on it. Opening the book, Kokichi focused all of his thoughts onto one thing. He wanted to see Miyako Hoshino.

At first, nothing happened.

Then, the books pages began to turn. 

It was a rapid, quick thing. The pages flipped so fast that Kokichi’s hair began to wave and shimmer in the air they were producing , and while the book itself was not endless, the pages were. They kept going and going and going. 

As Kokichi watched the pages turn, his eyes began to adjust, and images, brief but clear, and clearer every second, began to flash to him. A crowd, huddled around a teenager on the street, listening intently as he preached philosophy to them. A woman, strong and passionate, putting her hand on that same teenagers shoulder with a proud, radiant smile. The teenager seeing his room in the castle for the first time, and crying in joy.

Too far back.

A little boy, with wide, purple eyes, staring listlessly up at a man. He is beautiful when he sleeps, and is heartbreaking when he is awake. The little boy tries to walk for the first time, falls, and cuts his face open on the impact. He is on bedrest for four days. The man cries tears of helpless sorrow.

Too far forward.

The book starts to narrow it down. The pages never end, but the room around them begins to change. Shift. The hall fading, and inky colors filling the darkness that takes its place.

Briefly, there is a theater, a fun show.

Briefly, there is a school, filled with hope.

Briefly, there is a red headed young man, excited, grinning with all his teeth as he calls out, adoration plain in his eyes.

Closer… closer…

“Here, Ko.” Aiichi said softly. Looking around the observatory. “Right here.”

Fuse, who he’d never met, himself as a baby...places and things, some familiar but just...off, in some way, and others that Kokichi couldn’t recognize at all. His father’s life unfolding before him. 

His concentration broke, however, as Aiichi called out to him, and Kokichi looked up. Barely registering the observatory, bereft of all the charts and the portrait, far fewer books and journals…

Kokichi barely noticed any of that, because his breath caught in his throat. All eyes on the young woman looking around the room in barely restrained glee even as she wobbled around in high heels. 

...her face was rounder, and while the eyes were the same… That upper crease that Shuuichi had told him about. It was so much more pronounced in real time, even with her eyes wide with wonder. The frizz of her hair popped up everywhere, though there was obviously great effort put into taming it, between the careful twists tucked into pins decorated with stars and the tight looped buns that rested low under her ears…

It was different from the portraits, but he still recognized them. What really shook Kokichi to his core was…

“Oh, Aiichi… you didn’t, I… This is too much, you… Really? For me?” a soft, airy voice that trailed off at every opportunity said. A voice that had tried to be described before, but had never...Kokichi never… Hearing his mother’s voice for the first time…

Even in the real world, Kokichi tucked comfortably against Kaito, tears rolled down from his eyes.

The cat watched from the telescope. Watching Kokichi more than anything, keeping an eye on his emotional state. His power surges. Steady so far…

Aiichi, the memory, stared fondly at the memory, and for a moment, it looked like he might step forward...but he smiled, sighing slightly, and stayed where he was as another Aiichi, both a memory and real, stepped forward instead. Aiichi caught up as he found himself reflecting on this day, and playing it out as he remembered it.

The other Aiichi, real Aiichi, Memory Aiichi looked at his wife with open, naked excitement, and some sheepishness as he said to her softly, “Now, no pressure, darling, but… I hope you like it. I will be honest, I can’t exactly take it back to the store.” Aiichi laughed, reaching out to Miyako, offering her both his hands to hold, smiling adoringly at her, “So, while of course it’s fine if it doesn’t live up to expectations… I will cry a little bit if you hate it. Fair warning. And you know I am an ugly crier, so it will be just a terrible event for everyone.”

True Memory Aiichi scoffed. “Ugh… I was always trying to be so clever and charming around her. I always put my foot in my mouth with your mother, Ko. She was the only person who could make me feel clumsy and awkward…” he smiled at her. Eyes longing and sad, “Always made me wish I was better.”

The memory of Miyako covered her mouth as she laughed, just barely there squeaks, though her shoulders bounced enough that it was clear what she was doing. Going to her husband’s side, she took his hands with a very earnest expression. “...you shouldn’t have done this. It’s too much. Adding on an entire section of a floor for me… But I love it. Thank you.”

“Guess I’ll actually be sleeping at home more, huh?”

The couple laughed together, and Kokichi shuffled over to the other memory of Aiichi, leaning his head on his father’s arm as silent, awed tears ran down his face. “...she seems amazing… I never…”

“...you guys were really in love…” Not that it had ever been a question, not with how Aiichi had always spoken of Miyako, but seeing them like this…

Sniffling softly, Kokichi sadly smiled up at Alter Ego. “...would it be too selfish to come see this again once I’ll remember it? It feels like cheating...but I want to remember.” 

Alter Ego’s thin, furry chest just breathed for a moment, quiet as it considered what he should say… before saying, “That’s a personal choice, ultimately. But from my perspective? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it… I think the exploration and sharing of beautiful memories is one of the nicest things about being an Empath. I think moments like these are wonderful.”

The cat sighed, standing up and, without warning, leaping onto Kokichi’s shoulder, balancing perfectly as he trusted Kokichi to let him walk around his shoulders without issue, before resting his paws on Kokichi’s chest, tail flicking around his back, “One day, you will meet many different Empaths. You’ll be able to feel them, idly, and you’ll know them immediately when you meet them in person. With time, you will always be able to spot Empaths, and be able to reach out to them whenever you wish. And you will discover that almost every Empath you meet will have different ideas and comfort levels of what is okay for an Empath to do. No matter what you personally decide to do? You will never please every Empath you meet, and they will be able to feel, idly, how you use and manipulate that energy.”

“My point being? You need to come to conclusions you are comfortable with yourself, for reasons you can get behind. Because you will inevitably be challenged by others. Empaths who believe any search of memory is a violation. Empaths who believe that they have a responsibility to search memories and to not do so is negligence. All sorts of things in between that, and all sorts of things on the extreme either end of that.”

Alter Ego sighed, rolling their little kitty eyes as they said, “Mostly, all the Empath community can agree on is that we should take every care to not hurt others, and we need to look after new Empaths. How to go about that is largely where the disagreements and debates start. So, again… all I can say? Is that I believe it is okay to visit memories, for the pleasure of seeing them. So long as it causes no harm.” Alter Ego rubbed her head against his head, and said, “But again. Ultimately, that’s up to you.”

Kokichi stiffened when Alter Ego jumped up on him, but mostly because he was worried about the cat not having enough space on his thin shoulders and might fall. But, as it seemed the cat could maneuver just fine, Kokichi relaxed, finding it comfortable to have the feline empath draped over his shoulder. 

...with every ability and opportunity, you had the responsibility to use it well. Kokichi had known that concept his entire life, and while this was a new realm to apply it… He sighed softly. The debate of safety and privacy, freedom and protection...Kokichi could tell he’d be debating with himself a lot over those concepts, let alone what the greater community would be chiming in about. But...whatever he ended up choosing, he needed to be sure. 

Nodding, and rubbing his face back against Alter Ego in the process as he reached up to scritch at the other side of the cat’s face too, Kokichi hummed. “...I wish I could just ask people. For people I know well, I can make a guess--like my dad wanting to share memories of my mom,” he nodded to the memory of Aiichi, “But...well, asking would be outing myself, and I can’t rely on asking projections and assume some sort of moral high ground ‘cause...like Aiichi said too. He’s compelled to want to help me with my own goals. Asking would be helpful for getting more of an idea of how someone would feel about it, but deciding is gonna have to come from my own convictions.”

He sighed, wiping his cheeks again. “Between this and kingdom policy, I’m never gonna get to just have broad, sweeping, or snap judgements ever, huh…”

Alter Ego giggled slightly, and while his voice didn’t change, there was something distinctly… different. About it as the voice said sweetly, “You can. W-we all, always, can… but it is different, when your thoughts and opinions have such… real world c-consequences, isn’t it? Which is why I a-always want to stress to you that while I want and will be open with you about my opinions on all these questions you will have… you may find you disagree with me. And that’s o-okay…”

Alter Ego leapt off of Kokichi, as in the background, Miyako experimented with the telescope, excitedly explaining to Aiichi certain admirable traits about the style and brand he had picked, while Aiichi just fondly listened to her go on. Alter Ego, sounding far more… nervous and unsure, if happier, said to Kokichi, “I h-had a lot of… ideas and beliefs th-that in theory, were important to me, b-but… when in p-practice? I f-found that I didn’t… b-believe them as m-much as I thought. So I try to be m-more… aware of that now. To not… a-always assume that I’m right, or that I’ll… I’ll always feel this way, or th-that I won’t feel d-different about things that… I argued against before? So if I ever s-sound wishy-washy… s-sorry… th-that’s just… kind of where my head is at, th-these days. I don’t mean to be confusing… I h-hope you’ll still t-trust me to teach you, even if I s-seem uncertain...”

Yes, technically, he always could...but the fallout of doing something like that was so horrible that Kokichi had just considered it all to be not an option in the slightest, finding it more helpful to think of it as an “I can’t” than a “I won’t”. So while it was literally possible...Kokichi never wanted to allow himself the leeway to decide something without putting it to thought.

And while he was pretty sure about that, when it came to what those decisions were?

Kokichi sighed softly and he crouched to give Alter Ego a full-body pet, smiling slightly at the cat. “I think I get what you mean… And...for anything complicated, really, not just something as big as this, there’s never just one answer. Kind of...hearing you say that you don’t know all the answers makes me trust you more, I think. Because you’re not pretending that this is much simpler than it is.”

“...I don’t remember if I said this before, and while it might be customary for Empaths to reach out to help new ones...thank you for this, Alter Ego. For teaching me, looking out for me. Sure I’m super ignorant when it comes to this stuff, so take my opinion for all that’s worth...but I’m happy it’s you that came to me. I dunno if we’d ever meet in the physical world, but if we did I’d get you all the cat treats you wanted.”

Alter Ego stretched into the pets, purring warmly, as he said, his voice, again, not different, but back to that sort of ‘matter of fact’, straightforward way of speaking, “You are welcome.  It’s a volunteer sort of thing. When the community feels a new powerful Empath that needs direction, we discuss as a group who should go help-- well, ‘discuss’ in a sense. Empaths don’t have to talk like that. You’ll see for yourself someday-- we narrow it down to someone with similar temperaments, personality wise, and similar power levels. You’re the first Empath I’ve ever mentored, but considering I’m one of the few Empaths alive right now who can match your future, potential power level? I felt it would be irresponsible of me to leave you to a lower level empath you’d surpass eventually. I will do my absolute best to help you with all of it, Kokichi Ouma. I promise.”

Licking Kokichi’s hand a little, still purring hard, Alter Ego still managed to sigh as they said, “As for meeting me in the physical world… only one part of me could do that, and I doubt you ever will. He lives in Luminary. And the rest of me…”

Alter Ego looked sad. “I take the form of a cat because it’s easier to keep… track of myself, like that. To be something other, but familiar. But I am more of a concept, than I am truly a person. A thinking entity, created to house and protect the consciousness of three people who had all needed to escape suffering. And now we are… just like this. With nowhere to go back too, our physical forms… uninhabitable. It is… I am an accumulation of difficult, desperate choices. And one that all I am, must live with now.”

Alter Ego sighed again, tail flicking. “I apologize if none of that makes any sense. Everything I’m referring to is an incredibly complicated use of Empath powers, and I’m afraid even if I tried to explain right now, you wouldn’t have the context or knowledge base to really understand. I will get you to that point some day, and when you can comprehend me? I will make more of an effort to explain myself to you. I am not keeping secrets from you. It’s just…” the cat shrugged, “Too complicated right now.”

Kokichi raised a bit of an eyebrow. His power level? ...Alter Ego had said that it had been shocking to...what was it...something he’d done by accident… Well, they’d mentioned before that Kokichi had done something powerful enough to get attention but...really? But he supposed he had a long way to get there. These lessons were just to make sure no one would get hurt with Kokichi having more accidents. 

He was a little worried to hear that part of Alter Ego lived in Luminary--he hoped they were doing alright, safe from the riots and terrorists and...the general danger of how Luminary was set up--but…

…

...yeah, okay, he didn’t really understand. But for now? He didn’t need to. 

Nodding slowly, Kokichi just smiled down at his furry friend and scratched behind their ears. “I’m sorry you had to make choices like that...but I’m happy to have met you. The you that’s all these parts of you together, I mean. You wouldn’t be you otherwise. But...yeah. Thanks.”

Alter Ego nodded, pleased by that. They were an abomination, to be certain, but… “I am pleased to be here for you to meet.”

Looking over to the happy couple by the telescope, he asked, “Is there anything else you wish to do here?”

Kokichi looked back up at the memory of his parents--it was weird, seeing Aiichi so young. If Miyako wasn’t pregnant yet, then...he must be eighteen here. They had been so young…--still awed by the sight of his mother. No matter how he decided to use his abilities going forward, if he’d ever come back to see this again once he’d remember...this was incredible. And for how daunting his abilities seemed...they’d given him a chance to see his mother. And for that, Kokichi would be grateful.

Slowly letting out an overwhelmed breath, Kokichi shook his head. “No… Maybe I’ll get better at actually feeling out a consciousness but...I think for now, the book thing is gonna work for me, when it comes to looking for memories. Was there anything else you wanted to teach me here?”

“We may want to leave it at this, for now. While you may be asleep right now, doing Empath things in your sleep, believe or not, is not restful.” Alter Ego explained, amusement in their voice, “Being conscious throughout your whole nights rest, no matter what your physical body seems to be doing, is not true sleep. So, to keep you from hating yourself in the morning, we should let you get some actual rest tonight.”

Looking over to Kokichi, he continued, “Though, since it’s easier to jump back then it is to jump out, let’s have you open up the way back to your own consciousness.”

Stretching, the looked over to the projected King Aiichi, still watching Miyako, and said, “You will be dismissed in  a moment. Thank you for your help. It was nice to meet you.”

King Aiichi looked down at the cat, before giving it a soft smile. “Done already? That’s alright then… this was nice. Seeing Miyako again… what an unexpected treat. It’s a shame I… he… will not remember.”

Turning to his son, he reached out, patting Kokich’s shoulder a little, before saying, “I know you said it doesn’t quite count as consent, to hear it from a projection, but it really was nice of you to visit, Ko. Feel free to visit again… but only if you make certain to give yourself plenty of time to rest.”

“Or getting back to your own mind, again, it helps to visualize something as a metaphor. I’ve found, personally, the idea of ‘hunting’ for the right consciousness makes it easier for me. But all you’re really doing is reaching out mentally for something familiar, and pulling yourself towards it. Give it a shot.”

Kokichi laughed softly, shaking his head a little. “I’m gonna be so damn confused when it feels like I’ve only gotten a few hours. Good thing I went to bed early tonight.” Standing, though, Kokichi briefly came over to give the projection of his father a hug before fixing him with a look. “And I know you won’t know, but go to sleep yourself! If you’re gonna get all uppity about me taking care of myself, then take care of yourself too!”

Taking a few steps away, feeling that it was “right” to do so, Kokichi considered Alter Ego’s advice. Reaching out for something familiar and going for it… He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to...get the sense of going home. Go back home to your own mind, kid…

The light under the door to the observatory began to glow, and without opening his eyes, Kokichi instinctually walked towards it, opening it up and stepping through, not to the small stairwell leading to the rest of the fifth floor, but just into...darkness. Not an overwhelming void, but like...settling down under some warm blankets and closing your eyes. 

Kokichi sighed in his sleep, his face still a bit wet, but he cuddled closer to his husband, feeling at ease.

-

Kaito was so damn hungover.

He had woken up home (thank god) and uninjured (holy shit thank god) and with, he was fairly certain, all of his memories of the day before (thank fuck for Waku holy shit) and honestly, he was feeling pretty… okay. About things. Better. Or, well, not overwhelmed and freaking out anymore. 

...Togami was going to die. 

There was… nothing about that Kaito could do. 

He was apparently a death cultist, and had been stalking Kaito with the intent of kidnapping him, and it was believed, was if not responsible, then at at least connected to all the high profile missing people in Luminary, who it was believed were all dead now. Even if Byakuya had been willing to spare him for his crimes against Kaito personally, which his brother wasn’t, just to spare Kaito the heartache… it wasn’t just about Kaito. There were families in Luminary, nobles and elites and commoner families who suddenly found themselves connected to those powerful people for the worst reason possible, who were all mourning their missing children and had nowhere else to turn that anger and grief…

Togami was going to be executed.

It would be public.

People would cheer.

Kaito still felt his chest tighten in panic every time he let himself think about it too long, but… it was easier, after unloading on Waku last night (and, while he had been a dickhead about it, talking it through to Cayden as well, who had agreed with Waku that going would be stupid and self-destructive...along with just wanting to fuck Kaito.), to just accept that this was all true and it was terrible and there was still nothing Kaito could do about it. It was already done. Even his desperate idea of riding to the border was impossible by this point. Togami was going to be executed in a few days. Kaito riding non-stop to the border, if he had ever had a chance of making it? Would have needed yesterday’s travel time as well to even hope to do it successfully.

There was nothing more to do.

So, Kaito was just going to spend today trying to make up for how he had acted yesterday. Maki had taken a few bites out of him this morning already, putting Kaito through the wringer during this mornings training with the kids, to the point where Timothy had to quietly explain to the girls that his father was in trouble and that was why his mom was running him ragged. Then, taking the kids to school, Kaito had taken a few hours to find a contractor, asking them to come by the castle at some point to fix the wall, promising to cover all fees personally. Easy enough.

Now to just think about how to make it up to Kokichi and Shuichi. They still had pastries from the ‘not party’ earlier… was there anything else he could get them? He was going to apologize either way, just, something nice to go along with the apology, so it wasn’t just him with his foot in his mouth, staring pathetically at them… also, maybe something nice for Waku? A thank you gift? Thanks for not leaving him to fucking talk himself into cheating on his family with a sleazy dude at a bar… and like… letting him sob onto her shirt. 

Yeah. That probably warranted a gift.

Kaito headed back into the main hall, rubbing his hand over his face, trying to...think of something. Just anything that would help…

Takashi actually saw Kaito pretty often these days, though they didn’t talk much, since Kaito was a common appointment for the phone room. Talking to his brother. Always leaving the room looking like he’d been crying or wanted to punch something, or, more often, both. Takashi wasn’t the man’s friend, so he didn’t want to pry, and just hoped that Kaito was talking out his frustrations with his actual friends, but it did serve to steel Takashi’s convictions that King Byakuya was a real asshole. 

However, not everything could be a bygone or something just not to mention to the King later, and while they weren’t going to press charges for destruction of property or anything…

By the time they’d cleared up the phone room, they hadn’t been able to find Kaito in the castle. But he lived there, so Takashi just had to wait. 

And, it looked like he was getting his chance. 

Briskly walking up to the prince, Takashi put up a hand in greeting. “Prince Kaito, hey! Are you in a time crunch, because I’d like to talk to you for a moment otherwise?”

Kaito stopped, staring at the lavender haired man approaching him… who was this? He knew this person. Fuck. Shit. Did he know them? He definitely recognized him, but like… only vaguely. Damn it, where was Shuichi when he needed him, his sidekick would know who this was for sure…

Shuichi....

Oh shit this was Takashi. That’s right!

Kaito had only met him in passing a few times, but Shuichi had pointed him out as the guy who kept helping him out of tough spots. He had caught him from a window! Shit, right, Kaito had always meant to thank him for that. He’d have done it sooner but…

...talking to this person was a… really bad idea… this was one of Byakuya’s informants. The one he and his family had decided not to talk to about it so that Byakuya wouldn’t decide that all of his informants had been compromised and that Kokichi was trying to hide something from him. And as much as Kaito appreciated everything he had done for Shuichi, that was still… really a concern for him. 

Shit.

But, this was different. The guy was approaching him, not the other way around. There weren't too many ways to politely dip out of a conversation like this. He supposed he could make up an excuse, say he had to be somewhere, but, like… that would just delay this, if the guy wanted to talk to him about something specific. What the fuck could he want to talk to him about? 

Shit. 

Kaito felt his back tense, but plastered a grin onto his face, as he said, “Oh, hello! Certainly, Mr… forgive me, if I had your last name, I’ve lost it now. I’m not in a hurry anywhere, did you need me to step aside with you?” Kaito asked, indicating to the openness of the entrance hall.

There was a flicker of confusion across Takashi’s face--but only for a moment! He was a professional~--as he took in the...affected way Kaito was speaking. He hadn’t thought he was on bad terms with the man, especially with being on relatively good, if awkward ones with Shuuichi but…

Takashi grinned charmingly, starting to walk over to one of the walls, at least. “If you’d be more comfortable, sure, but I haven’t cornered you into an impromptu meeting. It’ll be quick--just about the phone room. One of us meant to catch you yesterday, but totally missed you, so here I am today.”

Kaito’s brow furrowed. Was… Takashi a scribe? He thought the man was some sort of organizational event planner.. Maybe he was remembering wrong. Or maybe that was the same department as the scribes? He probably worked in the office in some roundabout way and just wanted to make certain Kaito intended to pay for damages. That was fine, Kaito had been prepared for that.

… Kaito’s stomach suddenly twisted with nervous fear. 

Was this guy about to threaten him?

He was so calm and casual right now… but, well, no. People in the staff were just… always like that. It didn’t necessarily mean that he felt like he was in a powerful enough position to be rude to Kaito. At home? Sure. Here? It was just… them being them. And Kaito had no real reason to expect Takashi was the type… especially considering how he looked after Shuichi.

But. Kaito couldn’t let go of the reality that, in this exact moment, if Takashi wanted too? He was in a perfect situation to threaten Kaito. Kaito had just kicked a wall talking to Byakuya. Byakuya had known Kaito had gotten upset, Kaito had raised his voice, but he didn’t know what Kaito had physically done. Leaving behind a physical evidence that they had had a disagreement that bad for people to gossip and rumor over? Byakuya would be pissed if he knew… Kaito would be in so much trouble… and Takashi had Byakuya’s ear. 

...stop it. Stop it Kaito. Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t be paranoid and overthink this. You have no reason to think that’s where this is going. Diceans barely understand Luminary politics. Takashi probably doesn’t even know what he has over you. Relax. 

Forcing himself to relax a little, Kaito grinned, nodding his head respectfully as he said, “Oh, I’m… I’m guessing this is about the wall! I was actually planning to head to the scribes next, I have a receipt already prepared. Someone’s going to be stopping by this afternoon, it’s already taken care of, if that’s the issue.”

...Shit.

Takashi might not know what he has.

It might not occur to him to not tell Byakuya.

Shit!

Takashi nodded with a pleased little hum, pleasantly surprised. “Oh, that’s great to hear, thank you. We can head over to the office and I can put the record in if you want to get that all sorted.”

“Still,” the scribe continued, “Like, emotions run high sometimes, and it’s not like we’re always the most rational people. But please try to have more discretion--breaking things, especially things that don’t belong to you, is a shitty habit. But no harm no foul this time, especially since you’re setting up the work order yourself.”

It of course was through the grapevine and all of the inconsistencies that had, but Takashi had heard that Kaito had trashed Kokichi’s desk once when he was pissed too. Bit bigger of a deal than breaking a wall. It was common knowledge that Kaito led pretty rigorous exercises in the mornings for his son and friends, but maybe the prince would benefit from taking up...like, kickboxing. 

Curious about that, Takashi asked, “Actually, total subject change, I know, but have you been to Susanoo’s Dojo? They have all sorts of discipline courses. I haven’t gone since I was a teenager, too busy nowadays, but learning tae kwon do was a treat. If you’re looking for things to do in town, it’s a high recommendation.” 

Kaito kept the grin on his face, nodding along, but his mind was racing.

He needed to ask this guy to not tell Byakuya about the wall without making it seem like he was hiding anything from Byakuya, and, preferably, without the guy realizing how valuable Kaito considered that information. If he revealed he was hiding things from Byakuya and the guy decided to tell him anyway out of duty, then not only could he report about the wall, but about Kaito trying to hide it. Which was worse. Way worse. And if he agreed to keep it out of his reports, but only found out the value of the information in the first place because Kaito had revealed it, then he might try to charge Kaito for the privacy in some fashion for it. 

...actually…

Kaito had money now? Gold was coming in that he wasn’t spending on anything. He knew Byakuya was probably paying the man well for his information, but if Kaito offered more? 

...but he had really wanted to save it for the baby, and wanted to offer a huge chunk of it to Seiko’s business for Kokichi’s research… he didn’t want to offer too much in comparison and lose out on doing one of those things, but if he offered too little and couldn’t buy the man out, then Byakuya could hear about that and that was fucking game over, easily. Kaito trying to buy out one of his informants? Byakuya would call him home just to scream at him in person.

Half distracted by his paranoid, racing mind, Kaito said distractedly, “Oh… Maki’s going to do that actually. Um, Kokichi’s Security Officer.” Kaito elaborated, in case Takashi didn’t know who Maki was, “She’s really into hand-to-hand fighting styles, if you’re familiar with one, I’m sure she’d love to talk to you about it. Personally, I’m actually planning to take cooking lessons out in town, if you know any places to recommend?”

Think quickly Momota. What would mom have done?

No you can’t have him fired or arrested on trumped up charges, what else would she have done!?

Kaito grinned, “And, absolutely! Let’s do this paperwork, I feel terrible about all the inconvenience! Anything I can do to make the process easier, absolutely! Lead the way!”

“Oh really? I hope she has a good time there!” Maki and Kaito were real opposites, at least where it came to the staff rumors. While they were both difficult to talk to, Kaito tended to put on smiles and put up polite games, but would just burst out into violence seemingly randomly. Which wasn’t actually all that random, when you took a look at all the instances, but rumors rarely did, so. Meanwhile Maki was all childish demands and threats, but...as far as Takashi had heard, Maki had never hurt anyone in the castle, and was actually pretty cool to spend time with if you got the chance for it. 

Still, going to the dojo might be some good stress relief for her. 

Nodding, Takashi chatted amicably as the two of them made their way to the scribes’ office. “I don’t run into Maki too often, but that’s an amazing☆ conversation topic if we do--thanks for the prime intel! And cooking lessons, huh? Especially a few weeks before any festival people book the kitchen labs upstairs to give lessons, but in town… Oh, there’s this awful sweet club that some university students put together, teaching students how to cook, basically from scratch, but also going into things like how to shop for ingredients. Helping out folks who are living on their own for the first time, you know? Might be a little rudimentary for what you’re looking for, but it might be worth checking out! Club activities are posted in the main building on campus, first thing you’d walk into, and they have a bulletin board set up like what we have in the hall here.”

“That sounds perfect!” Kaito said brightly. Maybe he could ask Kokichi to negotiate with the guy? No, no, Kokichi would just… tell him. Which is fine, if the guy’s harmless, but could seriously put Kaito in a tight spot if he wasn’t…

Okay, just…

As Kaito walked with him, he grinned warmly at him, as he said, “Hey, while I have you? I would like to thank you for helping out Shuichi. I’ve been told you were invaluable on a few different instances. Is it true you caught him from a window?”

With a light laugh that totally didn’t match how absolutely pleased Takashi looked, he waved Kaito off. “Hey, no worries, I’m just doing what anyone would’ve. I’m glad he seems to be doing better these days--no doubt a testament to all the support he’s been getting from you all. Congratulations, by the way! I know you’re probably getting that all the time, but it’s exciting!”

...catching someone from a window was just a little too specific to just guess, so if Kaito was saying that, then it meant he’d heard from the only other person there. Shuuichi himself. And if Shuuichi had been alright telling Kaito, then Takashi would assume it was safe to talk about.

Sighing, he used his flesh hand to smooth some hair back into his ponytail. “Yeah, I did. Definitely not what I was expecting when I went for a walk on break, I’ll tell you. But I’m glad I did--a few broken bones on top of everything else Shuuichi’s been dealing with? Can’t imagine they’d’ve helped any. I’m glad he’s getting a bit of a break now, though pregnancy is its own situation.”

Kaito nodded at that, at least for this completely sincere as he said, “Yeah, that would have been a nightmare. I would have-” Kaito had been about to say he’d have lost his mind if Shuichi had ended up busting and bleeding outside of a window, and while that was true and probably understandable for anyone to say for the situation, Kaito… was just aware that, not even with just this guy, he couldn’t really say stuff like that idly anymore. 

He had just gotten a letter not long ago, stating the Miss Crystal had recommended him for an additional month of therapy on top of his already mandated number of months, because, well… apparently Kaito just wasn’t making as much progress as she was comfortable with on the track they were on so far. She felt like he needed more time. Fine. No big deal.

It still scared the fuck out of him. There was no real ‘grading’ system, like Fake-Ford had said, but Kaito still felt like that was a sign he was on the verge of failing out anyway. Miss Crystal had said just some people ended up needing more time than others and it was nothing to be worried about, but, well. He had spent a lot of time polishing the rock that day.

So, correcting himself, Kaito said, “I would have been really worried, if that happened. We would have come to thank you immediately, but it took a long time for Shuichi to tell us what happened, and when he did, there was… other stuff going on. I hope you understand. But I really am seriously grateful, and I hope you know you can reach out to me if you need anything.”

That said… “Oh, um… back on the matter of the wall…” Kaito blinked, trying to think on his feet, his reminder of his therapy session giving him an idea, “...I’m sure a certain amount of the rumor mills already spread since yesterday, but do you think you and the other scribes could be convinced to not discuss it with anyone? Obviously I have a reputation and, you’re right, breaking things is a terrible habit, but… I really am trying to shake off some of the… Luminary warmongering prince vibes I give off, and an incident like this could set me back…”

There! There? Kaito was opening up a dialogue to get Takashi to promise not to tell anyone about it, but was redirecting the possible motive for wanting to keep it secret to something less dangerous than wanting to hide it from Byakuya. His reputation in Dicea! Anger management stuff! That was a totally reasonable reason to want to keep it quiet! No one was hiding anything from Byakuya! Ha!! What do you think of that, mom!?

He could practically feel how unimpressed she was.

Takashi shook his head again, a softer expression on his face. “I didn’t do it to be thanked. If you see someone in need, you help them out, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time a few times. Still, if you’re saying I can hit you up for a favor in the future, I’m not saying no to a networking opportunity!”

After all, who knew what the future would bring? The more people you knew, the more opportunities you had.

Almost interrupting Kaito, Takashi laughed kindly as he started getting the proper forms out for copying the receipt Kaito had. “It’s embarrassing, right? You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve broken just trying to get used to my arm. There are a certain subset of people who find it impressive, but, really, it’s just embarrassing. No worries, Kaito, we’re not trying to blow up your spot. It’s not that big of a deal, but we’re not blowing it off completely, so that’s why I wanted to check in with you. No need to submit an article to the paper about it.”

Asking to see the receipt, Takashi began copying the information, clarifying on the document that Kaito was taking fiscal responsibility for the work, and so it wouldn’t need to go into the castle maintenance fund. 

So… was that it then? Did that mean Takashi wasn’t going to put it in a letter?

It… probably did, right? Right? Kaito had managed it? It was fine?

...he did not feel any better. 

Maybe he should just admit what he wanted and offer to pay the guy. 

...or maybe he should just take the L. Risk it. All Byakuya would do would get angry at this point, if he heard about the wall. It’d be a difficult conversation, but it wasn’t worth the risk of Byakuya being told Kaito was trying to hide it. Hiding it was worse. Would lead to more serious consequences. The wall was easier in comparison, it wasn’t worth the risk

...sigh… yeah. That was the right choice. If he pushed any harder than this, he risked more than just letting it go.

“Thank you so much. I was a little worried about it. I really appreciate your patience over it.” Kaito said, giving him all the information, before bowing his head a little. “Is there anything else you needed from me?”

Smiling good-naturedly, Takashi gave the younger man a nod back. “Well, I’m happy to ease those worries then. Things like this happen; it’s not the end of the world.”

Taking one last look over the information, Takashi hummed a little jingle before shaking his head. “This wraps it all up from our end! If the work has any problems, we’ll talk to the contractor about it, and we’ll let you know if any refunds are in order. Otherwise, this is it!”

With a bit of an amused look, Takashi asked, “Was there anything else you needed over here? It looks like Ryouhei’s in a meeting, but I can take a message for him if you wanted to talk to him.”

“No, that’s alright. Thank you so much.” Kaito said again, bowing his head again before deciding that, gifts or no gifts, what he really wanted was to go put his head down for a little bit. When his loves got off work, he’d be back on, but for now, he just wanted to give himself a break and recharge.

-

Kaito and Kokichi were waiting in a line, as the bouncer, one by one, made judgment calls if the person trying to get in was old enough to be in the club at that time of night (and also just keeping an eye out for people who were maybe a little too drunk or spazzing out on something else entirely and maybe needed to be sent home or have an additional eye out for.). And Kaito, while fussing over Kokichi’s outfit and hair, almost bouncing on his toes, excited to get inside… looked up for the third time, leaned in and whispered, “...I think… I might be crazy, but I think I just spotted Maki in that alley.”

He wasn’t...that surprised. Maki had said she would be hanging out nearby, when they had finally decided on a date to go dancing. He and Kokichi had told her she didn’t have to come, that they would be okay, and she had literally laughed in their faces and said ‘sure’. 

But indulge her anyway.

So he had known she’d be somewhere, though she had promised to leave them to it and told them to not worry about her when it came to plans for the night. She was just staying around if anything got dangerous, and would be checking in with only that in mind. 

...and was apparently doing all that from the alley??

Kaito adjusted his jacket, running a hand through his still far too long hair, but at least a little stylized now, as he whispered to Kokichi, “Should I go let her know we’re here and… tell her to stop being a weird alley hermit? What’s she doing over there?”

Kokichi felt like he was a little too primped up, but...Kaito had gotten so excited over choosing an outfit for him. Brushing his hair not even at bedtime and putting hair clips in...but, to be fair, the clips looked kinda nice. Just a few colorful bars to keep his bangs out of his eyes while they danced, Kaito had said, but they were more in line with stuff Kokichi would choose for himself. He was wearing the cape again too, though it really was more for warmth reasons this time--it was gonna get hot dancing but cold outside, so something he could shrug to the side or pull closed would be invaluable temperature control. 

Some part of him couldn’t believe that they were doing this. Actually going to a club! On a date! It was fun to make plans, but Kokichi had...kind of gotten the impression that they’d never get to most of them. Things just always seemed to be at a bad time… But they were really going on a date! So while he teased Kaito over his fussing, he was excited too, eyes always darting around to take in the sights and he couldn’t quite keep still. 

Looking over at the alley, Kokichi again went through all of the precautions Maki had given him and… With a smirk, he stood on his toes and whispered back to his husband. “I think Maki-chan’s made a friend. She said there was a chill dealer who hung out in that alley--maybe they’re gonna hang while we dance.” 

Kaito was, in turn, not wearing enough clothes, and had realized that as soon as he had stepped outside of the castle, and was refusing to admit it to anyone. 

He had just fallen in love with the vest, okay! And the black pants hugged his waist and legs so nicely, and with the maroon button up with the dark, dark purple tie tucked into the vest… he had almost refused to put on the jacket, he had loved the outfit so much and wanted so badly to show it off. He had these gold clips on the tie and the cufflinks matched, both of them matching his earrings, and his shoes were pointed boots with small heels that hugged his ankles and-!!!

Look, all this to say? Kaito had not dressed for the weather. And he was really, really looking forward to getting inside before his trembling got noticeable. 

He was just so excited! They were out! They were out dancing! He had known they would do it eventually, they kept saying it, but, well… they had been saying it for awhile. It had just taken a while to get a free weekend, and nothing was going wrong (well… nothing Kokichi needed to worry about) and they were just some young-twenty year olds dancing and-!!! Out! Of the castle! Doing stuff!!

He was excited. Even though Maki had put him on a strict, two drink limit. Which was fine! He didn’t need to drink to have fun. Though… he blinked at Koichi’s explanation, and as he glanced back at the alley, though he couldn’t see her anymore, he did see the shadow of another person, and said, “Really? You’re kidding. Maki did not make friends with a club drug dealer… what??”

Laughing softly, Kokichi shrugged, watching the shadows in the alley for a moment before the line moved up. “That’s my guess, anyway. She said that he was a safe person to go to if we needed help, so if that’s not a glowing endorsement of character…”

Kokichi shivered for a moment, pulling the cape tighter. He was wearing an under shirt too, but the long-sleeved knit shirt he was wearing just under the cape was no sweater. It actually fit him too, instead of being a few sizes too big, so there weren’t even extra folds of cloth to act as insulation. 

Rubbing his hands together, Kokichi tucked his chin into the cape to blow on them for a moment. “Even if she is having her own good time tonight, I hope she’d come in if it gets too cold for her. Real nippy night, huh?”

“Is it?” Kaito chattered, grinning down at his husband, who had also told Kaito to wear more clothes, along with Shuichi and Maki, all who Kaito had valiantly ignored. The outfit was too good to be covered up! He looked hot, dammit! Look at the folds of these pants, they are crisp!

“A-aww, if you’re ch-chilly babe, here, I’ve got you.” Kaito said, drawing Kokichi into a hug, laughing as he tried to warm him with body heat, the two stepping forward in the line. They were almost in anyway, so it was fine, but Kaito told Kokichi, “I-I wouldn’t worry about her. Maki looked pretty bundled, a-and she puts in her gloves and socks these little… heat pad things? N-no idea how it works, but apparently they’ve k-kept her warm through a lot of colder missions. I’m s-sure she’s fine.”

Inside, he could hear music. Dope, party music that somehow makes sense for this incredibly vague era type they live in. With a live band? It’s probably a live band. Maybe like a... Sort of jazz club vibe? Or a bluesy club from the swinging 20’s? Ya feel me. There was music, and it was super danceable. “So, you remember the plan for what to do if we get separated and someone starts messing with you, or you need to find me?”

Hearing the cold chatter in Kaito’s voice, Kokichi rolled his eyes a little but eagerly huddled to his husband’s side, taking his rightful place as the heat leech. Honestly, with how stubborn Kaito had been about his outfit, Kokichi was just glad he hadn’t chosen to wear that tank top he’d gotten. At least his shirt had sleeves, and hopefully the next time they went outside would be to go home, and they could sprint as quickly as they wanted through the cold. 

“Mm, oh yeah. I know snow couriers do that too--keeping heating packs in their clothes and boots ‘n stuff. S’why their shifts are a lot shorter than people in mail and deliver at other times of the year; if they don’t have their gear all ready, then there’s no way they’re goin’ out in the snow for hours.” Kokichi rambled for a little bit, already starting to sway and bounce slightly to the music he could hear inside. He was ready to dance!

Safely, of course. Nodding, Kokichi replied, “I go to the bar and sit myself right in front of the bartender until you find me. And if someone tries to corner me somewhere else and I can’t get away, start crying really loudly and attract attention.”

Kaito nodded, “Bartender for the little stuff, crying for the big stuff. If I don’t get to you first, Maki will. And if it gets to that point in the first place, be as loud as you can. Assume the music and people will drown you out a bit and try to accomodate for that. I mean…” Kaito suddenly grinned a little crookedly, looking a little guilty as he quickly said, “It won’t come to that! Everything’s going to be fine and we don’t really need to worry, but, like… just in case? Alright?”

There hadn’t been any… well, other than Kaito himself, there hadn’t been any really big incidents since the beach. But the beach had been a huge incident, and Kaito just wanted to make certain that… just…

Just no more incidents. That was all. 

Giving Kokichi a playful kiss on the side of his lips, Kaito held him until it was time to move again, and then held his hand as they made their way to the front of the line.

Kaito grinned at the bouncer, putting up two fingers as he said, “Two of us! Ages 20 and 23! Hell of a crowd! Busy night tonight?” Kaito asked, waiting to get the go-ahead to go inside.

The bouncer was dressed head to toe in tactical gear, though oddly enough, the rimming around their visor was a light pink. Despite not being able to see their eyes, people got the impression that the bouncer was staring right through them, and that’s just what they did to Kokichi and Kaito, almost completely ignoring the small talk as they looked them over. 

Then, with a firm nod, the bouncer pointed at the door and gave the couple a thumbs up. 

Not wanting to just go without saying anything, Kokichi chirped a quick, “Thank you!” before moving the line along, being almost blasted with music as they stepped through the threshold, though it wasn’t so loud you wouldn’t be able to hear people right next to you.

Kaito grinned wide, looking around excitedly. He hadn’t been to a place like this in over a year, and had forgotten that immediate, heavy adrenaline that came from the sound of the drums in the band, thumping through the walls, and the feeling of the vibration in the floor, running up your feet. It smelled like flowers and sweat. And the lights…

“Wow. Thats cool. Haven't seen that before.” Kaito said, watching lights of different colors flash to the tempo of the music. The DICE show at the museum had done something similar, but not like the constant shifting and changing that was happening here. It was like every color in the room changed every few seconds.

The place was packed, and most of it was a dance floor, though there were a few tabled areas around the bar. But it looked like the real sitting area, if you wanted too, was upstairs, a spiraling staircase that lead to a platform area above the bar, where from below it looked like a lounge area was set up, and above that area… wow…

“’Kichi, check out the roof over there.” Kaito said, pointing past the flashing lights of the dance floor, to the rest of the room beyond, “Shit looks like a solar system! That’s really spot on, actually!”

In fact, the more he looked, the more nods to astronomy he saw everywhere. Most of the food and drinks listed on the blackboard at the bar had space-based puns, and the decorations that hung from the ceiling and lined the walls were all stars and planets and meteors. The floor beneath their feet was a tar like substance that had little white, purple and blue specks shimmering shimmering within the mix.

It was amazing! “I fucking love this.” Kaito whispered excitedly into Kokichi’s ear, looking around in awe. “What a cool place this is… do you wanna check your cape at the jacket claim? Or you do wanna dance in it, babe? I’m probably gonna check my jacket before we go dance.”

If Kokichi had been looking around every few seconds before, then he really had no idea where to look now. There was a wide, awed smile on his face as he took in everything--the music the floor the people the lights the layout the!!!!--and the only reason Kokichi kept moving was because he was still holding onto Kaito’s arm, Kaito essentially towing him out of the way of the door. 

“This is incredible,” Kokichi breathed. Damn...how many more places in the city did he just have no clue about? Since kids were allowed earlier in the day, he definitely could’ve come by before… 

It was only after a moment that Kokichi registered Kaito’s question, his mind still taking in the club, and...he kind of liked having the cape on, but with the dance floor packed the way it was and with this, yanno, being an actual establishment for dancing… “I’ll check it too--don’t wanna get in people’s way too much.”

Looking around for another moment, Kokichi took the lead now and headed over to what he assumed was the coat check, since it had a desk and it wasn’t the bar. Giving a wave to the man vibing out behind the desk, Kokichi held up two fingers, just in case, and spoke clearly over the music. “Hello! We’d like to leave two jackets, please!”

Nodding nonchalantly, the man grabbed a tag from a hefty stack, starting to write on it. “Big Red and Baby Grape, two jackets.”

Kaito’s eyes got really wide. 

That was it.

That was the name of Kokichi’s cock now.

With this new revelation swimming through his head, Katio handed over the jacket, adding in to the guy, “Kaito’s ‘Big Red’, Kokichi’s ‘Baby Grape’!” On the off chance whoever was running the jacket check would not, in fact, be able to figure out who the notes were talking about, (hey! You never knew! Maybe there was another six-foot tall red head around here, and Kokichi might not be the only baby-faced purple haired guy around!).

Then he grabbed his husbands hand, and said, “Come on, Baby Grape! Let’s get in there!” before excitedly pulling his husband into the crowd of dancers.

The club was packed, but there was still space made between the dancers, so once they had found a large enough open space, about a few feet wide, among the crowd, Kaito stopped them, taking Kokichi’s hands, and, listening to the tempo of the music, Kaito said, “You ever tried to shuffle, babe? Watch this, watch my feet!”

Shuffles were very simple, and good for standing relatively in the same spot, and Kaito started to smoothly kick his legs aout, sort of looking like he was talking long steps in place, his movement an easy, fluid motion. Letting go of one of Kokichi’s hands, Kaito let the rest of his body lean and sway into the steps, grinning wide at the old familiar routine, feeling like his body was becoming liquid and shifting with the music.

He fucking had missed dancing!

“Give it a shot, babe!”

Unclasping the cape from around his shoulders, Kokichi handed it over before he rolled his eyes a little at the nickname. He never really minded whatever people chose to call him, but, really? Baby Grape… At least it was descriptive. Pocketing the stub of the check ticket the guy behind the desk had given him before going to hang up their jackets, Kokichi could only shake his head before following Kaito out to the dancefloor to shake his tail feather. 

And luckily Kaito didn’t leave him to awkwardly bob to the music for long, immediately going into a dance move. And...it was like they were at their wedding reception, Kaito laughing and showing him a few footsteps to dance a salsa. Surrounded by people loving the music with their bodies too, all there to have a good time…

And this time, their friends were safe. Shuuichi had smirked all the way through Kaito prettying Kokichi up for their night out, and had seemed pretty settled with a book and a mug of cocoa before they’d left, wishing them a goodnight. Maki was out in the alley, maybe having a talk with a friend, or maybe just enjoying observing the nightlife, a different sort but somehow similar to how she’d watched the forest from on high like she’d shown Kokichi before. 

There weren’t any plots against them, no problems that they’d pushed to the side for the moment. 

Just Kaito and Kokichi, dancing together. 

Letting out a joyful laugh, Kokichi tried to mimic Kaito’s movements, trying to scale them down to his size and, after a few awkward rounds, more or less getting the hang of it, starting to actually move to the music than get the steps right.

Gah! Look at his cute, sexy husband! He was getting it!

Kaito, beaming a thirty-watt grin, watched Kokichi’s movements carefully, and every time his husband had gotten the movement more or less down pat? Kaito would change it up a little, adding in an extra little move, waiting for Kokichi to notice it and work out how to incorporate it into his own movement. Little by little, Kokichi’s movements got more complicated, and that complicated movement became more fluid, and when the song changed, shifting into something with a higher tempo?

Kaito pulled Kokichi, sort of throwing him to the right, but catching his waist in that same throw, causing them to trade places in the dance floor. And Kokichi, to Kaito’s endless pride, immediately got back into the steps, and when Kaito did it again, squeezing Kokichi’s arm slightly to warn him that the shift was coming, his husband flew into it, the two shifting back and forth with fast, vibrant movement.

In Kaito’s mind, it was all the intimate, graceful movement of sex and all the complicated, passionate blows of combat, and he fucking loved this shit, his heart thumping in his chest, a layer of sweat on his skin as the two kept this up for awhile. Unlike the wedding, and unlike the brewery, nobody was singling them out this time, putting them under a metaphorical stage light. 

They were just two people in the crowd, lost in the heat and flow of bodies, and Kaito could have happily done that all night-

But, to Kaito’s shock? The music paused, and a literal, actual fucking stagelight was put onto them, as someone shouted, “Kaito Ouma Momota!”

Kaito, panting, caught Kokichi in their mid-shift, hands on his husbands waist as he looked up, trying to see through the light. As his eyes adjusted, he saw, on the stage where the band was, or had been, playing, a man was pointing at him. Looking passionate and determined, while the head of the band gave him an amused look, having put literally everything on hold so that this guy could say what he needed to.

Kaito wasn’t good with names. Faces sometimes took him a second too. But this person? He knew him the second he saw him. And his chest filled with horror as, through the crowd, the man called, “Don’t try to run this time!! You owe me a dance-off!!”

“...tango-guy.” Kaito whispered.

Kokichi was nothing but laughs as he followed Kaito’s examples, every new step feeling just right for the music, perfect for the two of them. Dancing had always been an explosion for him--pent up energy coming out in any way it could through flailing limbs, or a song filling him with such rhythm that Kokichi could do nothing to prevent himself from moving along. 

But none of it had ever been coordinated, and honestly was pretty embarrassing for anyone else to see. However, Kaito’s examples never felt like some stiff lesson--it was always more passion, just...in a way that looked good too. Something that Kokichi could share with him. 

Though, Kokichi nearly pissed his pants when the light snapped onto them, everything stopping, and it was only the fact that it was Kaito’s name that was called, and not his, did Kokichi not immediately panic and think that he was about to be dragged back to the castle. 

Panting, Kokichi righted himself, eyebrows shooting skyward once he registered who was talking, and what Kaito meant by “Tango-Guy”. More like their wedding every moment…

He’d make sure of one thing though. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi gave Kaito’s cheek a loving pat. “...I don’t think you’re getting out of this one, love. I’ll go get some water for you preemptively, okay? And it’ll give me an excuse to demand my husband back once you guys have settled this. Until then, I’ll wait at the bar, just like we said.”

Kaito looked back and forth between Tango Guy and Kokichi, before saying quietly to Kokichi, “Alright babe! Get some water in you, maybe say hi to someone! This place seems nice! I’ll follow you as soon as I can! Be safe!” Kaito said, giving Kokichi a gentle kiss on the forehead.

And then, immediately afterwards, whirring  back towards the stage, and, hands into fist, shout back, “TANGO GUY!!!”

“Ah, so you do remember my name, Momota!” the man shouted, smirking as the crowd gasped, the man taking a running start and leaping off the stage, the group in front catching him, and then crowd surfing him towards Kaito. As he was shifted, hand to hand, towards Kaito, he shouted, “That’s right! It’s me! Tangouai! You ran from our last battle before it was complete, and tonight I’m calling you out!”

Kaito had to admit, a man who could crowd surfe to the dance battle was pretty formidable. But! He was not to be intimidated, crossing his arms and scowling at him until he was finally let back down onto his feet in front of Kaito, while around them the crowd backed up, creating a large space between them. “Ran!? Who ran!? I don’t run from battles, Tango Guy! I had another battle to fight! But this time there’s nothing to distract me from KICKING YOUR ASS!” Kaito paused, “IN DANCE!”

Tangouai came up to him, a sneer on his face, as he said, “Other battles? Yeah. I heard…” and then, leaning close, he patted Kaito’s shoulder and said to him quietly, “Hey man, I heard about all that. That was fucked. Fuck that bitch. Everything good since then?”

Kaito blinked, before saying quietly back, “Oh, I mean, one or two things, but we’re doing really good these days. Thanks for asking.”

“No worries, man.” Tangouai said, patting his shoulder again, before pulling Kaito into a tango pose, a determined, mad gleam in his eyes as he said, “Band! HIT IT!”

And they were off!

Kokichi could only laugh as he made his way through the crowd, some people’s eyes lighting up with understanding as he passed, though none stopped him, only giving a nod or a wave which he would return before they turned to watch the spectacle of what was happening on the dancefloor. Hopefully Kaito wouldn’t actually be tango’d to death this time. 

Making his way to the bar, it wasn’t as crowded as he had expected. There were a few groups in the booths, evidently having been there a while and needing a break from dancing, but just getting started on hard drinks, and a person here and there actually at the bar, but...Maki had done her homework. People came to Shooting Star to dance, not to drink, so it looked like people tended to get their drinks and go, rather than hanging around the bar. A good place for him to visibly be, and be seen by the bartender. 

She was a stern-looking woman dressed in a suit jacket and apron over a pencil skirt, long sandy-blonde hair neatly held back out of her face. Unfazed by the non-smilers, Kokichi gave the bartender a grin. “Could I trouble you for a water? And…” ...well, he hadn’t promised to not drink at all--and neither had Kaito for that fact--and getting a drink from a bar was very different from having something at a glorified house party… “A Super Nova? Three silver, yeah?”

The bartender nodded and, after checking to make sure he’d paid, got started on the drinks. Kokichi sat himself just slightly to the side of the middle of the bar counter, still clearly visible, but less in your face about it. If Kaito was going to be dancing for a while, he may as well get something to sip on, and the drink sounded super sweet and fruity. Water was paramount, but the sugar might help him out in the ‘late night energy’ field too. 

At the top of the fire exit staircase, Maki and Joey were leaning against the safety rails, the door wide open and Joey leaning against the hinges, smoking a cigarette. Joey kept glancing outside down the holes in the stairway, keeping an eye out for any costumers that might be looking for him, and scowling, wondered aloud, “The fuck am I doing up here?”

“I don’t know.” Maki shrugged, watching Kaito tango his heart out with some random, though she kept glancing over at Kokichi at the bar. Her boss was just getting himself a drink it looked like, no one was bothering him. Gppd. Hopefully Kaito wouldn’t leave his date sitting by himself too long. “I told you not to follow me.”

“You said, and I quote.” Joey spat against the metal, “Break into the fire escape door for me so I can get the best vantage point or die. And then you told me I could fuck off after that.”

“I did.” She agreed, smirking slightly, “Figured if opening the fire escape door was illegal, I’d get some wiggle room not having actually been the one to open it, if we’re caught.”

“So, I’m your scapegoat?”

“Yeah? Why did you think I threatened you? I’m taking advantage of you.”

There was a silence between them for a moment… and then the man laughed, a full body, amused chuckle, which caused him to snort at the end. “God you’re so fucking crazy. Where have you been all my life?”

Maki smirked again, amused at his reaction, his ease with her mannerisms a big part why she had been drawn into a conversation with him long after deciding he was ultimately harmless, not a threat to her men. Then a conversation had shown him to be, by her standards, anyway, probably reliable. 

And it had been a while since she had talked to someone with her own sense of… humor. Was an easy way to put it. The guy was adequately broken and in good spirits about it. She liked him.

Taking another puff, he said, “You sure you don’t want  one?”

“That stuff will kill you.” Maki said simply, “And you’re an idiot for smoking them.”

“Yeah, probably. Better than other shit.” Joey said simply, shrugging, before subbing at his stubble, watching the show going on below as he asked, “That one of yours? The red head?”

“Hmmm.” Maki hmmed, as the crowd below gasped as a truly reckless throw from Kaito threw Tangoaui threw the air, the rival fucking pirrouetting somehow mid throw, Kaito so blown away by this that he almost failed to catch him because he was too busy watching. “He’s an idiot too. They’re all idiots. I’m surrounded.”

“I bet.” Joey snorted.

The drink, befitting of the name from the dozens of swirling colors in it, was indeed very fruity and very sweet. Kokichi had made a pleased little sound with his first sip, finding that he could just barely taste the tang of alcohol in it--likely a weaker drink so someone could get something fancy without having to drink a lot, he guessed. Still, if they ever ended up here with Shuuichi, he’d recommend a virgin version. If the drink could satisfy his sweet tooth, then he had a feeling his boyfriend would enjoy it too. 

Settled into his drink, Kokichi turned back to watch the spectacle on the dance floor, watching in amusement and, at some points, genuinely impressed. Ever since Kaito had pulled him into that spin he’d been impressed with his husband’s dancing skills, but seeing him, well, compete with someone who was also an incredible dancer? It was really amazing. 

...very cool to watch, but… It was kind of lame for him to just...sit at the bar, right? Secluding himself still… And Kaito had encouraged him to start up a conversation with someone. But he didn’t want to just butt in on any groups and...it’d be weird to move his seat next to someone else, right? Normally he had no problem going up to strangers, but…

Oh, okay, there were people coming up to the bar by themselves, that wasn’t too awkward. And it was a conversation starter! 

Hearing a young woman’s order, Kokichi took a breath as the bartender turned, hoping that he wasn’t just...being weird. “Oh, the Orange Comet? I was thinking about that one myself...have you had it before?”

Warm, hazel eyes looked over at Kokichi, big, pink, heart shaped sunglasses shifting against long brown hair as she looked startled for a moment, equally heart shaped lips mid sip on her straw as she very obviously, and pointedly, looked Kokichi up and down with an openly analytical look… before she beamed brightly, “Oh my g’awd! Are you kidding, have you never had one of these before!?” 

“Baby! Baby bottom boy joy, hey! Brutus! Bru, oh, shit, you’re not Brutus.” the thin, toned woman realized, pouting as she realized, “Shoooot, where’s Brutus? He’s my favorite… oh well! You’ll do sexy! Sexy! Get a Orange Comet for my boy here!” she demanded, giving the bartender a wink as she said, “Put it on Amber’s tab, okaaaay~? Put a tip on it from me too, sexy lady! Damn! Nevermind, Brutus isn’t my faivs anymore! Don’t tell him, he’ll cry.”

Turning all that manic, excited energy to Kokichi, she gave him another look up and down, and her smile getting wider, she said, “Ho-o-oh, fuck, look at you! You’re a sweet thang, aren’t you? I like that! I’m Amber! You wanna just go ahead and be my best friend tonight?”

‘Oh my god, you dance!’

...it wasn’t fair to this woman, but Kokichi’s breath caught in his chest for a moment before he slowly let it out. Accents, huh. 

“Brutus has the night off,” the bartender said flatly before nodding her understanding, marking down the tab and getting to work on the next drink, and that was enough time for Kokichi to compose himself, grinning back at Amber. “This is my first time at Shooting Star, actually. If it’s as good as this Super Nova, then I’m in for a treat! Thanks!”

Giggling lightly, glad that his intro seemed to work alright, Kokichi pressed a hand to his cheek and winked at Amber. “Aw, what a flatterer--I love your sunglasses by the way? I’m pretty much stuck here for the time being, so some company would be top--don’t wanna interrupt the dance showdown goin’ on out there, but I didn’t come out to drink alone, yanno?”

“Oh, fuck, baby, tell me about it.” Amber groaned, giving the dance floor a mildly dirty look as she said, “I’m supposed to be here with my girls Stacy and Dadia? But Dadia says she’s sick or some shit and bailed, even though I know what she’s doing is staying home to ready that trashy novel of hers, which is like, fine, whatever! But we made plans girl! And now Stacy, who was my best friend tonight but as of twenty minutes ago is dead to me for~ever, is off dating with some musclehead that I totally called dibs on.”

With that rush of information, Amber huffed, pouting miserably, before brightening up, clearly not as bothered as she was playing at as she smirked down at Kokichi, “So! You’re my new best friend! At least tonight, I’ll be honest, I can never stay mad at Stacy, she’s just a slut, and I can’t judge that, ya feel me?”

As the bartender brought Kokichi his drink, Amber called sweetly, “Thaaanks, Sexy! Okay, baby? Go ahead, take a sip, I know you’re already working on your other drink, but fuck that drink, it’s garbage in comparison! Give it a taste, I’m about to blow you taste bud world!”

Kokichi listened attentively to Amber’s woes, humming and ‘aww’ing at the appropriate moments, sympathizing (maybe more than he would’ve thought) with her having a friend who’d prefer to stay home with a good book and a friend getting wrapped up in something else. 

(Of course, he didn’t mind it in his own case. While spending time with Shuuichi was always nice, he’d hate to bring him along to someplace he’d hate, and honestly Kokichi was happy for Kaito to socialize and have good experiences with Diceans. And maybe having a dance rival was like having a friend.)

“Oh, totally. Like, good for her, but that doesn’t change that it’s left you on your own, right?” Laughing lightly at someone else calling him baby, and realizing he’d never given Amber his name, Kokichi nodded and took a sip of the bright orange drink, his eyes popping open. Wow it was strong! But also clearly made with orange juice and...something else that was tart and sweet and just...really good.

...he’d be okay with one weak drink and one strong drink. 

“Oh, wow, yeah, you’re right!” Kokichi took another sip, making a quiet little ‘hoo’ sound before grinning at his friend for a night. “And I’m Kokichi, by the way. I got so wrapped up in your story that it totally slipped my mind.”

“Riiiight!? I love these things, I’ve had two already! I may be a little tipsy!” she warned him with a giggle, sipping at her own drink again, those glossed, heart shape lips practically made for straws as she sucked down deeply, before laughing, “Oh, Kokichi! Like the prince, right? That’s super cool! Is it spelled the same way? Hold on, hold on, let me guess!” 

Putting her drink down, Amber dug into her purse, before pulling out a pink sharpie. “Alright, baby, give me your arm!” she demanded, taking Kokichi’s arm and pushing his sleeve up a little. 

In flowy, bubbly handwriting, she wrote Kokichi on his wrist, each dot a little heart. Smiling proudly, she asked, “Like that?”

Kokichi decided to just trade sips between his two drinks, them both strongly flavored enough that by the time one started to fade on his tongue, the other could overpower the lingering taste and stand on its own. The smartest thing to do? Probably not. But he was planning on drinking both of them, and he’d feel weird working on the drink Amber hadn’t bought him just to get to one glass faster. 

Laughing a bit, mentioning, “Like the prince, yeah,” Kokichi freely gave his arm over, sliding up his sleeve a bit to give her room to write. And when he finished and he saw that cute little design of his name? He couldn’t help but coo. “Aww! Your handwriting is adorable! And you got it perfect. Hey, lemme write your name on you too, then we can match!”

“Hell to the fucking yes! Here, baby, give it a go!” Amber laughed, passing him the sharpy, accommodatingly leaning over a little to give him easy access to her wrist, not tall, but, well, taller than Kokichi, anyway. 

Above, Maki peered down at Kokichi, before saying, “Joey? The woman writing on Kokichi’s arm. Got a profile on her?”

“Eh?” Joey asked lazily, peering down at where she was pointing, just accepting that he wasn’t making any coin tonight, eyes narrowing for a moment… before saying, “Oh, yeah. That’s Amber. She owns the jewelry shop over at first. I hear she makes a lot of it herself, big into metal work. She’s a little crazy, but, like, not really in a way where the big bad bodyguard needs to get involved. She buys some of my harder stuff sometimes, but if she’s carrying now, she hasn’t gotten it from me in a long time. Probably clean, honestly, I think she just likes to take party drugs sometimes.”

Maki nodded, deciding it was probably fine, before turning her gaze back to Kaito. A third person had butted into the dance battle, a real small, skinny person… maybe a woman? Maki couldn’t tell from here. Either way, they were breakdancing, and though Kaito couldn’t break dance to save his life, after seeing his rival do it as well, Kaito was doing his best to mimic the moves, refusing to be left behind. He was going to break his back. 

“Hold on, one second…” Maki said, taking out one of her throwing daggers, Joey balking at that as he took a cautionary step back.

“The fuck you gonna do with-oh shit holy fuck did you just kill someone!?”

Maki gave him a confused look, before saying like it was obvious, “No? I just was warning him not to hurt himself.”

Down below, Kaito, who had been trying to spin on his head, suddenly fell to the floor with an oof, groaning. Tangouai went to check on him as the new chick jumped and cheered, the crowd roaring in approval, thinking Kaito had just failed to follow the move. “Hey, you good, man-the fuck is that?”

Kaito pouted, pulling the throwing dagger out of the ground, looking at the hole in his shirt sleeve with open disappointment as he said, “Awww, come on… my outfit…”

By now, Kokichi cheeks were pretty rosy, both of his drinks valiantly lowered to their last quarters. Taking great care, he’d written Amber in a fancy script, his own usual handwriting not exciting as hers, and thus he’d needed something a little extra for her turn. He’d returned her pen with satisfied pride before sucking down the last of his Super Nova. 

Hearing the dance crowd cheer, Kokichi turned, trying to see what the latest craze was, but unable to see through the crowd, he just sighed softly. “My guy’s such a good dancer, you don’t even know. We’ve been meaning to come out and do something like this for aaaaaaaages but it’s been hell to try and plan. I’m glad we finally made it, though, and he’s gettin’ to show his stuff. I love dancing with him, but I love knowing he’s getting to go all out too.”

“Oh my g’awd, that’s so cute, I’m legit just gonna die!” Amber gushed, bringing up both their arms so they could see them side by side, squealing as she said, “That’s precious! Hey, sexy! What do you think of me and my besties wrist tattoos? Are they legit or what!?” She called to the bartender, showing them off.

Having a little giggle at that, she looked into the crowd, sipping happily at her drink, before saying, “You’ve got a stud out there, baby? Point him out, I’m about to judge the shit out of your taste. Get your butt prepared for some high-key critique.”

The bartender, affectionately called Shelly by her co-workers, gave the duo’s wrists a dull look. “You’ve put effort into your handwriting.”

Though, her less than enthused comment did nothing to lessen the prideful giggle Kokichi gave to the whole situation. “Aw, he might actually cry if you don’t like his outfit--Kai-chan’s super into fashion. We all kept telling him to put on more layers since it’s gonna be cold, but nooo, it’ll ruin the effect, he said.”

Rolling his eyes affectionately, Kokichi looked through the crowd until he saw red pop up, quickly pointing him out with an urgent sound. “Oh, there he is! Tall ginger with the vest and tie.”

Amber accommodatingly, and exaggeratedly, peered through the crowd, sipping at her drink… before sputtering, snorting a little as she said, “Bitch, no way. Thottie too hotty over there? Damn, baby, how’d you pin him down? That’s a lot of beef right there. You got pretty good taste, I give it 9/10, since there’s always room for improvement.”

Amber groaned, leaning against the bar as she said, “Why can’t I get a guy like that? No offense to you, Kokichi, you’re gorgeous and I love you and you’re my best friend in the whole world, but I like my men big. Like, if you’re not climbing a tree, what’s even the point? But the big ones are always taken. If only I was bi, you seen all the tall girls in this city? Usot makes amazon women. I was born the wrong sexuality.” Amber pouted, before looking over to Kokichi, giving him a wink as she asked, “How’s those drinks treating you? Not every day I see someone double fisting here. You’re wild, Kokichi.”

Kokichi snickered at Amber’s reaction, sitting tall in pride on Kaito’s behalf. “I lucked out in the looks department, for sure. Half the time I think he just wants compliments too, but he’s always bemoaning about how pretty we are and how he tries so hard to keep up, but I’m like??? Really??? I think the red’s a good look for him since damn he’s hotter than a fire.”

Making more sympathetic noises at Amber’s plight, assuring her that she’d find her giant prince charming someday, Kokichi blinked before he laughed sheepishly, turning a little redder. “You were kind enough to buy me a drink--I’d feel weird working down the line. I don’t really have drinks that often, so it’s alright to go a little heavy every once in a while. Plus, even with the Orange Comet being stru-ong, the other one seemed pretty light.”

“Still, luckily,” he sighed, “If I need to come in late tomorrow, I can. Not planning on getting obliterated so I don’t think it’s gonna be an issue, but it’s nice to have a backup plan.”

“Oh yeah? What’s a sweet little wild-child like you do for work, babyfa- Oh! Oh!” 

Amber looked suddenly excited, as the music changed, light flashing different colors to the suddenly increased tempo as she shook Kokichi’s shoulder, saying insistently, “Chug it, baby, we gotta go dance! It’s my favorite song!”

Now, the plan if they got separated was that Kokichi would stay at the bar in full view of the bartender until Kaito reunited with him. However, as Kokichi would find but not really register as he downed the last of his drink and hopped off the barstool, only to stumble for a moment, he was much drunker than he’d thought. Past a little tipsy, for sure. 

And in that state of mind, with the lights flashing and music thrumming was...well, they hadn’t really been separated, and was Kaito really gonna expect him to sit at the bar all night until his dance-off was wound down? Kokichi wanted to dance too! With Kaito, yeah, this was supposed to be a date, but...he just wanted to dance!

So just with some giggles, Kokichi followed Amber out onto the dancefloor, starting to move to the upbeat pace of the music, the remnants of some moves Kaito had shown him in his movements, but stitched together oddly into something that looked okay, but still markedly odd. 

Amber, also drunk, didn’t give a shit how Kokichi actually danced, and was just thrilled to have a partner, dancing with him and cheering loudly to her favorite music, while the group around them pressed and swayed to the beat.

Above, Makki sighed, not alarmed, but bemused, as she said, “Uh oh. Wonder how long this will take to resolve itself.”

“What’s up?” Joey asked curiously, now smoking something a little harder than cigarettes, feeling calm and chilled out as he followed her gaze. “What am I missing here?”

“Little idiots heading to the dance floor, see? But check out big idiot. Watch, watch. He’s going to miss him juuuust… there.”

Kaito wasn’t going to say he lost the dance-off… but the smaller chick had definitely won it, and after shouting at each other a bit ore, himself and Tango Guy agreed to finish their battle another day, when someone better than both of them wasn’t around to thrash them over and over again. It had been a lot of fun, and Kaito had enjoyed the whole thing immensely, but he was starting to feel bad for his husband, not having meant to leave him this long. 

A few people to the left, Amber pulled Kokichi into the dance floor, and missing this entirely, Kaito pulled himself out, heading to the bar.

...Kokichi?

Mai sighed as she watched Kaito look around, confused. “Honestly. These two are so bad at keeping an eye on each other. What are they going to do without me?”

“You going somewhere?” Joey asked, carefully rolling a new joint.

“..no. But…” Maki shrugged. A tired look on her face. “Never say never. They need to do better than this…”

“You gonna go fix it?” Joey asked, thinking the girl was enough of a control freak that she probably would.

And she was. But, Maki felt enough in control just knowing where both of them was to say, “No. Neither of them are in danger. They’ll work this out on their own. I’m not gonna interfere in their date unless I have too.”

“Unless one of them is trying to break dance. Then you’re throwing knives like a psycho.”

“Go back to getting high on your own supply. No one asked your opinion.”

“Chick, you’re a fucking trip. Let me tell ya.” Joey chuckled.

Kokichi and Amber danced through the song, his movements getting a little sloppier as the alcohol settled more into his system. They danced through the next song too, but by the third the room was spinning enough that Kokichi wobbled to a stop, laughing through his words. “Oo-ho-nooo, I think that was stronger than I thought. Amber, I need to act’lly get some water or I’ll fall over.”

It’d be a good chance to check on Kaito too, seeing if, in the middle of the dance crowd, he was done, or if he’d come over to check on Kokichi himself. 

Three songs earlier…

Fuck.

Kokichi?

Kaito looked around uneasily, heading to the bartender, saying to her, “Hey, uh… have you seen a little guy? Purple eyes? Cute little hairclips? He was supposed to wait here for me…”

Shelly nodded and looked out into the crowd, trying to see where the two had just gone, but they had already slipped into the mish-mash of dancing bodies. “He and a friend just left to dance. Went that way. The man had been here for quite a while before. Perhaps he thought that he’d have better luck finding you out there.” Really an awful assumption to leave a rendezvous point, but the small man had also been two strong drinks in that he had downed rather quickly. If there was a common theme that a bartender could observe, it was the foolish decisions people made when they were inebriated.

“Oh? A friend?” Kaito asked, peering into the crowd for Kokichi, before… grinning sheepishly, knowing how this would sound as he said it, but asking the bartender, “Like… what kind of friend? Like… a guy or-” Kaito shook his head, scolding himself. Give your husband more credit. Correcting himself, he said, “Like, a nice friend or-”

“Momota?” Said a young man who had been sitting at the bar this whole time, looking a little bored and sipping slightly at a drink he had been nursing for forty minutes now. He peered at Katio, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. “That you?”

Kaito took a second to recognize this person, before saying, “Oh! Uh… Matches, right? Hi! Um…” Kaito looked around, half expecting to see Priest Bullsworth or Abigal any second, before saying to him, “What are you doing here? On a date?”

Matches snorted, “Nah. Working.”

Kaito frowned, seeing him siting there and drinking being a strange way to take a break, even for a bartender or a custodian or… Kaito flushed. “Oh! Uh, right! Busy… busy night?”

Matches rolled his eyes, giving the crowd an unimpressed look as he said, “Not as busy as I’d like. I thought that was Prince Kokichi I was seeing earlier. He went off dancing with Amber. They went that way.” Matches said, nodding towards the right part of the dance floor.

“Oh, okay. Amber! Nice! You know her or…”

“Made my necklace. She’s alright. Little loud, but alright. They looked like they were vibing.”

Kaito sighed, relieved, before chuckling. “Good! Good.. phew! He doesn’t get  to dance with people too often, I’ll just let him be for a little bit, let him have fun. Atua knows he just did the same for me for like, fuck, I don’t even know how long. Can I sit?”

Matches sighed, “Not right next to me. People might think I’m negotiating rates with you, not want to come up themselves. You can sit there, Momota. Unless you’re in the market?” Matches asked, giving Kaito a smirk.

Kaito flushed, but shook his head. “Nah. I’ll buy you a drink, though, if you want. I’ll probably have one while I’m waiting for ‘Kichi.”

Matches considered him, before sighing, drinking down the last of his drink as he said, “Yeah, sure, why not. The ‘Chosen’ of Atua, buying me a drink. You gonna share any prophecies while you sabotage my work?”

Kaito laughed sheepishly, buying a round for himself and Matches, before saying, “Well, my Atua week rituals weren’t super… fruitful this year… um, how did ya’lls go? Anyone see anything interesting, anything worth sharing?”

Only the ‘chosen family’ in theory, could actually talk to Atua… but that didn’t mean that random Atuans didn’t see things that the religious community suspected were peerings into the other side. While only the Momota family, it used to be anyway, could claim all their visions as prophesies, all the other Atuans still indulge in the ritual, because sometimes people saw some shit, and like… so long as there was a possibility? 

Why not, right?

So, rolling his eyes at Kaito for bringing religion up at a dance club where Matches was trying to work, he still shared some stories that the capital Atuans had been spreading around since Atua’s week. Kaito listening with rapt attention.

Making his way back over to the bar, Kokichi, giggly and sheepish, asked for some water and looked around, seeing if he could spot his husband. It took what was probably an embarrassingly long time, but Kokichi perked up at that unmistakable red hair, skipping his way over and draping himself over his husband. 

“Kaiiiiiii~chaaaaaaan~!! I found youuuuu~! This isn’t just a break before you’re gonna run off on your own again, is it?”

Kaito was still museing over all the visions Matches had passed onto him, sipping on his drink alone, since Matches had gotten a customer a little bit ago, taking him wherever escorts and customers go in a place like this.

Most of it was nonsense when outright explained, but the group of Atuans had kept sharing the stories, because there was a weird, recurring theme of… really aggressive plants? Gardens overgrowing. Weeds strangling crops. Apparently it just kept coming up. It had been fascinating, and it was making Kaito look at his own memories of his own visions with a new, more critical eye, trying to see if any of his visions matched the theme in any way…

But all of that flew from Kaito’s mind as he grinned, feeling Kokichi’s familiar weightlessness and recognizing it before his husband said a word, reaching around and grabbing his husband's waist, pulling him into a side hug as he kissed at his cheek, saying, “There you are. I was gearing up to go look for you in a second. No, babe, sorry, it’s not. That went on longer than I thought it would, sorry your boar of a husband ran off on you.  Are you done dancing with your friend? Amber?” Kaito asked, looking around for any women who might be trailing behind his husband.

“Nmmm,” Kokichi said, just enjoying hugging and draping himself over Kaito for now. “I needed some water, but I don’ wanna just ditch. Her friends already ditched her an’ I’m best friend for the night. She’s really nice, she bought me a drink--do you wanna go dance with her too?”

He totally got the appeal of a giant husband. You could just throw yourself at them and it’d be endearing rather than crushing. Giggling to himself, Kokichi pressed a kiss to Kaito’s cheek. “She said I had good taste when I pointed you out. Totally a part of the ‘has eyes so they know Kai-chan’s pretty’ club.”

Kaito grinned, smoothing out and fixing Kokichi’s hair with his free hand as he said, “Oh, you have best friend duties, huh? That’s a lot of responsibility, I suppose we can make room in our date for that. Especially for someone who recognizes my husbands exceptionally good standards in partners.”

Seeing Kokichi’s flushed face, happy, somewhat loopy smile, and that far-away look in his eyes… “Babe?” Kaito asked, raising an eyebrow, “How much have you had?”

Making a pleased sound, Kokichi then pouted as Kaito questioned his sobriety. He held up two fingers. “Two! The one I got myself, which was really good an’ I think Shuu-chan’d like it, an’ the one Amber got me, which was strooong, but two drinks is a-okay! And water. I’ve had…” 

He looked down at the half-full glass of water in his hand. “One and a half waters. Soon to be two! I’m pacing!” 

Kaito chuckled, before giving Kokichi a small kiss on the side of his lips, saying, “Well, that’s alright then. Finish your drink, babe, and we’ll go find your girl, get some more dancing in.”

Upstairs, Joey was shrugging, in the middle of spilling his life story to the psycho chick as she watched with some satisfaction her two charges find each other in the club again. “...so, yeah. That’s why I sell drugs. I know, I know, it’s kind of ridiculous…” 

Maki just shrugged, “I’m not judging. Sometimes you just fall into a bad crowd. Honestly, I think, based on what you said, it sounds like your sister really fucked your last rehab attempt. It really sounds like you almost made it, for a second there. Maybe you should try it again.”

Joey sighed, a frustrated look on his face as he said, “I think about it now and again, but man, I don’t think I can do all that again. I think there’s a part of me that’s always hoping something’s gonna happen that’ll just take the choice out of my hands, ya know? Like, I don’t have to try, cause at some point it’s gonna be out of my control anyway.”

“You should move to Luminary.” Maki told him, staring at her men, “Your wish will come true.”

“...so like… are the rumors about that place true?”

“Rumors?”

“...I hear it’s a slave kingdom… like, that’s been a rumor for years, but now that the wars over? I hear it basically confirmed. You all have slaves there?”

“I’m shocked you all didn’t know that for certain before this year.” Maki said simply, shrugging. “Yes. We have slaves there. We don’t call them that though. We call them Indenturdes.”

“Oh…” Joey gave Maki a slightly wary look, before saying, “Don’t you… feel bad about that?”

“About what?”

“Having slaves? I mean… doesn’t that seem like a fucked up thing to do? Like, how did you justify it to yourself?”

Maki considered her answer, thinking about explaining herself. Her own situation. Considered maybe even getting angry…

… and decided she didn’t feel like it. Why justify herself to a guy who had managed to let himself fall apart in a place as enriched as Dicea? She didn’t need to explain herself to him. Let him come to his own conclusions.

So she just shrugged again. “Just how it goes sometimes.”

Kokichi dutifully drank down his water, not chugging since he already had a bunch of liquid in his stomach and he didn’t feeling like throwing up that night, but he did place down the empty glass with some determined finality, giving the bartender a friendly wave before he tugged at Kaito’s arm. “C’mon, let’s find her an’ dance more! That’s why we came here, and I definitely haven’t had enough Kai-chan-dancin’ yet!”

Trying to hold Kaito’s hand but not quite being coordinated enough to lace their fingers, Kokichi turned a regarding eye back to the dancefloor, trying to see if he could see his friend. A low-success task, really, between the flashing lights and his diminishing focus, but a valiant effort all the same. 

“Oh, we wrote each other’s names on their wrist--check it out! Isn’t her handwriting super cute?!”

Kaito obligingly looked at the cute, pink ‘Kokichi’ written on his husbands wrist, his chest warming at the sight. Writing peoples names on their own body in sharpie? Oh yeah. That was some grade-a happy drunk girl fun. He definitely had to meet this chick, he did not want Kokichi to lose his new friend in the crowd.

He looked around, having a much better vantage than Kokichi, but.. He didn’t know what this chick looked like. Hmmm… 

Looking down at Kokichi, he grasped his husbands waist and told him, “Hold up, Kokichi. You’re about to get real tall.”

Turning his husband around, Kaito lifted him up, putting him on his shoulders, a few dancers nearby laughing at the sight, giving Kokichi a wave, not necessarily recognizing him but like- hey! Look at that! Little guys above all our heads now! A general friendly buzz of ‘hell yeah’ around them as Kaito called up to his husband, “Can you spot her babe?”

In a distance, Amber actually spotted Kokichi first, jumping in the crowd and waving as she called, “Baby! Baby doll, over here!!”

“Oh!” And real tall he did become. Kokichi was a little shocked by the vantage, actually, well and away above everyone in the crowd now, though he could only giggle at the cheers and return the waves. It was...pretty cool being up so high. He could see why Tim seemed so pleased when Kaito would do the same for him. 

Turning when he heard Amber’s voice and saw her waving arm, Kokichi waved back and gently pressed his calves against Kaito’s chest, pointing over where Amber was. “This way, hun! Uh...starboard...or...port? A little to the right and straight over!”

When they got near enough, Kokichi called out, “Amber!!! I got my guy!”

“Holy shit, baby, I can see that!” Amber laughed, reaching up and jumping to give Kokichi a high five, missing the first time and Kaito, accommodatingly, bending his knees a little so that the next attempt would be easier, succeeding! Looking at Kaito, Amber beamed, “Like, to be totally vulgar and unladylike and just so terrible, holy shit, stud, like, my g’awd. You out here to break hearts and ruin lives?”

“Only as much as Kokichi’s okay with.” Kaito said cheerfully, reaching up to help his husband down off his shoulders, putting him back on the ground, “Thankfully, he lets me get away with a lot. So I get to ruin the occasional life, sometimes.”

Amber sighed, shaking her head, “Well, consider me one of them. I’m ruined. It’s me. Fuck, Kokichi, baby, why you gotta flex so hard on your bestie? What’d I ever do to you?”

“What? Hey, why is he your bestie?? I thought I was your bestie?” A woman, dancing quite heavily pressed against another guy, looked over at them, looking just entirely offended, as Amber just scoffed at her.

“Hell no, you abandoned me for like two hours, you don’t get bestie privileges just cause we found each other again. Stacy, meet Kokichi, my best friend in the whole world and your eternal competition from now on.” Amber introduced, putting an arm around Kokichi’s shoulder, saying to him, “Baby? This is Stacy! She’s cool sometimes!”

“Hey!” Stacy laughed, reaching out to shake Kokichi’s hand, “I’m Stacy! This is Temp!” she said, gesturing to her date, a drunk man with nice eyes and a lazy smile, “Hey, aren’t you the prince?”

Kokichi giggled at the high five and got that preening, happy look of pride again as Amber verbally gawked at Kaito. Hell yeah his husband was awesome! More than just his looks, but those were incredible too! But a wonderful husband all around who helped steady him when Kokichi found the ground a little too unsteady for a moment. 

Though, he was happy to be swept into more introductions, happily shaking Stacy’s hand when she reached out for it. “Nice to meet you!”

“And don’t worry, by the morning I think you’ll have me beat,” he offered in a cheeky stage whisper before chuckling sheepishly. “I’m a prince, yeah. So’s my husband.”

And while there was a certain degree of nervousness admitting that, Kokichi didn’t worry as much as he might’ve otherwise, thinking that maybe they wouldn’t want to hang out any more, or that things would just be awkward with someone recognizing him. But Kokichi was a few heavy drinks in, so it was just a flutter of nervousness before he leaned against Amber’s arm around him teasingly. “That’s how you knew how to spell my name!”

“Whaaaaaaat?” Amber gasped, clearly flummoxed for a second… before she went, “Aaaaay!  I knew there was a reason I wanted to treat my baby-faced new bestie like royalty! Look at that, we out here though!” She said, laughing cheerfully, snapping her finger a few times before, before blinking at Kaito going, “Oh, shit, like, holy cow though, you’re Luminary then?”

Kaito just nodded, and Amber seemed to think about that for a second… before apparently deciding she was okay with it as she said, “Shit, they make them all as tall as you in Luminary? Fucking introduce me next time you got people visiting, I wanna climb some foriegn trees!” she said, giving Kokichi a wink. 

The song changed, and Stacy squealed, “Ahhhh, yes! My song! Play my sooong!”

And that seemed to be the cue that they were dancing again, the five dancing around each other, feeling the ebb and flow of the music, relaxing.

All together again (or for the first time) the small group claimed their little area of the dancefloor, Kokichi a little too drunk to copy Kaito’s moves as well as he had been doing earlier, but more than happy to be spun and flung around the group, his giggles infectious. They were just a group of young adults having a good time. 

But, eventually, the floor got too hot, some of their members more just swaying than dancing, too tired to keep the energy up, and someone--Kokichi couldn’t remember who if you asked him--suggested getting drinks and seeing if they could claim a booth for a little while. Unfortunately, the booths were filled with like-minded groups, but the lounge on the second floor was sparser, and, carefully making their way up the stairs with waters in hand, they managed to snag a few bean bags to relax into while looking up at the solar system projection on the ceiling. 

While sweaty and a little out of breath, Kokichi had the biggest smile on his face as he cuddled against Kaito on their bean bag chair. “So you can really request themes for the lights? That’sh, that’s awesome! I can totally see having the mood amplified to, like, a thousand on theme nights if the lights match. Though, I guess anything to do with space fits it best, considering all the other decorations.”

Kaito had his arms around Kokichi’s shoulders, Kokichi in Kaito’s favorite spot for him, IE, between his legs. For the most part, Kaito had reserved himself in conversation, only talking occasionally when some little quip came to mind, or when he was directly asked something. 

He was just enjoying watching mostly Stacy and Amber gush and fawn over his husband, the girls clearly enraptured with Kokichi. As they should be. His husband was very sweet and fun and cute, and deserved drunk girl attention, which Kaito would argue, was some of the best attention you could get, going out. The right kind of drunk girl would make it their mission to make sure you had a good time out, and Kokichi had found himself two of that type.

Temp, who Kaito had realized early on that the girls had only just met that night, also seemed perfectly content to more or less quietly tag along, clearly mostly interested in getting the chance to get to know Stacy more, the two probably planning to hook up that night. Still, Temp would chime in now and again, and while he didn’t seem to have much to say even when he spoke, he had a sort of relaxed ease to him that Kaito could appreciate. Dude was just existing, and sometimes that was enough to enjoy a night out.

“Oh yeah, I mean, the change in theme really only, like, hits, ya know, up here in the lounge. The dance floor is always meant to be like, dancing among the stars and stuff. But if you’re up here? It can be a whole different vibe, ya know?” Stacy explained, leaning against Temp with a happy giggle as well, Amber Forever Alone and only, like, a little green with envy as she sat in her own bean bag, sipping at her water.

“I remember the theme was once, like, deep in the water? It was cool, they figured out how to make it sort of look like these spinning projected images of fish were like… flapping? Like actually moving, and not just an image spinning. No idea how they did it, but wow, that was pretty.” Amber sighed, clearly enchanted by the memory, but still enjoying the projection of the stars as she said, “But unless there’s a specific theme requested or planned? It’s usually this.”

Kaito grinned, before observing, “Whoever set it up had a weird sense of humor, and a lot of imagination and knowledge of astronomy. It’s not our solar system. That’s the Adia Galaxy. Probably...” Kaito looked around, sounding a little more uncertain, but still saying, “Probably from the perspective of the planet Issliasis? I mean, maybe. Just based on the formation of some of the more obvious planets, I’d guess we’re meant to be on Issliasis right now. Which makes sense! There’s strong evidence that that planet might have a diverse enough biome to actually support complicated life? Like, in theory, Issliasis might be like Earth… that’s really neat, that they did that…”

“You know about star stuff, Kaito?” Stacy asked, giving Kaito an impressed look “Like, for realsies?’

Kaito shrugged, though he grinned, a little proud as he said, “A little. Was obsessed for awhile. But only as, like, an enthusiastic hobbyist. ‘Kichi’s mom was a proper astronomer! He’s got it in the blood!” 

Kokichi “oooh’ed” softly, imaging what the club would look like with an underwater theme, and whatever he was imagining in his head certainly lived up to Amber’s fondness. Still, he had to say he was in love with the “general” theming the club had. 

Even more with a little knowledge. Kokichi’s eyes went wide with awe as Kaito explained his theory on what the club was going for, and only broke the expression to laugh off the hype of his own skills. 

“Aw, c’mon, you have waaaaaaaay more space chops than I do, even only getting into it for a hobby. I’ve read some of my mom’s papers an’ journals ‘n stuff, but I can only understand about half of the technical things. I bet you’d go all ‘hm, mm, I see!’ with ‘em, hun.”

Wanting to brag a little more about Kaito, Kokichi turned back to the others with a bright grin. “There’s this portrait of my mom in the castle observatory, and Kai-chan only looked at it for a minute before pointing out the actual galaxy on the map in the painting. I’d never even guessed it was a real one! It was super cool and one of the first times I was like, aw man, pretty, kind, and smart? Too out of my league…” 

“Ugh, do you see this, Stacy? Do you see how he flexes on me? All night! All night! I’m so alone.” Amber groaned, sinking further into her beanbag, before deciding, “That’s it. I have no besties. I am a lone wolf in the world! A, like… like a hobo, ya know! Or, wait, hermit? Which one of those ends up alone in the woods turning into an old hag?”

“Hermit.” Temp supplied, giving Amber a charming smile as she groaned.

“I’m a fucking woods hermit! Where’s my tall handsome stud who knows a lot about space and knows what the word ‘hermit’ means!? Gah! It’s, like, tooootally tragic, my life right now.”

Stacy rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend, before saying, “Alright, alright! You want me and Kokichi here to earn our best friend badges! Let’s do it! Let’s go!”

Stacy got up, reaching over to pull Amber out of the bean bag, who just groaned, making it very difficult to do so, though Stacy didn’t give up until she was on her feet, before reaching down to do the same with Kokichi. “What are we doooing?” Amber groaned.

“Let’s go over to the side and scope out the goods! Come on, Kokichi, between the three of us, we gotta spot someone in the crowd below that Amber here can throw her juicy self all over! There’s a grade-A piece of Amber hunk down there somewhere! Let’s go get a birds eye view and spot him!”

Kaito looked down at his husband, who was still recovering from dancing for so long, and offered, “Kokichi, if you want to take a break, Stacy, Amber, I can help you out? I’m pretty good at spotting hot people from a distance. It’s a super power, really.”

“Aww...I don’t mean to flex…” Kokichi pouted. He liked being affectionate and loved talking up Kaito, but with Amber on her own for the night between two couples--long-term and possibly just for the night as they were--girls’ night dismantled, he didn’t want to rub it in her face…

Luckily, Stacy had a bit more of a working drunk head on her shoulders and came to the rescue. And Kokichi was all for searching the dancefloor for some tall, hot guy Amber could acquaint herself with but…

Once Stacy pulled him up, Kokichi visibly wobbled, his drunken, fatigued balance not quite there yet, and while the balcony railing was more than tall enough to not be a problem… Kokichi grinned at the girls. “Don’t wanna pass this off, but I think with Kai-chan’s super-power--which is totally legit, believe me, Kai-chan’s like a hawk looking for sexy prey--he might have the better eyesight between us for a sec…”

He was kind of disappointed, but when the girls relented and Kokichi sat himself back down on the bean bag, the world did seem a bit more stable. It wouldn’t make him more sober, but Kokichi still took a long drink from his water, trying to account for some of his exertion at least. 

Kaito gave Kokichi a few kisses against his temple, before saying, “Give me a bit, babe! We will return!” before joining Stacy and Amber, heading over to the railing, the trio leaning against the wall and immediately starting their quest, Kaito, indeed, being the first of the three to point down, asking Amber, “Okay, to get a base, what about that one? What do you think of him?”

“Who?” 

“Really dark skin, wearing the top hat, dancing with… oh, shoot, he might actually be taken… hmmmm. Okay, how about him. Bright blue hair, gold tips, over by the band-”

Back on the bean bags, Temp, who hadn’t really said too much to Kokichi directly, relaxed into thi bean bag, eyeing Stacy for a bit, before deciding to try to get to know the Dicean Prince. Looking over to him, he asked, “So? Having a good night?”

Giving Temp a grin, Kokichi nodded, not having said much to the guy so far, but more than happy to make new friends. “Incredibly! Proooobably drank too much too early, but it’s a mistake I can afford to make. And I got to meet Amber, and you and Stacy through her, so I’d call it a win!”

“What about you, having a good time?”

Temp yawned a little, before nodding, “Yeah, it’s all been pretty chill. This isn’t my usual scene, but I swing around here every now and again. One of those places where it’s kind of easier to hang out without a bunch of buddies, ya know? You can usually find someone cool to hang with. This time, it’s you, Stacy and Amber. Not bad.”

Temp glanced over at Kaito, his face… not necessarily negative. But just… maybe curious was the right word. Confused.

“So...all of uh…” Temp gestured vaguely in Kaito’s direction, “All of that’s going okay then? It’s been four months since the wedding. I was at that party. It was a good time. Things…” he raised an eyebrow, before saying slowly, “...good?”

Kokichi nodded, humming softly, just as attentive as he’d been talking with Amber, even with the more low-key vibe Temp had. One point of data was not nearly enough to create a trend, but Kokichi could see how a club like this would be good for making friends, or just meeting some cool people to spend time with. It was a low-stakes environment with plenty to do on your own, but was more fun with people. 

...and Temp leaving Kaito out when saying that it was their group’s turn to hang out somehow managed to ping in Kokichi’s mind, making him a little more aware for the next question. 

But not by much. 

Following Temp’s gaze over to his husband, Kokichi smiled lovingly and sighed. “...yeah. Yeah, things are good. It takes time to adjust, for all of us, let alone with everything else going on in the world...but I think we’re good now.”

He turned back to Temp, something a little sad in his eyes. “...I’ve never expected anyone here to suddenly turn face and like Luminary. But Kai-chan isn’t a rerp...he’s not the whole country in a person, you know? Kai-chan’s sweet and kind and loyal and passionate… No one has to like him, but he shouldn’t be hated just ‘cause of where he’s from.”

“...pff,” Kokichi laughed at himself, rubbing his eyes a little. “Aw geez, sorry. Can put me in a club but can’t take the paperwork and public relations out, huh.”

Temp nodded, scratching the bridge of his nose a little. Maybe it wasn’t really his place to say anything, but… “...didn’t this guy…” Temp frowned, giving Kokichi a concerned look, “...like...choke you out a few weeks ago or something?”

“Like…” Temp lowered is voice. “I get it. You’re, like, the official symbols of the end of the war and all that, but… you do know that people would get it if you didn’t stay with a guy like this? Hell, the guards had to stop a mob that was trying to form the day after it happened, just ready to, like… drag his ass out of the castle… like people would get it, ya know? You don’t have to stay with a person like this just because of the treaty… ya know? No one gets why you’re still with him to begin with...” 

Temp furrowed his brow a little more, and then said even quieter, “Like… do you need help?”

...that was always going to be the hard part. Because Kaito had choked him out and tried to kidnap him. Because he had raped him, even if only one of the times was public knowledge, and the public perception was more focused on the fact that Chisa had drugged him--as it should be. 

Kokichi sighed and the sad look in his eyes deepened. He knew. But that was why he wanted to talk Kaito up even more all the time. 

“I don’t have to stay with him. Even being symbols, it’d be enough to just keep our marriage and...I dunno, have one of us live somewhere else, or even have different rooms. But...I’m with Kaito because I want to. Because I love him.” The side of Kokichi’s smile quirked a little. “Tonight’s date night for us, you know? We keep making all these plans for dates, getting ahead of ourselves before we can actually go on them.”

“...when he choked me out, Kai-chan was on Despair Pollen. I dunno how much you’ve heard about it, but it makes people do things that hurt them the most. Even knowing that, I don’t have to stay with him...but I chose to, and I chose to forgive him. Kai-chan could barely look at me once he started taking the medicine...I know he hates my forgiveness sometimes, but that’s something we’ve been working on together.”

Kokichi sighed again and offered Temp a kind smile, lowering his voice as well. “You’re a good person to ask that, but Kaito really is good to me. He’s a sweet person, a great husband, and a wonderful father. I’m proud to be with him. There’s nothing to save me from, I promise.”

Temp sipped on his water as Kokichi talked, mostly looking at him, but occasionally glancing at the trio, a wary eye on the prince of the war-mongering country. It was hard to equal everything Kokichi was saying, to all the rumors and talk around their relationship… but…

“... well, you sound sure, at least.” Temp admitted, sighing. “And, I’m not gonna be the guy that sits here and tells you what your reality is. So, that’s all cool, I guess. So long as you’re good.”

Then, after a moment, Temp gave Kokichi a serious look, which looked odd on his lazy, handsome face, as he said, “But, Prince Kokichi? Be careful, alright? There’s, ya know… there’s folks out there who have themselves pretty much convinced you’re like some prisoner or something. Like, people are always saying nutty things, but that particular conspiracy keeps coming up, ya know? So just, like… I don’t know.” Temp shrugged, looking uncomfortable, not having enjoyed being a doom-sayer as he said, “I guess just like… I’d say just don’t give them any more fuel. He fucks up again?” Temp said, gesturing to Kaito, “Some people talk like they’re just waiting for an excuse. It can get scary, what people say what they think they should do. Just be careful, I guess.”

Something...hurt came across Kokichi’s expression. In the way his shoulders dropped and his face just sort of...pinched in. Something sorrowful and regretful. “...I know… If they don’t want to believe in him, or in me, I wish they’d have more faith in Aiichi or...literally everyone else in the castle… But I know that rabbit hole.” He knew it as well as the four new holes in the ground. As letters that he made sure Kaito never saw.

Kokichi took a breath, and it took a few moments for him to ground himself, but he eventually gave Temp a softer smile. “Thanks for talking to me about it. Whatever concerns people have, I wanna be the kind of person that can hear it all out, you know? Even if what I have to say isn’t really what you want to hear.” 

Tempt just shrugged at that, leaning back into his beanbag, staring at the projected stars as he said, “Couldn’t tell ya what I ‘wanted’ to hear. Just knew it felt weird not to say anything at all. But I’m glad that it’s not like… as bad as the rumors make it sound. It’d suck to be hanging out with an abuser right now. I kept feeling like I should do, I don’t know… something all night. Glad I don’t have too.”

Said accused abuser was still peering down into the crowds, and finally said to Amber, “Are you sure you’re not into women? There’s a lot of tall women here.”

“Vaginas, with full respect to my own… are super nasty.” Amber sighed. “Like, seriously gross. I shudder. Women are beautiful. I can recognize women are gorgeous, but of fucking cooooourse. But nothing appeals to me less than sleeping with one.”

“You and my husband have a lot in common. I’ll never understand it.” Kaito admitted, grinning as he said, hoping this wasn’t going too far, “They’re, ya know….warm. And soft and amazing? Though, to be honest, I can’t get my head around looking at any body part and not finding it appealing in some way. Just not built that way, I guess.”

“Pfff, wow. And here I thought all Luminaries were like… too stuck up for that sort of thing. Oh! Is it true that you guys, like, have to have a priest watching every time you have sex? Like, I heard otherwise, it’s super illegal.”