“It’s the second one, I’m pretty sure… but see! The way Samantha said it, I thought it was like, making food with dancing? And I knew that wasn’t a good way to cook anything! ...except maybe squashing grapes for wine.” Kaito conceded, “I guess you could dance through that. Be pretty tough… feel like you’d slip a lot…”

“...some guy did what with a dog?” Kaito asked, before laughing, happy to feel a kiss against his neck… damn, he had missed physical affection so much… “Yeah. Like that. Samantha thinks she can pull off that shit. I’d love to see you two talk to each other… you’d wipe the floor with her.”

Kokichi grinned against his husband’s skin, having missed this too. Kaito rationalizing all sorts of things, bringing even the weirdest concepts into a more mundane field… Kokichi had missed it so much…

“Well, if she has kids Tim’s age, then that might happen at an open house or something. I would hope you’d introduce me if we all ended up running into each other at one. I’ll just have to study up on random encyclopedia subjects so I don’t let my darling husband down,” Kokichi laughed softly, before holding onto Kaito tighter for a moment. Just...keeping him firmly in his grasp before easing, a little annoyed at how the wetness in his eyes was probably something Kaito could feel now. 

“...I missed you so fucking much… I dunno if I should be worried that not seeing you for two weeks leaves me like this...but I love you so much, Kai-chan. I love being around you… You make every day a little brighter and...accustomed to that...it’s hard when you’re gone.”

Kaito snorted, his eyes now closed in the darkness, feeling the fog of sleep dangerously teetering just behind them as he murmured, “Babe, I just dragged my nine year old and a puppy through a snow wasteland just cause I needed to get back to you as soon as possible. We should both be worried the effect being separated has on us… that was so dumb…”

Kaito yawned, before saying without really thinking about it, “Would do it again, though… was more than worth it… you’re here, ‘Kichi… you’re right here…”

The last word was barely one, Kaito’s body relaxing as sleep finally claimed him.

-

With their family mostly back together, things were peaceful for the rest of the snowstorm. Kokichi was still rather clingy for the first few days, but he didn’t think any of them minded much since Kaito happily accepted his touches and swept him into his arms just as often. And it gave Shuuichi space to be mad, though he started initiating affection on his own terms. 

They read and played games and Kokichi kept Kaito up to date on the situation in Bern and Shuuichi and Kaito shared looks as people went around exchanging gifts or favors and sang songs all in the name of Unity, teasing Kokichi until his face went bright red when he was caught humming one under his breath. 

And, soon enough, the snow had melted enough to shovel it off the roads, freeing the city from its weather-imposed quarantine. Meaning that training was back on, shops were opening, and outside activities could resume, one of which Kokichi had been pestering his guys about trying out.

When the day came that they were going to head out to the lake, Kokichi was so excited the others could hear him singing in the shower. 

Kaito and Shuichi shared a look when they heard Kokichi start singing, loud and unselfconscious, and after a moment Kaito snorted, looking back at the vanity desk as he finished clipping in his newly cleaned earrings, “Think he’s excited?”

“Maybe a little.” Shuichi smiled, returning to writing in his journal, having been writing for the last twenty minutes about… well, who knew what? Kaito didn’t know.

“What are you writing, handsome?”

Shuichi glanced up at him, before giving a small little shrug, “...I’m trying to think of something for Kokichi for Unity. There’s still a few days left of it… I don’t think it’s too late to celebrate? And I think he’d appreciate the gesture…”

“Celebrate how?” Kaito asked, looking back at Shuichi curiously, leaving the mirror to sit down next to him. “We put decorations and stuff up already.”

Shuichi looked up at the paper snowflakes they had tapped to the ceiling, and then around at the, like… fake giant decorative socks? The far, far too many giant decorative socks. They had all made some with the kids, each of them only doing one… but Kaito had gotten weirdly fixated on them that night, and had ended going out and buying more, and then decorating those on his own time. He had done it with the same sort of quiet fixation as Shuichi had seen him occasionally get with painting figurines, and now there were too many weird giant socks with weird glittering decorations on them hanging from random parts of the room. 

(Shuichi could only be glad it wasn’t the ‘balloon’ debacle all over again. It had taken aaaages to get all those balloons out of their room after the ‘not a party’ they had had for the baby, and Shuichi still sometimes found a stray balloon in random parts of the castle.)

All in all, the room was well decorated… but, “They do those little, you know… gift exchange things? Favor exchange?” Shuichi reminded Kaito. “Some small, useful thing or gesture… I think that’s a big part of the holiday. I’m brainstorming something we could exchange before the month is over, since I kind of….” Shuichi frowned, shrugging again, “...wasn’t really paying attention to the holiday at all this month. Sort of was too busy sulking.”

“Awwww, someone missed me.” Kaito snickered, kissing Shuichi’s cheek, Shuichi pouting at him a bit, “But, cool! I’m into this idea! You getting me anything?”

“No. This holiday doesn’t mean anything to you.”

“I’ll get something for you.”

“You don’t have too. I’m really not getting you anything.”

“Still will anyway! Can’t stop me! I’m into the idea now!” Kaito laughed, kissing Shuichi’s cheek again, before smirking, “I’m gonna win this game. I’ve already got some ideas!”

“...it’s not something you win.”

“Gonna win!”

There was a hop in Kokichi’s step as he came out from the bathroom, setting about getting dressed. While it was slightly warmer than it had been before the storm, he put out even more layers to dress himself in, though clothes that were less flow-y than he usually preferred. He wasn’t a pro skater or anything, but...he was just really looking forward to getting good at at least one trick. It was his goal for the day, even if...he really could just go back to the pond whenever. 

Rummaging around in the closet, Kokichi called out, “So, I have my own pair of skates, but we should be able to rent ones for you guys when we get there. Even in the giant’s size Kai-chan wears.” He peeked out from looking for his skates, giving Shuuichi a sympathetic look. “And...I mean, I’d hope Shuu-chan would want to come skate, but if you’re not that interested… there’s benches and usually someone selling hot chocolate nearby.”

He had to bite back on saying that if Shuuichi hated it they didn’t have to stay long… It was one thing to not rope someone into an obligation, and another to throw yourself under the bus and miss out on something you wanted. If they were all honest about their thoughts, then everyone should have a good time. 

Kokichi turned back to the deepest corners of their closet, humming again to himself after a moment, though much softer than his singing in the shower had been.

Shuichi nodded, writing in his journal some more...before hesitantly saying, “Should I not come?”

“Hm? Why not?” Kaito asked, tying on his boots.

“Because I won’t be able to skate. I don’t want you both to feel pressured to leave early because I’m stuck on a bench.” 

“...” Kaito gave Shuichi an appraising look, before asking, “Did you want to skate?”

Shuichi gave the prince an exasperated look, “Kaito, I’m not going to be able to skate. It’d probably be dangerous for me to skate. What if I fell? It could...” Shuichi frowned, looking a little disturbed, “...it could hurt her, right?”

Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he conceded, “...yeah, that might not be worth the risk. I mean, I think if we went slow, you could skate a bit, but...hm… yeah, maybe you not skating is the smart choice. Not thrilled with the idea of you just sitting in the cold watching us though either… hey, ‘Kichi? Is there anything nearby this lake? Any shops or restaurants, things like that? Or is it out in the woods?”

“I don’t have to go, I could just stay here…”

“But you want to go.” Kaito guessed, raising an expectant eyebrow at Shuichi.

Shuichi just stared back at him, a little uncomfortable, and Kaito grinned back at him as he said, “Don’t give me that hangdog look. It’s great you want to go! Let’s just figure out a way to keep you comfortable too. Ideally, a warm place indoors nearby that you can go rest to when you start getting cold and tired of watching us. Any ideas, ‘Kichi?”

...his hums had stopped when he heard Kaito and Shuuichi’s conversation. It should probably be fine for Shuuichi to skate...you tended to fall backwards rather than forwards in his experience, but...falling forward might really…

Kokichi came out of the closet, holding a pair of just broken-in skates by their laces and frowning softly. He hadn’t wanted to do this to exclude Shuuichi… He sighed quietly before mustering up a smile. “There aren’t buildings right up against it, but there’s a hub around it, yeah. It’s just across the way from Dr. Tenchi’s office, if you can think about that area--I pointed it out through the trees our first time there. It’s not the market or anything, but there are places to get food and a few smaller shops over that way.”

His smile dimming apologetically, Kokichi came over to Shuuichi’s side and nuzzled his arm softly. “...next year? It’s gonna be a lot of fun trying to help Kai-chan not fall on his ass the whole time, but this is something I wanna experience with Shuu-chan too… I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking about it more, but I’m happy to hear that you still wanna take in the not-on-the-ice parts.”

“Sure, next year! Both me and Kokichi will know how to skate better next year, so that means we’ll be able to teach you how to do it even quicker!” Kaito said cheerfully, kissing Shuichi’s cheek from the other side of where Kokichi was nuzzling, before a small little smirk split his face as he said, “That is, if we haven't knocked you up again by then.”

A genuinely dark look crossed furiously over Shuichi’s face as he said lowly, “If you think for a second I’m ever doing this again-”

“Woah! Woah, I was just kidding!” Kaito said quickly, eyes widening, having not yet realized what a trigger that would be as he stepped back, putting his hands in the air as he grinned nervously, “I am so kidding, handsome. Sorry! That was my bad… but, okay, there’s little places nearby. Including Seiko’s shop, you could say hi to her if you wanted! Would that make the trip worth it to you?”

Shuichi glared at Kaito for another moment...before he relaxed, “I probably won’t visit Seiko, but if it’s near that same road, there’s a coffee shop further down that road. It’s not a long walk. If I get real cold, I’ll just go rest there a bit. I’ll bring a book.”

“Boom! Perfect! Crisis solved! Alright, we ready to go then? Kokichi, come here babe, let me double check your hair, we are not going out there with wet hair.”

Kokichi frowned with something frustrated even before he caught the--honestly terrifying--dark look on Shuuichi’s face. Even for a joke...Kaito had seen how terrified and despairing Shuuichi had gotten over his pregnancy, and that was just the stuff that he’d let them see. It was only relatively recently that he’d come to terms with it, and just… Even for anyone else, it was a tasteless joke. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi gave Shuuichi’s arm a squeeze before stepping away, rolling his eyes a little as he came over to Kaito’s side. “Duh… It’s almost dry, just need another sec or two. Think I am going with earmuffs over a hat though--feels weird to wear a hat when I’ve just showered, yanno?”

Soon enough, the trio found their way downstairs and heading out to the pond, dry hair and all. And just like in the castle, even on the street people greeted each other wishing Happy Unity, glimpses of people handing over gifts or helping each other with tasks. A cheer in the air focused on community, getting Kokichi to skip on some of his steps in that way that Kaito apparently loved. 

“~I heard the snow song show, now sing, la~ la~ la~ la~” Kokichi softly sang, even his self-consciousness in public fading as they passed a group sharing the song, getting the tune stuck in Kokichi’s head from just a few notes.

Shuichi was hanging onto Kaito’s arm, the group moving slowly. Though the snow had, in comparison to the several feet they had before, more or less melted, there was still snow around, and patches of the sidewalks were pretty icy. So, just in case, Shuichi was holding onto Kaito, and Kaito was keeping a careful eye out… but snickered as he saw Kokichi excitedly skip forward, still in a singing mood. “You’re really into this holiday, huh babe?”

“It’s a nice one. Very… cheery.” Shuichi observed, looking around at the many decorations that littered the buildings they were passing by. Not only that, but people themselves seemed to be sort of decorated to fit the themes and colors of the holiday, a general sort of ‘festiveness’ in a lot of people's outfits that Shuichi had noticed. “Any particularly fond memories of this holiday, Kokichi?”

“Oh, yeah! Come on, ‘Kichi, storytime!” Kaito grinned, reaching out to take Kokichi’s hand.

Kokichi turned back with a bit of a sheepish look, twirling a bit of his hair--much easier to do these days, since it didn’t keep snagging around his finger. “I mean...Unity’s kind of meant for keeping your spirits up. I can’t help but get into it… And it sorta lasts an entire month, so might as well embrace it too.”

“It’s just… A lot of people stay in the castle when the worst of the snow comes, you know? Especially before I started sneaking out...it was nice to be able to be around people.” Kokichi slowed down slightly to take Kaito’s hand, even his excitement to get to the pond bowing before the opportunity to be affectionate. “And people are always helping each other out but it’s...a lot more blatant? I guess?”

“For stories though… I guess there was this one time I got sick right before mid-winter. Super sick. And...my dad and everyone came to my room and decorated it up while I was asleep. They even brought in a tiny tree and decorated it like the Unity tree,” Kokichi smiled, obviously fond of the memory. Some days...he could see why Kaito had been so blindsided. His family had been beside him all along. “Even though I was too weak to even go downstairs, they brought Unity to me. It was just, like...everything good about the season all at once. Even if it was still a while before I could stomach a proper winter stew.”

Kaito grinned warmly at his husband, bringing up his mittened hand to kiss at his wrist as he said, “Awwww, poor younger ‘Kichi… but it’s nice your people did that. I bet that was a nice surprise to wake up too… oh! Unless it’s that one, can you remember your favorite, like… gift? Or favor, or whatever? Or, hey, totally random question, theoretically, if you were hoping to get a gift this year, what would it have be-”

Shuichi rolled his eyes, as he nudged Kaito slightly, “I thought you already had ideas.”

“I do! What, a guy can’t help out his poor, idea-less boyfriend? My gift is going to blow your gift out of the water!”

“Kaito, you literally didn’t start thinking about this till twenty minutes ago, and now you’re fishing for ideas.” Shuichi said, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend, “Meanwhile, I’ve been working on a list for awhile. Just save yourself some embarrassment and admit defeat now.”

“Hey! You don’t know how long I’ve been thinking about gifts! Maybe I’ve been planning something too! Maybe I’ve already got my gift and it's being delivered as we speak! You don’t know!” Kaito blustered, “I could have an amazing gift already set up!”

“Uh huh.” Shuichi said dryly, before looking around him and saying sheepishly to Kokichi, “...we’ve been discussing gifts for Unity. In case that wasn’t entirely obvious by this point. And, I’ll admit, I have been… struggling to think of a gift that fits the theme of this holiday? Something useful…” Shuichi shrugged, a small look of embarrassment as he confessed, “I can’t think of anything useful you’d like that you don’t already have…”

At the first question, Kokichi had been about to think about it, but as Kaito’s motivations became clear and he and Shuuichi bantered back and forth about gifts, Kokichi’s eyes went wide as his cheeks heated up, an adoring, smitten smile that he couldn’t hide even if he wanted pulling the corners of his lips up and up. 

“Guys…” Kokichi laughed softly as he pressed against Kaito’s side. “You’re too sweet… You don’t have to get me anything for Unity--I know it doesn’t really mean much to you. And you guys help me with so much already… Kai-chan and Shuu-chan make me happy every day, drive me to be a better person and help me along the way--there isn’t anything extra you need to do. If there’s anything?”

He grinned up at his lovers, cheeks still not cooled from the slightly redder than pink flattered color. “I just wanna spend the actual day of Unity together. It’s supposed to be a time to spend with your family anyway, but...it’s really special for partners. Tons of old superstitions about how if you’re with your partner on Unity you’ll be together forever, in at least some sort of form,” he rolled his eyes a little, evidently not thinking much of those superstitions, “But...I dunno. It still feels significant to me. So...that’s what I’d want for Unity, okay? Don’t worry about anything extra.”

Kaito nodded, enjoying watching that pleased, flustered look on his husband’s face as he said such pretty things to them (and now doubly glad he had gotten home in time for this Unity day thing… really? There was a superstition around relationships for it? Kaito was not risking that, even if he wasn’t superstitious. Just because superstitions were fake doesn’t mean you don’t apologize to the damn egg for inviting bad luck in your life. Duh.), just quietly adoring him… before laughing.

“Okay! Confession time! I still have no idea when Unity actually is. Seriously, if you told me it was today, I’d just nod my head and entirely accept it, I have no clue still when this holiday is supposed to me. Is it tomorrow? The day after?  A week ago? I am so lost. Shuichi?”

Shuichi frowned, before he confessed, “I was under the impression it was a month-long event… there’s a specific day?”

Kokichi laughed softly, looking around Kaito to give Shuuichi a grin. “Would not blame anyone for thinking that. The holiday started out as a single day, but...like, you know how there are decorations and events and stuff for Harvest that kind of stuck around? Unity’s like that, but to the extreme. To the point that it’s just kind of accepted as a month-long thing, though there still is the original day of Unity. Considering that it’s all about helping out the people around you, I think people just thought it was kind of dumb to limit the emphasis to a single day.” He shrugged a bit, not having read any definitive answer on why that was. 

“The actual day of Unity is in...mm, five days now, wow. Time flies…” Kokichi sighed, a little surprised at how fast Unity came up. While he truly would be happy spending the day with his lovers...he was glad he’d gotten his gifts and ideas done already. Always paid to get it done before getting snowed in, unless you were hand-making something, since the extra time from being stuck inside would be good for that. 

“Five days from now…” Kaito murmured, a curiously thoughtful expression on his face… before he grinned wide, chuckling as he said, “Damn.”

“Hm?” Shuichi hummed, looking up at Kaito, “Why damn?”

“Oh, just found myself hoping it was sooner.” Kaito admitted, leaning over to give Shuichi a kiss against his cheek, squeezing Kokichi’s hand as he did so. “Just looking forward to spending the day with you two! But alright. If I’m getting any gifts for Unity day itself, it’ll be something nice and small, Kokichi.” Kaito said, looking down at his husband, grinning warmly at him. “If anything, just for the pleasure of getting to hand you something. Is that okay with the both of you?”

Shuichi shrugged good naturedly, “You still don’t have to at all with me, but sure, if you’d like.”

“And, if either of you want anything specific? Let me know, it’ll make my life easier!” Kaito laughed, before saying happily, “I kinda want to give Tim his present early. I mean, we’ll have snow for awhile, won’t we? I… okay, I’ll admit, it’s not ‘useful’, and it’s almost entirely because one of the brats in his class was bragging about a big ol’ sled her dad had gotten her that Tim, Cali and Kim were specifically not invited over to try out-” Kaito growled, his canines showing as he grit his teeth a little… before laughing loudly again, “But I got Tim a sled. A nice one! Nicer than Sadie’s sled, I bet. We’ll see who gets left out of class hangout sessions… but, yeah! Haneda’s hiding it in one of the storage basement spaces in the castle for me. I’m really looking forward to giving it to him.”

Kokichi nodded, happily enjoying that little hand squeeze, similarly looking forward to Unity. “I wouldn’t be upset if you got me something. Just no pressure, yeah? Kai-chan being there is more than enough present for me.”

Especially since it’d looked like Kaito wasn’t going to be home for Unity at all, though if they had talked it out, he’d have preferred if Kaito took the safer route back. 

Cooing softly--though hearing that a kid in their class was trying to single them out was...concerning…--Kokichi pressed against Kaito’s side again. “I bet he’ll love it, though you might wanna keep an eye out for if he tries to get Chase to pull the sled. I’m half worried he might’ve gotten an idea from the sledders you traveled with… She’s getting big, but it’d just be better to keep an eye on things…” He sighed, almost disappointed with himself. But that was the rub of being an adult, he supposed. It just helped that that was exactly the sort of thing he would want to try in Tim’s position. 

“People give out Unity gifts all month, so I’d say go for it whenever you want. Maybe we could do training outside one of these days and have it be a sled day--I think the kids would really like that.”

Kaito’s eyes widened, a small whistle as he realized, “That’s a good call, Kokichi. I wouldn’t have thought that, but yeah, you’re right, I could see it getting into Tim’s head that Chase could manage what those other dogs had done. I’ll bring it up when I give it to him… awwwww, I love that idea! Surprise them on a training morning with a sled? Fuck, babe, that’s a great idea!” Kaito said, beaming with excitement.

Shuichi noticed it first, and pointed as he said, “Lake’s up ahead. Seems pretty busy.”

Kaito peered at where Shuichi had pointed, before nodding,”It does, but that’s kinda nice, isn’t it? It’ll be lively. Plus, more people means it’ll be harder for people to watch us specifically.” Kaito laughed sheepishly, “I really have no idea how well I’ll do on the ice, and not having the usual, like… sort of audience we always get? Or, well, the audience Kokichi gets. Seriously, babe, I know you do a lot for people. But man, do you have a lot of fans.” Kaito chuckled, “Anyone wanna take any bets on how many people approach him to thank him for this, that or the other this time?”

“The usual’s three.” Shuichi said automatically, as if this was something he’d put thought in before. “What are we betting?”

“Gold?”

“Nah. Neither of us are hardup for coin, so it wouldn’t be very high stakes. Chores?”

“I already do most of your chores for you, Shuichi. And the housekeepers do the rest.”

“That’s not true. You’d be in charge of bringing the dishes to the kitchen when we go eat.”

“Kokichi usually does that for you. Let’s make it something fun! Blowjobs!”

“Kaito! Lower your voice!” Shuichi said, face reddening, before sighing, “Do you ever think of anything else? Seriously?”

“Hey, I suggested gold first…”

Chase probably could manage to tug the sled around, but sled dogs went through a ton of training to do what they do. Just to prevent any accidents from happening, it would probably be a better idea to just cut it off at the pass. Though, he wouldn’t be surprised if Haneda had already talked about it at least in some capacity with Tim. Kokichi knew she had a friend that raised sheepdogs, but the concept of dogs being specifically trained for jobs, and those without that training not being prepared for it was something she’d know. 

Was kind of the same with people, actually. 

It was only Kaito’s hand around his own that prevented Kokichi from skipping ahead again, excited by the view of the frozen-over pond, surrounded by soft snowbanks and visited by a good amount of people also enjoying one of the first days back out in the city. As it was, he just hopped excitedly before his cheeks went pink again at the next thing his lovers playfully argued over. 

“Is it really that often?” he sheepishly murmured, already knowing that it was kind of true. If not people coming up to him directly, then Kokichi was always getting waves and smiles and hoots from across the way, people more and more comfortable with seeing their prince out and about. While there were people wanting to chat, thankfully most of the time people could tell he was out doing things with his family--when he was--but...well, he was glad they seemed to take it in good humor. 

Still red in the face, Kokichi pouted at Shuuichi a little. “Go a little easy on him--it wasn’t like Kai-chan was the one who got exclusive fireside cuddles plus time.”

There was a pause, and a beat, while Shuichi put a hand over his face, ears red, as he slightly laughed, the sound both amused and exasperated… before Kaito said, “What!? What!? What are you two talking about!? What fireside cuddles!?”

Shuichi adjusted his hat, face bright red, as he rolled his eyes, “Would you calm down? Me and Kokichi had a nice moment in front of the fire while you were gone. That’s all.”

Kaito’s eyes practically sparkled as he said, “How nice a moment? Am I gonna get the details? I need the full story! Was it cute!?”

“Kokichi was very cute.” Shuichi admitted fondly, “Otherwise? It’s none of your business, Kaito. If you wanted to see it, you should have been here.”

“Nooooo, please, I need the story, I’m already starving.” Kaito whined, looking at Shuichi desperately, who did not seem moved by Kaito’s pleading. “We’ll bet on the story! I win, I get the details! You win, uh…”

“You take all my plates to the kitchen for the next month.”

“Ugh, fine. All those people there? I bet… I bet people are too distracted keeping upright on the ice to say anything to him! So, my bet is zero!”

“You’re doomed.”

“You’re on!”

Kokichi snickered quietly, though he was just as red as Shuuichi. He figured they’d end up telling Kaito eventually, but he knew that Kaito would get motivated like nothing else if he sensed there was a sexy story he’d missed out on. And it gave Shuuichi another avenue to tease their lover, though Kokichi knew Shuuichi didn’t need any freebies on that account. 

Shaking his head as his partners made their bet, Kokichi led the way over to a covered area he saw was renting out skates. Seeing a currently unoccupied bench, Kokichi kissed Kaito’s mittened hand before reluctantly letting go. “Alright, while you go get skates, I’m gonna go put mine on, then I can help you with yours, okay hun? I should probably ask if they can keep my shoes with yours too…” He hummed softly, realizing he’d forgotten to account for his own shoes. He could ask Shuuichi, but...especially if he was gonna go shopping when he bored of people-watching, he didn’t want his boyfriend to have to carry around his boots for him. The rental area seemed like the best place.

“I can ask for ya babe.” Kaito offered, “Just pass me your shoes, I’ll take ‘em with me.”

Shuchi and Kaito followed Kokichi to the bench, Shuichi sitting down on it with a small, relaxed sigh, already looking out onto the lake to watch people, by and large, skate around in long, large circles, though it seemed the middle of the lake was open for people who weren’t quite used to the ice yet and didn’t wanna get mowed down by everyone else while they learned. There was a lot of parents with small children near the middle, especially. He found his eyes watching them.

Kaito waited patiently for Kokichi’s shoes, promised his loves he’d be back in a flash, and then went to go stand in line.

“You’ve said you’ve skated before, right Kokichi?” Shuichi asked, watching Kokichi put on his skates with ease, clearly practiced at it. “It seems to physical… how’d you get away with it?”

Kokichi, while not the type to be waiting by the lakeside everyday until it was deemed safe to skate on, started lacing up his skates tightly in familiar motions, smiling a little at the question. “It’s hard to tell who specific people are when they’re all bundled up. I always made sure to wear as much as I could to make sure no one knew who I was, even more than when I usually snuck out. Saved up to get my own skates so I never needed to go up to anyone...was bullheadedly determined to teach myself.”

He rolled his eyes a little at himself, thinking of what practically amounted to hours of him falling over himself. “People’d come by to help me up, sometimes, but...I mean, it’s easy to mumble through scarves and mufflers. Easy enough to hide my voice. And all bundled up in winter clothes, I think most people just assumed I was a kid with parents who were at work and couldn’t take me to the pond. From there? It was just practice… Not as much as I’d like, honestly. Couldn’t always spare the time to sneak out.”

Kokichi suddenly smirked at himself, shaking his head with a giggle. “You really have to break skates in, you know? Otherwise they can give you really horrible blisters, since they have to be a close fit. So after I got them, I’d just walk around my room in skates in the middle of the night, trying to break them in and learn my balance in them. Got so scared once ‘cause I didn’t put the blade guards on and put a slice in my floor. I was terrified someone would find out so I snuck some clay from one of the pottery classes that was going on and filled it in best I could, even painting it to match the wood. I think I remember where it is, if we wanna see if we can find it when we get back.”

Shuichi laughed a little at the story, but also just sort of shook his head a little. “Your life was tragically ridiculous… though, I suppose most teens and kids have ‘sneaking out’ stories.” Shuichi mused, once again looking back at the kids with their parents out on the ice. “I can only imagine the stories we’ll hear someday from Tim and Baby, when they’re old enough to not get in trouble for it anymore and want to brag about the mischief they got in…”

Looking over to Kokichi, that sparking a question, Shuichi asked the young Dicean Prince, “Have you told anyone yet? I mean, I know us, but…” Shuichi shrugged, “The king? Your dad? Have you had that moment yet? I imagine it’d be somewhat of a wild conversation.”

Smiling lightly, Shuichi confessed, “I imagine I’d feel a little smug, in your position… there are people I daydream about confessing my obedience training never stuck, too. Telling them all the stupid, mean little things they did, ‘manipulating’ me, didn’t actually work. A ‘ha ha, fooled you all’ moment… I think even now I still wouldn’t tell them. I think a part of me would still be afraid too. But I could also see something very satisfying in actually doing it.”

Kokichi nodded as he sat back up, skates all laced up, though he followed Shuuichi’s gaze out to the beginners in the middle of the pond...many parents and children. “Part of me thinks that Maki-chan would just be impressed if Tim got up to mischief under her nose. ...mm, and while I promised not to teach him or Baby how to lockpick until they’re eighteen...I dunno if he already told you, but I suppose I should warn Shuu-chan that Tim already knows how to lockpick. I think only the starting things, but it does seem like something he’s interested in. I should probably go with Kai-chan when he gets around to buying a lock for our door, tell him what kinds are harder to pick…”

He didn’t think Tim would really want to test his skills against their room...but still. If they got a lock even Kokichi had trouble with, then they’d know it was truly secure. Which...if Kaito was going to go through the trouble at all, they may as well go full in on.

He smiled a little sadly at Shuuichi’s circumstance, but...well, that wasn’t Shuuichi’s life anymore. They could be thankful for that. Leaning against Shuuichi’s shoulder affectionately, Kokichi huffed a laugh. “I told Ikuo everything. That first day he was back we talked so much...mostly, he was pissed on my behalf. And Aiichi…”

Kokichi scoffed a little, rolling his eyes. “So, in his mind, it would’ve been totally fine for me to leave on my own years ago; that whole brainless bullshit, right? But he really had no clue I was sneaking out. I wish you could’ve seen the look on his face...he was so affronted! He really thought I was cleaning my room or sleeping or whatever excuse I was using. I love my father, but he really is such an airhead sometimes.”

“...I hope Shuu-chan gets a smug moment in some way. Even if it’s just to yourself like now.”

“I imagine his Secretaries and other staff work very… very hard.” Shuichi mused, on the subject of King Aiichi. “But, there’s merits to being the kind of leader that otherwise capable and intelligent people would work together for and bow down to. Metaphorically, I mean. You could be the most talented and capable person on the planet, and still accomplish pathetically little, if you’re unable to get anyone to listen to your ideas or move on your word… hm.”

Shuichi looked over at Kokichi, and said, incredibly idly, no real concern in it, “I wonder what kind of leader you’ll be recognized as, Kokichi? I can’t quite imagine you being like your father… you strike me more like Head Secretary Hideki. Though,” Shuichi suddenly smiled, shrugging lightly, “That’s only because I’ve read his paperwork. He’s very good at the paperwork stuff. I can appreciate someone who can actually fill out forms the way they’re supposed to.” A flash of annoyance ran across Shuichi’s face, remembering the horror stories of the many, many logs and records he’s had to look through for his volunteer work in the office. 

Paperwork was simple! Just double check your work before submitting it! How was that so hard!?

Shuichi laughed, chastising himself a little as he realized, “Sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about work right now. And as fun as the daydream is, I’ll be okay never seeing the people I’d most like to snark at for the rest of my life.”

Though, man… he would have loved the opportunity to see the Princess-Consort see how things were falling apart in Luminary right now. Everything that had been boiling for years, if the news was even half true, finally coming to a head since the chaos of the King and Queen’s deaths, and the Head Secretaries disappearance.

(If Shuichi wasn’t so terribly biased against them, it might occur to him to wonder that… yeah. Luminary, always a difficult place to live, was now on fire without those three leadership positions filled by the three people who had spent basically most of their lives desperately trying to find some balancing act that would get the kingdom through. With the war no longer propping up the economy and distracting the citizens with a far-off enemy to throw their ire at, all the social programs the pseudo-queen was muddling through effectively abandoned now that no one of real importance was keeping an eye on them, and the secretaries no longer being lead by Tengan to navigate and herd the various constantly fighting elites to work towards certain predetermined end goals…)

As they talked, Kaito got his skates and headed back… and Shuichi blanched at him as he said, “Kaito! You can’t walk on the snow with just socks, what are you doing!?”

Kaito, rushing to the bench and shivering violently, grinned uneasily as he said, “Th-they said we c-c-could leave our sh-shoes there! W-what was I s-s-supposed to do?? K-k-kichi, b-babe? C-could you give me a h-hand?” he asked, sitting down at the bench and quickly moving his feet out of the snow, indicating the complicated lacing of the skates in his hands.

Kokichi sighed, nodding with a far-off look, staring past even the families out on the lake. “My father is a good leader… And you’re hitting on that concept. In some ways...it can actually be worse for a leader to be, like...super technical, if that’s even the term I’m looking for. The purpose of a leader is organization and dissemination, and Aiichi is really good at that. He has the charisma and the record, now, that gets people to listen. So...he just finds the people who do have the technical skills to provide the data, then he can send it out to the whole kingdom.”

“Though, you’re right. I do not wanna be like him.” Kokichi wrinkled his nose a bit. Despite his respect for his father when it came to work, they had such different styles that the thought of carrying on as his father did was...distasteful. “And, I mean… Hideki was my tutor until I was most of the way through my teens. It’d be a little weird if I didn’t pick up some of his habits. And still...if Aiichi is too big picture, Uncle Hideki’s too fine detail--I guess that’s why they work well together. Finding the middle ground between them is a good aim for me, I think.”

And it was okay if he didn’t hit it right. Leaders were useless on their own, so...wherever Kokichi ended up in his own work, if he brought in people to make up what he lacked? Then that was where they’d find what was best for the people. 

He nuzzled Shuuichi’s arm a bit, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “I don’t mind it. While I shouldn’t constantly have work on the brain...I don’t mind discussing it. Especially hypothetically--it’s just like any other subject then, right?” Or maybe he was just trying to justify himself, but Kokichi didn’t feel the looming need to rush back to work so...it was probably fine. 

As Kaito came near and Kokichi realized the same thing Shuuichi balked at, he popped up from the bench, leaving more room for his husband. Kokichi made a strained sound in his throat as he tried to brush as much snow off of Kaito’s socks as possible. “...sure… I’m glad you’re wearing two layers...shit. When we get home you’re sitting by the fire, alright? You should be okay, but...still.” Kokichi continued to mutter softly as he started lacing up Kaito’s skates, making sure they were tight and secure. 

“...I’ll help pull you to the middle when we get to the ice, but to walk there… Remember you’re balancing on thin blades. Try to keep your feet even with the ground...and when we’re on the ice, it really is more sliding than walking…”

Shuichi watched in concern as Kaito laughed too loudly, looking in concern at the ice. Shuichi couldn’t know for sure, but… it likely had occurred to Kaito by this point that if he fell and Kokichi was holding onto him, he’d knock them both down. But… well, they’d probably be fine. A few falls never hurt anyone. So, Shuichi just said, “You both have fun, and be careful. Be sure not to hit any of those kids in the middle, Kaito, if you fall.”

“Heck yeah, handsome, I know. Don’t worry, I got this! Kokichi’s gonna show me how to skate and I’ll be flying across the ice in no time!” Kaito said enthusiastically, before standing up, holding onto Kokichi’s shoulder lightly just as a sort of balancing rod…

...and there was a very brief moment where Kaito’s ankles looked like they might bend awkwardly as Kaito tried to balance on the wrong side of them, but after a moment, he adjusted, and laughing louder still, said, “See! I got this! Lead the way, Kokichi!”

For all his concern, Shuichi couldn’t help but laugh a little as he watched his boyfriends sort of weirdly, stutteringly tip-toe to the lake, Kaito’s movements especially exaggerated as he kept overly adjusting, tilting too far to the left and then too far to the right, the two then waiting on the side of the lake for a good opening between the skaters going by.

“Okay… leeeet’s do this. How hard can it be? I see a bunch of little kids doing this, I can totally handle it! Though, uh…” Kaito looked at his smaller husband, and said, “If I fall? Don’t try to catch me, babe, just let me fall! Your husbands got a thick head, I’ll be fine!”

Despite needing to teach Kaito, Kokichi could feel his excitement growing again as they neared the lake’s edge, eager to get going on the ice. Still, he didn’t let it distract him. “Okay...you’re probably feeling it now, but for a beginner, you’re always gonna wanna bend and push from your knees, not your ankles. And if you’re going to fall, catching yourself on your arms like tumbling isn’t going to work that well since your hands and arms are just gonna slide on the ice. Ideally, try to land on your butt, but otherwise do what you can to protect your head. If you need to stop, either stop pushing until you slow, or turn your foot at ninety degrees to stop immediately.”

Seeing a break in the people circling the outer ring, Kokichi stepped off onto the ice, wobbling a little, but still upright. He grinned back at Kaito, wanting to take his hand but...neither of them were at that level yet.

(Part of him wished he was bigger...more sturdy. That he could actually help steady his lovers, maybe even pick them up instead of just...having them smile placatingly when he offered to help.)

(Even better health wouldn’t change that though.)

“Alright, push off into a slide like this. Small pushes until we get to the center, okay?” Kokichi stepped off as he instructed, letting Kaito see an example to follow. 

Kaito grinned brightly, “Hey, look at you go! That’s awesome! Alright, make way, I’m on my way!! Let’s do this!!”

Kaito stepped out into the ice… and immediately blue-screened. 

He knew everything Kokichi had just told him, but was struggling to think of how that actually, physically applied. He didn’t fall, but, like… he had no idea what was actually keeping him up, afraid any little twitch would ruin whatever cosmic force was keeping him upright, so he just froze, the skates idly sliding forward without any real influence or direction from Kaito himself. Kaito literally holding his breath for a moment.

From the sidelines, Shuichi called out, “Doing great, you guys!”

That snapped Kaito out of his freeze, and he laughed way. Too. loud. “HA HA HA-HA! OF COURSE! NO SWEAT FOR THE LUMINARY PRINCE OF THE STARS!”

“Mmmhm. Yep.” Shuichi murmured encouragingly, even if neither of them could hear him, just enjoying the show as he laughed lightly to himself.

“A-alright! Let’s get to the middle...oooooo-kaaaaay.” Kaito said, not so much ‘sliding’ as trying to walk in the skates, and failing in a way that still sort of resulted in him sliding anyway. Still, even failing in the correct way was progress, and Kaito got excited, saying, “Hey! Look at that, I’m moving! I’ve totally got this!!”

Kokichi sighed softly, though there was a fond look on his face. “You’ve got it, hun… but how about you focus on keeping your feet parallel and hold onto me while I bring us to the middle, okay? Kai-chan’s gettin’ skating down, but we’re not speedsters yet, so let’s get out of the way.”

And maybe Kaito would watch how he moved and get more of an idea. 

As he mentioned, Kokichi wasn’t a pro or anything...but the way he moved when compared to Kaito was night and day. He just glided forward, though not too fast, bringing them out of the way of the more experienced skaters. 

It was a bit of a strange experience, clutching onto the back of Kokichi’s coat while just struggling not to topple over. Not that he remembered the experience, but Kaito felt like this was probably pretty reminiscent of learning out to walk, once upon a time. It was weird! But kind of in a fun way, and as entirely certain he was going to fall the second he let go, Kaito was still enjoying himself as Kokichi got them to the middle, Kaito catching the eye of some other newbies around them (again, mostly parents with small children, though no exclusively, some teenagers and a few older people who couldn’t keep up physically with the outer lake skaters, going around slowly in small, lazy circles around the newbies.) and giving them a small sheepish wave as a few chuckled at the sight before returning to their own things.

Plus, it was always super cool to Kaito to see Kokichi practice something he was good at, and admiringly Kaito said, “Hey, you’re a natural, babe! That’s awesome!”

Wanting to see what Kokichi could do without a literal six-foot, 180-something man clinging onto him, once they were at a decent spot where Kaito wasn’t in anyone’s way, he said, “Alight!! I’m gonna let go! I’ve totally got this!”

Taking a steadying breath, Kaito let go of Kokichi, waiting for the inevitable… and then beamed brightly, still inexplicably on his feet as he said, “Hey! Look at that, I really do-GAH!”

Kaito had tried to adjust his ankles, despite Kokichi’s warning, and immediately fell on his ass for it, down on the ice in seconds. “Nnnnng.” He groaned, wincing on the floor… before noting, “Hey. Clouds look nice today.”

That was still something Kokichi was able to do. Despite his size, physics were in his favor, and even if it took a stronger push to get them started, he could still be his husband’s tow. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi shook his head. “Oh, believe me, I’m not. I’ve just had a lot more practice than you--my first time? I couldn’t even make it to the middle. Thankfully there weren’t as many people out as now, but I just fell over myself over and over.”

Something that would be familiar to all new skaters, it seemed. With a little “O-oh!”, Kokichi winced sympathetically as Kaito fell, coming a little closer to his side. But thankfully Kaito took it in stride. “Alright, you’re gonna want to get your feet under yourself first and keep yourself balanced as you lift up with your legs. I know Kai-chan is real good at squats, so you should get the hang of it quickly. Hold my arm if you need to brace yourself, and don’t worry too much if you fall again--it’s all part of learning.”

“Yep! Got it! On it!” Kaito said, looking up at Kokichi and giving him a wink as he said, “Worse views I could think of though. Looking good there, babe. Alright, just..think of it like a squat… a squat on hard mode…”

After awhile, Kaito huffing and puffing a bit, he managed to get himself up, awkwardly steadying himself, before sighing. “Man, that’s a workout… don’t tell Maki. The last thing me and kids need is us coming out here to do squats on the ice. Blegh.”

There was a brief moment where Kaito looked like he was going to fall again, but he managed to keep upright, still more or less unable to move, but he’d get there! 

Seeing his husband watching him, fussing a little, Kaito grinned at him and said, “Hey, babe, why don’t you show me how it’s done? Let me watch you go around the lake a bit, by the time you circle back, maybe I’ll have worked out, ya know… moving!”

Kokichi snickered. “She’ll find out herself, sooner or later, but I won’t make it sooner than it has to be. She took it easy on me, but I have a feeling Maki-chan’s expectations are gonna be much higher when she comes back. Can’t rest on my laurels forever.”

Kokichi frowned softly, not wanting to leave Kaito...but he also did want to skate around. And...maybe show off a little… He had clambering, but still, it wasn’t often he had much to brag about when it came to physical prowess. Looking Kaito over...Kokichi sighed, but nodded. “Try to focus on what my feet are doing--hopefully it’ll give you a better idea than I can describe. But just...call out if you need me, and I won’t be too long, okay?”

With one last worried but encouraging look, Kokichi pushed off to the outer reaches of the center area, not wanting to overwhelm the newbies, but not quite ready for the faster pace of the outside skaters. But in a few pushes…

Kokichi was gliding gracefully over the ice, his body posture becoming more and more relaxed as he moved, his sway of almost soft lunges becoming something like a dance. 

Magenta eyes watched that small sway of dark purple glide across the blue, and at first, he really was just trying to learn, watching Kokichi’s feet impassively as he kept himself as balanced as he could…

But as Kokichi really started to move? 

Kaito couldn’t help but fucking giggle in excitment, though he’d fight anyone who dared call it what it was. Still, he couldn’t help but be excited! His husband was cool! Anyone would be excited! 

Gah!!! Kaito had to catch up!!!!!

Tearing his eyes away from Kokichi’s steady, swaying form (partly having too, because Kokichi was getting behind him, circle wise, and Kaito couldn’t move around well enough to keep his view), Kaito grit his teeth and said lowly to himself, “Alright, Momota, get it together. Come on, it’s not hard. There are five year olds here doing this… little by little, come on…” 

The second Kaito fell on his face, he was endlessly grateful that Shuichi wasn’t out here. Ow… okay! Back up!! 

Getting back up, Kaito tried to remember Kokichi’s instructions. Use your knees...curve your feet ninety degree to stop yourself, but that wasn’t exactly Kaito’s issue yet… how do you push yourself forward? Maybe…

Kaito angled his right foot a little, enough to give it traction, and he pushed off against the ice, and “Woo! Moving! I am moving! I am- FAUGH!”

Kaito tried to catch himself on his arms this time, and just as warned, they slid, and he once again knocked forward onto the ice, thankfully, heh, the bulk of his chest catching most of the damage. Ugh… least all those chest exercises were paying off! In a roundabout kind of way! Ha!

“You good, man?” A dark, incredibly tall man, with long dreads and a sort of drawling accent, asked, skating nearby, leaving behind for a moment a much, much older woman (Kaito’s guess was his grandmother), “That’s your third knockout in like fiiiiiive minutes.”

“I got it! Thanks, but I’m good! The impossible is possible, you just gotta make it so!!” Kaito assured the tall gentleman, shakily making his way back up.

“I mean… skating ain’t exactly impossible, bro…”

“Even better!” Kaito insisted, getting back on his feet, before looking around for where Kokichi might be in the circle by this point, hoping his husband hadn’t seen his two face-plants. “But, really, I’m good! Thanks!”

“Suuuuure, man. But, from one long-leg to another? Gotta say man, easier to stay in motion than to stop/start over and over again.” the tall man explained, and Kaito noticed that for the whole time they were talking, he was making idle circles around him. 

“So… like? Better to try moving then thinking it's safer to stand still?” Kaito interpreted. 

“Ah, yeah, basically. Alright, let me get back to nana, but yeah, good luck man.” The taller man drawled, giving Kaito a lazy thumbs up, before returning to the older woman, offering her his arm, the two returning to their lazy circles as she tittered at him.

“Okay… movement. Like, uh… like Maki’s floating explanation! Small, slow movements.” Kaito reasoned out to himself, once again pushing off the ice… and while it was far from graceful, and Kaito still wasn’t sure how to actually change directions, he sort of kept shifting his weight and moving his feet in and out, shakily keeping himself, sloooooowly, going forward.

PROGRESS!!

Looking around excitedly, Kaito again tried to spot his husband. Now, where was he…

There was a soft, content smile on Kokichi’s face as he glided over the ice, slowly building a bit of speed. This was what he thought flying should feel like, really. A smooth ease...that wasn’t really an ease, but the product of learning to hold your body correctly and moving right, but still. Feeling like this, it was easy to see why people had fun just going around in circles. 

But Kokichi couldn’t quite do that yet. He made one lap before skating in to come back to Kaito, proud to see that he was...on a baby step of moving forward. He’d seen a few tumbles but...he didn’t want to hover. Give Kaito a little space to figure it out, then come back to help, and not just because he wanted to skate at his own speed. 

Coming back to Kaito’s side, Kokichi did a little spin before slowing, grinning up at his husband. “Looks like you’re making progress, hun! Got that good side to side thing goin’. I always felt like it was super slippery sock skating.”

“Yeah? Never was super graceful at that either. Oh, man! Maybe unrelated, but I remembered trying to slide down the safety rails in the big entrance hall of the castle, right? Only came to mind because I remember doing a sock slide to the rail before hoisting myself on top of it.” Kaito laughed, shaking his head, “And absolutely ate shit going down. Really not sure what I was expecting to do when I slid to the bottom, if I thought I’d land on my feet or what, but I did manage to dislocate my shoulder! I was so lucky a guard that liked me saw, because I didn’t even realize I had dislocated it. Didn’t feel it at all until halfway of him carrying me to medical. Man…”

Kaito laughed, shaking his head again, before admitting, “I was a real dumb kid. Did it again when I was fifteen. Didn’t break anything that time, but still faceplanted. One of these days I’ll learn… hey, look at that, I’m ah-ah-ah!!” Kaito lost track of his legs, doing a weird sort of dance as his body violently tried to correct itself before he fell… and just managed to catch himself, knees shaking but still upright! 

“Heeeeey, I’m getting good at this! Don’t you worry babe, I’ll be -ah!- s-skating alongside you in just a second! I am on my way!”

Kokichi laughed along with the memory, slooooowly skating beside Kaito, enjoying this sort of movement too, even if it was barely one. “It does sound amazing though. I’ve told you about my own arm-related injury concerning stair rails, but I never sock-slid into a rail slide… Maybe we should start leaving a cushion at the bottom of the stairs or something, if Baby gets our combined hijinx.”

Watching proudly as Kaito corrected himself, Kokichi grinned, skating in and out a bit to keep pace. “Just as I thought, Kai-chan’s learning real fast. You’ll outpace me one of these days for sure. Just keep at it.” Feeling sure enough in his own balance, Kokichi put a hand on Kaito’s back, not sure how well it’d help steady him, but maybe it was something. 

As far as actually being able to put weight onto it, Kokichi’s hand wasn’t doing much, but Kaito found it reassuring regardless, and after steadying again, he gave Kokichi an appreciative grin, before suddenly knocking both of his fists together in a loud SLAM! “Alright! That was a good start, Kokichi! But now this attempt is for REAL!”

It took awhile, and several false starts… but after awhile, Kaito could haltingly move forward, laughing triumphantly at his success! Heck yeah! There we go! We out here moving in straight lines now, baby!!!! “Kichi, ‘KichI! Grab my sleeve! You can steer me to the right!!” Kaito decided, still not entirely certain how to turn, but figuring he could focus on just keep moving forward is his husband just sort of steered him a little. 

Like in many things, Kokichi loved how Kaito could keep optimistic throughout every stumble, appreciating every small stride forward. It was one thing to know that progress was progress no matter how small, and another to be able to feel it emotionally. For that...Kokichi really admired his husband. 

Giggling softly, Kokichi sped up a bit and held onto Kaito’s sleeve, starting the turn. “Lean into it, okay? Like you’re making a wide arc and not just a turn--lean your body to the right a little and push more with your left foot than your right.”

However, in focusing more on Kaito, unconsciously exaggerating his own movements more in the process, Kokichi got tripped up over his own feet, falling hard onto his side with a startled squeak. 

From the bench, Shuichi winced. Oof. There goes Kokichi… and yep. There goes Kaito. Ouch…

“Gah! Babe! Are you ok-AUGH!” 

The problem was that Kaito indulged his very first instinct when he saw Kokichi fall, long ingrained into him by now: he went to go pick Kokichi up. But the second he reached down to do so, he entirely lost his balance, and collapsed next to the Dicean Prince, seeing stars as he groaned. Still! Kaito quickly collected himself, pulling himself onto his hands and knees and shuffling over to Kokichi as best he could, looking Kokichi over in concern as he said, “Babe, you good? That was a nasty fall, beautiful.”

Ooooo...he wouldn’t be surprised to find a bruise on his hip tomorrow…and his arm. Still, Kokichi could only let out a soft laugh, smiling at Kaito. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I still think your number of falls outweighs this one in the ‘ouch’ factor. Gotta be more careful on turns, huh?”

Gingerly picking himself back up, Kokichi brushed off some of the ice clinging to his clothes. “I think I might join you by the fire when we go back home, though. And maybe a bath--the salts do well with bruises. But! That’s part of learning! And as awesome as I already am at skating,” he rolled his eyes, obviously joking, “I’m still learning too!”

“We’re pretty much facing the other way already so...ready to give it another go?”

Kaito watched his husband brush the fall off, very proud of him, and quick to follow his lead. Getting himself up, Kaito put his fists against his hips, trying to present a show of sturdiness, even as his knees randomly shook while his body did small micro-adjustments, trying to fix his stance, as he said, “Yeah! You are awesome! But we always gotta aspire to be better, right!? Alright!! Lead the way, babe, I’m right behind you!”

Going roughly in a straight line more or less side by side, Kaito experimenting with turning little directions as they went, things sort of smoothed out from there. Kaito was in no way really… well, he was skating, to be fair. But it was small, hesitant movements. But the big plus was that he wasn’t falling! And while poor Kokichi had to slow himself waaaaaaay down for Kaito to keep up, at least they weren’t stuck in one spot, Kaito getting back up over and over again this time.

“Man, that fire is going to be so nice tonight. I’m looking forward to it.” Kaito confessed, his body jittering a bit, steadying himself, Kaito’s hands out around himself like he might actually be able to catch himself if he fell again. “Oh! You havn’t been approached by anyone yet, have you? I want my fireside story… did you get to touch his belly and stuff? Oh man, is that a weird thing to kinda want?” Kaito grinned, blushing slightly, thinking of their boyfriend, all naked and compromised and, just, very pregnant… all sweet and earnest… “I bet you two were sweet. I always imagine you two having real sweet, uh…” Kaito looked around, making sure no one was listening in, but still censoring himself as he said, “moments together, when ya do. You’re both so pretty…”

Kaito laughed, endlessly pleased, “I’m a lucky guy.”

It was slow, but Kokichi was able to notice that they were speeding up a little. Sometimes. But for Kaito’s first time on the ice...he was doing really well, and Kokichi was happy to just amble over the ice as they talked. Maybe when Kaito was ready to quit for the day, he’d do one last faster loop, but...he was enjoying himself like this too. 

“I think pretty obviously teaching you and, like, being moving the whole time is a bit of a deterrent for people,” he softly laughed, still amused by his lovers’ bet. “Still, when we’re off the ice, that’ll go away. Still a chance for Shuu-chan to win.”

“Though I kinda would like to tell you about it, if just ‘cause I know you’ll explode.” And even just knowing that something had happened at all was lighting Kaito’s fuse, enough to sate Kokichi’s amusement to not just let the whole cat out of the bag. Blushing a little past the cold and exertion, Kokichi shrugged a little though there was a smile on his face. “It was sweet--the moments with you and Shuu-chan are always sweet to me. Though I think you and I always forget how sneaky Shuu-chan can be.”

Kokichi rolled his eyes a little with a snort. “He’s been pulling it on thick with Hajime-chan lately. Did this whole suuuuper dirty trick, pretending to be struggling while I was captured in our snowball match, got Hajime-chan to run right over, then Shuu-chan pushed him in a hole, valiantly waddling through the snow to save me. It is sweet to see what a soft spot Hajime-chan has for Shuu-chan though.”

“Why!? Why will I explode!? Oh my god, Kokichi, you can’t tease me like that.” Kaito whined, so damn thirsty. He hadn’t been getting any before he had left, and he sure as fuck didn’t get any relief while he was gone, and damn it, he had missed out on sexy times trying to be a good Prince-Consort! Must the universe punish him so harshly!?

“Did you guys do something new? Is that why I’ll explode? Did you experiment with stuff? Fuck, I wanna know. Don’t talk to anyone, Kokichi, today is not a social day! All these people around here are just like sharks in the water…trying to cock-block me by showing you love and appreciation. Fiends.”

Kaito was going to keep going on his (mostly) joking tangent, but in his distraction, he almost slipped and fell again, taking a moment to steady himself before sighing in relief. “Close one… and, yeah, Shuuichi can be pretty sneaky. Guy gets a kick out of it, always has. Nosy, sneaky…” Kaito grinned fondly, looking over at Shuuichi, who was still watching from the bench, and waving at him, Shuuichi waving back after a moment. “Our handsome lover is problematic! But, honestly? Even just as friends growing up together, those were the sides of him I loved best. A day hanging out with Shuuichi, when he’s got his mind fixated on working out some mystery he needs an answer on? Can seriously be an adventure. I used to tag along a lot as a teenager, helping when I could and letting him talk out his thoughts to me as he went. It was fascinating, seeing his thought process and what he was willing to do for answers…” Kaito laughed, adoration plain on his face as he said, “He’s so crazy sometimes.”

Suddenly, he balked. Laughing so hard that he almost fell again, as he said, “He threw Hajime down a hole?”

Steadying himself, Kaito laughed again, “You have to tell me about that day in more detail today. How did you get captured? You’re so quick, how could anyone capture you!? And, heh, I can imagine how Shuichi convinced Hajime to let his guard down. Our guy is so not above playing to people's better nature…though, yeah, Hajime especially has a soft spot for him...”

Kaito frowned, something… jealous flickering across his face, as he said, “Of course I’m glad Hajime’s looking out for us. He’s a good guy, reliable, really broad shoulders and pecs like rocks…” he gave Kokichi a concerned look, “But, like, Shuichi’s not paying him any second glances? Cause, like… Hajime’s not exactly hard to look at… I mean, heck if I know if Shuichi has a ‘type’ by this point, but out of the whole castle, Hajime’s, like… kind of a way less dramatic and more put together version of me… way less baggage...” Kaito glanced over at Shuichi, who seemed to be putting himself together to head out, the cold probably finally getting to him, off to the cafe, “...I mean… ah, geez, I’m overthinking this, huh? Shuichi wouldn’t be interested, right?”

Kokichi snickered, not giving away the surprise and wholly enjoying Kaito’s thirst. He didn’t want to give his husband blue balls, and they’d honestly likely end up doing something fun together before too long, but teasing over stories...it was in good fun. “Sorry Kai-chan, I can’t skew the odds. I won’t go out of my way to talk to anyone, but if someone wants to chat...I’m not gonna just blow them off. We gotta let the pieces land where they will.”

Following Kaito’s gaze out toward Shuuichi, Kokichi’s mirth died down into affection. It did seem a bit chilly for hanging out on a bench...but he knew that Shuuichi enjoyed people watching, and he didn’t look put out. Next year they’d all skate together--likely in some staggered rotation, ‘cause Baby was not going to even be carried out onto the ice--but for now, he was happy they could all get something out of the outing. 

“Believe me, I love his sneakiness too. It’s somehow even better that it catches me off-guard, even when it’s against me. Shuu-chan’s just...incredible. Someone I feel lucky knowing, let alone that he agreed to date me…” Kokichi grinned a bit, glad to tell a story he actually could, but he gave Kaito a look as he expressed insecurity. Something he wasn’t, like...he could understand it, but it wasn’t something he’d ever thought Kaito would worry about. 

“Shuu-chan’s not interested in Hajime-chan,” Kokichi affirmed. “He’s just having fun messing with him, and Hajime-chan is a good guy. And...you and him are way different than you’re making it out to be. Shuu-chan agreed to date you, and he’s happy with you. Hajime-chan is a reliable friend that’s fun to tease. And, you know, he has a girlfriend. It’d be awkward if they broke up, but...I really can’t see him or Chiaki-chan with anyone else. They have a good thing going.”

“Enough that they very nearly conquered me an’ Shuu-chan in the great snowball war…” Kokichi’s voice went dramatic, starting to retell the game that they’d played in the snow together, a tale full of brilliant strategy, subterfuge, and dramatic turns!

Kaito got into the story, gasping at appropriate moments, theorizing what Shuichi and Kokichi might have done during pauses in the story, absolutely blown away by Kokichi’s tunnel idea, then laughing at Hajime using Kokichi’s lack of footwear to his advantage. Then, of course, endless snickering as the part where the hole trap was finally sprung, Shuichi being so damn cheap with his tactics.

After a while of talking, Kaito strongly encouraged Kokichi to go skating again, stating he was gonna try to practice some more on his own, get to the point where he wasn’t borderline ‘crawling’. And he did practice! But, admittedly he spent most of that time just watching Kokichi go, enjoying seeing his husband enjoy something so labor intensive and physical, sweat on his face, chest quickening with effort, hair in the wind… and a wide, content smile on his face. 

Ethereal to look at. 

After a while, Kaito got to the point where he was gliding more than he was walking, if still slow, but he was kinda wiped, and waving Kokichi down, he told his husband, “Hey, babe, I’m gonna go rest on the bench. You don’t have to stop, just wanted to let ya know.”

Kokichi was a little reluctant to leave Kaito’s side...but the ice was calling his name. Kaito really was getting better too, so...it wasn’t like Kokichi was abandoning him on a patch to just sort of flail in place. After some internal debate--that was heavily tipped to one side with Kaito’s encouragement--Kokichi squeezed his husband’s arm affectionately before skating back off to the mid-rink. 

And it wasn’t long before he was back in the zone, feeling that wonderful flying feeling as he worked up his speed, taking the corners gracefully, though with attention, not wanting another wipeout. And even with the slight burn in his legs and the heavy breaths in his lungs...it was so freeing. The reason why he’d wanted so badly to skate to go so far as to buy his own skates just to manage it. 

Once he got to a comfortable speed, Kaito heading back to the bench and while he assured Kokichi didn’t have to stop, he still said he wouldn’t be too long, Kokichi...wanted to be a little more ambitious. Try out some of the things he’d started working on last year. 

At first, it was just skating on one foot, just lifting one for short amounts of time until he felt more steady, then letting his leg point out behind him in the pretty way he sometimes saw figure skaters do. 

Then...Kokichi started to hop. Nothing high, and only on the straight stretches, not ambitious enough to try and turn his momentum with one too… Until he was, managing a cool little move where he hopped from one foot to the other, changing direction. Pleased with the success, Kokichi tried it again on the next corner, but…

“U-UPH!” He hadn’t changed his momentum enough, tripping over his foot and sliding across the ice a bit. 

As Kaito rested on the bench, he enjoyed watching his husband go… and then damn! Look at him go! Kaito watched with open enthusiasm as Kokichi worked on a bunch of little fancy moves and tricks, Kokichi’s clear passion and enthusiasm for this way more apparent as Kaito watched him move.

...they’d have to make more time to come back to this lake more regularly. It was clearly something Kokihi genuinely enjoyed, and considering how seasonal it was? Yeah. Kaito would insist they make time. Especially considering it was such good exercise! Kokichi’s about to get fucking fit- oh fuck!

Kaito stood up, again, a rocket of concern rushing through him. He knew Kokichi was probably fine, he had fallen before, but… that had looked like it hurt and Kaito didn’t like watching him slide across the ice and-

As Kaito quickly got back out onto the ice, he sighed a little in relief as two people, both whom he recognized, stopped and went to check on Kokichi first.

Tittering a little, the older woman looked down at the young man and siad, “Nasty fall there, kid. You alright now, baby?”

“Heeeeeey, man? You alright, bro?” The tall man with dreads said, squatting down on the ice and putting a companionable hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, “Anything feeling, liiiiike… tight?”

Things went a little...sideways. For a moment. And Kokichi could only lie there as his head straightened out. He tried to smile at the people who came over to him, but…

...he wiggled his fingers, then toes as much as he was able in the skates. Legs were cold and a little smarting, but...fine. His arm and side were stinging a bit but...nothing dangerous. Okay. 

“I’m alright, just a little shaken,” he finally reassured, smiling more comfortably up at the duo. “Thank you for checking up on me. I think that might be a sign to call it a day, though…” And now that he was thinking about it...yeah. He was super sweaty. 

Kokichi looked up, seeing Kaito slowly make his way over, and he could only feel warm at the sight… But with a shaky knee, he pushed himself back up. 

Kokichi was up and fine by the time Kaito had managed to shakily get halfway to him, and really it was only the fact that Kaito was halfway there anyway that kept him moving towards him, though the tall guy and his grandmother skated with Kokichi to escort the guy to Kaito, since the big red-headed guy was so clearly worried about the little purple haired guy.

“Kokichi! You good, babe? Let me see ya.” Kaito insisted, panting slightly as he looked his husband up and down, not seeing any obvious injuries. Giving a sigh of relief, Kaito looked to the tall guy who had come check up on him earlier, and bowed his head respectfully this time, as he said, “Thank you for looking after my husband, Kokichi. I appreciate you looking out.”

“Yeah, man, sure.” The guy drawled, scratching his chin slightly, looking a little embarrassed at the thanks, “Ain’t no thing, really.”

“Aw, Kokichi. Like the Dicean Prince! What a nice name,” The old grandmother laughed, reaching over to pat Kokichi affectionately on the head, before saying to Kaito, “You go get this young man warmed up, son. You kids, throwing yourselves around the ice like you’re indestructible, gives me heat flashes just watching you young fools.”

“Nana, be nice.” Tall man gently scolded, the grandmother scoffing at him.

“Name’s Kaito, by the way.” Kaito said, omitting the last name since they didn’t seem to recognize the pair, risking his balance to bow to both of them again, as well as he could, “Thank you again.”

“Sure, man. I’m Jamal, this my nana, Miss Daisy Bohnes.”

“Call me Nana, god knows that’s all anyone’s called me in years. Kaito…” Nana frowned, the old woman looking confused as she said, “Where have I heard that name recently… it’s on the tip of my tongue.”

He appreciated the two other skaters escorting him, though he really was alright. But unlike thinking that they were underestimating him or thinking him frail...it was just people being kind. Seeing someone take a spill on the ice and wanting to make sure they got on solid ground safely. 

Kokichi laughed softly as Kaito looked him over, gently assuring that, ‘I’m fine, really, just a few more bruises,” he turned and gave the other duo a respectful nod of his head, joining in with Kaito, though in a more Dicean way. “Thanks again. And we will be taking things more easy after this, don’t you worry.”

Smiling a bit at the head pat, Kokichi murmured along with the how-do-you-dos, though… It would be...kind of nice for people to not know they were the princes, if they didn’t recognize them already. Just being able to be seen as people… Though, he didn’t want to just lie to the old woman who’d been kind enough to help him out. 

“Kai-chan’s son won the national spelling bee, little while back,” he offered, going with a middle ground of not lying, but not going with the most obvious thing. “It’s not something in headlines, but word does get around.”

“Ah, did he? Congratulations, isn’t that nice. Ya know, I think I did hear something about it? I think some folks at the bridge game I attend on saturdays was talking about it. Some big hubbub about it being some foreigner kid? I wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation, especially what with Jones, foul man he is, acting like he knew this, that or the other about it, honestly.” Nana scowled, waving her hand vaguely as she said, “What’s it matter where the boys from? Kid could apparently spell with the best of them, I say good for him.”

Jamal, who was quicker on the uptake than his aging grandmother, widened his eyes a little, before giving Kaito a mildly embarrassed look, as he said, “Sorry, man… but yeah, that is cool. Congrats, uh… what do I call ya-”

“Kaito! Just Kaito.Thanks! We’re very proud of him!” Kaito said quickly, bowing his head again, before looking to Kokichi, “I’m gonna head back to the bench in a second, ‘Kichi, you gonna go practice some more tricks?”

Kokichi nodded along with Nana’s mini-story, eased a bit by her relaxed opinions on immigrants. “He practiced very hard for it; we’re super proud of him. He’s a good egg, you know? Far more humble than I would’ve been at his age--I would’ve been flaunting the medal to everyone I saw, but he didn’t even wanna show off at school. Just celebrated with his friends.”

He did notice Jamal’s...revelation but...well, it didn’t seem bad. Kokichi gave the tall man a soft, thankful smile before touching Kaito’s arm affectionately. “Nah, I think I’m done for the day. I’m all sweaty now, and I can only hope Shuu-chan hasn’t gotten too bored at wherever he’s gone to.”

“Enjoy the rest of your day, and thanks again,” he nodded to Nana and Jamal, giving them a little wave before encouraging Kaito to use him as a tow again to get back to the bank. 

Giving the duo a sheepish wave, Kaito absolutely took that tow, just grinning and pleased as punch by his strong and capable husband, getting them safely back to the shoreline. Kaito had had a good time, but he still sighed slightly in relief when he was finally able to take his skates off, rubbing his ankles soothingly for a second before putting his boots on. “We should do this again soon. Like, really soon. You really fly out there, Kokichi. But, man, we are both gonna be sore tomorrow, I gotta imagine. That’s a workout!”

They managed to pick up their shoes, promising to bring the rental skates back in just a moment so Kaito didn’t have to do another sock trek in the snow, and Kokichi gratuitously wiggled his toes once he was free of his skates, heaving a deep sigh as he rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Tell me about it. I just kinda forget when I’m out on the ice, but I’m about ready to curl up in front of the fire for the rest of the day and not move. I’m getting the same burn, but I would not complain about replacing leg workouts with this.”

He smiled a little, something a little shy, as he tugged his boots back on, even lacing them up tight feeling weirdly spacious after wearing skates. “...you think so? I’d really like to come again...not to mention how I’d hate for you to lose all your progress if we wait another year.” He ribbed his husband with a snicker before going back to that soft expression. 

“...it’s a lot of fun. Dancing and clambering...these are things that I really like. I wanna be able to enjoy them whenever I can.” And for as long as he could. Kokichi didn’t have major fears about his body deteriorating as he got older, but...well. There had been a nightmare or two, especially during that incident when he was a teen. He wouldn’t always be able to have these freeing moments, but...he’d enjoy them while he could. 

Shaking himself of the weird mood, Kokichi popped up from the bench, regretting it as his muscles whined. “Ooph… Okay! Let’s go find Shuu-chan!”

“The lake’s not that far from the castle...though getting up early enough to train in the morning might be kind of rough on everyone. Well, no, the kids might be into it if it was skating instead of squats… squats are pretty terrible… so are butterfly kicks… bicycles… leg exercise kinda suck, don’t they.” Kaito chuckled, taking his husband's hand, “We’ll work something out! But yeah! I could see this replacing leg day!”

Shuichi had said he was going to sit at the cafe down the road from Seiko’s pharmacy, the boys headed past there, Kaito grinning wide to see people coming in and out of her doors, his sidekicks business booming lately. He was so proud of her… all she had needed was a good word from Kokichi and a real fucking chance! Look at her fucking thriving! Hell yeah!!

“I almost wanna go in and say hi to Seiko, but man, it looks like it’s another busy day at the pharmacy, huh? She probably doesn’t have time to chit-chat...hey, ‘Kichi?” Kaito’s grin suddenly was full of teeth, as he leaned down and whispered in his husbands ear, “Last time I talked to her, she said she was making real headway on the spore count thing… when I’m all clean and good to go?” Kaito kissed Kokichi’s temple lightly, whispering in his ear, “I’m gonna wanna celebrate… a lot. You up for that, beautiful?”

Kokichi looked at the bustle of people coming and going from the pharmacy with happiness, knowing that people going to a pharmacy weren’t always there because they were sick. Preventative care and just general health supplies… Kokichi hadn’t been by the pharmacy as much as Maki or Kaito had, but...he could tell that stock moved slowly. And now? That extra help that Kaito had given Seiko a seed fund for was definitely needed. 

And it wasn’t just Seiko’s pharmacy. Everywhere down the street seemed a little busier, though, he supposed, he had to account for people being excited to be able to go shopping again. But...it really looked like commerce was good here. 

Kokichi looked up when Kaito got his attention but immediately flushed red, dipping his chin into his tucked scarf. “...it’s really good news that you guys might be clean soon. You’ve been okay for a while but...knowing that none of that stuff is gonna hurt you anymore is...such a relief...andI’dliketocelebratetoo,” he muttered out in a rush, voice soft and face flaming even more. 

Kaito’s expression softened, Kokichi, of course, at first going for the far more sentimental answer. And, of course, that was more exciting than sexy stuff, knowing that he and Shuichi weren’t at risk for losing their minds again… but Kaito chuckled slightly. Enjoying teasing his husband a little, loving how red he got. Oh! Also, so far so good on the bet! He’d get his story after all!

Kaito glanced at the candy store, “After we find Shuichi, you wanna stop over there? Get yourselves a few pastries or something? I’d say you’ve earned it today, I can’t even imagine the calories you burned today. Gonna have to fill you full of food today to make up for it.”

Then, after a moment… Kaito said quietly, “Ya know, I‘m sure someone told you… Maki or Seiko or something… that like…” Kaito shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable, “That it looks like I’ve had spores for… way longer than since Fake-Ford? That the medicine he was giving me didn’t even have spores in it, that I was still infected from the time in the forest and that… that Seiko was seeing signs I may have had spores since before then? She sat down and had this whole conversation with me about it, back when I was still locked up in the medward… she warned me that depending on how long I’ve had them? My body might get a little confused once they were actually, for real clear.”

“...Ugh. I just wish I knew when I had actually gotten infected? I mean, it’d make sense if it was just at the forest. But Seiko said that since no one else was still infected from their time in the forest, that the odds it started there was really low. That I would have needed way more doses of it to really get them to spread, sort of like how Shuichi did… I just can’t imagine where the fuck it happend? I look back and it’s like… it makes no sense? Did I eat something…? If so, is it just me? Or should people in Luminary be getting tested? I mean, if I had regular doses of spores, it can’t just be me. That doesn’t make any sense…”

Kokichi looked over at the candy store with renewed interest, never one to say no to pastries, and especially ones that Kaito wasn’t going to tut that he was ruining his appetite over. He didn’t really think he needed to burn any calories to want to fill up on something sweet and flaky or gooey or cakey or creme-filled… “Absolutely. Oh...I bet Miss Andou’s made cool ginger-people… Or maybe a log cake…”

He drooled over the thought of pasties for a moment longer, but...the conversation Kaito brought up wasn’t exactly appetizing. 

“...Seiko told me, yeah. Nothing in depth but just...pretty much warning me of the same thing. That there could be a possibility of you getting sick or feeling weird once you don’t have any spores and, yeah, the reason why…” Kokichi frowned softly, just...upset that Kaito had to deal with such a horrible substance for...well, longer than a year, at least. To the point his body could’ve acclimated to it. 

...and there was this...weird reaction. When Kaito groused over not knowing when or how he’d been infected. Because the first thing that popped into Kokichi’s head was...Tengan. Vague connections to how, well, rape-y the man was, how controlling, how much he liked making people miserable… How Kaito would have bouts of intense rage as a child…

...but he had no evidence, and even when Kokichi tried to think about why he thought that, the reasoning floated away, unreachable. And...maybe it was too depressing to think that his husband had been poisoned for nearly his entire life…

Sighing, Kokichi squeezed Kaito’s hand. “Well...it’s a known phenomena, past just being used as a straight up poison now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seiko’s made a paper explaining how to test for it too. With the knowledge out there, people can get tested...and maybe along the way we’ll figure out why it happened to you too.”

Kaito did seem to take some comfort in that idea, nodding as he said, “Yeah… Seiko’s getting the knowledge out there. I bet if anyone else is dealing with it, even back home, it’ll be way easier to help them. Hey!” Kaito grinned down at Kokichi, genuinely excited as he said, “Maybe that’s one of the silver linings, huh? I mean, along with our daughter… there was no research available on any of this stuff, before Seiko started looking into it. I’d have probably spent the rest of my life not knowing I was infected. Hell, babe, I’d have put you at risk every time we got together.”

“Everything that happened to Shuichi was… really, really terrible. It caused him a lot of pain… caused all of us a lot of pain. But… in a very real way? Everything Shuichi went through probably just saved a bunch of other peoples lives.” Kaito realized, eyes widening a little, a bit of awe in his voice, “...I wonder if Shuichi’s realized that yet? I wonder if that thought would make him a little happy… maybe with time, it will. Things are getting better, but everything’s still pretty fresh and raw for the guy. Knowing his suffering helped save other people is probably bittersweet at best, right now… but in a few years, when the pains a distant memory? I don’t know…” Kaito shrugged, “Maybe the results can be something he’s proud of. His actions and quest for help and knowledge exposed a really big problem that was on the peek of becoming an actual, man made epidemic… I think that’s something to be kinda proud of.”

Sure… Kaito knew that Itch’s beer and orgies was being looked into by authorities already. That they’d eventually figure out something was wrong with the people who drank the Poppy Beer. But Seiko’s reputation was in ruins by that point, and there was nothing to say that they would have gone to her for research on it. And Kaito really did believe Seiko was uniquely qualified to study it. So, yeah… he was willing to take that stretch of logic and say Shuichi’s suffering had helped people. And since they couldn’t go back and fix it or change it, he’d argue that it was something to be proud of.

Now that was scary to think about, so Kokichi wouldn’t, and just hummed a soft agreement about silver linings. Their little daughter, somehow defeating the odds--or maybe not, depending on if that was just how people deeply affected by the spores were--and going to be a combination of all three of her daddies...and the fact that no one would have to go through all that again. Knowledge about the poppies and the spores themselves was already amazing, but the fact that someone was working on a cure? And it was working!? It was incredible… And...in a way, Shuuichi had kickstarted it all. 

“...one day I think he’ll be proud, but...I think I’d avoid talking about it like that to him for now,” Kokichi agreed, leaning against Kaito’s arm, just...thankful his guys were safe. “Suffering being worth something is always such a difficult subject and...it can really only be judged on an individual basis. But...I think, though they might not know it, there are gonna be a whole hell of a lot of people thankful to Shuu-chan.”

“Mmmhm.” Kaito agreed… and, speaking of Shuichi…

Kaito’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment. There was Shuichi in the cafe… but who was he sitting with? Shuichi wasn’t exactly casually social, even during the best of times, and he was sitting and chatting pleasantly with…

...three… different people…

Kaito narrowed his eyes, nerves bristling, as Shuichi spotted them at the door and smiled warmly, raising a hand in greeting, the three people looking over and suddenly looking at Kokichi, pleased and excited. “Little sneak.” Kaito growled.

Kokichi was similarly surprised to see Shuuichi sitting with a few people, but his boyfriend didn’t look distressed so...that was good! Kokichi raised his hand to wave back, a little confused by Kaito’s growl…

...before he remembered. 

Three people, huh?

Kokichi beamed at the group, coming over to the table they were all sitting at, giving Shuuichi’s shoulder an affectionate touch. “Heya! I hope Kai-chan and I aren’t interrupting…? We were gonna grab some pastries from the candy shop, so if you wanted to keep talking, Shuu-chan…”

Leaving space open for the people to talk with him if they wanted, not demanding it. Not swinging the bet any particular way.

Shuichi looked a little tired, but incredibly self-satisfied as he sipped at his chai-tea, saying, “I’d love to go get pastries, Kokichi. But before we go, these three very nice people approached me and asked me to pass on a message to you, but I assured them if they hung around long enough…”

“Oh, they approached you, huh?” Kaito asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

The woman, with wide excited eyes and thin hands, said, “Well, we were discussing resource grant we were given not very long ago, and your lovely surrogate here-” Shuichi frowned, ever so slightly, but hid it sipping at his tea, “- overheard us talking probably a tad too loudly about it and very politely told us you were coming and, oh, Prince Kokichi, we really cannot thank you enough! Gonta told us you were a vocal supporter in supporting our grant request for our research in the local cicada depopulation problem, and we really couldn’t be more grateful!”

“With the grant, we’ve gotten supplies, hired more help, are able to outsource some of the more long-term work such as researching environmental consequences to their repopulation-” The second man, older, with round glasses and a winkled forehead, gushed.

“Not to mention it allows us to focus on it without having to get any additional work for additional income.” The third man, younger, but not by much, with black hair growing gray and an elaborate mustache that seemed difficult to eat around. “We really cannot thank you enough, Prince Kokichi.”

The whole time, Kaito just gave a dry look to Shuichi, who grew more and more smug every minute.

If he were honest with himself, Kokichi was playing around a little, but as soon as he realized who these people were… He perked up, a light flicking on in his eyes as his smile became more engaged, nodding along and happy to hear what the grant had been able to do. 

“That’s wonderful to hear, but please, it’s your own work and the involvement of our community that’s made this all possible. Innovation and growth are wonderful for improving life, but we can never forget that the land, this planet is our home. We have an impact on it just the same as we benefit from its bounty, and it’s crucial to pay attention to that. If something is changing on a large scale, like the depopulation of cicadas, then it’s one of the most important things for everyone’s well-being to see what’s going on and what can be done. I’ve only helped connect the people who see that importance.”

Kokichi chatted a bit more with the scientists, happy to hear the strides the project was making--even if he had no personal love for bugs--and...kind of completely forgetting why the conversation was happening in the first place, at least until he looked back to Kaito, just on instinct and…

Laughing sheepishly, Kokichi gave the scientists a nod. “Er, well, that’s all to say… I’m glad the project’s been able to move forward. If it’s all right, though, I’d rather not have my family listen to me natter on...though I’m sure Shuu-chan’s been much more engaged with the details of the project while you four had been talking. Good luck with it all, and do pass it on to the rest of the team!”

The scientists again thanked Kokichi profusely, before clearing room for Shuichi to get up and leave, Shuichi finishing his drink and then going over to Kaito, wrapping his arms around Kaito’s and saying softly, “After you, Kaito.”

“I am so getting back at you for this.” Kaito grumbled, reaching out for Kokichi’s hand, the three exiting the shop. “You’re such a cheat.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Shuichi said, “How was the rest of skating? Did you two have fun?”

Kokichi squeezed Kaito’s hand fondly before sighing dreamily. “Skating was awesome. Kai-chan’s really getting the hang of it too. We were thinkin’ of coming back soon to get another session in...though not tomorrow. I took another spill at the end there, and while I’m okay, it did get me out of the cloud long enough to realized I’m gonna be soooooo sore tomorrow.”

Kokichi’s grin got a little cheekier as he continued. “It was really nice, though. These two other skaters came over to check on me after I wiped out, and they stayed until Kai-chan came to check on me too. Got to talk for a little bit. Pretty amazing, right? Getting to have conversations with five different people today?”

Shuichi’s eyes widened a little… before frowning. 

“Well… shoot.” Shuichi cursed, as they approached the candy store. “I mean, arguably I still won. Kaito’s bet was zero. I was still more correct.” 

“But, not entirely correct!” Kaito said enthusiastically, taking the out Kokichi was dangling in front of him. “So I think, technically, we both win!”

“What? How did you arrive to that conclusion? If anything, we both lost.”

“Yeah, but that’s the lame answer.” Kaito shrugged, grinning toothily at his boyfriend as he held the door open for them, the smell of warm pastries and colorful candies filling the air, “The cool answer is that I get my story, and I’ll do the dishes run for the next month.”

Shuichi frowned, looking a little put out… he had really wanted to win, if just for the thrill of winning… but he sighed, nodding. “Fine. I can concede to that… but later. Not now.”

“Yeah, of course.” Kaito chuckled, leaning in to kiss Shuichi’s cheek as his boyfriend passed his way inside, Shuichi bristling, murmuring quietly that, Kaito, we’re in public. Then, following the two inside, Kaito quickly stepped to Kokichi, kissing him against the temple as he said, “Thanks babe!” 

He couldn’t help but snicker, though Kokichi gave Shuuichi a bright smile. “Shuu-chan still was very clever--if you guys had made an over-under bet instead Shuu-chan would’ve won for sure! But when you stack the cards in your favor, you have to account for other people and happenstance as well. I only think a psychic could’ve predicted that I’d mess up my trick and two people would come to check on me.”

But, even if Kokichi was more of the mind that they had both lost--and he had won, because he got to talk to some cool people--them both winning was a nice ending too. Kokichi didn’t mind sharing the story, even if it’d end up with Kaito whining at him to take his clothes off all sexy-like, and he didn’t have to think about taking Shuuichi’s dishes for the next month. Also not something he really minded, but still. 

Kokichi hustled into the candy shop, breathing in the scent of sugar with a happy little wiggle before he smiled softly at Kaito. “I’m only telling the truth as the impartial judge. No need for thanks, though I’ll take yours!”

Their candy stash at home was still pretty healthy, so Kokichi just went up to the pastry case, giving a smile and a nod to Miss Andou in the brief moment she was in between customers--her business was booming too, along with Seiko’s, though he’d never seen the candy shop bereft of patrons. Still, he was happy to see things were good. And that all the pastries looked as scrumptious as usual, along with a whole section of seasonal treats. 

Humming aloud to Shuuichi, Kokichi debated over what he wanted to get. “The sugar cookies are really good, but if I get a cookie, I kind of wanna get a gingerbread person, since they’re not in season at other points of the year… But that log cake...skating’s made me pretty hungry, and they’re really filling… Oh, but fudge! And there’s peppermint fudge too if I still wanted to be seasonal!”

“...I want all of them.” Shuichi said, staring at the pastries beside Kokichi, totally enraptured.

“No.” Kaito said, looking around idly, mostly people watching, the cacophony of sweets and bright colors of the shop never really doing much for him. 

“You can’t stop me.”

“I will pick you up and take you of this shop over my shoulder.”

“...No you wouldn’t.” Shuichi said, though there was some hesitation in the bluff-call, like he wasn’t… entirely certain Kaito wasn’t the type to do that. “I’m too heavy. And Kokichi won’t let you.”

“Awwww, Shuichi, you’re never too heavy for me to pick up.” Kaito gushed, hugging him from behind. Then he rolled his eyes, before saying, “And he might stop me, but I’d still try. Come on, handsome, I’m just looking out for you. If you buy all of these, you’re going to end up eating most of them tonight. You’ll just end up feeling sick. Pick one.”

“Two.”

“Oh my god…fine. Pick two.”

“...which two….” Shuichi whispered to himself. Conflicted.

Kokichi was pretty conflicted himself, though he leaned over to Shuuichi to whisper, not really caring if Kaito overheard. “I’ll let you try bites of whatever I get so...pick four, right? And even if I’ll want to eat most of mine, you’ll still get to taste it.”

Looking around the case with a little more of a discerning eye, Kokichi tried to think about what he’d want to share with Shuuichi, always happy to share his sweets with someone who appreciated them but...maybe a bit more generous since Shuuichi had gotten pregnant. 

“Mm...what about...those chocolate-dipped cream puffs with the peppermint bits sprinkled on top, since they come in a set of four, and...the fudge with the cinnamon-sugar swirls? I always underestimate how filling fudge is…”

Shuichi nodded, before saying, “Okay, if you’re getting those two, I could get the ginger cookies you were talking about earlier, and, yeah… that log cake really does look good…”

Kaito sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he confessed, “Man, I don’t know how you guys stomach it all. It’s too sweet for me. I like a few bites of stuff like this, but you all eat them like you could make whole meals out of them.”

“You like mild sweets.”Shuichi pointed out, looking around the shop with an analytical eye, “Like… those simple licorice twists? I’ve seen you eat those mindlessly. Why don’t you get some of those, Kaito? They have quite a few flavors here.”

“Yeah, I guess I do like licorice…” Kaito confessed, looking over at the wall that Shuichi was pointing too, the finely spun strings of licorice not looking all that bad… “Yeah, alright. Guess I’ll grab something small for Tim while we’re here too.”

Making their purchases, Kaito getting himself a small bag of licorice, some hard rock candies for Tim (enough to share with the girls, since Tim was currently back at the castle being hooligans with them), and Shuichi and Kokichi’s, just, far too many pastries, the group headed out, tired and happy with their spoils, Kaito offering to carry everything, including Kokichi’s skates, if he was tired of carrying them himself.

Kokichi sighed dreamily. “If only I could… Though, I’d like to think I’d never get tired of sweets, but if I had them for every meal I dunno how much I’d be able to trust my love. Maybe having real meals makes it all taste better.”

As they left the shop, Kokichi eager to get out of his outer layers and sit in front of the fire eating sweets, he actually took up Kaito’s offer to carry his skates, having found it a little difficult to balance them with the small parcels of his goodies. And, really, it was only that difficulty that kept him from digging into them right away--as more time went on, he was really working up an appetite…

It was kind of weird. And how he got hungry after training too… Logically, Kokichi knew it was because he was actually working out and needed to replenish his body’s fuel, but actually feeling that effect was...weird. Having such a potent desire to eat was weird. He’d mentioned it to Seiko and she had just rolled her eyes at him, snarking that she knew he’d studied that kind of stuff. And he did, so that’s why it wasn’t alarming...but still. 

Kokichi let out a little sigh when they finally got back to their room, excited to get relaxation going, and he shifted his treats to one arm to open their door for Kaito and Shuuichi.

As Kaito put the sweets (his own and Shuichi’s) down on the desk, then taking Kokichi’s skates to the closet, he then headed to the fireplace, carefully putting it together, opening up the grate and lighting the flame, feeding it till it was burning brightly…

Then sighing, he peeled himself out of all of his clothes, put the clothes in front of the fire, and curled up in front of it, probably a tad too close honestly, closing his eyes and just waiting to cook. 

Shuichi, who had headed to the closet after Kaito was done with it, changing into dry clothes, came out and gave a startle gasp, so surprised by Suddenly Naked Kaito that on instinct he put a hand in front of his eyes and turned away, even if technically this was a view he should be semi-used to by now as he said, “Kaito! What are you doing!?”

“Cold.” Kaito grumbled.

“Then put some clothes on!”

“Mmm.” He said non-committedly, scooting closer to the fire, settling into ‘baking’ mode… before he opened his eyes, remembering, “Oh! Shuichi, is there anything on either of the night stands?”

Shuichi sighed, just entirely exasperated at his friend, before looking over at the night stand… frowning as he said, “Yes? Three little colorful paper bags?”

“Real little?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Good.” Kaito grinned, “Those are for you and ‘Kichi. I want you to open it together, kay?”

“...” Shuichi’s eyes widened, before sending Kaito a baffled look, “You actually had something being delivered while we were out!?”

“I did tell you.” Kaito sighed happily, turning around and putting his back to the fire, opening his eyes and giving his boyfriend an amused wink, “Also, handsome? I love you, but you’re slipping. I was afraid you’d notice immediately and ruin the whole surprise.”

Shuichi frowned. “...notice what?”

Kokichi followed, putting his own treats on the desk for the time being, giving...these little bags? On one of the nightstands? An odd look before he let them be to start taking off his outer layers. Thankfully he’d worn so many that he was pretty dry on the inside, but with just a pair of leggings and a long shirt--over an undershirt, but still--he was eager to join Kaito by the fire.

He’d just dumped his clothes in their hamper and headed back to grab his sweets before Kaito revealed his master plan, Kokichi’s eyes widening in surprise as he headed over to the nightstand too. “Aw, hun…”

Giving Shuuichi a little shrug, not knowing what they had missed either, Kokichi started to open one of the bags.

Inside each bag, was three keys.

Each key was distinct in some little way, though one key in each bag was far more elaborate than the other two. In Kokichi’s bag, the key’s color matched his eyes, and the base looked like a cat, cute and cartoony, poking it’s little tongue out. The other two keys were simple, but one red, and one white. For Shuichi’s bag, his key was also the color of his eyes, a golden color, but the based looked like a cute, sleeping snake, curled up into a tight ball. His other two keys was a dark blue simple key, and a black simple key.

“One key, two spares. I’d have gotten one spare each, but, Kokichi, I assumed you’d want to give one to Nazumi, or maybe Ikou? Just in case. And Shuichi, maybe give one to Hajime? Those are just suggestions, though, you can give a spare key to whoever you want too. Or no one, if you’d rather not. And if you need more or a replacement, for whatever reason, just let me know, extra keys are actually super easy to get made.” Kaito said, grinning warmly at them, keeping his feet to the fire as he laid his head on his arm. “Unity gifts are useful, right? Hope you guys like them.”

Kokichi was confused for a moment as he looked over the keys--though he did think the cat was very cute--but after that moment his eyes widened and he looked over at their bedroom door. And, sure enough, plain as day…

Kokichi started giggling, holding the keys to his chest as he came over to plop down next to Kaito, leaning over to give him a kiss. “I love them, Kai-chan. Shuu-chan and I were just talking about this, actually, and here you are, flexing your own sneaky skills to surprise us!”

“I bet you asked for something secure, right,” he continued to laugh, opening his hand to take out the cat key, running his finger down the little groove in the center of the teeth, pointing out little circular divots within the groove. “Maybe it’s just policy by now, but these locks are pretty tricky--Kai-chan’s given me a challenge too!”

Humming, Kokichi leaned over again to press his nose to Kaito’s. “Thank you. This is a great Unity gift.”

“Honestly? I just asked for the most complicated brand they could reasonably install in a bedroom wall. Took me a while to save up for it too, they’re expensive.” Kaito sighed, reaching over to give Kokichi a hug around his waist as Kokichi snuggled next to him, “It was kind of pure coincidence that I managed to get it all set up this month in particular… wanted it to be a semi-surprise, since I know I’ve been talking about it for ages, but it was cool that I got to make it a Unity gift. They said they’d be able to install it this week, and I asked for today because I knew we were going out.”

Shuichi smiled warmly, looking at his little snake key, before sighing, “I can’t believe I didn’t notice all the hints you were leaving this morning. You weren’t even being subtle about it… you literally straight up told us.”

“Hey, man, gotta love a reputation that lets you say stupid things without anyone analyzing it too heavily.” Kaito grinned , pulling Kokichi close and sighing contently, “Can get away with all sorts of things that way… Shuichi, you like your key? It’s kinda creepy, but I thought-”

“I do, I like it. Thank you, Kaito.”

“Good, good…” Kaito frowned, opening his eyes and looking down at Kokichi, saying seriously, “Those keys are yours to do with as you wish. Don’t let anyone here tell you that you can’t have it, or try to force you to give them a copy if you don’t want to do that. Anyone tries to be weird about it? Tell me. I know a lot of misunderstandings are being cleared up between you and your family, but… you’re entitled to as much privacy as you want, babe. Health stuff or no. That’s not an argument anymore. That’s just how it is now. Kay?”

Kokichi cuddled up happily against Kaito’s side, enjoying the heat both from his husband and the fire, his body thawing out from the chill. He had kinda given Kaito crap--teasing crap, but still--about...talking about doing things, then never doing them before...but that wasn’t totally true. Sometimes...it just took a while. And when they had all the time their futures held...it was okay to do things slowly. 

It led to brighter surprises when they happened! 

Even if Kokichi hadn’t been desperate for a lock. But...he knew that both his lovers would feel better with it installed now, and for that, he was happy. 

Kokichi nodded a bit, his gaze softening. “...even if I’ve been doing better...that still doesn’t discount me just...yanno, collapsing. And I know you guys have made that argument before, that that’s technically true for anyone, but it is different when I’m prone to it. But...I’m not alone anymore.”

“I’m not going to...hole myself up in here by myself for days, working or sulking or whatever so… There’s no need for someone else to step in.” Kokichi scrunched his eyes shut, more saying all this for himself than for either of his lovers. “I can be responsible for myself, and you guys are looking out for me, just as I do for you because we’re in a relationship, and that’s just how it goes. Unless I wanna give them a key first...no one’s allowed to come into our room on their own whims anymore.”

“Except for housekeeping, when we leave the door unlocked,” Kokichi amended, opening his eyes and looking off to the side. “Cause I’d forget to bring the laundry out allll the time, and I can’t make the bed on my own. And I don’t know the rotations for cleaning the rugs an’ curtains ‘n stuff.”

“Back home, there were just certain times of days you left the room unlocked, to let people in and out. But that was just for your bedroom. Everywhere else, the supervisors had keys to offices and that sort of things, and they had to let the housekeepers in to do their jobs.” Kaito remembered, thinking back to Luminary, “But no one had keys to the bedrooms. It was a safety thing.”

Shuichi laughed lightly at this, “That’s a funny contrast, actually. Kokichi’s room was lockless to keep him safe with the staff, and Kaito, yours was always locked to keep you safe from the staff. The housekeepers had a key to my room, it being the type of lock you could get in with a master key. Kinda inconvenient for safety reasons, but it did mean I never had to worry too much about cleanliness.” Shuichi shrugged, “Though, I did have to keep all my valuables in a safe Miss Kirigiri got me, that I then had to lock in the closet. No one else had a key to my closet door. That was really the only entirely private spot I had. Miss Kirigiri would randomly inspect my room and try the closet, and would be furious with me whenever she caught me leaving it unlocked.”

“Maki made a secret hatch in her ceiling.” Kaito recalled, “She did the safe thing in the closet too, but I’m pretty sure she rigged it to explode when opened. Said if anyone was trying to steal her stuff, she wanted the burn marks to show who it was.”

“It didn’t though.” Kaito recalled further, “It just made them exploded.”

“Oh, the incident with Mr. Nidai? She used less explosive than him, she said. If someone had tried to get into hers, she’s pretty sure the burn mark thing would have happened. She said he was less concerned about identifying them than she was.”

“Fair.” Kaito nodded.

Safe from the staff… Kokichi could barely even imagine it. Sure, he had never really tried to be friends with anyone on staff until recently, but...they were all people he could generally trust. That’s what Aiichi’s interview was for. Someone might walk in on him during an embarrassing moment, but that wasn’t dangerous…

Kokichi closed his eyes, soaking in the fire, and shook his head against Kaito’s shoulder. “Sometimes when you guys talk about Luminary, it seems like something straight out of a spy novel. Like...I had to hide my skates in my closet too, but I just have so much junk in there most people wouldn’t bother to dig through it, especially since they wouldn’t even know what they were looking for. That’s nuts...but full of compelling intrigue!” 

Reaching out, Kokichi found the parcel of cream puffs he’d gotten and lazily worked it open with one hand, popping a pastry puff into his mouth with a happy sigh. “Still...that’s a good idea. Maybe we can leave the room unlocked while Shuu-chan and I are working, then everything else is at our discretion. I gotta work on remembering to lock it, though...twenty years of muscle memory is gonna be hard to undo.”

“...Or, like...I dunno. Seventeen? Whenever I could walk and also reach a lock.” There was a beat before Kokichi squealed softly, hiding his grin in Kaito’s shoulder. “I’m gonna cry when Baby starts walking, I just know it! All of her big firsts like that.”

“I wonder what her first word will be.” Kaito said, feeling his body relax little by little as the room got warmer every minute. 

“I wonder when you’re going to put underwear on again.” Shuichi said dryly, digging out the moisturizer Ikou had gotten him, bringing up his sleeping shirt and starting to apply it to his stomach. So far he had lucked out, for the most part, on the stretch mark situation. Though, he hadn’t realized he should put the moisturizer on his hips too, so, well… oh well. Stretch marks on his hips, his thighs, his goddamn dick… but at least not his stomach! Wooh!

“Are you bothered by my nakedness? Or distracted by it.” Kaito asked, smirking.

Shuichi tskd, rolling his eyes.

“Considering there’s three of us? Probably “dada”,” Kokichi mused, popping another cream puff in his mouth, though he snorted and quickly covered his face, shooting Shuuichi an amused glance. “Kai-chan, there are more subtle ways to ask for your prize, you know.”

Kokichi shifted in his husband’s grasp, not too bothered by his nudity, still just happy to be in Kaito’s arms--he hadn’t totally gotten over all his clingy instincts. “Though, if you were hoping to recreate what happened, the scene is a little wrong. It’s not snowing, for one, and cuddling by the fire while it’s practically a blizzard outside was the cliche I was hoping to experience then…”

“Believe it or not, not everything I do is in the pursuit of sexiness. I wanted to be warm, and being naked is comfortable, in certain situations. You both should indulge more.” Kaito lightly scolded, though he opened his eyes, looking down at Kokichi curiously as he said, “So, it was snowing, you both were warming up by the fire, Kokichi was dazed and dazzled by living out one of his horny fantasies…” Kaito grinned, shifting so that he was resting his head against his palm, raising an eyebrow, “Do go on.”

“Not to dismantle Kaito’s reward,” Shuichi lied, smiling softly, “...should we talk about what the baby will call each of us?”

Kaito’s eyes widened, before he groaned, “Nooooo… Shuichi, how dare you make me choose between cute talk or sexy talk… ‘m gonna dieeeeeeee….”

Kokichi went pink, though...Kaito wasn’t entirely wrong. He’d never thought about the trope as a horny fantasy but...well, sex was included. It had always just seemed sweet, finding warmth and affection in someone while the world was so harsh just outside…

Sighing, Kokichi looked back over to Shuuichi, not entirely disappointed to be saved from Kaito’s sexy wrath. He stroked Kaito’s cheek gently, giving him a teasing look. “Isn’t it nice knowing you’re getting both? Maybe Kai-chan really is the greedy one here.”

He snickered before resting his own head on his arm, humming as he thought. “...I don’t wanna be called ‘father’. Not that it’s bad that I call Aiichi that sometimes...but it’s distant, you know? Until she’s older and wants to use more distant terms...I’d rather have some sort of diminutive. But between ‘daddy’, ‘dad’, ‘papa’, ‘baba’...mm. Maybe not ‘pop’. Don’t like that one for me much either…”

“Greedy? Who’s greedy? I am a paradigm of restraint and minimalism.” Kaito insisted, idly rubbing Kokichi’s back, “Baba, huh? That’s pretty cute… daddy’s cute too…”

Kaito suddenly frowned, face… paling as he said, “I can’t be daddy. One of you guys has to be daddy.”

“Weird memories associated with being called that?” Shuichi guessed, looking unimpressed.

“...maybe.” Kaito admitted, looking embarrassed. “Can I be dad? Tim calls me ‘Dad’ already, so I’m kinda already getting used to it.” 

“I actually don’t mind the idea of being called ‘Father’. You think it’s too formal?” Shuichi asked.

“It is kinda stuffy…” Kaito observed, “Daddy, dad, father… what about poppy?”

“...Are you serious?”

“What?” Kaito asked, seeing the dark look on his boyfriends face, “Pop, papa, poppy… oh! Oooooh, my bad.” Kaito realized, looking genuinely guilty as he looked at Shuichi uneasily, “Sorry, I didn’t make the connection. I was just saying words, my bad, handsome.”

Shuichi sighed, “You’re alright, Kaito.”

Kokichi hummed softly, enjoying the back rubs and the loose ideas of what their daughter might one day call them. She’d be babbling for a while, but...deciding what they wanted to be called would be a lot of help in actually teaching her. He hadn’t thought of any words or phrases he wanted to get her to say either but...he still had time to brainstorm. 

Grimacing a bit, remembering the one and only time Kaito had tried using the “daddy” word on him, Kokichi nodded in agreement that Kaito could be Dad. Though his other idea… Kokichi nudged his arm a little, shooting Kaito a blank, unimpressed look before he sighed. 

“Shuu-chan can be “Father” if he wants, but it might be a bit until she can say that. But...while we can certainly encourage it, it’s kind of up to Baby what she ends up calling us. Hopefully she doesn’t take up my sensibilities and just calls us all dad,” Kokichi laughed, trying to smooth things over with some humor. “But if neither of you want it...I think I’m good with being Daddy. I’ve never really liked terms that are too serious.”

“We cannot let her get into the habit of just calling us all dad. There's three of us. It’ll get so confusing so fast.” Kaito laughed, before saying, “I do kinda like ‘papa’ too. Dad, daddy, papa… father, dad, daddy…” Kaito’s eyes widened in sudden wonder as he shouted, “BABY ONESIES!!”

At this, Shuichi laughed. Putting his hand over his eyes-- smelled like lotion-- as he snorted, “The sheer excitement in your voice.”

“No, no, really! Oh my god! A bunch of little onesies! Little baby onesies! I can make her a little baby fairy princess! And a little baby dinosaur! And a little baby cat! And a little baby, uh…. Raccoon!! Oh, man, Shuichi! You’ve never worn your onesie!”

“Is my… Kaito, is my onesie a raccoon?”

“You never even looked at it!?”

Kokichi startled a bit from the sudden volume, but relaxed into laughter, finding the same amusement in Kaito’s voice that Shuuichi did. If Kaito lost it at full grown adults in onesies, seeing a little baby? His own daughter? That might actually kill Kaito from the cuteness. Even Kokichi found himself going a little starry eyed thinking about it. 

Rolling over, Kokichi looked up at Shuuichi with a smirk. “I mean, it kind of fits. Raccoons are very intelligent. They like getting into places they’re not supposed to, finding things they shouldn’t… They’re also very clean, though that’s less of a personal comparison and just sort of a nice thing…”

“But we’re gonna get Baby some regular clothes too,” he insisted, looking over his shoulder back at Kaito. “She can’t wear novelty onesies all the time. Cute clothes, obviously, but things that aren’t, like, meant to make her look like an animal. And while my dad’s working on a baby blanket, we should probably get some extras too.”

Kokichi sighed softly, just...imagining all the things they’d get for Baby. Everything picked out with love…

(There was a part of him a little more sympathetic to his father now, knowing that, while it was such a little thing, having to see everything you so carefully put together for your child replaced with medical equipment… 

...there was no reason to believe that Baby was going to be anything but strong and healthy. He held onto that knowledge with an iron grip.)

“...have you guys thought about what sort of design you want for the nursery? Every time I think about it, I picture something different, honestly…”

“...do you think Maki would be okay moving down one room?” Kaito asked, looking over to Shuichi, “I want the nursery to be in this hallway, Tim’s already got the one on the other end of the corner, and… we can’t make the nursery your old room, right?”

“...yeah. I’d rather we didn’t do that.” Shuichi agreed quietly.

“Right. But, I doubt Maki would mind it. Heck, by the time she’s done with your old room, it’ll be like you tore it up in revenge anyway!” Kaito grinned, before saying thoughtfully, “Actually, do you wanna do that? I doubt Maki would mind… but yeah, then we could have the nursery next door. What do you guys think?”

Shuichi thought the room would probably be available when Maki died. So, either way… “I think that’s a decent idea. Though, that still leaves open what the nursery would look like.”

“What? You don’t think the look Maki’s got going on would work for a nursery?” Kaito grinned, teasing. “Weapons crate near the window, targets on the wall? We could redesign the targets to be cute animals!”

Kokichi sighed quietly, a lot of...things in him. Anger at Nao, anger on Shuuichi’s behalf, though he was sure his boyfriend had plenty of his own… That same grief of things never being the same… A bit of annoyance at the destruction of the castle but...it really didn’t matter since it wasn’t anything lasting. But if anyone could overpower the memories left in Shuuichi’s room, it would be Maki. 

However, they shouldn’t just assume. 

“Next time she calls, let’s ask her… Even if we’re pretty sure she’d be fine with it, I’d still feel better asking. Then...I can ask my dad for help repairing the walls ‘n stuff. I don’t think Maki-chan put in enough damage to warrant getting a contractor to look at it…”

Kokichi closed his eyes, leaning back against Kaito. “...it could be really cute to paint animals on the walls… Or paint some on little boards so redecorating could be easy. Maybe some sort of sky scene for the walls… A nice plush rug that she could play on… Again, wouldn’t be for a while, but a cute stool for the bathroom that matches her room, so she can reach the sink ‘n stuff…”

“Maybe we could find, I don’t know… nursery sets? At the stores? I’m certain there are pre-designed rooms available.” Shuichi mused.

“Gold.” Kaito said, already imagining the room, “Gold and glitter! But, mixed with these, like, beautiful pastel colors… what should the theme be? Oh, oh! Like, maybe a ballroom with dancing animals? That could be nice! Or, maybe a mystical theme? With fantastical creatures and stuff, unicorns in a forest, right? Or, or, underwater? With big ol’ fish? Mermaids! Or, uh-”

“I’m surprised you haven't said space, yet.” Shuichi observed.

Kaito paused… before shrugging, “It’s not my nursery. I love space, but I don’t want to, like… force my interests on her… oh! A circus? Maybe a circus!”

‘We are not putting clowns in the nursery.” 

“There are sets you can find but...I always thought it was a lot of fun, putting something together yourself. At least in terms of your own room…” 

Kokichi let his gaze wander around their room while he listened to Kaito spitball ideas, snickering a bit at throwing every color scheme together, smiling at the whimsy of some of the other ideas, though he’d always thought that nurseries had a sort of lightness to them, at least in scheme…

Though, he hummed softly when Shuuichi brought up space. “That’s what my room was supposed to be, initially.”

“The paint’s faded, but originally there were constellations that glowed in the dark on my walls… And I outgrew them, but the furniture I had when I was little was star-themed. Some of the decorations never made it in though… Apparently my mom was a big fan of, like...super inaccurate, but fun space-themed stuff.” Kokichi smiled slightly, now just kind of staring into space. “She got me this yellow onesie that had a hood and was supposed to make a baby look like a star. Aiichi said it was real cute.”

“Fuck.” Kaito said. Eyes shining, “I need a picture of that.”

“Actually… Kokichi?” Shuichi asked, looking curiously down at his loves, both still lounging on the floor. “Kaito got a portrait drawn of him every year growing up, and even me and Maki had a few pictures drawn of us when we were small by our mentors-”

Kaito frowned at that. The purpose behind those drawings were a little depressing… but he wouldn't say that. If Shuichi and Maki had made a run for it, the point of having a recent picture of them was to make it easier to track them down, but… it still counted as childhood portraits. Mr. Nidai had Maki’s mini-sketches framed in his room, every time she outgrew their usefulness (and while they were tucked away, he had kept the portraits of his other wards as well, which Kaito had thought was sadly sweet). Kaito wondered how the big guy was? For a long term royal assassin, he really was a nice dude.

“-. All that to say… do you have any pictures of yourself young? I’d love to see them.” Shuichi confessed, smiling warmly at Kokichi, “It’d be cute.”

Aw...seeing pictures of little Shuuichi and little Kaito...little Maki too. The way she puffed out her cheeks when she was frustrated must have been a slayer when she was a kid. 

“Mm...not any when I was really little, but I think Aiichi has some. Ikuo might have one or two too…” he hummed after thinking about it for a moment. “I think...I might’ve had my first portrait when I was like...five or six or something. We’re not really in the habit of getting something every year, but every once in a while, yeah.”

He suddenly snorted, grinning up at Shuuichi. “I’ll warn ya, though, the artists prolly had to take a lot of liberties with me, especially with the earlier ones. Seeing how Ikuo used to get me all dressed up for events, and even then I’m not super photogenic… I feel kind of sorry for the artists, looking back now, since I always got distracted and wiggly. Or I fell asleep in the middle. That might just be what you expect when you draw little kids though.”

“...I definitely wanna get portraits done of Baby, though I’m kinda looking forward to getting a big family photo done sometime too. It’s nice having those kinds of...like, time souvenirs. And when we’re older, I can tease Kai-chan about how many wrinkles he’s gotten since we got it done.”

“Pfff. Jokes on you, I’m gonna be a straight up hottie as an old guy.” Kaito huffed, lightly touching his jaw and saying, “Especially if puberty finally hits and I can grow my beard?”

“Please don’t try to grow a beard again. You can’t grow a beard, Kaito, it came in all patchy.”

“Maybe it just needed more time! I’d look amazing in a beard…” Kaito sighed, “Especially in my eighties, it’s all grays and patches of white… sexy as fuck.”

“King Leon couldn’t grow a beard either.” Shuichi pointed out.

“Yeah, but Prince Seto had a full beard by the end of his life, and his early pictures show him clear faced too! There’s still hope!”

“Your grandfather probably just shaved.” Shuichi reasoned, putting away the moisturizer, “Either way, we’re off topic. I still wanna see Kokichi’s childhood portraits.”

“Me too, actually.” Kaito admitted, placing a kiss on Kokichi’s shoulder, “Though if we have to bug one of your parents for ‘em, not sure I’m up for that in particular. I’m pretty comfy right now.”

Eighties… Kokichi was feeling more hopeful these days, but...his smile still tinged a little sad as he nuzzled back against Kaito’s chest. Hopefully he would get to see Kaito in his eighties, tease and feed his ego that he was still a stud in his old age…

...but it kind of just felt like a fantasy. 

“Isn’t your hair pattern determined by your mom’s side anyway? I think Kai-chan would be better off looking at his maternal grandparents instead--though, I do like being able to kiss your cheek and not scratch up my lips. Unless you just want protection against your weak spots,” Kokichi snickered. 

With a sigh, he stretched out alongside Kaito, still in the process of soaking up the fire’s heat himself, especially since he was starting to feel the spots he’d fallen on, not to mention the muscle ache in his legs…

Whining, Kokichi rolled over again to hide his face in Kaito’s busty chest. “Nnnngm, don’t wanna move… I’m half surprised Shuu-chan never came across them on his nosy searches for info. At least the more official portraits during, like, festivals ‘n stuff. People get excited an’ share those across the country, just to kinda share what the leader and heir look like.”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow, looking at Kaito, “Weak point?”

“Shhhhh, no, no, we don’t need to spread that around.” Kaito patted Kokichi’s head, shivering slightly almost on instinct. There was a reason he didn’t lead his lovers to the point on his jaws on his own. It felt really nice, but it also felt super vulnerable, and Kaito tried to protect himself from feeling overwhelmed through sex. Hypocritical and unfair? Absolutely. But he did it anyway. “And, I’m betting that Shuichi didn’t see them becaauuuuse…” Kaito looked expectantly at Shuichi.

Shuichi looked blankly back at him. “I’m not going to fill it in so you can nod knowingly as if you had known all along without having to prove it at all. That’s your brothers move. Make a guess yourself.”

“Ugh. Fine. Always works for Byakuya.” Kaito muttered.

“Sure, because no one is allowed to call him out on it.” Shuichi rolled his eyes.

“I think Shuichi missed it because no one was trying to hide it from him, so he never looked in the places the pictures were.” Kaito said, grinning at Shuichi’s slightly annoyed look, noting that Shuichi wasn’t saying he was wrong as he continued, “Someone like our Shuichi? The best way to keep a secret from him is to convince him it’s not a secret. Then he never goes out of his way to learn it.”

Kokichi peeked up at Kaito, a little surprised. He had figured it was just something more fun for partners to figure out on their own rather than it being any sort of secret. Hmm… Well...maybe this could be a secret for Shuuichi to find out too. He already knew it had something to do with his chin, jaw, or neck so...it would just be experimentation time from there. Shuuichi would probably enjoy that. 

Because the chase was half the fun. 

Laughing softly, Kokichi looked over his shoulder affectionately. “Well, they really aren’t a secret. But neither are, like, criminal records, but Shuu-chan still looked into those. I can imagine it was frustrating, seeing how easy it is to get most information here, even stuff you thought was gonna be real juicy.”

“Thankfully, there are secrets even here, but Shuu-chan just has to figure out what they even are before he can start looking for them.”

“It was a little alarming at first.” Shuichi admitted, looking a tad uncomfortable, shifting his hat slightly, “It’s… maybe difficult to explain. But, we were raised to… consider these sorts of secrets important for a reason. It’s…” Shuichi sighed, looking a little embarrassed. “It’s weird to say this aloud, because it paints me in a weird light, but my desire to know these things about people has always been a character flaw, back in Luminary…”

Kaito chuckled slightly. Enjoying, in a morbid sort of way, Shuichi dealing with the discomfort of self-analysis in the pursuit of explaining something from their home life. Ahhh… good times. Good, existentially terrifying times. “It’s rude. Or, back in Luminary, it’s rude. Taking the details of peoples personal lives for yourself, for whatever reason? Fucked up. Making public their failings? So damn rude. It’s a fucked up thing to do to a person.” Kaito closed his eyes, “Ya know. Back in Luminary.”

“So, when I realized that this country did it as a practice? It was alarming. Because…” Shuichi shrugged, “Dicea does it for all the reasons Luminary doesn’t. Because it shames peoples, ostracizes them, ruins their reputations… I couldn’t understand for a moment what kind of country would do that to their own people… but.”

Shuichi smiled slightly, again shrugging, as Kaito just sighed, reserving himself as his sidekick said cheerfully, “But it works. I can see why this country made the trade-off. Punishment through social degradation works better than punishment through private brutality. Once you see the results, it makes sense. Which makes it overall less alarming.”

Shuichi laughed, before admitting, “Though, that does make my favorite hobby a little more frustrating. There’s no satisfaction in stealing information anyone would let you have.” The ex-detective huffed, “How dull… what kind of secrets does a place like this keep? I want them...”

By now, he could see that, though, being raised in Dicea, it made no sense. Though that feeling made it a little easier to relate to his friends, knowing the sort of...alien feeling seeing that the entire way society was structured was different inspired. 

When you did something wrong...well, you did something wrong. You should feel bad that you messed up. And, depending on what you did...other people should know too. So they wouldn’t place their trust in a place that you historically failed. You could get better, but you then had to really prove it wasn’t a fluke, not just to the biased mirror of yourself, but to everyone. 

And...he wouldn’t say it aloud, but nothing about Luminary said to him that there was any emphasis on being better that society encouraged. It just...benefitted who could hide things the best. Which was why Shuuichi’s habit was so...dangerous. 

Kokichi just...let Shuuichi and Kaito think about the systems as they would, though he smirked over at Shuuichi with a song in his voice. “That’s just what you have to find out~!”

Kaito sighed again, reserving himself. Dicea was a better place… but the exposure of secrets still made the prince feel uncomfortable. His stomach still clenched nervously every time he thought about what the Dicean ambassadors had done when they arrived in Luminary… that awful, exposed feeling. He hoped Byakuya had gotten that rumor they had started settled down and buried… but Marigold’s question during their first conversation together over the phone led Kaito to think stories of his ‘abuse’ was still going around.

Nnngh… people would forget about it eventually. Right? Give it a few years, hopefully… hopefully long before the family had to go visit Luminary. People would forget about it. People would forget about it.

Kaito bit the inside of his lip, and reminded himself that he had a nice rock… small and well polished. Probably needed more polishing soon. He’d polish it a bit later tonight. That would feel better… it was still a stupid practice. But Kaito had learned it was soothing, if he let himself relax during it. The same sort of soothing praying to Atua was, though in some ways less overwhelming. Atua was listening, but the rock wasn’t. There was something calming in that.

...though, now that he thought about it, he mused, “I think I’d like to pray soon. It’s been a few days since I prayed in my shrine… I’m fine!” Kaito added in quickly, noting Shuichi’s concerned look, “Not in crisis or anything. Just haven't talked to my guy in awhile. Either of you wanna pray with me?”

“No thanks, Kaito.” Shuichi said, “I was actually thinking of heading to the archive and talking to Yuliya...bet she knows some secrets…”

Kokichi sighed softly, stretching again. “Both my guys abandoning me… Sorry, Kai-chan, but I think I’m gonna stick by the fire. ‘N I don’t want you to have to, like, not do everything you want while praying for my sake, so...I’ll be thinking of you.”

“Mm, Shuu-chan, do you want your bites of my treats before you head out and ask Yuliya to pull out every file in the archive, or shall I just save em for later?”

As much as Kokichi loved just hanging around with his guys...it still uplifted him, all these months later, to hear them want to go off and do their own things, especially with other people. Living their own lives, though they shared a good bit with him. It was a very comfortable feeling...but so was stretching out in front of the fire and letting the heat chase the aches of his body away. 

“Before you guys leave, could you throw me, like, a blanket and a pillow…?”

“Augh, guess I should put clothes on then…” Kaito leaned over and kissed Kokichi’s neck, saying, “And I still want my story later. I want to know what cool experiments my boys played around with without me.”

“Sure. On that note, Kaito, you should tell us about some stories from your trip. You haven't talked about it much.” Shuichi observed, collecting the throw blanket from the bed and a pillow, bringing them to Kokichi. 

Sitting up, Kaito rubbed the back of his neck a little, stretching his shoulders as he said, “Haven't I? It was mostly pretty… ya know. Routine. Breakfast, dig, lunch, dig, dinner, dig a bit until it got too dark… lots of digging.” 

“Sure. But when you got back, you said there was one particular moment you were excited to tell us about? You never did.”

Kaito looked into the fire a bit, considering… before shrugging. “I was excited cause it was honestly a miracle. And it was a really good thing, but…” he shrugged again. “It really freaked me out. I kept going back and forth between really happy and really freaked. And when I got back and said that, I was happy. And then after that I was freaked again… but yeah.”

“It was actually Chase that found him? We had dug up this…” Kaito frowned, a slightly lost expression on his face, “... we had dug up this nursery? ...anyway, there was clearly a body there. A woman. Her name was Michelle, I found out later… anyway, she’s obviously dead, and we only half dug her up before the sun went down, decided to finish the job the next day. But man, Chase… she would not stop trying to go back to the body. Was acting super strange, kept barking, kept trying to run inside the house, we had to literally drag her away.”

“And I didn’t think about it much, but later? When I was trying to sleep, I kept thinking, like… how Chase doesn’t act like that. She usually sticks to Tim like glue, but she really, really wanted to get to that body, and it was so clearly a mother in a nursery, and it occurred to me like…” Kaito started to pop his joints, “Where was her baby? And the positon she had died in… she was curled up into this ball…”

Kaito suddenly laughed. One of those ‘make himself feel better’ laughs as he said, “It just clicked in my head, like, at midnight, what might have happened, and I freaked the fuck out. Got up, grabbed a gas light, a shovel, ran back to the house. Tim was supposed to be asleep, but I’m crawling back into the house, and I hear Chase barking again, and of course that kid saw me get up and followed me. I told him to go back for Raul, mostly just to get him gone, in case I was wrong and all I was gonna do was expose the kid to a dead baby…” Kaito grinned, and while there was something stressed in his eyes, he seemed genuinely delighted as he said, “But he wasn’t! Jason was fine… the baby’s name was Jason. We found his father… he wasn’t making any noise, and couldn’t even really open his eyes when we pulled him out of her arms, but he was still breathing… it was insane. A total miracle. Her body managed to keep him safe and warm enough to survive all that time… Atua be pleased.”

Kaito sighed, running his hand through his hair, “... but after that, I wanted so badly to come home. Started having nightmares. Kept thinking about Shuichi…. Really wanted to get home and see for myself you guys were alright.” Kaito shrugged, “Really couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Hmm… Kokichi had remembered that there was a story Kaito had wanted to tell them, but...between all of the high running emotions surrounding Kaito’s return, they hadn’t really...gotten around to it in conversation. So, it seemed like that time was right now. 

He cuddled down into the blanket and pillow Shuuichi brought him, murmuring a thanks, but as Kaito got into the story, Kokichi ended up curling around his husband. Putting a hand on his leg, realizing easily why it had hit him so far… Why Kaito kept asking after how he and Shuuichi were doing. Finding a mother whose last actions were to save her child...and the miracle of that working. Who knew if little Jason would’ve still been okay if they’d waited for the morning’s work…

By the end of the story, Kokichi’s eyes were wet and he slung his arms around Kaito’s waist.”...that’s incredible...really a miracle. You…” Kaito...thinking about Chase, might’ve saved that baby’s life. Had given the father hope where it was likely...struggling to hold out. Kokichi let out a shuttered breath as he squeezed Kaito, but when he looked up it was with a grin. “It was really nice to come home and see us alright then. That Shuu-chan’s okay.”

“It was. It was really nice.” Kaito sighed, running his hands through Kokichi’s hair, looking up at Shuichi, who gave him a soft, tired look back. “Maybe that’s a messed up way to look at it, but after seeing the way other peoples lives just… suddenly fell apart? I just wanted to make certain you guys were okay…and you are!” Running his hands down to Kokichi’s neck, he idly rubbed the muscle there, giving a shaky smile as he said, almost to himself, “You are. You’re both fine...nothing happened while I was gone. You’re both fine.”

“We are.” Shuichi agreed, giving Kaito another soft look. “...and you weren’t gone long. And we have plenty of people here who would help us if something did go wrong. You weren’t leaving us to…” Shuichi sighed, looking mildly frustrated, “Too disaster, or anything.”

Kaito shrugged, “Yeah. But I still wanted to see you guys were okay with my own eyes. I just…” Kaito grinned, pulling Kokichi up, giving him a hug, kissing him on the cheek, “I love you guys a lot. It’d… it’d destroy me, if anything happened to you two. To Baby. I just want my family to be safe.” Kaito kissed Kokichi again, sighing, “And you are. Everyone’s safe… we’re just waiting for Maki to come home. Then everyone will be accounted for. Everyone’s safe…”

Shuichi frowned at that, but didn’t say anything. 

Kokichi nodded a bit, enjoying the idle massage Kaito was giving him, knowing that it was a way Kaito reassured himself that he was right there. When disaster struck...it made you turn to what was most important. Wanting to make sure that you could save what you could, or reassure yourself that it was okay. It was easy to give into a negative bias, believing that the whole world was collapsing...so it was important to turn to what mattered and prove that idea otherwise. 

Letting Kaito pull him up a bit, Kokichi leaned in to return a kiss to Kaito’s cheek, holding him in an affectionate hug for a long moment… One day everyone would be safe. There was no way to assure that for everyone always...but you could put in a damn good effort, and the day their family reunited as full as it could be would be a marvelously happy one. 

“It’ll be okay… Life is complicated, but we get to okayness eventually. Just gotta keep working at it.” Kokichi placed another kiss on Kaito’s cheek, cupping his other one affectionately for a moment before he melted back down into his little pile by the fire. “And rest is still work. If you guys need me, this is prolly where I’ll be.”

-

Kaito did end up going to his shrine for a while while Shuichi, somewhat fruitlessly, tried to prod the admin team for secrets. 

Kaito brought his stone, polishing it little by little, as he talked to Atua. He knew he was supposed to polish the stone when he was feeling angry, as a way to ground himself, bring himself back to reality, even when he was angry… and he supposed it did work, now that he was practiced at it. But he had found that as a result, merely the act of mindlessly polishing it had a sort of calming effect on him, and even if he wasn’t angry, it was kinda nice to just do it.

He told Atua about his last few days. He prayed for Kokichi’s health, for Shuichi’s happiness, for Tim’s success and for Maki’s safety. He prayed Kaede and Byakuya would stay calm and rational during these stressful times and not make… any more mistakes they couldn’t take back. He prayed for his families safety. 

He asked Atua about the Luminary Party and prayed for the parties safety. “Yeah, yeah, even if it means you gotta save those two fuckers… the rest of them don’t deserve to get lumped in with their bullshit. Could you send them home soon?”. He prayed for the exchange students that had gone with Maki and prayed for the exchange students that would be sent back once they arrived. He prayed for Yuta. He hoped that his and Hina’s reunion would be a happy one, despite everything.

He prayed for his parents.

He prayed for his lost friends.

He prayed for the priestess’s back at his temples and his friends back at home and prayed that Luminary would be okay. He asked Atua to look after all of them. He, once again, prayed for Byakuya’s patience… and Kaede’s too. 

Katio resisted the urge to pray for Hideki to fall down the stairs and for Nao to die choking on a dildo. He did joke about it, though. Then he prayed for forgiveness for the joke and felt bad for it for a while, polishing the rock some more. He prayed for more patience on his own part too.

Kaito’s prayers were very busy. He had a lot on his mind, these days. He prayed for Jason and his father Michael. He prayed for Michelle, and asked that if she needed any help in her journey, to send Kohtalon to give her aid, because she was someone who deserved a helping hand, and Kaito believed, sincerely, that sending his own spirit animal, at least for one challenge or another, was a request Atua would heed. Atua loved them, after all…

When he was wrapping up, he prayed for Kokichi, Shuichi, Maki and Tim, one more time. And when he returned to the bedroom, he was highly amused to see Shuichi scolding Kokichi for falling asleep right in front of the fire. Apparently worried that Kokichi looked like he was overheating, Shuichi having coaxed him to the bed now. “You were baking.” Shuichi fussed, holding what Kaito could only assume was a wet cloth to Kokichi’s neck. “At least don’t lay directly in front of the fire.”

Kokichi pouted, still looking a little drowsy despite having endured Shuuichi’s scolding for a bit now. “It was so cozy...and I was so tired… It was nice. I’ve gotten much warmer in front of the fire before…” But Kokichi sighed and gave Shuuichi a small, thankful smile, putting his hand over the one Shuuichi was using to cool him down. “But...thanks.”

Glancing over at movement in the corner of his eye, Kokichi waved to Kaito a bit, not jumping out of bed to see him--because he was a little overheated and moving quickly didn’t do his head any favors--but happy nonetheless. “Heya… You have a good prayer session? I dunno if it constitutes for anything, but things were feeling very peaceful.”

“I did,” Kaito said, closing the door behind himself and, with some satisfaction, turning the lock, heading over to his loves. He gave Shuichi a quick kiss on the cheek, before leaning over his shoulder to give Kokichi a quick kiss on the lips… before snorting. “Shuichi’s right, babe, you’re a little hot there. And not in the good way. But yeah, I had a good session. It’s a peaceful kinda day, I think.”

Ask Kaito headed to the bathroom, he called back, “Shuichi? How was the rest of your afternoon, handsome?”

“Tch.” Shuichi tsked, taking the cloth and dabbing the other side of Kokichi’s neck with it now, “The administrators think I’m stupid.”

Kaito rolled his eyes to himself in the bathroom, grabbing his toothbrush before, thinking better of it, he decided to take his medicine first as he called out, “No they don’t.”

“Yeah they do.” Shuichi grumbled, “Every time I go down there, whatever I ask, Yuliya always has this… look on her face. Like she thinks everything I do is ridiculous. Don’t know where she gets off… I just wanted to read all the directories. Table of contents… What's it matter why? It’s not like I was in the way.”

Kokichi pouted a bit at Kaito then, and just resigned himself to being fussed over. It wasn’t the worst thing, though, and the cloth felt kind of nice… Though, he had to raise an eyebrow at what Shuuichi had gone to the archive for. “All the directories? I mean...Yuliya just kind of has that look on her face no matter who’s asking, she’s not very comfortable with people, and if you check anything out of the archive you have to submit a reason--’s jus’ policy… But that’s prolly one of the weirder ones.”

He shook his head a little before regretting it, having to close his eyes to center himself. “In fairness...she probably thought you were gonna have her pick out a ton of records and have her go back and forth… Stuff like that doesn’t actually happen outside of well-meaning mistakes, but she really hates having to take out bits and pieces from the binders and bring them from place to place… We’ve talked about how sometimes you only know what you’re looking for after you’ve read a bit of what you don’t, but she’s more...efficiency-minded, I guess you’d say. Not about the fluff.”

“Look, I don’t want to bother her every time I need something from the archive! I don’t know who made the policy, but it’s their fault she’s the only person I ever see working the counter. If she doesn’t like working with people, she should ask for some help or something, get a partner who does. Or, at least stop giving me a dirty look every time I do something ‘ineffecient’.” Shuichi huffed… before his shoulders slumped, looking embarrassed as he admitted, “Honestly, she barely even did anything. I just found myself annoyed while I was down there and kept feeling bad because she looked hassled every time I asked for something, and even if she wasn’t trying to make me feel bad for being a nuisance, I still found myself getting angry anyway, and… am I always like this? Have I always been like this? God, I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes…”

Shuichi’s face flinched, before he quickly amended, “No, no, not really. Not actually crazy. Just… I wish I wasn’t so frustrated so easily these days. What’s wrong with me?”

Finishing mixing up his medicine, gulping it down, Kaito called out of the bathroom, “Nothings ‘wrong’ with you handsome… but, if you’re feeling easily frustrated, then no, you’re not usually like this. Seiko says it hormones from the pregnancy. Just makes you a little more sensitive than normal. Once you’ve had the baby, it’ll ease up, okay? You’re fine, just be patient!”

“Easy for you to say.” Shuichi grumbled… before sighing, embarrassed again, giving Kokichi a sheepish look, “Sorry.”

There was something to that, but...Yuliya was the best archivist they’d ever had, and while she wasn’t very comfortable with people, she was almost...protective of the organization of the archives. And he had to admit, nothing had gone missing while she’d been working there…

Kokichi gave Shuuichi a soft look and reached over to rub his shoulder a bit, nodding along with Kaito’s explanation. “It’s alright, honey-pie. It’s not your fault that your body’s doin’ funky stuff that messes with your emotions. And I’m sorry that it’s drivin’ you nuts… Wish there was something to do about it but...at least with where our knowledge and medicine is at currently, that’s just the way it is for now. It’ll get better with time.”

Shuichi grumbled something indistinguishable, and Kaito chuckled in the bathroom. His poor grumpy Shuichi… “You had your medicine yet, handsome?”

“No.” Shuichi admitted, taking off his hat and taking the wet cloth to the bathroom, giving Kaito a dry look as the prince immediately stole a kiss once he had walked in, “Kaito, we’re in the bathroom and I’ve been whining for the past twenty minutes. Aren’t you ever not in the mood?”

“Do I have to be in the mood to want a kiss?” Kaito asked, genuinely asking, before kissing Shuichi again, saying, “Take your medicine, get into your pajamas, curl up next to me or Kokichi, you’ll feel better soon, handsome.”

“Hm.” Shuichi said non-committedly, Kaito heading out, leaving him to get himself situated. 

“Oh! Also! IIIIII still haven't gotten my story!” Kaito insisted, heading over to Kokichi and taking his head gently in his hands, kissing Kokichi softly, once, twice, before kissing him gently on the forehead as he asked him quite, “You feeling alright, beautiful?”

Kokichi basked in Kaito’s affection before humming softly, smiling up at his husband. “I’m okay… I’m glad Shuu-chan woke me up when he did, but I’ll be just fine. And when I get undressed tomorrow, don’t freak if you see bruises, alright? They’re just bruises. I hit the ground, so they’ll happen.”

Sighing and speaking a little louder, Kokichi laid back on the pillows. Even if he had just been napping, relaxing even more didn’t seem like a bad time. Just a comfy night with his guys…

Like that night. 

Kokichi grinned wryly up at his husband, a bit of mischief in his eyes. “Yeah? You sure you want your story now? You know Shuu-chan never stays up that long after his meds, so this isn’t gonna lead to anything…”

“Then I’ll have a very nice date with my right hand.” Kaito half-joked, chuckling as he went to the closet to change into some sleeping clothes. Tossing his clothes off and throwing them into the hamper, he grabbed a simple white shirt with some red lines on it and white striped pajama pants, heading back to Kokichi and leaping onto the bed, sighing as he shifted onto his back, “Man, I can’t wait for winter to be over… I really hate sleeping clothes. Feel like I’m twisting myself into knots at night. I really don’t know how you two do it willingly.”

“But! Yes, my story! Please and thank you!” Kaito insisted, shifting onto his stomach and putting his arm around Kokichi’s waist, resting his head on his husband lap as he looked up at him with an excited, eager grin, “Was Shuichi in a good mood? Or was he our grumpy Shuichi? What were you guys wearing? Get me in the headspace!”

Shuichi came out of the bathroom, heading to the closet to change himself as he said, “You make my grumpiness sound like a positive, Kaito. Why would you want to know if I was fussy and mean?”

“Fussy and mean can be kind of cute, sometimes.” Kaito admitted, looking at Shuichi with open adoration, “I was in love with Maki most of our childhood, and she’s grumpy all the time. I mean… clearly it’s a personality trait I’m not not interested in…”

Shuichi opened his mouth, like he was going to argue…. And then closed it, thinking it over before shrugging, mumbling “Got me there.”

“And I have no clue how it feels like that to you when you’re the more stationary sleeper here. Apparently I use our bed like a jungle gym, and still clothes just feel soft and comfortable…” Kokichi giggled a bit as Kaito jumped into bed, running his fingers gently through Kaito’s hair. 

He’d thought it before and he’d think it again--Kaito’s ability to find something to love or admire in any person, in almost any trait...it was really admirable. And it made it very easy to pull yourself out of mean thought when, as Shuuichi demonstrated...there really wasn’t any way to argue to yourself about being unlovable. Because Kaito’s love wasn’t hampered by much. 

Smiling down in affection, Kokichi worked on brushing all of Kaito’s hair out of his face. “Well...it was right after Hajime-chan and Chiaki-chan invited us out, and we had our big snowball battle… After being out and active in the snow like that, sitting in front of the fire sounded really nice, and Shuu-chan agreed to my wish to get a bunch of pillows and blankets and cuddle. We got hot chocolates from the kitchen, and Shuu-chan ordered some tea for later, and we got it all set up to warm up and relax…”

Kokichi closed his eyes himself for a moment, caught up in the nice memory of curling up by the fire. Mostly because that’s what he’d just been doing that day. “As for the mood...it was mostly just kind of...comfortable and affectionate. But it did swing here and there, ‘cause Shuu-chan and I talked for hooooours. And you know us--it can be the joys of talking about different candies or spurring on our respective anxieties. Didn’t have our Kai-chan to help mellow it out.”

As Shuichi got dressed in the closet, door partially closed, he remembered, right… he had spent a considerable amount of time trash-talking Kaito, and then in a roundabout way, accidently accused Kokichi of rapeing him. That had been a tough conversation… but it reminded Shuichi that he really did need to have that conversation with Kaito too. For real, not just glossing over it. He knew a lot of his anger and anxieties were… well, he wouldn’t argue ‘unwarranted’, but he would argue ‘solvable’ if he was just willing to talk to Kaito about them…

He’d make time later. 

Meanwhile, on the bed, Kaito gave a small, happy little sigh, enjoying Kokichi’s hands through his hair as he said, “Yeah, I get that. Atua knows I’ve dampened plenty of sexy times with waaaay too serious talks. I think it’s maybe just our natures. There’s, ya know… communication inherently in sex? I think? Like, if we’re in the headspace needed to be intimate physically? It probably means we’re also in the headspace we need to be in to be intimate emotionally…”

Kaito laughed, shaking his head as he said, “Trust me, not even kind of universally true for people. Most people hate when you bring personal feelings into the bed… at least in my experience. It distracts them and makes them uncomfortable… but us?” Kaito shrugged, taking Kokichi’s hand and squeezing it, playing with his fingers a little, “We’re suited for it… oh man, though, with Maki, she would-”

“Kaito.” Shuichi said sharply, his voice scolding as he came out in pajamas, medicine taken, heading over to the bed, “Careful. You don’t want to share any locker room stories she wouldn’t want us to hear, right?”

Kaito deflated a little at that… before nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. Just, long story short, she communicates in her own way. We’re a communicative group… so! You guys were all talking and stuff, and then what!?”

It sounded so baffling to be able to be physically intimate and keep your emotions separate… Kokichi didn’t think he’d be able to do it if he tried. But it was pretty necessary if you had casual sex--that’s what made it casual. If you had to be so vulnerable and open with your emotions with every person you slept with, you’d either end up with a lot of partners, or a lot of people who knew waaaaaay too much about you, he figured. A little scary…

Nodding a bit as Kaito’s own story was cut off--though for a very good reason--Kokichi traced the shell of Kaito’s ear before resuming his little pets. “Well, we were sort of laughing at each other for getting so serious in such a cute moment and...I kinda mentioned how a lot of people, at least in terms of the cliche, likely wouldn’t be talking for long enough to get as serious as we did, and…”

“I mean, neither of us were opposed to it,” Kokichi said softly, his cheeks growing pink though there was a shy smile on his face. “So...we kinda got more into that mindset. Kissed some more...and, eventually, we were gonna get naked, right? So I…”

Kokichi’s face reddened a bit more, absolutely embarrassed to admit how he got naked, but not upset to be telling Kaito. He looked away, though, unable to keep eye contact while he said it. “...well, I wanted to keep the mood, and do somethin’ nice for Shuu-chan, you know? So...I took some of your pointers.”

Kaito grinned lightly, tilting his head curiously as he said, “My pointers?”

Kaito’s intrigue was only furthered as both Kokichi and Shuichi turned red, Shuichi putting his hand over his mouth, hiding a little embarrassed smile as he said, “...it was very sweet. And…” Shuich laughed, giving Kokichi a somewhat apologetic look as he said, “kind of funny. But very sexy…”

“Come on, stop teasing… what’d he do?!”

Shuichi laughed again, taken right back to that moment, as he said, voice full of affection, “Our Kokichi did this little… sexy shimmy? Out of his clothes… like a little danc-”

“You did a strip-tease!?” Kaito said, sitting up and looking over at Kokichi, eyes wide, “Oh my god, really!?”

Kokichi had to turn away even more, lifting a hand to cover his face though you could still see the shy smile underneath as he nodded a bit. “I wanted it to be nice for Shuu-chan… It was kind of silly, but...it was a good time. And I needed to get out of my clothes anyway...I just put some more care into it, instead of rushing ahead.” He glanced Kaito’s way for just a moment with another nod, referencing the more specific thing he’d taken from his husband’s cue. 

Kaito grinned wide, something extremely affectionate rushing through him, leaning in to kiss Kokichi’s cheek as he gushed, “Awwww… look at my ‘Kichi. Learning to take his time and enjoy himself…”

He looked to Shuichi, saying “Was he adorable?”

Shuicho rolled his eyes, shifting the pillows around and laying them against the headboard to support his back as he leaned against it, sighing as he relaxed. “Yes. But also very sexy. It was nice…” Shuichi smiled, looking away as he said, “Especially when he tools his pants off? He did this little wiggle and twisted himself so that his, ya know…” Shuichi blushed, “His ass was pointed towards me… pffff.” Shuichi covered his face. A pleased look hidden behind his hands.

“Aggggh, how did I miss this?” Kaito groaned, looking pleadingly at Kokichi as he said, “Can you recreate it? Tell me more!”

“No!” Kokichi squeaked before he turned a little more red, mumbling an addendum. “...maybe sometime.”

Clearing his throat, Kokichi tried to continue with the story, looking more Shuuichi’s way than Kaito’s, though he was slowly calming himself down. “And I helped Shuu-chan with his pants and...we were kinda just figuring out what we wanted to do. At first, Shuu-chan asked me to lie back a little, and he wanted to just touch me first...and it was very nice… Could’a lost it right there if, yanno, we weren’t doing anything else…” Kokichi gave his boyfriend an adoring smile before slowly looking back over to Kaito. 

“But I wanted to touch Shuu-chan back, of course. So after he’d gotten me all hot, I sat back up to start working on him. And, of course, kissin’ Shuu-chan a lot, ‘cause he’s very cute and hot and kissable.”

Kaito laid back down, putting his head back in Kokichi’s lap-- since it was apparent he was not about to get a recreation of the sexy dance-- but reaching out for Shuichi’s hand, who indulgently let him have it, not playing idly with his thin fingers as as Kaito nodded sagely, “He is all of these things, certainly, certainly… I bet you’re uniquely breathtaking right now too, handsome. All glowing and sweet... I really would like to see you fully, if you’d let me…”

Shuichi let Kaito play with his fingers, before saying, “Not tonight, Kaito. Like Kokichi said, I’m going to be asleep not too long from now.”

Kait sighed, not really having meant tonight… but, “Okay. So, Kokichi’s been all rubbed down, and knowing our Shuichi, he was probably relentless for a minute there-”

“I’m not relentless…” Shuichi pouted.

“-so Kokichi’s all flustered and red and cute as fuck, and the beast has made an appearance…”

Shuichi hesitated for half a second, but unable to hold back knowing how frustrated it would make Kaito, and kind of wanting that… “Kokichi was very attentive. He gave me a very gentle handjob, and… was very gentle with my chest-”

“WHAT!?” Kaito groaned, letting go of Shuichi’s hands and putting them over his eyes, digging his palms into his eyelids as he said, “I missed everything… sexy dances? Shuichi letting us touch his chest… what did I do to deserve this…?”

Kokichi couldn’t help snickering softly, shooting Shuuichi a look both mischievously knowing and affectionate, though he did manage to not say that Kaito left. Considering all their feelings around that...it was a bit too much. But he just weaved his fingers back into Kaito’s hair, laughing. “Poor Kai-chan… We both knew this would be your reaction when we told you about it. But if the timing’s right, Kai-chan will get his turn too. Eventually.”

“I always meant to be attentive and affectionate, but I might’ve been a little too gentle with Shuu-chan’s handjob,” he hummed, still continuing on with the story, because Kokichi knew that if he stopped for too long he’d be too flustered to continue. “Predictably, I finished first, and at the end there, I had both my hands on The Beast along with Shuu-chan touching himself too. Then...we cleaned up with a spare sheet and took a nap in front of the fire, ‘cause it was way too comfortable to go back to bed. We did end up going back, though, setting things in order before dinner. And that was our nice time cuddling right before the storm hit.”

“Awwww…” Kaito sighed, a happy, far away look on his eyes as he stared at the ceiling, resting his hands on his stomach as he said, entirely pleased, “Kokichi all spent and happy, both of them working on The Beast… man, I’d have loved to have seen all that. I love watching you two explore each other… you’re always so sweet to each other…”

There was something incredibly soft in Kaito’s expression as he mused lightly, almost to himself, “I’m always going to be grateful you two have each other… your Kai-chan’s a brute too often, too early. You both deserve someone who’s sweet and gentle…” he sighed, closing his eyes, “I always kinda just want to devour you two…”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow, “Strange way to word it.”

Kaito shrugged, “It’s just a turn of phrase. Metaphors, man. It feels like a less crass way of saying you two make me horny and desperate as fuck.”

Kokichi started tracing Kaito’s ear again, happy with how content Kaito looked, even if parts of the story had been embarrassing to tell. And that Kaito would likely ask him for a strip-tease every time he took off his clothes now...but there were worse things in the world. 

“I like how passionate Kai-chan is too,” Kokichi admitted in a soft hum, settling down more in their bed. They weren’t quite in sleeping positions, but...it sure was comfy. “I like both of you, separate and together, every little shade… I don’t even think I’d be able to say what kind of atmosphere or how you treat me I like better, and not just in a pleasing everyone sort of way. I like everything for different reasons and different situations… Even if it was really good, it’d be kind of boring for things to be the same all the time. So...I like Shuu-chan when we’re both shy and gentle, and the Shuu-chan that’s curious and intense. I like Kai-chan who makes sure I’m always comfortable, and the possessive Kai-chan that takes up my whole world. They exist all together and at odds...and I like it all.”

“I just love you both. Nothing more to it than that.”

“Yeah,” Kaito murmured, enjoying the feeling of Kokichi playing with his ear, as he said, “I like my vocal, mewling ‘Kichi who’s always so honest about how he’s feeling… never makes me feel alone or makes me worried I’m not enough, so patient with me… and my sexy Shuichi…” Kaito snickered, opening his eyes and looking up at Shuichi, who looked amused at his two loves gushing, “You’re always so cute and timid right up until you get an idea in your head… and then? You’re ruthless. You’re going to be terrifying someday…”

“You say that with so much excitement. “ Shuichi observed, still mostly just amused. “I’ll never really understand your tastes. Do you like being our whole world, all growly and possessive, or do you want me to step on you?”

“Yes.” Kaito simply sighed. Before, following that up immediately with, “But, more than that, I just want you two to be safe and happy, and I don’t want anything I do to get in the way of that… so! With that in mind?”

Kaito sat up, shuffling himself off the bed, getting up with a stretch, “I’m gonna let you two get comfy and sleepy for bed and go deal with my damn horniness in the bathtub real quick.”

“You’re taking a bath?” Shuichi asked.

“Nope! But I am going to sit in the tub a bit!” Kaito called over his shoulder, heading to the bathroom. “Don’t wait up!”

Kokichi could feel his heart melt a little. You could feel someone else’s love, of course, but...it was still really nice to hear them talk about it themself. Everything Kaito said...it made him proud, knowing he was on the right track about what kind of lover he wanted to be. 

Still, he had to laugh as Kaito got up to do another bit of being a good lover. “Love you, hun. If I’m asleep by the time you come back, goodnight.”

Turning to Shuuichi, he quirked a smile before sliding to properly lie down, shuffling over to Shuuichi’s side. “...not bad a prize to concede? I almost expected you to weigh the scales like that… I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable, talking to the scientists…”

Shuichi watched the bathroom door close with an amused look, wondering how long Kaito would end up taking in there, considering all of his ‘self-pampering’ talk when it came to masturbating. Heh… Shuichi yawned, almost a little disappointed with his own sleepiness. He’d love to tease Kaito some more…

“It wasn’t.” Shuichi said, scooting in closer to Kokichi, shifting himself down to lay his head on the pillows, pulling the blankets over himself as he said, after a moment of reflection, “... it sometimes makes me a little uncomfortable to be called the surrogate. Like a title… that was the only real uncomfortable part. I’m...not really sure why.” Shuichi admitted, blinking sleepily and frowning lightly… before shrugging. “Otherwise they were very nice people, who would have allowed me to tease Kaito for a little bit longer. Very into bugs. Very enthusiastic about it. They really didn’t talk about much else.”

Kokichi nuzzled Shuuichi’s shoulder a bit once he came close enough to do so, getting warm and cozy next to him. It was certainly not the time to get into it, but...hm. Maybe...Shuuichi was uncomfortable because it boiled him down to something he hadn’t wanted. Or because it was reliant on a relationship, rather than Shuuichi on his own…

...or maybe because it was another step away from ‘boyfriend’. Or husband. Again, Kokichi thought about proposing...and, again, he knew it wasn’t a fair time. 

Humming a bit, Kokichi sighed as he let his eyes close. “The work they’re doing is really important, and I can talk about it in that context, but…” He grimaced, a little shudder going through his body. “When I take myself out of it and think about how they’re trying to make more bugs around...eeugh… Glad nothing in the proposal got too in-depth about the bugs themselves… I really don’t need more nightmare fuel.”

“So it’s not just spiders then.” Shuichi observed, curling in closer to Kokichi, enjoying the scent of his hair as he pressed his forehead ever so slightly against Kokichi’s, “I mean, I knew you were phobic of bugs in general, but I always sort of assumed spiders were the worst of it. Is it all bugs, or just certain types? Would a butterfly or a moth affect you the same way a cockroach or a grasshopper would?”

Another little shudder, and Kokichi slid down under the blankets some more, peeking up at Shuuichi as if being under the covers made bugs any less real. “I...think spiders are the worst, though I’ve never really wanted to compare. I guess...butterflies and moths are kinda pretty aesthetically, but...i-if one flew into me?”

Kokichi shook his head, scrunching his eyes shut tight, and it was clear from the way his voice wavered at the end that just thinking about it wigged him out. “Nm mm!! NO! No way! Stay away from me please!”

Shuichi opened his eyes, a surprised, worried look on his face as he put an arm around Kokichi’s shoulder and back as he said, “Hey, are you oka-”

The bathroom door suddenly opened, and a red face, shirtless, um, ‘compromised’ but ferocious looking Kaito suddenly came out, looking around as if he was expecting to fight someone immediately as he said, “The fuck is happening out here!? Who are you shouting at!?”

Kokichi jumped slightly, turning to peek over the sheets before he squeaked and pulled them back over his head, too flustered to look at Kaito even a bit. Voice still a little wavery, he reached a hand out from under the covers instead to wave Kaito off. “I-I’m fine! Sorry! I thought about b-bugs and freaked myself out…”

Kaito took another look around, like he wasn’t entirely hearing Kokichi… but when he didn’t see any danger, and with Kokichi’s explanation, Kaito just sighed, running a hand over the back of his neck as he said, “Geez… you two are determined to blue-ball me, huh? Scared the shit out of me…”

“You don’t look as if you’ve been taken out of the mood too much.” Shuichi observed, staring at the, uh… ‘tent’. That Kaito was hoisting. 

Kaito looked down, and had the decency to look a little embarrassed, stepping ever so slightly back into the bathroom as if he could keep his hips out of view, before looking at them both seriously and saying, “You’re good? For real? I can stay out here if you need me, I don’t need to go back in there if you’re not feeling safe babe...”

Kokichi shook his head under the covers, making a sort of ‘fwipfwipfwip’ sound. Though...okay. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down, not thinking about what actually happened, but just...he was in bed with his boyfriend, and they were settling down for the night. Everything was okay. 

He straightened out, head peeking out of the covers again to rest against Shuuichi’s arm, though he still didn’t look Kaito’s way. “I’m good… Sorry for scaring you, hun.”

Kaito sighed again, feeling a little better to see Kokichi out of the covers and curled into Shuichi, not actively hiding… “Alright. You two shout if you need me for anything, okay?”

“Just try not to be too loud yourself, Kaito. We’re trying to sleep here.” Shuichi teased lightly, turning back to look at Kokichi, smiling warmly as Kaito went, yeah, yeah, the bathroom door closing behind him again. With him gone, Shuichi whispered quietly, “...I’m sorry. I think that was my fault. We won’t talk about that anymore.”

Kokichi sighed again and nuzzled at Shuuichi’s shoulder again. “It’s alright… It’s the trade off I get for having a vivid imagination, you know? But...yeah. It’s not a subject I really enjoy talking about…”

“...it always feels silly, after the fact. I know you can’t really help phobias, but...I always feel so dumb, freaking out so much over just...something so natural in the world. That really is good, but just...makes me feel so terrified I’m gonna die…”

Shuichi had been about to reassure Kokichi that he really didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about… but he found what Kokichi said so curious that he opened his eyes again, compelled to ask, “Your phobia of ‘them’-” he said vaguely, hoping that not saying the words might keep Kokichi’s mind from wandering back to their images, “Makes you feel like you’re gonna die? I always assumed for phobias like that it was some sort of… I don’t know, I guess. A feeling of repulsion? I’m sorry, Kokichi… that’s really unfortunate. I wish there was something I could do… other than just try to keep you away from them, I suppose.”

“I don’t know that the feelings are that far apart,” he sighed again, squishing his cheek into Shuuichi’s shoulder. “There’s definitely a hell of a lot of repulsion. Bugs are gross.” Kokichi wrinkled his nose a bit, still thinking vaguely enough to be alright.

“But when they’re around me...I freeze up and it feels like I can barely breathe and...it’s like it’s the end of the world. From a little creature just existing and doing its thing in the world… At least my being afraid of blood makes a little more sense.” Blood never meant anything good in Kokichi’s life, and not just because of his phobia. If he saw his own blood, that was a pretty damn good indicator of danger. Severe danger that actually could kill him. Having an adverse reaction to it just made sense. 

“Hmmm…” Shuichi closed his eyes, cuddling close to Kokichi. Hoping his presence was calming, at least, as he said softly, “You don’t have to justify it. Not to me, anyway. I know you wouldn’t react like that if you could help it, you’re not the dramatic sort. At least, not in ways that would purposefully worry others. So…” Shuichi shrugged, sleepily murmuring, “It’s just a thing. We all have things. We’ll keep you away from those things, not talk about them…” 

Shuichi took in a long, sleepy breath. His medicine was really starting to kick in hard, as he murmured, “I know you’d do the same for me. If the roles were reversed. So… as far as I’m concerned? That’s all the explanation I need.”

It still wasn’t something he was happy about… But Kokichi cracked an eye open, watching Shuuichi get drowsier by the second with a soft, adoring look. It wasn’t the ideal situation...but he had people that cared about him, and didn’t mind doing a little extra for him. And he was truly grateful for that.

“Thanks, Shuu-chan,” Kokichi murmured, getting sleepier himself just looking at Shuuichi. Adjusting his position a little back to prime cuddling access, Kokichi leaned in to kiss Shuuichi’s cheek before he settled down, feeling the call of sleep entice him to follow not long after his boyfriend. “I appreciate it… Good night, I love you.”

Shuichi sighed sleepily, saying incredibly softly, “Love you too.” before going off to his cycle, spending the night watching Kokichi dance around the ice, Kaito looking pleased and excited, and ending the cycle with Kokichi’s breathy little ‘I love you’ before the cycle started again.

So, all in all, a very restful sleep.

Kaito finally came out about forty-five minutes later (because he knows how to treat himself, thank you very much), relaxed and enjoying a warm afterglow, feeling entirely content as he went to replenish the fire a bit, before heading to the bed, fixing the blanket around Shuichi’s feet, heading up to kiss him gently on the shoulder before brining the cover up to his shoulder as well. Then he headed over to Kokichi, chuckling slightly to himself as he found his husband had accidently knocked his pillow so far back that literally only the very top of his head was on it. Gently tilting Kokichi’s head up, readjusting the pillow more securely under him, Kaito leaned down to give Kokichi a kiss on his temple, before getting himself under the blankets as well.

As he fell asleep, he reminded himself to bring up the idea of replacing some of their morning trainings with skating sessions to the kids. See if it was too out of the way for the girls to get too. He should probably talk to their parents. If they could get the timing down, it’d probably be fun…

...and it’d be worth it to let Kokichi do something he really enjoyed.

...hmmmm… he’d have to come up with something for Shuichi to do as well… he’d talk to Shuichi about it.

With that thought in mind, Kaito fell asleep.

-

Alter Ego stretched inside of Hiro’s mind, yawning slightly. Hiro wasn’t doing much today, and in the back of his mind, he had felt the others getting restless, trying to rest while he had his hands on the wheel, but just… bored with his day of giving mostly bullshit prophecy’s to customers paying top dollar to be bullshitted too. They wanted to do something useful… they wanted to go see Kokichi.

So, when Hiro went to bed that night, Alter Ego opened their eyes, and decided as a group, “Let’s go see Kokichi.”

And then they leapt.

Kokichi was...not quite dreaming, but not quite lucid either. Somewhere in between...which was pretty nice, because he was ice skating. Aware enough that his desire let him do so, but not enough that it spoiled his fun. There was the impression that other people were around, but really...it was just Kokichi and the ice, not lonely, but giving him the space to really speed around and try out some simple tricks. Pretty much what he had actually done that day, but without the slight wobbles and constant corrections he’d had to make. 

Just that freeing, flying feeling…

But not to be for the whole night. 

Kokichi opened his eyes, spotting gold among the pillows of white as he zoomed around. Alter Ego didn’t really like the cold… As he turned, a raised cushion came out from the snow, somehow warmed without melting the snow around it, and it wasn’t long before Kokichi slowed to a stop at the edge of the rink in front of it, his skates changing to boots as he stepped off. “Good evening! How’s it goin’, Alter Ego?”

Alter Ego, who had been shivering somewhat uncomfortably on the snow for a minute there (technically they didn’t have too, the snow itself of course just an illusion, but… man. The power of metaphor.) sighed in relief when the warmed cushion formed underneath them, licking the snow off their little pawsies while Kokichi played around on the ice. As the young empath circled back around to them, Alter Ego looked up at him, tail flicking in amusement as they greeted, “Kokichi. Good evening. I hope your last few days have gone well. I am not here because I felt any signs of stress off of you.”

Looking around at the ice, they conceded, “I apologize for interrupting such a nice dream. You can go back to it in a moment if you like, but I was wondering if tonight was a good night for more training? Did you have anything pressing you needed to do tomorrow that can’t risk you being exhausted in the morning?”

Ah, good. It was so brief, but Kokichi would’ve felt bad if he worried Alter Ego with his little freak out before bed… Like he’d told Shuuichi, it was embarrassing, and if that’s how it felt even telling his boyfriend, telling his mentor would be even worse. 

Thinking for a moment, Kokichi shook his head, giving the cat something of an excited smile. “Just a normal day tomorrow, so if I need to sleep in, I can. Maki-chan probably will when she comes back, but right now no one really gets on my case if I miss training...though Kai-chan said that we might do skating for training sometimes so...well, we can come to that when we come to it,” he shrugged. 

Looking around the tranquil snowscape for a moment, Kokichi turned back to his feline friend with a grin. “So? Are we keeping on with defensive training tonight?”

Alter Ego nodded their golden little head, giving a small little ‘meow’ as a warning before jumping up from the cushion into Kokichi’s arms, indulging himself as he petted his head underneath Kokichi’s chin, before putting his paws against Kokichi’s chest as he said, “I do want to keep working on your passive defense. Unfortunately, we didn’t make… a lot of progress last time.” Alter Ego said gently.

 Kokichi hadn’t managed to make any passive guards or traps at all, last time they had tried, though Alter Ego knew without a doubt Kokichi had the power level to do it. But… “So, I’ve been re-thinking our tactics. I think you understand the concept in theory...”

The cat looked over his shoulder, and a chalk board appeared, the designs he had drawn onto them last time still there as Alter Ego recapped, “Empaths, to protect themselves from being entered and explored by other empaths, hiveminds, psychics, and hexes, can create-- using a mixture of idle willpower, memories, and imagination-- mental alarm systems to let you know when you’re being prodded, traps to keep people from exploring, and even entire beings whose job it is to protect you from surprise interference, when you’re doing other things in the real world.” 

On the board, to present this, Kokichi’s head was drawn, with a big empty circle in his forehead to represent his ‘brain’, and in the circle was a bell, a spiked trap, and a little happy centaur with a battle-ax. Outside the drawn head, was a bunch of unhappy stick figures, trying and failing to poke their way into him.

“This means that an empath trying to invade or influence you, even if in the real world you were, say, ice skating, can be held off or deflected, either entirely, or long enough for you to get your body to a safe place before you have to dive into your own mindscape to protect yourself… and while you could create those things in theory? Holding them idly without it draining or distracting you proved more difficult… it's not impossible. It’s just going to take more practice for you. And, I think… maybe more practical examples to learn from.”

“So! My idea is that maybe you need to see another empath’s idle defenses in action! And see how it works in practice.” Alter Ego looked back up at Kokichi, ears twitching, as she asked, “What do you think? Up to poking into another Empath’s consciousness?”

Kokichi laughed softly as Alter Ego leapt into his arms and he adjusted slightly to be able to hold the cat, giving them little pets where he could still move his hands. Alter Ego was a great teacher, but Kokichi considered it a nice little bonus that they enjoyed being pet, and he enjoyed petting them. It was a sort of casual affection that just made things...nice. 

A little brighter when he was struggling with things too. Kokichi knew that it would just take practice and that he shouldn’t get disheartened when he’d only started relatively soon, especially considering he didn’t remember anything when he was awake, but...it was still a bit of a bummer. Mostly because...Kokichi knew that if anyone tried to get into his mind while he was awake...he was pretty much defenseless, though he might just be uncomfortable. Like what happened at the magic shop. 

And he did appreciate Alter Ego coming to bat for him, but he didn’t have to want to bother them every time his waking self got uncomfortable. 

Nodding along with his mentor’s summary of what they’d gone through thus far...ha. Thinking about the magic shop was already on the right path. Smiling slightly, Kokichi shifted a little to scratch at Alter Ego’s ears. “I don’t think I’d be that thrilled about invading someone’s mind just to see their defences… But that guy from before, Mikado? Who read me, but I didn’t know what was going on so I accidentally called you? He did sort of...give something of an open invitation. I think seeing an example would be really helpful so...I think he might be the best person to see without feeling like I’m overstepping my bounds too much. What do you think?” 

“Ah, yes, Mikado.” Alter Ego sighed, “The jester. He’s somewhat infamous, for the local empaths, anyway. I heard about him long before I met him. His choices are one of those things that apparently caused a lot of debate with the locals, whether it was something the community should be concerned about or not. An Empath so publicly using his powers, for money, in such a… silly way? Literally peeking inside hundreds of people every week?”

Alter Ego’s tail twitched, before admitting, “I think he’s a little ridiculous, myself, but ultimately where I fall into it is that the man seems harmless. He’s a low level empath whose figured out how to master the limited abilities he has into something he can make a living off of and enjoys doing… and so long as he never abuses his position? Taking peeks into so many people so regularly... then I suppose it’s a little weird, but otherwise fine. That’s how I feel about it, anyway.”

Though, Alter Ego also thought a close eye should be kept on the guy by the community. He had access to a lot of children especially, all of them literally standing in a line to unknowingly sit still for him while he peeked through their heads. That was always something to keep watch over.

“But, Mikado is an expert, given his limited power set, and he has given you permission to visit… yes. Mikado is likely an ideal example. Alright!” 

The cat leapt out of Kokichi’s hands, standing on what could best be described as an invisible platform, hovering in the air, as he looked back at Kokichi, “Would you like to try to open the link between yourself and him? Or would you like me to do it?”

It certainly was a little more invasive...but Kokichi was of a like mind that it was ultimately harmless. It was just like commercializing any skill and...well, maybe this was an unfair comparison to Shuuichi, but it wasn’t like Mikado was looking for secrets, for a nefarious purpose or personal satisfaction. It was just...silly. Taking a look at a person literally just to see where they fell on the alignment chart of Piglumps houses. And Mikado wasn’t even doing it to make people face anything uncomfortable about themselves since he adjusted his spiel if there was a particular house they wanted. 

As long as it never left that context? It was just fun. 

Smiling that Alter Ego agreed on the visit, Kokichi took a breath, looking at the empty air in front of them. “I’ll give it a shot! But, uh...if it’s gonna take me all night, we can switch to you.”

The hunting metaphor never really clicked for Kokichi, but to reach out and find the mind he was looking for… The sound of quickly flipping pages filled the air, a catalog of every resident of Usot invisibly leaping to the “page” Kokichi was looking for (and, naturally, the catalog would become as specific or broad as he needed, but the city was fine for now) and...there! 

Coming across the name he was looking for, feeling the slightest response, a golden portal opened, and without much hesitation Kokichi took a running start before leaping through. 

Mikado Sannoji, in the real world, was a tall, blond, charming, but ultimately normal looking young man in his late twenties. The most distinctive thing you could say about him was that he had some nice head of hair, that came down in slightly curling waves to his shoulders.

In his dreamscape?

The jester had an eye for the theatrics, and that showed in his mental self image. In the dreamscape, he wore a long, elaborate cape, with long, high collars, and a semi-formal suit beneath that. And, on his face, was half a mask beneath an overly large tophat, and while his normal face never so much as flickered with expression, golden eye always staring blankly out? The mast he wore was incredibly expressive, the paint on it changing and bending to his ever slightest whim.

Mikado was not dreaming right now. But he was in a ‘tranquil’ state, sitting cross legged on a teal colored lotus flower, a blue-ish glass around him as he sat impassively inside of it. The flower itself floated idly on a massive, still lake, forests and mountains in the far, far distance, the sky going from a calming blue, to a more distant orange and red, to the black nothingness of the void.

It was all. Very. Tranquil. And all. Very. Still.

So, when Kokichi and Alter Ego stepped through the portal, there was an immediate disturbance, their footsteps against the surface of the lake making the ever so slightest ripple…

And those ripples made small, tinkling bell sounds in the air. Little chimes in the wind, as the otherwise incredibly still, silent atmosphere rippled from Kokichi’s touch.

“Careful, Kokichi.” Alter Ego said, sitting on the waters surface, looking around. “Mikado is a low-level empath, as said before, but incredibly skilled… we’ve already alerted him to our presence…” she said, listening to the distant chimes. “See if you can spot his other defenses before they activate.”

Kokichi looked around the mindscape in interest, not always comfortable with the idea of seeing into someone’s being, but when he was there? How could he not look around? And it was super interesting, a sort of place Kokichi hadn’t seen before, and he kind of doubted existed in reality at all. A piecing together of things into something Mikado wanted…

Bells, huh? For someone that worked in a shop, it made a lot of sense. Choose something that you were already accustomed to paying attention to…

Nodding at Alter Ego’s lesson, Kokichi looked around with a little more purpose. Maybe the ripples on the water themselves could be more than just an activation for the chimes, maybe being a “physical” sensation as well...covering base on multiple senses. And...hmm… Nothing coming in from the distance as he could tell, the mountains still and stalwart...nothing seemed weird with the wind, other than their disturbance of it. So...ah!

Gently crouching, Kokichi pointed down into the water, seeing movement below and from afar. “Fish?” he whispered, feeling the calm of such an area and not wanting to disturb it any more than he was by being there. However, he squinted at the forms. “Though...from that distance, they look kinda…”

...gigantic.

Three, massive (if quite pretty) koi fish rose up from the water, breaking the surface as they swam through the water, somehow moving freely through it without creating any ripples at all. Two of the koi fish swam long, casual circles around Kokichi and Alter Ego, while the last one swam circles around the lotus flower Mikado was sat upon. 

Two to inquire. One to protect. 

As the koi fish swam around them, a light started to glow from the water below them, bordered by the fish’s movements. Inside of Kokichi and Alter Ego’s bodies, something warm stirred. Poking. Prodding.

“He’s feeling for intent.” Alter Ego explained, looking at the fish and feeling weirdly hungry. “The fish are a part of his subconscious, reading our surface desires and making a judgment call on us. You see, instead of taking himself out of his protective shell, which is that glass around his body?” Alter Ego said, gesturing to the lotus flower, “And dealing with us himself? It’s potentially safer for him to remain hidden in the spot where his defenses are strongest against us, then to expose the rest of his consciousness to us by addressing us directly. So, his fish here are trying to decide if we’re a danger to him or not, and if it’s safe to come out.”

“In theory, we could trick him. Hide our wicked intent.” Alter Ego said, reaching out to playfully boop one of the passing fish on the fins, “Or, we could overpower the fish, who are likely also his main attack force if he was trying to expel us. Shatter the glass, drag him out. Rip holes into his consciousness to get access to other places, as this area is likely it’s own closed loop… that’s the sort of thing he’d defending against.”

Alter Ego looked up at his charge, before saying gently, “But we’re not here with any wicked intent. So, I’d recommend just explaining your presence to his fish, and asking him to come out.”

Kokichi shivered for a moment, not having expected the prodding feeling, but...it didn’t feel invasive. More like the feeling of someone looking you up and down casually than like...making sustained, intense eye contact, staring into your soul. For something like that...Kokichi didn’t feel like he needed to defend against it. It was Mikado’s defence anyway. 

But to have something capable in your subconscious of reading intent...it was impressive. Maybe something basic for empaths, but since Kokichi was struggling with maintaining it...he still watched the fish swim their circles with some awe. And if they were able to defend too?

Though...he deflated a bit as Alter Ego explained the sort of thing they’d be defending against. The sort of thing an attacker would do… Kokichi didn’t want to think anyone would want to do something like that...but he couldn’t assume that. Doing so would be leaving himself ignorant and vulnerable. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi reached out into the water, gently feeling the fish swim by. “Um… It’s Kokichi Ouma and Alter Ego here to visit. I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I’m learning how to set up defences, and since you offered for me to come visit sometime, we thought it would be a good chance to see yours. I would still like to talk if you’re free.”

There was a brief moment where nothing happened. The fish keeping up their lazy swim… the lake still. The air chilled. The chimes fading…

Then the fish dove. Swimming down, down, down, until they were distant dots beneath the water… and in the lotus flower, Mikado’s eyes opened.

And the second they did, the scenery changed.

Sitting in a brown, comfortable reading chair, Mikado gestured to the coffee table in front of the fireplace, the parlor around them comfortable, if undefined, as Mikado smiled warmly (only with the mask side of his face) as he said, “It’s lovely to see you again, Prince Kokichi. May I offer you some tea?”

Looking down at the rug in front of the fireplace, he said to Alter Ego, “And, Chihiro, a bowl of milk, I presume?”

“My name is Alter Ego.” the cat corrected, blinking up at Mikado, as he said, “And I can summon my own comfort food, thank you.”

And, in front of Alter Ego, a small, china-plate appeared, on it a well cooked, lightly seasoned, koi fish. Which, Alter Ego immediately started munching on. 

Mikado smiled, “How rude. But, point taken. Some big, bad, top-tier empaths have decided to pay me a visit… how exciting. Well, I suppose I did invite you. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. Someone’s learning about passive defenses? Is that right?”

Kokichi looked around in interested surprise as the mindscape changed in an instant, giving Mikado a smile as he took the offered seat across the coffee table. It was cozy… Though, considering how hazy some of the details were, Kokichi guessed that it was just an idea of coziness rather than a recreation of somewhere Mikado had been. ...maybe that was a good idea, not to receive guests in a recreation of your own home… Though, pretty much everyone knew what the castle looked like, so he supposed it wasn’t too revealing for him to be at home in his own mind. 

“Hello! Thank you for having us. I still feel a little weird eating in dreams, though, so forgive me if I don’t take you up on that tea.” Kokichi had laughed softly, though his smile dimmed a little at the...well, passive aggression between his mentor and the person they were visiting. Alter Ego had said that they were something of a hot button in the empath community…

Sighing softly, he turned back to their host, nodding. “It’s been a bit tricky for me to get the hang of so...we thought seeing an example might be the best way to learn. Already I’ve gotten some ideas. I kinda get the idea it’s something kind of...normal for empaths to do, but your koi are super cool! Being able to read intent like that subconsciously?!”

Kokichi knew he was probably gushing a bit unnecessarily, but he was impressed! However, there was one thing he wanted to get to aside from the night’s lesson. 

Smiling sheepishly, Kokichi gave the man a slight nod of apology. “Oh, but, I also wanted to apologize for what happened at the shop. I’m not that good at...parsing stuff, I guess, while I’m awake--didn’t mean to shove you out or anything. Sorry about that.”

Mikado waved off Kokichi’s apology, “No worries, no worries, you didn’t actually. If anything, I should be apologizing. I knew I had to be careful to not set off any warning bells in your head. I actually have to be very careful, when I’m digging into people at the shop, to not leave people with a feeling of danger or unease. Lots of reassurances, lots of keeping myself calm. The last thing I want to do is have our excited costumers leaving my readings feeling vaguely uncomfortable and not knowing why… keeping my presence calming and safe feeling is my specialty.”

“But, with you…” Mikado sighed, shrugging, “I’ll admit, I got overly excited. Overstayed my welcome, poked a little too hard. My eagerness to explore the room of such an aspiring, powerful empath… my eagerness probably set off your danger senses. And I apologize for that.”

Around the room, small, beautiful fish, including three graceful koi fish, started swimming through the air, Mikado putting up an index finger as the largest koi fish swam lazy circles around it as he said, “My lake is quite nice, isn’t it? It’s taken a lot of time and practice getting it perfect, but I’m quite happy with it… it hasn’t let me down yet. Well, not that I know of.” Mikado brushed his fish off with a wave, before saying curiously to Kokichi, “Nothing compared to what I hear you’re capable of. Giving away pieces of yourself? Is that rumor true? That’s really incredible, if so…”

It was difficult, not being able to remember anything while he was awake. Aside from the obvious, it meant that when things happened during the day and he analyzed them later...sometimes it was hard to put himself back in that position, and understand what he meant. Because it was so instinctual and, well, without thought. 

Still, he was glad Mikado wasn’t offended by what happened at the shop, and he accepted the apology back. 

Giving another sheepish laugh, Kokichi twirled a bit of his hair around a finger, half-shrugging. “That’s what Alter Ego said, though I don’t remember any time I’ve done it. I’m happy to help out where I can, but considering it’s apparently what’s left me bedridden a few times, I can’t imagine it’s something I’ll be doing much going forward. If at all.”

Kokichi glanced around at the fish before he hummed. It was...nice, just getting to talk freely to someone about empath stuff, but...well, he was supposed to be having a lesson, and he didn’t want to brush off a learning experience entirely. “So...the lake is kind of like...a separate area? Like a waiting room. And Alter Ego called it a loop, so...like, people can’t just walk into other rooms freely. So that kind of passive defence is just...having an entire area separate from the rest of your consciousness that people come into first, and can’t go anywhere else in you unless you let them?”

Alter Ego thought about piping up, explaining to Mikado what Kokichi had already learned by this point… but as he watched Mikado hum slightly to himself, clearly thinking about what Kokichi was saying, the cat decided to stay quiet. Give the magician a chance to potentially fill in the hole in Kokichi’s reasoning that Alter Ego couldn’t work out himself. Again, the Dicean Prince had it in concept. He just wasn’t sure what was keeping the man from doing it in practice…

“You’re essentially correct. My lake is a carefully crafted, imaginary thing. It’s separate from my memories in almost every way you can think of, as much as is physically possible… as far as I’m aware? There’s nowhere in reality that’s actually, exactly like that. The lake, the mountains, the forests… they’re all just constructs based on the idea of those things, rather than an actual place I’m drawing from. As for my defenses…” Mikado looked around at his fish, something almost thoughtfully longing in his gaze as he confessed, “I’d actually quite like to see a koi fish someday. All I’ve ever seen was a picture, once. Beyond my using them for my defenses? Koi fish, in my mind, has no one place in my life. No precious memories, no in depth knowledge, no other symbolism… they literally only exist to defend me. And because that is their only point? It’s easy for me to just… let them continue to do so, always somewhere in the back of my mind, easy to ignore, but difficult to forget.”

“...what exactly are you struggling with, for this concept? Most people I’ve seen struggle with passive defense, it’s because they’re struggling to stretch their powers enough to allow them to do so. But you have more than enough to do that and much, much more. So… if you’ve come by for a make-shift lesson? Can’t promise I’m a good teacher, but explain to me your process and I’ll see if I can help.” Mikado offered.

Something not tied to memories…

“I really appreciate it,” Kokichi smiled gratefully to Mikado before sighing. “I can think up things to defend me, to keep people out...but only when I’m focusing on it. Whenever I turn away, or the few times we’ve tried to see if it keeps up once I’m awake...there’s nothing there. I can’t get anything to stick in my subconscious.”

Kokichi huffed softly before smiling. “Maybe picking and creating something that I don’t think about otherwise might help, though… But finding that thing in the first place might be a challenge in itself.” Because, of course, once he came up with something, then it’d be in his thoughts and wouldn’t be a separate thing anymore... 

“Hmmm… for the ‘place’, if could really be as simple as asking someone else to create one for you. Though, then it’d have the memories of that person creating something for you, which can be a very sentimental moment, which would make you vulnerable… though, keep in mind? Creating a space separate from my memories was the method I chose simply because my power potential can’t allow me to do anything else.” Mikado reminded Kokichi, giving him a somewhat self deprecating smile. 

“I cannot jump into other minds. Not physically. I can only peek. I can’t change anything from any other consciousness. I have lucid control only over my own consciousness, and if my initial defenses don’t work? There are many types of magic out there that could simply overwhelm me, even here in my home turf.” Mikado sighed, looking around the indistinct, unattached room around them, as he confessed, “Total control of my own consciousness is the only real power I have, beyond being able to look into other peoples minds. And so, controlling how easy my consciousness is to traverse? That is how I can best defend myself… but you?”

That calm, impassive golden eye looked back apathetically at Kokichi, though his mask seemed to snicker, staring eagerly at him, “You have more available to you. You could potentially overwhelm any intruders… though, that still means you should have your alarms in place. Like my water ripples and chimes. Things that make it difficult for anyone to sneak inside without you noticing. But alarms are easier to maintain idly, at least while you’re still learning… as for how to maintain them idly…”

The golden eye remained impassive. The mask snickered harder.

“...you do understand that passive defense is just… paranoia made physical?” Mikado asked, raising an eyebrow on his masked side. “Caution. Perception. You do it every day, in other things. When you open a door, do you just walk in? Or do you look for a second, to make certain no one is on the other side that you’ll bump into? When you cross a road, do you glance to your left and right to make certain no horses or carriages are coming?” Mikado smiled wide with half his face, “Do you do these things consciously? Have you had to think about it since you were a toddler being reminded to look both ways? Or is it automatic by this point?”

Kokichi’s eyebrows raised slightly as he took in Mikado’s points. Focus on alarms first because… Alter Ego had told him from the start he was unusually powerful. Kokichi still didn’t let himself think about any other empath as having less pervasive powers since that would just...leave him unprepared in a situation he was surprised but...maybe for this, he didn’t have to focus as hard about making something completely impenetrable, accounting for every perception. Maybe...even if people knew it was just an illusion, they still wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, so he didn’t have to...layer it. 

“...it’s automatic, yeah,” he softly conceded, still thinking it all over. It was like...being at his desk, and looking up when someone came through the door, even when he was expecting it. It was just...automatic. Hearing a sound and turning towards it. 

...and, as it so happened, there was something in the real world he was working on making automatic too. 

Kokichi smiled, looking from Mikado to Alter Ego. “I think I get it...and I think I have an idea. We’d still have to test it, but...I think I know what to set up. But…” His smile faltered into something a little concerned, a little frustrated. “...when I’m awake, even if I feel like something’s wrong...what am I gonna do? I won’t know to check it out… Should I just...hope the defence keeps up until I fall asleep or hope whoever’s trying to get in gets bored and gives up?”

At this, Alter Ego dismissed his meal, hopping onto the coffee table and licking his fur a little as he said, “That’s where I can help. Honestly, it’s largely why I stay imprinted onto you twenty-four seven. Until your memories start transferring to the waking world? I’ve taken it up as a personal responsibility to keep half an eye on you all the time, acting, in a sense, as your alarm and defense in one.”

“Do your memories not transfer?” Mikado confirmed, having suspected this, but not known for certain until this moment. “Interesting. I will keep that in mind if I see you out in the real world again. I’ll try not to take it personally when you treat me like a stranger. But, yes, if you don’t remember that you need to practice it during your waking hours? I can’t imagine how you’ll practice it at all, really. Knowing you need to practice is step one, I would think.” the magician snickered.

“Oh!” Mikado leaned his head on his fist, leaning against his armchair, looking genuinely curious as he asked, “Speaking of imprints, how is your husband doing? I imagine getting rid of that creep messing around in there was a process and a half.”

Kokichi looked over to Alter Ego, again just...so grateful to them. For teaching him and, honestly, going above and beyond in helping keep him safe. Without their help...well, he’d keep hurting himself inadvertently helping any consciousness that cried out and never knowing the reason why. Probably making himself a target for any malicious snoop too...and maybe hurting them beyond compare in instinctual defence. 

Sighing softly to himself, Kokichi reached over to give the cat a little pet on their head. “Thank you… Hopefully by starting to set up my own system it’ll make things a little easier until I remember. Either by making me freak out sooner, or stalling whoever’s peeking. Hopefully both.”

Kokichi glanced up at Mikado with a sheepish grin, nodding a bit--he knew he was being vague but...even if Mikado was friendly, Kokichi still wasn’t sure how much of his situation to give away--before complete surprise washed over his face, bleeding into very rapid concern. 

“...what?”

Alter Ego also frowned, in their little kitty way, tails flicking suddenly rapidly, back and forth as they said, “What about Prince Kaito?”

Mikado blinked, his mask frowning in return, looking astounded as he said, “The old man with the ribbon all around his consciousness… gave me some trouble when I was peeking into his room back at the store… I assumed you two would deal with it the next time you looked into his head…”

There was a brief pause, before Mikado’s eyes narrowed, looking incredibly confused as he said, “Have you not looked in there yet? Are you… serious? The first thing I ever did when my powers manifested was peek into my loved ones heads… I had assumed you’d be all over this already.”

Alter Ego’s tail flicked more rapidly, glancing over at Kokichi, before saying, “I’ve stayed away from Kokichi’s social circle out of respect to my charge’s privacy in regards to his personal life, and Kokichi’s not practiced much exploring other conscious’s… but that doesn’t matter. You need to explain what you mean this instant, Mikado. Someone’s imprinted onto Prince Kaito?”

The magician nodded, “Oh yes. Pretty thoroughly… I apologize. Had I realized this wasn’t known to you two already, I would have passed this knowledge on to an empath that could help, already. Your husbands mind is, well…” the magician sighed slightly, “Him, his son, and your surrogate aren’t the first conditioned people from Luminary I’ve ever looked into. Their minds are always a little alarming, and as a rule we keep track of any conditioned people we find. Someone has a list somewhere.” Mikado said dismissively, though he still looked a little regretful, “But your husband, on top of that, also has an empath that’s… frankly? Basically has a room and key in there. Again, I apologize for assuming you’d know by now...”

Old man with a ribbon…?

Kokichi’s lips thinned, too concerned about Kaito to start up his feelings on not wanting to pry into his loved one’s minds… But if someone else had no such qualms, that was a pretty good reason for at least checking in. 

An old man with a room and key…

Kokichi’s teeth grit as his lips curled down into a scowl, a deep, dark red color washing over his form, his utter fury overpowering his self-image. “That bastard…”

...but then...Tengan had been doing this practically all Kaito’s life. Was strong enough to do it. 

Calming ever so slightly, Kokichi turned his impassioned gaze to Alter Ego. “...would we be able to do anything? It’s bad enough that that, fucking, son of a bitch is messing with Kai-chan...but…” Kokichi deflated slightly. “...I don’t want him to...I dunno. Lash out and hurt Kai-chan even more… That...that walking waste of space only digs in harder if he thinks he’s not in control. Would we be able to sever the connection and make sure he doesn’t come back?”

Alter Ego’s whiskers twitched, pausing to consider his words well before he said anything. After awhile, he said, “...yes. Is the technically correct answer. You and I are capable of incredible feats, within empath ability. I do not know about the person inside of your husband or what the length of their abilities are, but in theory, there’s little that could stand up to us, in a one for one match of power… but…”

“It’s not just about power, is it, pretty kitty?” Mikado pointed out, smiling lightly at the way the cat bristled at the name, “It’s about the technical expertise. Our prince here has all the raw power and no expertise. And you, well… you’re an anomaly. Who knows what something like you is actually capable of.”

The cats golden eyes narrowed, “I’d thank you to watch what you say. I am not above offense.”

“Of course, of course, I meant no offense.” Mikado said dismissively, “But the point stands. You know more than the prince here, but you’re still incredibly clumsy with your abilities, yes? How can you not be, you’ve only started existing this year. It’s a toddler leading a baby, and the both of you are going up against someone who very likely could have decades of experience, regardless of his power potential?” Mikado chuckled darkly, the room becoming less comfortable around them as he said simply, “That’s a bad bet. To stick with my metaphor? You both need an adult.”

“...I’m not clumsy… Chihiro was an extremely experienced Empath, before he made me.” Alter Ego half mumbled, clearly offended… “But, I’d be doing a disservice to you, Kokichi, to not admit that having someone comfortable with their power levels wouldn’t be the better option. We could certainly try to go into your husband and knock his intruder out, and we’d likely succeed. But keeping him out, without exposing your husband to retaliatory action? It’s possible to create mental defenses on the behalf of other people, but it takes a skilled, powerful empath to do that. We’d need help, if that’s the path we decide to take.”

Kokichi nodded slowly, his anger still hotly simmering, his form still flickering with that angry red, but not enough to make him abandon care and reason. And the snagging point Mikado and Alter Ego discussed was what made him ask in the first place. If Kokichi had been capable of things that caused the empath community to focus in on him in worry, and Alter Ego had been the only people powerful enough to teach him...then they probably had a damn good shot at getting Tengan out. 

But brute force could be turned against you if you were outthought, and the last thing Kokichi wanted was to...hurt Kaito in the process of trying to help. 

So...they needed help. 

And, as helpful as he had been with everything else...Mikado wasn’t the one for this. 

His face growing a bit more concerned, Kokichi turned to the two more experienced empaths. “...would there be someone in the community willing to help? Who wouldn’t see it as an immoral privacy infringement, and would be experienced enough to...well, have the skills to actually help? How...would we even go about asking that?”

“Tch, At your power level? The stronger the emopath gets, the less fun they get.” Mikado observed, something openly bitter in it, “They’re very… all or nothing people, high level empaths. They either become nightmare people who change others and control people on a whim? Or are all the empath equivalence of celibates.”

“That’s a gross oversimplification.” Alter Ego scolded Mikado, who just smiled lazily back at her, “Higher level empaths are less comfortable using their abilities for a reason, Mikado. It’s for the same reason you teach children caution when they’re holding kitchen knives. And if you can never put down the knife… of course you’d be more cautious in anything you do. It’s the rational response.”

“It’s a lazy rationail, at best… but, this isn’t the time for my soapbox of complaints.” Mikado recognized, putting his hands together and thinking, “My other point stands though. Most people that come to mind immediately are either dangerous themselves, or have their heads so far stuck up their own asses as to be functionally useless anyway… though…” Mikado looked amused at his own idea, looking to the cat as he said, “You could reach out to Bathul’s Templar.” 

If Mikado was hoping for a reaction, he was not disappointed, as the cat immediately looked… mildly nervous. Tail flickering back and forth, though there was a wary concession in their tone as they said, “...he has been...known to help people before… whether he’d be willing to aid something like myself though…”

“Bathul is a Death god. Death and Trade, specifically.” Mikado explained to Kokichi, “And his Templar is an old, old, and faithful worshiper to said god… and, funnily enough? Death Gods have a stigma against the undead. People who cheat the natural system in place, cheat death itself?” Mikado smirked at the tense posture of the cat, “They’re not big fans… but! If you’re looking for an otherwise pretty down to earth empath at the power level you need? You really can’t do much better than The Templar. His history is pretty dodgy, the farther back you go, but in the last hundred years? He’s definitely known for being one of the good guys. And he’s local! So that’s helpful.”

Honestly, Kokichi agreed with Alter Ego, but considering how he felt about responsibility in general...he really might just be the sort of “no fun” person Mikado was talking about. But if that meant that people didn’t get hurt on his account...Kokichi was okay with that. 

(Of course, there was the obligation of those with power to help people in need and...once he became more comfortable using his abilities, that was going to be something Kokichi would need to have an honest conversation with himself about. Finding his line. And it might come down to him really taking everything on a case by case basis, but...he needed to know what his convictions were, what he would make exceptions for. Considering what he dealt with outside of empathy abilities, it could very well be something Kokichi would constantly reevaluate throughout his entire life.)

But because he was one of those people...he could already tell that their pool of candidates was...not something they were in the position to be choosy with. Which didn’t sit very well with Kokichi considering it was about Kaito. 

But...maybe they’d find help where they didn’t expect it. 

At this point, Kokichi was just kind of...rolling with every crazy fact about the world that he thought was impossible in the waking world. Other species, magic, gods… It was a lot to take in, no doubt, but...well, by now, he just figured he could have a meltdown when he started to remember it in the waking world. 

“A templar of a death god. Trade god…” Kokichi murmured, before looking up at Alter Ego with...not an insubstantial amount of concern. “...would the worst thing he could do be to say no?”

“...” Alter Ego considered his young charge. Who they had sworn to help and guide with the very best of their ability. They had sworn…

“Yes.” Alter Ego lied. Well, technically lied. They doubted the following of Bathul would have any issues with Prince Kokichi. And, as for themselves… they’d handle it. The Templar didn’t have a reputation for being impulsive or needlessly aggressive. The opposite, honestly. Alter Ego would take the risk. “If you’re worried about his religion, Bathul followers aren’t known for their sadism. Bathul is a god that treats his concepts with professionalism, as far as gods go. No crazy rituals, no major philosophies other than that, as far as I understand it, the universe has a sort of eternal balance system, and that death and trade are an essential part of keeping that balance. They are not death worshipers, like some death cults and religions, and they are not fairies, looking to use trade for mischief or punishment. Bathul’s Chosen have a reputation of being very practical people. The Templar, by all rights, should fit that stereotype to a T, considering he’s a long time worshiper.”

Mikado sighed, leaning back into his chair as he noted, “It seems you’ve all reached a point beyond where I can, personally, be of any help… shame. This really is an interesting little quest. I genuinely wish I could offer more help, and I do hope I get to find out how this story ends some day. But the night is half over already… are you two planning to go see The Templar tonight?”

Alter Ego looked with some concern at his charge. He didn’t like to keep him up all night… it wasn’t good for the Dicean Prince. “It doesn’t have to be tonight.” Alter Ego said gently. “Your husband does not appear to be suffering during his waking hours, does he? This can be done, little by little, over time. It doesn’t have to be all at once.”

Kokichi nodded slowly, at least familiar with the concept of death in religion not being...well, what Itch seemed to believe. Death just...happened. It was, because there was growth and life. Sometimes it could be unfair...but that wasn’t the fault of the concept of death, it was just...other choices people made. An unlucky roll. 

Maybe a hyper-practical person wouldn’t see much of a point in helping them...but there was no way to know for sure unless they asked. 

Kokichi had just about made up his mind when Mikado mentioned the time, and out of habit, Kokichi looked over to where he assumed a window would be, his eyes wide with surprise. “Half over? ...geez...didn’t mean to keep you all night…” Kokichi offered Mikado a small smile, though it was clear his whole focus wasn’t there. “Not that it hasn’t been nice talking with you, but we really didn’t mean to, like, take up your whole night…”

...or his whole night. 

Kokichi frowned slightly, wanting to insist that they could go speak with the templar tonight, at least get an answer so they could start to make some sort of plan! He could miss training tomorrow, sleep in a bit, and, honestly, he was probably going to sleep in a little anyway thanks to all the bruises over his body, even if he had been napping before bed anyway…

...but even with Kaito back, he couldn’t do that to his family. It was so...unfair to them, to knowingly put his health, if not at risk, then in a low. 

...sometimes...Kaito just seemed like he got super stressed out out of nowhere… Kokichi had always thought it was just, yanno, stress in general, but if it had to do with Tengan…

...Kaito was keeping it together alright. Kokichi didn’t feel good about it, but...just a little longer. So they would both be okay. 

Sighing, Kokichi hung his head a little, giving Alter Ego a shallow nod. “We can ask the templar next time… I don’t like leaving Kai-chan to be burdened like this...but I can’t become the burden just to maybe help him. We’ll do this carefully so we can do it right.”

Standing up, Kokichi gave Mikado another thankful nod. “Thank you for having us and helping me with my lessons, as well as...well, cluing me into something I should’ve known. If you ever need anything, I will do my best to help, even in the physical world, though my help might be a little more constrained.” He managed a small smile, able to poke fun at himself even with something so heavy on his mind.

Mikado smiled wanly, “Just promise me that when your memories start transfering to the real world, you take me out for a cup of coffee. I would love the story of giving away pieces of yourself, someday. I’m someone who works in a magic shop… I have a true love for wonder and majesty in the world. And something like that?” Mikado sighed, envy clearly radiating off of him, “... it sounds truly wonderful and majestic. Do tell me all about it once you remember anything to tell.”

“Oh! Considering you’re still learning, Prince Kokichi, why don’t I show you what it feels like to be compelled out of someone’s mind? I don’t get the chance to practice this very often myself, and I could get the bragging point of being able to say I kicked out two high level empaths.” Mikado smirked, looking between them, “If you’re both done talking to each other?”

Alter Ego gave Mikado a dry look, before turning to Kokichi, “I’ll return tomorrow night. Everything will be okay, Kokichi. We will take care of this.”

“That’s an easy promise,” Kokichi nodded with a slightly brighter grin. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the memories of the things I did before, but if I do, you can bet I’ll tell you the best rendition I can.”

Leaning over, Kokichi gave Alter Ego a few final scratches behind their ear, a soft, thankful look in his eye. Even if the templar said no...it still gave Kokichi a huge amount of comfort to know he wasn’t alone. And...he had the feeling that no matter what Alter Ego would help him find a way forward. It might’ve been just customary for empaths to help newbies find their footing, but...Kokichi really didn’t know how they’d ever repay everything Alter Ego had given him. Hopefully friendship was a step in the right direction. “Thank you… See you tomorrow, then.”

He looked back up at Mikado, not really sure what he was preparing for, but trying to do so anyway. “Alright! Let’s get you some bragging points!”

“Heh. Thanks. It was lovely seeing both of you.” Mikado smiled with his mask, golden eye staring impassively as his biggest koi fish, which had been lazily swimming around him, paused, looked at Kokichi and Alter Ego… and then when the magician gave them a wave goodbye, in seconds, the fish became massive, opened up its mouth, and swallowed them both whole.

The deadly shock of the action did what it was supposed to, and both Kokichi and Alter Ego (neither of them fighting the feeling) were instantly pushed out of the magician's consciousness, the darkness of the fish’s stomach becoming immediately the calming dark of sleep.

Kokichi shifted in his sleep, rolling over as his brow furrowed. His body seeking out the slightly warmer form of his husband and reaching out to hold him. To protect him. He’d failed to protect Kaito so often...never did the right thing at the right time, too often let his own biases prevent him from doing anything of value…

But he would. No matter what...Kokichi would always be trying to protect Kaito. Never giving up on him. 

He twitched, accidentally kicking Kaito in the shin. 

-

Kaito almost missed his random, nonsensical dreams. Hell, not even ‘almost’. He liked weird dreams, nightmarish or otherwise. He found them interesting, and sometimes left even the most brutal nightmares, once his heart rate had gone down, with this vague, pleased feeling of having done something thrilling. Having gone on an adventure. Even if a terrible one.

Vague, terrifying dreams of Kokichi in hospital beds, Shuichi losing the baby, Maki being beheaded, Byakuya being beheaded… basically, Kaito was incredibly displeased with his recent caliber of ‘way too realistic scenario’ nightmares, which had started up basically as soon as he had dug up Jason and Michelle, and hot damn, really hadn’t let up for way too long now…

So, when he had woken up this morning, with just that old, familiar, ‘don’t let me fall’ dream?

Once his heart rate had gone down, he had actually been pretty relieved. He’d take weird vague mortal terror dreams over watching his loved ones get traumatized in way too realistic ways any day. Fuck, at this rate? He’d rather his old Byakuya dreams over his recent variety. Weird, impending doom dreams where if you take a misstep you’re definitely going to fall to your death and the vague, terrifying certainty that no one cares if that happens? Easy. No problem. Kaito was all about it.

It’s way easier to dismiss dreams of things that were so obviously not true, ya know?

Still, he woke up a little earlier than he had had intended, a sharp pain in his shin waking him up with the sunrise, and after spending some time glaring at Kokichi, Kaito finally sighed, forgave him, and kissed him on the forehead, before deciding to get up and get ready for the day early. It’d still be a bit before they had to get up for training. Kaito would go take a walk, bring up some tea and coffee for his guys on his way back to wake them up for training. Yeah! That’s a hell of a way to start a day!

Every year Aiichi suggested he go off and take a vacation, or even just take a few days to himself if he didn’t want to deal with the hassle of going out of town. And every year Hideki raised an eyebrow with a dry look and started reciting every project and plan that they had on-going or coming up until Aiichi swallowed his words and just left it with saying he just hoped Hideki knew that if he needed any time, he could very well take it. 

There were times he could go on leave without the kingdom falling apart, and Hideki made sure to make use of those times, but now was...never one of them. He preferred to keep busy around Unity anyway. 

So there he was in the dining room right when the earliest risers came to get a little something before breakfast actually started, waiting patiently against a wall, wearing a thick sweater even indoors. And when he saw Kaito come near, he merely nodded a greeting. “First pot of coffee should be out in the next few minutes--I just spoke with Miss Hannuki.”

Two thoughts went through Kaito’s head simultaneously when he saw Hideki stubbornly existing in the place Kaito wanted to exist in for the next few minutes.

‘This is the man that Kokichi calls ‘uncle’ and your husband who you are sworn too and love dearly loves and respects this man and he’s not going away any time soon Kaito and you are going to be a good Prince-Consort and a strong man and act like a god damn adult and not leave the dining room immediately just because you see he’s in here.’

And

‘Heh heh heh wouldn’t it be funny if you saw him accidently burn himself on the coffee or something?’

Kaito grinned with all of his teeth back at Hideki, pretending to himself that it was the first thought that had compelled him to walk over and deeeeefinitely not the second as he said, “Oh? Awesome! Thanks for the heads up!”

After a moment, Kaito looked around, the last name pinging fruitlessly in his mind as he said, “Hannuki… Hannuki… which one is- oh! Chako! Course! So shit with names, I swear…” Kaito put his hands behind him, crossing his hands over each other as he did so, as he glanced at Hideki. He always did that, when he was trying to remind himself to not be threatening when he kinda felt like he wanted to be. This was Kokichi’s uncle. And the Head Secretary of Dicea. Just… for his husbands sake? Make an effort?

Kaito looked at the mildly haggard look on the older mans face, and grinned. “With everything opening back up, you and the king busy?”

“Between faces and names, most people usually just remember one,” Hideki idly hummed. Not something he had ever had to choose between, and Aiichi and Kokichi both were wonderful at remembering both as well, but they were certainly outliers. Toshio could recognize someone from across the market, could remember all sorts of little details about their lives, asking about the kids and that new recipe they were trying out...and would laugh so sheepishly, admitting that he hadn’t a clue what their name was. Always thinking about people personally, so unlike the almost archival way Hideki would remember names and ages and professions…

The older man sighed softly, a sort of...ever downcast look in his eyes this time of year deepening before he refocused on Kaito. 

“Incredibly,” he nodded. “You’re well aware from your own experience and no doubt what Kokichi has passed along, but thanks to the telephone, work never completely stopped this year, most cities still being able to communicate with us. But there has been an influx nonetheless, along with reports of certain telephone lines going down which we will have to address on an infrastructural level, and the on-going situation in Bern.”

Hideki paused for a moment before giving Kaito a respectful nod. “Helped by your own personal efforts--thank you. With every person lending a hand, things have become more hopeful.”

There was another pause, the secretary looking a little...uncomfortable before he continued. “I...trust that your family has been happy with your return, however. Kokichi has seemed...brighter since you came back, and while I don’t speak much with Shuuichi… It’s good. That you all are doing well.”

Kaito felt a wave of genuine repulsion run through him at the ‘thank you’ and hoped it didn’t show on his face. God, he hated this guy… he wondered if Hideki even knew what he was doing? How badly he got under Kaito’s skin?

...the really depressing thing was, based on what Kaito knew of Diceans?

No.

He probably didn’t. Or, if he did? He honestly, really, probably didn’t fucking care. Because Diceans didn’t hide their emotions. So, if Hideki knew how furious Kaito felt around him, how fucking awful small talk with him felt, then Hideki would probably let Kaito know he knew. Even if he was doing it to be cruel. Based on everything Kaito understood about Diceans, Hideki wouldn’t hide it. 

So he just didn't know, or didn’t care. It meant nothing, to the older man. He probably really didn’t see anything wrong with talking to Kaito like this...

Fucking asshole.

Still… Kaito had to remind himself that Diceans were different, and Kaito had to… try to meet them at their level. And he had to remember that he was prone to anger and that his ire wasn’t always deserved. And he had to acknowledge that there was less justifiable reasons to say ‘Go fuck yourself’ then the guy thanking him and asking about his family.

So Kaito grinned warily and didn’t say ‘go fuck yourself’ but did say, “They are! Doing well, I mean. I mean…” Kaito grinned harder, “...I can’t take all the credit. I get the impression Kokichi loves this time of year. The Unity holiday and the snow and skating and all that… it’s awesome to see him in his element! Even if his element is a frozen hellscape! Oh, oh! He told me this great story the other day of how a bunch of his family all snuck into his room one year when he wasn’t feeling well to put up a bunch of Unity decorations? Were you a part of that? He’s really fond of that memory.”

Hideki just seemed to be dredged down further, though he chuckled softly at Kaito calling the Dicean winter a frozen hellscape. He couldn’t agree more, though he never left to avoid it. Too much to do and...he hadn’t felt like traveling for a long time. 

Nodding, Hideki thought back to the occasion Kaito mentioned, a small smile on his face as he recalled how happy his little nephew had been after the fact. “I’m not fond of this time of year myself, but it’s still nice to see the people who get excited for it. The decorations do brighten things up too.”

“Farther north, there is a tradition of making wreaths out of coniferous trees and hiding sachets of dried flowers within the boughs. I...assisted in making a few for Kokichi’s room, that year. It’s easy to see why the practice came about after making them--you could be fooled into thinking it was spring already with how they can fill a room with such natural, floral scents…”

Like with most new things they had tried, Toshio had heard from a friend of a friend--indefinitely--about the tradition. And as his partner had firmly believed, you could never really start to understand something like that without participating. He and Kokichi had always been so excited to learn about other cultures...Toshio making promises to take Kokichi travelling once he was older so they could go see what the world had to offer. 

Green eyes started to go a little red around the edges. At least Kokichi was getting that now, despite everything.

“You might’ve seen them at the lodge you all visited the other month, though it might have been a little early for such decorations.”

… Kaito tilted his head curiously. Ever so slightly. 

Was he about to cry?

Maybe not. Could just be, like… old man allergies.  But there was definitely a look of strain in his eyes. This was more than overworked exhaustion. The asshole was sad…

Interesting. 

Curious, Kaito looked around, making certain no one was around to expose the guy too, before he softened his face a little, saying quietly to him, “Hey, I know it’s not my place, but… are you okay? I’ve never seen a decorative wreath before this year, but I’m guessing it doesn’t usually inspire an… end of the world sort of look…”

Hideki took a breath, composing himself. As nice as reminiscing could be...sometimes it was too painful. This time of year...it was too painful. 

“My apologies. This time of year is difficult for me, on top of this miserably horrific weather. It…” Another breath, his grief pushed down for the time being. As down as it ever was, anyway. It was better to keep busy… “This time of year surrounds the anniversary of my partner’s death. I do not mean to burden you with any sympathies, but...it is the explanation of why I do not get so into the Unity spirit.”

Kaito hadn’t offered any sympathy, but he did kind of regret that. His distaste for Hideki didn’t expand to distaste for his partner, who was probably another person Kokichi had lost growing up… and considering Hideki was an honorary uncle? Probably another honorary relative.

So… “I’m sorry about that.” Kaito said, rubbing the back of his neck slightly, “I…” Kaito gripped his hands into fists, for a moment, struggling with himself… before he relaxed. “I can’t imagine what losing a partner is like. Can I ask who they were?”

“I hope you never do,” Hideki sincerely murmured. Even as unlikely as it was...but Hideki disliked thinking about that even more than his grieving reminiscing over Toshio. He figured he was the practical sort his entire life...but there were some things not worth dwelling over to the point of trying not to think about them at all. Better to cherish the person in front of you while they were there. 

Hideki leaned back more against the wall, staring into the middle distance a bit. “Toshio Kinoshita. He was a linguist. We had gone to university with Kokichi’s mother together, though Toshio and I had known each other since middle school. ...there was no one who encouraged Miyako more when we all would go out to karaoke… We all had our own specialties, but Toshio had always been adamant in encouraging us all to branch out…”

In helping Miyako gain the courage to sing in front of others, in giving Yui new clothing ideas to make… Gossiping with Honoka and...being Hideki’s whole fucking life…

“...his mother was actually from Novoselic too. Lived over there for a time before they all moved to Dicea. He had been fascinated by how wildly different our cultures are. I couldn’t even tell you how many people we annoyed with our endless chatter as he’d ask me question after question about how things went in Dicea, and sharing his own anecdotes of Novoselic.”

Hideki took another deep breath, something unsaid. Toshio would have loved talking to Kaito too, despite Hideki’s own opinions on his more brutish traits...but Toshio had never been put off by people’s flaws. It was how he’d managed to stick by Hideki’s side for all those years…

...maybe a darker world view would’ve saved him. 

“...he campaigned for Dicea’s first peace envoy to Luminary, after the war had started. If you know your own history, then I believe you can fill in the blank about why he is no longer here.”

Kaito nodded along at Hideki talked, smiling briefly at the mention of Novoselic, though referencing the guys mother kind of… dampened any enthusiasm Kaito might have had about taking this thing they had in common and discussing it. All he could really bring himself to say was, “He lived there, huh? That’s kinda cool. I’ve always thought Novoselics were really, ya know… sophisticated. Really put together. I bet your guy had some of that too…”

He thought it was vaguely interesting that Hideki had apparently been personal friends with Kokichi’s mother before becoming the Head Secretary. He was certain Hideki had earned his spot as Head Secretary, the man was clearly brilliant at what he did… but yeah. He imagined personally knowing the queen hadn’t hurt his chances at getting the job. Though, it must have been tragic, the day of the riots… Kaito had to assume that with Aiichi in the middle of grief, Hideki probably took the brunt of leadership that day, even if he was grieving himself. That had to have been hard.

(Or, well, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Miyaka had died, his son on the brink of death, and Aiichi had thought to himself ‘Dicea comes first’ and carried on.)

(Kaito sighed to himself, berating himself a little. Come on, man… that fight was literally months ago. Let it go.)

Kaito continued to nod along with Hideki, a sympathetic little humming sound, vaguely wondering when the coffee was going to get there… but his eyes widened. Looking at Hideki, not with new attention, but just new… interest. Again, not having not been interested before, but it was so strange to think…

Kaito tried to think back, and said uncertainly, “...hot red-headed guy? Really pretty eyes?”

Sophisticated… Hideki almost laughed. Toshio was a mess of a person in the best ways, though he’d argue that his fashion sense was second to none. Though...Toshio was just as at home watching a ballet on opening night as he was in a dive bar so grimy Hideki had guessed they were avoiding health inspections somehow. Despite being so open and sloppy--he was such a sloppy drunk--Toshio had always...he was always himself, true to the very last. At home in every type of chaos…

Hideki had been a connection between Miyako and Aiichi, but...he sometimes wondered if they would’ve met at all had it not been for Toshio. Aiichi had tagged along with him when Hideki left to see how Mikayo’s tutor session with Yui and Toshio had been going, after all. And between Hideki’s emotional constipation and...he’d loved Yui, really, but the guy had been the peak of airheadedness, Toshio had been the one to notice the spark between the king and astronomer. Would tag along, walking Hideki to work, at times going out of his way to find Aiichi when the young king was neglecting paperwork just to invite him out with the rest of them. 

Aiichi wasn’t shy, but without all the pushes and openings Toshio had made… He just had to wonder. 

Hideki sighed, closing his eyes as he came close to making a sound like a groan. “Total heart-throb. Short-stack with a smile that made him seem like the biggest presence in the room… He always had sunglasses on him, even if they were just on his head in the middle of the damn night. They were so dumb...and he loved making awful jokes then flicking his sunglasses down, as if it made them any more sophisticated.”

...he missed his friends. Cursed Yui and Honoka’s compassion and bravery, Miyako’s passion, Toshio’s optimism…

...hated the lack of all those things in himself the most. Maybe if the world had more of those qualities overall, they would all still be alive. 

Kaito nodded slowly… riiiight… that guy…

Hm. Kaito wasn’t sure what to say. 

...well, okay, he knew what to say, but he hated this asshole, and the Dicean wasn’t going to appreciate it anyway, and also, fuck, he might??? Kill him???? Except no, of course he wouldn’t, because Dicean’s didn’t, and Hideki himself was into that ‘torture through life’ thing, so Kaito was probably safe… but…. This was Kokichi’s uncle and Kaito kinda definitely owed him a bow and… dammit.

Kaito ran a hand through his hair, scratching at this scalp, just... So annoyed with this. Stupid fucking honor bullshit Diceans didn’t even fucking believe in this same shit don’t do this to yourself just fucking say ‘Bummer dude’ and fucking walk away aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh- “Can we go somewhere private?” Kaito finally asked with a sigh. He could at least spare himself the humiliation of doing it in public. The public shame was worth it for Kokichi, but for Hideki? He could at least try to keep some of his dignity. Especially considering the guy was absolutely not going to care either way. Ngh. “Please?”

Hideki opened his eyes again, something...unfathomably tired in his gaze, but he straightened off the wall with a nod. “Kaito… I have no love for Luminary. Nor for your father. But you had nothing to do with Toshio’s death. You do not carry the blame of those that did.”

“...I don’t wish to know any details you might have either,” he continued in a softer voice. “You may wish to torture me, but grant me ignorance on this matter…”

Kaito rolled his eyes, still frustrated before he said quietly, “Fuck, dude, I’m not trying to torture you, I just wanna apologize… fine. You don’t want to know anything? That’s your call, I’ll respect it. But I’ll apologize anyway…” 

Kaito looked around, still frustrated with all of this, as he stiffly bowed his head, closing his eyes as he said quietly, “My family harmed yours. It was unwarranted and avoidable, and we are entirely to blame for the incident. I apologize on the Momota families behalf…”

Raising his head, he scowled at the man, anger boiling inside of him, not having been ready to do anything like this this morning as he said, “Your partner was a good man. He was very brave. I am sorry for what we did.” Narrowing his eyes, stomach twisting, he spat out, “And you don’t fucking have to forgive us. We can just quietly hate each other. That’s fine. But I still recognize my family was in the wrong. Kay?”

“...fuck, shit, that’s a terrible apology. Sorry. Fuck.”

Hideki still thought it was silly for Kaito to apologize on behalf of his family, because Hideki knew Leon sure hadn’t been sorry in the slightest. Despite what he had worried when the talks about the marriage were first going through, Kaito wasn’t a mouthpiece for anyone. And...honestly, he thought Kaito deserved far more than apologies from the people he was trying to cover now. 

...but he didn’t want a fight. And...it did feel...the slightest bit better. 

“...thank you, Kaito. Regardless of how you may feel about it...I do appreciate that apology.” Hideki sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose a bit, really looking forward to that coffee. “And I don’t hate you, though I admit that may be worse in your eyes. And this too might make you feel worse, but...I’m sorry for your own losses. No one should have to experience all you have.” Parents and a swathe of friends alike...regardless of who they had been, how Kaito had felt about them...it was too much death. Far too much. 

“...I hope you don’t have to experience any more,” he murmured, catching movement out of the corner of his eye, the fresh coffee pot finally done with its brew. “You are good to your family, and I respect that. Whatever other nuances there are...that is the actionable extent of my feelings. I don’t wish you ill will.”

“Cool. Great. Thanks.” Kaito glanced at the coffee, but the boiling in his stomach was getting worse…did he have time to go to his shrine for a little while? Before training started? He couldn’t take this rage to his family, he had to get rid of it first. Just… twenty minutes of fucking screaming at himself and he’d feel better…

Kaito gave a tense nod to Chako, knowing he was being irrational, but, well, fuck it, he was a Momota, what the fuck else was new, giving Hideki another tense semi-bow and saying through gritted teeth, “Thank you for this talk. I’m glad we were able to get this resolved. Please have a good day, and let me know if there’s anything you need from me.”

And then he turned and left, moving quickly. He had to get to his shrine, he had to get there, god dammit, of course, of course his family killed one of Kokichi’s uncles who was there for a god damn peace talk, ha ha ha, of fucking course.

-

Kokichi groaned as he huddled against Shuuichi, entirely under the blankets. He was so tiiiiired...and soooore… Even after taking a nap right before bed he still felt like he barely got more than a handful of hours of sleep and...ugh. He shifted a little more onto his back, even if it gave up a little more heat, feeling the bruises and sore spots down his side. 

Like...he’d live. But it really didn’t make getting up a tantalizing prospect.

Maybe he could...skip a little training to take a bath, ease his aches a little… Prolly meant he should get up soon then so he didn’t miss all of training…

“Uuuuurggg…”

Another groan and a deep sigh, but Kokichi shimmied up the bed until he was back against the pillows. He lifted his shirt a bit, frowning at the green and purple bruise blossoming out over his hip. Likely joined by matching brethren on his thigh, knee, shoulder, and elbow… He really had to fall on the same side twice, huh?

“Hmerg?”Shuichi… said? Shifting against his pillows, sighing for a moment… before blinking his eyes open, ever so slightly, as if he were suspicious that it was morning… and looking very disappointed to discover his suspicions were correct, “Hrng… mmm.”

Shuichi was going to close his eyes and pretend to go back to sleep until he actually did manage to go back to sleep… but it was weird to see Kokichi with his shirt halfway up, and that weirdness caught Shuichi’s interest as he opened his eyes, looking at his boyfriend with slight concern as he murmured, “Are you okay, Kokichi? …oh.” Shifting onto his elbow, Shuichi looked at the bruises on Kokichi’s side and gave him a sympathetic wince, “Ouch. Is that from skating yesterday?”

Kokichi sighed and let his shirt down, almost pressing himself down against the pillows as he scrunched his eyes shut, wishing he was still asleep. “Mhmm… Pretty much expected this, but it’s still annoying to see.”

“...I should get up, start a bath...still make it to some of training…” He grumbled out his thought process before crossing his arms over his eyes, trying to block out the early morning light starting to bounce back into their window. Not even facing the west could save them from the morning sun. “...wanna go back to sleep…”

“Mmmm… me too… has Kaito done anything wrong lately? We can guilt trip him into leaving us be if we put our heads together…” Shuichi blinked, shifting onto his back, staring at the ceiling as he said, “We could suggest, mmmm… I was traumatized by talking to people at the cafe and you were traumatized by those same people being bug people… need more sleep to deal with the trauma?”

Kokichi scoffed in the back of his throat. “Yupp, perfect plan… ‘Cause Shuu-chan always needs a reason for him to wanna sleep longer.”

There was a beat, then Kokichi shifted his arms to peek between them, looking at the empty bed on his other side. It wasn’t earth-shattering for Kaito to be gone when they woke up or anything, but… “...I mean...if he tried to wake us up before he left, then I genuinely slept through it. We could just...stay until he comes back from whatever he’s doin’, sayin’ that we didn’t wake up without him bein’ an alarm…”

...he really should get up though…

Kokichi sighed before gingerly getting out of bed, not a fan of how his body protested movement, but it was only temporary since he skirted around to get in on Shuuichi’s other side, snuggling back up to his boyfriend. He fit his face against Shuuichi’s shoulder, putting an arm around what he could of Shuuichi’s belly, settling back down into a comfortable position. 

“...if we’re gonna pretend to oversleep to sleep in, don’ wanna be lying on bruises…”

Shuichi laughed, leaning his face towards Kokichi and reaching up to put a hand on his boyfriends arm as he closed his eyes again, whispering, “You’re such a bad influence. When Kaito yells at us, I’m blaming you. Just so you know.”

“Like you aren’t just as much of a bad influence on me… At least I’m feigning ignorance instead of trying to guilt trip my husband… Mm...but I’ll take the blame. I dun’ wan’ Shuu-chan to get in trouble…” Already Kokichi could feel himself slowing back down, ready to fall back asleep. Just a few more minutes…

“Mmmm, yes…”Shuichi sighed sleepily, a warm, comfortable feeling of happiness as he teased, “Save me from my scoldings… be a good boyfriend…” Just a few more-

The door opened up, and Kaito said enthusiastically, waaaay too loudly, “Good morning! Guess who has tea and coffee!?”

Shuichi winced, taking the blanket and pulling it up over both their heads, muttering to Kokichi, “We can still do my plan. What about retroactively guilting him over leaving again? It can work, we just gotta commit to it.”

“Awwww, are you two conspiring in bed together? That’s cute.” Kaito said cheerfully, putting down the tray, which held three cups, one pot of coffee, and one kettle of tea. He had had his freakout this morning in a timely manner! He had literally just sat and was angry in his shrine for, like, twenty-one minutes!! And when he had… well, gotten to a good stopping point? He stopped! And was fine! He was totally fine! He had even managed to swing down and still get the coffee! Fucking nailing it on the being fine department! “Come on, guys, one of these has to smell at least a little enticing.”

Kokichi scrunched his eyes shut harder. They were done for. Unless one of them was legitimately hurt or sick...it was time to get up. Groaning again, he wormed his way under the pillows. 

“...if neither of you guys wanna shower before...Kai-chan? Could you start drawing a bath for me? I’ll get up… Gonna be slooooow thooooooough… M sore...an’ tired...felt like I barely slept…”

“Awwww,” Kaito said again, giving his husband a vaguely concerned look, as he poured a cup of coffee for Shuichi, mindlessly putting way too much sugar and cream into it, like Shuichi liked it these days, bringing it over to the night stand closest to him, already deciding to pour Kokichi a cup of tea and put it next to the bathtub as he asked, “Still sore from working out yesterday? I mean, you know rest days are actually a part of most training regimes. I mean, they’re usually necessary for allowing your body to, ya know, like… heal your muscles and stuff? When you’ve torn them all to shreds? We don’t have too many real rest days because you all don’t really work your muscles hard enough to justify them-”

“Lies.” Shuichi grumbled, still hiding under the covers, “Lies and slander.”

“-but yesterday you definitely worked yourself to a limit. I’d say…” heading over to Kokichi, he leaned down and gave him a gently kiss on the shoulder, before kissing him on the cheeks, “If you need the morning, it’s yours. But, take a walk with me later? Just something to stretch out your muscles a little without damaging them further? What do you think?”

“Can I also take a rest day?” Shuichi said, peeking out from the covers hopefully.

“Handsome, I love you, but nah. Come on, it’s arm workouts today! You love arm workouts!”

Shuichi groaned.

Kokichi peeked out from among the pillows in surprise, not having expected that response at all. He had always considered training as...like, habit building. Something not to miss unless he truly wasn’t feeling up to it, and even then he’d want to try and come out, if just to have some fresh air. 

But...skating had been far more rigorous… And even if he had pretty much spent the evening lazing about...it was really okay for him to take a break?

Kokichi smiled softly, lifting his head out of the pillows, becoming a traitor to the sleep in cause. “I’d enjoy taking a walk with you later… And, uh, do you know if we still have any of that bruise cream? S’not too bad, but if today’s gonna be a rest day, may as well go the extra mile to take care of myself…”

Leaning up a little, Kokichi kissed Kaito’s cheek in return before he let his momentum drop into kissing Shuuichi’s head. “Sorry, Shuu-chan. I’ve been persuaded by special exemption.”

“Traitor.” Shuichi grumbled, though he was keenly looking at the cup of coffee now, the smell tantalizing. “...I want two cups of coffee.”

“Nope! You remember what Seiko said. One cup a day! Any more and the baby will get fussy. If you want more caffeine, there’s plenty of tea.” Kaito told him, helping him to sit up, before giving him the small cup of coffee, Shuichi sighing as he took it. “And, as for bruise cream, I am certain I still have it somewhere… it’s probably in the bathroom somewhere, let me look for it after I draw up the bath! Shuichi, put some clothes on, we’re the adults, we can’t be late or the kids are gonna hold it against us for a week!”

Good. Good. This felt better. This felt way better. As he turned the bath on, running his fingers under the water, waiting for it to be the right temperature before he plugged it in, he grinned and reasoned to himself that this was fine. He was… he was Kaito Momota! His… his whole existence and everything he had known and loved and respected and took pride in wasn’t just… it wasn’t all entirely evil… there was still good stuff… there was some good stuff…

...of course the guy who had been openly an asshole to him had had his partner killed by his father in a fruitless peace talk. Of course Kaito’s anger came from a place of ignorance and self-interest. 

...because he was still the bad guy.

Kaito grinned vacantly, that awful, sick feeling of guilt and dread running through him again… but! It was okay! Everything was okay. He’d take care of his family and just… everything would be okay. 

Kaito blinked, realizing he had started staring vacantly at the tiles. Whoops! Plug up the bath, add in the salt, add in some bubbles, let’s see if he can find that cream… “Got it! It was under the sink!” Kaito called out of the bathroom, bringing Kokichi the bruise cream, “You gonna put it on before or after?...Shuichi! Out of bed! Clothes!”

Shuichi groaned, pulling himself out of bed this time.

Kokichi sleepily watched Shuuichi drink his coffee for a moment before heaving a great sigh and getting up. Just because he was taking the morning to rest didn’t mean he’d spend the whole time in bed--it’d be kinda mean to ask Kaito to run the bath if he did. He went to gather some clothes, picking soft, thick items he wouldn’t mind going out to take a walk in later, but would be comfortable while he was working, and nuzzled at Kaito’s arm when he came back into the room. 

“I’ll do it after so I don’t just dissolve it or something, I can reach everything. Thanks, hun… Say hi to the kids for me, alright? I know Cali and Kimiko seemed excited to hear we were going skating.”

Another morning started, though pleasantly slow...for him. Poor Shuuichi had to keep on moving. 

Kokichi idly made his way to the bathroom, shucking off his pajamas and grimacing at his bruises before sliding into the tub, sighing softly at the warm temperature. 

-

Kaito, Shuichi, and the kids spent the morning tossing weighted balls to each other, putting them down and picking them, and jogging around the mirror room in between sets (they were still waiting for courtyard to be less icy before returning their workouts to there). Sure, it was a pretty simple, boring workout, but sometimes training was just literally… lift heavy thing. Hold it. Put it down and then lift heavy thing again. Boring, but useful! 

… maybe Kaito could think of a more fun way to do it next time. Maybe smashing things with hammers? Lift heavy thing, slam heavy thing down, repeat? The kids would definitely like that… honestly, Kaito would love to have them working with swords. That would be an ideal arm workout. But Kaito didn’t feel as confident that none of the kids would get hurt, without Maki around to help him keep an eye on them. And fuck, Kaito was not ready to deal with the social fallback of one of his kids stabbing the others on his watch… yeah. No. Better to lift heavy thing, put down, repeat.

Then, he had eaten breakfast with the kids, kissed Shuichi and told him to have a good day at work, walked the kids to school, wished them a good day, reminded the girls to ask their parents about the skating thing, forced a hug onto his squirming, annoyed son, decided randomly that he was going to give Tim his sled the next morning to make up for such a boring training day today…

...and then he got to the point of the day where Kaito didn’t have much to do.’Kokichi and Shuichi were working, Tim was at school with Chase...Kaito considered his afternoons and evenings devoted to his family, so in a way, this was the part of the day that was entirely for himself, when he didn’t have therapy (ugh. Had to remember he had a session tomorrow too.)... but he never really knew what to do with the time. He supposed he could swing by the office and offer his services… ugh, they’d give him more social letters…

Kaito sighed, walking through the market, trying to think of something to do… something to keep him busy without thinking about his freakout this morning...Kaito decided to go visit Behemoth. Ask how things with the temple were going. Offer his help again if he needed anything. Behemoth wouldn’t need anything, because he never did, but well… Kaito still needed to ask. Then maybe he’d swing by Seiko’s? See how she was, make sure everything was good. Then maybe he’d try a new recipe… yeah, that could be a good day…

Kaito managed to keep himself relatively busy, but he was relieved when the afternoon went by, and he could go to the office, knocking on the door before going in, asking Kokichi if he was ready for that walk today.

Unconcerned with trying to make it to any decent portion of training, Kokichi really only had to worry about making it to breakfast, and considering how early they got up for training, he had plenty of time. So, stretching out and sinking down until his chin was just barely above the water...Kokichi lazed in the tub for quite a while. Feeling the heat ease his muscles and the salts soothe his bruises. Thankfully not too tender to rub the cream into when he finally convinced himself to get up. 

And when he met back up with Shuuichi at the office after a later than usual breakfast...he did feel a lot better. Able to playfully apologize for abandoning the cause that morning, and talk interestedly with Nadya about the forms exercise routines and training regimens took. 

Work was work, mostly notating the building repairs people had reported so far that winter, thankfully seeing that Kaito had been right about the books in Bern’s library, finding a report that about 92% of the catalog was without severe damage and could be easily restored. Reading a breakdown about a telephone line that had been toppled during a windstorm, and the new precautions local engineers took up in putting it back up, likely something that would benefit all the lines far more than the cost to make the adjustments. Finding a few letters of smaller villages sending their Unity greetings to the capital that made Kokichi smile. 

He was in a pretty damn good mood, actually, when Kaito came by at the end of the work day, just as Kokichi was finishing cleaning up his desk. And after a detour to their room to put on a few more layers for the outdoors, it was with a hop in his step that they walked past the front gate, Kokichi offering a grin and a wave to the guards on duty. 

“Do you have an idea of where you wanna go? The paths in the community garden might be a little icy still in places, but it could be fun. Or we could walk around the shopping district and use the excuse of exercise not to linger and window shop? Or we could go to a park?”

Kaito had already gone through the market that day, and the park sounded nice… but he knew Kokichi loved the gardens, so he said, “How about the gardens then? We’ll just be careful, keep an eye out for the ice. Should be fine, right? Plus, maybe we’ll get a chance to meet the new head gardner person? I know you’ve been meaning to do it since Nazumi left the post.”

Kokichi’s good mood just brightened at the plan of going through the garden. As he’d told Kaito when they first met, the garden in the winter was prettiest at night when the lights came on, but there were still full-year plants that kept the atmosphere up. Really, Kokichi just loved what each season had to offer when it came to the garden, like an ever changing museum. 

Nodding, the two started to veer over towards the community garden, both of them knowing the way by now so Kokichi didn’t have to lead. Though, once they were inside, he would still likely be the one picking the path, far more familiar with how it all connected.

“Aunty said that Thalia’s not so much of a people person, but more from just kind of a muted personality so I’d still like to say hello with her new position. Apparently she has, like, a super green thumb--she’s been taking care of all your cacti since the cuts arrived and they’re doin’ really well. Once the weather starts to warm back up, you guys should have an easy time planting them in the garden.” Kokichi leaned his head against Kaito’s arm, squeezing his hand affectionately. “If you wanted to, ‘a course. You and Shuu-chan never really said if you were gonna go through the whole diggin’ the hole and placing it in thing. I was just a toddler when my flowers went in, so obviously I didn’t do my own--it’s not like a rite of passage or anything you’d be missing out on.”

“Oh yeah, our catcus’s… shoot,  I need to bring Tim here to let him pick out his plant too. I don’t want him left out… I’m gonna give him his sled tomorrow morning! Maybe I’ll make a day of it, just treat the kid… take him to the garden to pick out a plant after school, maybe sit down with a figurine or convince him to try cooking a meal with me?” Kaito got more and more excited, thinking about spending the day with his kid. Kaito had been trying to feel this sense of parental closeness with the kid since he had promised to be a father to him months ago, but honestly? He had been struggling to get himself into the headspace basically right up until this month. 

The trip up the mountain for a few weeks had done wonders for it, though. It had been the first time Kaito had had one on one time with the kid over a long period of time, and it had seriously helped them bond. Tim still looked at him like everything Kaito did exasperated him, but there was something more overtly playful in it now. More a joke the two were sharing, rather than Tim actually being displeased with the man trying so hard to be his father.

In a way? Now, Kaito was almost jealous of how much time Maki had had with him before this. It had been difficult, trying to find his place in Tim’s life, between her and Haneda. The trip had finally given him the opportunity.

“As for planting it ourselves… I mean, it might not be a rite of passage or anything, but it does sound like a decent reason to make a day out of. It’s gonna be in spring, right? Maybe we could do that and do a picnic or something…” Kaito blinked, before saying softly, “Maki should be back by then, right? It’d be nice. We could plant in the garden, then go to the park. Invite the girls, let Tim and Chase run around.” Kaito grinned wide, “Hell, depending on the timing? Maybe Baby sleeping in a carrier, warmed by the sun? It’d be nice.”

Kokichi had a feeling Tim didn’t really care one way or the other whether he had a plant in the garden, but...maybe he’d more appreciate being included in the whole thing. Having a part, rather than just being there. Kokichi wondered if he’d want to pick a cactus like his parents and uncle, or if he’d make his own trend...he wondered what Cali and Kimiko’s plants were. 

Smiling, already able to feel the soft warmth of the spring sun, Kokichi leaned against Kaito’s arm again. “That sounds lovely… Really starting the year off right, being surrounded by family and friends, making a day to be together and enjoy the weather… I feel like we’re gonna have plenty of events when Maki-chan comes home, and when Baby’s born, and when the kids finish this school year...but it’s kind of nice just to celebrate togetherness on its own without an event.”

“And I’d always be happy to have an excuse to have a picnic!” he chirped. “I don’t really count festivals so...I think I might have never had one before. Unless you’d count me eating something from the market on, like, a bench, or when we had meals on the road…”

“Nah, I don’t think those count.” Kaito said good naturedly, putting his arm around Kokichi’s shoulder and pulling him in, rubbing his fingers up and down his arm as he said, “Mind you, I’ve never done too many picnics myself. I can only really think of… three times? That would count? And one was a school picnic. The other two was one sort of impromptu one with Maki that kind of like… think the thing we did for day we found out Baby’s gender. Like it just sort of spontaneously grew on the day, till a bunch of us were just eating food we brought to a park.”

Kaito smiled fondly at the memory of that day, it honestly probably one of the softer memories he had of his high school friends. It had been the summer after their senior year, and it had ended up being one of the last things a lot of them had done as a group… 

And then he chuckled as he admitted, “And the other time was a fetish thing. One of my old partners had a real thing for, like… possibly getting caught? Messing around? We never did, but man, he pushed the boundaries sometimes. I think he really wanted to be caught, at least once. It was me who ended up holding us back, if you can believe it or not.”

Kaito had eventually understood why. Marcus had been shy and insecure and betrothed to Samuel since childhood, and Kaito had reasoned out after the ‘fallout’ of everything that probably more than anything, Marcus had wanted to put Samuel in a position where he’d want to call off the engagement himself. Unfortunately for Marcus, Kaito supposed… Samuel had really loved him. Marcus cheating on him publicly or not.

Kaito really hoped those two had managed to really talk out their issues before the end happened. Even if he had sort of felt like a tool the two had used to kept trying to manipulate or get back at each other sometimes, he really had cared about the both of them by the end of it. He hoped they had been happy, at least a little, with their relationship before the Remnants had… ruined it.

“It kind of feels like picnics are one of those things that, like… It seems like a nice, good idea, but just doesn’t get done that often? Or maybe I’m projecting, ‘cause I see people havin’ them in the park all the time and I’m leaning too heavily on the law of large numbers.” Kokichi shrugged a bit, not actually trying to find any real meaning there, but just...kind of talking for the sake of talking. Happy to do it. 

Though, he did end up giggling a bit. “I can believe it, but somehow...even if it was your partner pushing for it, it still feels like such a Kai-chan thing. To just be talking about something random and happening to have a sexy memory associated with it? Kai-chan’s stories are many and varied.”

Kokichi was silent for a few moments, just enjoying their walk and the winter version of the garden around them, before he hummed softly. “...this might be a little weird to talk about right now, but...you okay? I know we all know its teasing in good fun, and I know you can absolutely stick up for yourself but...I dunno. If you were ever actually bothered by what Shuu-chan and I poke fun at, I don’t want you to feel like...you’d be “spoiling the fun” or something if you spoke up.”

“Hm?” Kaito looked down at Kokichi, his first impulse being of course not… but stopping to think about it a bit. “Um...I mean…”

Kaito tried to think about how to word it, before trying, “You’ve never really teased me about anything that actually bothers me, but Maki and Shuichi can get a little… rough sometimes. But, I mean, kind of no more so than I do, ya know? Atua knows I’ve put my foot in my mouth a thousand times, and they let it go, ya know? It’s just one of those things that happens when you’re close enough to someone to feel comfortable really being open around them. Sometimes you say the wrong thing.”

“Like, oh man, that thing about Shuichi getting pregnant again? I wanted to die the second I saw that look on his face. God, I felt like such an asshole… but he let it go.” Kaito shrugged, “And I can let it go when, like…” Kaito looked more tired, as he shrugged, “When he says things about mom and stuff. I know he’s not trying to hurt me. It’s just him not watching his words around me, ya know? It’s a good thing, more or less… sorry, I don’t know if that answers your question or not. Was there something specific you were worried about?”

Kokichi nodded slowly. Fuck knew how many sore spots his friends could push on each other… But it was likely something they had been doing for years and were still friends through it all. Even if the things Shuuichi said about Kaito’s mom were less...not thinking about it words and more just...expressing his anger. And Kokichi would never ask Shuuichi to just...let all those horrible times go, not for anything but his own sake and with him working through it first. It just...sucked that it hurt Kaito too. Something he knew Shuuichi didn’t really like either, even if he did enjoy riling Kaito up on purpose sometimes. 

Sighing, Kokichi shook his head and smiled up at Kaito. “Not really. It kinda sounds stupid, saying it outloud, but… I kinda just woke up a little worried about you. In general, not ‘cause you were out or ‘cause I had a bad dream or anything…” Kokichi laughed, rolling his eyes a little at himself. “I think I was dreaming about...giant catfish or something? But...yeah. It was just a weird feeling, and then kinda teasing last night, and freaking you out ‘cause I made myself freak…”

He shook his head again. “Just wanted to touch base, I guess. No matter how well you know someone...I think it’s still good to check in every once in a while. If nothing else, it just shows that you care, right?”

Kaito nodded slowly… before putting his hand on the back of his neck, rubbing at his muscles as he sighed, looking frustrated as he said, “Woke up worried, huh? ...heh. Maybe you felt it somehow? That’s kinda neat, in it’s own sort of way… uh, I mean… ah geez…”

Kaito huffed out, dropping his arm and idly popping his joints with his free hand, as he confessed, “... I kinda had a weird morning. I… sort of had a non-argument with your uncle. But even though it wasn’t an argument, I left it, like… really mad… which was stupid… and I think I may have been a dick to the guy, but fuck, I don’t know… he was telling me about something really personal and instead of being, like sympathetic or anything, I just spent the whole time trying not to act like a bastard about it…”

Then, remembering that this might be a conversation that could affect Kokichi too, Kaito glanced down at his husband and softened his features, as he said, “He was telling me about what happened to his partner? I think the name was Toshio? I imagine you knew him.”

Kokichi looked up in total surprise, not having expected that anything specific had happened, but… He held Kaito’s arm, sighing softly. It wasn’t...the most surprising thing that Kaito and Hideki had a sort of thing between them. People had put in a good amount of effort into being gentle with the Luminaries but...that was not Hideki’s forte in the slightest. Even in Dicea he was known for being extremely blunt with his opinions and, well, everyone knew how much he detested Luminary. 

And...it seemed that they finally talked about why. 

Kokichi’s expression fell a bit and he pressed his head against Kaito’s arm. “...I’m sorry if Hideki said some...unkind things about your home. He doesn’t...really talk about what happened and… He always says he’s not that good with emotions, but this time of year is always different…”

Kokichi sighed. 

“I knew him… I got most of my travel books from Toshio, actually. He adored traveling and...he always told me stories about the places he’d been, especially when I was sick.” Kokichi smiled off to the side, knowing this might be...a little mean, but… “...he kinda reminds me of you, thinking about it now… You guys have the same sort of energy, like you wanna see the best in everyone and are there to root for ‘em.”

Kokichi closed his eyes for a moment, slowly nuzzling his cheek against Kaito’s arm. “...can’t imagine that was...a very comfortable conversation. You seem okay, so I’m not tryin’ to stir anything up, but...are you okay? With...what you got mad over?”

“Um…” Kaito looked around at the frost colored plants, still trying to find a right way to word all these feelings, as he said, “...no? But also yeah… sometimes I think all I’m really doing is learning to be okay with not really being okay… and being okay with that? Miss Crystal says that’s half of what coping is… just facing that a bad thing happened and moving on from it… sometimes it works better than others. I don’t know… sometimes it’s really hard not to obsess about things…”

Kaito frowned, shaking his head, before he said, “I just… felt guilty. Because I haven't always been very… generous with my feelings, when it comes to your uncle? We had a conversation at one point a few months back that was kinda tough… it was mostly my own fault. I was mad about stuff and was looking for a fight, and man… did he give me one. The head secretary is...very good at talking. It was dumb of me to challenge him… debates are not my strong suit. Guy left me reeling… and well, you know how your brute of a husband is.” Kaito laughed hollowly, shaking his head, “I haven't exactly gracefully let it go.”

“...but.” Kaito shrugged. “In the end, he was right to say those things. Hell, I’m shocked he hasn’t done worse, now that I know more about the situation. I’d fucking want to trash talk me too,in his position. Hell, I’d have killed me, in his position…” 

Kaito frowned, looking guiltily down at Kokichi, as he said quickly, “Sorry. I know you don’t like it when I say stuff like that...I’m not saying he should kill me. I’m just… surprised he doesn’t want to. I’d understand. I was ready to throw myself into a bow this morning, just cause it seemed like the next logical step… glad I didn’t though. It would have been humiliating, especially since he’d likely have dismissed it immediately.”

“...I am really sorry about your other uncle, Kokichi.” Kaito said quietly. “Me, Kaede, and Byakuya… we all spent a lot of time that day, wondering what you guys were thinking sending that group… trying to work out what your greater strategy was? Why you made that sacrifice? Were you trying to  distract us with something else? Had the party been a cover to get a specific person inside the kingdom? Was it a publicity thing? Heh…” Kaito ran a hand over his face, looking tired, “Who’d have thought you guys sent them just cause you thought it would work? Wild…’

Being okay with not being okay...that sounded about right. Sometimes there just...wasn’t a silver lining or an upside. Sometimes you weren’t mistaken, misunderstanding the situation. Sometimes bad things happened and...you just had to move on. Because being stuck there forever was the other option, and...that was just a living death. 

Huffing softly, Kokichi pressed against Kaito’s arm more. “I’ve definitely made that mistake before. Unless you have a list of points you’ve researched and prepared counterpoints, trying to stir up a fight against my uncle is just an exercise in being made to feel irrational and foolish. Unless your argument is entirely subjective, and then it’ll just go on forever.”

He didn’t want to downplay the difficulty Hideki and Kaito had with each other but...Kokichi’s expression just went a little strained, it feeling all the worse from trying to make that lighter relation. It was...a difference in value and justice that...while they both understood each other’s side a little more, might just be something he and Kaito never truly understood about each other. 

Kokichi understood his uncle’s disdain and anger, but he also understood that...at the end of it, Hideki didn’t really care what Luminary did. He just wanted his partner back. He wouldn’t hide that anger, but actually doing anything with it… Killing Kaito wouldn’t bring Toshio back. In fact, it would only be spreading that pain of loss to others. Making the world dimmer because people were lost…

But Kokichi also knew that pointing out that this wasn’t about Kaito at all wouldn’t make his husband feel any better, so…

He took a breath, finding Kaito’s hand and just holding it. “Thanks… And...I couldn’t tell you if there were any other motives to the envoy. I wasn’t allowed in on any of the war meetings, and especially not then. But...I do remember Toshio talking to me, explaining that...no one’s really predisposed for hatred. Sometimes you just need to talk face to face, try to see things from someone else’s perspective… If nothing else...I think he really believed in it. That they could stop the war…”

His next breath was a little stuttered. Kokichi stopped for a moment, trying to regain his composure. 

The peace envoy had been a laughing stock.

The only reason the envoy had gotten as far as it had, had been allowed into the throne room in the first, was because King Leon had wanted to see for himself what the party was up too… and had openly mocked them after letting the group say their piece, everyone in the court laughing at the hot red headed guys impassioned speech. Kaito couldn’t really remember what the speech had been about. He and Byakuya had been summoned to stand by his father to watch, a normal custom for special, public events like that. They had watched, interested, while the party made some sort of strange plea…

Oh, right. Kaito remembered how weird it had been, that the group kept talking to the entire court. As if they had expected anyone but the king or the head secretary to talk. Like it mattered what anyone else thought… the head secretary had made a joke of it. And Kaito’s father, in response to the joke, had made it a sort of sarcastic kangaroo court, at one point, asking random people what they thought should be done with the party? Should they end the war because some random people from Dicea had asked? Well? What did everyone think? You? How about you? Head Secretary? My queen?

Everyone had had a good laugh when Leon had asked some random indentured assistant to one of the secretaries, asking the poor, flustered guy if the war should be over now? The guy had quietly said the same thing everyone else had said, because it was the obvious, expected answer.

No, your grace. The war should go on.

Finally, when it was ‘decided’ by the everyone present in the courtroom that the war would indeed continue on, and Kaito’s father had then to decide what to do with the baffled, stunned party themselves, considering they were now technically ‘enemy invaders’...

“Byakuya?” Leon had said, looking over his shoulder to one son, then to the other, “Kaito? What should we do with enemy invaders, who have snuck through our borders and invaded our throne room? Both of you may one day have to make these decisions. This will be good practice! Your suggestions?”

…Kaito had just said what he knew his father was going to do anyway. Had just said what was expected of him.

But, well… maybe that was just an excuse… maybe Kaito should have said something else… made some sort of argument for letting the party go… maybe his father would have listened if Kaito had dared…

He’d never know.

Kaito looked down at his stuttered, suddenly overwhelmed husband. Kaito gripped his hands into fists… before forcing himself to relax. Taking Kokichi’s into his arms and holding him tight. Rubbing his back as he said quietly to him. “I’m sorry, Kokichi… Toshio was very brave. He spoke very well. If my home had been more willing to hear him, I’m sure he could have gotten through. It wasn’t any fault of his that it didn’t work. The odds were stacked against him… he was incredibly admirable. I’m sorry we took him from you…”

Kokichi just nodded, silent for another moment, hiding his face against his husband. 

Kokichi had always admired Aiichi’s way of being able to be so companionable with everyone who came up to him, and Toshio had been the same way. Truly embodied the thought that a stranger was just a friend you hadn’t met yet. Able to connect with anyone… He’d been a child at the time, but Kokichi was sure that there had been the sentiment that if there was anyone who could talk with the Luminous leadership and find a common ground to end the war, it was Toshio. 

Maybe if Luminous culture had been anything but what it was, it could’ve worked. 

A few more breaths, and Kokichi clung to Kaito’s shirt. “...things are different… It’s been a long time...and...hopefully, nothing like that will happen again…” After all, people were starting to utilize the power of saying no, no more. Hopefully...someone like Kaito wouldn’t feel the need to apologize for everyone who had already decided. 

A deeper breath, but Kokichi looked back up at Kaito, his eyes misty but without any formed tears. “Sorry… Stuff like this is always difficult to talk about...but thanks for sharing. Even if it...it gets to be much...I like being able to talk with you about difficult things.”

Kaito laughed, “Hey, at least these conversations don’t leave one of us kinda wanting to kill ourselves anymore! Remember when that was an issue every other conversation? Now we just get kinda sad… which, honestly? Progress! We’re managing!”

Kaito paused, before admitting, giving Kokichi a kiss on the forehead, “That’s kind of a dark joke, but I mean it. We’re getting better at this. Like… being able to talk to each other without self-destructing in some way? That’s been a process for us…” Sighing, Kaito straightened up, rubbing the back of his wrist over his goatee, an admittedly uncertain look on his face as he said, “And maybe it’s giving you and me too much credit? But if you and I can talk without anything really bad happening to either of us… maybe there’s hope for our kingdoms after all? You are… very Dicean. And, while I know you might not like to think of me like this… I am very Luminary.”

Kaito shrugged, giving his husband a sheepish grin, as he said, “Maybe even beyond the publicity stuff for the treaty... we’re a good sign that this is really possible? Our kingdoms working together, some day? Or at least understanding each other...”

Kokichi snorted, amused more at just...how depressingly true that was. If they had tried to talk about something like this back in the summer...well, Kokichi would’ve been in the closet, at the very least. In comparison, having to stop for a moment to be overwhelmed was incredible progress. 

And...something very hopeful. 

Kokichi tipped his forehead forward against Kaito’s chest, pressing against him with a small smile on his face. 

There was no doubt Kokichi was almost painfully Dicean. Considering he was meant to uphold the very ideals that their country operated around and really took them to heart… If Luminary had had an idea of what Dicea was like, Kokichi would’ve made the perfect caricature of Diceans. 

And while...yeah, some parts Kokichi wanted to argue against… Kaito was very Luminous. But...that was really good. Because it was undeniable proof that to be Luminous wasn’t a bad thing. It was just...being a person with different ideals. A focus on loyalty and personal duty that...unfortunately, got overshadowed by a lot of things that were more...structural than what people were like. 

Smiling a little more, Kokichi stood up on his toes, straining to reach Kaito’s cheek to kiss. “I hate to hand it to him...but it looks like Aiichi was right there too. It’s not easy, but...it can happen. Our kingdoms aren’t inherently destined to be at odds. With time and effort...we can understand each other. And I’d say we’re pretty amazing when we work together too.”

Kaito accommodatingly bowed his head to let Kokichi hit his target, though he sighed as he said, “Your dad still creeps me out. But, I’ll admit… I like the king more now that, like… well, I mean, obviously because I know he’s not abusing you and stuff. But also you just seem to like him more now… you say more positive things about him more casually, these days. I know I don’t have to like someone just because you do, but it does make it easier for me if I don’t feel like I’m betraying you in some way, liking them when you don’t…”

Taking Kokichi’s hand, Kaito gently started leading him back into the walk, as he admitted, “And while there’s still a part of me that… look, the culture stuff that makes it difficult for you and me to talk? It’s not just been you, babe. Hideki, Lake… I leave some of my conversations with them fucking on the verge of losing it. Like, you are so much more gentle on me than they are. It makes me appreciate how much you’ve had to hold back, with me. We work well together, but I recognize that’s partly because you forgive me when I falter so much… I had a point. What was my point…”

“Oh! My point being… I want to like the people you like. I know I don’t have to, but… I want to. And, I’m sorry that I haven't always been good at bonding with your family...you worked so hard to get to know Shuichi and Maki, and I literally made a kid that almost got you killed twice your nephew, and you never so much as hesitated, trying to make them all feel welcomed. Meanwhile, I can’t have a conversation with your family without needing to run to my shrine or biting my tongue,” Kaito sighed, rolling his eyes at himself, as he squeezed Kokichi’s hand, “...I just wanna say thanks. For your patience. I don’t make it easy…”

“On the subject of checking in…” Kaito gave Kokichi what he hoped was a confident grin, “If there’s anything you need to talk to me about? Anything you’ve been holding back because your husband is a big whiny baby who loses his temper too much… or just anything you needed to get off your chest? Yeah. This is me checking in too… is everything okay with you?”

Kokichi nodded--yeah, Aiichi was still kind of a creepy weirdo. But...he did like his father more now. Because...he was actually taking the time to get to know him. Knowing Aiichi as the person he was, rather than some unreachable idea that represented everything Kokichi had hated about his life. Getting to know how much Aiichi had admired Fuse, how much he had loved Miyako. That he saw all Diceans as family, just distant members, and had a horrible temper when it came to certain things. Hearing just how...unbelievably proud Aiichi was of him, all the high expectations the leader knew his son could reach. 

It was a lot easier to like a person when they were a person to you, and not a concept. 

So, well...Kokichi would never be upset at Kaito for liking someone. He just wanted it to be Kaito’s choice to make that effort to get to know them, not feeling obligated because Kokichi liked them. 

...and even if he wasn’t there yet, Kokichi still appreciated that effort. 

Kokichi gently shook his head, though...if Kaito appreciated that effort in kind, he should accept that too. “I’m glad you get comfort out of that but...I kept trying with Maki-chan and Shuu-chan and Tim for their own sakes. It probably would look a lot different if...I dunno, they’d left as soon as the wedding was over, moving into town to start their own lives...but I’d still try to welcome them, just...as people I was now responsible for.”

“But...you’re welcome. Whatever effort I put in, even if it doesn’t seem like effort to me, Kai-chan’s worth it.”

Smiling more steadily up at his husband, Kokichi thought for a moment and...it was with a light heart that he squeezed Kaito’s hand. “Yeah… Things are good. I know I’ve told you, but...I’m much happier than I’ve ever been, lately. Things aren’t perfect, they never will be. ...I miss Maki-chan,” he admitted softly, looking around the frosted plants they walked by. “I worry about her, and all the exchange students going to Luminary, and all the students coming here. About being a dad, though that’s a much happier worry. About just...day to day life things, being a good husband and a good boyfriend.”

“But...it’s all just life, you know? And that feels manageable. Good. Worth it, knowing I have things to care about. And while I might get scared or sad sometimes...on the whole? I’m happy.”

There was a moment where Kaito...deflated a bit. It wasn’t like Kaito thanked Kokichi for these efforts out of a sense of obligation, or guilt… to him, those efforts were real, tangible proof that Kokichi loved him. Was willing to do difficult things for him. It didn’t feel good to hear that proof was ‘effortless’ and that he’d ‘do it for anyone’...

But, Kaito reminded himself… that even if Kokichi thought it was effortless and that Kaito or his family hadn’t been anything special, Kokichi also wasn’t always super honest with himself on how difficult things were for him. Getting to know Shuichi and Maki hadn’t been effortless… not the extent Kokichi had gotten to know them. Kaito knew this because he had watched it happen. Kokichi had been entirely unwilling to even call literally anyone a friend to him when Kaito had first met him… to go from that, to telling Maki and Shuichi that he loved them? To taking Shuichi into his bed and confiding in Maki things deeply personal and vulnerable to him? Trusting them both with his open devotion?

Maybe the Kokichi right now would have an easier time recreating that experience, but the Kokichi Kaito had met when he first married him? He didn’t care what his husband told himself… that had taken special effort. That had been hard. It was something Kaito could be grateful for. 

So Kaito listened quietly as Kokichi explained it was no big deal, and while he didn’t argue with him, he didn’t believe him either. And was thankful all the same. 

“I miss Maki too… and I bet she misses us. Next time we get her on a phone call, we should conspire to get her to admit it.” Kaito grinned, giving his husband a wink, before squeezing his hand and saying softly, “You’re going to be a great parent. I really believe that. Our daughters gonna be so lucky to have you… her and whoever her sibling is going to be. Your ‘feeling’ baby… it’s exciting! I’m really looking forward to seeing you be a dad! To supporting you… you’re going to raise great children. Our little Miss Saihara, and the heir-apparent someday… the world will be luckier to have them in it! I’m certain of it!”

Laughing, Kaito gave his husband a sincerely confident grin… before saying softly, “I’m glad your happy babe. I am too.”

Kokichi laughed softly. “I think we might actually have a chance if we get Shuu-chan to help out too. I think he could use something new to be in cahoots over too--I’m glad he’s having fun, but the number of times he wants to conspire to mess with you is more than enough evidence to say he misses her. It was a special moment, but...I almost entirely forgot to mention that Shuu-chan said I could touch his chest when we were together that time. I’m convinced he just brought it up to rub it in that I got to and you didn’t.”

Kokichi appreciated the intimacy, and what it meant to Shuuichi but...honestly, he kind of preferred the intimacy of getting to touch his belly. Their little daughter…

Who would have more than an older brother, one day. 

Getting ready for Baby, it had kind of been far from Kokichi’s mind...but if there was anything to the tradition, one day it would just hit him and...whether he’d have another child, or someone young to mentor...they’d be his kid. With much less preparation time than Baby…

But if it all was true...then they would be someone Kokichi could entrust the future to, and getting to meet that person would be…

Kokichi huffed out a laugh, his eyes wetting a little bit again. “It’s crazy… Twenty, and thinking about my kids… Really didn’t hesitate at all on getting things started. But...I’m impatient. I’m already far too excited to meet Baby.”

“Eh, think of it like this, babe. By the time our kids are grown? We’ll still be young, relatively. It’ll make our respective mid-life crisis’s far more fun.” Kaito laughed, “And I’m excited to meet her too. I’m weirdly looking forward to giving her her first bath? And massaging her little feetsies… one of the baby books I was reading suggested massages would help the crying. Said babies go through a lot of growing pain, so if she’s not hungry and not tired? That might be why she’s crying… though, there was this pretty funny disclaimer at the bottom of the page that said the author thought babies were just practicing psychological warfare sometimes on their parents too. That was a fun book.”

“...we should talk about Shuichi.” Kaito realized. Saying it literally as soon as the thought was in his head, frowning as he started thinking back to the last few months. Suddenly noticing some strong warning signs as he said, “I think our guy might be a bit depressed.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Shuichi’s prone to, like… fits of sadness and melancholy and all that. He’s always been like that. But…” Kaito sighed, running a hand through his hair. “...he has been lashing out a lot. And making some… questionable decisions. Sure, a lot of that can be blamed on the pollen, and then the pregnancy… but I think I’m doing the guy a disservice if I just say that’s all it is and move on with my life. The last half a year has been really, ya know… traumatizing? I think it’s safe to say? We might want to be aware of that… I don’t want him to just struggle with it by himself, ya know? I want to help him if I can. Which I can. I just gotta know what he needs...”

That was a pretty major upside. Through their kids’ childhoods, they’d still have the energy to keep up with them… (And for the more depressing side of things...Kokichi would get to spend more time with them. He and Aiichi had had an...eye-opening talk about what Fuse had been like, what Aiichi’s relationship with her had been like. And...while her death wasn’t...utterly shocking? Aiichi still regretted that they hadn’t had more time together. Part of the reason why he and Miyako had wanted children so young.)

(Children. They hadn’t talked about that but… Just from how Aiichi talked, Kokichi got the impression that...he wasn’t bringing something new to the table, wanting a big family.)

Kokichi snorted softly at the humor of the baby book. “I’ll keep that in mind, then, even if you are the massage master. At least it also might be her wanting attention, and I can give plenty of that. Sometimes I think we’re really on a track to spoil her but...I can’t really bring myself to care. I wanna dote on my daughter…”

And both her other daddies too. 

Kokichi looked up in surprise for a moment before his expression softened in contemplation. Everything with the pollen, and then his hormones going haywire from the pregnancy...Shuuichi had plenty of reason for being grouchy and prickly and overemotional in general…

But multiple factors didn’t rule each other out. 

Rubbing his thumb over the side of Kaito’s hand, Kokichi nodded. “...we talk, sometimes. About the hard stuff… And...I think letting him know that we’re here for him is one of the big things we can do, you know? And sometimes...there really isn’t anything more that you can do than just...hold him and agree that the world was unfair.”

Kokichi was quiet for a moment before looking back up at Kaito. “...is it too Dicean of me to think he’d benefit from going to some type of therapy? I don’t even know how an expert might be able to help, but that might just be the thing…”

Kaito shrugged lightly, “Maybe? I mean, I don’t always agree with what Miss Crystal says… but I gotta admit, some of the things she makes me practice has been helping in its own way. And…” there was a small furrow in Kaito’s brow, before he admitted, “...I know it wasn’t real therapy. And there was a… lot of stuff wrong with what he said? But there was something nice and kind of exciting, in talking to Fake-Ford, about problems I was having… it was nice to feel like I had a sort of safe person to just kind of unload on, a bit. I don’t really feel the same way about Miss Crystal… I mean, that’s probably because Fake-Ford was trying to draw stuff he could use against me out of me, and she’s not. Ya know? Her sessions are way more practical. But it was kinda nice just… saying things that were bothering me.”

Waving his hand a round a bit, as if trying to tell himself ‘hurry up’, he said, “All that to say, maybe Shuichi would benefit from just having someone to unload his emotions on a bit? Someone who isn’t, like… the source of his problems. Which, I mean, we love him, of course… but if he’s having issues, there’s not a lot of other people he could be having issues with, ya know? Everyone needs that person they can just talk at… but our Shuichi, I don’t think anyway, hasn’t made any friends that can be that person for him yet…So, yeah? Maybe therapy is the answer there?” Kaito mused… though, he’d absolutely want any therapist Shuichi went to see thoroughly vetted beforehand. No one was taking advantage of his boyfriend… that was not happening...

“Oh… we never did do marriage therapy… I know we’re doing better, but is that something we should still think about?”

Kokichi nodded, thinking about his own sessions. “Life is just...a lot. For everyone. But...especially with all the shit we’ve been dealing with...being able to just...word vomit everything else without having to think about it…” He snorted. “Well, trying to do that in the first place is still hard for me, but knowing that I could? And still being able to say everything without worrying about it weighing on someone I love, at least until you can sort through it more so actually tell them something that makes sense… I really should’ve started years ago…”

“If there are things Shuu-chan can’t talk to you or me or Maki-chan about… Or if he just needs the dedicated space for it? I don’t wanna overwhelm him when he's just about to start school, but...I dunno. Might be worth bringing up.”

As...maybe marriage therapy might be. 

Kokichi hummed softly, resting his head against Kaito’s arm as he thought it over. “I like to think us each figuring our own shit out has been a big help in us being able to communicate...but it feels kinda...irresponsible to leave things until they explode. I don’t...I don’t wanna have another memorial garden night. Maybe...when we have our next sessions, we could ask our therapists if there are any marriage counsellors they’d recommend, and then we can look into them…”

“Yeah… the memorial garden was rough…” Kaito murmured, staring down at the ground, partly to keep an eye on the ice, and partly just… feeling heavy from the memory of that night. “For awhile there, I couldn’t even really think of everything that happened without wanting to… break down. Or run. I wouldn’t-” Kaito said quickly, looking over at Kokichi with a flash of guilt… before chuckling slightly, “I mean, obviously… cause I didn’t. But it really did feel like the world was ending for a minute there…”

Kaito swallowed, a stern looking coming over his face as he said, “But, time’s made that whole night easier to look at. At least for me it has. I can’t… say I could have done any of it differently? I was too emotional to have done it any better than I did. But even with that said… I’m still sorry for how I acted, Kokichi. You were having a whole meltdown worst than anything I’d seen you do up to that point and… fuck, I don’t know, I could have at least gotten you inside sooner. Gotten you a warm drink or something, anything… some of the night is a blur to me, but I think at one point I actually pushed you… I’m not sure if I did, but I think I did. I’m sorry… even if I was overwhelmed, I should have prioritized your health first. We could have kept having our fight, but not while you were fucking…” Kaito grit his teeth, “...freezing in the dirt…I’m sorry. I wish I had done better...”

Kokichi nodded with a small, sad smile on his face. They were past that point but...damn, had it been bad. 

He sighed softly, giving Kaito’s hand a squeeze. “We both could’ve. But...be kinder to yourself. Anyone hearing...all that stuff, and the way I said it too...anyone would’ve lost it. You can’t blame yourself for being overwhelmed. You can’t blame yourself for having emotions…”

“...and yet...if I had gotten help earlier…” Kokichi sighed again. “Maybe I wouldn’t have lost it as hard as I did. Wouldn’t have put myself in danger, worrying everyone I love… Hurting the people I love. And you can’t forget...even amid something so world ending...Kai-chan still got me help, and got me safe. Went straight to Seiko and kept me warm with your own body, still held me that night… We both could’ve done better, but we can’t dismiss what we managed. And we’re working on getting to that better every day.”

“...still, I know the feeling. There’s so much I...wish I could’ve done better by you.” He thunked his head against Kaito’s arm once before offering another small smile. “Kinda sucks, having to live with your mistakes, even if they’re what make you a better person.”

“Do they? I guess they would, if you learn from them… it’s hard, though. When they’re things you should have already known. Mistakes you shouldn’t have made in the first place… but.” Kaito huffed, “I guess if we really knew better, we wouldn’t have done them… maybe? Shuichi made an argument like that to me once. Not sure if I entirely agree with him, but… I could see where he was coming from…”

“...I prayed for the safety of the Luminary Party, the other day?” Kaito said, suddenly slowing them down, not trusting some of the parts of the leaves on the path in front of them, moving through them cautiously, “...I asked Atua to help the party, even if it helped Tengan and Chisa… I don’t know. I know I really struggle with treating people I hate like people. I thought you might be proud of that. Like… I’m really trying? I just want you to know I’m trying. I know prayer doesn’t mean much to you, but… it means something to me, and I prayed for their well being. I thought that might make you happy.”

Sometimes you didn’t even have to learn from them directly. Sometimes just the pain caused by them made you...if not choose differently, then take an extra moment to stop and look around. And that was still a step forward. It wasn’t to say that pain was necessary to grow, as it could just as easily stop you in your tracks or even send you backwards, but...well. After getting burned, you weren’t so likely to touch a stove, were you?

Kokichi looked up in surprise, more to hear Kaito mention it than to hear that he had been thinking of the party. There was still no news… And at this point, either they were scarily good at hiding out, or...they were in Danganronpa… And while Dicea had cooperated in giving any news they had about the party’s movements, kept an eye out within the country...in a different country, they had no jurisdiction to even ask about it. The investigation would fall solely on Luminary. 

...at least Byakuya’s paranoia in wanting to know where someone like Tengan was would keep the search going. 

Kokichi sighed softly...but smiled proudly, stopping for a moment to hug around Kaito’s waist. “That does make me proud. And...you know I respect how much prayer means to you, right? So that you would offer your prayers for people like those monsters just on the chance that it might help the others… It means a lot to me that you would do something like that.”

“...but...tell me if this is too disrespectful to Atua? But if you prayed that they’d piss their pants in public, I’d like if you passed that on in your thoughts too.” Kokichi wrinkled his nose a bit, just scratching the surface of the...genuine hatred he had for those people. To the point he didn’t think they were even worth wishing anything worse upon, not worth the thought space in his head.

Kaito’s eyes widened a little, before he snickered, bringing up Kokichi’s hand to kiss it as he said, “Atua doesn’t interfere like that, but I think there’s one or two saints that would be super into that idea. I’ll give them a shout later, see if any of them take up the challenge, babe.”

“...I wish they had just left us alone.” Kaito mused. The quiet of the garden’s chilly air making it easier for Kaito to think on difficult things. He found it was always a little easier to talk about hard things when the environment around him was a little ‘other’. It felt wrong, to bring that pain into their home. “I know that’s an obvious thing to wish for, but… everything they had done was so pointless… it really seems like they literally just did it to hurt us. I have a hard time getting my head around that. It’d be easier to accept it if there had been some… kind of purpose behind it. I can’t really explain to you how many nights I’ve just laid there thinking about it. Trying to work it all out in my head, trying to figure out the ‘why’. I hate Tom and Itch, but at least with them I’m not going to spend the rest of my life trying to figure out what the fuck it was all for… their reasons were fucking insane, but at least they had some…”

“...and Tengan was just such a… huge presence in my life, ya know? For all of it… it all made sense, everything he did, before this trip. I thought he did all of it to make Byakuya stronger. To help the kingdom… I thought I understood him. All of it… but now the kingdom is in ruins, my dad is dead, Byakuya’s desperatly trying to keep it all together, and Tengan disappears when he’s arguably most needed, after fucking with me for no damn reason and than leaving without a word? It’s like… fuck, it’s like he didn’t care about any of that stuff. So… so if he didn’t care? Then why did he-”

Kaito grit his teeth, running a hand over his face… before grumbling out, “Sorry. Shit. Here I am bragging that I was starting to move on, and almost immediately afterwards I start getting myself worked up and pissed again. Sorry…”

Kokichi snickered softly before the mood sombered again, the little...petty thoughts of revenge just...morbid humor to face what had happened. That, for no reason, two people had done whatever they could to ruin their lives… 

...there was no will to change if you had no will in the first place. If there was even just one thing you cared about, that you sought to protect...then that was a starting place. To understand, to change…

Looking at Tengan and Chisa was like...looking at a void that was not meant to exist in the world. Something inhuman. Utter insanity without a reason. 

...he wouldn’t tell Kaito, at least not now, but the more Kokichi heard and thought, the more it seemed that Tengan had been operating that way for longer than just the trip. Kokichi didn’t like Byakuya, but even then he still felt sympathy for what he still didn’t even know Tengan had done during his and Kaito’s childhoods. And Luminary had been on a spiral for much longer than what had started happening these past few months… 

People didn’t want revolution overnight. 

It was just like...Tengan had wanted to see the whole world burn, but just couldn’t be as obvious about it until the trip. It was...truly disgusting. 

(Such thoughts terrified Kokichi, honestly, but...maybe, in the only instance ever...the world would’ve been better off if Tengan had never existed. That his was the single perspective that the universe didn’t need.)

Shaking his head, Kokichi reached over to rub Kaito’s back. “It’s okay… Like you said, he was a big presence in your life. You’re right to be angry. I’m angry… If you need to rage, rage, but… I mean, you know, but don’t let it be the only thing you do. Kai-chan has so much more to his life.”

“...yeah. Yeah! I mean, that’s a good point, ‘Kichi… I have better things to be doing then wondering what the fuck was up with that asshole. It…” Kaito scoffed, a look of real, actual fury crossing his face for a moment, before it tempered into just annoyed anger as he said, “...it doesn’t fucking matter. If he was… I mean, I thought he was trying to help… he had to have been, right? My dad went to him for everything, my mom consulted with him, he basically ran several departments himself, he had his hand in everything, it had to have mattered to him… maybe he just retired? Maybe he was just done. Or, maybe the Luminary Party disappearing has nothing to do with him. Maybe there was some big master plan that required hurting us and he just never got to see it through cause some bear in the woods ate him or something. Or a wolf. You guys might still have some giant wolves out there…”

Kaito got annoyed with himself, realizing he was trying to figure it out again, and shook his head, clenching his free hand into a tight fist as he said, “It doesn’t matter. Byakuya’s gonna take care of Luminary, and you’re going to take care of Dicea, and I’m going to make certain our family is healthy and happy. My kids aren’t going to… do any weird trainings or be in the spotlight all the time or anything like that. Well, no more for Tim, anyway. They’re going to live healthy, normal lives, and no ones gonna… no ones gonna fuck with them! No fucking weird head games or power trips or fucking…. Weirdness! No weird fucking politics, not for them! And I’ll keep Shuichi out of the spotlight, and I’ll support you when things get tough, and I’ll convince Maki to take a god damn break someday!”

“Fuck whatever Tengan wanted from me… he didn’t get it. I’m living my own fucking life now, and it’s got nothing to do with whatever all of that shit had been… fuck him.”

Kaito’s whole body was tense from that speech… but after a moment he glanced over at Kokichi and softened, laughing sheepishly as he said “Sorry. Too much?”

...if Tengan had practically been running Luminary himself...it was kind of easy to see how it had gotten so bad… And with the way Luminary believed in hierarchy...he’d gotten away with it without any ire. With people focusing their hatred in the wrong place, at least for the greater scheme of things. 

Again, Kokichi felt just...a deep well of sympathy for Luminaries at large. Just...having the misfortune to be born in a place that was being run as...not much more than an elaborate mindgame. 

But no more. Things had reached a tipping point and...no matter what happened, things were going to change. And no matter their goal, if the people making those changes wanted to make things better...that was a good thing. Even if you disagreed, you could fight against a perspective. 

Things were going to be better than the world they had all been born into. 

Resolve in his own heart, Kokichi could practically feel the strength in the air as Kaito made his vows, that will to protect and support shining through brighter than anything. Just listening to it, Kokichi could feel himself standing straighter, prouder, ready to see that plan become reality. And it was with conviction that he nodded, agreeing, “Fuck him.”

Before he giggled, nuzzling at Kaito’s arm. “Not at all… Hearing Kai-chan vow to protect our family and our children like that… I’m proud to be here to hear it. To watch as you make it so and play my own part of it.”

...maybe this would backfire, but… Kokichi gave his husband a wink. “Hearing Kai-chan take hold of his own destiny is hot.” It was so often the way Kaito expressed his approval. Even if Kokichi didn’t agree that being desirable was really...needed, maybe his husband would appreciate him trying to speak the same language. 

Again, Kaito’s eyes widened… but this time they went really wide. Like, actually stunned, as he looked at his husband like maybe he was half-convinced he had heard wrong.

...then he flushed bright red and grinned wide, looking both sheepish and flattered as he said, “Yeah? Well, shit, babe, if that’s your thing, I’d have done it sooner!”

It was a joke, and probably not that clever, but Kaito was too genuinely flustered to come up with anything smoother than that, just chuckling, tickled pink that his husband had said something like that. In public too! Sorta! “Man, babe… you are always full of surprises.” Kaito said, the words clearly adoring, though he was a little too flustered to look directly at him, waiting for his face to cool down. “You just come out of nowhere with that shit, I swear. Always catches me off guard.”

Kokichi grinned, his shoulders bouncing slightly in silent laughter that, even if today was a rest day, he could feel his stomach muscles burning with the effort to keep it in. Well, that had turned out pretty peachy, huh?! 

“I gotta keep things interesting! We have a lot of years ahead of us, so I can’t let you get too bored, can I? Have to shake things up every once in a while, can’t let you think I’m out of my bag of tricks.” He let out a few snickers there, nuzzling Kaito’s arm. “Aaaaand I think it’s a good habit to compliment you out of the blue. Say what’s on my mind, don’t leave ya doubting. Just turns out I think nice things about Kai-chan a whole lot.”

“Heh, yeah?” Kaito leaned down, gently taking Kokichi’s chin in his hand, leading his husband into a kiss. Softly tasting at that sweet bottom lip that Kaito adored, hearing the soft sound of Kokichi breathing that always made his heart rate tic up ever so slightly, feeling that small brush of mismatched, uneven hair…

All the little pieces of Kokichi that, when Kaito closed his eyes for a kiss, reminded him that the person in his arms, that he was pressed against, was Kokichi. All the little things undeniably him...the shape of his face. His brush of hair. His scent. His taste. The way he smiled against his lips and the way he kissed back, sometimes soft and slow, other times quickening the pace, nipping at his lips a little, playful and inviting. His ‘Kichi…

Kaito broke the kiss and hummed happily for a moment, letting out a small breath as he said, “I can’t always say the things I think about you out loud. Not whenever I want too, anyway. I have lots and lots and lots of compliments I want to give you, but it’d be very rude to say them around company. Shame… my ‘Kichi deserves lots and lots of compliments…”

Kokichi leaned into Kaito’s touch, gently closing his eyes as they kissed. He didn’t mind small acts of affection in public, but the relative solitude of the garden, at least the path they were on, gave him the peace to enjoy something slightly more. 

The way Kaito held him close, supporting him so Kokichi never had to strain against their size difference. The way his hands, calloused and scarred with experience, were always so gentle, cupping his cheek and jaw and making Kokichi feel enveloped. His constant warmth and slight tickle on the chin from his beard…

Kokichi kissed his husband softly, fully, enjoying this moment of the two of them together. Despite everything, walking toward a brighter future hand in hand. 

He snorted as Kaito pulled away, booping their noses together, though his cheeks went pink. “Well, good thing Kai-chan knows a place he can tell me all those things without company around to spoil the fun. I’ll admit, I love telling you all about how wonderful you are...but I adore hearing what you have to say too.”

Kaito was sorely tempted to pay Kokichi those compliments now. Most of them weren’t even that dirty! The number one word that always came to Kaito’s mind for Kokichi was always ‘ethereal’, which, honestly, was probably the biggest compliment Kaito could muster for an individual. To literally look and feel (because for Kaito, those two perspectives were always and intricately linked) like something straight from Atua’s paradise. Delicate and light and perfect…

But if he started, he’d inevitably also start talking about how fucking cute Kokichi was under his hands when his eyes started to roll into the back of his head and his back arched and that was less appropriate out in the middle of the garden. Also, frankly, Kaito would probably get a little too into it and all that would end up doing was make Kokichi uncomfortable and blue-balling himself. Yeah. Best to let it be.

So, instead, Kaito laughed lightly and stole another little kiss as Kokichi rubbed his cute little nose against him and straightened up when his husband took a step back as he said, “Later, when we have more privacy, I’ll say everything on my mind. But for now? Just know that I think you’re amazing, and I’m grateful for you every day. Alright?” Kaito brought up Kokichi’s hand to kiss it again, near the pinky, before saying, “You can believe in that. It’s not going to stop being true. I swear it.”

Sometimes it was harder to believe, but that just made moments like these even more special. They gave Kokichi undeniable proof to fight the mean lies in his head, made his heart warm and his lips prone to smiling… Kokichi squeezed Kaito’s hand again. “Every day I’m with Kai-chan is a blessing. No qualifications or exceptions.”

Maybe it wasn’t exactly rigorous enough to count as exercise, but Kokichi was enjoying their leisurely walk through the garden, enjoying nature and somehow feeling private enough to have intimate conversations...but they weren’t completely alone. After a little while, Kokichi heard another set of footsteps, ones that stopped for a moment before continuing more slowly, eventually revealing that they belonged to a young woman with strawberry blonde hair both tied into a side ponytail and tucked into the collar of her jacket. 

She gave them a curt, but polite nod, Kokichi piped up, recognizing the woman from the one or two times he’d seen her from afar. “Oh, Thalia! Good afternoon--congrats on becoming the new head gardener! Aunty Nazumi said that she and the other regular volunteers were really excited to nominate you, so I’m looking forward to seeing the garden in your care!”

Kaito, out of instinct, bowed slightly, if only because she was a person with a title and that was still, in his head, the polite thing to do as he said, “Congratulations, miss… hey, can I ask? I’ve been curious ever since I heard about this tradition… did you have another job that’s just, like, put on hold for the next year?” Kaito asked, looking at the woman curiously, “What did you do before this? I mean… running the garden is full time, right?”

Was that a random question for his very first second of meeting her? ...yes. Yes it was. But he was so genuinely curious. He had been meaning to ask Nazumi or Kokichi for ages, but kept forgetting. Now that he remembered? He was asking quickly before he forgot and lost the opportunity again.

Thalia murmured out a soft thank you to both congratulations, ready to just leave it all at that and continue on through her daily survey--there wasn’t too much else to do until spring, unless there were people who wanted to order some plants--but as it became clear this wasn’t going to be a two sentence conversation, she resigned herself to it. Dicea had a much more relaxed vibe that she really preferred, but these were still the princes. At the very least, she had to excuse herself before leaving in the middle of a conversation. 

Thankfully as she nodded, Kokichi filled in a little of the culture. “Every other volunteer gives as much time as they want, and sometimes that does end up being full time, but the head gardener tends to be the only paid full-time employee. Sometimes if they need more help, they’ll hire some people and divvy up the garden budget, but, yeah.”

“I was volunteering full time before I was voted in,” Thalia explained, picking at a loose thread inside one of her pockets. “I moved here this year so… Figured I should...you know, take up a hobby, make it more social than staying in my house the whole time. Turns out I’m pretty good at it, and if I’m gonna be here the whole time anyway, the others decided I should be paid for it. Works out alright in my books.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened a little as he gave the woman a brighter grin. He had been pretty sure he hadn’t seen Thalia in years past, but that just confirmed it. “Oh, a bit late, but welcome to Usot as well!”

“Oh! Neat! I just moved here this year too!” Kaito grinned wide, and because he was kind of a dork sometimes, he filled in as if there was literally any hells chance she didn’t already know, “I’m from Luminary! Where do you come from, miss?”

Thalia sighed deeply, as if even saying the words was a massive pain. “Danganronpa. Moved at the end of last spring.” Pretty much as soon as she could convince her mom to let her live on her own, and even then she planned a trip to visit for a few months. Thankfully, Izais was finally gone and Thalia could finally relax into her own life, away from her overbearing mother and an even more invasive nation. Fuckin’ nosy assholes…

Dicea really was a breath of fresh air. 

Kokichi’s surprised, delighted expression only grew, though...he had to remember that Thalia wasn’t really a social butterfly. While he itched to ask about the country, he could always ask another time. “Wow, that’s quite a trip. I hope the culture shock hasn’t been to difficult to adjust to, even if parts of Danganronpa are pretty close to Dicean culture.”

The gardener just shrugged noncommittally. “It’s been fine. I’m just happy I can focus on the garden, most of the time.”

Kaito looked at the woman curiously. Danganronpa, huh… just like Dicea had been, that kingdom’s life and practices were pretty vague to Kaito. He had met plenty of representatives from Danganronpa, of course, diplomats not much unlike Tsumugi, and tradesman, politicians, even a few tourists! But… in Kaito’s experience, it was tough to get them to talk about home. They’d say things, sure, but…

He had to assume it was just a culture thing. Sort of like talking about authority figures in Luminary. There were things it was just polite to not talk about. Kaito couldn’t imagine why it was about so many subjects in Danganronpa, but if his time in Dicea had taught him anything, it was that sometimes you couldn’t even begin to guess another cultures reasons for doing things how they do.

Kaito grinned, “Hey, you only moved here this year and you’re already in one of the most highly respected positions Usot has! Sounds like you’re doing a great job assimilating! Good on ya! Oh, oh, I bet the newspaper will do an article on her.” Kaito guessed, putting his arm around Kokichi and not that low-key bragging, “The newspaper made a sectional recognizing the accomplishments of members of the community on Kokichi here’s suggestion! Pretty cool, huh? I bet you definitely qualify, miss!” 

Kokichi made a little embarrassed noise, murmuring out a “Kai-chan…” though there was a shy smile on his face, feeling a little flustered to be bragged about, at least for this. “It was only because of you bringing up national awards ‘n stuff, and it’s only a section because of the decisions and work of all the writers and journalists from the paper…”

Thalia shrugged a bit, pulling her collar a little higher. The weather was more mild than it had been in weeks, but it was still too damn cold… “Seems like a cool section, but I’d be happier if they focused on other people. Rather keep out of the limelight myself. Probably wouldn’t make for an interesting interview either.”

Figuring that was a polite amount of socialization, the new head gardener gave the princes a nod before stepping over to the side to continue her walk. “Thanks for the congrats and all that, but I should be keeping on. You two enjoy the garden for the rest of your own walk.”

“...she seems nice.” Kaito said, “In, ya know, probably a Maki sort of way. I’m sure the plants are in good hands… shame Nazumi had to give it up though. I mean, I’m sure she didn’t mind, since she knew she’d only get it for a year when she got it. But I gotta imagine it’s tough to give up a big project like this after working on it for a year…”

Kaito looked around, admiring the garden a bit… before shivering. “Alright, babe, how do your legs feel? You all warmed up and stretched out? Ready to head home?”

Kokichi nodded, looking over his shoulder back where Thalia had gone off to. “Aunty said she’s still pitching in every now and then when I don’t need her, but, yeah. She can always be voted head gardener again in the future though! It’s just a rule that you can’t go back to back to like...I think not feel too possessive over it, I think was the idea. Since the garden belongs to everyone, and anyone can come and help out with it. I haven’t read too much into it, but maybe there were head gardeners back in the day that got sniffy over people volunteering or coming to see the garden or something…”

In any case, it gave more people a chance to try the leadership role out, and since the votes tended to go to the people who spent the most time volunteering, had the best skills in tending for plants, or was the kind of person who got other people excited to volunteer, the garden was always being well-tended. A symbol of the Dicean people in many, many ways.

Kokichi kicked his feet out a little before grinning up at Kaito, hugging around his arm. “Yupp yupp! This was fun...I like taking walks with you, though I don’t really plan on missing training all the time. But...maybe this could be something we could make some time for? Walking around town, or even the farmlands or forest if we’re feeling particularly adventurous.”

Kaito raised an eyebrow, before he said sternly, “Babe, I only said you were good to ditch this morning because you had worked yourself so hard, yesterday. Working out on already shredded muscles doesn’t help anything. It just burns you out. Trust me, get used to getting up and going to training regularly while it’s just me here pushing for it. You’ve seen how relentless Maki gets with me and Shuichi. She won’t be as nice as me when she gets back.”

But after that scolding, he just nodded, looking pleased with the idea as he said, “And yeah, babe, if you want to go on more walks with me? I’m all about it. It’s good to get out of the castle, especially now that the snow is clearing up. Sucks to be stuck inside all day, ya know? Though, for tomorrow specifically, I think I’m gonna end up spending a lot of time with Tim? That’s the goal right now, anyway. Maybe you can drag Shuichi out. Our guy can always use just a little more exercise, since he doesn’t really push himself that hard during training. A walk would do him good.”

Kokichi pouted, but didn’t argue, even if that wasn’t what he meant. He actually really liked the routine of training, though it could stand to be a little later in the morning… But once he and Shuuichi dragged themselves out of bed and were actually at training? It just felt nice, working out as a group, even when he and Shuuichi did lighter exercises, which Kokichi had been surprised to see had maaaaaaaaany variations. He couldn’t do push ups very well, but he could match reps with his hands on a chair, and after a set it felt just as rewarding. 

Really, whenever he had to skip training because he wasn’t feeling well--and when that happened, it wasn’t just training he was missing--Kokichi was genuinely disappointed. Their walk today might’ve been just to get moving a little even on a rest day, but even if they’d done training as usual Kokichi still wanted the possibility of a walk to be up there. 

Thankfully, Kaito didn’t seem to be opposed. 

“As much as I like how busy the castle can get while we’re all stuck inside, I do miss goin’ out and just...seeing things. Being outside and in town just to be there. Really, if there’s a sunny afternoon and you can’t find me, I might just be out at a park sunning myself,” he joked, though Kokichi was actually a little excited that that was something he could just...do. Probably with Nazumi nearby, but he had no issue spending some time with his aunt. 

They were coming to one of the edges of the garden, not the closest exit to the castle, but not on the other side entirely. Kokichi looked up as the plants gave way to open, still grey sky, though his gaze drifted over to a taller building in the distance. “Depending on what his class schedule’s like… I mean, I imagine Shuu-chan’s gonna enjoy goin’ to and from on his own, but maybe if the timing works out, we could meet up and walk around a little before or after a class. Maybe just around campus, or maybe a longer path home or something… I don’t think he’d be too upset if we stopped for a drink somewhere before heading home and just happened to take a longer route because of it.”

“Honestly, babe, I’m sure he’ll just love the company. He doesn’t always know how to ask for it, but Shuichi’s always appreciated attention. Just, ya know… on an individual level.” Kaito mused, looking around as the garden opened back up to the city, feeling himself relax just a tad. He liked the garden, but he always felt more at home among buildings. Probably just a side effect of growing up in a busy city, in a castle smack dab in the middle of the city, but… he liked nature and all of that! He did! He was even starting to think he dug plants themselves, a little. But it wasn’t his element, the way it was Maki’s, or his husbands, really. 

He preferred people watching over bird watching, was a way of putting it.

But, anywhere with his husband was a good place to be, and Kaito said, “Yeah, ‘Kichi, if you want to go out, and Shuichi isn’t up to it, and I’m available? I’ll be happy to come with you. But…” Kaito smirked slightly down at his husband, “You wanna go sunbathe by yourself? That’s also up to you, babe. You just be sure to take care of yourself… which I know you will.”

He didn’t, of course. The memorial garden was proof of that… but Kaito was going to chose to believe in Kokichi anyway. He couldn’t spend their whole lives assuming Kokichi was always going to self-destruct if Kaito looked away for five minutes. He could watch out for it, sure… but he couldn’t assume it. That wasn’t fair on his husband. He was never going to be Kokichi’s warden.

So, if Kokichi disappeared to enjoy the city himself? Kaito would trust he really was just off to enjoy himself. It’d be okay.

As long as Kokichi wasn’t walking him to and from every class--which he wouldn’t be able to do anyway, in all likelihood--Shuuichi would probably enjoy his company. Care that wasn’t smothering… Kokichi almost found it funny that he was considering something like that in regards to someone else, but he had found plenty of parallels between himself and his boyfriend, not always to his fancy. 

But those situations too were changing in a positive way.

Kokichi sighed, pushing his sleeves up just enough to look appraisingly at pale, thin wrists. “I know, I know...gotta really be on that sunscreen routine. Burns are so annoying, and it happens so easily… But, I guess, since I can be pretty obvious about wanting to go out, I’ll have an easier time remembering to put it on. Maybe I should just get a small bottle and be in the habit of carrying it in my pockets with my other things…”

Kaito snorted, “Mmhm, sunscreen… actually that’s a good point. I’ve always tanned pretty naturally, but Tim’s gone pale over the winter already. Probably wanna get in the habit of being the one who enforces the whole ‘sunscreen’ thing since Maki’s away… as for you? Fuck, babe, you’re basically translucent, I’m buying you a big straw hat. Awwww, you’d look cute in a straw hat, actually… find you one with flowers stitched in the brim, that’d be super cute…”

-

Hiro gave the necklace another nervous look, letting the metal clasp binding the intricately wound metal threads together to the fine silver chain slide back and forth between his hands. It was getting late, and he was sitting in his bed, his body jerking in fear every now and again as he heard something break outside, or a particularly loud shout in the street.

“...this might be a bad time to try to do this.” Hiro muttered to himself, heading to the window and peeking out, his stomach flipping with fear as he saw more guardsman storming into a house down the road, some of his neighbors trying to make runs for it, while the ones being dragged out tried to fight against the guards. Hiro was… in theory, in the clear. His home had already been entered and searched, the guards going from street to street the last few days seeking out reported hidden rebels. Hiro had been lucky to have known they were coming and hidden all of his ‘demonic’ possessions before his home was thoroughly searched, and, in theory, the guards weren’t going to search here again…

But, well, however the guards were tracking where they had already searched before, Hiro heard rumors of them ransacking houses twice, sometimes three times, for no obvious reasons, and if they came back in while he was asleep, and he was wearing this…

“...m-maybe we should wait…” Hiro whispered to himself nervously, before sighing as he felt two of them shout at him, saying, “I’m not being a coward! This is for real a problem! We don’t know if they’ll come back…”

He listened and sighed, nodding his head as he headed to his bed, slipping in and putting on the sigil, slipping it into his shirt as he said, “Yeah, yeah, I know, we have a responsibility to him and all that… fine. Okay. But if they drag us to the gallows, in between sobbing I’m gonna be saying I told you so.”

Knowing he’d need the help to get to sleep, Hiro closed his eyes to the angry shouts and screaming outside, and pulled out from inside his pillowcase a small vial, which he opened up and started sniffing, three long, deep breaths… and as he started to feel dizzy, he closed it back up, put it back in the hidden seam in the pillowcase, and settled in, feeling himself fall away…

Alter Ego opened their eyes. Hunted… and leapt.

After being so promptly dispelled from Mikado’s consciousness, Kokichi and Alter Ego hadn’t gotten a chance to talk afterward so Kokichi had never actually told Alter Ego his plan for putting up passive defences. As such, while he was resting in the void, no dream tonight, apparently, Kokichi heard a sound of jingling cans and...frowned. It was an almost laughably simple alarm, something he’d managed to set up when he was a child--though he had had some help from Ikuo in reality, reaching places he couldn’t easily--but throughout the years it had remained a sound of vigilance in Kokichi’s mind. 

Instead of leaping straight into whatever dream or setting Kokichi was thinking about, Alter Ego would’ve found themself face to face with a simple wooden door, lacking anything particularly noteworthy about it, really, but well-made. And, of course, with a shiny new lock on it. 

Kokichi hadn’t...quite gotten the hang of figuring out something to check out whoever was prodding at his consciousness without controlling it himself so, softly, from the other side of the door, he called out, “Yeah? Who is it?”

“M’raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww.” Alter Ego meowed.

There was a soft laugh and the sound of a lock turning, Kokichi opening up the door to a space that didn’t look much like anything at first, but then took the form of the backyard of the castle in spring, sunny and mild. “Sorry, sorry… Didn’t get to tell you about it, and...I’m not sure how well of a filter would work…”

Kokichi walked over to where a large, soft blanket was set over the grass, sitting down with his legs crossed and an invitation to give his friend some greeting pets quite clearly open. “Good evening! Are we gonna try and find this templar guy tonight?”

“If you are still up to it, then yes.” Alter Ego said, looking appreciatively at the little picnic area before leaping into the offered lap, pushing his head into Kokichi’s offered hand basically as soon as the prince brought it up, purring lightly as he said, “I have taken some personal precautions, and while it’s not entirely cumbersome to have to repeat the precautions I have taken at a later date…”

Alter Ego paused, before using his hind legs to scratch at his neck, not used to the feeling of a collar there, the small, silver collar bouncing under the kicks of his legs. “It does come with a bit of a risk to my physical body, to do it several nights in a row. I’d rather avoid having to do it, if I can help it. The precautions multiple nights in a row, I mean.”

Kokichi grinned despite the dire situation they were in, always feeling a little better to pet Alter Ego, scritching under their chin and behind their ears. For one, petting a cat was just a nice sensation and...well, he didn’t know. But it was a bit of affection that he figured they all enjoyed. There were a lot of horrible things in the world...but friendship and kindness, as cliche it felt to say sometimes, were the strength that could fight back against it all. 

However, he did frown in concern, his eyes resting on the silver collar for a moment, but...if Alter Ego wasn’t explaining, then he didn’t need to ask. Not yet, anyway. “I don’t want you to have to take undue risks… That you want to help me protect my family is above and beyond mentorship, at least to me, you know. Everything you’re doing...I appreciate it, but I don’t want you to put yourself in harm’s way, okay? Let’s get this done tonight so you don’t have to risk yourself.”

Kokichi looked around the yard for a minute before he hummed. “So...do we just jump into his mind and say we wanna talk when his defences come up? Or, like...you said there was some sorta way empaths talked with each other, and since Mikado can’t go visit other people but he’s in the know then...there’s something more to that, isn’t there.”

“Hm? Oh, intentions.” Alter Ego said, before realizing that just saying the word ‘intentions’ wasn’t a decent explanation. “Right… quick lesson time. Then we’re going to try practicing it.”

Leaping off of Kokichi, trotting into the grass, the golden cat turned back to Kokichi and sat down, tail lazily swishing side to side as they considered what to say… “Communication through intentions, or through feeling, will eventually become second nature to you as an empath. It’s an extremely quick and efficient form of communication between empaths, concepts and thoughts that would require an entire conversation being passed between you within seconds… but it can be mildly jarring to experience or attempt before you’re practiced at it. And once you start doing it, it can be tricky to not ‘say’ more than you meant, or in turn, try to take information more than the other empath meant to give. It’s a balancing act. Again, once you know how to do it, it’ll be second nature. But for now, let’s practice…”

Alter Ego closed their eyes, and Kokichi would feel a slight tug in the back of his mind, warning him that Alter Ego was trying to change the environment around them. In front of the cat, growing from the ground came two flowers, green stems growing quickly, blossoming into a buds… and the flowers opened up, in the center of each flower a button. 

Alter Ego flicked their tail, staring at Kokichi…

[Alter Ego wants you to press the left flower button.]

It wasn’t communication. It wasn’t words. It was just the presentation of knowledge in Kokichi’s mind. Alter Ego wanted him to press the left flower button. A message of intention.

Kokichi nodded slowly, trying to understand the explanation. And, in theory...he thought he did. It was...giving your thoughts before you found the words for them. A sort of mind reading, actually, though consensual since the person “talking” was willingly sending out their intentions. Not without mishaps, apparently, but...that wasn’t too different from saying something without thinking and giving away more than you meant to. Just something that happened. 

He watched the two flowers bloom, by now accustomed enough to Alter Ego’s presence to look over to the plants just as they came into being, though he smiled a bit when the petals unfurled, revealing buttons, just finding the image humorous. 

And…

It really did feel like mind reading. Kokichi looked back at his mentor, a little surprised by the feeling of...well, yeah, intention. And there really wasn’t any reason to not press the button, so… As he reached out, Kokichi tried to impart a feeling of amenability, trying to send his own message back as he pressed the left flower button. 

Dun--da-da-da! Pew! 

A little trumpet noise rag through the air, and a small bit of pink confetti popped out of the flower, clearly a ‘good job!’, though Alter Ego just nodded as he said, “Very good. That’s how it feels to receive the information. Now, while I felt you send a message of agreement, I’d like you to send me information of which button you’d like me to press. To do this, you know that feeling you get when you first look at someone and recognize them? Or, the sensation of being able to feel eyes on yourself even when you’re not looking in the direction of someone who is staring at you? The sense of familiarity and recognition… that’s the feeling you’re searching for when you send out a message. Unless you’re literally ‘shouting’ out to any empath or telepath within ‘hearing’, that’s the feeling you’re looking for. A sense of familiarity, even for someone who is unfamiliar.”

Thinking about it… Alter Ego confessed, “I know that’s a little vague. It really is just sort of a feeling. Every consciousness feels different, same as every person is a little different. I’ve been given a description of how the Templar feels, and I will share that feeling with you, and you will eventually message him through that ‘description’... but that’s about as specific as I can get, as far as explanations go… oh. And I feel I should clarify-”

Alter Ego’s ears flicked, “Telepaths can receive empath messages, so be aware of that. But they can’t communicate that way themselves. That’s purely an Empath ability, to communicate with intention. Flora, for instant, are essentially telepaths, though only among Flora and their seedlings. A hivemind telepathy. But, because they are sensitive to that style of information, if you send out a general empath intention? They’ll be able to receive it, along with several other species and magic-based individuals attuned to it. So, just be aware of that when you send out ‘general’ messages to other empaths, okay? Alright, now, tell me which button…”

Kokichi giggled softly at the aplomb, catching bits of the confetti in his hands before he refocused in on what Alter Ego was saying. A feeling of...being able to sense someone around, even without seeing them… He did know that feeling, but it was a bit difficult to muster up without it being reflexive… Then even more to be able to find the right person he wanted to speak to, especially if he didn’t know them personally?

But it was much better than putting his feelings and intentions out into the sphere of any mindscape-adjacent people. Maybe that was fine if you were asking for help from anyone, or just wanted to send out good vibes to brighten people’s day but…

...especially if he didn’t want Tengan to know they were coming for him… He had to learn. “That seems...difficult. But there’s no way to get better without practice.”

Scooting away from the buttons slightly, Kokichi stared at Alter Ego. It was...actually a little easier than he’d originally thought, since he’d grown accustomed to sensing Alter Ego’s presence in his mind, able to feel when they were there or wanted to change things. So, locked onto that feeling...convey your intentions…

It took a good few moments, but eventually…

[Kokichi would like you to press the left button too.]

Alter Ego’s ear twitched, he nodded, and then he pounced on the left flower, batting his little paw against it, another small little trumpet sound triumphantly sounding through the air, before reaching up to bat at the confetti that shot out. As he played with the falling confetti, Alter Ego still managed to say as if he was being entirely mature right now, “Well done, Kokichi. That’ll get easier as time goes on. Now… I’m going to send to you the feeling of the Templar. And…”

Alter Ego settled down, looking up at Kokichi seriously as he said, “If you fail, I cannot risk doing it myself. Again, this is out of concern for my precautions. While opening empath communications between two people, by itself, is usually harmless, the precautions I’ve put into place become more vulnerable the more openings I create, including communication links. So I’m afraid that when it comes to the Templar, I’m relying on you to do the bulk of the communication.”

“I got his signature from Mikado before we left there yesterday… I am sending it to you now.” Alter Ego said, taking a moment to close their eyes to concentrate…

[The Bathul Templar]

Kokichi looked down at Alter Ego in concern. If the templar wasn’t a fan of Alter Ego, then it probably warranted some caution, though Kokichi would hope the people they were going to for help wouldn’t lash out on someone just for existing… But...maybe he was being worried for more than he should, but all these precautions Alter Ego talked about...it seemed scarier than just asking someone for help. 

“I wouldn’t ask it of you,” Kokichi murmured, running a hand down his companion’s back. “For your sake and Kai-chan’s, I can do it. Maybe awkwardly...but I’ll do it. Keep yourself safe.”

Taking a moment to feel the...signature, he guessed… It was calm...even and laid back, not from a genuinely carefree attitude but just from...time. Experience. And yet, even with having seen so much, a willingness to care. 

Kokichi just hoped that that willingness would extend to them. 

Closing his eyes and taking a breath, he tried to hone in on that familiar feeling of a person, sending out a sort of...hopeful inquiry. A desire to speak about a tricky situation in the hopes that the templar would be willing to help. 

(Even if it should be a closed line of communication, Kokichi was still a little too worried about explaining everything through his intention, but if there was anything that leaked, it was worry and a deep, deep desire to help someone. Just like his conversation with Kaito earlier, feeling more concerned with his love and worry for Kaito than his hatred for Tengan.)

There was a moment where nothing happened…

Then, a clear invitation, a portal, dark and gray and shaped lke a rectangle, opened up in front of them. A general sense to both of them (To Alter Ego’s alarm) [Come in.]

Alter Ego’s fur bristled, tail standing up and ears pulling back, alarmed to have already been seen. [You will kill pieces of me.]

A feeling back. [Nah. Come here.]

[You are lying.]

[I am not.]

[Trickery.]

[Reassurance.]

[Fear.]

[Apathy.]

[Run.]

[Come. Here.]

The cat bristled, all of their fur running on end… but that level of intent was hard to ignore, and having to trust that the necklace would do what it was supposed too, Alter Ego shot a look at Kokichi, before saying, “We should go through. It’s an opening into his consciousness. I don’t think he’ll come here if we asked.”

Kokichi opened his eyes, looking at the portal in surprise, though Alter Ego’s reaction was a bit more concerning. He...had asked to talk so...maybe it was just startling. Or the kind of thing where you thought you were prepared for danger, but in the face of it, even while you didn’t back down, it was...different, to face it head on. Kokichi ran what he hoped was a soothing hand down the cat’s back before Alter Ego seemed to...come to some sort of consensus, he figured. 

“That’s pretty fair… Even if it is pretty nice, I can see how you’d feel more comfortable in your own mind if someone’s asking something from you.” Kokichi stood, facing the portal before he shot another look down at Alter Ego. “...I can go by myself if you don’t want to, you know. I don’t want you to be scared or in danger… I know how to get back to myself.”

At this, Alter Ego firmly shook his head no. “Thank you, but I Will not abandon you through this process. While we have no reason to believe he’d wish any ill intent on you, there are things that I would recognize that you wouldn’t still, at this point in your training. It will be okay.” the cat assured their charge, sounding more confident than they felt. 

Hiro didn't want to go. But Mondo wouldn’t even consider staying behind, and Taka knew Kokichi could use a backup through this. Chihiro, meanwhile… was going to have faith that the Templar would leave them be. And considering out of all of them, Hiro was the only one not at risk, if the three fragments were okay with facing him? Then their anchor could only sigh and agree, Alter Ego nodding with certainty as he said again, “It’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

The cat leapt.

The setting was clearly a temple, though not a style that any of them had likely ever seen. It was, for the most part, open ended, no walls, but large, white marble pillars, holding up a square, intricately decorated roof, lined with small, square gems. In the center of the temple, was a stone marble table, dug and chiseled from the ground rather than built up, and on it was a bowl filled with strange, small black rocks, that were all burning a small but steady fire. 

Kokici and Alter Ego appeared at the bottom of a staircase that circled all around the open walled temple, in front of a long, square, shallow pool of water, kept immaculately clean, with small fish, silver in color, swimming to and fro inside of. Out past the pool, all around them, was a long, perfectly white desert landscape, with a few small greeneries, bushes and palm trees, just around the temple, that almost immediately gave way to the endless, white sand that glittered in the sunlight. An oasis.

From the top of the staircase, wearing a black chiton tunic around his left shoulder, his feet bare, but little golden bands around his ankles and arms, dressed far differently from how he had looked in the club, but holding himself with that same relaxed, curious air about him, Temp said, “Ah. So…” he sighed, scratching around the earring in the shell of his ear as he said, “You need me to intervene after all, huh, Kokichi.”

As long as Alter Ego had decided on it… It was okay to be frightened. It was just an emotion, like many others, and to be frightened in the face of danger, and still face it? That was what bravery was, and there was a reason it was respected. If Alter Ego was going to be brave, then Kokichi would respect that decision and stand by their side. 

Going through the portal, Kokichi would’ve laughed had he not been struck by open-mouth awe at the scene. Compared to just his backyard, he could definitely see why the templar would be more inclined to stay in a place like this. This was...Kokichi had never seen anything like it. He’d never even seen the deserts of Luminary, but even if he had they would’ve been a far comparison. Something like this was...sublime. 

Fitting, probably, to a devout worshipper of an old god. 

Kokichi could only look around with his jaw dropped for a moment, but when he spotted the figure on the steps...his expression became more outright confused than awed. “Temp?”

Temp???? Was the temp...lar… Oh my god.

Kokichi could only make indistinct huffing sounds for a moment, somewhere between a full-body laugh and a guffaw of incredulousness, but he eventually settled on shaking his head, offering a ‘can’t believe the man’s done this’ grin to Temp. “It’s good to see you, Temp, though I can’t say I was expecting it like this. And…”

His smile damped slightly. “I do, but not how you think…”

Temp smiled lightly at the reaction, taking small, careful steps down the stairs. “Yeah… sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly to you at the club. I tried sending out a message of inquiry at one point, but you were entirely unresponsive… you didn’t seem to want to talk about Empath stuff. Or…” Temp looked at Kokichi, and very, very briefly, Kokichi might have felt the vague sensation of being touched at the base of his neck, like a finger was just ever so slightly hovering there for a moment, before Temp amended, “...couldn’t talk about Empath stuff, I guess. Does the waking you not know about it?”

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he looked over at the cat, a calm, but still curious look on his face, and also some… well, clear disapproval, in the way his eyebrows raised slightly, and his lips fell into a small frown. The cat’s fur stood on end as the black haired man squatted in front of him, resting his arms on his knees, as he looked quietly at him for a moment.

“...” Temp sighed. “You shouldn’t have done this to yourself. Or to them…” Giving the cat a somewhat sad look, he reached over to gently touch the silver collar, as he said, “Take this off, and I can help you. This is no way to exist…”

“You told me I was safe if I came.” Alter Ego hissed, nervous wariness painted all over her body.

Temp sighed again, resting his hand on his palm as he said, “You are. I meant it. You’re not exactly a danger to anyone but yourself… but what you are doing is still foolish. You should let me help you. This is not life. This is mockery.”

“It feels like life to me…” the cat insisted, taking a cautionary step backwards as Temp reached out his hand… before giving a confused, low growl as the templar merely petted their head a bit, before standing back up.

“I only want to help. Maybe one day you’ll let me… but for now, Kokichi?” Temp said, going around the cat and sitting on the side of the pool, letting his feet and legs cool in the water as he patted the space next to him, “Come on. Tell me what’s going on. Your message said you needed help with your husband, but that was all that really got through. You made it feel urgent.”

“Ah, sorry…” Kokichi had just been about to explain in a maybe only slightly clearer way than he’d explained to Mikado at first, but then he felt a slight brush and… They were right about Temp being powerful… And if he was...immortal? In a way? Old enough to warrant the tone Alter Ego had used before, then he had the expertise to back it up. Exactly the kind of person they needed. 

So...while he shouldn’t be as careless to bare his whole soul, Kokichi didn’t think Temp was a good person to skirt around the truth with. 

Deflating a little, but still in good humor about it, Kokichi nodded. “You got it. I think I’m starting to remember small things, but, yeah, most of it is completely gone while I’m awake. Makes things a little awkward when I sorta have to meet other empaths twice, but...there’s not much to do until I do remember.”

Kokichi tensed slightly as Temp approached Alter Ego, not wanting to...cross Temp, or whatever, but...he would refuse to stand by if his friend was in trouble. He owed his mentor far too much to be able to live with himself if he didn’t try. But...thankfully, while Temp...seemed to be in the “abomination” camp when it came to opinions on Alter Ego...he wasn’t the type to forcibly do anything to the cat. 

And considering how powerful Temp seemed to be...that was a really good sign. 

Kokichi joined Temp by the shallow pool, a bit of a sheepish look crossing over his face. He hadn’t thought he put out intent that referenced Kaito specifically, but...well. He’d get better at it, and it wasn’t too dangerous here. “I’m still learning intent messaging, sor--” He sighed. “Thank you for still answering.”

“So, like, Kai-chan isn’t abusing me. I really was telling the truth before,” he tried to impart first, sincerity in his gaze, looking at Temp despite the wonderment around them. “But...there’s been someone that’s been abusing him all his life. I didn’t even know the guy was an empath and...like, he’s gone, at least away from us so...I really thought it was okay. But...we found out that he’s imprinted on Kai-chan and...I can’t just let that be. Even if he was the type to just keep tabs on Kai-chan for shits and giggles, it’s still creepy, and that asshole isn’t that type. He’s probably messing with Kai-chan every fucking chance he gets and...I cannot allow it to continue!”

While his voice had raised, the anger he held toward Tengan making its presence known, Kokichi sighed, at last turning toward the little fish in the pool. “But...I can’t just barge into his mind and sever it. Not without at least having a plan to make sure Tengan doesn’t come back or tries to hurt Kai-chan as much as possible as some stupid last hurrah. And...I can’t make that plan on my own. Not against someone who’s likely been able to fuck around with minds for decades, when I can’t even remember that all this exists when I’m awake. So…”

There was something a little more shy in Kokichi demeanor, but when he looked back to Temp, his conviction was strong. “Would you be willing to help me? I just want to keep my husband safe…”

“Hm.” Temp hummed, mostly to show he was listening, nodding along as Kokichi explained. “A nosy empath’s being weird, huh...geez. I’ll never really get empaths who spend their time being assholes. When you can know the very depths of what makes up a person… I’ve seen the type of person you’re describing a thousand times. Have dug and ripped my way through a few of their consciousnesses too, during my more wild days…” Temp shrugged, sighing, “Still don’t really understand them. Perhaps that’s just the nature of balance, showing itself.  For all things to truly be in balance, there must always be those at the very ends of the spectrum, lending their weight to the very edge of the scale…”

Then Temp sighed again, leaning back onto his hands and turning his face towards the pleasant warmth of the sun as he shrugged. “Or, fuck, maybe you just gotta be a dick to understand a dick. I don’t know.”

“How wise,” Alter Ego said, a touch of sarcasm in their voice as they sat the opposite side of Kokichi, staring intently at the fish in the water.

“I try.” Temp said, smiling lightly at the cat, before looking back directly into the sun, “As for if I’ll help…”

He had been going to say sure. Of course he would. Hell, he had already offered Kokichi his help once, it’d be a shit thing to do, to take it back now.

But as he watched the sun, he frowned… a small line of black on its edge that slowly got bigger and bigger, enveloping it. Temp watched the eclipse happen, the sun blacking out, the sky darkening for a moment as it did, before the blackness subsided, the sun returning little by little. And once it did, Temp heard the message his god had whispered…

“I can do it for a trade, Prince Kokichi.” Temp sighed, looking over to Kokichi, “Your husband's god has stolen a dragon… I guess. That dragon had a purpose, and without it, one of my god's plans for our futures comes to risk. Apparently you have some influence over this dragon. My god wishes your cooperation, sometime in the future, of convincing this dragon to fulfil its purpose...and, uh, honestly? If you ask me for more information than that, I don’t really have it. That’s all I got from the eclipse.”

“There was an eclipse? When?”

“Right now. You were busy staring at the fish. You’re literally mostly an astral projection, hunger should not even kind of be a thing for you. Why do you look like you want to eat my fish?”

“Cat impulses,” Alter Ego admitted, starting to chitter at the fish.

Kokichi shrugged a little, not having spent all that much time pondering over the “why”s of the universe now that he knew gods were real. It was...a bafflingly large scope that, if he tried to think about it, would most certainly overwhelm him so...when he had to, Kokichi mostly just thought of the gods as people. People who were doing their best and tried to do what they thought was right, but came with all the flaws and messiness that everything else came with. It just so happened that all their decisions dictated his world. 

Still, he just really wished that true monsters like Tengan didn’t exist. There were already enough problems without assholes like him making more for fun. 

Sitting with bated breath to hear what Temp decided--and it really did seem like the worst thing he could say was no--slowly the light around them seemed to dim, and Kokichi looked around in confusion before following Temp’s gaze skyward...and immediately covered his eyes and looked down with a squeak, not caring that it wasn’t the real sun and obeying his instinct to shield his eyes. 

Though, what Temp said after just was… 

“A dragon?” A dragon that Atua stole and...apparently Kokichi had influence over??? It was...far above him. Enough that Kokichi just rubbed his temple trying to mull it all over. And the conclusion he came to wasn’t...exactly something he loved.

Kokichi sighed, looking almost...upset at himself, as he put a gentle hand on Alter Ego’s back, not even “cat impulses” breaking the mood. “If it’s a purpose like...and I’m not just saying this because Bathul is the god of death, really, but if the dragon’s purpose is...dying for a cause? I can’t...I can’t persuade someone to die. And...I can’t use my abilities to force someone to change their mind against something they truly believe… For one, I don’t know how, and...that’s not the kind of empath I want to be. Even if it’s what our abilities allow...people aren’t to be molded.”

He balled his fists in his lap, almost feeling like...he’d failed Kaito again. Never able to properly prioritize his husband over his beliefs… How was he supposed to protect if he refused to put his whole heart into it?

“...if that breaks the deal...thanks for hearing me out, anyway…”

“Hm.” Temp hummed again, nodding, watching the sun to see if there would be more information. But nothing changed. “That’s understandable. Agreeing to terms as vague as that is usually a bad trade anyway. Refusing is arguably the smart decision. Unfortunately, I really don’t have any more information to ease your fears one way or another.”

“...” Temp considered his options. “I could just offer my help regardless of my god's request. There’s really not much he can do to stop me, other than scold me, really… but I trust in my god. If he says something needs to be done, I can generally feel assured it does. So when he makes a request of me, I generally try to honor it…” Temp closed his eyes, humming slightly again, “...perhaps we could negotiate the help I give your husband as collateral? I give you what you need to help him, put those in his head, and whenever the time comes for you to fulfil your end of this agreement, if you refuse? Those defenses disappear.”

Temp waited a moment for… something. Thunder or windstorms or whatever, whatever, something to show his god was displeased… nothing showed up. Eh, maybe he’d get an earful about this later. 

Kokichi nodded a bit. While it didn’t seem Temp was absolutely beholden to his god’s will...well, when you had faith in something, it was hard to disregard any part. It had taken months for Kokichi to come to terms that his view of humanity wasn’t what he thought, and even then he still wanted to see the best in people. Asking Temp to just drop the terms was ridiculous. 

But...a negotiation within a trade might work…

Tapping on his lips, Kokichi thought this over as well. And while he cringed at the thought of having Kaito used as collateral...it was collateral of being safe, and it wasn’t like Temp was gonna shout Tengan over if he took the defences back…

“...if I worked on learning how to create those defences myself...would that change those terms?” Kokichi looked up at Temp with a conflicted expression. “If I can help you and your god out in a way that’s not going to hurt the dragon, I don’t have any qualms about something that’s meant to help the future. I’d really like to be able to help, actually. But without knowing exactly what it entails...I have to think of my family and their safety. So, if it came down to it and I couldn’t help...I can’t leave my husband defenseless to retaliation.”

“Best case scenario, that bastard gets kicked the fuck out, I help convince the dragon to perform its part in the plan. If I can’t, you drop the defences in Kai-chan’s mind, but I can still work within my own means to erect my own. Does that sound fair?”

Again, Temp waited to see if Bathul had anything to say about any of this… and when nothing happened? “Deal.” He agreed, reaching over to shake Kokichi’s hand, “Just remember, a trade with a follower of Bathul is a serious thing. Even if I don’t want too, once the time comes for the transaction to occur, even if I want to keep the defenses up, I won’t be able to. It might not matter at all when that happened, but if it does? I still have to drop them. That’s just how my religion works.”

Kokichi accepted the handshake, feeling...lighter than he expected. Even in the worst case scenario, he’d bought time to learn how to protect Kaito himself. Maybe not a lot of time, but any amount was worth it to get Tengan out of Kaito’s mind. 

“Okay...I understand. Still, thank you so much for being willing to help. I’m not...actually sure what our plan B was going to be,” Kokichi admitted in a sheepish laugh before he sobered again. “So...does anyone know how much time we still have tonight? Would we be able to do it tonight, or should we reconvene another time?”

With something of a smile, Kokichi tugged on the hair at the back of his neck. “...you might imagine I’m a little eager to get my husband’s abuser away from him… But another night or two won’t hurt too badly if we’re out of time or we need to prepare or something.”

“Depends on what we’re working with. First of all, let’s see who this guy actually is.” Temp said, reaching to put a finger on Kokichi’s forehead, searching quickly for the correct memory, before pulling his finger away, a small string of light coming away from Kokichi’s temple with it. 

The light formed into a small little ball above Temp’s finger, before he brought it up to his mouth and blew against it, the light heading out to the center of the water, falling lightly onto its surface… and then forming upwards from the water itself, the memory of Tengan stood, a perpetually smug look on his wrinkled face as he looked between the two men curiously, before bowing himself slightly.

“Yes?” Tengan said, “How may I help you?”

“Hello there.”Temp said pleasantly, giving the memory a little wave, the memory just bowing again, “I’m trying to get an understanding of who we’re fighting agai- oh, come on now, man…”

Alter Ego, who had almost immediately dematerialized into four people upon seeing Tengan, for the most part was sprawled onto the floor, Taka falling into the pool while Hiro and Chihiro fell onto their back and knees respectively, whole Mondo, with a scream, charged Tengan.

“You EVIL PIECE OF SHIT, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!”

“I...it’s literally just a figment…” Temp murmured, watching as the pompadour’d man threw his fist into the memories face, Tengan flying backwards and crashing into the water. 

Kokichi watched with some combination of confusion, worry, and amazement as...hmm… Using the pool like a reflection pool to watch Kokichi’s memories? Cleaner than just creating the people that--oh. 

Even knowing it was a memory, Kokichi stiffened at the sight of Tengan, his mouth twisting into a scowl and, while he wouldn’t admit it, leaned over slightly so that he was hiding behind Temp, just the slightest bit. However, the memory didn’t even have time to focus on them for long before...Mondo? 

While he did snort and smirk, an oddly satisfied look on Kokichi’s face for seeing someone get hurt, Kokichi looked over, seeing all the parts of Alter Ego now scattered. Chihiro and...the man with dreadlocks seemed alright, and...Kokichi didn’t exactly feel like getting in Mondo’s way, so…

Kokichi gently stepped into the pool, avoiding the frantically swimming fish as best he could as he offered a hand to the black-haired man with the pressed uniform in the pool. “Are you guys okay? This didn’t happen the last time this fart-sniffer showed up from my memories…”

“Ah! Yes, I am okay! Thank you for your assistance!!” Taka sort of shouted, taking the hand but not really putting his weight into it, but almost seeming to stand up as if just from the effort of his knees alone as he stood straight as a board, almost as if in attention, before bowing, low, and repeatedly, to Kokichi, saying as he bowed, “We apologize for the disturbance!! We have been learning to cope with our situation since the last time the Head Secretary made an appearance, and I’m afraid my good bro Mondo is struggling with some bitterness ever since we’ve started working through denial!! It is nothing to worry about, we are simply going through the stages of grief in a timely and organized manner!!!”

Bowing low again, Taka stood up, a determined look on his face, as he said, “Now!! If you will excuse me, I must go collect my bro!!! It is at times like this he most needs me!!!” and with that, Taka sort of marched over to Mondo, who was still, just, wailing on the figment of Tengan in the water, sitting on his chest and and beating him in the face while Temp just watched this from the other side of the pool, sighing.

“See? This is why you don’t steal chosen from their gods. This guy could be happily being reincarnated as we speak. Or finding purpose in the afterlife. Or on his way to a paradise. I’m not certain which god had claim to him… but this isn’t how a person copes with their death.” Temp scolded Chihiro, who was watching this, shivering like a leaf, tears in his eyes. “This is madness.”

“I...I d-don’t care… I didn’t want us all to be s-seperated in the trials… w-we’re friends…” Chihiro wiped the tears from his eyes, looking frustrated with them as he said, “I’m s-sorry but… I could save them. I did save us… th-they were going to b-burn him… h-how could I turn away from my friend when I knew I could save him from b-burning…”

“You didn’t.” Temple sighed, as Taka got to Mondo and pulled at the back of his shirt, pulling him off the figment and talking to him, half scolding and half reassuring, while Mondo stood there and growled at him, clearly wanting to go back to thrashing the old man, but hearing his friend out as Taka talked to him. “His body is gone, correct? You saved no one.”

“I p-pulled him out and gave him to T-taka before the flames ever t-touched him… only a body burned… I saved Mondo… I saved all of us. Th-the bodies being d-dead are just t-technicalities… I’m sorry, but... ” more frustrated tears, though Chihiro talked through it, “You’re worldview is t-too narrow, Templar…”

Temp sighed. “It’s...really not, child.”

It was a little jarring, just like last time, seeing the four parts of Alter Ego separate. Each personality trait and quality untempered by the others, and without any of the cat instinct either. But Kokichi had been sincere. Alter Ego was his friend, together and apart. So Kokichi just watched fondly as the loud man marched off to temper his hotter-headed quarter. 

Though...it was less heart-warming to hear Temp see Alter Ego’s chaos as, well, chaos, and for Chihiro to defend their decisions.

Kokichi didn’t know who was “right”, or if there even was a right. Sure, he would’ve preferred if Alter Ego had never had to experience the sort of tragedy they had but...you couldn’t change something once it was done, and now...he was just happy to have met them. Happy they were there. 

Coming back to the side of the pool, Kokichi looked between the two before he sighed softly. “Look… I really don’t go here, and I’ll leave arguing with gods to people whose religions are based around it and Maki-chan. But...a person is more than just their body, and...saving souls to reach the trials together...is exactly what Atua does with the bonding ritual, right? If you’re all okay with...I dunno, being more than dormant until then? Temp said it before, that you’re not hurting anyone else.”

Kokichi gently reached out to take Chihiro’s hand, giving him a soft smile. “Really, I don’t understand everything about Atua’s religion. Not even close. But considering how much my husband loves to talk about it, I’d hope I’d have learned a thing or two. And maybe coping’s tough but...even if you each had died right away, I don’t think that would change that, unless you were completely wiped from existence. That perspective had always been a comfort for me, not believing in any afterlife, but for someone who does...that seems really cruel. So, if you all were going to do this anyway...I could think of worse ways to go through it than with friends. Maybe existing like this is just...part of a pre-trial for you all.”

“Still, I only learned that gods were a thing at all only a little bit ago,” Kokichi sighed as he dismissed himself with a sheepish smile. “Maybe I’m way off. But what’s done is done. Now, we just live.”

Temp, personally, wasn’t impressed. For one, the four individuals weren’t just messing with their own life. They had, essentially, created another being. Alter Ego. Who was dependent on the four of them choosing to stay together to exist. Perhaps the being itself had a relaxed enough view of their own existence to deal with the existential horror of that circumstance, but Temp, personally, did not. 

And two… death was an essential part of the balance of the universe. Death of the body, and yes, someday, death of the soul. All beings eventually reincarnated, regardless of which god claimed them to their realm. For some, it just took a lot longer than others. Even Bathul’s reapers would one day give their essence back to the universe, to renew itself with their borrowed energies, along with all the souls hunkered down in paradise… ultimately, for some gods, most of the afterlife was just getting their wayward souls to a place where, emotionally, they were okay with losing that most intimate part of themselves, able to let themselves go for the sake of the continued existence of existence itself.

And Bathul and his followers were just there to grease the wheels. Keep everything moving. Make sure no gods or souls or paths through the afterlife clog up the pipes too much. Help find balance for the many, many, many conflicting desires and beliefs of mortals and ‘immortals’ (though there truly was no such thing as an immortal being. Or, it could be argued, everyone was immortal, merely the form of what that life takes being the only thing to ‘die’) that would not cause riot and panic throughout the universe, but would also not leave the future devoid of the energy it needed.

Bathuls followers, the reapers? Their job was to manage Entropy. And creatures like Alter Ego made managing that Entropy just, like… unnecessarily harder. 

Still… again, Alter Ego’s existence didn’t actually harm anything, if maybe just setting a bad precedence and making existence a little tougher on the four beings that created Alter Ego in the first place. Temp wouldn’t force them apart, or force them to their afterlives…

He just hoped, when Alter Ego couldn’t take it’s existence anymore, the four would remember him and return to him for help. He could make the process of returning to their natural order easier on them. He’d help.

As for Chihiro, he smiled at Kokichi, looking reassured as he said softly, “Yeah… we just live. It’s already done… now we just have to make the best of it.”

Then, beaming happily at Kokichi, Chihiro reached out and pulled Kokichi into a hug, nuzzling his neck and saying softly to him, “Thank you.”

Hiro, in turn, sighed, calling out to the other men, “Hey! Are you two done playing around? We’re here to help Kokichi, remember? Pull it together, like… literally! Alter Ego needs to make a plan with them!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” Mondo grumbled, turning and spitting in the water where Tengan was still sat, looking bruised and flustered, before taking Taka’s hand and saying, “Alright, fine, Taka. But if we see the real one, I’m fucking getting in another hit.”

Taka smiled brightly and hugged Mondo’s arm, walking with him back to the others as he said, “Probably a terrible idea!! But we’ll deal with it when we get there!!!”

“Yeah… sorry about that, Kokichi. I didn’t let him bleed, since I know you got a whole thing with that. But still, fuck… wanted to get my piece of meat off of him.” Mondo scowled. “Fucking psychotic creep.”

Kokichi was slightly surprised by the hug, but there was something so familiar in the affection that it was barely a beat before he hugged his fellow short-stack back, murmuring a soft, “welcome,” in return. It was a complicated situation without even thinking about...what it meant to die. But...Alter Ego and the four people that made them up were there and...while they were, it couldn’t feel good to be condemned. Until the time they had to face what death really meant, they should be able to be comfortable with their own existence. And, at the least, Kokichi was happy to have them as friends. 

Turning to Mondo as he and the other man returned, he gave a thankful nod before rolling his eyes with something of a sneer Tengan’s way. “I appreciate it, Mondo, but...yeah. Agreed. Hopefully not being able to mess with Kai-chan anymore will be a good point of stickin’ it to him.”

Sighing and turning to Temp to give the four a chance to reconvene, Kokichi half-shrugged. “That’s...the former head secretary of Luminary. Practically raised Kai-chan and his brother, but...did really shitty stuff to them that Kai-chan can’t even acknowledge. Has been a horrible shadow on him his entire life, though apparently “lost interest” in Kai-chan once he was a teen, then got nightmarish again when they started making the trip to Dicea for the treaty and our wedding. Did…” Kokichi had to look away, balling his hands at his sides. “...shitty stuff to the both of us together too… Nearly got Shuu-chan and Maki-chan killed…”

Alter Ego stretched his back, looking a little more tired now, but at least put back together. Honestly, Mondo… 

Walking over to Kokichi, petting his leg with their body, Alter Ego filled in grimly, “He’s a murderer and a psychopath. He goes out of his way to traumatize people, through a combination of violence and drugs, so that he can change them, and he always changes them for the worst. The Luminary Party…” The cat’s tail went limp, sitting next to the water now, staring at their own reflection, something heavy and haunted in its small feline body as it said quietly, after a moment, “...the party we were traveling with was reduced to fourteen people over a period of two months, and everyone who survived has been morphed and changed into nightmare versions of themselves, almost entirely unrecognizable…”

“...he just did it for fun. I’m certain no one told him too. He did it because he could.” The cat murmured, before hissing, “Or, if there was a purpose to it all, I never found out what it was. No part of me made it to the end of the journey. It was like living through a fever dream. It was brutal and entirely random.”

Temp looked over to the version of Tengan sitting in the water, the old man apparently not seeing a point to standing back up, nursing several bruises on his face but ultimately still wearing that weasley, smug expression. “Well?” Temp asked the figment, “Anything they missed?”

The old man chuckled slightly, “Nothing relevant. I’m the Head Secretary of Luminary, or, ex-Head Secretary now, I suppose. I wonder who young Byakuya’s replaced me with… anyway, I helped raise Kaito Momota, abused Kokichi within the first few days I met him, attempted to kill Miss Harukawa and Mr Saihara, then went on to, as the kitten here says, ‘brutalize’ the Luminary Party in our journey to some unknown point in Danganronpa. My methods are to poison people with Despair Poppies, let them traumatize themselves and each other while on the drug, and than alter the shattered parts of their psyche’s to make versions of them that amuse me more. And, while Alter Ego’s shards never were consciously aware of this, the main thing I changed in the members of the Luminary Party was their ability to say ‘no’ to me and made it impossible for them to seriously consider leaving the party to head home themselves. Something they could have figured out through context clues, but they were busy, oh, you know…” Tengan waved his hand vaguely, “Dying.”

Temp frowned, looking at the old man, as he said, “You know… I moved to Dicea when I decided to clean up my ways. Choose gentler methods in solving problems I was coming across. Be a better version of myself. I’ve made quite a bit of a progress, really, in the last hundred and twelves years…” Temp smiled. Something sharp and grotesque briefly shining darkly behind his jet-black eyes, “...You may end up putting me back a few steps, sir.”

But, threatening a figment was an act of self-indulgence, and Temp sighed, his relaxed face returned as he said, “But, he needs to shatter psyche’s before he can change them? So he’s a practiced empath, but not a powerful one… still, the fact that he’s still alive at all and performing all these feats means he has some tricks up his sleeve. I highly doubt we’re the first high level empaths to try to deal with him… it might be wise for me to prepare a few things… Kokichi?” Temp looked over at the prince, “You know how to hold your place in a psyche when forced out, and how to keep the link to your own psyche closed when our in other consciousness’s, yes?”

Alter Ego’s tail flicked guiltily, “...since he doesn’t remember anything in the real world, practicing expulsion theory is… tricky…”

There was no mistaking the kind of monster Tengan was, and the only reason Kokichi didn’t say anything worse in his own explanation was...he had no proof. He had a pretty good idea of what Tengan had been doing but...there was no way he could say it confidently and be able to back it up. But Alter Ego could. 

And Kokichi felt his heart plummet, wisps of a blue so dark it looked black wafting through his form like ink drops in water showing his feelings apparent to all. “...fourteen?” he murmured, so quietly it was just to himself. “There were over a hundred people in the party when they left...fourteen?”

All those people he had seen goodness in, just little glimpses into the people they were as he passed them in the hall, different, but people all the same… People that his husband and friends had spent months together with, bonding in a way they would’ve never been able to in Luminary, making friends and rivals despite the stations that otherwise would’ve kept them apart… The people that Kaito desperately prayed for now, hoping against hope for...something. Asking his faith to save them, even if it helped the people he hated…

Kokichi’s eyes burned as the black waves took over more of his body. It was too little too late, and when he woke up, he wouldn’t remember a thing. And even if he did...he couldn’t tell anyone. He couldn’t tell anyone he was an empath. He knelt by Alter Ego’s side, placing a hand on their back that he didn’t feel worthy of. “I’m so sorry…” he whispered, something strained in his throat. Knowing it wasn’t even close to enough. Wishing...that they’d found a way to execute Tengan too before any of this happened…

(And Kokichi knew it wasn’t feasible. But that was nothing compared to the suffering his friend had been put through, and the suffering of too many more.)

He glanced up at Temp with heavy tears dripping from his eyes, just...confused by the concepts the templar was speaking of. Honestly...he wanted to go hide in his closet. Recede into his own mind for a bit...but that wasn’t fair. To anyone, and especially not Alter Ego or Kaito. So...though it felt like his heart was breaking, Kokichi stood back up and tried to dry his face. “...how should I start, then?”

Temp watched the agony on the young prince’s face, and sighed. Running a hand through his own dark locks as he considered him for a moment. “...Expulsion is just the concept of holding your own willpower to stay when someone tries to kick you out of their mind. It might not even be relevant if this Tengan person isn’t powerful enough to expel people out of consciousness’s other than his own, which he might not be. There’s a reason your mentor here has brought you to me. Expelling someone out of another person’s consciousness takes a lot of raw strength… but still, in case he is strong enough to do that, you might wish to practice fighting the feeling… but.”

Temp stood up as well, and reached out to put a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, not deterred by the black whisps or his tears as he squeezed it gently, “...my help is not dependent on you coming with me. You are a young empath, a young person, and, frankly? You don’t seem the type for battlefields… you don’t have to come with me to do this. I’ve traded you my help already. If you want, you can leave all of this to me.”

Kokichi’s shoulders sagged slightly under Temp’s hand. He really wasn’t a fighter… Everything Kokichi had believed in and had been raised for was for cooperation, being able to solve things peacefully and without force. Just...guiding people to use their own strength for what was right. But…

“Thank you...but I need to be able to protect my family. I can hope that no one else will want to mess with their psyches but…” Kokichi cracked a wane smile. “...we’re not exactly the kind of people who blend into a crowd. If this is a possibility...I need to learn how to help them. And...maybe it is better for you to go do this yourself, just so Kai-chan isn’t suffering for longer while I learn...but I do need to learn eventually.”

Temp nodded at this. “Fair point. Alter Ego?” the templar said, looking down at the cat, who was back to awkwardly scratching beneath their collar, “Can you teach him some basic expulsion stuff tomorrow night while I prepare for the encounter?”

Alter Ego… didn’t actually think he could. The problem with Kokichi learning expulsion techniques was that, well… he had to practice. And practice meant failures. Unfortunately, for Kokichi, failure meant waking up, and forgetting what was happening in the first place. Sure, they could count on Kokichi just going back to sleep after being woken up, but if it happened several times in a row? It’d be exhausting and stressful and eventually the guy would just give up sleeping for the night. 

And, after a moments hesitation… Alter Ego explained that to them.

“Hmmm… another fair point…” Temp sighed, thinking about it… looking down at the silver collar around the cats neck…

Huh. 

“There are artifacts in the world, potions, runes, that we could use to bypass the need to learn. At least for now.” Temp said, shifting on his hips, thinking aloud. “If we got you something magic that could act as a weight, anchoring you into place, then this won’t be an issue at all, so long as you go to sleep wearing it… the tricky bit is just convincing you to get this item and wear it to sleep in the real world… but. I can maybe help with that.”

Looking over to Kokichi, Temp smiled softly, “You busy tomorrow? Up to visiting a swamp witch?”

Kokichi nodded sadly at Alter Ego’s explanation, thinking of the avalanche incident. Apparently the feeling of tragedy had followed him into the waking world, but not much else. And the stress had left him ill and aching, unable to help with anything until he recovered… While feeling ill might get him to go back to sleep more, it...wasn’t a good idea. 

But...if he really couldn’t learn in time...then a safety net would do him good to see a practical demonstration at work. 

Kokichi perked, looking up at Temp in surprise before he thought for a moment. “I have training in the morning, then work, but I can always take a short day if something comes up… But…” Kokichi sighed, twirling bits of his hair, the wisps a bit receded now. “If I’m going somewhere, I’m probably going to bring my bodyguard. I think...Kai-chan and Shuu-chan would be fine with leaving me to it though...so would her coming along be an issue? Otherwise...I don’t think I’d go out on my own.”

“I don’t think a bodyguard would be an issue. Honestly, I wish I could just go on my own to get you what you need, but if it’s an artifact then the witch will need to attune to you, then there’s the matter of convincing you to actually use whatever we get you… which could still be a problem…” Temp sighed, before giving Kokichi a small, amused smile, “Your a tricky problem, Kokichi. But, I haven't had a real tricky problem in a few decades now, so it’s kind of exciting. Believe it or not, being eternally young is not as exciting as you’d think it’d be. Honestly, if Bathul hadn’t specifically asked for a trade? I’d have probably helped you just for the exercise alone.”

The cat tilted her head a bit, before saying, “So, the rumors are true? You’re immortal? How long have you been alive?”

Temp shook his head dismissively, “Nothing’s immortal. But I’ve been alive for a little over 1200 years. Maybe sometime I’ll tell you about it, Kitten. It’s a whole story…” Temp frowned, something tired on his face, as he suddenly realized, “But one I can’t get into right now. I’m running out of time. I’m going to have to wake up in just a moment, and I’m afraid I’ll be a bit too busy to stay with you in this form. So… Kokichi, I will do my best to try to goad you to the witch tomorrow, but if I fail? We will simply have to go into this mission with the hope Tengan doesn’t have the ability to kick you out of Kaito’s mind. Either way, tomorrow night, we’ll settle this one way or another.”

Kokichi offered a slightly apologetic smile in return. It would be so much simpler if he could just remember...but there was still that selfish part of him that was...kind of glad he didn’t yet. So he wouldn’t have to keep such a huge secret from his family, so he wouldn’t have to face the overwhelming reality of the world...the realities of death and the existence of magic and the fact that there was an entire country mainly of another species that viewed humans as little more than livestock… He wasn’t sure how he’d be able to handle it when he couldn’t just push it all to the side. 

But he would never be truly alone in that knowledge, even if he couldn’t tell his family. And maybe he was just a blip...but now Temp was a little less alone too. 

“Alright. I’d promise to try and now be that stubborn, but…” He shrugged with a tired smile. “Thank you so much for all this, Temp. Have a good morning.” 

With that, Kokichi looked down at Alter Ego for confirmation before closing his eyes and snapping back to his own consciousness.

-

The sled went over big.

Kaito grinned, filled to the brim with pride, as Timothy, Cali and Kimiko once again dragged the sled back up the hill, running as hard as they could, Shuichi and Kokichi by his side as he shouted up to them, “Cali, you were at the front twice in a row now, give Kimiko a turn!”

“Kay!” Cali shouted back, scooting back as Kimko got to the front, Timothy standing on the back. Kaito had specifically gotten the sled because he had guessed all three kids would be able to fit sliding down at once, and he was pleased to have been right, watching the kids set themselves up, Cali pulling Chase up onto her lap, before Tim pushed the sled forward, kicking off the snow and jumping onto the back as the sled raced down again.

Looking over to Shuichi and Koichi, Kaito grinned sheepishly, breath foggy in the cold as he said, “Sorry guys, I know you haven't been able to train much more than just walking around in the snow. You two want to borrow the sled from the kids once they get back down here, pull it up and slide it down too? It’s good exercise, the sled’s pretty heavy and getting it up the hill is a pretty decent strength challenge!”

“Is that how you’ve justified it to yourself?” Shuichi asked, a little amused as the kids headed down. “Do you think it would be alright for me too?”

“Why not? Once it’s up the hill you just sit in it and slide back down, nothing terribly dangerous about it. Do you wanna do it?”

“Mmmm… what do you think, Kokichi?” Shuichi asked, looking over to his boyfriend.

It had been...a slow morning. Kokichi loved seeing how excited Tim and the girls got over the sled, for sure! But...it had been a struggle to get out of bed that morning. He was exhausted...and...for some reason, he’d woken up feeling...really sad. The same kind of feeling he got when… But, well. People were picking up the pieces and moving forward, but the avalanche really hadn’t been all that long ago. It made sense for him to still feel that awful grief every once in a while, but he just...couldn’t let it become his day, so Kokichi had put on a smile. 

When he wasn’t half dozing, even walking around in the snow not quite enough to really wake him up. 

Kokichi picked his head up with a soft “Hm?” when he heard his name, blinking sleepily up at Shuuichi before looking around, trying to rewind the conversation in his head. “...oh, yeah, I think sledding should be fine… The kids would’ve already found any rocks in the...mm, in the snow that would rattle ya, and they’ve been slowing down well before nearing any trees… Should be just fine…”

“Geez, babe, how are you still half-asleep? I thought by the time we were out and walking around…” Kaito sighed, feeling a little bad. Both Kokich and Shuichi had done their usual song and dance of trying to get out of training this morning, but Kaito had insisted this morning, thinking Kokichi, in particular, was just being fussy… but his husband had been basically zoning out all morning, and at one point, Kaito had even seen Kokichi leaning against Shuichi’s side, eyes actually closed, like he was trying to get in a power nap. Kaito hoped Kokichi wasn’t fighting off a cold or something…

“How about this? Kokichi, Shuichi, why don’t you guys see how far you both can get the sled up the hill, and if it’s too tough today, I’ll get it the rest of the way up there, you guys can slide down once, and we’ll call that good enough for today. Leave the kids to play with it some more while we get some tea and coffee into you. Deal?”

“Mmhmm, mmhm… counterpoint.” Shuichi said, smirking slightly as Kaito sighed before he even said anything, “This is meant to be training for you too, Kaito. You’re not training on your own time like Maki did, so you can’t justify not working out too. So, wouldn’t a really good workout be me and Kokichi in the sled, and you pulling it up the hill?”

“What? Then you two wouldn’t even have the exercise of walking up the hill! Besides, that would be really heavy!”

“So you’re... Not strong enough to do it?”

“What!? No, that’s not what I mean! I could do it! I’m just saying you two wouldn’t get anything out of it-”

“Or is it… I’m too heavy…”

“Hey, come on, no, that’s not working on me twice… w-wait, handsome, no, I could totally carry you up there! You’re not that heavy!”

“Uh huh…” Sad sigh.

“Fine! I’ll prove it! Kids, I need the sled!”

Kokichi sighed as well, looking away. It wasn’t like he wanted to feel like all he wanted to do was curl back up in bed for another few hours! He’d really much rather be awake, enjoying time with his family and getting to really embrace Tim’s joy at his gift. Be able to play around in the snow, maybe goad Kaito into throwing a few snowballs… But...it really felt like he hadn’t gotten any rest the night before at all. An all-nighter he hadn’t prepared for and wasn’t driven by a burst of energy so he was just left with annoying exhaustion…

Maybe...he really should just call it quits after training, try and see where a nap would leave him. But Kaito was planning on spending the day with Tim and he didn’t want to make Kaito worry the whole time...it wasn’t fair to either of them. But at this point Kaito might just be worrying anyway…

Getting the sled up the hill sounded doable, though, and Kokichi had just been about to nod his agreement before Shuuichi expertly de-railed Kaito, and Kokichi could only huff a soft laugh as Kaito half-jogged over to the kids. 

“You’re so mean sometimes,” Kokichi softly laughed, leaning against Shuuichi’s arm affectionately. “This time just because you can, or do you really not wanna carry the sled?”

Shuichi smiled softly at Kokichi’s lean, before saying quietly, “This time my wave of terror was done with you in mind, actually… are you okay? I know if you thought you couldn’t do this, you’d have said so by now, but even if you can… you seem really off this morning. If you’re feeling tired this morning, you really should just tell Kaito, he’d understand…”

Kokichi sighed again, though more in fondness this time. “Aw, honey… But...I think I wanna make it through training, at least. We’re already out here… Think I’ll just come into work later, try and get a nap in when we’re done here…”

He shook his head a little, squishing his cheek into Shuuichi’s shoulder. “I really don’t know what’s up with me. Maybe I just slept like crap or something, but...I can’t really get myself to wake up. Just wanna go back to sleep for a few hours…”

“Maybe you just slept fitfully. Kaito says you move around a lot in your sleep. I can’t imagine it’s entirely easy to rest when you’re tossing and turning like that… Oh, Kaito?” Shuichi said, as their red-headed lover pulled the sled to them, the kids immediately distracting themselves by amateurly starting to roll a snowman. “You usually wake up at some point in the night… did Kokichi seem okay to you last night?”

“Hmmm? Why, are you not feeling well babe?” Kaito asked, giving Kokichi a concerned look, before sighing, thinking back… “I mean, I went to the bathroom last night, and when I came back, Kokichi was doing that little ‘grabby hands’ thing he does when he’s in the middle of a dream. But, other than that, no more than usual.”

Kokichi hummed lowly, though he did crack something of a smile at the mention of his “grabby hands”. “I don’t really remember dreaming last night… But maybe it was an active dream. Just dunno why I’m so tired right now…” he sighed, half as a lament and half explaining what they were talking about to Kaito. 

And, well, if they were talking about it together now, he may as well just commit. “I think I’m gonna try and get more sleep in after training… Maybe powering through would work, but I really don’t feel like I’m gonna be very productive if I still can’t wake myself up through all this. I think it’s just an unlucky break…”

Cause otherwise it was something deeper and he really didn’t want to let his mind spiral through all that. He’d never quite felt like this before an attack so...unless it was an entirely new symptom, at least they didn’t have to worry about that. 

Looking down at the sled, Kokichi stifled a yawn in the crook of his arm before grinning sleepily at Shuuichi. “Do you want the back or front?”

Shichi grinned back, “Back.”

For all the talk of getting through training, Shuichi and Kokichi absolutely followed through on letting Kaito be the one to drag the sled up the hill, cheering him on as Kaito grunted and huffed, determinedly pulling them up the hill. 

By the time they got to the top, Kaito was sweating profusely, face red… but undeniably looking incredibly pleased with himself as Shuichi clapped, the ex-detective saying, “That was amazing, Kaito! I really thought you were going to lose your grip on us a second there…”

“N-no way! I’m Kaito Ouma Momota, Luminary of the stars, Dicean Prince-Consort of the Cacti, H-hero… huff… Hero of the Fifteen Year War! Pulling my two guys up a hill is no problem! Piece of cake!!”

Kokichi joined in on the applause, a little worried for a moment as Kaito got his breath, but he didn’t seem to be in a bad way. “Even more impressive, since Kai-chan didn’t just pull his two guys up, but also his daughter. Three people at once is very amazing.” Especially since all together with the sled they were probably somewhere around 300 pounds. Even sliding it on the ground, that was no easy feat. 

...he could almost hear Maki saying that she could’ve done it faster. 

Next year they could all play in the snow together. 

Looking down the hill, Kokichi leaned back against Shuuichi fondly. “So, lean forward if we wanna go faster, lean back if we wanna slow a little bit, and if we need to break, let’s swerve to the left? I know some people are comfortable stickin’ their legs out to slow, but for my first sled ride, I wanna stick with the basics.”

Shuichi looked back down the hill and… swallowed slightly from nervousness. Adjusting his hat, he put his arm around Kokichi’s stomach, nodding hesitantly, “Okay… got it. The kids were fine going down. It’ll be fine…”

“Heck yeah it will be!” Kaito said, leaning over to kiss Shuichi on the temple, then leaning further and giving Kokichi a peck on the lips, before explaining, “For luck! Alright, you two! Hold on, stay in the sled! Have fun! Love you two! Bye!” 

And then Kaito pushed the sled.

Shuichi’s eyes widened, his grip around Kokichi tightening, as they started to pick up speed own the hill, before, “Nnnnnnnnn!!!!” he whined, closing his eyes, the wind whipping through his hair as he ducked under his hat.

Kokichi put his own hand over Shuuichi’s, giving them a gentle pat before resuming his grip on the pull-rope of the sled, almost like reins though it would be where they leaned that would actually steer the sled. He gave Kaito a grin as he pushed them off, and then-!

If nothing else had done the trick, going down the hill actually did manage to wake Kokichi up a bit. The thrill and speed, the world going by in a mostly-white blur, his hair whipping in the wind, hood knocked back almost immediately…

“Niheeshishi!!!” Kokichi laughed freely as they careened down the hill, content to sit up against the force and not go as fast as they could, respecting Shuuichi’s nerves. Especially since...he’d said what he said, but being the heaviest and in the back, Shuuichi had most of the control over their speed, and if Kokichi leaned forward then Shuuichi would follow just to stay pressed to his back and...the speed they were going was enough for him. Still a wonderful feeling. 

But, the ending came as it did, and Kokichi called out a joyus, “Lean left!” as they started evening out, trying to slow down.

“O-okay!” Shuichi called back, peeking his eyes open, before squeezing them shut again, leaning his whole body left…

Shuichi huffed a sigh of relief as, instead of the sled toppling over and sending them both flying, like he had half been afraid of. Instead, the sled just slowed down, turning left, and after a moment lost its momentum, coming to a stop. 

In the distance, half of a small, leaning snowman done, the kids called out and cheered, running over, Cali and Tim helping Shuichi out of the sled as Kimko threw herself on the front of the sled, beaming brightly at Kokichi as she said, “Did you guys have fun? It’s fun, right! Can we have a turn with the sled again, Mr. Kokichi?”

Kaito was half-jogging down the hill, grinning wide, if still sweating pretty heavily. “Awww, you guys did great! Kokichi, you were laughing the whole time! Nice! Awww, handsome, you good?” Kaito asked, seeing how pale Shuichi looked as the kids helped him up.

But Shuichi just smiled, looking a little sheepish, “I’m fine, I’m fine. That was fun. I’d probably be better prepared for it if we did it again, but I think that’s enough for me this morning. It’s been quite a workout.”

“You haven't done anything!”

“I got up the hill, Kaito. Wasn’t that the point of the workout?”

“I pulled you up the hill!”

“Let’s go get that coffee. It’s cold.” Shuichi sighed, taking Kokichi’s hand, “Are you ready for some tea?”

Kokichi’s giggles continued all the way until the sled came to a stop, though his excited grin persisted, stretching onto flushed cheeks. He could still feel a weariness inside him, but...it felt like getting through the day was going to be a little easier. While waiting for Shuuichi to get out, Kokichi gave Kimiko a smile. “It was a ton of fun! Enough that I’m a little jealous, but it is Tim’s sled, so you guys go right ahead on it, alright? Have fun!”

Getting out of the sled himself and watching the kids immediately dash away with it, tugging it back up the hill, Kokichi turned to his husband and hugged around his arm, unable to hold down his giggles at Shuuichi’s blatant disregard for training this time. “Thanks, sweetheart. It was a lot of fun, and I think it did wake me up a bit.” 

“Thooooooough,” he drawled, pulling away as Shuuichi took his hand, “I think a nice black tea would help the rest of the way. Do you want us to bring anything back for you?”

“Ah, geez… yeah, alright. Get me a coffee, thanks… Cali! No, it’s Tim’s turn at the front now! Come on young lady, you can’t take the front every other time, ya gotta share!”

“Kaaaaay!”

-

Shuichi frowned at the binder while Nadya looked over his shoulder, double checking the inconsistency she herself had found… looking back through the last few pages to double check it against older records… before saying, “I think you’re right. Though, this is really ballsy… the town of Grabby’s been increasing their claimed land border inch by inch for decades… but why? Even after all this time, they’re just widening their borders by a few feet. Kind of impressive, but… why?”

While Kokichi had gotten a pep of energy from the sled ride and the tea, he could feel himself slowing down as the morning passed. Not enough that he was thinking about throwing in the towel again, but enough that he was just kind of...settled. Worked on things he knew didn’t require heavy musing...or a lot of math. 

He looked up at his coworkers both huddled over a few binders, humming softly from what he gathered from their conversation. “...it could just be for fun. To see if they could get away with it...and if they’ve been doing it for decades, seemed like it worked. If it’s just a few feet it’s not really hurting anyone...but we should send a letter, just to touch base. Ask what it’s about… Make sure they’re not trying to...weirdly monopolize farmland or...hm, anything.”

Kokichi looked around his desk for a moment, making a note to write the letter up, though he’d probably consult with Hideki and Aiichi before he did. Maybe it was some weird known leader thing.

While Shuichi and Nadya tried to reason out to each other how this could have happened for so long (“They only ever increased it by a decimal or two every year, maybe the accountants just assumed it was a minor mistake each time that wasn’t worth the paperwork to get fixed??”), there was a knock at the office door, and on the other side Hajime called out, “Uh, Prince Kokichi? Some guests have asked to see you. Do you have a moment for-”

“Baaaaaabyyyyyyy!” Amber called from the other side of the door, “Your bestie needs ya!”

Kokichi’s eyebrows raised as he stood, going over to the door. It wasn’t like Amber had never come to the office, and she could be rather spontaneous, but...when they hung out, it did tend to be in the afternoons, letting Amber work at her shop and Kokichi do his administrative duties. Still...it was late morning. Maybe she had a free day?

Opening up the door, Kokichi smiled--trying to work past his fatigue and...mostly working. The lines under his eyes would take a good sleep to smooth out, probably--and gave a little wave to Hajime and Amber. “Hey, what’s up? Should I find a meeting room or…?” he half-joked. 

“Baby! Hey, sweet thing, I know you’re, like, totes busy with work, but ya need to take a personal day! Sick day? Half day!” Amber gave Kokichi a wink, before peeking her head into the office, “Kokichi’s grandma died! He needs to skip work to go to her funeral!”

“Kokichi doesn’t have a grandmother.” Shuichi said, not glancing up, having only met Amber a few times but still somewhat used to her nonsense. 

“My grandmother died then! He’s got to take a day and get me through my grief! I’m grieving! And stealing him!” Amber looked back at Kokichi, and smirked, “Temp and Stacy are down by the stairs. We need ya, Kokichi! You’re the only guy I know who can get access to a carriage at short notice. We need a ride! Temp made a deal for me with a woman who has this crazy rare gem I’ve been trying to get my hands on for ages! She’s got tanzanite, Kokichi! But, Temp says the lady’s flaky as fudge, and the deal he set up for me is today or never!”

Amber grasped Kokichi’s hands, looking down at him, her handsome amber eyes desperate as she said, “Please, baby? Be my ride! It’s only forty minutes away, it’s not bad! I’ll make beautiful jewelry out of the tanzanite and you can have a piece, bedazzle Shuichi over there!”

“I don’t wear jewelry.” Shuichi said, again not looking up.

“The color of the gem is almost purple, you can get something for Kaito, it’ll match his pretty, pretty eyes!”

Kokichi laughed softly, giving Amber a look that was only half-reproachful, but mostly amused at her surface attempts to steal him away. Even when he absolutely had the time, she usually tried to “steal” him away, citing some sort of disaster or princely issue that he needed to come solve right away...and sometimes that issue was blatantly needing a shopping day, which Kaito had excitedly shooed him on, high in the hopes that Kokichi was going to get some new clothes. Of course, disappointed when Kokichi had come home with a small knickknack instead. 

And...he could just sign out a carriage for Amber and stay home but...work was pretty slow going today anyway. He was pretty much out of things he didn’t need to push his tired brain for. 

“Well...I doubt something like this really calls for taking a half day. Helping a local artisan procure a rare trade deal is well within my means for duty, and ability since you just need a ride,” he giggled, holding Amber’s hands gently. She really...had been such a good friend to him. The kind of ‘c’mon, let’s go do something fun!’ sort of friend he’d really needed to avoid retreating back into himself, even if the art classes were helping too. It was the least he could do to help her out in something she was passionate about. “I appreciate the offer, Am-chan, but you don’t need to make me anything. I’ll help you out.”

...er, probably. Turning back to Shuuichi and Nadya, he offered a small smile. “You guys good for the next two hours or so? I know that’s past the end of the day, so...anything I need to check off before then, or can it wait til I come back, and I can file it then? And I need to get Aunty--oh.”

Kokichi turned back to Amber, that smile turning sheepish. “Would it be okay with you guys if I brought my bodyguard? It’d probably be fine, and of course I trust you, but if I’m not just going to be in the market or something it’s, yanno, kind of her job to accompany me.”

“Oh, shit, is Maki back?” Amber asked, eyes widening, and looking around as if she might see the uptight bodyguard any second.

Hajime winced, glancing inside the office at Shuichi, before saying quickly, “No, she’s not back yet. You know last year's Head Gardner? Nazumi? This is what she’s doing now.”

“Oh, really?” Amber asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. She wasn’t super caught up in the rumor mills, especially not over an incident that had happened back when she was barely a pre-teen, but she could sort of vaguely remember hearing someone make a joke that she used real people as fertilizer… eh, probably just some shitty joke the local kids scared each other with. “Heck yeah, no ish! So, for real, you’ll do it!? That’s awesome! We’re going gem hunting, baby! It’s, like, totes gonna be a good time!! Let’s go get your bodyguard!”

“We'll be fine here, I think. You sure you want to go on a forty-minute carriage ride, Kokichi? You're not exactly feeling your best already…” Shuichi gently reminded him, Amber giving him a surprised look.

“Woah, what? Baby, you sick?” Amber asked, giving the prince a newly concerned look.

Kokichi’s smile dimmed a little, but...he tried to keep his spirits up. ...he really missed Maki. Not just for being a guard--Nazumi was great, vigilant in ways that kept him able to do what he wanted--but for just being...her. They all did, really, and...Kokichi knew in some ways he had it the easiest. He’d given Maki his blessings, after all. He wasn’t Kaito, hoping for the best but plagued by the thought that his family might just rip itself to shreds while he didn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t Shuuichi, expecting the worst. 

...but she was still his sister-in-law, and his friend, and he missed her a lot. ...he wanted to be able to surprise her with the strength of his hug when she returned. 

Sighing softly, Kokichi was happy with Amber’s excitement, though he tugged on the back of his hair, looking between her and his boyfriend. “I’m alright, just didn’t sleep very well last night and it’s kinda put me in a funk. But carriage rides are chill, and I’m happy to help out. I’ll be okay.”

Even driving, he was awake enough for that. Being alert on the road was easier than focusing on words and written meanings while slouched in a warm, comfy office. Maybe a tiny adventure like this would pep him up, even, just like before.

Shuichi nodded. Again, this wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Amber was the type of person, they had found, who once she got an idea into her head, not only went after it enthusiastically, but couldn’t even imagine why anyone else wouldn’t also be one hundred percent on board for it. And Shuichi appreciated the fact that, with the exception of today, she usually wanted Kokichi along for those endeavors purely for the company. Because what was fun for Amber was absolutely, of course, like, tooootally gonna be fun for ‘Baby’!

It strongly reminded Shuichi of when Kaito had first been befriending him. Just randomly showing up where he had no reason to be and insisting Shuichi had to come along to do this, this, or that. But with a valley-girl accent.

“Alright. Just try to be home before it gets too late or Kaito’s going to worry.” Shuichi reminded him. “Have fun you two.”

“Yes! We got baby-daddy’s permission, now you have no choice but to come! I’ve totally captured you! Come on, baby, let’s go, let’s do this!” Amber said enthusiastically, grabbing Kokichi’s hand and gently (because she wasn’t stupid, Kokichi was, like, 97 pounds or something crazy like that, if she actually put any strength into her grip the poor guy would probably fly down the hallway) but insistently pulling at him.

Kokichi nodded. Like he’d said, this shouldn’t take more than two hours, three hours at the absolute limit if they needed to be slower on the road or stayed talking with the supplier for a bit. At the latest, Tim would just be getting out of class, and he and Kaito were going to spend the day together having father-son bonding time. He would appreciate Shuuichi passing on the message of where he was if it came up, but it shouldn’t be much of a deal at all. 

“See ya, Shuu-chan!” Laughing a bit, Kokichi lightly jogged after Amber, following her grip, and, thankfully, they did need to head for the stairs. “Nazumi’s usually in the greenhouse or the backyard--I can go check upstairs first if you wanna tell Stacy and Temp that the plan’s a go? And you guys can meet us at the stables if you want.”

That had been something of a pleasant surprise. Despite being a club hook-up, Stacy and Temp had started to build something of a friendship, and so Temp with Amber and Kokichi as well. Considering how hook-ups usually went--between what Kokichi had read, and Kaito sharing some stories--Kokichi had sort of been expecting to only ever see the raven again in passing. Instead, while they didn’t hang out as often as Kokichi spent time with the girls, they’d remained friendly, and Kokichi found Temp’s laid-back temperament a nice balance to the often super hyped adventures he could go on with Amber and Stacy. 

As they reached the stairs, Kokichi turned to head up, not...particularly feeling up to sprinting up two flights, but he could still be quick about it.

“Alright! I’ll meet ya there!”

Amber didn’t actually know where the stables were, perse, but she was a smart woman! She’d figure it out! 

Leaving Kokichi to it, Amber headed down the stairs, giving her friends a wave as Temp and Stacy talked about something or another, Stacy looking up and giving Amber a bright smile as she said, “So, is he coming?”

“Yeaaaaas, of course he is. Who can say no to me?” Amber asked, scoffing a little, before beaming at Temp, “I can’t believe this is, like, totally gonna work out! If you had asked me what I’d be doing this morning, it nooooot would have been this. Though, Temp, you butthole, why did you wait to the very absolute last minute to tell me about this??”

Temp blinked lazily at her, and thought to himself ‘Because I’m not as persuasive as you are and if I want Kokichi to go somewhere, I needed to figure out how to get you there first.’

Of course, if Temp had wanted too, he could have, well… ‘planted’ the idea of going in Kokichi’s head. Made Kokichi think it was something he had decided to do himself, for whatever reason. But… Temp didn’t do stuff like that anymore. Or, well, tried not too. He was a new man. He had decided a long time ago to stop relying on his Empath abilities so much and just, like… get by like everyone else did. 

Sure, he had needed to use his empath abilities to talk to the swamp witch and work out a trade with her for the artifact Kokichi would need, than work out what else she had that he could tempt Amber with and than work out a trade for that… but, like, it’s not like the witch had a phone, so whatever. He was mostly managing.

What he actually said was, “I actually only remembered you were a jewlist last night. When Calypso told me about her gems, I was kind of barely listening. Then it occurred to me that it might be something you’d want, I asked her last night before she went home from this bar we were drinking at if she’d be up to selling to you, and she said maybe if you came today she would. Honestly, I told you as soon as I really could.”

“You’re totes the best then, Temp! This is gonna be great! Alright, Kokichi said to meet him at, like, the stables… so let’s go find the stables!”

The three, after bugging someone for directions, did eventually find the stables.

“Goin’ gem hunting, huh? Sounds like a good time!” 

Thankfully, Kokichi had found his aunt--and, sure, it was a little weird that she was his aunt while Lake was his sister...but Lake was also sort of an aunt, so it worked out--indeed in the greenhouse, and she’d simply clapped off the dirt on her gloves before heading back down the stairs with her nephew. He’d given her the quickest run-down he could, but Nazumi looked like she didn’t need any convincing, even if it hadn’t been her job to accompany him everywhere he went. 

“Less hunting and more going to see someone who already did the hunting. Or bought from someone who did. But Amber’s really amazing at making jewelry, and with something a little more unusual, I’m sure she’ll make some really neat stuff that people will love.” Kokichi laughed a little sheepishly, cheeks going a little pink as they trotted down the stairs. “It is a bit of an excuse to get out of the office early...but it still feels important to be able to help someone out with their passion, right?”

Nazumi laughed, reaching out to ruffle Kokichi’s hair. “Ain’t feasible for everyone, but people respect the personal touch, kid. Someone came to you for help, an’ you’re obliging, as my sweetheart of a nephew does.” She put a gentle hand on his back as they made it down to the first floor, noticing he was a little...less steady than usual, but not in a bad way. Sitting in a carriage for a while wouldn’t be bad for him. 

“I do wonder if this supplier would be willing to talk about where they go gem huntin’... Haven’t done it in years, but I used to be somethin’ of a salvager myself. Diggin’ up litter, mostly, but every now and then you’d come across something real neat. Maybe it’s something I should pick up again…”

It didn’t take long for them to come around to the stables, Kokichi giving a wave to his friends before talking to Jun about setting up a carriage, explaining that they were running an errand just out of the city, no need for any longer-term preparation. 

When it came time to pick who drove, it was revealed that Amber has no idea how to drive a carriage, and Stacy did know how to drive, but had no concept of directions. “I can do it, but someone would need to be sitting beside me and literally pointing where I need to go every few minutes.” Stacy had laughed, an embarrassed blush on her face.

It came down to Temp, Kokichi, and Nazumi, and considering he knew where they were going, it was decided that Temp would drive. Then, because traveling was still an extremely novel concept to Kokichi, it was eventually agreed that Kokichi would get front passenger seat with Temp, to be his second eyes on the road and to get to be out in the air, watching the scenery pass by, Nazumi in the back while the woman half her age tried hard not to talk absolute circles around her, and only kind of succeeded.

It was a really nice day for the trip, actually. It was still cold, but the sun was out and the skies were clear, and Temp and Kokichi were well bundled up. They spent a little while with Temp explaining to Kokichi where exactly they were going, and going over the same story of how this had all come about that he had just given Stacy and Amber, and then there was a quiet for awhile, Temp having to focus on the tricky part of getting the Carriage off the well-paved roads of the city, and into the dirt paths that lead out to the farmlands.

After a while, curious, Temp tried somewhat half-heartedly, “So… you seem a little tired today. Get enough sleep last night?”

It was still so...exciting to be in a carriage! Kokichi now had a few trips under his belt, but compared to years and years of nothing, he still watched the buildings go by, then the fields, seeing the trees start to thicken, though more to the south than going through them like they had for the beach trip. He’d been a little surprised to hear they were headed to the marshlands since even the nearest town stayed at the edge of them, but that just made it more exciting! He’d never been to the swamp before. 

He did sigh a bit despite his enthusiasm for the trip, though. “Everyone who sees me knows right away, huh,” he chuckled dryly. “Yeah, didn’t sleep great. Was practically a zombie this morning, you know, but thankfully my boyfriend likes seeing other people down caffeine since he can’t have that much. I’m still good to navigate and all that, but I am kinda looking forward to tonight. Hopefully I’ll get a good night’s.”

Sending a lighthearted glance Temp’s way, Kokichi grinned. “I always figured your chill was more personality than anything else, but I’m guessing it works out for hiding the days you’d rather be snoring away. Or nursing a hangover from bar nights, though you never seem to get sloshed when we all go out either.” Which was only twice in the time that he’d known the man, but it did open up an avenue for Temp to go off on a drinking story to pass the time if he wanted to take it. Kokichi still wouldn’t call himself the most...personable conversationalist, but he was getting there.

Hmmm… maybe he should talk to Kokichi tonight about letting another day go by. If he was this wiped out just from dream hopping, then what they were planning to do tonight was going to actually exhaust him. Or, well, Temp could just go ahead and take care of Kaito himself. It’d honestly probably be easier to do it without an audience, especially not an audience that cares about the person whose consciousness they were battling in.

Not that Temp would hurt Kaito on his own, but, well… he’d probably be more okay with making the man a little uncomfortable than his husband would be.

But, Kokichi had wanted to go, and Temp could respect that. He’d still double check tonight though.

“My ‘chill’?” Temp asked, heavily lidded eyes gazing casually around the roads, a relaxed air about him. “Yeah, I guess so… I’ve just gotten to a point where not a lot of things stress me out, I think. Don’t know if that’s always a good thing, apathy’s not exactly a glowing character trait, but, well, here we are. Well, maybe apathy’s not the right word anyway…”

“Just sort of living my days and taking what comes… un-ambitious. Maybe that’s the word. A voyage without passion or purpose.” Temp mused, before laughing lightly. “Can’t take credit for that line. Stacy writes poetry and she let me read some the other day. That line stuck out to me. A voyage without passion or purpose… it’s a pretty good line.”

“I don’t actually drink that much.” Temp admitted, shrugging slightly, “I go to bars and clubs because I like the atmosphere and the people. I can’t really remember the last time I got actually drunk. Doesn’t do much for me. I don’t like being stupid… or, feeling that way, anyway. Though I don’t mind being in a room full of drunks. Makes for interesting people watching.”

Kokichi hummed, smiling a bit at the poetry line. “Ooo, I agree. And...yanno? If you’re happy, not everyone needs ambition. There really is something to living so completely in the moment--think I’m a little too much of a busy bee to do it myself, but there’s definitely a peace to it that’s tempting to try.”

The world couldn’t completely run without ambition, but too much of it could end up leading to ruthlessness or just...too many people at odds with their goals and ideals. A mix of people unyielding in their views, people with strive, people with far-off goals, and people happy to take things as they came...it was a recipe for the best harmony, probably, and for the widest net of perspectives. A balance of change and stability. 

Nodding, Kokichi laughed sheepishly, his eyes locking onto...what was probably a rabbit dashing off the road, thankfully far ahead of them. “Don’t think I really gave the impression when we first met, but I’m not the biggest fan of drinking. But I agree with ya--people watching is fun in general, but drunk people watching is it’s own barrel of fun. Guess we’ve just been too busy, but I’m a little surprised I haven’t ended up in pubs ‘n stuff to people watch more. Apparently it was something Kai-chan, Shuu-chan, and Maki-chan used to do a lot...or, maybe it was just Shuu-chan that did the people watching, and Kai-chan and Maki-chan were more of the people that you’d watch but...all worked out, I suppose.”

Temp hadn’t had a chance to meet Maki before she left, but Shuichi himself seemed… honestly, like an odd pick for the dicean prince, based on who his husband was. Or, maybe, his husband seemed like an odd pick, based on who the surrogate was. They were two very different people. Both hard, but in different ways.

“You kinda have strange taste in people…” Temp observed, not really seeing a reason to keep these particular thoughts to himself. While digging into people's consciousness were, of course, the easiest way to get to know them, now that Temp made that the exception rather than the rule, he found the second best way was to just straight up ask them questions. Annoying, sure, since people barely understood their own thought processes’s most of the time and had a difficult time communicating effectively with other people things they even did understand, but… well, again. Temp was getting used to the more ineffective form of communication, and as bad as it was, asking questions was still the next best option. “Luminaries are a rough bunch. I know it’s maybe unfair to group them all together like that, but it’s really mostly their culture that I’ve found is pretty rough. And a rough culture makes rough people… one of the side effects of living in a desert, I’ve always found.”

“My own ancestors grew up in a desert. My grandfather came from a place called Smoala. Left it when Fein conquered it, eventually my family came to Dicea. But Smoala, according to my grandfather, other than a few islands attached to it, was almost entirely a desert country. More barren than Luminary. Literally just sand, for thousands and thousands of miles in any direction, most of it entirely untouched by humans, who had just found small swaths of it and created well worn paths between those little habitable spots… if you were my complexion? You had to be entirely clothed every time you went out into the sun, or you’d burn badly within the hour. My grandfather showed me the clothes he used to wear, these big, robe-like hoodies, practically tarps to shield him from the heat…”

Temp realized he was getting nostalgic. He didn’t talk about his past much to anyone, and the only reason he was risking the ‘grandfather’ story to Kokichi was because, eventually, Kokichi would remember who the templar really was and understand the true context of the stories he was sharing. And it was nice to be able to talk openly to someone again… well, as openly as he could to the amnesiac empath.

“But, yeah… my grandfather was a hard, strange man. And every Luminary I’ve ever met has been a little hard and a little strange… it seems an odd choice, for the Dicean Prince. Ya know?”

Kokichi snorted softly, though he got what Temp meant. As much as they all were so much better together, from an outside perspective, Kokichi could see how people wouldn’t find his and his friends’ personalities harmonious. Or even just between him and Kaito. 

Though, before Kokichi answered, Temp continued on, sharing a bit of his history that made Kokichi’s eyes widen and his jaw drop from a moment. Sure, there were plenty of immigrants and people whose families had immigrated...but it was still pretty incredible to hear about people who had moved around the whole planet. 

“That’s nuts… Kai-chan and Shuu-chan totally underestimated the snow here, so I’m pretty sure I’m not imagining how hot it gets in Luminary right, but a place even hotter than that? Wow… Especially since...I hear Fein is super cold. If they’re near each other, that’s some wild climate disparity.” Just like how he hadn’t heard of Fein until Dr. Ford had mentioned it--and it had taken some searching, but Kokichi had at least found a map of the continent on the other side of the world, finding Fein on it--Kokichi had never heard of Smoala, but...well! It looked like he had something new to look into now! A barren desert country…

“But…” he hummed, “I think I get how living in a desert can really influence the culture. Like, every environment does, but if you always have to prepare and, to an extent, fight against the world around you, that’s kinda ever-present in the collective consciousness, huh?”

And, well, always fighting was something that he had noticed in his friends, though they were starting to relax a bit. 

Kokichi smiled fondly as he thought of his family before widening it into a wry grin as he looked over at Temp. “Well, it wasn’t exactly my choice to get married to Kai-chan. And I hated him at first...though, most of that was due to a pretty awful misunderstanding between us… We’ve had to deal with a lot of those.”

Kokichi sighed. “We didn’t click right away, me and any of them, yanno? And still every now and then we come across cultural differences that make it hard...but it’s worth it to try and understand. They can be hard and confusing sometimes...and, I’ll be honest, I really hate the ideas of hierarchy in Luminous culture, but there are things about the culture that are really admirable, and things about my friends in particular that I love. So...it’s just about getting to know them all as people. The weird, confusing things and the wonderful, heartwarming things; everything that makes up a person. And at the end of it, though I don’t claim to even be close to knowing everything about my family...they’re people that I really love. And not everyone has to understand that, but if they’re curious, then I’d recommend getting to know Kai-chan, Shuu-chan, and Maki-chan themselves.”

“...I guess it really is that ‘learning to love’ arranged marriage stuff, but Kai-chan and I just got lucky that we found enough to like early on that it made getting through the rough stuff worth it,” Kokichi giggled. 

Mmmm. Arranged marriages for just, like, everyone, was far, far more common basically everywhere about five centuries ago, and it was still more common on the side of the world Temp had spent most of his life on so far. The concept of ‘learning to love’ wasn’t as outlandish as modern people worried it was… but Temp, personally, still thought the practice had more problems than benefits. For every eventual happy couple, there had been several nightmare scenarios Temp himself had witnessed that had, over time, colored his perspective of the practice to the point where he couldn’t really stand to be around it anymore, let alone endorse it. Any practice where ‘trade’ contributed to the relationship forming inevitably led to questions of ‘ownership’. Someone always lost, when what they were ‘worth’ became a factor in their future.

Maybe he shouldn’t feel that way, as a follower of Bathul. Trade, after all, had its place in everything… but time had given Temp perspective, and while compromise, financial or material or emotional, was inevitable in any relationship, he thought once external forces started meddling in that trade between two people, that’s where the imbalances usually happened.

...it was a perspective he wished he had always had. There had been quite a few relationships, early in Temps life, and, honestly… probably too far later in his life to justify, where the other person's life would have been markedly improved, had Temp not gotten himself involved with them. Wives, husbands… a harem, at one point. He hadn’t intended any harm, when it was happening, and for the time, had maybe even been generous in comparison to their neighbors… but still, in context to his morals later in life?

Yeah. That was a time in his life he wasn’t proud of.

“I’m still glad you’re happy.” Temp said, shrugging slightly, “Again, hearing about someone in your situation is one thing. I didn’t really give much thought to your marriage one way or another, even despite the rumors… but physically meeting and being around the couple in question made me feel responsible, in some way, to offer help if anything was going on. Couldn’t tell ya now what I thought was I was going to do if you said ‘yes’,” Temp lied, shrugging slightly, putting on a sheepish air, “I’d say ‘beat him up’ for you, but your husband is… a bit jacked. He’d probably wipe the floor with me. Also, if even half the stories are true, that old bodyguard of yours wouldn’t have let me get anything close to a fight done. I heard she was shadowing that one green haired guard for something like a month? I heard the guard had to stop her from dangling some guy off the edge of a roof when they were questioning him about something. That sounds… a little intense.”

“Thank you,” Kokichi murmured. As much as it hurt, hearing people over and over try to ask him if he was being hurt or abused...it was better to hear them say it and be able to clear things up, rather than leaving them to stew in the thoughts. Cut off the path of thoughts leading to action. And, unfortunately, he knew why there was a decent reason to distrust surface-level Luminous culture and someone that, at a glance, was at the decision-making level of the culture...but that’s just why it was more important to look even just a little deeper. 

Kaito was a good representation of Luminary, but not for the reason the people who sent those letters thought. He was fiercely loyal and intensely proud of people for their accomplishments, would go to the ends of the earth for the people he loved. Dedicated and hard-working, physical in his communication… If people could see those qualities...then maybe Luminary wouldn’t have such a bad rap. But a change like that would take time, even on top of the efforts for change happening in the country now.

Snorting, Kokichi shook his head a little, fond and missing Maki. “She’s very intense. Maki-chan...was used to being in the sort of environment where you had to fight tooth and nail for everything. Slowly escalating was just leaving an opening for people to get at you, so going to a hundred right away was just...the best way to do things. Doing that here doesn’t have the same impression, or even outcome some of the time and...it’s been an adjustment. But no one can say that she hasn’t put in the work to get there.”

“Course, can’t say I really...like, condone her threatening people to make requests, or borderline harassing people to get information...but I’m proud of the progress she’s made in understanding how things work over here. I don’t think there’s any way she or Kai-chan wouldn’t go to a hundred if there was real danger...but I’m hoping that they’ll get to a point that they don’t see that sort of danger around constantly, and can relax more. Maybe it’s a dim hope, but still.” Kokichi huffed a soft laugh at himself, but everything was sincere. Part of that vigilance was just them, but...he didn’t want them to live a life constantly being on edge. There was certainly a middle ground there.

“I would think so. People change as time goes on. Maybe not always in ways we’re hoping for, or in ways we expect, but they do.” Temp shrugged slightly, glancing over at Kokichi briefly, before returning his gaze to the road. “Like you… I imagine you’ve felt different this last…” Temp tried to reason out how long Kokichi’s empath powers have really been developing, based on the pulse that had come from him that had disrupted the community in the first place, “...few months? Everything happening, your life disrupted… I have to imagine things feel different now than it did before all this started.”

Temp really didn’t have too many hopes that he could trigger any of Kokichi’s memories yet. Partly because, honestly… he was fairly convinced Kokichi’s amnesia was probably more self-inflicted than anything external. Repression from stress and trauma. If Kokichi didn’t want to remember this stuff in the waking world? There wasn’t a lot of outside stimulus that would convince him too. Still, he was curious how much was leaking out regardless.

Kokichi snorted and rolled his eyes with a grin, leaning back a little on the driver’s bench. “God, change doesn’t even have a magnitude associated with it and still it feels like an understatement. It’s more like...the entire world flipped around and got shaken inside out.”

“I mean...you know.” Kokichi shrugged a little, calming a bit. “I was just...the frail, never leaves home, bedridden prince… And while that wasn’t true, having that be...the world’s perception of me? It changed things still. And even though I did leave home before...my perspective was...laughably small. I was only raised on the ideals needed to lead, and even though I knew there was more out there…” He sighed, frustrated with his past self. “I refused to consider it. Confused shaping the future I wanted with just...ignoring reality. Didn’t do any favors for my mental health there…”

“I know change isn’t always progress but...I’m happy with where I’ve ended up. Barely anything resembles what it used to be but...that just makes it more fun to explore! And the things that were the most important are still there.”

...he snorted again, looking over at Temp. “...I know you guys aren’t that much older than I am, but that prolly makes me sound super young, huh.”

“Everyone’s really young.” Temp said simply, blinking lazily again, a small sigh, “Everyone’s… really young… but I personally don’t think optimism is a flaw of youth, or even a sign of youth. Optimism is a tough character trait to maintain. Pessimism is the easier route, and despite what all pessimists believe, you’re just as often right to hope for the optimistic outcome as the pessimistic one. I think the only truly naive thing is to put all your faith in one over the other, regardless of which one it is… and honestly, I think that naive impulse becomes more tempting the older you get, not the younger you are.”

“Life gets exhausting. Figuring people out gets exhausting. Navigating complex problems gets exhausting. And after awhile, you just… run out of patience and energy to do it. Start relying on shortcuts in thinking to make getting through issues easier… which it sounds like, based on your description, is the mindset you just got out of. So, congratulations. You’re starting the hard part of being grown. Try not to burn yourself out too quickly.”

“...I say that as a mere twenty-five year old.” Temp said, smirking tiredly, “So take all that with a grain of salt. That’s just my theories so far.”

Kokichi looked over in slight surprise, maybe just a little too used to how teasing his family was, or too used to their own often more distrusting perspectives against his more trusting, naive one. While he did agree that having a balance was the best way to go...even then he’d heard more people err on the side of pessimism. He’d never heard someone talk about optimism as anything but for the young or even that...swinging more to one of the extremes was a sign of age. 

It was an interesting perspective, to say the least. 

Maybe it was just because of his need to be doing things, to make use of his life...but the sort of exhaustion and compliance with life was the sort of thing that had never made Kokichi view the concept of eternal life as anything but a dangerous hassle. There could be a lot of good you could do with centuries of knowledge...but between losing the people you love, seeing the same patterns of mistakes that people made...it would take a special kind of person to retain the drive and energy to still choose progress and understanding. 

“I mean, trying not to burn myself out in any aspect is something I’m working on, so I’ll add it to the list,” Kokichi half-joked. “But...I dunno. Sounds pretty sound to a shut-in twenty-year-old. At the end of most things, I’ve found, you just have to do things in moderation. Just...a little of everything, though I’m sure there’s exceptions ‘cause blanket statements never work for everything. Just gotta keep doing your best.”

“I agree with that.” Temp nodded. He hadn’t always. But he did now. Maybe if he lived long enough, he’d disagree again… and then agree again...

...sigh…

Thinking of the ever expanding life that at the moment he was fated to have, Temp found himself getting depressed, which usually meant it was time to start thinking of something else. 

“So, having a kid… weird, huh? Gotten your head around it yet?”

He really did end up having these ‘meaning of life’ conversations with people a lot, huh. Maybe it was just because of the scope Kokichi had been trained to think in that brought out everyone’s internal philosopher. 

Kokichi looked around at the non-forest passing trees, enjoying the sun on his face. “I think so, yeah, though I expect every day with her is gonna be something new. Even though Shuu-chan’s due date isn’t for a few more months, we’re all just kind of...excitedly waiting. It’s not something I ever expected if you’d asked me, like, six months ago, but…” He smiled, feeling...peaceful and excited at the thought of his daughter. “...I’m really happy. We’ve just started our family a little sooner than I thought.”

“Designing her nursery is gonna be such a fight though, I can already tell,” Kokichi laughed, picking something light to keep the mood up. “Kai-chan, Shuu-chan, and I all have such different styles and ways we wanna decorate. I’m half-expecting her room to end up as some weird combination of a ton of stuff that she’s gonna have to curate as she gets older...or she’ll just have a weird, mish-mashy style like me.”

“Where I grew up, nurseries were designed after shrines of gods, so that the god would favor and protect the infant. It could get a little silly.” Temp smiled slightly, memories of nurseries he himself had helped design coming to mind as he said, “My family, for the most part, were followers of Bathul. He’s one of the death gods in the greater pantheon. Imagine little, like, cutesy skeletons and big black hounds as plushies, all surrounded by sigils and religious imagery. Very cute, very macabre, but all entirely meant to protect and reassure.”

After a moment, Temp said, tone gentle, “...you wouldn’t have guessed six months ago, huh? So, this wasn’t planned then? There’s been some debate about that…” Temp sighed, “I’m sorry I keep coming to you with difficult rumors. I hear a lot, in the sorts of places I hang out in. It’s that sort of talk that concerned me so much the first time I brought it to you. But yeah… there’s been some debate among folks if your husband pushed for the baby or not. Considering the surrogate was one of his escorts, there’s a theory that that was the purpose of bringing Shuichi with him here in the first place, that they were already in a relationship before they got here…”

Actually, that was the kinder version of the rumor. There was some dark rumors that Shuichi was more like a ‘breeder’ in the Luminary culture, and that Kaito had brought him to ensure a Momota bred baby. After all, they had slavery there… certainly anything was possible. 

“I guess it doesn’t really matter if Kaito was the one pushing to have a baby right away or not, but the idea seems to bother some people.” Temp admitted, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want too. But if there’s some… I don’t know. Counter-rumor you’d want spread? Next time someone brings it up in the pub, anything you tell me, that’s what I’ll throw into the conversation. My rumors are just as valid and can spread just as well as theirs, it could change a few minds.”

Kokichi looked over in curiosity again, the bits of what Temp was willing to share of his past just...fascinating, honestly. “Aw...I can see how it’d be a big piece of mind thing. Though...and I love him, but I’d have a few objections if Kai-chan wanted to theme the nursery of Atua. I’ve gone into the shrine he has at home a few times but...only with the lights off.”

Honestly, the decorations for a death god sounded more like something Kokichi could handle than the Atuan shrines. And while he thought it was a good thing to not make sex and sexuality a taboo, and to start sexual education before kids were even interested themselves...it was a bit much for a baby. 

He stiffened for a moment, not necessarily meaning to imply that--he didn’t even know Kaito or Shuuichi six months ago--but… Did...people really think that their daughter was a political play? Such a thing was...just not how the culture was in Dicea but...maybe people allowed the theory because Kaito and Shuuichi were Luminous…

Kokichi sagged a bit, looking...more tired than he looked when they got on the carriage. “...most of it is...not really anyone else’s business. But our daughter has never been a tool for anyone, and I liked Shuu-chan before he got pregnant. It’s just...sped things along.” He sighed, something of a grim smile on his face. “I don’t think the story of how we all love each other and are happy to extend our family will take off well...not that exciting.”

“...before we were even in a relationship with Shuu-chan, Kai-chan and I talked about both wanting a big family. I think we both were expecting it to happen...more gradually and down the line some when we’d be more prepared… But we’re not any less happy and excited for it happening right now,” Kokichi said softly, playing with his fingers in his lap. “There are worse things to find yourself with a new husband, boyfriend, nephew, sister-in-law, and daughter on the way. And...I dunno. Kai-chan and I were talking about it the other day. It’s gonna be nice to still be relatively young and able when the kids get older.”

It wouldn’t be that hard if Temp just planted the idea in peoples heads…

...naaaaah. Nah. Probably just best to let the rumor mill do what it did until people got bored with their theories. 

...maybe.

Temp smiled slightly to himself, enjoying himself. The temptations to abuse his power were, of course, a bad thing… but it had been a long time since he had really been tempted, and it was kind of nice. To care about something enough to be tempted to his old ways. 

A voyage without passion or purpose… hm.

“That’s true. That’s a definite benefit. So, are you thinking of having a whole litter then?”

“PPPPPPPPPFFFFFT-!” Kokichi snorted hard, sputtering into a laugh before he snorted again, looking at Temp with wide eyes and an incredulous smile. He did not expect that phrasing. “K’ha, no, no. Like, I’m still gonna find my heir one day, yanno? That’s three kids already, and that might be just about how many we can handle.”

Kokichi turned a bit red, his laughing fit having already gotten him through several shades of pink. “Course...you never know how life goes. But I’m not planning on anymore kids myself. Pretty sure Kai-chan and Shuu-chan are on the same page too. And for biological kids...might be too much info, but Shuu-chan’s put a hard no on that front.”

“Ha. Never ask someone in the middle of being pregnant if they plan to ever get pregnant again. That’s a rough phase in anyone’s life.” Temp laughed lightly, pleased to have gotten the first big laugh out of Kokichi he had ever gotten. 

The two talked for a little while longer. They discussed how difficult the pregnancy was, Temp giving small bits of advice based on ‘friends’ he had had, thinking of his own kids and the struggles of his own partners. He warned Kokichi that for the harsher part of Shuichi’s pregnancy, they should surround him with a certain scent he’d likely never come across again on his own, because there was a chance he’d start associating specific smells with the pain and nausea, so it was best to artificially recreate that as much as they could so the poor guy wouldn’t associate the smell of their room or something with the hard times. 

Then somehow, they got back into talking about nursery designs, and Temp laughed as Kokichi, somewhat exasperatedly, explained Kaito’s ‘Gold and Silver’ dreams of a nursery. “Sort of sounds like he wants to make it look like a treasure room.” Temp mused, as the carriage turned gently right, going down an even rougher path. Thankfully, they weren’t going to drive too far down the path, Temp peering out to see the old, wooden bridge through the marshland. Pulling the carriage to a stop, he said, “It think it’ll be safer to walk the rest of the way. Welcome to the swamp.”

The scene in front of them was an old, short wooden pier, that went out into the half-submerged forest, before turning and disappearing into the brush. The air smelled damp and mossy, the sound of frogs croaking by the dozens, birds, small, jumping from tree to tree, while other birds, long and crane-like, stood half submerged in the water itself.

There was, inexplicably, not a lot of bugs flying through the air, despite it being a swampland. Let's say magic bug repellent.

It was really nice, talking with Temp. Almost like talking with Shuuichi some of the time, though it was fun to share little moments and anecdotes with someone who hadn’t been there. He was good-natured and easy-going and adeptly always knew when to change the conversation when it was starting to veer into anything a little too deep. It was just...pleasant and fun, and the trip flew by. 

Though, Kokichi was quite aware of how the environment changed around them. By the time they stopped the carriage, Kokichi was looking around wide eyed, taking in a type of biome he’d, again, only read about before. 

“It’s so...plant-y,” he mused, getting down from the driver’s seat, trying not to disturb the nearby birds. “In a different way than the forest smells… I guess that’d be from the water, all the aquatic plant life giving off slightly different gases…” 

And it was loud. A silent forest was an ominous thing indeed, but in comparison, the swamp was singing. If only for that, he could easily see someone falling in love with the place. 

Nazumi helped the girls out of the carriage too, taking a deep breath of the swamp air and glad she normally wore waterproof boots. If someone lived all the way out here, there likely were plenty of safe places to stand, but she still readied herself to helping any of their party out of the muck. 

Kokichi squinted out in the middle distance as Temp started to lead the way, humming as he saw a large ripple and...he supposed it would be a flick of a large tail. “I wonder if there are catfish out here… If undisturbed, I heard they can grow up to, like, ten feet. I’ve seen whale skeletons, but it’s crazy to think of a fish that big…”

“I wonder if there’s alligators.” Stacy said, peering suspiciously at the water, the wood creaking beneath their feet. “I mean… there probably are, right? Liiiiiiike, this is where them big creepy crawlies live, riiiiiiiight?.... Eeeeep! Why are we here!?”

“Gem hunting! I’m not afraid of no gators! Nazumi would fight them!” Amber said, grasping one of Nazumi’s arms, glaring down at the water, “No problem!”

“Y-yeah~! Nazumi, you can fight alligators, can’t you?” Stacy asked, grasping onto her other arm, pouting up at the bodyguard. “You brought, like, gaaator killer spray, or something?”

“We’re not in danger of being eaten by alligators, because we’re too big for them to think we’re worth the hassle… well, most of us. Kokichi, stay close.” Temp said, though he smiled slightly as he said it, clearly teasing.

Coaxing the women gently forward, Nazumi nodded with a grin. “Temp’s right--most them big fellas you hear about bein’ dangerous will mostly leave people alone. Just don’t mess with ‘em, leave ‘em be if you see ‘em. Really, the thing of most harm is gettin’ stuck in the bog muck, so try to step where you can see the ground already. I am here to protect, though, so no matter what, I’ll have your backs.”

He did appreciate Nazumi’s reassurance, but Kokichi just rolled his eyes with a sigh, feeling more playful than serious. “Even the alligators are prejudiced against height...I can’t believe it. No place in the world for a shorty.”

“‘Cept on my shoulders,” Nazumi gave Kokichi a wink. “If you’re havin’ trouble, just ask. Or just want a higher vantage to take in every little shade of green.” Thankfully, and kind of bafflingly, there weren’t bugs everywhere, so Kokichi would probably be alright. Still, she’d scoop him up if he started panicking. Not much place to hide otherwise. 

The five headed further into the swamp, and had the wooden piers not been so straightforward, Amber might have worried they’d get lost. She was putting on a brave face for Stacy-- who kept trading hugging Nazumi’s arm for hugging Amber’s, and at one point squealing and holding onto Temp when a small lizard with the vocal pipes of a damn dinosaur yelled from a tree she was standing nearby -- but Amber wasn’t exactly comfortable here either. Swamps were not her scene. She hoped there’d be enough tanzanite to make this trip worth it. A fistful was too hopeful, but maybe enough to fit in her palm? She didn’t believe in any gods, but she still put out to the universe, ‘Pleaaaase make this worth it.’

-

Meanwhile, back at home...

“Can we go back to painting figurines soon?”

“We gotta let the base paint dry, kid. Besides, you love pancakes! I’m practically teaching you a super power!”

“Cooking is for the CS’s… and the people in the kitchen.”

“And now it’s for you too. Don’t pout, you’ll thank me for this someday. Okay, so you’re done mixing, right? Now, watch, we’ve heated the pan mid-high, but, for about the next two minutes, we’re actually going to lower the temperature to low. Once the pans cooled down a bit, that’s when we spread some butter on the bottom and then pour the mix in.”

“Lowering the temperature to cook something seems… wrong.”

“Right!? That’s what I thought! But it works, and we’ll get perfect pancakes this way. Now, after we pour the mix, we’re going to cover the batter we poured with chocolate chips. Now, Miss Hannuki says to put in a handful, but I say you measure that shit with your heart…”

-

Calypso was very much not a sea goddess, thank you very much. 

...or waaaaas she?

Like, probably not… but maybe she was! But no. Probably not. Her name maybe even wasn’t Calypso. Maybe she took that name from some other dreadlocked, sand covered beauty… with a far thicker accent than this Calypso has, because accents are haaaaard you guuuuuuys.

Or, shit son, maybe she’s a nymph. I don’t know. Chicks got some dude named Odysseus hypnotized somewhere, endlessly listening to music to keep him in line. Maybe??? Shit happens, man.

Temp wasn’t worried about it either way. More likely than not, she really was just a swamp witch using the name to give potential thieves and rivals pause because, like… maaaaaybe she was one of those two immortal women, known for their almost unstoppable power and their tricky natures. And did you really wanna take that risk on the off chance you end up another cautionary fable about taking obvious suckers bait from vengeful, spiteful gods?

Again.... Shit happens. He wasn’t planning to test her patience anyway, as he knocked on the door to the shack in the swamp. “Calypso! I brought your customers. It’s Temp… we spoke last night?”

From beyond the door, a woman called out, “Come in, dears...the door is open.”

The group might’ve been able to hear some muttering from inside, a particular drawl more buttery than Ikuo’s grumbling good-naturedly. Cause no, a course th’ atmosphere ya want relies on ya already seated ‘n waitin’ for ya guests, can’t give ya old pal another second or two ta dry off from givin’ ya th’ message in th’ first place that the folks were comin’... No, don’t mind me, go righ’ ahead.

Kokichi perked a little at the name, never having met anyone named Calypso before. It was kind of fun, seeing people who were named after great mythological figures, but just...that one had never popped up. It never meant much, but it was a little interesting thing. 

As they entered the humble home, Kokichi barely had a chance to even politely look around because a young man with bright seafoam green hair popped up, eyes immediately locking onto Amber...or, rather, the jewelry she had on. 

“Ooohoo, look at you! I am sorry for the suddenness, ma’am, but there aren’t too many people comin’ round with such style. You are Miss Amber, the jeweler, correct?”

Amber startled a bit… and then startled some more. 

...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

Ah well. Any jewelry enthusiast was a friend of hers, and Amber, after adjusting to whatever she was looking at, smiled wide and put out her hand, more to let him look at her dope ass rings as she said, “You like? It’s, like, soooooo nice to meet you guys! Like, for realsies, Temp says that you are the hookup for the rare minerals and gem stones, and I am so in the market, like, you would not even believe.”

Meanwhile, Stacy was looking wide eyed at the… she pointed to the jars and jars and jars of what looked an awful lot like random body parts of animals and asked, “So, what’s up with these things? These real?”

Calypso, who was indeed sitting ominously at what could generously be described as a desk but really seemed more like a really, really oddly put together weird swamp throne, smiled warmly at Stacy, in a way that was only slightly condescending as she said, in an accent that is definitely different from everyone else in the room, “They are indeed real, dear. Where you’re currently pointing at is the broken hearts of widowed rabbits. Very potent. Excellent for stews.”

“...how do you know they’re widowed rabbits?”

“I see to it myself.” Calypso smiled, before her eyes trained onto Temp, who waved lazily, and then to Kokichi, smiling wider. “Ahh… come here, boy. I have heard of you… let me see you with my own eyes...”

Kai nodded excitedly, giving something of a good natured laugh. “When Caly told me you fine folks were coming ta take a look at some of our gems, my, I might even rival your enthusiasm, ma’am. You can find all sorts of things out here despite being, you know,” he wrinkled his long nose a little, “A swamp. But everything’s raw. A pretty pile’s a pretty thing, but to take raw material and craft them into something more…”

The man laughed again, gesturing a little to one of the many clips in his hair, that one in particular looking like a cute teddy bear with sparkly round eyes. “I’m somethin’ of a fan, you see. A deal’s a deal and we ain’t in the habit of askin’ for more, but I would love to come see what you’ve done with the pieces someday, Miss Amber.”

The man seemed a bit smitten, with Amber, or at least her skills, so Kokichi ended up looking around a bit with Stacy, finding the contents of some of the items a little...odd… But if Calypso was the kind of person to find oddities, then it made sense. And even for people who were a little odd, he supposed the novelty of meeting the heir was still intriguing. 

“Hello! Thank you for having us, especially on such short notice,” he greeted, coming forward. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Calypso.”

Calypso leaned forward, and while at first it might have been easy to mistake her hands as her wearing some sort of tight fitting glove, or maybe even just her dark complexion made darker in the lighting, as she cupped Kokichi’s jaw with both palms, it was easy to see that her hands, at some point or another, had been made almost black by fire, or at least something incredibly hot, her skin melted and fingers slightly laced together as strands of skin had healed awkwardly, webbing them together.

Still, she used them effortlessly, apparently unhindered by the long born damage, her rough, charcoaled fingers tilting his head this side, then that, as she peered into his eyes, as if looking for something specifically. Temp stood by quietly, watching carefully but letting her do her thing, as she said, mostly to herself, “Hmmm…fine silver will need to be the chain, and it will need to be quite the heavy anchor for something this size...vanadium casing, at the least, dipped in flora blood... which is your birthstone, child?”

Temp sighed as he listened to her. He had asked her to keep her cryptic messages to herself, but he understood what she was trying to convey to him. This was going to be an expensive trade. Damn swamp bitch… even if the material wasn’t valuable, she knew they were in a pickle. Trade wise, he was not in an ideal situation, and witch’s were notoriously ruthless in their deals. Ugh.

Kokichi jumped slightly, not having expected to have his face cupped but, gently, he waved a hand behind himself, telling Nazumi, whose expression had dropped from bemused, polite curiosity into something stern, that it was okay. This pair were obviously eccentric and...well. She wasn’t hurting him and...he wasn’t sure. It just...truly felt like she didn’t mean him harm. 

It didn’t mean he wasn’t incredibly confused though. “Um… While I appreciate if you’d want to give me something, I’m more of just a ride for Amber…”

Kai glanced over, just barely keeping himself from rolling his eyes. Caly did love theatrics, but the Templar had said the kid didn’t know anything. Going full tilt was just gonna scare him off. But, he supposed, that’s what familiars were for. 

Sidling over, Kai clapped a very gentle hand on the young prince’s shoulder, having heard enough rumors over the years when he went into town about his frailty. “Such a humble prince we have, but let us do this for ya. Caly’s not one for the more...glittery aesthetics, but she does make some fine birthstone necklaces. Said they’re good for givin’ luck, and while folks will take or leave it, consider it our appreciation for what you fine folks are doin’ up there in the capital, alright? Not a lot think of us here in the swamp, but ya never leave us out, an’ we keep that close to us.”

Kokichi seemed to consider that explanation a bit more, Kai taking the moment to give his witch a look before backing off. 

Other than festivals, Kokichi didn’t really...like getting gifts. It always felt like people giving him too much credit for doing paperwork. But...well, if they really wanted to… He offered Calypso a small, shy smile. “I was born in mid-summer, so...I’m pretty sure that’s the month of rubies?”

Calypso smirked, raising an eyebrow at her familiar. Shame… she didn’t get to perform for royalty very often. For a reptile familiar, her partner really didn’t lean into the fun part of this lifestyle. Which was, for the most part, freaking out the customers. That and all the crazy magic, but man, she loved fucking with the customers.

But, it was okay. Kokichi wasn’t the customer. The Templar was. So, smiling brightly at the prince, idly pushing his hair behind his ears, she said, “Ahhhh, the ruby. Wisdom, health… love.” Snk-snk-snk-snk, a strange, breathy, snickering laugh. “Jewelry, along with other oddities, is our specialty here. And, as my green friend has explained, I was quite looking forward to the idea of granting you a gift ever since your raven-haired friend here suggested the Dicean Heir-Apparent was coming for a visit… and, in the name of showing my gratitude for your keen support in the safety of the marshlands, I would like to give you a gift… and add the tanzanite as part of the package.”

The Templar narrowed his eyes just as Amber’s eyes widened  with joy as she said, “Oh my gawd, like, what!? Really!?”

The Templar was going to be in debt… just… so much debt…

The witch smiled warmly, nodding, before saying to Kai almost absentmindedly, “Kai, please fetch the tanzanite in the closet, thank you. And bring me a ruby as well. The heart shaped one.”

Opening up her desk, she pulled out a fine silver chain, and a pre molded heavy metal frame, already molded into a heart shape. When Kai returned, he handed her the small ruby gem, which fit easily into the mold, snapping in. 

And as for the tazanite….

“Holy Fuck.” Amber said, eyes widening, looking actually stunned at the god damn tower that Kai was holding, her heart starting to pound in her chest in almost alarm as she said, “...you can’t actually be giving this to me. It’s half the size of my arm! This is worth a fortune, I can’t accept this!”

“And yet, it is already done.” Calypso said sweetly, leaning over to put the necklace on around Kokichi.

The Templar now just looked pale. So...much...debt…

“Now, I do have one request, young prince.” Calypso said, admiring her handiwork around Kokichi’s neck, smoothing the chain down with her melted, burnt hands, affection clear in her face as she said, “There is a superstition that I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that sleeping the first night with your newly acquired birthstone close to your heart will bless you with its attributes. Wear this tonight, if only in honor of my belief. It should grant you health, clear your thoughts for wisdom, and will bring good fortune to those you call your love… would you do that for me, my prince?”

Kokichi’s eyes widened as well. He was still...a little on the fence about receiving a necklace with a real ruby in it, but Amber getting her rare gem supply for free too? It was...way, way too much for thanks. The swamp was just as important as any biome, and while like anywhere in the country the administration oversaw that it was being kept in the natural balance, not dried up or deforested or overflooded or any of the numerous natural problems that could happen but...they weren’t the people actually doing the work. They just kept track of the long-term data and listened to scientists and found people willing to work on whatever issue came up. 

Worth verbal thanks sometimes, and maybe getting a meal or something, but…

Kokichi looked at the gem hanging from his neck to the slab of a purple gem being offered in almost shock. “I…”

“...of course I would honor your belief,” Kokichi agreed sincerely, though he still looked a little...almost dizzy at the generous offer. “For something given in gratitude, I wouldn’t act so carelessly. But...really, are you fine with giving all of this to us? It’s overly generous, even as thanks. Is there anything you’d accept in return?”

As Amber and Stacy gawked and fussed over the sheer slab of tanzanite Kai had handed to Amber, Amber’s starting to drool as she stared at it in dazzled awe, Calypso laughed slightly, tickled by their joy, before returning her gaze to the Kokichi. Reaching forward and tucking Kokichi’s hair back behind his ear again, the movement almost maternal in nature, she said kindly, “I would accept many things for these gifts in return. But not from you, and not from these nice young ladies. Do not concern yourself over it. I simply hope you enjoy my gifts, which I give so cheerfully.”

The Templar better start looking into his little black book of favors stilled owed. He had a feeling it was going to be relevant very soon in his future.

(...heh.)

(It was a little exciting. When was the last time he had been in debt to a witch?)

(The last two days had been very exciting.)

Kokichi looked at the older woman for a moment, seeing (a mischievous nature, but not malevolent. Theatrics for fun, an ease with the macabre and dangerous and powerful things beyond comprehension. A wish for excitement, but not for harm) her sincerity and, after that moment, smiling and giving a nod. “Thank you, Ms. Calypso. I’m not usually one for jewelry, I’ll be honest, but knowing the meaning and intentions behind this is something I really do appreciate. My husband’s been trying to find stuff I like anyway, so I think I’ll enjoy wearing this more than I thought.”

He turned to Kai, giving the man a nod in thanks too before grinning. “And I hope you do stop by Amber’s store! She’s incredibly talented, and if you’re looking for trinkets and jewelry you won’t be disappointed!”

These two were odd ones, and while some part of Kokichi wasn’t very comfortable accepting such high value gifts...he knew when to give up pressing. If they really wanted to pass on the necklace and gem deposit, then...he would just have to continue to do right by them. 

Nazumi looked over the scene, still ready to snap into action if Kokichi so much as looked worried, though she gave Temp’s arm a small nudge. “...this isn’t just gonna fall on you, is it? Madam strikes me the type to be deliberate, and she sure didn’t mention not collecting payment from you.” Or from her, but Nazumi didn’t have a whole lot special to give other than maybe procuring some plants that wouldn’t naturally grow in the swamp. And that, at least, was something she’d be willing to do anyway.

Temp gave Nazumi a mildly surprised look. How perspective… but his shoulders slumped and he blinked lazily, looking vaguely like he hadn’t been paying all that much attention to any of this as he said, “Wha-? Man, I hope not. Not that I know of? Think I should ask?”

Nazumi huffed something of a soft laugh and gave her nephew’s friend a shrug. “She’s your drinking buddy, pal. Couldn’t help wonderin’ if this was part of some bar bet. But if you’re not worried, then just let me be an over-reactive, worried aunt for a bit, eh.”

Temp nodded, giving Nazumi a good-natured thumbs up as he said, “Yeah, alright. Thanks Nazumi. But I think Calypso is just kind of a weird old lady. Nothing to really, ya know… worry about.”

Calypso twitched, Temp not even kind of attempting to lower his voice. Old? Old? Old bastard, just wait till she came to collect her payments, she was gonna rip his weird old ass a new one. 

The Templar smiled slightly. Perfectly content with this, before saying to everyone, “Alright, well, it’s a long ride back, you guys. Now that we’ve got what we came for, should we get going?”

Kai looked a little disappointed that their guests were leaving, but that’s how it usually went with people visiting a witch’s house. It was just good sense not to stay too long. Still he gave the group a friendly wave. “It ain’t too often, but I do come into Usot every now and again. Don’t be shy if you see me around, now.”

“Sure thing, and thank you again.” Kokichi nodded his head to the odd duo before stepping back, a little bemused that Calypso hadn’t really talked to Amber at all but...well, he was something of a novelty. And Amber didn’t seem to mind since she’d scored something that none of them had expected. “It was nice meeting you two, have a good day!”

He was comfortable feeling Nazumi’s protective hand on his back as the group headed back towards the carriage, especially since...he was a little more ready for a nap after all that. But not yet...he could wait until night to sleep, try keep his schedule something normal. “Same seating arrangements or?”

“Actually, if it’s alright, can I take the passenger seat? Me and Temp have definitely gotta gossip about seafoam guy!” Stacy insisted, hugging Temps arm, who raised an eyebrow at her.

“We do?” Temp asked.

“Yes! Specifically… did you think his voice was cute? I can’t decide! I’m kinda into the gravely thing…”

“Mmmm… I mean, maybe… his teeth were kind of crazy though…”

“But that just makes it dangerous! Which, like, maaaaaybe?”

Amber snorted, rolling her eyes before she pouted, “Fiiiiine, my bestie doesn’t want to ride with me because she wants to go be a slut with her perma-booty-call! Whatever! Kokichi, you’re on bestie duty now! Come on, you’re in the back with me and Nazumi!”

Talking with Temp was fun, but Kokichi was kind of thankful not to have to be as alert this time around. No naps! But he could rest a little more, which would likely give him more energy by the time they made it back, so he wouldn’t worry his family. And he’d have a kinda wild story to tell them! 

Adjusting his stride to come to Amber’s side, Kokichi tilted his head against her arm, resisting the more friendly hugging since she was carrying the huge hunk of tanzanite. “Ah, when I hear duty call, I’m there. We can talk about all the cool stuff you're gonna get to do with all this stone! With so much to work with, I’m sure Am-chan has a few ‘wildest dreams’ projects she can make true.”

“I have, like, totally legit never had an uncut gem this freaking huge before. It almost seems short-sighted to, like, cut it into necklace and rings and bracelets, ya know? I dunnoooooo, I gotta thiiiiink about iiiiiit.” Amber whined, hugging the slab, pouting at the new weight of responsibility in her arms. 

Then she glanced around Kokichi’s neck, and said, “Oh! That’s a pretty piece she gave ya, baby! Wow, maybe I should have tried to talk to those two more about their craft if they’re making pieces that fine. I was a little, ya know…” 

She shook the slab, shrugging and laughing sheepishly, “Distracted.”

Kokichi giggled, finding the image of his friend hugging a huge chunk of stone to her chest like a teddy bear amusing. He’d never really gotten into carving or sculpting or gem-work himself, but he’d seen artists and read their thoughts on their work and had actually visited Amber’s workshop before. And when your medium came through something you had to find rather than something you made...getting an opportunity like this was once in a lifetime. He knew Amber would make some amazing things, but her ideas would be many and varying for a while.

Looking down, he took the heart-shaped charm into his palm, taking a closer look at it. “I mean, for good reason… But yeah...it’s really nice. And if there’s anything to the meaning...I mean, I wouldn’t say no. But wishing that kind of stuff for me was really kind… Gettin’ a little boost of wisdom, health, and, I guess, luck for your loved ones. Very sweet.”

Then Kokichi sighed, raising a bit of an eyebrow at his friend. “...Kai-chan’s gonna go nuts over this, you know? I dunno if he’s tried to collude with you yet, but he’s been pushing me to wear more jewelry pretty much since we got married. Thinks it looks nice on me. He’s gonna lose his mind that I’ve gotten something he hasn’t been sneaky about.”

Amber snorted, the carriage starting to bump along the road as she absentmindedly petted her new favorite rock, “Ya know, I think he tried to start a conversation like that at some point? But your guy, liiiiiiiike, okay, I love you babe, and your dudes super charming in kind of doofus himbo sort of way, right? But he kept distracting himself with, like, tangents, and he seemed waaaaaay convinced that I was gonna like…”

She rolled her eyes, “I don’t know? He sort of kept making these vague references, to like, owing me a favor or making some trade or another for me not telling ya he was trying to get ya a present, like… I think he was convinced I was just gonna turn around immediately and let the cat out of the bag, ya know? And he seemed to have got himself so caught up in the idea that he never actually finished asking me for the favor he was trying to keep secret before I had to leave. It was supes strange.” 

She shrugged, shaking her head a little, “Like, he’s getting his husband a present. That’s legit the most low-key thing I can think of as a jeweler. Most of my clients are getting their purchases as a surprise for someone else, I know how to keep my beautiful trap shut. But he seemed certain I’d want to tell you… which, okay, now that I’m hearing myself out loud, I guess I am… whoops” she snorted, slapping her hand over her eyes and blushing, before sputtering out, “But he never went through with it so this totes doesn’t count! I am usually super reliable! Swearsies!”

Kokichi giggled, giving his friend an understanding look. “I believe it. And this totally doesn’t count! But...aw, Kai-chan, that does sound like him. He can be super sneaky when he wants to--he managed to get a lock finally installed in our door without me or Shuu-chan noticing--but I think he tries to overcompensate a little too much when it comes to anything more than not just telling us himself. Maybe habits of trying to hide things from a detective…”

“He might be trying harder for whatever he wanted to plan too, since I got him a ring for his birthday all covertly.” Kokichi smiled a bit, thinking of the Green Lantern ring. Kaito didn’t wear it all the time, that would be a little unsanitary, but he did wear it practically everyday and...it was nice. Knowing that he liked it so much. “Kinda wish I’d known you then ‘cause I would have commissioned it from you but...you know the green ring he wears? That one. Honestly, I think accessories like that suit him more, but he likes showing affection in all sorts of ways. Including wanting to shower me in sparkly things.”

Kokichi shook his head a little, mostly fond though a little exasperated. And not really thinking about the simple black and white patterned accessories that Shuuichi gave him now and again that Kokichi wore as often as he could. He appreciated any gift...but those did fit his style a bit more. 

Amber raised an eyebrow, smirking as she said, “Pff, baby, if you were my guy? ...well, you know me, you’re not my type. But! If you were, I’d want to accessorize you too! Look at you! You were made to be spoiled. Put you in some soft silk robes, lace jewels through your hair, put you on a lounge chair by a pool surrounded by hunky guys fanning you with giant leaves, you would not look out of place.”

Amber sighed, swooning slightly at her imagination, “You’re a dime, Kokichi. A dime with an obsession for bright, conflicting color pallets and uneven haircuts. It’s actually a tragedy baby, why do you do this to us?? Let me take you to a salon already!! Denji can fight me!”

“Hm, well, I dunno about the other stuff, but if I was single and, yanno, not in a relationship with two people I know get very jealous, being surrounded by hunky guys sounds preeeeeetty alright.”

Kokichi just rolled his eyes a little as his aunt snorted, taking a few longer strands of his hair and smoothing them out in front of him to see. “And I told you, I’d be down for a manicure day or face masks and stuff, but no one’s touching my hair but me. Lookin’ like a clown makes me happy, and I might’ve grown up a lot, but that’s one thing I’m holding onto. Plus, I think seeing me with a normal haircut might actually give someone else a heart attack for once.”

He paused for a moment before giving Amber a smirk. “Did I tell you that Kai-chan offered to let me cut his hair? He’s gonna go get it fixed immediately after of course, but he said it’d be a fun experience.”

“Awwww, what, noooo! I assumed he was growing it out, I thought it looked good. Ugh, everyone’s out to just ruin my fantasies.” Amber pouted harder, before suddenly smirking as she said, “Okay, but, when you do it? He can get it fixed, but I demand to see what you do with it first! You have to promise, I get a viewing of the travesty!”

“It does look good, doesn’t it?” Kokichi nodded, happy as ever to compliment his husband. “And by this point, he is just sort of growing it out. Just, when he decides it’s time for a change, I get first dibs.”

“Let’s make a day of it, then! You all get to see a master barber at work! And Denji-chan will be there too,” he snickered, before relaxing into a bit of a self-deprecating smile. “And no one has to worry--I’ve already given up the battle of letting our daughter get away with not brushing her hair. Though, if she turns out to have straight hair...I might be an advocate in the ‘only brush your teeth before bed’ camp.”

“Yesssss, I love this idea. Can I invite Stacy? I’m inviting Stacy. We’ll make popcorn.” Amber snickered, before shaking her head, “For a family with, like… noooo traditional female maternal figures? You’re probs lucky your himbo has such effeminate tastes. I know Maki’s like, her aunt or whatev’s, but Maki doesn’t seem all that traditionally feminene herself, and I’ve always felt getting a little bit of everything was good for a kid. Not like I’d really know. Just basing it on my own experiences, I guess… I loved all that sweet girly stuff growing up. Painting my nails, doing my hair, messing around in my moms clothes and her makeup and wondering why she’s so mad as I use up her special ninety-dollar lipstick all over my forehead and arms... pffff.” 

Amber laughed, shaking her head, looking back at fond memories, “Whose jewelry is your kid gonna steal when she’s eleven and trying to impress the bitch at school she hates the most?? Hmmmm… I guessssss, as your bestie, I’ll just have to let her steal mine. Tragic, but sacrifices must be made.”

Maybe that was being too presumptuous. Amber had only known Kokichi a short while, and as much as she loved to proclaim them ‘besties’, she didn’t know if Kokichi would want Amber in his life once he was busy being a parent, or five, ten, eleven years from now… but, well?

Amber was ready to think like she would be. Why not? She’d be a great aunt someday! And someone had to take Kokichi to get massages the first time his daughter learned the word ‘No’. Amber was into it! Amber was so into it!

Both Kokichi and Nazumi nodded in a considering way, each able to go down the list with at least a fair bias. Nazumi knew that she wasn’t the most feminine gal around and...for the times she was, she’d rather her little niece didn’t take after her. If the girl needed someone to play around in the dirt with, that would be her time to shine. Lake as well, though she’d learned the fine etiquette of tea parties from growing up with Kokichi, but she’d be just as likely to daintily pour Baby a cup of tea as to teach her how to punch without hurting her fingers. 

For not being on the binary, Denji was probably the one among them with the most stereotypically feminine hobbies, but...well, Kokichi and Nazumi both knew that Denji would absolutely fight with a toddler to keep their supplies safe. Maybe they could just...get Baby her own styling and makeup products to mess around with, just to be safe. 

Kokichi smiled, able to imagine the nostalgic moments of Amber’s childhood, and he snickered, not commenting on it, but feeling warm from the implication that Amber would want to stick around long enough for his daughter to grow up a bit. “Am-chan, if Baby ended up stealing your jewelry there isn’t another kid who would stand even a fraction of a chance against her glam.”

“Uuuugh...but if she ends up stealing our clothes…” Kokichi groaned again, sinking down in his seat. “What if she ends up liking capes?! I can’t bank on her wanting to reject Kai-chan’s excitement! He’ll end up buying her an entire wardrobe full of different capes...all to “accessorize” and “match” every outfit she has… Oh nooooo!”

Amber snorted at this, laughing loudly, absolutely in love with that mental image. “Oh my gawd, they’ll make the most adorable pair of dorks ever! I looooove that, seriously, geeeez!”

Then Amber snickered, as she said, “Soooo, you’re not a fan of the capes, huuuuuh? Sooooo, liiiike, getting him capes would be like the wooooooorst???” she asked, a mischievous grin on her face.

Kokichi groaned louder, dragging his hands down his face. “He just...looks so over the top and ridiculous. It’s very Kai-chan and it suits him, but this is the hill I’ve chosen to die on since we met.” Kokichi sighed, looking to the side. “...but I did admit the one he wore to our wedding was kinda cool, and there was one he gave me when I was in a really bad depressive low that’s kinda been the…’I’m that bitch’ look for me. I actually wore it when we met at Shooting Star, but we both dropped our outer layers at the coat check.”

Capes had actually been a pretty good force in Kokichi’s life, but… 

He sat back with a huff, scooting back up the seat. “I’m still makin’ a fuss about ‘em though. Any bit to poke fun at how he can spend over an hour getting ready in the bathroom.”

Amber snickered, already thinking of a future prank, before saying with a huff, “If you’re not spending an hour getting ready, are you even trying? Honestly, Kokichi, take a little pride in your morning care routine! You owe it to yourself! And you owe it to me too! You’ve been using that moisturizer I got you, right? Riiiight??”

As Amber interrogated Kokichi on his morning routine, the ride went on, the two snickering together and teasing each other and sharing stories, going home with their very weirdly gotten prizes from the swamp witch.

-

Kaito had, before they made pancakes, just watched curiously when Timothy had insisted on just straight up dumping his little dragon figurine in pure black paint. Kaito had worried the kid was maybe sabotaging himself, it actually being kind of difficult to make lighter paints battle against black paint, the lighter paints not tending to be thick enough to stand out in the black like you’d think it would. But, Kaito didn’t want to stifle Timothy’s experimentation, so he had kept it to himself, curious to see what Tim would try…

And now, a few hours later, Kaito blinked in astonishment. “Wow… Tim! Kid, this is great!”

Timothy squirmed slightly, something both pleased and suspicious at the same time as he said, the word questioning, “...yeah?”

Tim had picked three paints at first, and like Kaito had first feared, when Tim tried to paint the wings with a thinner purple paint, the purple did little more than accent the black paint. Tim had frowned at that, but resigning himself to that being how it would look, he had committed to accenting certain parts of the black purple, it all looking undefined and difficult to differentiate… but then, taking the silver paint, which was much thicker, Tim had carefully replicated a sense of ‘scales’ to his dragon, which the purple contrasting the silver, became much more obvious. Already a super solid start, but then Kaito had watched the kid take the gold paint, and brow furrowed, a calm, focused patience, started creating simple, elegant lines that very quickly showed purpose, the gold lines almost giving a sense of armor and a crown, lining the edge of the dragons wings, his shoulders, his spine and tail, and then following the curves of his skull and ears…

For a nine year old with little experience in figurines still? Kaito laughed triumphantly, reaching over to Tim and excitedly shaking him back and forth a little, grasping his shoulders and squeezing them affectionately as he said, “It came out awesome! You should be super proud of that, kid, it looks great!!”

Timothy just nodded, but there was a small upturn in his eyes, a small smirk in his lips, that betrayed his sense of pride. “It’s alright, I guess.”

“We gotta get it a little platform to display it on! Next time we go to the hobbies shop, we’ll grab one of those little circle stands, glue him onto it, he’ll be easy to put as decoration anywhere. Good job!”

And it was getting later in the day when Kaito finally met Shuichi back up at the room, looking around  and, mildly disappointed, asked, “‘Kichi still out?”

“He’s not come back yet, yeah.” Shuichi said, looking up from his book and glancing at the window, “It’s only dinner time. The sun’s not even down yet. He’s fine, he’s just out.”

“Yeah, I know… how you feeling, handsome? Anything hurting?”

Shuichi’s first impulse was to say he was fine… but then he blushed slightly in embarrassment as he confessed, “My back and ankles are talking at me a bit…”

“No worries handsome, I got ya. Get your shirt off, I’ll go get the oil.”

“Thanks Kaito.”

The trip had taken a bit longer than Kokichi had anticipated. Not in a bad way, really, they just needed to be a little more careful on the roads than he’d factored in, but by the time they were making the last stretch to the castle, he was anxious to find his family and reassure them. Maybe it was an odd instinct to have, but...it really was the first time he’d left the city without them. He just wanted to show them he was alright…

Not to mention how tired he was, nearly dozing off despite the lively conversation he and Amber kept up, but that had been his whole day, really. 

When they got to the little depot off to the side, Kokichi had bid his friends a good evening, happy he’d been able to provide a ride and wishing them a safe trip home, had thanked Nazumi for coming along on short notice and affirmed he was gonna be home the rest of the night so she was off, but, er… Well, it was dinner time, by the time they took the horse back to the stable and checked the carriage back in, so they walked together to the dining room, talking a little about the trip, lightly teasing each other over their significant others (and not that kind of significant!). 

Not seeing his boys in the dining hall, Kokichi collected his food and headed up to their room, figuring that would be the most likely place. Knocking his elbow against the door, he called out, “Kai-chan? Shuu-chan? Are you guys in there?”

“‘Kichi?”

There was a brief moment of noise on the other side of the door, a small thump followed by some laughter, before the lock twisted open and Kaito opened the door, grinning brightly down at his husband, “Hey, there you are! Welcome back, stranger! How was your trip?”

Kaito widened the door for Kokichi to let him in, only not pulling him into a hug because Kokichi was carrying things. From the bed, Shuichi’s cringed in alarm and, pulling the covers up a little, said, “Kaito, the door…”

“Sorry handsome, one second.” Kaito promised, and indeed as soon as the door was clear Kaito closed it, coming up behind Kokichi and, putting a hand on the small of his back, leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the lips before, quickly, looking him over… he seemed okay… before grinning, “You caught us in the middle of a rubdown.”

“A massage.” Shuichi clarified, giving Kaito a dry look.

“Yeah, what I said.” Kaito agreed, heading over to sit behind Shuichi again, the ex-detective sighing in small relief as Kaito went back at the muscle he had been working on as he said, “Amber stole ya again, beautiful?”

Kokichi smiled fondly as Kaito let him in, enjoying the small peck as he was more or less ushered into the room. “It was good! Sorry for taking a bit long though--turns out the roads going west are still a bit icy so we had to take it slow.”

Taking in the, indeed, massage, Kokichi came over to place a kiss on Shuuichi’s head in greeting before settling down at the desk to eat and tell his story. “So, one of Temp’s bar buddies had a rare gem that she was willing to sell to Amber, but only today so she asked if we could use one of the castle carriages. Turns out Temp’s friend, Calypso, lives alllll the way out in the swamp!”

“I’ve never been to the swamp before, actually--it was really cool. All sorts of birds and little creatures everywhere, all making noise… We didn’t sight-see much, but I’m kinda tempted to look into the ecology later, now that I’ve seen a little of it.”

Shoving a spoonful in his mouth, Kokichi waved a hand indistinctly before he continued. “So! We get there for the deal, but as it turns out, Temp kinda expected that Amber’d ask me for a ride, and Calypso wanted to meet me? And...I dunno, a partner in some sense too. It was kinda crazy...turns out they were really thankful for the ecology measures we manage for the marshlands, and they gave Amber like,” Kokichi gestured to the whole of his arm, “This huuuuge chunk of a rare gem--tanzanite, Am-chan said--and this necklace for me? All in gratitude?”

Kokichi lifted the red heart necklace from his chest showing it off a little while he shook his head in disbelief. “Like...that’s really crazy, but they didn’t want anything in return. Really, the only thing Calypso asked was that I wear the necklace overnight--’pparently a belief that when you get a birthstone necklace you’ll get the benefits of its meaning...or something like that. A luck thing. And rubies mean health, wisdom, and love, so...I dunno. It’s just really sweet of her to wish something like that for me, so I’m gonna wear it tonight.”

“Craaaaazy day,” he concluded, sitting back a little to focus more on his meal. 

The two listened attentively to the story, Shuichi smiling lightly, his eyes closed as Kaito continued to work on his back, while Kaito’s eyes fixated on his husband, lighting up with excitement and admiration… but after a moment, his brow started to furrow. Two looks competing in his expression, both ever so light, between suspicion and guilt… and by the end of that story, Kaito let his gaze drop to the floor, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly battling with himself… “...Shuichi?”

Shuichi, who had also started frowning, sighed. “Pass me my shirt, I’ll take a look at it.”

As Shuichi put his clothes back on, shuffling out of the bed and heading to the closet, Kaito grinned guiltily at Kokichi as he said, a tad too loudly, “That sounds awesome, Kokichi! It’s super nice of them to want to show you appreciation. I don’t know exactly which gem Tanzanite is, but I’m sure that’s a super cool find for a jeweler like Amber! I’m sure it was all just a nice gesture…”

Shuichi pulled out a bag, brown and leather, from his box of what could be called his ‘detective stuff’, putting it on the desk and saying to Kokichi, “Would it be alright for me to see the necklace, Kokichi?” he asked, pulling out vials and swabs from his poison bag.

Kokichi looked over the odd expression on his husband’s face with a puzzled expression, and...it did take him a good moment to realize where the shift in his partners’ expressions came from. And, sighing, he gently unlooped the necklace from his neck and handed it over to Shuuichi. 

He was positive that Calypso and Kai meant him no harm. Maybe a few months ago he would’ve insisted it on principle, refusing to distrust his people, but...well. Maybe he was just on another level of that bullshit. But...it really felt like whatever their reasons for giving up such baffling gifts, it wasn’t malicious. And for some reason...Kokichi really trusted that feeling. 

But he also understood his lovers’ paranoia, so Kokichi scooted back with his plate to let Kokichi work. “If there’s anything suspicious, I think it’d be more likely to do with the casing, since it was premade. She asked me what my birthstone was so...don’t think anything would’ve been set up there.”

“...it is weird, even to me, you know.” Kokichi sighed again as he looked up at Kaito, offering him a small smile. “I still kinda feel bad about accepting all of it… But I believe in their sincerity. And Kai did say that they didn’t get too many people out there...maybe they’re the type to go all out on these kinds of things. They were just kind of weird in general.”

“I’ve never been to a swamp myself,” Kaito said, grinning with some relief at Kokichi, glad he hadn’t, ya know… upset his husband by implying hs nice gift given to him by one of his people could possibly be used to try to murder him. Kaito was a little ashamed of his own paranoid tendencies, these days. Especially as someone who had never actually considered himself the paranoid type before coming to Dicea? He wasn’t thrilled to always be accusing people of wishing them harm…

But his shoulders relaxed as he saw Shuichi start mixing chemicals with practiced ease, focusing on the metal casing as he lightly draped various parts of it with a coated swab, watching the swab carefully before discarding it and wiping the necklace off, then continuing the process with a different mixture of chemicals.

(In truth, any poison coated on the necklace wouldn’t likely kill Kokichi. If there was a substance out there that could kill from light skin contact, Shuichi hadn’t heard of it. But, there were certain poison that prolonged skin contact could make it’s wearer fatigued or delirious, weakening them, or, if someone wasn’t looking to kill you but did want you to suffer? Types of poison that, over the course of a few hours, would eventually act as an acid, eventually burning through the skin so gradually over time that it could do serious damage to its wearer before the victim realized that the strange aching, itchy feeling coming from their chest was actually their skin being eaten away, the damage already done.)

(For the most part, that’s what Shuichi was looking for.)

“We have them in Luminary, but I never had a reason to go to one myself. My cool, brave husband, off traveling and seeing strange environments… very sexy.” Kaito laughed, giving Kokichi a wink, before his face softened slightly, “I’m glad it went alright and you had fun. Would it be too pathetic to admit I missed ya though?”

“He was only gone a few hours, Kaito.” Shuichi gently teased, prepping the last swab. So far so good… “I didn’t do much today personally, after work. Bath, napped, read a bit. Kaito spent the afternoon with Tim. Figurines and… didn’t you cook something with him?”

“Pancakes! They came out great, kids a natural.” Kaito beamed.

Kokichi laughed softly, fondly rolling his eyes a little. “There isn’t too much reason to go unless you wanna go mud fishing or to see Calypso and Kai, I guess, but it’s a neat place to visit. Maybe I’ll try painting some of the birds there, give it a swamp setting…”

“But...for as nice as it was seeing someplace new and hanging out with Amber and Stacy and Temp...I’m happy to be home. I seriously thought I was gonna fall asleep on the ride back...s’been a long day.” Not incredibly long, and most of that feeling came with his constant fatigue but...still. 

Kokichi perked a bit, listening to how his loves spent their days, happy to hear about Kaito’s afternoon with Tim. “Aw, already training the world’s next great pancake chef? If the trend is right and the student always surpasses the master, we’re gonna have a world-class on our hands before too long.”

“Timothy’s going to end up with quite the random mish-mash of skills someday. I saw Cali teaching him the fine art of spitting into the wind and dodging it before it could hit you in the face. It worked for her about eighty percent of the time. Truly, our futures are in good hands.” Shuichi said, watching the final swab before discarding it, wiping off the necklace before saying, “It’s fine. Here you go, Kokichi. Thank you for being patient.”

Handing Kokichi his necklace back, Shuichi went to put his bag of poisons away, grunting a little as he pulled himself out of his chair and annoyingly winded by the time everything was cleaned up and Shuichi was ready to head back to the bed, where the softness and support of the mattress would be a welcome relief. He was so damn pregnant… how much longer of this? Nnngh…

Kaito felt affection rush through him as Shuichi laid himself down so that his head was laying in Kaito’s lap, a small whine humming through his throat that demanded Kaito’s attention. Considering Shuichi took his hat off to do that, Kaito guessed his boyfriend wanted head pats, and Kaito started running his hands through Shuichi’s hair while Shuichi gave a small, contented sigh.

Looking over to Kokichi, Kaito gave his husband a similarly soft look as he said, “Heck yeah you’ve had a busy day, ‘Kichi. You’ve been a trooper… ya know, if you wanted to go to bed early, I don’t think either of us would disturb you. Shuichi’s been in and out of sleep all day-”

Shuichi hummed softly at that. Eyes closed.

“-and I’ve got done everything I meant to do today. I’ll probably settle in to read a bit either way, the room should be pretty quiet.”

His nephew was gonna be quite the jack-of-all-trades, and likely well-off for it. But...such a wonderful part of being young was getting to try a lot of different things, and while experiences weren’t exactly age locked...it was just nice. Getting to see Tim branch out and succeed in so many things. 

Taking the necklace back and putting the chain over his head again, Kokichi grinned at Shuuichi. “And thanks for being cautious. Lucky me I’ve got such a skilled, big-brain boyfriend so make sure we don’t have questions left hanging over our heads.”

Kokichi worked on finishing the last bit of his dinner, deciding then and there he’d let Kaito take the dish down later and not make another trip downstairs tonight. He was done! It was only bedroom time left! 

And...maybe the rest of his day wouldn’t be that much longer… 

Kokichi considered it...and just going to bed now sounded like, honestly, what he’d wanted since he woke up. But…

He sighed, dragging himself up from his chair and leaving his plate on an empty part of the desk. “I should shower first… Didn’t fall into the swamp, but still. Then I’m gonna come to bed and be out like a light! So I better be able to depend on my sweet husband and boyfriend to make sure I’m properly cuddled!”

“You hear that Shuichi? Kokichi needs a cuddle buddy...and, like, a space on the bed. You can’t sleep from side to side like this… Shuichi?”

“Hmph.”

“Come on, bud, you’ll be more comfortable…” Kaito sighed slightly, before giving Kokichi a sheepish grin, “We’ll be ready by the time you get out, babe.”

It took some doing, but Kaito eventually coaxed Shuichi into sitting back up, readjusting himself to lay down on the bed properly, though at one point Shuichi just clung to Kaito. “You’re carrying the baby next time.”

“Uh huh. You think you’re going to sleep, sleep, now? If so, let me go put your medicine together.”

“Don’t move. Stop moving. Your job is to be a pillow right now.” Shuichi demanded, throwing his arms around Kaito’s neck and burying his head into his shoulders, before saying randomly, “I threw up at lunch.”

“Awww, handsome, I’m sorry…”

“I don’t want to be pregnant anymore. Can we just have it already?”

“Not yet. Baby’s not ready yet. You’re doing really well, I’m very proud of you. You feel okay now? Dinner’s sitting alright?”

“Yeah… can I skip training tomorrow?”

“We’ll do something fun tomorrow.”

“That’s not a yes.”

“Lay back, let me go put together your medicine, you’ll feel less cranky once you get some rest.”

“Cranky? Who’s cranky?” Shuichi looked slightly miffed, ignoring Kaito’s kiss to his temple before getting himself out of bed to make his boyfriends medicine, as Shuichi sank back into bed and grumbled darkly, “I’ll show you cranky…”

Kokichi left his guys to it, thinking over what pregnancy advice Temp had given him. Maybe some potpourri sachets would work well for the scent thing… He knew some of the creams and oils Ikuo had given Shuuichi were scented so...maybe they could try to match those, just to keep it all consistent. 

Kokichi mused to himself as he washed up, paying a little closer attention to his chest, just since Shuuichi had put the idea in his mind, but mostly just going through the motions, eventually tottering out in a towel and disappearing into the closet for a moment before emerging in soft, fleecy pajamas, the heart necklace rested gently atop his shirt. With a soft huff he crawled into bed and cuddled up to Shuuichi’s side, despite his warning earlier apparently still just awake enough to press a kiss to his cheek and snuggle whatever he could reach. “Mm...Shuu-chan’s warm. Perfect cuddle buddy…”

“Yeah?” Shuichi sighed, laying on his side, letting the weight of his stomach be supported by a small, thin pillow (Ikou’s suggestion, and one Shuichi was now endlessly grateful for. Leveraging that small space between where the bed met his side and where his stomach was pushing out was doing wonders for the pressure he put on his shoulders and spine at night. It had been such a relief.) as he wrapped his arms around Kokichi’s back, shifting slightly so that he could rest the bridge of his nose against Kokichi’s temple. “...I know I didn’t say it earlier. But I’m glad you had a good day today, Kokichi. I missed you too, but I’m glad you’ve made friends who can drag you away from the castle every now and again…”

Kaito came out of the closet, having changed into sleep clothes, heading to the bookcase and grabbing the book he was most currently working on (not a fiction book this time. It was, in fact, a Dicean history book. After hearing about some of the Ouma lineage, it occurred to Kaito he should make more of an effort to get to know the country's history, so he had gone to the library and gotten a book specifically about the Ouma family. History wasn’t Kaito’s most fun subject, and sometimes it was a bit of a slog to get through, but Kaito figured he owed it to his husband to at least try), he headed to the bed, sitting on Kokichi’s other side, leaning against the headboard. 

Giving Kokichi a small, appraising look, running a hand through his hair… Kaito said, gently scolding, “I’m brushing your hair tomorrow morning if you’re not going to do it tonight.”

Kokichi hummed happily at the affection. He didn’t need to be by Kaito and Shuuichi’s sides constantly, but that easy affection of holding hands or surprise hugs and little kisses...he’d missed that today, even if it had been fun. “Just gotta save the big adventures to have with you, right? But...getting to see things with different people means it’s a different experience every time… So, I’m pretty lucky to have a lot of people to share the world with.”

A big world filled with everything you could think of, good and bad. Far bigger than the castle, and filled with so many people that he not only knew the names of, but...places their family had moved from, and what childhood memories they treasured. A world of friends and places to explore…

Kokichi huffed as he felt the bed dip behind him, sure as hell not about to get up now and brush his messy towel-dried hair. “Fine… You know that’s not much of a threat when Kai-chan’s always so careful to make it hurt as little as possible.” Kokichi looked over his shoulder, not quite feeling up to rolling around to face Kaito properly, and especially not when he was so comfy in Shuuichi’s arms, and pouted a bit, stretching a leg backwards a little to brush against Kaito’s. “‘M too tired to get up again… And Kai-chan’s already in bed too, pressed up against my back to make sure I’m warm on all sides. We’re all settled and comfy...no more getting up.”

“Pff. Wouldn’t hurt ever if you kept up with it… but alright. We’ll go through it with a comb tomorrow, it’ll take not even fifteen minutes,” Kaito promised, reaching down to pet at Kokichi’s head a bit, then reaching over to gently run his fingertips soothingly over Shuichi’s temple, before settling in, opening up his book. “No more getting up today. You both get some rest. Love you guys.”

“Mmm… love you.” Shuichi sighed, honestly just barely hanging onto consciousness as it were. 

“Love you…”

-

Kokichi had looked over the necklace around his neck in wonder for a moment when he’d woken up in his mindscape, but it wasn’t long before he just covered his face and groaned, half smothering his face in bed. Fuuuuuuuuck! 

He’d help Temp out where he could with whatever the witch wanted but...shit. He hadn’t meant to make it so bad…

...but a deal was a deal, and tonight was the night. He couldn’t completely keep himself from stewing in the guilt, but Kokichi tried to...reach out. Not sending a message of intention or anything, but trying to feel within the vicinity of his own consciousness, see if Alter Ego or Temp were...mentally nearby. 

Temp looked curiously at the door in the void. A door. Simple, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still, it was very quaint… feeling a little silly, he reached forward and knocked on it.

“Kokichi Ouma. It’s Temp,” The Templar called through the door. Smirking slightly, as he asked politely, “May I come in?”

Ah! 

Kokichi got up from the bed, still a bit red faced, and opened the door, smiling at Temp and offering entry. “Heya!”

...and immediately deflating again. “...I’m… Sorry, Temp. I don’t even know how much value all that stuff would equate into, like, favors, but… I wouldn’t have asked you if I knew she was going to add in so much. Even if Calypso isn’t placing the debt on me, I’ll still help as much as I can since...I mean, you’re just helping with my problem.”

Kokichi played with his fingers a little, hating the feeling that he...took advantage of his friend’s good charity. Unable to even know it while he was awake…

The Templar looked around, carefully feeling out Kokichi’s mind without poking anything too much, not trying to take anything from Kokichi that the younger empath wasn’t trying to give. It looked like this was a recreation of the prince’s bedroom. Seemed nice. He liked the window seat. It led to a nice view.

Waving his hand dismissively, the Templar said, “Don’t worry about it. She was toying with me, which doesn’t exactly alarm me. If she was truly trying to manipulate me, knowing what I am capable of? She would not have treated that whole exchange as frivolously as she had.” He was pretty sure. And, like, so long as she wasn’t secretly a goddess, a mere swamp witch wasn’t that alarming a person to be indebted to... 

“Besides, a hot tip for witches?” Temp said, heading over to sit on the window seat, giving Kokichi a patient, small smile, “If you want an easy shortcut into guessing their true natures? Their familiars make it very difficult for witches to lie. Unless her familiar is excellent at hiding some nefarious nature, then more likely than not a familiar that easy going and considerate wouldn’t serve a witch whose ideas of ‘trades’ involve anything truly despicable. All that to say, I’m not terribly worried about it.”

And if he was wrong?

Like stated before… a swamp witch against a powerful empath who’s lived long enough to see the the surface of mountains erode and change into valleys by the seasons and serves one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon?

Yeah. Ha. Try it.

(...again. So long as she’s not a goddess. Yikes.)

“Now, before your cat makes his arrival… how are you feeling?” Temp asked, a serious expression settling onto his features as he said, “And remember, ‘bad’ is a valid answer… you were tired all day. This can wait for you to rest, if you need to. Or I can still just do this myself… I will do no harm to your husband. I would take great care.”

Kokichi still looked worried as Temp had all the ease in the world explaining that it wasn’t a big deal...but his shoulders relaxed a bit. Easing up enough to wonder about...familiars? But…

“Still,” the young prince sighed, going to sit on his bed on the side across from the window seat. “If there’s something I can do to help, don’t be a stranger, alright? I know you deal in trades but...friends help each other out just ‘cause they’re friends sometimes. And I did kinda pull you into this mess. So if I could make anything easier, please let me know and I’ll do what I can.”

Aaaaand off of one issue, and into another, though Kokichi was much more confident about this one than the last. 

He offered Temp a gracious smile, but shook his head softly. “I trust that you would, but I want to be able to help. Or even just learn what you’re doing. And...even if it’s just a dream to him, I might be able to get Kai-chan’s cooperation too. The peace of mind knowing my husband is safe, and that I can be a step closer in learning to keep my family safe…”

Kokichi grinned a little wider, though not without bashfulness. “If I need to take a proper sick day tomorrow, that’s worth it to me. I was tired, but it was something I could power through. That means my limit’s a good bit further away, so...I want to be able to help.”

Temp looked confused, looking over to Kokichi as he said, “Dream? Oh, did he go to sleep this early as well or-”

Before Temp could finish his thought, at the door of the bedroom there was a high, whining, “M-raaaaaaaaaawww!”, like a cat that’d accidentally been locked out of their favorite room in the middle of the night and had decided it was now the entire household’s problem to fix this. 

As Temp listened to this, he said idly, “...why a cat? Those four could have materialized in any form, couldn’t they have? Why pick a cat? I’m not a big fan of cats…”

Oh, right… Kokichi was really getting used to assuming Kaito and Shuuichi were asleep as well when he went to bed. Well, maybe Kaito would drift off since he was surrounded by sleeping people. Otherwise… He just hoped his husband wouldn’t be too weirded out by whatever it would seem like to him. 

Snorting, Kokichi hopped back off the bed to answer the door. Honestly, he’d been meaning to give Alter Ego one of his spare “keys” but… It wasn’t really anything against Temp, but Kokichi kind of wanted to do it while they were alone. Just...keeping things as secure as possible. 

“I think cats are pretty great, actually,” Kokichi hummed as the blond cat came into his room, taking a moment to crouch and pet along Alter Ego’s back. “Good evening!”

Alter Ego arched their back into the pet, a small purr in their voice as they said, “Good evening, Kokichi. Forgive how long it took me to get here, once I felt you, I had to get Hiro to his resting place. Are we prepared to do this today? How did you quest for… oh.”

Alter Ego looked at the dangling necklace, and reached up to bat at it a little, as they said, “I see it went well. Hmmm…” getting up on their hind legs a little, Alter Ego sniffed at the necklace, tail whipping slightly as they said, “Flora?”

“No better way to amplify psychic-based abilities than Flora blood. Honestly, we’re lucky she had it. Those suckers are hard to pin down in this day and age.” Temp sighed, running his hand through his hair a bit, “It’s hard to find one willing to trade it, and taking it can be a death sentence. You have to make certain the Flora never has any idea where they are or who you are… the second they know anything? All of them know it.  And all the Flora in the area come to back up their endangered piece. It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by them…”

Alter Ego looked uncertain, sniffing at the necklace again, before saying, “I hope she doesn’t have one trapped somewhere. That would be cruel… yes, even for a Flora.” The cat said, ears going backwards, sounding very much like they were talking to themselves as they said, a scolding in their tone, “Matching cruelty with cruelty is not an acceptable answer. Perhaps I’ll look into this swamp witch at some point after this. Just in case.”

Temp raised an eyebrow, before shaking his head. “Your condition makes you too vulnerable to nature-based magic. Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll look into it myself, if it’s something that concerns you. But, for tonight? Let’s focus on the mission at hand.”

Kokichi shook his head a little. “No worries, I know I’m sleeping a bit early tonight. I guess it’s good that we have all the time we can have, but you’re not late.” Mm...maybe they could take a short break from lessons after tonight, if only to give Hiro his evenings back. Kokichi didn’t think it would make much of a difference if they had their lessons later into the night either, since he’d be missing the same amount of sleep. 

Giggling a bit as Alter Ego batted at the heart charm, Kokichi sighed softly. “My boyfriend tested it for poisons after I got back today… Guess we should just be thankful that nothing Calypso crafted the necklace with set any of those tests off--there’s no way I’d be able to convince him or Kai-chan to let me wear it even if I remembered what it was for.”

But, to an extent at least chemically, it seemed that blood acted like blood. Though… Kokichi frowned a bit, slowing his pets though he agreed with Alter Ego. He hoped the witch had just traded for the blood… The Flora and their queen had caused...too many problems both personally and for the world, but...no one deserved to be...kidnapped. Kept in some inescapable place and having your blood taken from you…

Kokichi shivered a bit, turning green from the thought before he took a breath, refocusing. “Right. Is there anything else we need to do before going to Kai-chan’s mind? And, oh, I didn’t answer, Temp, but Kai-chan’s reading in bed right now. He might drift off at some point, but he’s just kinda chillin’.”

“Oh, here… some of the defenses I was working on today,” Temp remembered, pulling out of his pocket and holding in his palm a handful of small, black balls. “It’s some of my intent, made detachable. The nature of the defense will have to be created by whoever plants it, but taking this with you should, essentially, allow you to create that defense as if you had my expertise, at least one time for each ball.”

He passed three of the balls to Kokichi, and then, looking down at Alter Ego, said, “Open up.”

Alter Ego opened their mouth, and the Templar, one after another, dropped three balls into their mouth as well, the cat swallowing once all were dropped. Standing back up, he said, “Your husband should be fine. There is a possibility he’d find himself a little stressed, or strangely emotional, but no more than anyone might during a tough day where they’re feeling sad for no particular reason. Mind you, if you...haven't been in a mind without them being asleep before?” The Templar asked, looking to Alter Ego.

Alter Ego’s ear twitched, “Incorrect. We visited the king once, while he was awake. Kokichi is vaguely familiar with the somewhat chaotic nature of entering a consciousness that is still awake… but, other than that one experience, I’m afraid we haven't had more chances to let him get familiar with it.”

Temp sighed, before shrugging. “That’s alright. Just know, Kokichi, that changing the environment in a waking consciousness is much trickier than changing one for someone who’s asleep. And that the environment of the consciousness is strongly affected by the viewpoint of the host in question. When they’re asleep, they’re used to giving things up to the randomness of dreams, but awake, even if it only makes sense to them, they force their environment to follow a certain sort of logic. Any questions?”

“You know, if we’re lucky? Tengan might not actually even be there right now. If the old man is awake and distracted, breaking his connection might be very simple.” Alter Ego noted, tail flicking… then flicking harder as they said, “But if he is there? We must be very careful. He’s far more familiar with Kaito’s mental landscape than any of us are. He’ll have an advantage there.”

Murmuring thanks, Kokichi accepted the “seeds” with the appropriate gravity, slipping them into one of his pockets. The nature of defence...hm. 

Kokichi often struggled with the way Kaito’s mind worked just normally, but experiencing the metaphors more literally...well, maybe he’d understand Kaito a little better after this, even if he only knew while he was asleep. But they were people able to come to understandings so...he’d be able to find a defense that would work for them both--to work in Kaito’s mind, and something that Kokichi would think of in the first place. 

“...I really hope it isn’t enough for this but...sometimes when my husband gets stressed, he goes to his shrine and tries to work things out through prayer,” Kokichi explained, not sure if it was a warning or what. “He’s super religious...so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s influenced a lot of how he thinks.”

Kokichi sighed, the thought of how comfortable Tengan might be in Kaito’s mind just...sickening. Lighting the fire of anger in him again. “We’ll be careful...but let’s get that damn bastard out of there.”

“Agreed.” Temp said, keeping in mind the religious warning. For a truly devout worshiper of the whore god, Temp wasn’t sure how that might affect the imagery. Atua himself had never been a dangerous god, or one with dangerous imagery, but considering this was a Momota, a member of the family who had taken a small time, harmless god and used said imagery to essentially take over an entire kingdom…

Might not end up leading to anything at all. But, still. Could be interesting. 

“Alright, I’ll open the door. Give me one second,” Alter Ego said, getting into a pouncing position, reaching out as they started to chitter… and then they leapt.

-

The sun was beaming down, far too big to be real. And, even though the massive sun was out, the sky a mix of warm orange and red colors, still you could see small twinklings of the stars, vague lines of light connecting them together into shapes of constellations. 

Around them was a city.

The buildings were, for the most part, made of dark stone bricks and mortar, most of the structures following similar design patterns. Thin, long windows, and roofs that seemed to stack like sections, their curves curled ever so slightly upwards. The alley space between the buildings, some which were short and stout, others skyscrapers, were cracked floorings of hardened dirt and mud, and the streets, which when new might have been attractive and beautiful in their design, now were covered and brown in sand and dirt, the patterned bricks cracked and some of them raising up, almost creating barriers in and of themselves for carriages that had to go through them.

The walls of the buildings, at least, were mostly in good shape, if absolutely discolored from years of being exposed to the elements, and beautiful tapestries were hanging everywhere, from store roof edges and draped across doors, beautiful splashes of color in an otherwise brown, red, and sand colored environment. 

Kaito was sitting in front of a fence in particular, at the same front of the alley that he always waited for his friends before following the path through the alley to his high school. It was Kaito, but he looked… different. He was wearing sandals, one of which he currently had off, playing with the dirt with his toes, cooling himself a little through the action. His hair was shorter, and spiked up into a crescent wave. His skin tanner. And his clothes were light and fashionable, a tan shirt draped around his shoulders in a way meant to compliment the dip of his pecs and the round strength of his exposed shoulder, the other shoulder covered partially by an extremely light, short brown cape.  He was wearing light, darker tan shorts as well, which just went below his knees, showing off his lower legs.

As he was waiting for his friends for school, he was reading a book. Studying… and sitting next to him, Kokichi was reading over his shoulder, saying aloud.

“So, Koharu Ouma started a campaign to create policies that promoted native gardens maintained by the community as a whole-”

Kaito nodded uncertainly, brow furrowed. “...uh huh…”

“-which was motivated by watching her younger sister struggle with breathing problems that a polluted air due to lack of gardens-”

Kaito looked uncomfortable, looking around at the mostly barren area around them. There was a strong scent of smoke in the air, and if you looked in the distance, there were several large, black pillars of smoke rising from factories within the city itself. Kaito stared in mild concern at the smoke as he said to ‘Kokichi’, “...so that’s… an issue? That causes health problems?”

‘Kokichi’ didn’t add any additional information, but he snickered, shaking his head slightly. Silly Kaito…

Kokichi, for the second time that day, looked around his surroundings in awe. It was like nothing he’d ever seen, and a completely different desert than Temp’s mind, even noting the differences of a city and a single structure of a temple. The sky was a different color, the feeling of the air, the liveliness of the tapestries belaing the life around them. 

This...was Luminary. 

...he really hoped to be able to see it in person one day. 

They were there for Tengan, but once he noticed him, Kokichi couldn’t help but watch Kaito from afar, though trying to keep out of sight himself just like when they were in Aiichi’s consciousness. Ah, he was reading about Koharu Ouma, likely the person who had planted the seed--mind the pun--of what eventually became the community garden, though the garden currently in Usott was a bit more diverse than the plan the queen had proposed to the nation. 

Kokichi smiled a bit, thinking about his own history lessons on his forebearers, though…

…

Was...that how Kaito thought of him? 

Kokichi frowned, his shoulders tensing a bit, though he remained hidden. It was a valid question, and the answer to how air quality affected health was really complicated and Kokichi didn’t even fully understand it himself so… He’d never make fun of Kaito for asking about something like that…

...had he?

“Ugh...sand… why is there sand everywhere?” Alter Ego groaned, his fur standing on end as he looked down miserably at the specks of sand that littered ever so lightly both the dirt and the cobblestone, “Couldn’t he edit his dreamscape to get rid of the sand? Who willingly keeps the sand?”

“Sand can have a calming effect on some people. It probably reminds him that much more of home.” Temp said, once again changed back into his own homeland clothes, if only because they were better suited for this heat. “Shouldn’t it remind you of home?”

“I’m a cat. I have no shoes. You can keep the sand, I’d rather carpet.” Alter Ego pouted, already licking at his fur fruitlessly. 

Temp looked around. It was a pretty standard starting point in anyone’s consciousness. A familiar place, influenced by whatever Kaito was doing right now, all surface level thoughts and comforts and insecurities. Standard, but…

Temp was looking at the far too large sun, beaming down the heat, surrounded by constellations. Okay, not likely an accurate memory… no people in the streets. The air smelling strongly of smoke. “Does it always smell of smoke in Luminary?”

Alter Ego blinked, before saying, “In certain areas near the factory. But generally, not really.”

Okay. Less of a memory. This was no doubt a setting based on Luminary, but was not specifically attached to a memory itself… it was almost like…

“Interesting. I believe we’re in a lobby.” Temp realized, looking around, “Check out the windows and the doors. See anything unusual?”

Alter Ego peered, not seeing what he meant immediately, but… “Oh. The doors have no handles, and you can’t actually see into the windows. Hm… there’s nowhere to actually go. If we go down the streets… hold on. Let me check.”

“Be careful.” Temp murmured, watching the cat run off.

After a moment, Kaito still reading his book, looking a mixture of bored and uncomfortable, while ‘Kokichi’ still read over his shoulder, beaming cheerfully at him, Alter Ego returned. “You’re correct. The streets don’t go anywhere. If you turn, you get brought back here. It’s a closed loop. Kokichi, you know your door, and the lake Mikado set up?” Alter Ego said, turning to the prince, “This is like that. A space to keep people outside of anything but the most surface thoughts.”

“Which, for someone who is not an empath or a psychic or part of a hivemind, is...strange. That he would have developed this…” Temp murmured, looking around still.

If anything, this was probably a prime example why Kokichi wasn’t going to make a habit of visiting people’s consciousnesses. Temp and Alter Ego’s back and forth was mostly background noise as Kokichi essentially spied on his husband. Like...90% of it was just...normal. But every now and then, the Kokichi next to Kaito would just...do something a little patronizing or...like he thought Kaito was stupid and…

...it kind of hurt. But there was nothing he could do. Kokichi wouldn’t remember when he woke up so...there was nothing he could do to...improve his behavior or prove to Kaito that he didn’t think that way. Because Kaito wasn’t stupid, so if this was his perception of Kokichi...then he’d done something to lead Kaito in this direction. 

Kokichi really only tuned back in when it was revealed that this was...Kaito’s passive defence. He finally looked away from his husband, looking around the empty streets again, and sighed. “...what do we do, then? It...wouldn’t work to put up defences when Tengan’s been able to get in deeper, right? But...if Kai-chan doesn’t know about any of this,” Kokichi gestured a bit vaguely, referring to everything on the more magic-y side of the world, “Then… We can’t really just ask him to let us in, can we? And I don’t want him to start thinking he’s hearing voices again…”

Temp frowned. Voices? Hm…

“I can sneak myself in. Alter Ego?”

The cat's tail flicked, “...yes, I think I could. But…”

Temp nodded, “Mmhm. Even if we manage to get ourselves through, getting Kokichi through unnoticed is unlikely. Hmmm…” Temp looked around some more, before peering over to Kaito, and saying, “...and if Kaito notices someone is going through his psyche? He might have no idea what he’s noticing, but based on that ribbon around his wrist? I think it’s safe to say that if Kaito is alerted, then whoever is at the other end of the ribbon gets notified.”

“Ribbon?... oh. I see it now. So that’s what Mikado meant.” 

Almost as if he could sense someone talking about it, Kaito idly scratched at the red ribbon wrapped tightly around his wrist, a little bow on it, as he said to ‘Kokichi’, “So, it wasn’t actually a law to start the gardens? I thought that’s what the text meant by campaign. It was just her literally being like, heeeey, wouldn’t it be fun if everyone in the country started actively working on plants within their communities? And everyone really just… went with that?”

‘Kokichi’ hugged Kaito’s arm, tilting his head at him slightly as he said, “Sure! That’s what a good leader does! They lead… I mean, Byakuya could do that? Right? Convince everyone in the country to do something without making it a law?” Kokichi smiled, “Right?”

Kaito shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, course he could… oh…” Kaito blinked, suddenly looking at the memory in concern as he said softly, “You’re having another dream…”

-

Outside, Kaito put down his textbook for a second, sighing to himself, ignoring that uncomfortable feeling inside of himself to take a look at Kokichi. His husband was making stronger little huffy noises, and his arms were starting to move, like he was looking for something. Kokichi was dreaming again.

Kaito put his hand on Kokichi’s face, rubbing his thumb against his husbands cheek softly, as he said, “You’re okay babe… no bad dreams this time… you’re fine…”

-

Looking at the ribbon, and the closed loop… “Kokichi. I believe Tengan is present within this mind right now. His defenses might be stronger right now because there’s an empath spending time in here right now. So… since we cannot reasonably sneak you in, we might be smart to take advantage of the fact that there’s three of us. Kokichi… would you be willing to act as a distraction?”

Kokichi deflated a bit. He wanted to come along in the first place to learn how to better protect his family...but it was that inexperience that was putting a wrench in the works. He didn’t even know all the intricacies of being an empath, let alone had the practice to pull any of it off. Maybe...he should’ve just left it to Temp…

Sighing softly, Kokichi found the ribbon around Kaito’s wrist and...fucking… Ugh. As long as that guy was out and Kaito was safe, Kokichi didn’t care who did it…

...but he still might be able to help. 

Kokichi blinked up at the two more experienced empaths, a little surprised, but… “...so...should I just come out into the open and be all… Coy-like. Trying not to freak Kai-chan off, like I’m trying to be sneaky, but acting like...I’m kinda going on a joyride with my abilities, and wanting to spend time with my husband inside his psyche? To make that asshole think it’s something harmless, but still should focus on?”

...he wasn’t sure what speaking directly to Kaito’s own image in his mind would do. Changing the scenery, finding a memory, acted like just being nostalgic… Would it feel to Kaito like he was having a daydream? 

...or...a fantasy…?

Nodding slowly, a plan starting to come together in his head, Kokichi looked back at his friends. “Is that the right track?”

Temp smiled, nodding, “That’s exactly right. As a newly developing empath, it would make sense. Empaths often go to check on loved ones. But, Tengan is a control freak, from what I understand of your explanations. Even if its safer for him to leave the mind and hide, he’ll likely be unable to resist the temptation to watch you explore. Inevitably, he’ll feel myself or Alter Ego start working on severing his connections, and that will make him aggressive, but before that? Him being distracted by you would make ideal cover. It would allow myself and Alter Ego more wiggle room to be more aggressive in our attacks before he would notice.”

“It would also help us sever the connections to start planting the seeds as well. Templar, I can focus on getting all of my defenses put up, and you can focus on working on the tethers. Agreed?” Alter Ego asked.

Temp nodded, “Makes sense to me. Kokichi, if you see an opportunity, creating your own three defenses would help as well. So, that’s the plan?”

Kokichi smiled, nodding, things starting to look up. Where there was a plan, there was hope. “Got it. I’ll try to figure out how to plant the seeds naturally before that wad starts to notice, but I’ll get them done one way or another. Be safe, you two.”

Giving the cat and man a nod, Kokichi silently went around the back of a few buildings, knowing that they looped around, but hoping that coming from a different direction would...maybe give Alter Ego and Temp a little more time. And...it was a little embarrassing, what his plan was. 

Kokichi closed his eyes and thought about what mind-Kaito’s clothes looked like, what Temp had told him about dressing for a desert...and before long, his clothes were changed, muted down from his bright colors into tasteful earth tones, made of light, airy fabric. Kokichi was wearing a earthy yellow halter neck tank top under an almost see-through long shoulder cape, light tan short shorts showing off his legs, and sandals that strapped around his delicate ankles around his feet. And, even more unlike his own style, little bejeweled accessories were scattered throughout the outfit--an anklet here, a bracelet there, little hairpins actually putting his hair in order and glinting like distant stars in the night of his hair…

...he hoped this was something Kaito would daydream about. 

Taking a breath, Kokichi held his hands behind his back and started walking light, excited little skips around the town, not bothering to be silent, but not trying to draw attention any more than that. Just...looking very much like he would trying to see the whole world around him, awed and amazed and very touristy. 

With that, Temp stepped into the shadows of the ally and vanished, and Alter Ego, giving a worried look over his shoulder to Kokichi, walked behind a garbage can and vanished.

Meanwhile, Kaito was trying to read his book again, Kokichi still reading over his shoulder, resting his head on Kaito’s arm, his presence both incredibly reassuring and a little embarrassing as Kaito tried to learn more about Dicean history… but then he frowned. Feeling a weird… brush of wind against his skin. Just this sensation of ‘Somethings here.’

When he looked up, Kaito focused on the only other person on the street (there was… other people here?) and…

-

In the real world, Kaito was still looking at the book, but the paragraphs were starting blend together… Kaito blushing slightly. A strange, random image distracting him. Imagining Kokichi in a… more traditionally Luminary styled outfit… with little accessories on his arms and in his hair… looking pleased and excited..

...cute…

-

And just like that, the book and ‘Kokichi’ were both gone, as Kaito grinned, standing up. “‘Kichi?”

-

Deep, deep, deep down…

Tengan had been watching one of his favorite shows, enjoying himself, taking his time. He had missed this. He hadn’t been able to risk it while he was traveling, unable to be this lost in someone else's mind, so entirely unaware of his own surroundings. But, well… he was home now. Comfortable and relaxed and with plenty of time on his hands, back in his masters care. Enjoying his retirement. Enjoying some of the fruits of his efforts.

And, indeed, this was easily one of his more entertaining investments in the last twenty years… he honestly did have such pretty eyes…

But then Tengan frowned. Alarmed and… curious. 

The ribbon around his finger jerked, alerting him that surface Kaito had been disturbed. And as Tengan peered in.

...huh.

So the boy was finally doing this…

Interesting.

There was a huff and a shudder in the body beneath him, a small whine, and Tengan absentmindedly shushed it. Not now, not now… there was something else to focus on now…

-

Kokichi looked over at the call of his name, and the way affection bled into his excited expression was genuine. Just because this was a distraction...well. He wasn’t going to lose focus of what was really at stake, but...he and Kaito could have a little fun. This was likely going to be the only chance Kokichi would let them have. 

“Kai-chan!” Kokichi skipped over to his husband’s side, taking one of his hands as again he turned his gaze to the streets around him. “Your home is so pretty! I know you and Shuu-chan and Maki-chan have described it, but...it’s amazing to see in person! The architecture is so vivid, you can tell there’s so many stories to each building, and the tapestries! I never would’ve thought of decorating like this!”

Giggling again, Kokichi put himself in the light of the giant sun, gently pulling Kaito forward. “C’mon, it’s your turn to play tour guide for once. Tell me all about how amazing home is!”

...please, just brag about Luminary for once. Be proud of your home, be confident. It’s one thing to think critically and know what to improve, but I hate seeing you feel...like a monster. I want you to feel like a hero again.

“You…” Kaito looked around, extremely conscious of the cracks and uneven paving on the streets, the lack of fresh paint on any of the buildings, the dirt cacked into the lower parts of the windows… “...you like it?”

In the real world, Kaito bit his lower lip… well, sure, why not. It was nice fantasizing about showing Kokichi around home. He could just… indulge himself a little…

Kaito grinned, still admiring Kokichi’s outfit as he allowed himself to be pulled forward, saying, “Uh, yeah! I can show you some stuff babe. I mean…” Kaito looked around, not feeling good in the fantasy to think his family wasn’t close by, and so imagined, “...Shuichi and Maki are hanging out with Tim and Baby at the pool. It’s so hot here, they wanted to cool down… but that does kinda leave me and you with plenty of time. So, yeah, let’s go look around stuff. It’ll be fun…”

“Okay! Yeah! Tour guide time!” Kaito decided, getting into the idea, looking excited. And, with his decision finally settled on, the scenery around them changed, Kaito unknowingly pulling them both out of the passive defense room they had been in, and into actual memories.

The first place Kaito was really excited to show Kokichi was the university. He didn’t talk about it much, but his time at University actually really was some of the proudest in Kaito’s life, and his memories of it were extremely fond. He had never felt so in control of his life, then here. Living in his own apartment, doing well in classes, hanging out with friends at the pubs in the afternoons. It had been a truly great time in his life.

And Kaito, holding Kokichi’s hand, took him through the grand pathways between the class buildings, the university obviously more intricately designed and more well maintained then the city streets, as Kaito excitedly explained, “So, over there, that’s where the theater is! I did those two plays there, I told you about that right? Oh, and that’s where I saw Rosenctratz and Guildenstern are Dead a thousand times… well, okay, four times. That was all they did. But the theater is huge! Like, don’t get me wrong, the one in Dicea is really big too, but because we also use the theater for a bunch of really important ceremonies and mass meetings and such, the theater had a lot of funds put into it to really make it grand, ya know?”

“Oh, and that’s the building where most of my classes were! Most of these buildings are separated by department, so that’s where the military based classes were held. Heh, you see that cracked window up there? Don’t tell anyone, that was totally my fault. Was trying to impress a girl, did this stupid jump kick thing, there was water on the floor… ha.” Kaito snickered, shaking his head.

“Oh, oh! And that’s the observatory building! The one with the dome roof over there! …” Kaito frowned, “I went in there once. I should have gone more. I just got distracted, ya know… but it’s really cool in there.”

More than that, there were now people around… but, the people weren’t vague impressions. 

It was people. In detail. No where near the amount of people that would actually be walking around in this area that day, but Kaito didn’t fill his dreamscape with people like that. No, everyone walking around here? Names, faces, particular outfits… these were all people Kaito knew.

Kokichi nodded excitedly. If there was anything extra he could do right now...he wanted to boost his husband’s confidence. Be the kind of person Kaito was to him every single day, even if it was only a daydream to him. The flaws and logistics of the world...could be saved for the real world. Right now was time for...a very kind fantasy. 

“I would say Baby’s gonna be sooo jealous I got a personal tour around the city, but I think she’s still a little too young to really get it past just spending time with us. Ah well...when she and her cousin are a little older, they can take turns showing each other Luminary and Dicea and make fun about how slow us old farts do it.” Family was safe. All of it. They all got along. Things were alright. 

Kokichi had been ready to play along with whatever was in Kaito’s lobby, but as just...a wave of so many different emotions came over him, Kokichi’s wondrous gasp was genuine. Because...while he could see where the city had suffered under its system, it really was beautiful. 

Oohing and aahing as they walked, Kokichi was genuinely wide eyed at the sights. And the...wonderful, warm feelings that came with them. Along with the people. A true village of people living inside Kaito’s heart…

“Oh, that theater looks incredible! We should definitely plan to see something at some point! Even just thinking about the play we saw in Usot, I think I’d really be struck speechless seeing something here!”

“Kai-chan!” he laughed, pressing against Kaito’s arm for a moment. “That’s so you… Well, was she impressed? Windows are harder to crack than you’d think--if you managed to do that by accident, I’m sure that girl went around thinking you had some kind of superstrength!”

“Oh my gosh… That telescope looks enormous! I can’t even imagine how deep into space you’d be able to see…” Kokichi looked around the milling people, something mischievous in his face. “Well...we’re here now. Do you think they’d let us look around a little? You are a budding astronomer...along with all the other thousand skills you have.” Kokichi sighed dramatically, putting his arms around Kaito, though the one around his husband’s back held a black sphere to the air.

“Kai-chan’s so talented and dedicated and amazing… There’s nothing that can stop him!”

-

In the real world, Kaito felt his face start to heat up, pulling his legs up closer to himself and resting his head against the palm of his hand, pressing his mouth against it as he rested his elbow against his knee, textbook put aside and now staring vacantly towards the window. Every few seconds, he glanced over at his sleeping Kokichi, before feeling embarrassed and going back to focusing on the window.

This was so… self indulgent… this wasn’t how his sexy daydreams usually went… hell, it wasn’t even really a sexy daydream. It was literally just Kaito imagining how Kokichi might react to a tour around home… wearing a sexy anklet and his hair all done up and looking at him as if he were amazing and-

-

Inside, Kaito blushed red and grinned, extremely flustered as he said, “Y-yeah? Yeah! That could be fun.”

As Kaito looked adoringly down at Kokichi, knowledge filled the young Dicean Prince’s head, and for this moment, Kokichi didn’t have any issues, letting the small black seed of intent absorb into Kaito’s simple brown cape. Around Kaito’s shoulders, the cape became sturdier. More like armor. The clasp pinning it together now large and metal, spreading elegantly over his shoulders, the cape now thicker, as if designed to make being pierced by blade or arrow more difficult. While the outside of the cape was now a rich, black color, the texture shimmering slightly in the sunlight, and the inside of it was a dark maroon, with a golden, intricate constellation system sewn into the fabric.

Kaito didn’t notice the outfit change. The real world Kaito wasn’t exactly watching all of this like a scene play out in his head. It was more glimpses and impressions, feelings translating more than anything. The real world Kaito just had vague ideas of visiting Luminary someday in the future with his husband, Byakuya’s own child (Marigold was pregnant, they had found out a few weeks ago) born and Baby alive and healthy and well and getting to see two of her daddy’s homeland, Maki back and everything resolved somehow, everyone safe, everyone happy, everyone getting along…

Kaito felt his chest tighten, and subconsciously pulled the cape closer to himself. Was a… future like that still possible…

Briefly, around them, the scenery changed. For a terrible few seconds, they were in the throne room of the castle. Everyone in the courtroom watching, somber and pensive, as Maki was dragged, hands bound behind her, fury in her eyes, to Byakuya’s feet, who stared down at her, a look of muted disgust and disappointment that morphs into rage as he says, “Maki Harukawa, I sentence you to de-”

-

Kaito winced, frowning. No, no, that’s a dangerous thing to think about. He shouldn’t think about that. That wasn’t going to happen anyway. It wasn’t going to happen…

Think about something else.

-

And, almost violently, the scene was ripped away and he and Kokichi were in the observatory. 

Tired, but determined to distract himself, Kaito looked around the massive observatory building and said, “So, this is a 12 inch, 300 milimeter telescope. And, it might not make any sense unless you’ve read up the science behind it, but essentially? We can see one light year out on it. Which is actually pretty good! I mean, there are better telescopes out there, but these things are so expensive to make, ‘Kichi, it’s crazy they even managed to get this one built. Oh! Fun fact! We…” Kaito blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he went over to the telescope, looking and adjusting it as he corrected himself, “Well, not ‘we’, but this school actually discovered three moons with this telescope! We named them after saints. Corpella, Zenith, and Dannielle. Here, I’ve actually got Dannielle focused on, come take a look. She’s this really amazing soft pink color, it’s incredible…”

Kokichi grinned, able to see the form the cape took. Looked like those seeds were working out well...and he managed to get one in before Tengan started interfering. Nice. Ideally he’d get all three, but he’d take what he could get. 

But with one victory came...some of Kaito’s own demons. Something that growing up with Tengan in his head surely didn’t help but...ultimately, came from Kaito. Kokichi didn’t let his face change--focusing on difficult things would make it harder for Kaito to accept the daydream, and if they started veering into...more dangerous subjects, it was more likely for Tengan to meddle and see what was really going on--but...he did want to take Kaito into his arms. Confirm to him that that scene was never going to happen...not because it wasn’t possible, but because so many people were putting in work to prevent it. 

The revolutionaries were taking over the farmland. And...people nearby were...well, making it difficult for any regime-controlled production to go on. People were working as a group to bolster their power and cause and...it was only getting stronger. Nothing ever worked perfectly, but...Kokichi had more hope by the day that they’d find themselves in the future of this daydream.

Kokichi took a little breath as they suddenly found themselves in...the university’s observatory, and he tried to turn it into a small gasp of awe, looking around the more laboratory-like room than the castle observatory. He looked over the telescope, not really knowing any of the technical knowledge to truly appreciate it, but still quite impressed. 

“A light year!? That’s crazy… And, hey,” he laughed, bumping his hip against Kaito’s once he was done adjusting the telescope, “You were a student here, so you’re part of ‘we’! Three moons...that’s an amazing discovery!”

“And I had no idea there was a saint named Zenith! I wonder if tourists coming to Dicea are ever confused about our holiday… It’d be really neat if the day honoring her was near the middle of summer! Then it’s like...a two in one holiday!”

Kokichi peered through the telescope, indeed seeing a soft pink celestial satellite, though there was something indefinite about the image. Likely it was purely Kaito’s memory of seeing Dannielle himself. 

“Whoaaaaa… It must’ve been incredible, seeing her for the first time, realizing what you were looking at… Then the news coming out, getting to share such an amazing discovery with the world… And now the name’s forever a reminder of that moment. Pride traced back to that very moment…”

-

Kaito blinked.

Oh yeah. 

Zenith! He wondered if there was a connection there… that was interesting. He hadn’t thought about it before. Maybe he’d ask Kokichi about it tomorrow.

-

“Yeah, it’s really cool! Man, I really should have made more time to come here while I was home…” Kaito said, entirely too himself, looking around the observatory, “The military thing seemed so damn important, ya know… I really thought it was gonna matter. I had this whole idea of what my future was gonna be and the responsibilities I’d have, how I’d ultimately be remembered… I mean, it was so important! It was so important to Byakuya that he was even willing to trade Chad for it… heh.”

Kaito laughed, shaking his head a little at himself, “Shows how little either of us could predict the future… Byakuya playing all these stupid little games and dad comes in and just tosses over the whole board game-”

There was a dangerous little nudge around Kaito’s neck, and subconsciously putting his finger against it, Kaito quickly added, “I mean, not that he was wrong too. He really was just trying to make certain my future was prepared for, ya know? Make sure I had purpose and wouldn’t stray. Who can account for dads whims. No one expects to be…” Kaito let the last word (sold) die on his lips, an uncomfortable look on his face, but apparently that had been enough anyway. The warning tug against his neck stilled, the ribbon there fading after a moment, Kaito letting his hand drop as he looked over to Kokichi, looking him over… before smiling warmly. “You’re beautiful, you know that? I love you. I’m really lucky… I wonder if I got an outfit for you like this, if you’d wear it…”

This was the real tricky part of consciousness’s. Inner monologues, outer monologues? What was the difference in here? It’s not like he was hiding anything from anyone other than himself.

...Kokichi wasn’t really sure what to say. If a daydream Kokichi would even say anything here, since it really was more like Kaito was talking to himself...more than the whole thing being in his head, anyway. And...he couldn’t fight against the conditioning either, as much as Kokichi would at least consider it in the real world. Until he knew a better way to go about it that wouldn’t...end up hurting Kaito. 

But...the rationale was to...get away from a suffocating feeling? Maybe that would come in handy…

“...I sure didn’t see where the future was headed,” Kokichi hummed, settling on a more...neutral path. “I don’t think there’s anyone who can tell for sure. But...I think I got really lucky.”

Kokichi came closer to his husband and took one of his hands in his own. Smiling and placing a gentle kiss against his fingers. “I got to meet one of the kindest, most passionate, charming, steadfast, determined, and handsome people I think might ever exist...and I got to marry him too. He agreed to be my friend...it’s like a dream I wouldn’t even dare dream of, it's too good to be true. So...I can be happy with this future. More than happy, really.”

“And it’s all because of you,” Kokichi breathed into the seed in his hand before kissing at Kaito’s fingers again. “Your accomplishments and deeds are your own, no one else can take any credit. It was no one’s grand plan or manipulative strings… You do great, wonderful things because you achieve them. And I think that’s a pretty incredible legacy to leave behind.”

Kaito’s eyes widened, his stomach now tightening in a… different way, than it had been a moment ago. He found himself wanting to argue, to of course sheepishly insist that he wouldn’t be able to do anything without Kokichi or Byakuya or someone, he wouldn’t dare suggest otherwise… but…

… Kaito blushed. It was so self indulgent, but he found himself wanting to lean into what his daydream Kokichi was saying. Again, this wasn’t how his daydreams usually went. Usually, if he was doing scenario daydreams about his husband, it was Kokichi doing something really cool and then turning to Kaito all confident and larger than life and…

(Look, the Kokichi in Kaito’s daydreams, and the Kokichi that mildly scolded him every time Kaito was embarrassed by his own ignorance? These weren’t accurate representations of his husband, and Kaito knew it. One was just pure fantasies and the other was his insecurities taking shape. But yeah, the Kokichi in his head? Usually a bit more smug and self-assured than Kaito had ever seen Kokichi in real life.)

And as Kokichi kissed at his fingers, dazzling amethyst eyes peering up to him through dark lashes…

Kaito, again, was not conscious of it. But in his hand, a sword started to form. 

It looked a lot like his sword for the marriage ceremony, though more stylized. Kaito had a specialty in standard blades, but a real fondness for curved swords, so this sword curved slightly at the end. The hilt was gold, but small lines of dark purple that was engraved into the blade like how silver or gold might be melted into the blade, decorating the blade’s dangerous curve. Kaito gripping the blade in his hand as Kokichi kissed at his fingers. Another seed used.

...and because, though waking Kaito was not aware of this change, consciousness Kaito really didn’t like holding a blade while Kokichi was right there, he quickly moved his other hand to gently pull Kokichi away from his hand, making him take a few steps to the left as Kaito, “Woah, hold on babe, be careful…” before quickly sheathing the sword in the holster he was now wearing around his waist, sighing when it was safely put away.  Honestly, he had pulled a blade out around Kokichi? What was he thinking…

-

Tengan frowned as he watched this. The cape he had dismissed as the boy accidentally getting lucky, Tengan entirely planning to just strip Kaito of it once the Dicean Prince had left. No big deal… but now, two defenses?

… was he doing this on purpose…

Tengan’s eyes widened, suddenly shifting his gaze, looking into the forest. Had he heard something. Why had he… thought he heard a cat… what was happening. Something was…

His gaze went back to Kaito and Kokichi, and the fuckng perv was immediately distracted. He knew that look on Kaito’s face. Heh… this could be fun…

-

Kaito, in the real world, felt warm and taken care of and pleased. He was now just openly staring at Kokichi, just quietly admiring his husband's beauty. All cuddled up and warm and sweet with their pregnant boyfriend… what had he done to be so lucky… Kokichi was too good for him. He was so amazing… so attractive…

Kaito’s stomach tightened again. A warm, pleasant, apprehensive feeling running through him, idly running his fingers across his collarbone…

-

The scene, once again, changed. Kaito’s mind on new things. Well, no, an old thing. A scene that was, frankly, well worn in Kaito’s mind.

They were back in the throne room again, but no one else was here this time. Just the massive, richly decorated room, with it’s long marble pillars, the intricate lines and decorated maroon color ceiling a contrast to the long, simple maroon flooring that led to a red and golden, overly large chair, the room lit both by massive sheered windows letting in the light outside, and warm pits of fire, covering the room in flickering warm lighting. 

While the real throne didn’t have this, Kaito always imagined the throne in his scenario having a bunch of full, comfortable pillows, that made the fact that the throne was far too big for Kokichi slightly more luxurious, his husband sitting among the pillows while Kaito kissed at his legs, each small kiss reverent. Excitement pooling his stomach.

Again… a well worn daydream, for Kaito…

Kokichi watched the sword take form curiously, though he easily went along with Kaito scooting him away from the blade. The power to fight for himself and...not be a mouthpiece or a puppet for anyone else. Kaito was his own man, and the person he was was pretty incredible. He shouldn’t be stifled by others’ machinations. 

And, well… Kokichi considered himself lucky that Kaito had gone along with the tourist daydream so long. He’d half expected that the second he stepped in front of the alley with his legs shown off that Kaito’d be all over him, and it was really just luck that got them through a few opportunities to talk and for Kokichi to plant the seeds before this. 

But...oh boy, he knew Kaito fantasized about this, but the deep familiarity in the daydream…

Kokichi swallowed, not immune from the deep arousal in the daydream. But definitely not wanting to have mind sex with his husband while two of his friends were nearby and there was a disgusting pervert keeping an eye on them…

Thankfully, Kaito was a big fan of atmosphere. 

Laughing softly, something kind and in the mood, Kokichi slid one of his legs over Kaito’s shoulder, creating just a bit of touch and friction. “Aw, hun, what are you doing all the way down there? There’s far more than enough room up here for two, my king.”

Please work!

...my king?

Kaito paused, looking up curiously at Kokichi, wondering where that thought had come from. Kaito had stopped daydreaming about being a king someday back when he was twelve and he had gone through the extremely humiliating process of giving up his claim. 

After all that? The desire to lead someday had turned into a sort of pathetic daydream that had made him feel worse when it occurred to him as a pre-teen, and eventually he had decided as a teenager that, ha, jokes on all of them, he had never even wanted to lead, that being king was, just, totally unappealing, no thanks, he was fine with it… and eventually that denial had lead to a genuine apathy at the idea in his adult life. Actually honestly letting the desire go and genuinely thinking he was probably better off for it. Except for when Kokichi had bafflingly told him they were gonna be co-leaders, Kaito really never thought about it at all now…

...well… there was no harm in it, right? It was just a daydream. It’s not like he was… really daydreaming about it. It was just a weird, stray sexy scenario… there was something sexy about the idea of… being king. Maybe. (Was that okay to think?)

...the leg on his shoulder was very convincing.

Kaito gave one last kiss to the side of Kokichi’s knee, the one resting on his shoulder, before turning heated eyes on Kokichi, “I just wanted to admire you a bit, my…” Kaito faltered a bit. He wasn’t used to being this side of the daydream. What was Kokichi’s role here? Was he the fawning, doting, submissive partner that Kaito often put himself in for this particular scenario? The prince-consort? That felt… maybe a tad insulting. But it was just a daydream… compromising with himself, Kaito just dodged the issue and said, “My love. You look perfect like this… draped in wealth and luxury… everything you deserve.” 

Mmmm, that was a way of looking at this scenario Kaito could get into… he was king. He could give Kokichi every comfort in the world. Totally take care of his Kokichi. His husband would want for nothing… another warm swirl of excitement in his stomach, and Kaito gently removed the leg from his shoulder, though not letting it go. Putting his hand beneath Kokichi’s upper thigh, Kaito moved himself up onto the throne, bending Kokichi’s body beneath him, holding his leg and looming over him a little as Kaito leaned in to kiss him, murmuring into his breath, “Let me take care of you… your king demands it…”

His expression didn’t shift, but Kokichi held his breath as Kaito seemed to consider the path he’d nudged. Kaito always seemed to wince away from any blatant leadership, despite taking to it in more casual terms quite wonderfully, but...there was a difference between having tangible goals, and just considering things. And...thankfully, Kaito seemed to take this spin as the latter. 

Kokichi reached forward to brush his thumb across Kaito’s cheek, laying back against the silken, brocade pillows, the gems and gold in his hair haloing out, a vision of the comfort and wealth Kaito wanted for him. And, whispering against Kaito’s lips, Kokichi smiled. “How could I refuse? I trust my king with all of my heart.”

It was a bit awkward to say in the flow of everything, so as they kissed, Kokichi just thought his next wish, holding the seed between his fingers as they carded through Kaito’s hair. 

You are in control here, and your judgement is fair. You are capable and kind, and people look up to you because of that. You have a track record that people can believe in. You are a leader, and while you may choose not to take that kind of position, people will always flock to your strength and care. And for those that are yours, you take damn good care of them. 

You are the master of your own mind, Kaito, and no one can take that away from you.

-

Kaito felt electricity run through him, absolutely aroused, but also, like… a little overwhelmed by his own positive thoughts. He felt a little silly, but he was grinning like an idiot, lost in the fantasy. Yeah… he was those things. You couldn’t be trusted to lead sidekicks if you weren’t at least some of those admirable traits. Why else had Maki and Shuichi and Bailsong and so many others trusted him to support them? Allowed themselves to rely on him? He owed it to them to be those things. He had promised to take care of them-

...Kaito frowned. 

“What am I doing…”

-

Kaito had been getting lost in Kokich’s touch, just absolutely enraptured by this fantasy. His beautiful Kokichi, totally trusting in him, comfortable and happy and-

{Okay.}

{Enough of this game.}

The crown that had been forming around Kaito’s head, the materialization of Kokichi’s last defense, dematerialized as the ribbon around Kaito’s neck tightened.

As Kaito lost his breath, eyes widening, the thoughts started rushing through his head, partly implanted and partly him trying to quickly rationalize to make it stop. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” Kaito rushed, taking his hands off Kokichi, taking a step back from him, wiping his mouth, subconsciously pulling at the ribbon around his neck, newly visible again, as he said, “I’m not above you. I need you to tell me what to do. I’ll just make it worse if I do it myself. Everything will be worse if I do it myself. Every decision I make by myself makes it worse. I’m sorry. I know this. I… I make everything worse… I hurt you. I hurt Shuichi. I hurt Maki. I make everything worse…”

-

Outside, Kato put his head in his hands, feeling so fucking stupid and ashamed… what was he doing!? Really? He was just going to sit here and use Kokichi’s voice to tell himself how fucking great he is? How pathetic and self-centered was he? He was fucking lucky Kokichi could even stand him. He failed them over and over and over and-

Kaito could feel himself start to shake. Glancing at his guys, starting to breath heavier, he decided maybe he needed to go pray. Get his head together again. He felt like he might start to spiral. He was so fucking ashamed of himself…

He pulled himself out of bed, heading out and aiming for his shrine. He just needed to get his head back on straight again. What was he even doing right now…

-

As Kaito basically monologued to himself, reminding himself all the reasons why he had to leave decisions in other people's hands, the throne room just sort of started falling away, Kaito’s gaze distant and unfocused. No longer in the daydream at all, just entirely lost in his own thoughts. The ground, which had turned dark, was shaking, a deep rumbling sound almost deafening the area as the walls fell away.

Kaito stepped away from Kokichi, following the tug of his ribbon, and Tengan’s voice smoothly called out, cutting through the rumbling noise clearly, “Hello, young Kokichi… tell me…”

Tengan walked out of the darkness of the void, idly playing with the other end of the ribbon in his hands, looking curiously at Kokichi as he asked, “Have you really brought in other empaths to go exploring through your husband's head? That seems wildly irresponsible to me. Isn’t your husband entitled to a certain level of privacy?”

“I keep doing everything wrong… I always make it worse. I always choose wrong-hrk.’

“Enough, Kaito. You’re better when you’re quiet,” Tengan told the Luminary Prince, who immediately went silent. Not looking back at him in any way, not apparently aware he was there. Just an uncomfortable look on his face and silence.

Tengan himself looked… different.

Young.

He seemed like a man in his thirties, at most. His gray hair was a warm, dark green. His eyes, which had seemed washed out in real life, were now vibrant, a similar shade to his hair. He was standing straight, tall, shoulders broad. A vision of his youth, if maybe an idealized version of it. 

“...I’ll admit, Kokichi. After exploring your mind? I assumed you’d never bring yourself to actually come into here. I was fairly confident I was safe… now, confirm something for me. Have you brought one other person in here, or two, or…” Tengan frowned, “...more? The readings I keep getting are strange… I keep getting the sense there’s four or five… which seems excessive...”

It had been a little much to hope for everything to go smoothly, but those few moments where Kokichi could feel his husband’s confidence was… Well. It was a shame he was going to forget. He could only hope one day Kaito would be able to feel that way on his own, without interference. 

Kokichi bit his lip, trying to keep his balance as the world shook to pieces, but when he heard that disgusting, slimy voice…

Kokichi scoffed, a snarl on his face as he saw his husband choking. He’d played games with Tengan before, when both their places were unclear. And maybe Tengan really was more powerful here, since...Kaito couldn’t fight him. Had the perception that he could do whatever he damn well pleased. But Kokichi loved Kaito, and he knew other things that Kaito held above even Tengan. 

So, the young prince just spat before lunging at the mind-version of Tengan. “I don’t humor flecks of sludge.”

Tengan raised an eyebrow, and then, smiling smugly, turned into sludge, his body splashing down, Kokichi’s lunge throwing him over the pile of mush, before reforming, his sludge body and hardening back into himself, tsking at the young prince. “Really? Violence? Here? How immature… I really expected better.”

Shaking his head slightly, Tengan brought up his hand, starting the motion of snapping his fingers, and said, “Well, it was a valiant effort, Kokichi. But I’m afraid, young man, that you’re simply outclassed here. And, frankly, you’re not the vision I felt like playing with today. I like my toys a little more pliant than you’re feeling right now, and would like to get back to it. So, it was lovely to see you, but… goodbye.”

Tengan snapped.

There was a moment of potential. Where Kokichi’s body had pressure around it, like it was going to be crushed, violently expelled from this place, from this consciousness… but just as quickly as that feeling happened, it ended. The pressure around Kokichi expelled. Unable to touch him.

The ruby around his neck shimmering.

“....hm.” Tengan sighed, looking annoyed. “That’s cheating.”

He still wasn’t expecting much, but still...it was disappointing. Kokichi didn’t consider himself much of a violent person, but it would’ve been nice to deck the smug bastard just once. 

Again, he ignored the inane words the sludge heap blathered, focusing on his own plan. Maybe Tengan had...copies of himself, or something, since he didn’t seem all that concerned others were there, but...even taking up a bit of his focus was likely helping. But that still didn’t mean he was there for Tengan’s entertainment. 

Kokichi squeaked as he felt pressure squeeze in on him for a moment, shuddering as it gave out, and, for a moment, he gave an internal ‘thank you’ to the ruby, hoping in some way that his gratitude made its way to Temp and Calypso. And...that was really the theme. What made a person was their choice to care, and so many people had. Each for their own reasons, and sometimes that did matter, but...really? If the outcome was more people being helped, then...each was as valid as the next. Each worthy of appreciation and care in return. 

So many people cared for Kaito, because he gave his all to everyone back. Their shining sun...that they’d want to protect. That was worth fighting for. 

Materializing in Kokichi’s hand was an object he didn’t too often think about but…

Rule one--don’t be afraid of your sword. 

Kokichi held the golden hilt of the dagger Kaito had gifted to him, glaring up at Tengan. 

And then he moved.

Tengan raised an eyebrow again, before chuckling darkly, “Well, I have to commend your commitment… but you really are outmatched here. Even with that raw power radiating off of you… how foolish.”

Tengan dematerialized the ribbon, letting his grip on Kaito go so he could focus on Kokichi. The lost, vacant look on Kaito’s face lessened, looking around in mild confusion. But his eyes found Kokichi and… okay. That made more sense. Or, well, not ‘sense’, but it was better to focus on his husband when he was lost and confused. Kokichi wouldn’t abandon him. He wouldn’t mislead him… not anymore. He could trust in Kokichi…

-

 In Kaito’s shrine, after feverishly starting to explain to Atua what he was concerned about, he reminded himself that while his stupid inner monogloue had been weird and self-serving and absolutely wouldn’t have turned out that way in real life…

...Kokichi was very kind. It’s not like his husband had never said stuff like that to him before. Kokichi was always trying to tell Kaito to be more generous to himself… maybe it wasn’t him just being entirely selfish…

-

Kaito focused on Kokichi, and Tengan scoffed.

Tengan stepped back once, twice, avoiding the first few swings. Then he put his hand up, and said to Kokichi, “This is how you fight in a place like this, child.”

And when he brought his hand down, Tom laughed like a god damned maniac, his eyes full of murderous delight and smile sharp as glass as he lunged at Kokichi from the left, while Itch, eyes dark and mouth scowling, furious with Kokichi’s very existence, came at him with a heavy stick from his right.

The swings were mostly for show. Kokichi knew a little about how to throw daggers, but not how to use one in hand. And...maybe in some, tiny, detached place in him, he could give Tengan some credit. Maybe he knew, by the way Kokichi’s eyes widened just a little, the way his breath caught. 

But it was only for a moment, and despite the anger and fear that he felt towards Itch and Tom...Kokichi’s gaze softened in pity. The two failed children in jail… Tortured by a system built to hurt, managing to make it out, only for their scars to make them something “different”. Something to be feared. And when they were failed there too...they decided to become the monsters. Maybe just then they wouldn’t be let down again…

“I’m sorry,” he murmured to Tom, passing by him. “I hope we can help you, and that you’ll accept it now,” he wished to Itch, taking another step. 

And Kokichi had lunged forward to cross distance, but instead of diving at Tengan again, he threw himself at his husband, plunging the dagger into his own wrist. Staring right into Kaito’s eyes before he closed his own in reverence. 

“I, Kokichi Momota Ouma, married into Atua’s chosen family, send my prayers to the god who loves his creations. I plea in the name of Saint Madison, who sought to protect Atua’s aspect against invaders. I pray for the protection of my husband against all who mean him harm and subjugation!” 

-

In the real world, Kokichi hiccuped a few breaths, his hands tightening as his face pinched in a wince, a bit of blood starting to drip down from his nose.

-

In the shrine, Kaito’s eyes widened… and he felt himself start to calm.

-

In his mind, Kaito’s eyes widened. Staring down at Kokichi as he prayed like he was the only thing in the world. Ethereal. 

There was a moment of quiet, but Tengan wasn’t fooled by the silence. He had felt that. Everyone in Kaito’s mind had felt that. Everyone with psychic abilities within a ten mile fucking radius had felt that. 

The Dicean Prince had just made a defense himself. Without the help of his little ‘seed’ thing. And it wasn’t the strength of armor, or a sword. No, this was going to be…

There was a warm, golden light. So bright that it overtook every other color in the area, everyone now some shade of gold in the brilliance of the light. Tom and Itch both took a step back… and because memories were funny. And giving away a piece of yourself was not an action without consequence…

Tom snickered, entirely independent of Tengan or Kokichi’s will, and looked back over his shoulder at Tengan. Eyes brimming with malicious delight as he said, before he and his brother vanished in the glow, “Oh, buddy…” he snickered, smile sharp, “You are fucked now.”

Out from the glow came an extremely powerful defense. It took the form of a woman, Saint Madison, whose face was hard and stern, eyes sharp. She wore strange, mismatched armor, dented with battle and clearly belonging to different armies, her shield the crest of one army, the hilt of her sword crested with another. 

She was Resourceful. She was Determined. She was Protection Personified. 

And she would not tolerate invasion. 

Tengan scowled, attempting to dismiss her. This was his place. He had practically built Kaito. There was no greater influence in Kaito’s life than himself, nothing could compel him out of this mind… except, of course, that wasn’t true. It had never been true. Kaito had submerged himself so thoroughly into his religion for a reason, and a good one. He had done it specifically to mitigate Tengan’s affect on him. Devoting himself to Atua had been Kaito’s choice.

And so, to Kaito, it made total sense that Saint Madison would win in a battle of will against Tengan. It wasn’t even a competition.

Honestly, Kaito was more worried about Kokichi’s wrist, than anything. Holding Kokichi in his arms, Kaito murmured, “Babe, what did you do… keep your eyes closed, it’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re safe, I have you.” He promised, taking Kokichi’s wrist and kissing gently against the wound, willing it closed. No blood. No pain. Not for Kokichi.

As Madison deflected every force of willpower Tengan threw at her, walking towards him with a determined expression on her face, Tengan scowled, before saying, “Fine, I’ll just go deeper. You won’t be able to find me-”

Vines shot up. Grasping his legs, his arms. Other seed defenses now taking effect as the frightening roar of a panther split the air, and Alter Ego leapt, snapping their mouth around Tengan’s shoulder and biting down, pinning him as the thorny plants bit into his arms and legs. 

“No, I don’t think you will,” the Templar said, stepping out of the shadows, large, dark hounds running from behind him, his own three seeds now materializing, circling Tengan and growling low, the death hounds standing by as he approached Tengan from Saint Madison’s side, looking at her in open admiration as he said, “Honestly, what a waste of abilities… you really are very talented, boy. Shame you chose to use your gifts for such worthless pleasures…”

Tengan scowled, “Boy? You have no idea what you’re meddling in, do you-haugh!”

“On the contrary.” The Templar smiled. Eyes dark and brimming with the madness of centuries behind them as he said, quietly, to Tengan, hands gripping his neck. “You have made yourself a terrible enemy today… one day, boy, I will tear you apart, piece by piece, merely for my own pleasure in doing so. I will write you, and re-write you again, until there is no part of the man you are now left. I will re-create you to demolish and dismantle everything you ever worked for… and I will leave a small, helpless piece of you trapped inside, only capable of seeing out, unable to fight against your own body and its new desires, forever…”

...then Temp stepped back, before saying lazily, “Later. At some point. For now, though, Kokichi seems to have this. I almost feel superfluous, now. Madam? Please, go ahead.”

Saint Madison’s eyes narrowed, and she brought up her sword, glaring at Tengan.

“This is my place,” she said. “You are not welcome here.”

And she brought down the sword, and his tethers were severed.

Kokichi opened his eyes, though the light he had seen with them closed gave him a pretty damn good idea of what he’d be seeing. But even seeing it, he could only stare in amazed awe. 

He’d hoped it would work, of course, and it hadn’t been a last ditch hope… But seeing the divine for your own eyes was always going to be something else. 

Kokichi breathed out a sigh of amazement before the warmth of his husband kissing his wrist brought him back down, and Kokichi closed his eyes with a smile, kissing Kaito’s head and trusting his friends to finish this off. “I’m safe. Kai-chan always keeps me safe. I love you.”

And for a moment, maybe a bit odd considering the absolute expulsion of an imprint taking place, the two lovers just held each other, sure in their love and will to protect one another. To care and grow and work together when things were difficult. 

Kokichi loved his husband to the point of prayer. 

...and…

-

Still unconscious, Kokichi gasped for breaths, not a single one feeling like enough, as blood streaked down his face, seeping into their pillows. 

-

Alter Ego had been ready to celebrate, looking over to Kokichi, pride at a job well done filling their heart…but they froze. 

“Templar.” Alter Ego said, their voice urgent, “Something’s wrong with Kokichi-”

“-I see it,” Temp said, watching the energy leaving Kokichi’s face. Moving quickly, he knelt down next to them. But, instead of doing anything with Kokichi, he grabbed Kaito’s face, who stared at him, startled but unseeing, not able to really understand what was happening right now, but…

Remembering Kokichi say Kaito heard voices, the Templar had to trust this would get through, as he gripped Kaito’s chin tightly, to the point of pain, and said urgently to him, “Your husband is dying. Hurry.”

-

Your husband is dying.

Hurry.

Kaito, who had been enjoying the peace of coming down from his panic and self-loathing, reminding himself that Kokichi loved him, and Atua loved him, and really, it was all going to work out… grit his teeth, fear rushing through his veins. 

He didn’t question the thoughts now, though he would later. For now, he just accepted the message, getting up and bolting from his shrine, heading back to his room as fast as his legs could carry him.

Busting open the door, Kaito hissed out through frightened, gritted teeth, “Kokichi!”, rushing forward and pulling his husband from Shuichi’s arms, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Blood was pouring from Kokichi’s nose, more than Kaito could have ever thought possible, and, cradling his husband to his chest, Kaito ran out of the room, heading downstairs, running as hard as he could to the med-ward, and shouldering the door open, calling inside, trusting the voice one hundred percent, “Help him, help him, he’s dying!”

Kokichi...wasn’t really aware of Alter Ego’s panic or Temp’s intensity. The adrenaline--and, though he hadn’t been able to tell, the absolute floodgate of raw empathetic power that he’d unleashed--had been coming down while he was in Kaito’s arms, and all he knew was love. 

Until he didn’t really...feel much of anything. 

But he was still there in Kaito’s mind, at least until Nell, already getting things ready when she smelled the overpowering reek of blood coming from down the hall, gently but deftly took the bloodied necklace off of Kokichi, setting about to stabilize him, trying to get him to breathe. 

And, all of a sudden, Kokichi popped back into his own consciousness. Asleep in his void. 

-

Hours later, when the morning sun was just barely peeking up, Kaito tiredly asked Hajime, who had just come into work that morning, if he would sit in their room and wait for Shuuichi to wake up. And that, when he did, if he would make certain Shuuichi got dressed and showered and ate breakfast before coming down to check on Kokichi, and that he’d reassure Shuuichi that everything was fine, and Kokichi was fine, and that he wouldn’t let his pregnant boyfriend struggle by himself that morning or let him send himself into a panic attack because something had gone wrong in the night while he was asleep.

“Oh, and, uh, there’s probably blood on the blankets, sheets and pillows… if there’s anything you can do to make certain that’s not the first thing he sees when he wakes up? Just, ya know… take care of him. Please. Thanks man…”

And Hajime had agreed and gone to do it, taking Kaito’s key to their room with him, and Kaito sighed, sitting in a chair next to Kokichi’s hospital bed, just staring tiredly at the wall while his husband (thank fuck) breathed shallowly next to him, each little rise and fall of his chest as reassuring as it was disheartening.

…Kaito should have been there when it started.

What had even happened last night?

He had sent himself into a spiral out of nothing. For no reason. What, because he was a little self conscious about how much smoke there was in Luminary’s capital? Suddenly he had to go freak out in the shrine in the middle of the night? Kokichi could have fucking died had Kaito not made it back in time. He had been fucking drowning in his own god damned blood.

What had… even happened…

Ikuo had come over as soon as he caught word, the naked gleam of worry in his face enough to unsettle anyone since...if it was plain on the normally grouchy-looking man, then it was hard to even comprehend how worried he actually was. 

Aiichi had come by too with Hideki, though the secretary couldn’t linger, then Lake, then Denji, Waku could only stay for a moment, just to put a hand on Kaito’s shoulder and tell him that if he needed anything, to just ask. Katsuki had been around quite a lot, though people might’ve only seen her once or twice… But...like with every time Kokichi ended up in the med ward, the world hadn’t stopped spinning, and people had their duties. Aiichi had lingered, saying something about how he knew Kaito and Ikuo would take good care of Kokichi before he pulled himself away back to work. 

Ikuo fussed, tucking Kokichi in for probably the eighth time. He just looked cold…

Kaito watched Ikuo hover, honest regret in watching him worry and fuss and not really being able to… do anything about it. He was about to open his mouth and tell Ikuo that maybe they could get some warm water packets tucked against him (or maybe Kaito could crawl in… he runs hot…) when he heard a familiar panting-

Kaito was up and at the door immediately, catching Shuuichi before he could come in. Their voices muffled as they urgently whispered to each other outside the door.

“...bleeding, what do you mean he was bleeding, he was fine…”

“...it’s okay, he is fine, he’s just getting rest, you don’t need to worry…”

“...ere was blood on my pillow, he was practically bleeding on top of me, I didn’t wake…”

“...ot your fault, that’s not your fault, you didn’t do anything wrong, and it’s fine now anyway…”

“...wanna see him..”

“...course, just don’t rile yourself up, stressing yourself out isn’t good for the…”

“...on’t you fucking tell me what I can be…”

“...’orry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” another harsh whisper from Shuuichi, “...yeah, okay, okay, but Ikuo’s in there, and Kokichi’s fine, and there’s no need to worry…”

That seemed to be the end of the discussion, Shuuichi going around Kaito and, scanning the room for a second, quickly went to Kokichi’s side, looking him over with wide, worried eyes. He reached down, putting his hand on Kokichi’s forehead, feeling the sweaty chill, before putting the back of his hand on Kokichi’s neck, feeling him breathe… before looking up at Ikuo. “...I’m sorry. I didn’t wake up…” he said softly to the guardian, guilt shining through those golden eyes.

Ikuo was back to sitting by Kokichi’s bedside, just...cupping his hand over Kokichi’s nearest for the time being. He’d probably be up and fussing again in a moment. He just gave Shuuichi a soft nod, worry, but not an ounce of blame in his eyes. “‘E’s alrigh’ an’ tha’s what matters. Yer not an alarm system, Sh’chi. No fault ‘a yours.”

Ikuo felt the chill of Kokichi’s hand under his...too cold. So small and bony, even while he’d been filling out a little. 

The older man huffed. “...he’d be righ’ pissed at us lookin’ over ‘im. Hates makin’ people wait. Ain’t the easiest thing ta go on while he’s sleepin’ though.” His son could be a little selfish sometimes, asking people to leave him be while he slept. None of them wanted him to be alone.

“Yeah, well, he can whine and be mad at us all he wants when he wakes up. For now, I’m doing what I think is best.” Kaito huffed, giving Kokichi a dry look, before giving Shuuichi a soft look. “But we don’t all need to be here-”

“If you try to send me away-”

“I’m not ‘sending you away’, Shuuichi, I’m asking you for help.” Kaito said, reaching over and putting his hand on the back of Shuuichi’s neck, giving his boyfriend a stern look as he said, “Someone needs to take Tim to school. He’s already going to be late by this point, and Haneda doesn’t come in until this afternoon. Kokichi’s unconscious, I’m watching over him, Tim still needs an adult looking after him. Please, Shuuichi?”

“...you’re just trying to get me distracted…”

“Please?”

Shuuichi glared at Kaito, making certain Kaito understood he knew he was being tricked. He wasn’t naive or that easily manipulated… but he still nodded. “Fine. But, you gotta take my watchdog off of me.”

“Hajime? Is he still here?”

“I asked him to wait outside, he’s been hovering ever since I woke up. You gave him a key?”

“I trust the guy. Let him come with you, if he’s okay with it.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It’ll make me feel better to know he’s with you. Do it for my peace of mind?”

“You cheat… fine.”

And after going to Kokichi and kissing him on the forehead, telling him he needed to wake up soon because two of them couldn’t be like this right now, dammit, Shuuichi left, shooting a final glare at Kaito before going to meet Hajme outside, telling him he needed to take Timothy to school and Kaito asked if he’d come with them.

Sighing, Kaito forced his shoulders to relax. Shuuichi couldn’t just sit around worrying, it’d be bad for him, and he’d get lost in his own head. He needed to be kept busy. And, it wasn’t like Kaito was wrong. Timothy deserved someone focusing on him, even when shit like this happened… okay… that was one side of his family taken care of. He’d check in on them during dinner.

“...dammit. He really was fine just last night. Well, no, he did say he was pretty tired… fuck.”

Ikuo sighed, having gone to gently fluff Kokichi’s pillow a bit while Kaito and Shuuichi bargained with each other. “Ain’t a good indicator that somethin’s up. Sometimes ‘tired’ jus’ means he needs a nap. Sometimes it means his chest is gon’ be goin’ funky. Never know ‘til it’s over.”

“...it’s his body, an’ if Bunny didn’t think anything was wrong… There wasn’t a way ta see it comin’. You got him help, Kaito--take solace in that.” Ikuo sighed, brushing a few wild, unbrushed hairs from Kokichi’s face. “...know it don’t help much. But torturin’ ourselves ain’t help either.”

Kaito watched Ikuo do this… then scowled, “Was supposed to untangle his hair this morning. I see how it is, Kokichi. Gonna go ahead and almost bleed out, rather than just let me brush your damn hair.”

Ikuo snorted, fixing a few more strands. “He does find ways ta get out of it, don’t he. Right li’l rascal sometimes.”

-

Kokichi thought he heard...meowing. But he couldn’t...get up… Couldn’t even muster the words to ask someone to let the cat in…

To be honest? Alter Ego and the Templar really only used the door to be polite.

After waiting a moment, Alter Ego sighed, forcing his will on the entrance, pushing it open. When Kokichi was more practiced, doing that would get harder, but for now, it wasn’t much of a deterrent. 

There was, admittedly, a brief dropping of red confetti on him, but he dodged it, looking around. It was just a black void…

“M-raaAAAAWWWW!!!” Alter Ego called out, voice insistent. If the first dozen meows don’t work, just get louder. That was the cat way.

Despite the warning going on, Kokichi’s face didn’t even twitch in the real world. But in his consciousness?

...he wanted to get up. To reach out to his friend...but he felt so heavy...so...unsteady. Unable to follow any thought to its end…

There were brief flashes of light, no bigger than a small puddle, illuminating what was probably Kokichi’s room, but...blurred. Undefined. But they did lead in a particular direction. 

Alter Ego followed the lights, and after a few weak, leading pulses, found his way to what was… likely a bed? 

Leaping up onto it, Alter Ego explored it, until he felt the still form of Kokichi, leaning down to sniff him, that familiar scent of lavender and Kokichi’s scent confirming it. The form was Kokichi. There, but… weak.

Alter Ego sat down. Tail flicking. Deep in contemplation.

“...if we’re going to do it, we should decide who it’s coming from,” Alter Ego said aloud. Before closing his eyes as he said, obligingly, “Or…you will, anyway.”

And four people opened their eyes.

“...nnnng…” Hiro squirmed, crossing his arms and looking uncomfortable before saying, voice shaking slightly, “...it’s g-gotta be me, right? “

“Tsk. Why? You don’t have to do shit, Hiro, stop fucking shaking like a leaf you wuss.” Mondo scowled, huffing. “I’ll fucking do it.”

“Incorrect! You are the weakest of the shards, you cannot be allowed to-”

“Who the FUCK are you calling weak, TAKA!? I COULD KICK ALL OF YOUR ASSES AT ONCE!”

“T-taka’s right, Mondo… out of all of us, you have the weakest connection. I’m sorry…” Chihiro sighed, fussing with his fingers, before saying, “M-maybe I should just go ahead and do it…”

“Also incorrect!” Taka said, staring sternly at Chihiro as he said, “You are the source of our empath abilities! If we were to do this wrong, and something went afoul, anything that happened to you would damage all of us! And Hiro, you are our anchor! You cannot afford to be bedridden or sick, not while fighting happens just outside our door! Out of all of us, I am the sturdiest, while also being the least essential! It will be me!”

“Fuck off with that! Who the fuck said you weren’t essential!?”

Taka smiled softly, looking pleased, as he said, “Me being least essential does not make me worthless, bro. I am aware. I am certain Chihiro will take the utmost care to protect me. This is not a true risk. Everything will be fine. You do not have to be afraid for me.”

“...tsk.” Mondo scowled, looking away, frustrated with this, “Fine. Just fucking be careful, Chihiro. I’ll fucking deck you if you take too much from him, got it?!”

“I w-will be careful… like Taka said… i-it’ll be fine…” Chihiro sighed shakily, before giving Taka a sweet smile. “Please be still, Taka. Th-this won’t hurt…”

And, after some time, Taka standing in rigid attention as Hiro and Mondo watched with worry, Chihiro reached into him, and gently, pulled out a piece of his soul (Lifeforce. Consciousness. Self. Whatever you want to call it), Mondo quickly going over to steady him as Taka let out a shuddering breath. Quickly, Chihiro moved the small piece of light to Kokichi, before letting it fall, dissolving into him.

Kokichi...knew enough that there was something familiar and comforting by him. And since it wasn’t an emergency...he couldn’t muster the strength to even sense anything more than that, the void cradling him. 

But...then, he opened his eyes. Had eyes to open and look around and...what he saw wasn’t even close to as blurry as things tended to be. Kokichi smiled a little, reaching out as his room slowly brightened and came into focus. Not as sharp and detailed as it usually was, but an actual space now. 

“...you didn’t need to do that...but thank you. I’m sorry if I scared you…”

“It was n-no problem! I barely felt it!” Taka reassured, Mondo still keeping a reassuring hand on his shoulder and lower back, angrily fussing over him.

“Geez, man, you gotta stop, ya know, bursting power randomly like that! I mean, it was cool, but maaaan, those bursts are scary… and they take a looot out of you, little dude.” Hiro sighed, shaking his massive set of hair. “You literally created a representation of a god in there. Even I couldn’t have predicted that.”

“You never predict anything, you hack,” Mondo taunted, before looking to Chihiro, “Come on, let’s get Alter out here. They probably got shit to talk about.”

“O-okay… I’m glad you are alright, Kokichi. That is not something I’ve tried to do before… looks like it worked out.” Chihiro said, smiling brightly. “I’m glad.”

And then the four disappeared, and Alter Ego stretched their body, looking around the space, before turning to Kokichi. “You are awake. I was worried.”

He created a representation of a god, huh… 

Kokichi was lying in bed on his stomach, his head and chest slightly propped up with pillows, one of his eyes partially shut as his cheek squished into the pillow. He still felt weak, even just in his consciousness, but...he was able to reach a form of coherency. And for now, that was a great step forward. 

Kokichi smiled back at Chihiro, a little too slow to talk to him or the others before Alter Ego was back, but...they’d get the message. They were the same. He reached out, gently ghosting his fingers along the cat’s back. 

“I’m sorry…” he apologized again. “I wasn’t planning on...making a ‘burst’. I couldn’t really tell you what I was expecting...but I didn’t mean to leave you and Temp like that. I...just…”

Kokichi frowned. If he was like this then...he barely even wanted to consider what was happening in the real world. He was worrying his family too… Had it all been from what he did, or was some of it just...waiting for him? His efforts in favor of his health should’ve been lowering the chances but...he was still prone to attacks…

“...I appreciate what you did but… You know about my health, right?”

Alter Ego tilted their head. “In what sense? I know that you weaken when you use your powers recklessly, and I…” the cat paused, before amending, “Some of us heard rumors that you were prone to illness, when we came to visit. But, we also heard you were prone to childish temper tantrums, and lashing out at people. Considering we now know first hand those tendencies were incorrect, we have not put much stock into the other rumors that occurred either.”

Twitching their tail, they admitted, “Rumors are sometimes spread purposefully, among Luminaries, to ruin reputations and endanger the people said rumors are about. It did not seem outlandish to me to assume the rumors of your frail body were generated with that intent as well…” Alter Ego searched Kokichi’s face, before saying, “Am I wrong?”

It had been so long, since that conversation. When he told Shuuichi and Maki all about his health...or, really just Maki, since Shuuichi had known from his records. But if that was the only reason he’d known, if it had come as a shock to all his Luminaries...then that meant that Luminaries didn’t know. 

Hell, even most Diceans didn’t know the actuality about it. 

“I do have tantrums sometimes…though probably not in the way the rumors said,'' Kokichi admitted, now just resting his hand against Alter Ego’s body, too tired to even weakly pet them. “But...prone to illness is kind of the tip of that iceberg.”

Kokichi thought about explaining all of it, even now still having that...moment of fear that his mentor would treat him different… But Taka had just offered up some of himself to help him. Alter Ego was looking out for Kokichi in a way not many people could. They were owed the truth. 

...but instead of saying anything, Kokichi closed his eyes for a moment, more resting them than anything, and shared...many feelings and memories. A weak heart and weak lungs, blood not quite up for the job it did in most people’s bodies. Fatigue and chill and a life more often than not, it often felt like, spent in this bed than anywhere else. A childhood spent more around doctors than peers. 

When Kokichi opened his eyes, there was a bit of...insecurity, as he waited for Alter Ego’s reaction. 

Alter Ego laid down, leaving themselves open for communication. Taking it all in. Considering everything Kokichi ‘said’.

“...that was an excellent message. Extremely clear. You’re getting much better at it.” Alter Ego said first. “You should be proud.”

Then, little by little, Alter Ego sent five messages back.

Of being a part of a once noble family that was disgraced and reduced back to commoners when Taka’s grandfather was caught stealing from royal funds. Of Taka being isolated from all classes, his parents still considering themselves nobility, which antagonized their poor, bitter neighbors, and all attempts to talk to their old peers were met with jeering and harassment from their rich, old ‘friends’. How Taka had spent his whole life feeling ‘other’, and had joined the guard hoping to start the process of knighthood again one day, restoring their honor…

Of making a deadly, easily avoidable mistake, and watching his brother shelter him from that mistake, giving up his own life to save him. Mondo wrestling with the guilt of being too weak… too weak and needing protecting. Needing that sort of sacrifice, his brother taking the bow on his behalf, and the person they were apologizing to not sparing him, forcing him into a fight... of watching the guards and the royal detective sweep the whole thing under the rug, even though that nobleman hadn’t followed the fucking rules… and still he ended up joining the guards himself, also wanting a better life, wanting to be the kind of person no one needed to protect.

Of spending your whole life in a kingdom where strength was considered a necessity, so weak and small and, yes, prone to sickness, and too pretty… far too pretty… that Chihiro had to wear clothes he never wished to wear and act in ways he never wished to act, on the demands of ‘friends’ who had ‘protected him’, but made his life a misery at the same time, until he had finally escaped through his scores in school being good enough to make him an assistant to a secretary. How he had left Luminary hoping to find something better… and had found Taka and Mondo.

How Chihiro had only grieved leaving behind Hiro, the one truly good friend he had ever had, who had, when realizing the boy was awakening his ‘demon’ powers, and that the terrified young empath needed a friend, had revealed his own psychic abilities, that he had spent his whole life hiding, but now had to do an incredibly delicate balancing act of using for money without being caught by the guard, to get himself and his mother out a terrible debt his father owed before abandoning them.

How Alter Ego was both not really alive and not really dead. How their existence was an anomaly, and no one, not them, not their shards, really knew what to do about it. How scared they often were, when they thought hard about it, but how impossible it was to go back now. How they simply had to accept their own existence and make the best of it… and how hard that truly was sometimes.

And, out loud, Alter Ego said, “We all battle our weaknesses. It does not make us less. None of us.”

Kokichi took in each of their responses, feeling his heart ache...but not in pity. He knew well enough from his own circumstances that...pity didn’t really feel good for anyone. But in sympathy and empathy for a few beats, and in solidarity for anger well-placed. There wasn’t much wishing that the world had been kinder could do, but…

Kokichi took a breath, mustering up enough strength to pet Alter Ego gently again. “Well said on your part as well. ...I’ve always been taught that...if the world isn’t kind, then it’s your duty to make it kinder. But...that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt. Just that we don’t turn that hurt back outwards…”

The small prince laughed a little at himself, not much more than a huff. “I had a point…”

“...right. But...even if this time was brought on by me overusing my abilities… I can’t even confirm that it’s all that. Because these things happen to me. So while you’ve given me strength that...that’s gonna let me see my family sooner, and be with them properly again sooner…” Kokichi took a slow breath, his hand stilling on Alter Ego’s head, ever so gently rubbing behind their ears. “...it’s not a matter of life and death, okay? I’ll just need time. Don’t feel like you have to give me some of yourself when I falter. The healers have been taking care of me my whole life, some of ‘em, and they’ll make sure I have what I need to pull through. Lucky me...I have a friend that developed a whole new medicine, just for me. I’ll be alright.”

“...thank you for helping with Kai-chan, by the way. ...never got to say…”

“Next time I will give you time. But… I think it is safe to say that I am the type, where if I can see a way to spare someone suffering? Even at the risk of doing something...alarming.” Alter Ego said, eyes distant… before sighing, laughing to themselves lightly, “Like making a whole new person. Well… I guess that’s just something I need to be aware of about myself. Next time, I will try not to leap to any unnecessary extremes. I promise.”

“And it was actually quite interesting, helping your husband. Mind you, you are my friend, and my charge. I would have done it either way.” Alter Ego said, hopping onto Kokichi’s lap and resting their light body on his chest, booping his chin for more head pats, “But I will admit, being chased and stalked through someone else's consciousness… it was very exciting. Your husband's mind is a maze. I spent a considerable amount of time lost in a dark forest, being hunted by a beast. I could not for the life of me explain what it was meant to represent. It seemed so out of place… perhaps something Tengan implanted to confuse me? But then, I could feel his eyes looking for me… why trap me in a maze, but then try to find me within it?”

Looking to Kokichi, Alter Ego asked curiously, “How did your end of it go? Before you went ahead and made one of the strongest mental defenses I’ve ever seen implanted in someone else, I mean.”

Kokichi smiled a bit. It wasn’t the worst trait to have, wanting to alleviate suffering any way you could. But for the people that cared about you...well, Kokichi had given away parts of himself, and he was still okay, so this once was probably fine. And he certainly wasn’t complaining about potentially recovering more quickly! But for Alter Ego’s sake...he was glad he explained. 

And hey! Maybe if he still had to sleep a lot, he’d have some company during the night. 

Obliging more head pats, Kokichi hummed softly, not really...sure what a dark forest maze with some sort of beast inside meant in terms of Kaito’s psyche. Even for his “darker” personality traits, if you even wanted to classify them like that, Kokichi didn’t think trapping them in a maze really...fit Kaito. Another mystery, he supposed. 

But while some parts of Kaito would just have to be shared as they lived together, others really were rather simple. 

Kokichi smirked, just the barest hint of pink showing in his cheeks. “It was...fun, actually. I was encouraging him to fantasize about showing me around Luminary’s capital, one day. He ended up mostly just showing me the university…” Kokichi smiled sheepishly, rubbing behind Alter Ego’s ears. “...I was trying to build his confidence. Plant my seeds in that and...maybe help a little bit. From what that bastard and his brother have done to him his whole life...Kai-chan has trouble believing in himself. Sometimes...it’s scary, how lowly he thinks of himself… I wanted, if only for a daydream, to give him a chance to be proud.”

...he wanted to check on Kaito. Alter Ego and Temp probably would’ve handled it if Kaito’s psyche had started to suffer, but...he still wanted to make sure his husband was alright after all that. 

“...I should let you rest… Hiro’s been “up” all night now, huh? Or…” Kokichi glanced over to where his window should be, more just a vague impression of light at the moment. “...I have no idea what time it is… But...once you’re rested, and I’m rested, I should talk to Temp… Since he lives in Dicea he’s prolly heard more, but...I should thank him, and let him know I’m alright…”

“Oh, it’s morning, actually. About 11AM… actually, how about this. Considering it sounds like you may be locked in here for awhile…” The cat tried to think of a decent metaphor, something that would do the trick but wouldn’t alarm Kokichi with having too much information… and decided to settle on a calendar.

“Over there. See it?” Alter Ego said, looking at the wall as he created a small tether, gently offering it to Kokichi’s mind. “So long as you're in here? Sick, I mean. You can just look at the calendar, and know what day it is, and what time it is. It’s linked to me, so, so long as I know that information? You’ll know it… what do you think? Would that be helpful?”

Eleven already…

...who walked Tim to school? Was Kaito alright to do it? He was probably in the medbay, if he hadn’t woken up by eleven… Oh Shuuichi...how was he hanging on, with potentially both of him and Kaito out of sorts? He hoped Nadya was doing alright...he had to miss so much work…

Kokichi sighed, but gave Alter Ego a grateful smile, dutifully keeping up his pets. “It would… I won’t remember when I wake up but...I like being able to know...about where everyone is. Maybe I can try and talk to some people if I’m asleep for a while, and it’d be handy to not try and knock on their doors in the middle of the day.”

...doors…

Kokichi blinked, his mouth making a little “oh” shape before he shifted, bringing up the hand that had been under his pillows. “I meant to give you this when I first made the door. I know it’s...mostly just a formality but...I want you to have it.” Kokichi opened his fist, revealing one of the spare keys Kaito had gotten him for their door, the ring hole on the top looped through with a yellow ribbon, not quite matching Alter Ego’s fur, but close. 

Alter Ego perked up, looking incredibly pleased at the gift. Open access to his mind… wow. “That is a considerable amount of trust, Kokichi. Thank you. And your defenses will get stronger as you go. Honestly, seeing what you did last night? I wouldn’t be surprised if they were iron walls, someday… and I feel very honored you’d allow me through them. Would you put it on me?”

Alter Ego bowed his head accommodatingly, the ribbon put around his neck, hanging loosely around him like a necklace. It swung there for a moment, before, like the ribbons that had tethered Kaito, the yellow ribbon disappeared, absorbed into Alter Ego’s consciousness until it needed to be seen or utilized. 

Alter Ego was incredibly pleased, but laughed as they said, “I’d offer you one back, but the nature of my mind makes open invitation somewhat unnecessary. Three of us don’t really sleep. We are never unaware when someone comes and goes. But please, know you have an open invitation to our consciousness. It will always be a pleasure to see you.”

Kokichi smiled as he weakly draped the ribbon around Alter Ego’s neck, not having given the key without thought. He’d chosen their bedroom door because...well, he knew having a lock didn’t mean it was impenetrable. But living his whole life without a lock, having people come and go as they pleased...they’d stopped doing that from repeated request, but the lock was...a symbol. No one was allowed in their room without permission. It was private. 

So...he gave Alter Ego the key, trusting that they wouldn’t abuse that ability for free entry. Maybe there were some empaths or psychics out there that would be appalled giving someone access to their mind like this...but Kokichi was choosing his own path as an empath, and...he trusted his mentor. In the case of wanting to talk, or helping during an emergency...he wanted Alter Ego to have that ability.

“You’re my friend. You’re all my friends. I like spending time with you, whether it’s learning or just...being together. I can’t promise to always be aware, but you’ve been a presence I enjoy nonetheless.” Kokichi stroked down the cat’s back affectionately before he laughed softly. “And you might find me visiting sooner rather than later. I usually have to sleep a hell of a lot while I’m ill, and while dreaming’s nice and all...I think I’d rather spend time with my friends.”

Alter Ego leaned into the pets, heart swelling, warm affection running through them. For four people who had grown up lonely, or insecure, or constantly struggling to keep up with the people in front of them…

“I’d like that too.”

-

Kaito doesn’t leave Kokichi’s side, but the next morning, he does start to worry about how he’s going to balance everything.

He knows he can… he can trust the healers. He... he knows that. He doesn’t have to be fucking paranoid, or afraid, or feel like he’s abandoning Kokichi to leave him sleeping, making sure Shuuichi’s good and Tim’s studying and Haneda’s informed of what’s going on. He knows he has a fucking therapy appointment later that he kinda… has to go to and that Kokichi wouldn’t want him skipping them to just sit next to him. He knows all these things.

And he doesn’t know when Kokichi’s going to wake up.

These are all facts.

But…

The idea of leaving Kokichi alone, without someone he actually trusts watching over him? Leaving him asleep and vulnerable and sick? A river of outrage and repulsion rolls through Kaito’s body at the very thought. He… he can’t seriously bring himself to consider it without becoming furious with himself. 

It’s stupid. That’s the worst part. He knows objectively that this feeling is stupid.

But last night after making sure Shuuichi drank his medicine and seeing him off to sleep (another probably unnecessary form of hovering, honestly. Shuuichi’s not self destructive and he’s not a child, he knows to take his own medicine. But without Kokichi or Maki confirming that he did, Kaito feels the need to witness it himself, no matter how much it annoys his boyfriend.) Kaito came right back to the medward, arguing with himself over how he was going to handle the rest of the day tomorrow. He wondered if the healers would let him bring Kokichi back to their room to rest. They’d done that before. Was it okay with the door being locked now to do that? They could just leave it unlocked while he was sick… ugh, that didn’t feel good either…

Maki would know what to do.

Kaito sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. That was a point. Not the Maki thing. That was just pathetic. But, Nazumi. Maybe he could ask her to sit with him while he did all the other stuff he was supposed to. He could… he could trust her, right? He didn’t really know her… but Kokichi trusted her and Maki had approved her so…

Ngh.

Ever so slowly...Kokichi’s breaths started to pick up a little. Deepening. His face, placid in sleep, starting to twitch, eyes starting to move under his lids…

It was...bright. But not as bright as…

Kokichi took a breath, his eyes opening just a sliver. He smelled flowers…

(Regardless of what Kaito eventually decided, Nazumi had come by with Lake, setting a small arrangement of poinsettias by his bedside. They were a flower associated with good cheer and kind of a Unity holiday flower. It wasn’t anyone’s first thoughts but...they did wonder if he was going to wake up before Unity. If he was going to feel up to doing anything on the day...Kokichi always hated missing holidays.)

(Ikuo had bullied--in his own worried, fatherly way--some of the medical staff to tuck in a heated blanket around Kokichi, keeping it on low not to overheat him, but keeping him cozy. And maybe it was just a trick of perception, but Kokichi did look a bit more comfortable after they set the blanket up.)

Kokichi let out a bare whisper of a hum, trying to open his eyes a little more. 

In the end, Kaito hadn’t been able to bring himself to talk to Nazumi. It was dumb and cowardly and he’d need to get over himself eventually, but trying to be vulnerable around the woman and ask her for help had been… too difficult, in front of Lake. Too much history there for Kaito to be willing to admit he couldn’t realistically do this long term by himself. Ikuo helped and that was good, but Ikuo was also Kokichi’s father and Kaito felt honor-bound to stay while Ikuo was there as support. He didn’t want Shuuichi spending all day sitting in the medward in his condition. The less Shuuichi was here, the better Kaito felt about it. 

As Kaito stared at the far wall and angrily scolded himself for his own stupid neurosis and pride and insecurities, all of that was, thankfully, interrupted by the sound of little Kokichi noises. 

Feeling an immense sense of relief, Kaito quickly scooted over on the chair, looking over Kokichi’s previously entirely still frame as his husband started to stir. Kaito knew he should get one of the healers, and he would in a moment, but for now he just reached out, putting what he hoped was a reassuring hand on Kokichi’s temple, rubbing it gently with his thumb as Kaito said, “‘Kichi? You waking up babe? It’s Kaito… you’re safe. You’re fine. Everything’s okay…”

Kokichi let out a little breath, immediately recognizing the hand on his forehead. Kaito… Kaito was here. Telling him...he was safe? Why wouldn’t he be…

With a few more fluttery blinks, Kokichi worked his eyes open enough to see, comforted by Kaito nearby, but...this was…

“..mu...b…?” Kokichi swallowed, his throat too dry to speak well. But...this was definitely the med bay. If he was here, if Kaito was worried, then… “...wha? Wha’ happun…?”

“You had a nosebleed in your sleep a day and a half ago, babe.” Kaito said, trying to be clear, not wanting Kokichi to get alarmed or confused. “It got a little out of hand, ended up going into your lungs before anyone noticed what was happening. But, the healers took care of you and you’re well into recovery, ‘Kichi. You’re in the medward right now, but there isn’t anything to worry about.”

Kaito watched the desperate little swallows, heard the strain in the questions. “Do you want some water, beautiful?”

A day and a half? Not the longest he’d ever been out, and not even the longest since Kaito had known him, but...whenever it was more than a few hours, Kokichi always just felt...bad. Knowing that there was so much time he’d missed, that he’d left people waiting for him to wake up…

...Kaito hated leaving his side when he was unconscious…

...for some reason, Kokichi just...felt worried about Kaito. Wanted to make sure he was okay, even if he wasn’t totally sure what to even look for. 

He blinked sleepily up at Kaito, his hand twitching under the blanket, wanting to hold Kaito’s hand...but water sounded really nice too. “Uhuh…”

Kaito stood up, leaning over Kokichi and kissing him on the forehead, before saying softly to him, “Alright, I’ll be back with water, and I’m gonna grab a healer too. Let them know you’ve woken up. Just give me a minute, babe.”

Kaito gets the healer first. 

As the healer looks over Kokichi, asking simple questions and checking over his vitals, Kaito goes to grab a glass of water, grabbing a bendy straw with it. Kokichi was awake! That was a good thing, at least. The poor guy had been choking alongside bleeding out… Kaito had been honestly scared out of his damn mind to see Kokichi like that. But he wasn’t like that now. Now he was clean and blood-free and just… really tired. And probably would be tired for a while…

Good. Better tired than dead. This was a good outcome. 

Reminding himself of that, Kaito pushed a brighter expression onto his face, before heading back, the healer writing a few things down before saying, “We’re going to get the medicine set up, get some nutrients in you. Do you need a bedpan, Kokichi? Or do you not feel it yet?”

Kaito twitched. He wished the healer had put it in a more respectful tone than that. Kaito always got more defensive on the formalities the more worried he got. Just an impulse from his upbringing, he guessed.

All things considered, Kokichi was pretty alright. The healer that checked him over was professional, but he could hear in their voice that it’s a nice surprise he’s woken already. Really, the only things that could’ve been worse would be if his lungs had collapsed or his heart had stopped, so to be as aware as he was so soon...it was a very good sign. 

He’s still very drained, though, unable to sit up on his own or move his arms very much, so Kokichi’s still going to be on bedrest for a bit. They want to watch him over a little longer as his medicine settles in, but...he can go back to their room soon. 

“I’m okay...thank you…” Kokichi glanced over to Kaito, looking a little more pleased to see his husband’s return. “...can...I drink the medicine or...does it have to be a shot…?”

“Get the water down and you can drink it. But, if it feels like it takes too much effort, a shot would be more effective. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes, we’ll decide then.” The healer explained, giving them both a nod before heading off, going to take the time to prepare and log everything that had happened. 

Kaito knew Kokichi didn’t like shots, so sitting down next to him, he grinned brightly at his husband and said, “Let’s get this water down then, eh? We’ve got this, no problem.”

Kokichi gave his husband a weak smile, reaching out towards him, his hand freed from its soft, warm prison from the healer taking his vitals. It had been confusing for a moment...his wrist felt kind of weird, though just for a second. The healer explained that he’d likely had it in a weird position and had made it fall asleep. 

With Kaito holding the straw steady, Kokichi started to drink his water, at first having some trouble getting the strength to suck, but getting the hang of it after a moment. Nothing like the determination of avoiding a shot to help you find your strength. But when Kokichi needed a break...he just looked at Kaito for a moment. Affection and gratitude in his eyes but also…

...Kaito looked tired. Stressed. 

“...did you...watch me sleep the whole time again?”

“No.” Kaito says quickly. It was technically true. He had slept beside him a few hours, which didn’t count as watching, and he had gone to dinner to check on Shuuichi and Tim, and then gone to make sure Shuuichi was fine around bedtime. He had left twice! That counted as not watching the whole time.

And also Kaito knew Kokichi wouldn’t like he had been here this whole time. It was easy to be dismissive of it when Kokichi was asleep, harder when Kaito was staring him in the face.

But, telling… technically not direct lies was still uncomfortable for Kaito, and after squirming a minute, he added in, “I did watch over you yesterday and spent the night last night through. A lot of people have been by this time, Kokichi!” Kaito grinned, looking excited as he recounted, “You’re so popular! King Aiichi and Head Secretary Hideki stopped by, and King Aiichi said he would have stayed longer, but ya know, king stuff. Um, Ikuo’s been here most of the time, in fact, I should probably make certain he hears you’ve woken up soon, he’s gonna be thrilled. Waku stopped by, Nazumi and Lake brought those flowers! Denji stopped by and Katsuki did that, like, weird hovering coming and going thing she does sometimes… actually…” Kaito looked around, before calling out, “Katsuki? You around?”

If he had the strength to, Kokichi would’ve nodded knowingly. He had a feeling… Pretty much any time Kaito could be at his side, he was there. And...it was nice to know that he cared, that people cared. He just worried about Kaito’s worry, about him sleeping and eating and spending time with people actually awake.

But it sounded like Kaito got to do some of that while watching over Kokichi too. Kokichi smiled softly, limp against the bed, feeling...loved. Far from lonely, even if he’d just woken up. His family had always been beside him but...it just felt more real now. More...tangible, if that was even the way to describe it. 

There was a beat, then a small thump of something landing on top of Kokichi’s blankets, though it was hard to say where it had come from. It was a copper piece--innocuous enough, but very, very likely to be Katsuki, hidden away somewhere, not able to say hello at the moment, but letting the princes’ know she was nearby. 

And while she was extremely relieved to see that Kokichi had awoken… Changelings were interesting. Born from magic, but not really all that magical themselves. But Katsuki knew that she felt like she should be on the lookout, something she’d felt since the middle of the night when Kokichi had gotten his nosebleed. Nothing had been amiss but...she wasn’t in the habit of ignoring her instincts. So she stayed vigilant. She’d go greet Kokichi later. 

While Kokichi hadn’t seen what the thing that had landed on his blankets was...he had an idea of how it had gotten there, and he breathed a soft laugh. “I’m happy so many people...have been by… Don’t like worrying people...but it’s nice to feel cared about…”

“...you okay? Food ‘n sleep ‘n everything?”

Kaito sighed, reaching over to take the piece off his husband's stomach, reserving himself, even if he felt a wave of annoyance. He had been hoping to ask Katsuki to let Ikou and Shuichi know Kokichi was awake, but… well, Katsuki didn’t answer to him. Kaito would just have to figure out how to get that information to them another way. Probably he’d end up having to go himself.

Turning back to his husband, Kaito kept the glass ready, in case Kokichi wanted to give drinking down the rest of the water another shot-- hopefully before he’d have to take a shot-- and said, “I haven't eaten yet today, but that’s mostly just cause I haven't gotten around to it. I’ll have a big lunch or an even bigger dinner or something to make up for it, otherwise it’s fine.”

Glancing nervously at Kokichi, Kaito thought about keeping it to himself for a minute, but… “I’m sorry, babe, I should have… been in the room when you started bleeding. There was no reason for me to be gone, I could have caught it before it got this bad… I know the answer is probably, ‘bad’, but how are you feeling?”

Kokichi gave Kaito a soft version of a disappointed look, sending back all the times Kaito had given him, honestly more intense versions, of the expression whenever Kokichi ‘hadn’t gotten around’ to a meal. But...as long as it wasn’t a habit--and since Kokichi was awake now, he could make sure of it--it wasn’t a huge deal. Kaito would eat and take care of himself. 

Trying to sip a bit more from his water, Kokichi could only give Kaito a puzzled look--he hadn’t been in their room? He’d started bleeding in the middle of the night; where was Kaito then?--but...he just sighed, mustering his strength to bring a hand up to Kaito’s. “You could’ve...or you could’ve been fast asleep and it could’ve gone on longer…”

“...really...I’m feeling better than I would’ve thought, in this position…” Kokichi closed his eyes, resting a bit from the water and...looking around, though he still wanted to talk. “But I’m still...really tired...and my body’s heavy and dumb… Nice an’ warm though. Do you think we could bring this blanket up to our room? I can sleep on...one of the sides so you an’ Shuu-chan don’t overheat.”

“...how’s Shuu-chan? Tim?”

Kaito grinned sheepishly at that, giving Kokichi a somewhat guilty look again.

“Shuichi... wanted to be here too. He’d have probably been here right now, if I had let him. I keep shoo’ing him out. Hajime’s been looking after him, and Shuichi’s been looking after Tim… I hope you don’t mind. I’m not trying to keep you two separate, I just don’t want him sitting on one of these chairs all day while he’s like the way he is. All round and achey and all that.”

And, also, med wards were… creepy. Dirty, bad omens. Beyond giving birth to her? Kaito didn’t want Shuichi or his daughter in a medward longer than absolutely necessary. He wanted them somewhere warm, comfortable, safe. 

Frankly, he wanted that for Kokichi too. He’d absolutely ask the healer about the heated blanket as soon as they were back. If only because that would open up the dialogue of getting Kokichi back to their room. 

Kokichi sighed softly. “Neither of us want that for you either...and now Shuu-chan’s been without both of us.” 

Kokichi didn’t want to...like, lecture Kaito or anything. But just because Shuuichi was pregnant didn’t mean he was...hysterical or feeble or anything. He was the same Shuuichi as ever, just with spikes of hormones that made him grumpier sometimes, but still capable as he ever was. Kokichi didn’t want both of his guys to be fretting by his side, but...at least they could take turns if they were gonna do it at all…

Kokichi soaked in the warmth of the heated blanket before he tried going for another round of water. “Once I’m settled in our room...get something to eat, and spend some time with Tim, okay? I don’t need to be looked after every second...continue your own life even when I have to stop for a little while. I like it when you look after me...Kai-chan makes me happy and safe feeling...but not constantly.”

Kaito nodded slightly… when Kokichi was feeling stronger, he’d talk to him more about how he wanted things to go when he was asleep. He knew Kokichi didn’t want to tell him what to do, but having some rule and boundaries clearly spelled out and put into place would do wonders for Kaito’s nerves. Especially in regards to Kokichi himself. At the moment, Kaito was prepared to do anything the healers said, when Kokichi was too out to advocate for himself, but Kaito really should ask him what Kokichi wouldn’t want done while he was asleep, or if there were things he’d prefer, if it came down to a choice of lesser evils.

...Kaito felt weird.

He had felt weird this whole time, but he had assumed it was because Kokichi was asleep. But, now that he was talking to his husband, staring at his tired but alive eyes, Kaito realized that the weird feeling wasn’t coming from that. Which made him feel guilty. If there was something off about him right now, then it should be because his husband was sick. What else could it justifiably be?

He felt weird though.

Lighter. A little lost. Untethered… he kept getting the vague sensation he was supposed to be doing something. Like, right now, any other time, he’d be… busy with something? Like he was breaking a routine… he supposed he was. He hadn’t done training yesterday or today. But it didn't feel like it was that.

He felt weird… he kinda wanted to talk to Kokichi about it, but that’d be wildly inappropriate right now. Maybe later, when Kokichi was feeling better.

As the healer came back, they looked at the mostly empty water glass, and said to Kokichi, “Think you can drink down the medicine?”

Kokichi watched Kaito’s face, more just because he liked looking at his husband in front of him, but...from every other time they’d gone through something like this? Kaito tended to back down immediately, looking guilty and ashamed and maybe even saying something about how he was sorry and Kokichi knew better and…

Maybe he just wasn’t being fair in his memories. But Kokichi felt...relieved when there was only consideration and acceptance on Kaito’s face. The same worry and stress that came along with having Kokichi on a sick bed again, but...nothing more than that. 

(There was a part of Kokichi that breathed a bigger sigh of relief, and smiled so proudly, so hopefully. They’d really done it…)

Getting his fingers to uncurl a little more, Kokichi tried to hold Kaito’s hand as much as he could, feeling...yeah. A lot better than he’d expected. 

Kokichi glanced up at the healer as they returned, offering a small smile. “I think so, yeah. Can we just transfer my straw? I could probably drink it normally but...I don’t know how well I can stay sitting up right now…”

“That should be fine. Make certain you drink all of it.”

After a bit, Kaito held the medicine for Kokichi to drink instead, using his other hand to hold Kokichi’s hand, feeling his husband occasionally try to weakly squeeze it. Idly, absentmindedly, Kaito rubbed his thumb against Kokichi’s thin wrist. He felt weird… but that was okay, for now. He’d focus on reality for now, he could deal with existential stuff later. Maybe with his therapist, he didn’t know. He really should start being more open with her… it’s been longer now than he had originally been sentenced to go to therapy, and he still hadn’t really told her anything about himself. About his relationship with Kokichi, or Shuichi, or Maki. What his life had been like before, what it was like now… he mostly talked about small things and anger stuff and said what he hoped she’d want to hear…

...maybe he should actually talk to her about some stuff.

Hesitating briefly, he said to the healer first, before they wandered off, “When I bring Kokichi back to his room, can we steal the heated blanket for awhile? It’d help Kokichi sleep easier.”

The healer glanced at Kaito, before nodding, “Certainly, we have plenty. I’d suggest waiting till four time before we dismiss him, though.” Turning to Kokichi, they explained, “Just want to make certain you’re truly stable before moving you. Nothing goes wrong by four hours? Then you’re free to rest in your own quarters.”

Kaito winced at that. Watching the healer go, he sighed, frustrated. He thought about just not bringing it up and ditching, but… “...I have a therapy appointment at three…”

Kokichi focused more on drinking up the medicine than he had the water, even if it was horribly bitter. Maybe thankfully, during the times he needed medicine the most, he was just...too tired to care that much about the taste. He likely wouldn’t be able to stomach much more liquid after this but...maybe for his next dose he could ask if he could have some juice or flavored milk afterward. Just to get the taste out...and the broths he’d likely be on until he could reliably stay sitting up--and probably a little past then, honestly--weren’t gonna be flavorful enough to do the trick. Or maybe that was just a challenge to the cooks…

As he drank his medicine, Kokichi could already tell that his thought process was getting a little scattered, and that tended to mean he was ready for another round of sleeping. Though he really wanted to be awake, wanted to talk with his family and friends…

Humming a bit to indicate that he’d heard what the healer said, Kokichi blinked slowly as what Kaito brought up right after and...he was happy that Kaito brought it up at all. Now that he was just going to therapy for his own benefit, Kaito really could cancel appointments when he wanted but...knowing that he wanted to keep up the routine...Kokichi smiled a little. 

“I’ll be okay. If you’re really that worried...ask my dad or Shuu-chan to sit with me for a bit. And if your appointment runs long, I think...the healers would be elated to be able to keep an eye on me a little longer.” Kokichi huffed a soft laugh, his fingers twitching ever so gently in Kaito’s hand. “I’m pretty comfy here, promise. You’re not letting me down to go take care of...mmm, yourself for a while. An’ maybe I can cool some of Shuu-chan’s ire by the time you come back…”

Kaito huffed, though he chuckled lightly. “Yeah, if you could put in a good word for me, babe, I’d appreciate it. Shuichi was so mad at me he started cursing at me at one point. You know how our Shuichi is… he’s real grumpy when he starts dropping F-bombs. He said I should have woken him up when everything happened, but I just didn’t see the point… I don’t know, I’ll find some way to apologize.”

Kaito promised to find Ikou and Shuichi, and seeing the energy start to leave Kokichi’s face, watching his words and sentences start to slur together and become nonsensical, he stopped talking as much, wanting Kokichi to focus on getting the medicine down. Watching it go down, Kaito grinned at him when he finally got it all down, “Hey, I knew you could do it. Come on, let’s let you get some more rest. By this afternoon you’ll be back in your own bed. We’ll pick a new book to read together!”

Kaito felt a little bad that he had started to think of their books together as being broken up by which book they were reading when Kokichi was sick. He just sort of felt like starting and finishing a new book was just part of the routine, every time Kokichi was bedridden. 

“Aw...Shuu-chan…” But he could see why Shuuichi was mad. Even if there wasn’t much he’d have been able to do, being aware just felt...better. Or at least less worse. If something happened to Shuuichi or Kaito in the night and Kokichi just slept through it...he’d be cursing up a storm, if just to himself, too. 

Kokichi was more asleep than not by the time he finished his medicine, but he was left with the happy impression of reading a new book with Kaito and a promise to pass on the message that when Shuuichi came to see him, he wanted to be woken up. Maybe just for a moment if he needed the rest but...he wanted to see Shuuichi. Reassure with his own words that he was alright, and thank him for keeping things together while he was out. 

It wasn’t long before Kokichi was back out, but there was one thought that lingered in his mind. ...Unity was the day after tomorrow...right? Would he even be able to spend it with his family like they promised? Maybe they would’ve cuddled in bed a bunch anyway, but...lingering by a sickbed was more depressing than the warm, companionable feelings the holiday was meant to inspire. 

...he hadn’t had a chance to wrap up the gifts either…

When Kaito told Shuichi Kokichi was awake, the detective had been thrilled, though it hadn’t looked it. His face had been stricken with sudden worry, and he had put his hand over his chest, like his heart had tightened. The healers had all been saying it’d probably take days… this was much sooner than expected. He was so relieved.

But then Kaito had gently explained that when he left, Kokichi had been asleep, and had asked to be woken back up again when Shuichi came to visit. And while Kaito didn’t specifically say that Kokichi needed the rest… 

Shuichi had bit his lip and been angry, but stayed away from another two hours before giving in to his desire, heading over to go see Kokichi, Kaito gone to pick Tim up from school and bring him home before going to his therapy, knowing Haneda would be there, but wanting to take the opportunity to check in on his son either way. 

When Shuichi walked in, Ikou had been there, looking over the sleeping Kokichi. It felt a little bit like the watch rotations he, Maki and Kaito used to do, Ikou giving him a nod before shuffling off. Sighing, the ex-detective sat down on the still warm chair, before considering Kokichi’s sleeping form. He wanted to let his boyfriend continue to rest… but Kokichi had asked to be woken up. 

Leaning over, Shuichi pet Kokichi’s ear, at first gently, then firmly. A mildly jostling presence, before letting his hand cup the side of Kokichi’s face as he said softly. “Kokichi…”

Considering it was the middle of the day, Kokichi didn’t visit anyone, instead letting himself truly rest. Which...he did genuinely need. While having the chance to do things in his sleep was incredible, Kokichi never forgot Alter Ego’s initial warning. His body was asleep, but his mind wasn’t while he was “awake” in his consciousness, and as nice as being able to chat and learn was...he needed the rest. If he kept waking up after long rests still exhausted, he’d probably go see Seiko and...it’d suck to give her a problem she couldn’t solve just ‘cause he was being impatient. 

So Kokichi was truly asleep as the afternoon ticked by, only broken when...huh… His nose scrunched, feeling something weird by his ear, probably his hair tickling him, but then...ohh...warm and soft…

It took a moment, but Kokichi slowly blinked his eyes back open, focusing on Shuuichi’s face right above him. He smiled softly, his arm turning over to offer his hand, though he wasn’t strong enough to cup Shuuichi’s hand right away yet. “Shuu-chan…”

Shuichi took the offered hand, and his golden gaze scrunched up for a second, an overwhelmed, angry, worried feeling rushing through him… before he calmed, giving Kokichi a soft, sad look as he said, “Hello. Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, Kokichi. Do you need anything?”

He knew Kokichi had been awake a few hours ago, so he might be fine. But Shuichi wanted to let Kokichi make any requests he needed right away. Before Shuichi got distracted by how worried for him he had been.

“Lovely Shuu-chan…” Kokichi sighed before he swallowed a yawn, trying to wake up a little more. Shuuichi might insist on him getting rest if he needed it, but Kokichi wanted to take this chance to talk. Or, to at least be with Shuuichi. “Mm...might need to use the bathroom in a bit but...I’m okay for now. Kai-chan helped me with water ‘n meds…”

He wished so much he could take Shuuichi’s hand and hold it to his heart, squeezing and reassuring his boyfriend he was right there. Or, if he was gonna go into total fantasy-mode, scooping Shuuichi off his feet and making room on the cot so they could lie together, and Kokichi could hold his face and give Shuuichi every reassurance he could. But as it was, Kokichi just weakly stroked his thumb across Shuuichi’s hand, smiling up at him. 

“Should I be prepared for some scolding? Shuu-chan looks like he has a lot on his mind,” Kokichi half-teased, though his hand twitched in Shuuichi’s again. “...I’m sorry for worrying you...I never wanna leave you and Kai-chan like this.”

“Scolding?” Shuichi asked, his voice blank. Calm. 

...then, frustrated with himself, his face scrunched up again, and his eyes filled with tears, Shuichi quickly lowering his cap and covering his mouth, trying to hide his face from anyone who could see him do this. Hating this. Hating that he was crying in public. Hating he was crying when he should be trying to be calm and put together for Kokichi right now. Just hating everything.

Shuichi wants to ask Kokichi why this happened. He wants to demand answers. But the problem is, he already understands why. Read Kokichi’s medical records literally the second day he was in the castle. Had been more honest and realistic about Kokichi’s situation than either Kaito or Maki were even capable of being. Kaito couldn’t let himself see the worst case scenario, and Maki had the mad belief that any problem could be solved so long as everyone willed it hard enough. 

But Shuichi knew better. He understood helplessness. He had accepted helplessness into his life. Embraced it.

...but that didn’t mean it felt good.

And, frustrated and angry and frightened by how helpless he and Kokichi were in this situation, Shuichi just cried. Just saw the blood that had been on his pillow, not his own, everyone gone but a nervous, tired Hajime. A dying Kokichi whisked out of his arms while Shuichi was lost in a drugged sleep. He thought of apologizing for losing his composure, and couldn’t. Couldn’t really say anything.

For a moment, Kokichi thought that he’d managed to divert Shuuichi into...incredulousness, or anger, or something, but… He only looked on sadly as Shuuichi’s grief and frustration and worry pooled out in tears. And...maybe fittingly, Kokichi couldn’t do anything but weakly hold his hand. 

...he hated it. Hated the pain that his boyfriend was hiding under his hat that he could do nothing about. 

“I’m sorry…” Kokichi murmured. For being important to Shuuichi while being...a little more mortal than most. For being a flashing sign that no one was around forever. And while Kokichi would always believe that the goodness others brought into your life was worth the pain of them leaving...it still was pain. And sometimes, you had to hurt. 

But it wasn’t time for grief yet, and Kokichi hated when people acted like he was already dead. 

Taking as deep a breath as he could, Kokichi tightened his grip around Shuuichi’s hand, pulling it up his body, his other hand joining in though trembling. And, gently, he kissed his boyfriend’s knuckles. Holding his hand to his chest. 

“I’m alive, Shuu-chan. I’m right here.”

‘Just stop doing this,’ Shuichi miserably thinks. He wouldn’t say that. Again, he knew Kokichi couldn’t help this… but it’s how he feels. Just tired, hopeless anger. ‘Stop.’

But it’s a request Kokichi can’t give him, and Shuichi quickly feels the fight leave him. His face wet, but the tears drying in his eyes after a moment, just looking a little tired and embarrassed, feeling the heartbeat against the back of his palm, the warmth of the small kisses. 

He stares at him tiredly for a while, before saying softly, “I know. I was just worried. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay… I know I’d be losing my mind in your place. It’s okay to hurt, and be upset and worried...to be angry. But Shuu-chan doesn’t have to deal with it alone. And I’m okay. The what if’s are just mean right now.” Kokichi gently squeezed Shuuichi’s hand again, the limbs feeling weak and useless again, but...this position was resting, so he could keep it up. 

“...dunno if Kai-chan passed it on, but I can come back to our room tonight. Heated blanket and all. Dunno if Shuu-chan would get...overheated, but if ya want more warm cuddles, I’ll gladly share.” Kokichi smiled up at Shuuichi again, just...trying to be there for his boyfriend. Not be something scary to watch. 

Shuichi doesn’t realize he’s been partially holding his breath till he lets it out, that tense, clenched feeling in his chest easing at least a little. He’s being unreasonable… he can’t just demand Kokichi stop dying. He can’t punish Kokichi with his desperate anger and hopeless tears. Besides, Kokichi wasn’t dying.

...any more than Kokichi was always dying, anyway.

Sighing, breathing in again, letting it out, his chest slowly unclenching… he nodded, a little urgently, as he said in a broken, strained rush of wind, “I’d like that. It’s okay if it gets a little warm. I’m always a little warm, with you two. I think the pregnancy makes me run a little hot sometimes. It doesn't really bother me. And you’re always-” Shuichi had been about to say ‘nice and cool’ but it occurred to him praising that part of Kokichi’s body right now, while bringing in a heated blanket, might put a weird pressure on Kokichi to not use it. So, Shuichi substituted, “-comforting to hold.”

Squeezing Kokichi’s hand, Shuichisaid, after a moment of consideration, brow furrowed. “...I’m going to ask Seiko how much longer I have to take this medicine. I’ve always been a sound sleeper, but I don’t like that… I just won’t wake up when something happens at night. You fell asleep in my arms that night. I should have woken up at least when Kaito pulled you away, if not when you started gagging… I don’t like this. I don’t want to take the medicine anymore.”

Kokichi stroked the side of Shuuichi’s hand, looking up at his boyfriend adoringly as Shuuichi let go of some of the tension inside him. There would always be that fear and frustration, he knew. The same way that Kokichi worried whenever Kaito would be out by himself for a long time, or the worry about how Maki was doing that...would just be unfair to talk about with his partners, so he saved it for his therapist. The worry Kokichi had when his anxieties got the better of him about Shuuichi’s due date. There were things you could do to be safer...but only to a point. So...you just had to accept that one day...well. Better to enjoy the days you had. 

(Maybe one day Kokichi would talk to Shuuichi about death. About how he’d had to face his mortality so often, so pointedly. About the fear they both had about how much time he had left. But right now, when he’d just been through a bout, was not the right time.)

“I’m glad… Things happened so fast that I didn’t really get to think about it, but we’re pretty lucky that our sleeping logistics work well together.” Kokichi felt around the curve of one of Shuuichi’s fingers...still so much bigger than his. Still enveloping though he didn’t think about it like that too often. 

He sighed. “...she said a bit ago that your spore counts were basically nothing… Might be past the trial period now. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could stop taking it pretty soon.”

“...I know you don’t wanna hear it from me but...I’m sorry he didn’t wake you up. Sometimes what we think is best is the wrong decision...and…” 

“I dunno. Even if you were just left to worry… I would’ve wanted to be woken up. It wasn’t fair to you.”

“He’s so fucking stupid.” Shuichi hisses.

And then he closes his eyes, getting a hold of himself, putting his hand on his own forehead, tugging at his hair a little and moving it aside, just… trying to keep it together. He closes his eyes for a bit, and when he opens them again his eyes again, eyes wet, but the tears not spilling.

“...what if he had taken you away and you had died…” Shuichi’s mouth thinned, a dark, frustrated look in his eyes as he said, “What? He gets to be by your side and I have to find out hours later, when I wake up? After I wake up? From Hajime?”

Shuichi huffed another breath… before saying quietly, “He treats me like something to be managed. I don’t know when I lost his trust, but I have. Maybe I lost his trust months ago, and just didn’t notice because I was too busy dealing with the fact that I had lost Maki’s trust. In comparison, Kaito’s always seemed supportive to me getting my independence back… but now that she’s not here to be the ‘bad guy’? Tsk…” Shuichi closed his eyes again. So fucking frustrated… “He doesn’t trust me. And I don’t… know what I’m supposed to do…”

Anger. Then...the actual issue.

At first, Kokichi had been ready to combat the ‘what if’ but...again, that wasn’t the actual problem. It was...the same thing that Kokichi had chided Kaito about earlier. Kokichi was Shuuichi’s boyfriend just as much as he was Kaito’s husband. He understood Kaito’s paranoia about wanting to keep Kokichi in his sights…

...but he had allowed Shuuichi to take over back before they knew about the pollen. When...honestly, he’d been in a worse state then to take care of someone than he was now. 

Kokichi squeezed Shuuichi’s hand, frowning. “...I hate thinking it, but...sometimes it feels like Kai-chan treats you like how I felt people used to treat me. ...I don’t like it…”

“But...I kinda pointed it out earlier and…” He tried to shrug, something a little confused going over his face. “You know how he is...but he took it a lot better than I would’ve thought. I think, if not all of us...then that’s something you two need to talk about. It’s not fair to you...you shouldn’t have to…”prove” yourself. You already have several times over from the pollen stuff. You shouldn’t have to do it again.”

“Sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to have a real conversation with him… I try, but then I start getting… mad or testy or say something we both know I don’t mean, and once that happens, it’s not a conversation anymore. It’s just Shuichi being ‘grumpy’.” Shuichi scowled, the anger flashing again… before he let his shoulders drop as he said, quietly, “I keep telling myself it’ll be better after we have the baby. After I’m not pregnant anymore? Like… like m-maybe everything will just… go back to normal… like being pregnant is the last thing before I can finally put all the pollen stuff behind me a-and just be… me again. Without all the other stuff…”

Shuichi knew this was cruel. Kokichi was bed-ridden, now wasn’t the time to spill his heart out. But he was coming down from a day and a half of angry, anxious worry and fear and fury and hadn’t been able to express it to anyone outside of cursing at Kaito and being snippy with Hajime when Tim wasn’t looking their way and… 

Shuichi just let his head drop, saying quietly to Kokichi, “Sometimes I feel ruined… with the pollen and Nao and Tom and Itch and… and how I did it all to myself… how my friends look at me as someone who maybe they gotta put under house arrest again someday… w-what if Kaito…” Shuichi froze, not having even realized he was going to say this until it was halfway out of his mouth, not having even realized this was a legitimate fear he had… before saying, as quietly as he could, as if he was afraid of anyone hearing him say it, even Kokichi, “...what if Kaito knocks me up again? When this is done? I’m still going to have a womb… he wasn’t careful before, maybe he won’t be careful again… what if this is just how life is now…”

Kokichi frowned a bit, not having enough space on his fingers and toes to count how many times Kaito had remarked on Shuuichi being “grumpy” or “grouchy”...and so many of those times, saying in a doting way...that could also sound a little patronizing, if you were thinking that was. And Kokichi had joked on the matter too…

He sighed, looking a little shamefaced. “...even if you are grumpy and hormonal...that doesn’t mean what you have to say should be disregarded. It just...means the more stinging things you say along with your point should be softened, I think. But...I’m sorry… I wasn’t thinking about it...I should’ve considered your feelings more. Spoken up more.”

And...they all kind of thought of Shuuichi’s pregnancy like that. Like it was a hump to get over before things could be… But they wouldn’t be normal after. They’d have a daughter to raise, and there wasn’t much more that could change a life so thoroughly than having a kid. Treating Shuuichi like everything about this was temporary was just...mean. Setting up false expectations. 

Kokichi squeezed Shuuichi’s hand, his heart aching, wanting to protest that he wasn’t ruined, that things were just...different now. But that wouldn’t change how…

“...you know...Kai-chan told me how much of a fucking moron he felt like after he made that dumb joke about you being pregnant again?” Kokichi stared up at Shuuichi, unable to do much but just...holding his hand. “...we should talk about how he’s been treating you, ‘cause it’s bullshit, but...Shuu-chan is still his own person, with decisions that should be respected. So if you don’t want another pregnancy, then he’s gonna wrap up, and if you wanna be sure on your end, we can find an option for your womb to be removed. Sometimes...life happens, and there’s not much we can do… But what life is for us...is making decisions. There’s a lot Shuu-chan can do. We both know you’re far from helpless.”

“...I don’t think life will ever go back to the way it was...and I’m sorry for the things you miss. But...I think that’s okay. That things change. That you change, and I change, and Kai-chan changes...Maki-chan changes. It’s more things to always discover, right?” he attempted a small smile. “We can just try to do as much as we can to make the new reality we end up in the one we want. Shuu-chan has a lot of power to change things to make the world he wants.”

Shuichi didn’t really know if he believed that… but it was comforting to hear it, and feeling most of his anger leaving him, he gave Kokichi a small, grateful smile. Honestly, it had been a relief to finally just say that stuff to somebody and Kokichi was proving to be a reliable confidant for Shuichi. Which, well, was probably a good thing. They were boyfriends… it was nice there was more to their relationship than Kokichi thinking he was cute and Shuichi needing the stability of a relationship. More than the pregnancy. Kokichi was a comforting friend to him too…

“I will talk to Kaito… and it might be helpful to have you there too. But… not now. I’m sorry I put something this heavy on your mind right now, Kokichi. I’m certain you’re tired… Kaito said the healers would be okay with you leaving at four. I can’t lift you myself, I’m sorry, but I can ask Ikou for help, in a few hours.”

Ah, Shuuichi’s smile… Kokichi was happy to see it. There wasn’t too much people felt like smiling about in times like these...but it was all about perspective. And while nothing had really changed...maybe Kokichi had been enough of a listening ear to help Shuuichi’s perspective enough to smile. 

He couldn’t promise to never be a source of pain to his family...but he’d do whatever he could to be more of a source of joy and comfort. To enjoy that love enough to turn away from lonely apathy, even if it meant facing the pain sometimes too. 

“It’s okay… I wanted to talk with Shuu-chan, and that means whatever we end up talking about, light or heavy.” Kokichi tilted his head just enough to kiss Shuuichi’s knuckles again, though the tired lines on his face meant he wouldn’t be doing much more that day. “I’m comfy here or in our room, so...we can ask my dad if you’d rather be in our room, or we can wait for Kai-chan, I don’t mind.”

“I, uh…” Kokichi went a little pink, the calm in his voice trailing off into embarrassment. “...could you get a healer soon, though? I gotta...use the bathroom…”

Shuichi frowned, wishing he could offer to help. But he wasn’t sure what Kokichi would need. Did he get taken to a bathroom during times like these, or… better to just let a healer help. Nodding, Shuichi grit his teeth a little, pushing himself up off the chair and putting a hand on his lower back for a second, but the ache eased quickly, and he headed to the closest healer, explaining the issue.

-

Kaito was playing with the rock, idly rubbing it between his fingers. The two of them were at a restaurant, in the far back corner. They were usually in a public place like this. The fact that Kaito refused to be alone in an office with her… it was one of the reasons Miss Crystal had insisted on Kaito scheduling more meetings with her. 

The Luminary Prince’s paranoia was… impressive, really! He was committed to it. And Miss Harukawa had been no better. Both of them had looked at Miss Crystal like they were convinced Miss Crystal was just waiting for them to let their guard down, and then she was gonna do… something.

She knew it was a vague ‘something’, because every time she dug into it with Kaito, the big guy seemed just as confused of what he was waiting for as she was. 

Honestly, Miss Crystal got the sense that Kaito would be fascinating… if she could convince him to honestly talk about anything. But, apparently, for all the evils that the false Ford had done to the boy, looming a terrible punishment over his head and suggesting not sharing with him would ruin his whole life… was the way to motivate Kaito to share. 

Without it? She had hit nothing but a brick wall. They mostly spent their time just doing anger management exercises and talking about Kaito’s last few days. Nothing in depth. Nothing that would explain why he was so angry all the time.

And he was. Angry all the time. Crystal was sure of it. The crystal she had given him was smaller and smaller every time she saw it. It was good he was practicing the exercise, but alarming that he felt the need to do it that much.

While they waited for their food, Crystal asked Kaito what had happened recently.

“...Kokichi’s sick again. Um, don’t spread that around.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. And, as I’ve told you a thousand times, nothing you say to me is going to be spread around or gossiped about or sold. Anything you tell me is entirely confident! Okay?”

“Yeah, I know… thanks.”

“You don’t even have to thank me! It’s literally my job! It’s against the law for me to tell anyone what you say to me, Kaito. You can trust in this.”

“...yep. I know.”

“Why don’t you want me to tell people Kokichi is sick?”

“What? I mean… didn’t you just say all that stuff about how you wouldn’t-”

“I won’t!” Miss Crystal smiled warmly at Kaito, sipping on her coffee, “But it’s curious that you’re worried about it. What’s wrong with people knowing Kokichi is sick?”

“...” Kaito put down the stone and started ripping into the bread. Miss Crystal was patient. Sometimes Kaito would answer if you just gave him time to collect his thoughts. 

“... people might lower their opinions of him if they knew he got sick a lot.”

“People do know he gets sick a lot. It’s common knowledge. But you’ve told me frequently that you’re stopped almost every time you go out by happy, grateful citizens.”

“...if anyone’s going to ruin his reputation, it shouldn’t be his prince-consort.” Kaito said, half talking to himself. “I’m meant to support him.”

“Ah, yes.. You’re self-appointed ‘job’.”

“It’s not self appointed… in Luminary, this would be-”

“We’re in Dicea.”

“... you make it hard to talk to you, you know that?”

“You seem annoyed.”

“Yeah, cause you annoy me sometimes…”

“Oh-hohoho… nooo, this is different. You were annoyed when you got here. What’s wrong?”

“Kokichi’s sick.”

“Yes.”

“...and I’m here.”

“Today is your appointment.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re supposed to be here.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I should have asked Kokichi to stay… I should have asked to skip the appointment today to look after him…”

“It’s not up to Kokichi. That’s up to you.”

“...yeah…”

Miss Crystal raised an eyebrow at this. “Yeah?”

Kaito’s brow furrowed. Like even he hadn’t realized he would say that. A lost, confused look on his face as he hesitated for a moment. “...no. No? I don’t… know…”

This was unusual. Kaito’s obsession with trying to read Kokichi’s mind and always anticipate his needs usually resulted in him insisting that suggesting Kokichi wasn’t a factor in his decisions as borderline outrageous. When she countered those beliefs, he always just got more defensive, and more suspicious, like he was convinced she was trying to set him up to fail. Like anyone who said anything counter to that belief was just playing some elaborate trick on him.

So this was… interesting.

“Do you want to talk about being a Prince-Consort today?”

“Shouldn’t I talk about the fact that Kokichi’s sick?”

“Would it help anything?”

“...you really won’t tell anyone anything? Really? Even if you thought you could get away with it?”

“I swear it on my profession.” Miss Crystal said gently, having been furiously reading into Luminary culture lately, trying to figure out Kaito’s language. “I swear it to you.”

Kaito looked a little surprised… before nodding. Looking uncomfortable. Ripping apart bread without eating it.

“...have you… ever heard of conditioning…”

-

They had ended up asking Ikuo to move him to his room, and Kokichi had been awake off and on, awake enough to have some dinner broth and to talk softly with Kaito and Shuuichi for a bit, but...mostly asleep. And while he did genuinely rest most of the time…

When it was night, Alter Ego’s calendar working as intended, Kokichi found that at least his consciousness was up to the task of walking around. Sitting at his window seat with the window open and that warm breeze he loved wafting in... 

{Temp?}

Temp as at a bar right now, celebrating… but also nursing his own disappointment. It had felt good, of course, but…

Well. One step forward, two steps back. And he could still stop if he wanted too… but he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to. So… oh well.

His eyes widened a little at the message… but sipping at his whiskey, his gaze stared vacantly at the far wall, as mentally he went traveling, keeping one mind eye open and one mind eye shut as he approached a door.

Politely, he knocked on the door. “Kokichi? May I come in?”

Kokichi got up, not skipping over to the door as he might have, but tenderly walking. He was much stronger in mind (spirit, soul, whatever) but...still recovering. Obviously recovering. Still, he opened the door, offering Temp a smile and entry. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting? It is pretty late at night…”

Kokichi held his hands, his sleeves bunched into each other. “...I never got the chance to thank you.”

“I’m just having a drink at a bar. Honestly, it’s probably gonna be an all nighter for me, but I don’t have any company. It’s always better to drink with friends.” Temp smiled, stepping in and looking around. The room looked… dim. Not very sharp. Kokichi’s body was damaged, his mind sluggish. But, the messages and presentation to Temp was clear, so he was probably fine for some company.

Looking down at Kokichi, Temp gave Kokichi a fond smirk. “I feel like I should thank you. That was the most useful I’ve felt in ages. But, if you’d like to thank me, please do. It’s always nice to know your friends appreciate your efforts.”

Going to sit at the window seat, Temp made himself comfortable, before asking, “And when you’re done thanking me, you’ll tell me how you are. Obviously the worst didn’t happen, but you were struggling near the end of that night. I was concerned.”

Oh...well, as long as Temp didn’t mind… And they couldn’t say Kokichi hadn’t tried to talk at a polite hour. 

Kokichi found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, the room a little sharper wherever he was, so the area by the door growing a bit blurry. “Thank you for helping me protect my husband. For freeing him. You gave me the tools to be able to do something I never would’ve been able to do otherwise…” Kokichi huffed, giving the Templar an amused look. “And before you point out what I did at the end...I don’t know how I did that, and I probably wouldn’t have done it on purpose if I did. I’m still happy for what we did...but I’d rather not put my family through this sort of panic, even for a good cause…”

Kokichi sighed, resting his head in a hand, glancing over to where he was resting in real life. “I had a nosebleed in my sleep, and some of the blood got into my lungs. I started choking… My husband got me to the med ward in time.” Another sigh, not quite looking at Temp, though Kokichi knew if there was anyone he didn’t need to feel small around, it was the person who had seen everyone as small. “...not the first time it’s happened.”

“Ah, I see. A side effect of the blast?” The Templar asked, giving Kokichi a mildly sympathetic look, “Some peoples powers physically affect them. It’s always a shame to see that.” 

“Actually… that’s a point. I’ve always heard the Dicean Prince was famously bedridden… that you literally never left your room, and also public sightings of you was an elaborate case of King Aiichi hiring impersonators for some...reason…” Temp laughed, shaking his head, “Gotta love the game of whispers. Every ten people that pass the story along, the story gets stranger and stranger. I dismissed all of it when I saw you at the club though, assuming it was all just false rumors. But have you been struggling with your empath abilities this whole time?”

“And, you’re welcome about your husband. Even if I hadn’t been helping out a friend… I don’t like people like Kazuo Tengan. You give them all the power in the world, in an environment where it’s almost impossible for anyone to even realize you have that power…” Temp frowned, thinking of his day, before admitting, “I can understand how using that power responsibility for your whole life can be draining. The temptation to give up responsibility to do better… but that’s not what that idiot did. Giving up making things better is one thing. Actively causing harm for his own amusement is another. I have no sympathy for people like that, regardless of their history. No grand, good deeds will ever justify the abuse of people too vulnerable to stop you.”

Temp smiled. A dark and wicked thing. “Defeating him was fun.”

Kokichi nodded a bit and...well, he was more prepared to hear the rumors now. “I think some of my bouts over the years have been me using my abilities...but, no. I’m just…” ...it never got easier to say. Even with people accepting him. 

Kokichi sighed. “My heart and lungs are pretty damn fucked. They’ve caused me issues my whole life. Considering there’s an explanation healers have found, and that apparently my abilities have been fairly weak with a few exceptions...I think over-extending my abilities just makes my health worse, rather than being the cause of it.”

Bringing a knee up to rest his head, Kokichi...still wasn’t looking at Temp. But that was because he had a glare trained somewhere on the ground, his anger at Tengan bubbling again...before cooling, leaving him in a huff. “Agreed. Pain for...a greater cause is at least understandable. Not in line with my personal views still...but. Pain for...nothing? A brief amusement?” Kokichi growled softly. “It’s unforgivable…”

“Still wish I could’ve gotten a punch in...but knowing that he’s gone from Kai-chan is...the best outcome I could hope for.” Kokichi smiled softly. “Now...he’s safe. I think he’s a little confused but...hopefully what he works out will be for the better.”

“If it makes you feel any better, your defense did slice through him like a knife through butter.” Temp said goodnaturedly, before sighing, “I’m sorry for your health issues. Life is a precious thing. Having owed time taken from you due to illness… really sucks. Hopefully your next life will be more generous.”

And, that was all Temp really had to say about it. Sure, illness in young people was tragic… but in his long life, Kokichi was far from the first young, sick person Temp had met. Experience could make someone cold, even unknowingly so. Temp didn’t spare the illness another thought.

Though, he did feel compelled to ask, “Was your husband a sailor at some point?” Temp asked, looking curiously at Kokichi, “I actually had some difficulty navigating his mind… for a moment, it almost seemed like I had gone into the wrong consciousness. I was lost in an ocean.”

Next life… The course of all life, recycled into itself. In some ways, it made Kokichi happy, knowing that he was a part of all things, but...well. His husband was going to paradise until he’d made peace with that notion...and Shuuichi was more on the side of believing that too. ...he hated making them miss him…

“I wish I did have more time...but I try to make the most of what I have. It’s just...hard, when there’s people on the other side of that.” A near immortal templar of death probably knew that more than anyone, if just on the other side. 

Kokichi rubbed the side of his head...too many serious conversations. 

But he did look up at Temp curiously. “...Alter Ego said the same thing, except a dark forest being chased by a beast… Kai-chan’s seen the ocean a few times, but never been out on it, ‘m pretty sure. And I don’t think there’s much in Luminary that would count as a dark forest… Alter Ego said that they thought Tengan had made it, but was confused that he was looking for them.”

“...I guess I should assume it’s unusual for my husband’s mind to be so confusing?”

“Mmmm, not in the sense that most minds aren’t a little confusing. But, in the sense of…” The Templar paused, trying to think, before saying, “I guess I’d say most minds are like going to a new city for the first time. The city itself is complicated and diverse and mysterious, and even if you get to know the streets well enough to say you ‘understand’ it, truthfully, the more you look into the city, the more confusing it becomes because you’re always finding more in it. That’s most peoples minds.”

“But, stumbling from your husbands lobby, to some memories of his life in the castle, to a book he’s read, then to that ocean?” The Templar shook his head, “Going from the book to the ocean would have been like if you were walking through a Dicean street, turned a corner, and were suddenly in Luminary. Everything was so clearly different from what everywhere else has been by that point that, like I said, it was weird to think of it as the same consciousness…”

Looking out the window, seeing the view were blurry to the point of watercolors meshing unintelligibly into each other, he said, “Perhaps Alter Ego is right. Could just be a result of Tengan putting up more barriers. A way to confuse invaders. And, there was nothing dangerous or wrong in the makeup of his consciousness. It’s just not normally the sort of difficulties you find in an untrained mind.”

Looking back to Kokichi, The Templar asked, “Have you gotten in the habit of exploring your own mind, yet? Looking through your own memories, that sort of thing?”

Kokichi nodded slowly. He’d figured that minds were rather...chaotic. Didn’t have to make sense. By the nature of memory and imagination making up a mindscape, and in the fact that in more scientific fields, the people who studied the mind always made clear in their papers that the vast majority of how the mind worked was as of yet undiscovered. Let alone the phenomena of consciousness…

But...other than Tengan messing around and the roadblocks conditioning made...Kaito wasn’t suffering from his mind. So if it wasn’t dangerous or “wrong”, then...it was just a quirk of his husband. Something that made him uniquely unique. Kokichi was almost curious enough to want to see the jarring transitions himself, but...he likely wouldn’t be peering into his husband’s mind again, if he could help it. 

For training, some of it was necessary, but on the whole...Kokichi didn’t want to see anything people didn’t freely offer. It felt too manipulative...and took the fun out of getting to know a person, really. 

But...exploring what should be the most freely given mind…

Kokichi blinked up at Temp again, a baffled expression on his face. “I can… I guess I can do that, huh…”

Temp smiled, giving Kokichi an obviously amused look, as he said, “You know, I just got the feeling that was the sort of thing that it wouldn’t occur to Alter Ego to let you know about. I get the impression from your mentor that they're so worried about making certain you’re able to safely defend yourself that they forgot to bring up the actual fun parts of being an empath.”

“There are lots of ways you can use your empath ability on your own mind… and even in my old age, I’m still meeting empaths who are doing things it’s never occurred for me to do before. About, oh, thirty years ago? I met this woman, Elsa, who was just obsessed with going back to older versions of herself and debating with herself about random topics. She’d get into these screaming matches with her sixteen year old self about philosophy and whether or not that one girl was actually flirting with her or not, long, furious political debates with her thirty year old self about policies she had changed her mind about, argued with a version of herself from the week before about whether she should visit that family member she hasn’t seen in years… Elsa was crazy.”

He said this, but Temp’s gaze softened in the memory of her, as he said, “But after she was done arguing with herself, she always seemed so spent and relieved, and looking back at it with the benefit of hindsight? I think she probably ended up learning a lot about herself, being willing to argue with all those different parts of her life, challenging herself over and over again to really understand, you know… maybe she was wise… crazy and way too stressed, but wise.”

“Me? I like to go visit memories of old loved ones. Re-visit the happy times… maybe not super creative or innovative, but it’s what I like to do.” Temp sighed, shrugging a little.

Kokichi shrugged a little, softly smiling. “To be fair, learning how to defend myself is pretty important…since I can’t knowingly do it when I’m awake, an’ all. And we’ve been working on controlling my…’bursts’ I guess, though considering what happened, I guess we still have a ways to go…”

But using your abilities to explore your own mind? He remembered Mikado talking about being a master of his own consciousness… And...maybe exploring himself would be a better thing to practice while he was recovering…

Kokichi smiled at the story of the other empath, understanding why it would be not only fun, but actually helpful to debate things with your past selves. It was just like debating with other people, but...you had to think harder about things, in a way, since each conviction posed against you really had been one you believed. It made you look at how and why you had changed, and if that change was really for the better. 

“Mm...he’s not an empath, but my boyfriend replays his memories of the day over and over while he sleeps. It sounds a little maddening...but he’s says it’s helped him notice things he’d overlooked, especially when he was on a case, that helped the investigation the next day. And getting to relive happy memories just sounds like a treat, honestly.”

Kokichi scratched his cheek, trying to think about what he’d even...want to look at in his own mind. “...there’s some stuff that would be nice to look at again, especially with a new perspective… Most of the time I’m pretty happy just taking the present as it comes, though. But if I’m bored and sleeping anyway, may as well get some fun out of it, I suppose.”

Temps nose scrunched up a bit, a look of distaste as he asked, “He relives his memories over and over, compulsively? Ugh… I know it’s not really their fault, but the things the empaths of Luminary have managed to whip together… it’d be impressive if it wasn’t so outrageously immoral. Something has to be done about them someday…”

The raven haired man sighed, frustrated. Empaths had, of course, tried to save their Luminary cousins from being captured and conscripted into the Indentured Program. But they had noticed way too little, way too late, what was happening, and the Flora had made the system far too difficult to dismantle by that point. You couldn’t reason with the Luminary society, because it had been so ingrained into their culture by that point that the subjugation and abuse just seemed normal to them, and too many of them would consider it a personal attack to even openly criticize the practice. 

On top of that, you couldn’t invade their consciousness’s because the Flora had defenses already put up for that and, the hive mind bastards, were far more coordinated at maintaining it minute by minute. You had to give the Flora credit… they had successfully made Luminary a very effective human farm. And it was impossible for the Luminary people to rebel against it, because they had no concept that their world had been boxed in at all, fighting against each other and never realizing that both you and your enemy were in the same damn cage, while the beings benefitting from your collective misery watched from the sidelines.

It was… frustrating. And Temp tried not to think about it that much, because while it was all reprehensible… it wasn’t really his problem, and even despite his own abilities, he wasn’t really in a position to do much about it, not without some help or leadership and a plan, and no one in the Empath community had been willing to step up to offer any of those things since the first round of empath leadership had been beaten down by the Flora.

He… he supposed he could but…

He thought about a life without passion or purpose and sighed, but only internally. Instead, not wanting Kokichi to see where his frustrated thoughts had led him, The Templar looked over to Kokichi and smirked slightly, “Should I leave you to it, or is there anything you think would be fun to explore with a nosy old man? That’s an offer you can entirely refuse, by the way, sharing memories can be a vulnerable feeling… though, I bet I have one or two you’d find fun. I could show you memories of things that literally don’t exist anymore, if you ever wanted to see them.”

Kokichi sighed softly. Shuuichi had taken his ability with some amount of pride, so Kokichi wasn’t stepping in there, but the whole indentured program...the things they did to people… Even within the empath community...he couldn’t give himself that loophole. He couldn’t burden his own people fighting someone else’s war, even if it made him sick to think about…

But the people were fighting their own war now, even if they didn’t know part of it. 

“Hopefully soon…” Kokichi hugged his leg to his chest, a vague impression of fondness towards an unshakable drive and compassion so deep it cut flowing through the room. “One of the big platforms of the revolution in Luminary is abolishing the slavery program. I don’t know how that would shake up for the empaths there, or what the Flora will do...but if there’s not a systematic way to kidnap people and break them...maybe then there’ll be a way forward in the other problems too.”

...maybe in the future he’d have enough control to be able to help out too. 

But he really couldn’t do much now, and definitely not from his sickbed. 

Kokichi smiled at Temp, finding it amusing, almost like the people at his bedside offering to share stories until he drifted off. And...probably nothing too big, but… “...they definitely still exist, but...have you ever seen baby sea turtles? We didn’t end up going to the right area when we went to the coast at the end of summer, but...I always heard it was really incredible to see.”

The Templar’s eyes widened slightly… before softening. A distant look on his face for a moment, something both fond and sad as he said, “I have a great memory of sea turtles hatching, actually. On the southern isles of Fein, back when it was a colony that had used to belong to Smoala. The island was called Hamasat Saghira, or, همسات صغيرة, if you wanted to try gargling while you said it. Little Whispers, cause you could hear the wildlife distantly in the summer by their larger island sister, Bidayat Shumus, Sun’s Beginning, بداية شموس, who named it before anyone moved there to inhabit it.”

“The population, while I visited there, was only 200 people. So the wildlife there was uninhibited and vast, for the small space. Tourism was less of a concept, back in that time, traveling being more painstacking then it is now, but if you had the good fortune of hearing about it and being near the area while it was happening, seeing the turtle beaches in hatching season was considered a divine experience, a sign of three gods, the earth goddess, the sea goddess, and the sun god, all working together to make something beautiful and vital. So, there was always a festival on the island, every year, to celebrate those gods, that people from the mainland and from the islands would come to the small island to celebrate their religions and people working together… but you could only be on the beach if you were chosen by a representative of the island, and were there to help the babies get to the ocean. It was vital they do this, because turtles were a main source of food for the mainland and all the larger islands, and so the more baby turtles to survive, the more plentiful the harvest in the years to come…”

Temp sighed, shaking his head. “Sorry, this isn’t the fun part of looking back at memories. I was just feeling nostalgic, I didn’t mean to talk so much. Would you like to see for yourself?”

Kokichi listened raptly, his mind painting a scene even despite the fact that Temp had offered to share a memory more literally. And...he’d see how it compared, but the festival for the turtles sounded so much like Dicean festivals. A celebration of the world that gave them life and the ability to keep living. A reminder that they were all just creatures living on the same planet so...be good to each other. 

But there was one thing that stood out to him. “I like listening...and it’s nice getting some context. Learning about people and their history...their lives. But…” Kokichi’s eyebrows furrowed curiously. “...the language you spoke for the names of places...when you said it with the proper accent and everything… What is it? I…”

Kokichi smirked a little, almost laughing at himself. “...I remember Kai-chan saying something that sounded...really familiar. And then he couldn’t even remember what he’d said, exactly. He said they were the names of mythical squids…”

Temp raised an eyebrow, before saying, “Oh, عربي, or, Arabic. It’s a fairly common language on that side of the world. The Smoalan’s spoke it as their main language, though you could find pockets of people that spoke other languages, and of course,” Temp rolled his eyes, “Fein, isolationist idiots that they are, had to speak a language their goddess invented that literally nowhere else in the world speaks. Guess that’s one effective way of keeping them from getting dangerous new ideas… the poor Southern Isles are still trying to play catch up in their economy, even all these centuries later, because of how badly that language barrier hurt them when they were first captured.”

“As for… a mythical squid? I mean… I know there’s a few mythical sea creatures in every culture… but a squid someone would know by its arabic name… mmm… maybe the kraken? الكراك? I mean, calling that thing a squid is kinda underselling it…”

“Arabic…” Kokichi softly hummed, not quite feeling confident enough to try saying the natural name. Talking with people all the way on the other side of the world would be quite the feat...but it wasn’t like it was impossible. Maybe it would be worth looking into seeing if anyone in Dicea was fluent, ask them to help make it so the language could be taught… Make it easier as travel developed to talk and trade with other nations…

A project for when he’d actually remember to do it. 

His brows furrowed a little more. “...I think that was it, yeah. Maybe… Kai-chan’s childhood mentor was from Fein so...maybe she’d told him stories about it and ended up using the Arabic name?” And Kaito’s childhood memories weren’t often the clearest… Maybe the name just hit him, then faded?

Kokichi shook his head, knowing how distracted he could get. “But! Baby sea turtles--yes, I’d like to see, if you wanna share the memory.”

Temp smirked again, before nodding. “Certainly… give me one moment.”

-

Celeste had a very important job today, she knew. Her job was to hold the big, big sun umbrella, which the four year old was doing a fantastic job of, she thought. Honestly, a much better job than Caleb was doing with his stupid stick.

And no, she wasn’t bitter that she didn’t get to hold one of the sticks this year. She was perfectly happy with the umbrella, which was much fancier anyway, and much better to protect the little baby turtles with. Which, frankly, she was very busy with, as hatching had begun, and thousands of little turtles were now waddling and shuffling their way out of the sand nests they had been buried in, and towards the ocean.

Celeste, and many other chosen families to participate in the hatchings this year, was blocking as many turtles as she could from hungry birds, shooing them away with her umbrella when they tried to bomb for turtles. Meanwhile, Caleb, who was eleven, had the job, like many others, of poking giant crabs back into the forest, so that they too couldn’t try to gnab the baby turtles. They couldn’t save all of them, but with the collective help of the families allowed to help? Many more would get to the ocean than otherwise would happen.

Caleb, who was keeping an eye on his little sister, reached out to grab her when he said, “Celeste, watch your feet, you almost stepped on an egg!”

Celeste pouted, before saying defiantly, “Nuh uh, no I didn’t.”

“You did, I watched you do it.”

“Dad! Caleb’s making up lies again!”

“Celeste, mind your brother. Caleb, be nice to your sister.” Temp called back lazily to them, before looking down at Kokichi. “Welcome to the islands, Kokichi. Please feel free to look around, I knew this beach pretty well, so there should be a lot to see. Though… I’m probably gonna take the opportunity to watch those two for a bit, if I’m honest.” Temp said, eyes scanning the thousands of baby turtles crawling around their feet, before looking fondly at the two children, doing their best to look over them.

Kokichi breathed in awe, still humbled by the sight of any coast, really, but seeing a completely new one, scattered with families and, oh man, so many hatching, wading baby turtles… It was almost enough to overshadow that the two nearest children in the memory...were Temp’s children. 

Things had happened quickly enough that he hadn’t mused too much on it, but Kokichi had put together that the stories and tips Temp had shared on the carriage ride to the swamp hadn’t been from friends or grandparents. Or, at least not all of them. A life hundreds of years long...was very full. 

Kokichi smiled a bit at the children before giving Temp a nod, gingerly stepping away to explore. “Thank you...it’s beautiful here. It feels like a nice place to call home. Aaaand I am a bit nosy myself, so I’ll be around...enjoy your memory.”

It maybe was a bit weird to say, but...well, just because the environment was different didn’t mean Kokichi would throw away all manners. He avoided the bulk of the beach, not really feeling like he could make himself hover right now, and too nervous to walk alongside all the turtles, but he was definitely close enough to peer and coo and marvel at...what he could absolutely see making a festival for, even aside from the bounty aspect. New life was always incredible, but seeing it like this...all at once, protected by others… Maybe it was just the feeling in the memory, but Kokichi felt a longing again to meet his daughter in the spring. 

Time went by, the baby turtles all aiming their way to the ocean. People came by and watched in between the festivities of the festival, pointing and smiling and talking adamantly to each other. Later, when the sun set, Temp would take his children to meet their mother at the festival, the four having a good time at the stalls while the children regaled her with stories of their heroism in saving the baby turtles. They’d eat warm food, play small games… a truly nice memory.

What was this...five...six hundred years ago?

Having these children was one of the trades his god had asked him to make. But, as far as trades went, it was one of Temp’s happier payments. To make people for specific purposes, people with ‘divine’ purpose, gods needed to negotiate and trade and work together… it was impossible to do it alone, each god too specialized and none individually, powerful enough to to create a person by themselves. Temp guessed that had been done on purpose. If gods could make people by themselves, they would all end up doing it all the time, convinced that the people they’d make in their own image would be better than what nature itself would create. The ability to mass produce people was too powerful a thing for one being to have a lone, even the gods. It all required compromise. Trade. Balance.

...Celeste had fulfilled her divine purpose. Caleb, though…

Temp had no idea what his sons purpose had meant to be, but he hopes he hadn’t really traded Caleb’s future for the hardships he had ended up enduring. He hoped his sons difficulties in life, in support of his sisters purpose, hadn’t been the point. Sometimes people didn’t fulfil their purpose. Free will and all that. But Caleb had ended up just having a very difficult life, until he was finally able to retire on the largest island in his forties, and just lived quietly for the rest of his days, recovering from his life… it had been hard for Temp to watch. His proud, strong, brave son, just quietly withdraw from the world.

...Temp called his son over and pulled the surprised pre-teen into a hug, rubbing his back.

“Dad?”

“Mmm?”

“Something wrong?”

“No. Just wanted to hold you. You know I’m very proud of you, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“And I love you very much.”

“Daaaaaad.” Caleb whined, starting to wiggle in his fathers arms.

“Yeah, yeah, you brat. Can’t hug your old man in public, far too grown for that, huh? Fine, go watch over your sister. I love you.” Temp sighed, sending his son off, Caleb giving him an incredulous look before running down the beach to walk with his little sister, who was determinedly cheering on a few late bloomers, still poking themselves out of their shells.

...yeah.

This particular trade had been one of the better ones.

In some ways, life was life, but there were things that clearly painted the island as being...well, very, very far from Dicea, at the very least. Kokichi didn’t know enough of the other side of the world to proclaim that what he saw in the memory was indicative of it. But the types of plants around, the color of the sky, the feel of the sand...Temp had an incredibly vivid memory of this island. The familiarity of home, Kokichi supposed. 

After a bit, he just crouched at the side of the beach, watching the turtles with a pleased, admiring look on his face. Sea turtles had a hard lot...they weren’t a social species. They couldn’t be born in the ocean, so female turtles had to brave going up onto land, making a little cave to lay eggs in, then trusting that the cave would last, heading back to the ocean to continue life. Then little turtles hatched, which was its own barrel of issues, getting stuck in their egg shells… And had to wade their way to the surf, faced with predators mere minutes after birth. Stuck on disadvantageous turf, their mobility made for water, not land. 

But in Dicea, and in this island, at least at this time...people saw that, and chose to help. Using their power of strength and size and intelligence to protect little creatures practically set up to fail…

Using your advantages to help those who didn’t have them…

...the turtles were so cute. He hoped they’d make it to the beach to see the Dicean turtles one of these years. They wouldn’t be volunteers to help the turtles but...he could imagine showing Baby the process anyway. Sharing the appreciation of life with her. 

Kokichi glanced up just in time to see Temp’s son run off from him. Life was so special...and it was one of the best things to be able to share it with people you cared about. Worth even the pain of having to say goodbye one day.

As the sun set… it was silly, of course. Memories were just that. Treating them like actual people was more self-indulgent than anything… but still, when he was ready to go talk to Kokichi, instead of leaving his children alone, Temp made a copy of himself, who only lived in the memory, to go fetch them from the beach and start the rest of their night in the festival.

Watching his children leave, Temp sighed, before reaching out for Kokichi, finding him, amusingly, at the farthest part of the beach. Materializing next to him, he said, “Well? Enjoy your day at the beach?” Looking around, he said, “Next time, if you’d like too, you can invite a friend. I enjoy sharing memories. Fun experiences are better when shared with other people, and since it’s hard not to be distracted by the personal nature of those memories, I know it’s tough to spend time with me while we’re in here.”

Kokichi shook his head softly, feeling calm and happy from watching the life around him. “Sometimes spending time with someone doesn’t require interaction. This was incredible, Temp. And maybe it’s not anything you can quantify, but I do feel like we know each other a little better now. Still...if you don’t mind, I’m a fan of sharing these kinds of things too. Experiences are different with every person and combination you have them with.”

He stood from his spot on the sandy brush, patting himself off just from reflex, stretching a little. Laughing softly. “I mean...I always hope that I’ll start to remember when I wake up, but I at least hope I remember some of this as a nice dream. I know one isn’t a sample size, but you have some lovely memories. If you ever find yourself wanting to spend time at the castle that you can’t do in real life, I’m definitely your guy there!”

He may not have anything particularly interesting in terms of places for the Templar to visit in his memories, but...he still offered to share. Who knew what Temp may find interesting?

Giving his friend a grin, Kokichi gently teased, “Should I leave you to your drinking night now?”

In the real world, Temp looked around slightly, a little… disappointed with his environment. He liked talking to random people, he liked doing random hookups. It was a low key, low maintenance way of getting his socializing in over the years without, ya know…

...it complicates any relationship, being a near immortal templar of death. To know how unbalanced the trade of that relationship was always destined to be. A partner could dedicate their entire life to him… but he’d only ever be able to give them back a brief moment of his own.  And that was only if the relationship worked out. Temp didn’t like taking two, three, ten years from someone, only for the relationship to fail, knowing they had wasted a literal 20% of their total lifespan on him, while he had risked almost nothing in return. 

… it wasn’t fair. Looking for real romantic partners. It was never an equal relationship, and Temp had decided a long time ago to stop doing it.

...but he did miss that closeness of family. And between spending time with his children and sitting in this bar, one clearly felt better than the other. Sigh…

Well, maybe he should think about adopting again…

In the dream, Temp nodded, “I suppose so, yeah. It was nice spending time with you Kokichi. I hope you start feeling better soon… oh! Happy Unity, by the way. I hope you and your family have a good one.”

“Happy Unity,” Kokichi wished back, that same worry pinging in the back of his head, but...there was nothing to do about it. Strength of will had never made him recover more quickly, and he was already cheating time with the piece Taka had given him. There was always...next Unity, he supposed. He hoped his family liked their presents, at least, even if he would only be able to gift them late. 

For a moment, Kokichi put a companionable hand on Temp’s arm. “Don’t let someone not even a fraction of your age tell you how to feel, but...care is care, no matter the duration. I know there are people thinking about you this Unity too. Don’t be too surprised if I try to set something up with you, Amber, and Stacy once I’m better. Goodnight, Temp.”

Kokichi let himself be pulled back into his own mind, then laid back in bed, the blurry room fading until he was truly asleep once again. The Kokichi in the physical world smiling slightly in his sleep, comfortable under a heated blanket that felt like a sun shining over a beach filled with sea turtles. 

-

Kokichi spent most of his time sleeping, which at this point, was probably for the best. Hajime, Haneda, and Ikou were all invaluable at the moment, Haneda taking Timothy shopping for Unity day gifts (and also keeping the kid occupied while his dad was worried by sick Kokichi concerns. He was trying to be more there for Timothy this time, but the kid wasn’t unobservant. He knew his father was distracted.), Hajime bringing back and forth meals, and Ikou watching over Kokichi during times where Kaito and Shuichi both had to be out, Shuichi trying to work with Nadya and Kaito, a little shame-faced, still wanting to finish putting together his presents that he had been working on before this had started.

Maybe leaving his husband at his bed to finish getting a present put together was… the wrong move. But when Kaito considered just abandoning it, his mind guiltily went to Shuichi and…

He just really wanted this to be ready for Unity.

But, all of that said, everything coordinated and working as well as it could, Shuichi and Kaito were now both in the room, eating an early dinner. There was tea and broth waiting for Kokichi, but Kokichi was still asleep, and Kaito wanted to finish eating before he roused his husband to get some nourishment inside of him, worried Kokichi might fuss a little and need some persuading to stay awake and try to eat.

Which was probably for the best, since his other partner was also being fussy.

“Come on, man, what’s the matter?”

“I told you already… I’m feeling nauseous.”

“Then just take the medicine I brought you. Seriously, Shuichi, we know how to handle this. Drink the tablet, your stomach will settle, you can eat.”

“...it makes me tired…”

“Well, we’re near the end of the day anyway?” Kaito insisted, putting aside his food and heading over to Shuichi, putting his arms around his shoulders and kissing at the side of his head as Shuichi stared miserably at the food on his plate, “You can be a little sleepy, it’s alright… you’ll feel better doing that then you will skipping a meal.”

“I’m not skipping it, I’m just gonna eat it later, Kaito.”

“Uh huh.” Kaito said, clearly not believing it, before saying soothingly, “Come on… what’s wrong…”

Shuichi’s brow furrowed, a frustrated look on his face as he said, teeth hissing, “I told you what’s wrong. I’m not being ‘difficult’, I just don’t want to-”

“Come on, man, you always feel nauseous, but you never just don’t do the things you need to. You’re in a bad mood, that’s why you’re not taking care of yourself. What’s the matter, you can tell me-”

“Ngh! I’ve already… augh!” Shuichi shook Kaito off, getting up and storming off to the bathroom, slamming it shut. 

“Shuichi! Hey… dammit…” Kaito ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. Shuichi was in one of his low moods again… damn. 

Alright. That was fine. He’d give Shuichi some time to cool off, work on Kokichi, and then try again with him. It was okay. He’d handle this…

Quickly finishing his own food, Kaito went to go wake Kokichi, gently touching at his face, his neck, talking as he applied pressure, rousing him little by little.

Slowly, Kokichi woke up, groaning softly as he was pulled from sleep. That day, he was mostly awake only to eat and take medicine, sleeping soundly the rest of the time to try and rebuild his strength...not that Kokichi felt particularly rested or strong whenever he woke up. But he would in a few days’ time, and that’s what mattered in the end. 

Kokichi blinked awake, smiling slightly at the sight of Kaito, humming something that might’ve been a greeting with any more coherency. And, eventually, he did get to that point. “Mornin’... Or...evenin’? Shuu-chan woke me for lunch last…” He sighed, eyeing the last vestiges of golden light fading into purples across their room, seeing that his guess was right. 

“Help me sit up? I could do it by...mm. By myself earlier, but ‘m still...groggy…” Kokichi sighed a yawn, still looking more like he’d fall asleep into his broth, but he wasn’t fighting eating at all. Thankfully nausea passed him by for the moment. 

...but, speaking of…

Kokichi turned his head gently, looking around their room. “Where’s Shuu-chan?”

Kaito looked at Kokichi adoringly, leaning over to kiss him gently on the cheek a few times, before putting his hands against his waist and on the back of his neck, lifting him up into a sitting position, rearranging the pillows so that they’d be comfortable to lean against before shifting him to lay back against them. “It’s five, babe. We decided to eat a little early, since probably we’ll all be going to bed a little early.”

Leaning over to give Kokichi another small kiss, Kaito went to go put together his tea first, and as he poured it, he said with a small sigh, “Our Shuichi’s not feeling super good right now. I don’t know, you know how it is… guys just feeling a little grumpy. He went to hide in the bathroom… he’ll feel better in a second.”

Sitting next to Kokichi, Kaito grinned at him, offering him the tip of the glass as he said, “How are you feeling, babe? No ones expecting you to be a hundred any time soon, but the fact that you could move a little earlier is a good sign, right?”

Kokichi basked in the light kisses, his husband’s affection making it a little easier to accept being awake. It was easier to bear the weak ache of his body when he was smothered in kisses and affectionate touches. Some of the time, anyway. 

He was able to scoot himself a little against the propped up pillows, making the final adjustments once Kaito had done the heavy lifting, getting himself in a position that would be easy to eat in, and he could rest back if he lost his energy. Progress was slow, but there. 

So...maybe it was time for some different progress. 

Kokichi frowned slightly at the bathroom door, Kaito’s comment of grumpiness reminding Kokichi...but he did need to take his medicine. Taking a sip, able to bring an arm up against the cup, if not supporting any of its weight, just for balance, Kokichi hummed. “M sleepy… But I am getting better. Maybe enough to move onto more solid foods soon...but we’ll see. I can adjust myself, but until I can reliably sit up on my own, I’ll just have to enjoy the flavorful broths our talented chefs make up for me. Even if I’m totally spoiled having regular food.”

Quirking something of a smirk, the smile faded as Kokichi glanced to the bathroom door. “...just cause he gets more emotional than usual doesn’t mean that his hormones are the only thing that’s up. We shouldn’t write off his feelings like that… What was he upset about?”

Kaito patiently kept his hands steady, knowing Kokichi had an easier time just guiding Kaito’s grip than he did holding the cup himself. He also was happy, and at the exact same time kinda sad, to hear Kokichi talk about being ‘spoiled’ on solid foods. It sucked to think that Kokichi thought of himself as being able to eat solid foods as more irregular than not. 

… they’d just take it one day at a time. Today it was broth. Maybe tomorrow it’d be rice. It was gonna be okay.

“Oh, I know… we’ve talked about this before.” Kaito said, more musingly than seriously, not realizing Kokichi was trying to have a serious conversation with him. “Guys got, like… a bunch of stuff weighing on his mind. I don’t really know when to talk to him about therapy, though… I’m worried the ideas gonna scare him.”

Glancing at the bathroom, Kaito said, “But this is definitely just a hormone thing. He just doesn’t want to eat, and he refuses to take the tablet that’ll let him eat. He’s just down… and it’s harder to take good advice when you’re feeling like that, ya know?” Looking back to Kokichi, Kaito gave his husband a soft look, as he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get through to him. He just needs some encouragement! It’ll be fine.”

Kokichi sighed softly, but just kept sipping on his tea. Of course, it would be great if he could drink both his tea and the broth, but if he couldn’t handle both, either from energy or appetite, it was more important that he finished his medicine, so it was better to get it down at a good pace. 

...if you didn’t feel like eating...it was important to be able to have all the nutrients and energy you needed, but...there were a lot of ways to ensure that. 

“I do think that’s a conversation we should have at some point, but I’m not talking about therapy,” Kokichi started. Kaito was so calm...had been so...confident in his decisions lately, even if he knew Kaito was worried about him all the time. He didn’t want to make his husband hang his head and go back into his shell for a while...but he didn’t want Shuuichi to be hurt for him to flourish. 

“When you’re upset...sometimes you don’t always express it as you mean to. But...being told that you’re just having a tantrum or just being hormonal and grumpy…” Kokichi took a small breath, trying not to let his voice shrink. “...it’s really invalidating. Patronizing. Makes you feel helpless…”

“...and I do agree. It’s hard to take advice when you’re down or convinced things are a certain way...and Shuu-chan should eat,” he tried to encourage, his lips thinning a little as he tried to balance the perspectives of both his loves. “But...there are other ways to make it more appealing, or help him out than the nausea medication. And just...sending him to “time out” until he does things the way you’ve decided is...hurtful…”

He didn’t mean to, but Kokichi braced himself, worriedly searching Kaito’s face for that horrible immediate retreat.

Kaito looked at Kokichi, mildly alarmed at the softening, nervous voice, searching Kokichi’s expression, trying to get a read on what was going on here…

And then Kaitos brow furrowed. A frustrated look on his face as he said, some offense in his voice, “I haven't sent him to time out. Shuichi ran from me, I didn’t try to escape this conversation from him.”

Sighing, chewing on the inside of his cheek a little, Kaito grumbled, “But, okay, I see what’s happened. He went to talk to you about something, right? Something he’s afraid to talk to me about, so he went to you, and now you’re trying to have this conversation for him… ngh…dammit Shuichi…”

Lowering the tea for a moment, closing his eyes, Kaito collected his frustration… before opening them, looking a little more regretful as he said, “Shit, I’m not thrilled this is how he’s handling being upset with me, but… if he’s afraid to talk to me, that’s probably partly on me, right? Hell, you’re practically shrinking trying to talk to me now… dammit… I don’t want you two to be afraid of me…”

Looking over at Kokichi, Kaito forced the tension out of his shoulders as he said, softly, “Alright, before I drag him out of there… what’s happening? Are you two afraid I’ll lose my temper, or… you know I’d never hurt you, right? I know my… my history doesn’t support that, but I’m swearing to you, right now, I’d rather fucking die then put my hands on either of you...”

...annoyance? Blatant annoyance? And no...no anxious ‘I’m sorry I make things worse’ look?

Seeing that…

Kokichi blinked in surprise, not having expected this sort of reaction at all! But...that was good? It was good!

Letting out a breath he wasn’t intentionally holding, Kokichi smiled gently and reached out to touch Kaito’s hand. “No, we’re not scared you’ll hurt us. Not even a passing thought. It’s just…” He sighed. “You care about us, and whenever Shuu-chan and I need help, you’re always doing your best to be whatever we need. And we really love that about you, you know?”

“So...when we have a problem with that help...or...yeah, he did talk to me about stuff, so… Shuu-chan isn’t happy about the way we’ve been treating him. And we know you’re doing what you think is right, and that you want to help, so...we didn’t wanna hurt your feelings and...make you feel like you haven’t been helping. Because you have a whole hell of a lot!” Kokichi confirmed, nodding once to emphasize that point. “But you can be all or nothing sometimes, and we didn’t want you to feel like your help is bad. That’s all.”

...they weren’t talking to him because he was insecure?

Damn it.

He… he could handle criticism! Hell, he thought he handled criticism great! He was always ready to back down when the others brought something up! He did his best to… to… to not make things worse and listen to Kokichi and…

Kaito frowned. 

… why did he assume he was making things worse?

Ngh, no, he… he kinda knew why. It was why he had wanted to talk to Miss Crystal about… his childhood training sessions. Cause, like… he wasn’t stupid, okay? If your childhood authority figure makes… makes your brother… he makes him… (it was...really hard to think about this still… it hurt a lot…)... if he makes him fucking h-hurt you and humiliate you e-every time you… try to do anything on your own then… then maybe… maybe he did all of that for a reason. Not just to make Byakuya better.

But maybe too… make Kaito… worse.

And it  sucked to think about it that way. It really, really hurt Kaito’s pride to consider that. Because doing those things to make his brother the best leader he could be, while fucking awful, was still, like, at least… at least that made some sense. It meant Kaito’s suffering had had purpose. To think that any of it had happened just been… you weren’t supposed to… his parents would have never allowed Tengan to condition him. They’d have never allowed it! They loved him! They… they wouldn’t have just let all that bad stuff happen unless it was for some greater purpose.

It couldn’t have all just happened because his parents had never bothered to look into the damn private lessons.

Because… because that’d be so irresponsible and… and both he and Byakuya had asked them for help and if they hadn’t approved of it did that mean they just… had ignored them?

… he wanted to believe they cared more than that…

Fuck. He needed to focus. Okay, so, Kokichi said they were struggling to talk to him because they were afraid he’d feel shitty about himself. So… put yourself in their shoes. What if, every time you scolded Kokichi for something, Kokichi’s response was just to hate himself a little more… to shrink further and further into himself. To chip away at himself to please you.

Would you still feel okay scolding hm?

...no. Kaito wouldn’t feel okay telling Kokichi anything, if that was how his husband reacted. Hell, hadn’t that been partly why he had lost his shit on ‘Koh’ their first ever argument? Kokichi running from him just cause he had thought Kaito was mocking him? It was hard to talk to someone who reacted that strongly to anything. You eventually just kept things to yourself just to keep the peace, to not make the other person feel worse, and seeing that in the ‘boy’ had frustrated the shit out of Kaito.

(He still shouldn’t have handled that by actually mocking him right afterwards, though. Kaito had been plenty to blame for that whole incident, and even not having an ‘its all my fault’ monster in his head didn’t change the reality of that.)

So… Kaito was putting his partners in that position. Where they couldn’t say anything to him without him reacting too strongly. Okay… okay…

“Damn it… one of these days I’m gonna work out how to communicate to you guys…” Kaito grumbled, before sighing. “Alright. Finish your tea, babe, I’ll grab Shuichi, then we’ll work on your broth. We’ll work this out.”

...had something happened at therapy? Kokichi was inclined to think yes, because he had no idea what else could inspire this sort of turn around, but...something had been different with Kaito when they were both in the med ward. Maybe he’d just come to some internal epiphany…

...whatever it was, it inspired a soft, but fiercely proud smile on Kokichi’s face before he leaned forward a little to finish off his tea. “We’re all always learning… And I’m sorry for being obtuse about it. But...I’m glad we can talk.”

Once Kokichi was settled, Kaito went to put away the tea cup, bringing over the broth bowl to the nightstand before going to the door of the bathroom. He briefly considered just opening the damn thing (their bathroom still didn’t have a lock) but… he knew he was only thinking that because he was frustrated. He wouldn’t want anyone else to just barge their way into his partners ‘space’, so he wasn’t willing to do it himself.

So, knocking on the door, Kaito called out, “Hey, Shuichi? Bud? Come on, I… I’m sorry, alright? Would you come out so we can talk?”

“I don’t need to talk about anything!” Shuichi shouted back, his voice clearly strained. “I’m fine!”

Ugh, it really did sound like Shuichi was just lost in his feelings right now. It sounded like a tantrum, and that he probably just needed time to cool down… but if that as really all it was, Shuchi wouldn’t have felt the need to go to Kokichi, and Kokichi wouldn’t have felt the need to bring it up right now. So, there was more going on here…

Kaito tried to think of what he could say that would lure Shuichi out…

“Shuichi?” Kaito called through the door again… before saying softly, “I don’t understand what’s going on. You know how I am man… I need my detective to come spell this out to me. If you leave me to figure it out on my own, I’m gonna come up with all sorts of loopy conclusions, and all of them are gonna miss the mark… please?”

There was a small beat… and then an annoyed sigh from the other side, Shuichi opening the door and glaring his tear-stained eyes at Kaito as he said, “You know you’re ‘help me’ schtick doesn’t actually fool me, right? I know you ask me for help when you want to pressure me to do something.”

“I’m pressuring you to help me.” Kato said, giving Shuichi a soft look, not thrilled to see Shuichi had been crying in there.

“You don’t need help. You just want me to feel bad for you and come out and talk to you.”

“Coming out and talking to me would help a lot.” Kaito grinned, something half smug and half sheepish as he said, “Help me understand this?”

Shuichi glared at him for a moment… before just walking past him, crawling into the bed next to Kokichi and resting his head on the pillow propped up next to him as he grumbled, “Hello Kokichi. Glad you're awake again.”

Kaito’s shoulders slumped slightly, but, well… at least he was out of the bathroom. Grabbing the broth and the chait they kept by the bed, Kaito went and brought it to the other side of the bed, since Shuichi was now blocking the side it had been on, resettling before saying, “Alright, before anyone says anything, Kokichi, lets get a little bit of broth into you. I want you to eat while you have the energy to.”

Kokichi watched Kaito try to coax Shuuichi out of the bathroom as he rested back on the pillows, just able to hear the barest bit of Shuuichi’s voice through the door...and what he heard didn’t sound...good. It probably wasn’t even totally about the nausea, but feeling so ill couldn’t be helping at all. Hopefully, after they’d sorted things out, they could come up with a way that would help Shuuichi get the food he needed without feeling like crap. 

He smiled as Shuuichi relented to Kaito’s pleas, moving his hand over slightly to touch against Shuuichi’s arm. Just for a greeting, if his boyfriend didn’t want to be touched. “Hey, Shuu-chan. Glad to be awake.” ...his eyes were puffy…

Kokichi conceded to eating his dinner before they really got into things...but he couldn’t help admitting, “Shuu-chan… I started to bring up what we talked about before. I don’t wanna speak for you though so...maybe we should start from the beginning? With what you told me the…” Kokichi looked a bit unsure for a moment. “...other day?”

“Yesterday.” Shuichi provided immediately. Still feeling like he just wanted to snap at Kaito, wanted to run off again, wanted to make Kaito worry because maybe it was fine to leave Kaito worried and upset and wondering where the hell Shuichi was…

… but as much as Shuichi had some legitimate worries and concerns, about his relationship with Kaito, he also knew some of those hotter, more furious feelings, the feelings that made him want to lash out specifically, really was his body being mean to him. That didn’t mean everything he said was coming from just his hormones! But… yeah, the lashing out feeling probably was…

So, Shuichi started to furiously play with one of the frayed ends of the pillow case, trying hard to think through the aches and pains and heat in his body as he eventually said… “Kaito, do you even like me?”

Kaito’s eyes couldn’t have gone wider. “Wha-”

“No, no, no, I’m sorry, that’s not what I’m trying to say, I’m sorry… that just came out… why is it so hard to just say what I mean these days…”

Kaito sighed, filling the soon with another bite of broth and bringing it to Kokichi as he said, “We’ve talked about that, Shuichi. It’s your hormones, handsome, they mess with your-”

“It’s not just my hormones! Not everything is, is, is just because I’m pregnant, or I’m on pollen, or…” Shuichi huffed, forcing himself to sit up, grunting from the effort but managing to sit cross legged as he gave Kaito an angry, desperate look as he said, “S-sometimes I feel like you’re dating a mish-mash of, of, symptoms and not me! Like… like the real Shuichi just vanished six months ago!”

Kaito looked at Shuichi, a little baffled, not understanding what Shuichi was trying to say. Carefully, he said slowly, “...I’m…  he’s not? You’re not? Vanished. You’re right here, handsome…”

“Then why don’t you treat me like that!?”

“...I really don’t understand…”

“Yesterday…” Okay, so he wasn’t losing track of time too much. Maybe a small thing to worry about considering what they were about to talk about, but still. The more he had his head on straight, the better. 

He was a part of their relationship, and Kokichi had been treating Shuuichi in the unfair way that brought this on, but...it was something that Shuuichi and Kaito needed to talk out between them too. Have a moment, just like Kokichi’d gotten with Shuuichi earlier. And, well, focusing on eating his broth was as good an excuse as any to keep quiet for a bit, though...it was hard not to jump in when he felt Shuuichi’s frustrated desperation again. 

Keeping his hands in his lap now, Kokichi rubbed the side of his thumb a bit. “...well...while I was unconscious? And the last time it happened too… You stayed by me pretty much constantly, Kai-chan? And while we’ve talked about my own feelings on that...you told me yourself you were shooing Shuu-chan away from looking over me. But...after I had my heart attack, and before we knew about the pollen...you felt totally comfortable leaving me in Shuu-chan’s care for...hours. And we weren’t even dating then.”

“It is a case study, but…” Kokichi looked over to Shuuichi for confirmation, not wanting to put words in his boyfriend’s mouth. “...going from that level of trust, of you relying on Shuu-chan not just to keep me safe, but doing so in a way that you felt comfortable leaving...to not even being allowed to see me, pretty much? That’s a case of treating someone incredibly differently.”

Kaito felt his shoulders tense, his jaw clicking… but not to the point where he needed to cool himself down thinking of his stupid fucking rock, at least. He just…

“Shuichi? Is all that right?”

Shuichi could look cold when he wanted too. A frigid golden gaze simply met his, Shuichi looking pissed and unimpressed, before nodding. “Yes.” he said, “I feel like…” the cold look eased, but only because it was hard to look cold and indifferent when your eyes start to burn hot again with tears, “I feel like… I knew why we were friends? And all the things you… y-you used to say were what you liked about me. All the things that you said drew you to me… you act like I’m not any of those things anymore. So.. s-so what is it you like about me, Kaito? Because you clearly don’t think I’m calm, and reliable, and intelligent, and strong anymore… you treat me like… fuck, Kaito, you treat me less like a person now than when I was an indentured. Like if you don’t hold my hand constantly, I’m gonna run off and get myself killed like some stupid animal…”

Kaito’s face tightened with rage. Wanting to argue hotly against this… accuse Shuichi of just being irrational. Kaito was not treating Shuichi that badly, for fucks sake…

… but Kaito took a breath. And, tensely, he asked Shuichi, “Is that actually what you wanted to say to me?”

Shuichi looked for a second like he wanted to spit out a viscous yes… but there was a small, conflicted look on his face…

Kaito sighed, offering Kokichi more broth, “Miss Crystal always tells me that even if I say something I don’t mean in the heat of anger, then I shouldn’t be embarrassed to try saying what I really mean again afterwards… and, hell, maybe that is what you really mean. But if you want to try again… I’ll wait for you to get your thoughts together.”

Shuichi looked furious for a second… but, actually, yeah, there was already one or two things he had said that he hadn’t meant, that he had just spat out in anger while trying to explain himself…

So, after a moment, Shuichi tried again as he said, slower, picking his words more carefully, “...sometimes I don’t feel like an equal part of this relationship. And I worry that you don’t see me as the same person you were friends with, before all this happened… and if I’m not that person anymore, I don’t understand why we’re even in a relationship… do you just feel obligated to me? Because… that’s what it feels like sometimes. Like I’m less of a partner and more something you’re taking care of.”

Kaito let out a breath, before nodding, “Okay… okay. Just… give me a second to think, handsome…”

Again, Kokichi felt that spot in his heart aching. Having a relationship with three people involved...it had its own boons and snags from a monogamous relationship. And while power dynamics were something to consider in any relationship...well, hell. Kokichi had been worried for ages that he was just some add-on to the actual relationship between Kaito and Shuuichi. They each likely had their anxieties about where they stood. 

It was just...when worry was based on behavior, that it made things hard. Kokichi really believed they all saw each other as equal parts in their relationship...but sometimes there was a disconnect, and that was what they were trying to talk through now. 

And...they were doing so...pretty damn responsibly. Kokichi couldn’t completely hide the surprised look on his face when Kaito took something that, even knowing Shuuichi could be more acidic than he meant to be, Kokichi felt he’d crumble under, and just...patiently asked if it was right. Trying to get at the heart of the problem. 

(What had happened??? It was...kind of incredible.)

Kokichi felt the stirrings of things he wanted to say, like how of course Shuuichi wasn’t the person he’d been before, because none of them were, because people were always changing and they tended to change the most in the face of intense situations, and hoo boy they’d been through a lot! But just because Shuuichi had changed didn’t mean that he was a stranger to who he had been, and with each little change, they found that they loved that new person too. 

...but he managed to hold all that back, because that wasn’t a question that had been asked to him, and Kokichi had barely known Shuuichi before the pollen. They didn’t have over a decade of time spent together to compare to (even if Kokichi had a feeling that Shuuichi had been changing in all those years too, and Kaito had still loved every version). Shuuichi was asking something of Kaito, and Kokichi couldn’t speak for either of them. He could help communication along, and participate when it came to the overall structure and feeling of their relationship, but...he would let Kaito speak for himself. That was the point. 

...still, Kokichi reached out his hand to lay over Shuuichi’s, weakly holding it. 

Getting a little bit more of broth down, Kaito thought hard. Again… if Shuichi felt like this? His friend wasn’t irrational… being grumpy or hormonal wasn’t the same as being unable to see reason. This wasn’t coming out of nowhere. Kaito trusted that. So…

Thinking of what Shuichi and Kokichi had both said by now, Kaito started with, speaking slowly, “...I… am treating you like you’re more fragile, now, Shuichi, because you are more fragile now… Koki…” Kaito hesitated. This felt cruel… but he swallowed hard and furrowed his brow and said, “When the riots happened… Kokichi, your mother… did they beat her? Throw her in the streets? Cut at her?”

Kaito looked at Kokichi, and realized that while he was trying to make a point, he really should be asking . He didn’t actually know… but he had always suspected, based on the way people talked about it and how Diceans were as a people, “Or did they just scare the shit out of her and the pregnancy went deadly from the stress? Because that’s where my fears for Shuichi’s pregnancy comes from. I know my Shuichi is strong and capable and reliable… but you also have panic attacks, handsome.” Kaito said, turning to Shuichi, an honestly stressed and frightened look on his face as he said, “And they physically shake you. They make it impossible for you to breathe, until half the time you pass out. They make every muscle in your body tense up like they’re made of rocks… Shuichi, at least believe me when I say my fear for you right now isn’t a personality thing. Your body is just… in a difficult place right now. And I’m terrified of anything happening to you or Baby.”

For a moment, Kokichi just stared at his husband, not having expected that question. In a million years he wouldn’t have expected it. And...for a moment after that moment, his lips thinned and his shoulders hunched, and Kokichi couldn’t bring his gaze up any higher than the bedspread. 

...because he didn’t know. 

He’d never been told any of the details of the riots, not even Nao had said a word about them to him. He didn’t like hearing the details of how people had suffered, so most of the time he was thankful for it, but...sometimes it did bother him. Not knowing the state his mother had been in. ...but he’d take that incredibly rare uncomfortable uncertainty than knowing for sure what it had been like. For once...he could be ignorant. 

(Of any memory he could explore, Kokichi never wanted to see that one. He hadn’t been thinking of it at the time, but he’d been...absurdly lucky not to stumble into his father’s last memory of his mother.)

But then Kaito clarified and...well, he could answer that much. 

“It was physical,” he managed to whisper. Knowing enough to know that there had been blood in the streets. That there had to be blockades put up in the hospital to keep people from going at each other even while they were being treated. ...a lot of things that were hard to imagine today. But Dicea had changed a lot since the days before Kokichi was born. 

He took a shaky breath, his hands trembling in his lap even as he tried to calm down. “But...the stress didn’t help. Panic attacks are dangerous for...anyone, in any shape or walk of life… And...during pregnancy...you’re not only risking damage to the baby, or miscarriage...but putting yourself through the risks of pregnancy mishaps on top of having a panic attack.”

“...but as someone that’s basically been on that danger meter my entire life…” Kokichi swallowed, losing his breath for a moment before regaining his pattern. “...it’s frustrating. Even if it’s needed, and you know it’s needed, it’s frustrating. My feelings and Shuu-chan’s feelings aren’t invalid. But...I think he still has a point in feeling that...on top of that...some things are excessive…”

Kaito closed his eyes, a flash of guilt running through him. He had known that was going to be a harsh thing to say either way, but he had said it really believing that the whole thing had likely been an accident of, what Kaito had in the recent months started mentally envisioning as, little more than a protest gone wrong. Like maybe the Diceans had been angry and getting reckless and started destroying property, or had just smothered her with the heat of an angry crowd too packed in tightly around her... he had believed they couldn’t have possibly meant to kill her on purpose.

In his time here, Kaito just… hadn’t seen any signs that Diceans had that level of malicious violence even in them, let alone the ability to take it out on a pregnant woman part of a family that the country as a whole seemed to adore… but, well. He supposed it was just another example of being an outsider looking in, trying desperately to decipher things with small pockets of information. Which was fine… culture shock was a thing and it was okay that he struggled with it, as Miss Crystal kept saying, but…

He hadn’t wanted to hurt his husband with that ignorance.

Putting the spoon down for a moment, worryingly popping his joints, Kaito said quietly, “Sorry ‘Kichi… I didn’t mean to bring up bad shit…”

Shuichi, too, looked drained at that. Not necessarily the heavy feeling of bad memories being shoved in Kokichi’s face, though that didn’t help, but the sheer… hopeless, helplessness of telling someone you thought you weren’t being treated well, and them responding that it was ‘for your own good’... and them frustratingly having a point. It… it wasn’t fair…

Thankfully, Kokichi was able to vocalize the feelings Shuichi was struggling with, the youngest among them having dealt with this same issue much longer than either of them. 

“Exactly. Kaito, when you first got here, you were ready to fight everyone in this castle for treating Kokichi the way you’ve been treating me lately… yes, fine, okay, physically I’m not in the best place right now, but it doesn’t help me to treat me like I’m invalid! Not waking me up when there’s trouble, sending Hajime to babysit me, making all these decisions for me based on my health…” Shuichi grit his teeth… before sighing, looking a little defeated as he said, “Sometimes I don’t mind it, sure. Sometimes it’s sweet… but Kaito, even when I ask you to stop, you keep doing it. You guilt me into backing down, or just pretend like we’re not having an argument when we are until I just give up from frustration… I’m not helpless. If I tell you to stop doing something, it’s because I don’t need it, and I… I need you to trust me.”

Kaito wanted to argue that Shuichi and Kokich’s situation was the same, but for different reasons than Shuichi was arguing. The castle had put those restrictions on a kid. Sure, they were still pretty harsh on a teenager, but those restrictions had been put in place when Kokichi physically wasn’t in a good enough place to go without them, just like Shuichi, physically, wasn’t in a good place now. That when things were better, like they had gotten for Kokichi, then in the same way, Kaito would let up the same way the castle had! 

… but the argument died on his lips. It felt wrong. He’d need time to really sit down and analyze why it felt wrong, but it did, on some fundamental level. Even with the knowledge that the castle had acted way more responsibly then Kaito had originally believed being corrected… there was always something to it that felt wrong to him.  Even if he couldn’t define it anymore.

...maybe he should follow that gut instinct and apply it to Shuichi too…

Maybe Shuichi had a point. Everything that had felt wrong to Kaito about Kokichi’s life, even if it had been justified… maybe that same vague, abusive feeling applied to how Kaito was treating Shuichi as well… dammit. 

...maybe it was just as Shuichi had said. Maybe it was just that breach of trust. Of going even when Kaito knew Shuichi was feeling overwhelmed or patronized or upset. Even when Shuichi said no. Maybe that was the gross feeling Kaito got from the whole experience with Kokichi’s stories on his life.

So, Kaito thought about it… “...Maybe I… have been pushing your concerns aside. Not listening when you… try to establish boundaries in our relationship… ha, fuck… does it really just come back to another talk about boundaries… geez…” Kaito sighed, running a hand over the back of his neck, before looking back at Shuichi and saying, “Okay. You’re right. I’ve… I’ve taken the trust out of our friendship, out of our relationship. You have told me no to do stuff and I just do it anyway. It’s cause I’m scared and concerned for you, but… but that’s not a good reason to keep doing it… fuck, I’m sorry Shuichi. I really didn’t mean to let it get this bad… it seems like I always just ignore the warning signs till one of you has a breakdown about how I’m treating you... “ 

Kaito frowned in particular at that thought before crossing his arms, forgetting the broth for a moment as he cursed at himself, “Dammit.”

Kokichi nodded a bit, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. In through the nose...out through the mouth...nice and slow and deep… As much as he enjoyed history...maybe that enjoyment was pretty superficial, since he hated hearing about the horrible things. Wars and riots and assassinations…

But maybe he could be given a break, for not wanting to think about the suffering his mom went through before her death, and not wanting to think about his pregnant boyfriend in the same situation. 

Thankfully, it seemed like he managed to provide the words his lovers needed for a breakthrough, and as they talked about the trust between them that had been strained, Kokichi was able to calm himself, looking a little more tired as he rested against the pillows, but aware and ready for the rest of this talk.

And enough to nudge Kaito gently with his leg. “...but you always do take a look at yourself and commit to being better. Not a lot of people can do that, even after a breaking point.”

“We all care about each other, so that’s why we’re talking. Because we don’t want it to fall apart. For us to fall apart.” Kokichi looked from his husband to his boyfriend, trying to see how they felt. “So we won’t let that happen, right?”

Kaito and Shuichi both looked at their ill lover, Shuichi tired and a little embarrassed, Kaito guilty but also a little pissed… but both of them saw the absolute exhaustion on him. Kaito had to look away first, wishing they were having this conversation while Kokichi was stronger, but… it was Shuichi and Kokichi, this time, who had wanted to have this discussion. He couldn’t just… sweep this under the rug and shush Kokichi back to bed- hey!

Kaito looked alarmed when his boyfriend suddenly stood up, reaching over the bed, a determined, frustrated look on his face, “Shuichi, I can-”

“Kaito.” Shuichi said, grabbing the broth and the spoon, filling it up and blowing on it softly in case it was hot, before offering Kokichi a bite, “It’s fine. It’s not always just up to you.”

Kaito watched his pregnant boyfriend feed his sick husband, while he, strong and healthy, sat there and did nothing… and sighed. Deciding to just take the moment to reflect on what Kokichi said.

“...we’re not going to let this fall apart. It’d be so bad if this relationship failed. For… for the baby, and treaty stuff and…” Kaito grit his teeth, a pained look on his face, “Cause it’d devastate me. And I want this relationship to work. I want it to work more than anything. I love both of you so much that sometimes I feel crazy… and I… guys, I just sometimes feel like…”

Kaito had no idea how he felt. Everything felt weird, lately, and he hadn’t figured out what his feelings were anymore. Not about Shuichi and Kokichi, his feelings were solid there. He loved them and wanted to protect them. Period. But, just… the dynamics of it were suddenly… he didn’t know why he felt so weird.

“...sometimes I feel like… sorry, I don’t actually know what I’m trying to say.” Kaito gave up, deflating a little… before shaking his head. Squaring his shoulders as he said, “But, okay. We’re sitting here and we’re talking this out, and we’re talking about boundaries. Non-sexy boundaries! We’ve got this! Don’t hold back on me guys, I can handle it!”

Kokichi gave Shuuichi a grateful look as he started to feed him, taking in every spoonful of broth Shuuichi presented, even if he...wasn’t particularly hungry at the moment. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted but...well, they were talking and he was eating and that was what they needed. What he needed. 

“...I care about you both so much,” he sighed between spoonfuls. “Saying I love you every night isn’t just for show. I’m determined to make things work as long as you both are too...it’s worth any amount of strife to me…”

And, with that established, Kokichi tried to think about...well, what were the boundaries he wanted. Kokichi ate a little more before something occurred to him. 

“...this.”

Kokichi looked up at Shuuichi, smiling a bit, reaching out his hand to Kaito. “...Kai-chan is strong and quick-thinking and resourceful...he’s very capable in a lot of situations. But...say, if someone less suited to a situation...weak, like me, offered help...I want to be able to help. There’s no telling what I’d be able to contribute and...even if I do something slower than you might, it means you can move onto another task.”

…

Kokichi rolled his eyes at himself, huffing. “...why do I always have to frame this shit as leading speeches to tons of people?” Another sigh. 

“Look...you don’t have to do everything yourself, okay? I’m not saying to stop doing everything you do, ‘cause I know I appreciate it, but...if someone’s offering their help, then let them. If I’m sick, let Shuu-chan help take care of me. If he’s feeling gross and achy, then we can team up, get him all the massages and chai tea and kind words we can muster! We’re all in a relationship and we’re all equals. It means giving help and needing aid in equal measure…”

Kokichi breathed, resting against his pillows for a moment before attempting to finish his broth. “...and, Shuu-chan? You have always told us eventually, and I’m not asking to blurt everything out as soon as the thought occurs, but… If you’re upset about something...tell us. Even if it’s obvious and we should know better...because sometimes we don’t. I’ll always be willing to do my best for you, but I can’t change if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Shuichi sighed, nodding his head. “Things that I’m upset about are… sometimes not things I’m actually upset about. I hate to say that, because it feels like it invalidates everything I was just yelling about, but…” Shuichi frowned, stressed and embarrassed as he said, “It’s not an all or nothing thing. I know my hormones and such are making me more emotional, but automatically assuming it’s that also makes it hard for me to tell you guys when something is actually wrong. So I… I guess my boundary would be…”

Thinking about it, Shuichi said hesitantly, “Like you just did now? If… if something I say sounds irrational or like I’m just lashing out. If you could… just give me the opportunity to say it again, after I’ve had a breath? That actually really did help… and like Kokichi said. Kaito, you used to tell me all the time that it was dumb for me to try to do things all by myself. That I had friends to rely on, that I could rely on you… and I know you’re always trying your best to be someone that I’d feel okay relying on. But it doesn’t feel good for that to only go one way. I… want you to feel safe relying on me. On us.”

“I know that it’s hard to argue that I can support and protect you both when I’m… like this. But… but if I offer? If I say I can? Please, Kaito…” Shuichi gave Kaito a wary, vulnerable look, peeking from under his hat, “I need you to give me the chance.”

Kaito nodded, taking this all in. Kokichi had said he handled it okay enough to not feel bad about it, but Kaito still felt some guilt as he stared at his two loves, asking him to trust in them. To rely on them. To believe in them.

… he could believe in them. He wasn’t sure when he had stopped. But he could.

He wished he had a boundary request to offer back. To show he was in this with them. But, honestly, his head didn’t feel right, and he was still trying to work out where this lost, untethered feeling was coming from. He felt… shattered. But… like he had always been shattered? And was just now… noticing…

It didn’t feel good. And Kaito wasn’t ready to burden Kokichi and Shuichi with that feeling. Not because they couldn’t handle it, but because… Kaito couldn’t handle the questions and concern it would invite. Not yet.

“Okay...I have to put more faith in you guys… believe in you.” Kaito nodded, voicing his understanding, hoping he was on the right track, “I can do that. I love doing that…” taking Kokichi’s offered hand, Kaito sighed, “I’m sorry that I stopped doing that. I… I didn’t notice… I don’t know why…”

Kokichi nodded slightly--he could do that. Taking an extra moment to sort out thoughts was never a bad thing, just something you could forget about when you reacted immediately in a conversation. Taking more care, taking some time. 

Could result in Shuuichi maybe getting more frustrated if he didn’t think what he’d originally said was unreasonable...but they’d work past that too. Taking an extra moment on all sides to make sure they got across what they really meant. 

Kokichi’s expression softened as Kaito took in their requests, weakly squeezing his hand, feeling...better, to be touching Kaito. To have that sort of connection. “Thank you… And...I dunno. If it helps...wanting to take care of us comes from a good place, hun. I’m not mad at you--not that I really am at all--for good intentions. For love and protection. Those are things I love about you. I just love your faith too.”

Shuichi nodded, the broth down to the bottom of the bowl now, Shuichi putting the bowl aside and, pulling out his dark blue napkin from his inner pocket, he dapped it slightly against the corner of Kokichi’s mouth, a bit of the broth lingering there as he said, “Same, really…  I hate feeling so aggressive about what’s essentially just… you being you but all hyped up.” Shuichi said, smiling slightly, giving Kaito an amused look, “Kaito is great. Unrestrained Kaito is… intense.”

“Yeah? Heh… alright guys. I’ll just be more conscious of when I’m being too much.” Kaito promised, before letting out a small huff of breath. “Geez… well, at least we talked about all this today. Unity’s the day after tomorrow, right? It’d have been rough trying to celebrate with all this hanging over our heads…”

Shuichi suddenly looked concerned, glancing meaningfully at Kokichi before saying gently, “Are we… celebrating Unity?”

Kaito looked confused as he said simply, “Uh, yeah? I got the date right, right? Day after tomorrow?”

Kokichi gave Shuuichi a grateful smile, too tired to even be embarrassed about needing his face wiped. Sure, it was far more comfortable to be clean, and he knew that even when he had more energy to fuss but...like needing help to use the bathroom, it was just...embarrassing. At this point, Kokichi wasn’t sure if he’d ever really shake that feeling, no matter how much he embraced the necessity. 

Though, the soft love and affection on his face became strained when Kaito mentioned something he’d been trying not to think about. 

“...It is...the day after tomorrow…” The strain in Kokichi’s face deepened a bit. “...I know you guys...it isn’t the same for you. But I’d be happy if you wanted to spend it together. No telling if I’d even be awake for any of it…” Another degree of crumpling in his expression, Kokichi’s lip trembling as he...tried not to get upset. 

Cause it was stupid. His health was more important to focus on than some dumb holiday, and he’d missed so many in his life. And the spirit of Unity had been going on all month, and would continue for the rest of the month, so it was just...pedantics, really, ascribing anything to a day in particular. 

...but he’d wanted so badly to spend Unity with the people closest to him, enjoying their company and being a joy back. Handing over his gifts and talking about what they were most excited to do with them, making plans for the future--because while winter was hard, and people could stand on their own, spring always came and there was plenty to look forward to in the future when you had people to share it with. 

It was just...sentimentality… Kokichi felt that way all the time with Kaito and Shuuichi. ...but he’d still been looking forward to Unity regardless.

Shuichi’s expression softened, but Kaito’s brow furrowed, still just… a little confused. 

“I mean, you don’t have to be up all day babe… um… okay, spell this out for me.” Kaito said, rubbing the muscles on the back of his neck, “If everything was totally normal, nothing getting in the way… what would we be doing on Unity? Isn’t it just an exchange of gifts?”

Shuichi gave Kaito a stern look, looking like he wanted to scold Kaito’s apparent dismissal in the idea that Kokichi couldn’t celebrate. He was certain Kokichi would rather be awake for the whole day, even if it was just exchanging gifts… but he decided not to say it aloud, giving Kokichi a worried glance. Their lover already looked disheartened… it probably wouldn’t help to spell it out.

Kokichi looked down at their sheets, just holding his lips together before he trusted himself to talk. “...it’s a day meant to be shared with the people you love most. The people closest to you. Being a family.”

“There is the gift exchange, but there’s also...like, there’s no pressure if you don’t know, but then it usually just becomes a fun time to brainstorm together… But you all usually talk about what you wanna use the gifts for. Like...well, it’s more physical, but you got Tim a sled, then made a plan together to go sledding during training, and the kids were planning on doing it a lot until the snow melts too. Being able to use the gift right away is the best, but you can’t always, so it’s fun to just...make plans and suggest ideas, even if some of them don’t end up happening.”

Kokichi took a small breath, winding himself a bit. “Then...you just spend time together. Do things that are meaningful to you all… I know a lot of families or groups of friends cook a big meal together, to spend that time cooking, but also get to enjoy a meal afterward… But it can really be anything.”

Sinking down against the pillows, Kokichi thought back to some of his past Unities...the ones that weren’t too painful or depressing to think of to think of. “...if I was doing okay, Ikuo and I used to play tag throughout the castle...no holds barred since the staff has the day off to be with their families too, though everyone who lives here ends up spending Unity with friends. But...there’s less people. So Dad and I would bounce off walls and clamber ledges ‘n stuff.”

“...Denji-chan let me do their make-up once, when they started staying here for Unity too. ‘Course, they’re not an idiot so it was only the once.” Kokichi managed a snicker, cheering himself up with happier memories. “And my uncles used to make this huge trivia game, and it’d last for hooooours since they’d argue over, like, every other answer. And Aiichi used to tell me stories about other Oumas, or about what parts of Dicea are like… He used to have this huge-ass map in his office, like half the size of the wall so it was super detailed, and he’d take me on a tour of the country, telling me all about different places…”

Kokichi sighed, some of the melancholy coming over him again once he’d calmed down enough to remember that...he wouldn’t be doing anything like that this year. He wasn’t sure if he preferred the Unities spent sick in bed to the ones spent alone, his dad off at war, his uncle grieving, his father too busy loving the country to love him… 

(It wasn’t fair, Kokichi knew. And he knew he was undoubtedly his father’s son on that account. But sometimes...it had felt that way. Aiichi had explained that he took Kokichi’s coldness whenever they were together otherwise as Kokichi just not wanting to be around him at all, but...he’d promised to be better. To make time for his son, and their still semi-regular game nights proved that the promise wasn’t lip service. Still, the memories hurt sometimes.)

...Kokichi shrugged a bit, sinking down against the pillows even more. “...so...if you guys wanted to do something like that together, stuff that’s meaningful for you...I’d be happy. There’s...there’s always next year.”

Kaito put his right hand into a fist… and then slammed it into his left hand. 

“Okay.” He said, a determined look on his face, “Gifts, plans for the future, games. No problem!”

“Kaito… Kokichi’s going to need to rest…” Shuichi reminded him, giving Kaito another reproachful look. Trying to suggest that the day was going to be more festive than it was was just going to lead Kokichi to be more disappointed, if Kaito managed to get his hopes up. “Don’t put any weird pressure on him to stay awake. There really is next year.”

“Nah. We don’t need to wait till next year.” Kaito said, either not noticing or not acknowledging Shuichi’s scolding. “We’ll do it this year! It’ll be fun!” 

Kaito grinned at Kokichi, no hint of doubt on his face, as he said, “Me and Shuichi don’t need to run off on our own to do that stuff. Where the heck would we even go, anyway? Our family’s here. I doubt the girls are gonna be available for a family holiday like that, so it’s not like we gotta take Tim anywhere. And everyone you love lives in the castle, and, like, most of them don’t have families of their own outside of us-”

Shuichi blinked… was that right? That couldn’t be right… wait, really?

“So, yeah! Should be fun! Plenty to look forward to!” Kaito said, before frowning, “Though, I may need to go shopping again. I think I underestimated the whole ‘utilitarian’ aspect of the gifts if we gotta make plans to use them in the future… oh! Can I buy sexy things!?” 

“Kaito! Th-that’s inappropriate for a holiday!”

“Oh, no, wait, Ikou’s probably gonna be around, I don’t want him seeing you guys getting sexy presents… also, I still don’t know where a sex shop is… do you think Waku would know? Waku seems the type to know that sort of thing, now I think about it… I’ll ask Waku!”

Mostly...Kokichi agreed with Shuuichi. He was probably going to be out for, at least, a good chunk of the day, and...even if they wanted to do something a little exciting while he was awake...he shouldn’t leave bed. Talking was always nice though…

...and despite himself, Kokichi felt drawn in towards Kaito’s enthusiasm, smiling a bit and some of his disappointment ebbing away. And with that, he began to plan. A bit. “People usually try to just let me rest if I’m ill, but...I mean, if they visited me in the med bay, who knows?” And...it would be nice to see most of his family, even if just for a moment or two. 

Looking at the ceiling, Kokichi mused, “Well...I think my dad--Aiichi dad--will try to be by. There’s always work to do, even on a holiday, but...there’s not a war going on. He might make time. And Ikuo will definitely wanna see me--it’s gonna be our first Unity together in ten years.” That fact alone made something in Kokichi’s chest flutter, the relief and love stuttering his breath.

“It’s kinda...hit or miss, if Denji-chan’s around. Half the time they spend it with Lake and Nazumi at their house. And…” The end of the war had changed a lot of things, but… Kokichi’s hopeful, considering expression faltered into something of a muted wince. “...Hideki’s prolly not gonna be by.” The man usually disappeared, often to the library or in his office, trying to get work done on Unity. Said it helped to focus on something. 

...Nao had usually spent Unity with Yasu anyway, but sometimes they’d come by, passing on gifts and hugs and maybe stopping for some tea. Not this year either. 

Kokichi took a breath, thankfully distracted. “Kai-chan! You don’t need to get any more gifts--it’s meant for useful gifts, sure, but i-it’s! Any gift if appreciated and fits with the holiday, you - the lock is above and beyond and - “ Kokichi squinted, giving his husband an incredulous look. “...why would Waku-chan know all about where the sex stores in town are? What kind of “type” is that?”

Okay, Ikou was a sure thing, Aiichi was a maybe… if Kaito went to Lake and Nazumi and Denji today or tomorrow, maybe he could set up a time for them to come y on Unity where Kokichi was likely to be awake long enough to enjoy the visit? Probably lunch. Okay, no worries, that should be easy enough to arrange.

Kaito’s face brightened considerably at the mention of Hideki. Yes! He wasn’t gonna have to talk to him! Truly, a Unity miracle!! 

(Finding out Hideki’s tragic, shared past had… done little to change Kaito’s feelings on the older man. Except just make Kaito more angry at himself that he didn’t feel differently about him, and also, like, had even less reasons to be outwardly hostile towards him. Well, less justifiable reasons, anyway. Now he just hated him and felt like an asshole for it.)

Kaito grinned at Kokichi, in a considerably better mood now, as he said, “Aw, babe, the lock really was more luck than anything. I only called it a Unity day gift just because I happened to snag it so close. Though, I am glad you still appreciate it. Still, I’d love to have a few things for you to open… you, Shuichi, Tim…” Kaito frowned, “Shoot, if we’re gonna see everyone else, I should at least get something for them, as, like, a good faith thing… hmmmm… anyway, I’ll think about that. Still gotta go talk to them anyway. But! As for a ‘type’...

Kaito laughed, shrugging, “Waku hangs out in grung, sad, underground bars in her free time. Like, not even depression drinking! She goes for the vibes. Edgy people tend to dabble in edgy things, and…” Kaito shrugged, “Maybe it’s different in Dicea, but visiting a sex shop in Luminary? Peek edgy culture. If you haven't visited one, do you even have an edge?”

Shuichi rolled his eyes, “I love how, in this scenario, you are clearly saying you think you’re ‘edgy’.”

“I’m a total bad boy, are you kidding me? I was famous for being a slut! People almost died over it! What’s edgier than that!? I took ecstasy!”

“You were also a jock who volunteered for school events for clubs you weren’t even a part of because you liked the opportunity to rant about the ‘power of friendship’. And you’re scared of anything that I would consider dark and edgy.”

“What!? Heresy! Like what!?”

“The occult, demons, scary decorations of anything morbid, people with skulls on their clothes-”

“That’s not edgy, th-that’s just unnecessary!!”

“That’s kind of the crux of a Unity gift,” Kokichi gently nodded. “Just...stuff that you were gonna do for people anyway. For some, Unity just gives them the push they need to get it done, for others, it just contributes to the cheer. People are always helping out each other, but Unity just puts a focus on it...yanno?”

With only having just learned about the holiday, Kaito getting their lock installed, and even going the extra mile to get personalized keys and spares for who they wanted to give them to (Kokichi had given one to Ikuo, but the other...he didn’t know. It sort of felt like...it was already given to someone, in a way he didn’t quite understand even thinking… But it felt important not to give to anyone else, so.) was the perfect Unity gift. And while there wasn’t too much brainstorming to be done around a bedroom door lock, it had a purpose that was now in all their minds, becoming a part of their day but along with the knowledge that it had been done in kindness. 

“You don’t have to,” Kokichi sighed, already knowing he was futility trying to talk Kaito down. “Again...it’s mainly things you’d already noticed people needed, or things you think could help. And while for family it’s a little expected, mostly ‘cause they’re the ones you’d likely be around the most and would notice things you could give, it’s just...no one’s gonna be disappointed if you didn’t get a gift.”

Kokichi wasn’t really sure what Kaito’s answer was going to be--that was why he asked--but… “Waku? Edgy?” And the connection of being into sex being an edgy thing, like most people didn’t do it… Maybe it was just him hanging out with two women who used the term so casually, but Kokichi couldn’t help rolling his eyes a little and chuckling. “Sure, ‘cause liking sex casually isn’t totally a normie thing…”

And he couldn’t help laughing a little more as Shuuichi teased Kaito with things that Kokichi too would consider more edgy, at least more than sex shops. “No skulls on clothes? Guess I know what sort of prints to avoid if I try and buy somethin’ for you. Mm...guess you wouldn’t be a fan of like...little plush dolls with bone decorations either.” Sure it was a little weird to him still, but if it was regular practice, then he figured Temp’s family’s children enjoyed them.

Kaito’s face scrunched up in obvious distaste, “Ugh, really, Kokichi… nnnngh, why would you put bone decorations on dolls…”

“Are they bone decorations, or actual bones?” Shuichi asked, apparently idly, though he smirked slightly when Kaito seemed to pale incredibly at the suggestion.

“N-no! That’s even worse! What!?” Kaito half shouted, a shudder running through his whole body as he groaned, “That’s how you ask to get cursed, man…”

“You know, considering who Luminary’s offocial god is… it is actually kind of surprising how uptight our culture can be about sex.” Shuichi observed, thinking back on it, “Of course, I never noticed it then, because we had nothing to compare it to… but people don’t really seem that flustered here whenever you bring it up, Kaito.”

Kaito frowned at that, before scratching at his arm slightly, “Well, sure… Atua used to be a… ya know, a whore god, but-”

Shuichi’s eyes widened, a revelation as he said, “Oh, maybe that’s why. When you’re trying to reassure people the god of concubines and whores is actually a creator god, maybe burying the sex stuff is meant to make that transition a little easier. Well, not that the temples ever got the memo…”

“Please, there’s plenty more to service and prayer than sex imagry, Shuichi. The temples barely touch on it. Everyone just fixates on that part of it because it’ the weird, interesting bits.” Kaito insisted, looking mildly annoyed.

“Most of the images of the saints are them naked or almost naked.”

“That’s just a commentary on their divine purity-”

“Coming of age ceremonies.”

“You do it once in a lifetime! And you can opt out of it! Most people do!”

“The ‘prayer rooms’ and ‘worship booths’.”

“That’s… well, that’s just a good time, really.” Kaito said, blushing slightly, before saying, “And that’s not their purpose. Or, okay, not officially, anymore, anyway. People just… like to use them for that! And it’s nice praying that way! It can be very spiritual!” Kaito sighed, before saying, “And is Dicea really that open about sex? I mean, sure, maybe no one but Hajime’s ever overly reacted to it when I slip up and talk about it in public, but I haven't gotten the impression that people are super comfortable with it myself.”

“Oh, trust me…” Shuichi sighed, a slightly gloomy look in his eyes as a flush of bad memories came back, most surrounding orange eyes, “They’re… they’re real comfortable with it. What about the orgies? At the warehouse.”

Kaito gave Shuichi a deadpan look as he said, “The wannabee death cultists kids? Somehow I think they fit my ‘edgy’ stereotype.”

Kokichi snickered a bit, enjoying Kaito fretting over something harmless and something that wasn’t going to bother him day-to-day. In his head he’d imagined little cartoonish felt pieces stitched onto the dolls--bones could break and become sharp and that was dangerous to have around kids, and not just ones like him. Buuuut he could leave Kaito with the idea in his head. Seriously...if bones could give curses, then their ancestors were all cursed. Bones were tools and toys, a resource like any other. Though...usually animal bones from what he’d read…

He calmed down as Kaito and Shuuichi debated over what the culture around sex was in Luminary and… Hmm… He...tried not to let his mood drop at the mention of the orgies and...what he had an idea Shuuichi was talking about. 

“...I think it varies, person to person…” he eventually hummed, not actually that versed on what the overall culture was. “Like...even setting my own issues aside, I wouldn’t want to talk to my parents about, like, details of my sex life, and I wouldn’t wanna hear about theirs, but...sex in general? It’d be a topic just like anything else, I think… Maybe it’s the context of talking about it...like as a pastime or, like...it’s not really health or hygiene in the same way, but it’d be kind of the same… I wouldn’t wanna hear the grimy details of someone brushing their teeth either, but if we got around to talking about different brushes or the importance of dental health, that’d be fine.”

“And there are plenty of people fine with going into the personal stuff too,” Kokichi rolled his eyes again. “I guess...there’s more of a line drawn about actually doing things in public. Most people find like...kissing and light snuggling fine, but other stuff…” He shrugged. “Everyone else in that public space hasn’t consented so it’s just kind of...harassment.”

Kaito shrugged, enjoying the mental exercise as he said, glancing at Shuichi for confirmation, “I guess that’s… essentially the same in Luminary? I mean, you’d absolutely get your ass kicked if someone caught you messing around in public, and that would be getting lucky. Way worse if they called the guards on ya. I’ve heard that can be a really bad time.”

Shuichi nodded at that, adjusting his cap and now recollecting on a whole different slew of somewhat bad memories as he frowned, “Yeah… I mean, it depends on who you are, of course, but… well, it was one more good reason to keep an eye on you, Kaito.”

“Come on, man, I was never dumb about it. So long as you were careful, the actual chances of getting caught were really slim… though.” Kaito snickered, “Shuichi, you remember that carriage that was always parked on Laker street? With the fungus all over it’s wheels?”

“Um… vaguely?" Shuichi said good naturedly, not really remembering it at all.

“I was walking home late one night, and I definitely saw that thing bumping. Like, there was no mistaking it. A couple inside was going wild, I thought the wheels were seriously going to snap.” Kaito snickered again, “I actually tensed up every time I walked past it from then on, cause like… I was always waiting for it to do it again? Like, maybe that was just someone’s spot, ya know? But I never saw it happen again. Weird, considering it was always parked there.”

“Maybe the couple broke in?”

“Oh!... ya know, I never thought of that? I bet that’s what it was.”

Suddenly, there was a small, grumbling noise… and Shuichi blushed. “Um, I think I might eat dinner now.”

“I got ya handsome, let me fetch it for ya.”

Hmm...and then there was the difference of how taboos and laws were dealt with between the nations… In Dicea, depending on the intensity of what you were doing, you might get jeers or told to stop by the people around, get a talking to by a guard or maybe even escorted home, or charged with sexual harassment and put on the list of sex offenders. Kokichi had a feeling those levels would tend to be more...physical in Luminary. And that it really didn’t matter who you were in Dicea. 

...but, well...his loved ones were safe. 

Kokichi smiled a bit as Shuuichi requested food, happy that he felt up to eating. “It’s fine if you end up feeling queasy after, or if I fall asleep...but after Shuu-chan eats, could we cuddle a bit? Or, I guess...could I lie by your side? ‘M feelin’ a little selfish, wantin’ to cuddle my guys already…”

“Sure, we can cuddle, Kokichi.” Shuichi agreed, smiling warmly at his boyfriend, while the other boyfriend delivered the food, Shuichi quietly thanking Kaito as he took it from him, “And the nauseous feeling has lessoned… I told you it would, Kaito.” Shuichi said, giving Kaito a mildly annoyed look, “That’s what I meant when I said I’d eat later…”

Kaito gave Shuici a somewhat tired, somewhat sheepish look, “Alright, alright, I get it, ya told me so. I’m sorry I pushed.I just want to feed you both! Put meat on those bones!”

“Kaito, I’m huge.”

“You’re not that big. The pregnancy is probably making you feel bigger than you actually are.”

“No, it… it definitely started before the pregnancy. The pollen made me all… soft everywhere.” Shuichi frowned, before looking visibly disappointed as he moaned, “My poor hips…”

“Your thighs, too.” Kaito grinned, before ducking the spoon Shuichi threw at him, getting up to go pick it up as he said, “What? You have slightly thicker thighs now. It’s sexy!”

“I hate you.” Shuichi grumbled, stealing Kokichi’s broth spoon to start eating his own food as he said. “I take it all back. You’re the worst. I’m breaking up with you, only Kokichi is my boyfriend now.”

“Uh huh. So, am I uninvited to snuggling, or…”

“I have two sides, Kai-chan.”

-

The next day was very busy for Kaito. He asked Shuichi if he wouldn’t mind staying with Kokichi, and tried not to eternally fret when Shuichi said yes. 

There was no school the next day, apparently because it was the day before Unity and that was considered part of the holiday, so Kaito nabbed Tim and the two went to go talk to people. Figuring out best times that would work for both the visitors, but also wouldn’t overwhelm Kokichi. Kaito warned them that Kokichi might not be awake no matter what they did, and if he was awake, it might not be for very long, and they had all, more or less, rolled their eyes at him and gone ‘Yeah, we know how this works, we’ve been dealing with Kokichi illness most of our lives’.

Which, okay, yeah, fair enough.

So, the current plan was Ikou would come in the morning, and stay until mid-afternoon. The thought process being that if Kokichi was going to have any real energy for anything, it was going to be during roughly the middle of the day, and that the evening, if Kokichi happened to be awake at all, would be spent winding down. Kaito fretted a little bit about what they were going to do to keep the older man entertained all day when his son was asleep, but, well, they’d figure that out as they went.

Then, Denji, Nazumi and Lake all said they’d swing by at lunch, see if they got lucky than. They’d sit down, eat lunch, exchange gifts, and chat a bit with Kokichi until leaving him to rest again. 

King Aiichi had said that he would try to make it when he could, and that if he could do it, to expect it sometime in the morning. Kaito thought he’d feel… maybe more defensive or upset that the King couldn’t be more definitive than that, but honestly, his own father had been scarce on holidays too. It was busy to be a king.

He did, however, low-key kind of hope that Aiichi hadn’t gotten a memo about the lock yet and spent a few dumb, confused moments trying to let himself in. Cause Kaito was petty like that.

Kaito went looking for Waku and Haneda, but actually stumbled across Katsuki first. She also couldn’t give a definitive time, but promised to show up ‘when he needed her’ and Kaito had blinked at her and said, “So, you want us to send you word when he’s awake or…” and then she said some stuff about fate and purpose and things and eventually Kaito had just nodded along, kind of hoping that if he pretended to understand she’d stop talking about it. 

When they were looking for Waku, Timothy spotted Haneda working on some housekeeper stuff, and had run off from Kaito, going to Haneda and asking her point blank if she was spending Unity with them. The boy said it deadpan, like he was trying to keep his expectations tampered, and Kaito frowned slightly, worried, since his son didn’t have Maki here this year and his friends would be busy and he knew hanging around in a room all day with his dad and uncles wasn’t exactly going to be thrilling… but Haneda had just scoffed and said she was planning to stop by in the afternoon and that maybe if he was lucky she’d have a gift for him.

Tim’s eyes had lit up at that, and Kaito had quietly thanked her for agreeing to come, to which Haneda mostly seemed confused. Course she was gonna come. Obviously.

Eventually Kaito had found Waku and asked her if she’d be up to stopping by and seeing Kokichi and Waku had actually seemed a little surprised at the invitation, but had readily agreed, before admitting that she hadn’t prepared any gifts. Kaito, in turn, had assured her it was fine, and that he knew Kokichi would be happy to see her, and hell, he’d be happy to see her too! Waku had promised to try at breakfast time, since lunch sounded like it was going to be busy.

And then Kaito and Tim had gone one last round of shopping, and, Kaito fairly certain he had done all he could, they had gone back to the castle and eventually gone to sleep, Kaito being informed by Shuichi that Kokichi had slept most of today too and…

He sighed.

He hoped if Kokichi couldn’t be awake tomorrow… that his husband wouldn’t be too disappointed…

But more than that, he hoped Kokichi would get to see everyone come see him.

Cause he deserved to know that he was loved.

-

When Kokichi woke up the next morning, he heard a few soft voices talking and...a delicately sweet smell in the air. It was a bit past breakfast, but since there really wasn’t anyone in the kitchen anyway, that didn’t really matter. Ikuo was already by, having compromised with himself not to show up at the literal ass-crack of dawn, and when he mentioned that, holding Kokichi’s hand as his son slowly woke up, Kokichi could only smile, remembering many years of Ikuo not having the same restraint and coming into his room super early, putting up more decorations and bringing a few treats and arranging Kokichi’s gifts around him to be surrounded when he woke up…

His laughter only grew into excitement as Ikuo presented part of the breakfast he’d helped make--Kaito making the rest in an eerily empty castle kitchen (and a note bolded and underlined from Chako demanding that the people using the kitchen on Unity clean up after themselves, dammit!). Some honey-cinnamon porridge and hot chocolate, nice and chocolatey but not too rich for Kokichi to drink. 

Ikuo had just shuffled over the gifts he’d wanted to give when there was a knock at the door, Aiichi and Waku having run into each other on the way and arriving together. Apparently the king had just been telling the housekeeper about his younger days, his hair having been as pink as hers! But! It was time for gifts!

As she’d said, Waku hadn’t prepared anything, but she did offer to Kaito to let him know about special offers some of the bars she liked, and that they should make a plan for it sometime--and without anyone’s actual prompting, she waved off concerns about Kaito getting blackout, explaining that the offers weren’t anything strong or excessive, just fun. 

Aiichi had gotten an expansion pack for a board game Kokichi had, feeling warm as he saw his son’s eyes widen and his grin tick up, feeling like for once he’d actually nailed what his son wanted. For Shuuichi, he offered an obviously handmade booklet filled with tidbits and maps about the university, mostly outlining shortcuts around campus and less frequented study areas...and summaries about some of the professors. The king had sheepishly laughed that it might be a little out of date, but he tried to only include writings that were about the professors still at the university. And for Kaito, he presented a yet-unfiled work ticket, explaining that he heard Kaito at one point, at least, wanted some way to display his armor, and that the local art museum was going to be putting together a section on metalwork, and if Kaito wanted, they could display the armor sets there, having an information plaque about Luminous metalwork for people to learn and enjoy. 

Ikuo, first, presented three baby slings, each made with different sizes in mind, all fitting to each expecting dads’ shoulders and chest, and each in a different color. Then, he offered to plan a picnic in the spring for them all to enjoy. ...plus a less “gift”y, but still helpful covert passing on of a few creams and lotions that, well, really all three of them could use for their various needs, but really would be most helpful with Kokichi and Shuuichi’s body pains. 

Kaito had made gift bags. 

None of them were really for anyone, because Kaito had made them all last minute, with Tim’s help. They were filled with small, useful items, that hopefully any of them could use. A nice pen, a small flip notebook, some cookies (Tim’s idea), and because Kaito thought it’d be useful and was projecting, nice salt and pepper shakers… cause, ya know. So much cooking required salt and pepper. Like, most! So, super useful! 

So, every time someone arrived, Kaito let them in and cheerfully gave them their goody bag and was somewhat sheepish that it wasn’t anything more special than it was, the only other thing he had gone out of his way to get for the extended family being a pocket watch that he had seen that for some reason just reminded him of Ikou, which Kaito just quietly added to Ikou’s gift bag without pointing it out. After all, Kaito wanted to impress Kokichi’s dad, but, uh, it was...weird with the other dad there, who had just gotten the same as everyone else. 

Which, by the time Kaito had gotten his gift from him? Kaito felt suuuper bad about, because woah. Eyes practically sparkling, he said, voice a tad high, “They’re gonna put it in a museum!?”

“Oh my god,” Shuichi muttered, twitching slightly. “They’re actually gonna put it in a museum.”

While Kaito spazzed out that something he owned was actually going into a museum (sure, not for anything he had done, but still! It was there! That technically counted!!), Shuichi had given Ikou a warm, grateful smile for the slings, showing them off slightly to Waku, who was curiously looking over his shoulders at the gifts, before Kaito heard Ikou explain the ointments. 

Heading over to Ikou, seriously listening in so he’d know how to use them and help his guys out later, Shuichi put the slings down and looked through the binder of information, a dangerous, curious beam in his eyes as he started going through the information on the professors. It wasn’t quite enough information to satiate his thirst (when was it ever), but he thanked King Aiichi for the very thoughtful gift anyway.

Kokichi was able to stay awake for quite a while, actually, talking and enjoying time with his friends and family, but around the time Aiichi had sighed, looking at the clock, he was starting to fade a bit, sunk back into his pillows and more humming along with whatever people were talking about. Aiichi kissed his forehead, wishing him a happy Unity, and, feeling awkward about sticking around while Kokichi was sleeping, Waku headed out too, taking their breakfast dishes and laughing about how it was no problem, really, the work was pretty soothing. 

Ikuo, having known how touch and go Kokichi’s awareness would be and not wanting to force Shuuichi and Kaito into entertaining him, brought out a project he’d been working on as Kokichi fell back asleep. A very soft, fine knit baby blanket, the colors seeming to blend into each other in waves thanks to the creative dye job on the skeins. He would be open to conversation if the boys wanted to engage, but otherwise he was knitting away, thin needles forming a soft “click-click” background noise. 

They have to wake Kokichi up again, which Kaito feels a little bad about, something mildly exhausted clearly in his husbands face after such a busy morning and only another few hours of rest… but it’s worth it when his face lights up to see Nazumi and Lake, ready with gifts and smiles and more plants.

Denji shows up only a few minutes behind them, bringing a hoard of hair and makeup products with them and passing them to Kaito, essentially telling him ‘See what you can actually convince him to put on’, before going to mildly fuss at, mildly mock Kokichi in bed, the three excitedly handing over their gifts and spending some time fondly daydreaming over what they would do with each one in the future. Kaito looked over the products curiously, figured he could probably talk Kokichi into most the hair stuff, but for the makeup… well, there was some nice skin products in here. Kokichi might appreciate the nice feeling of lotion on his face and shoulders. And, hell, maybe he could talk Kokichi into the mascara and eyeliner, like, once. Maybe it could be a fun, special event, like… just thing they did in their room or something. He’d see. 

Timothy was playing idly with figurines he and Kaito had painted together, entertaining himself with positioning them, moving them, then repositioning them again. Kaito realized after a moment that Timothy was playing out war strategies with the figurines and just left him to it, but Tim was quick to leave his small, pseudo army behind when Haneda showed up, with gifts both for him and for a very excited Chase. Duck hearts for the pupper, cookies for the kid, and a fancy, brand new switchblade that made Kaito and Shuichi look collectively concerned. It was very pretty, very stylized, and sharp.

“Heh, uh… thank Miss Kawai for your presents, Tim!” Kaito instructed him, while quietly thinking that if Tim stabbed him with that switchblade he was gonna be so damn cross.

Tim had, after a moment of looking at his present, thrown his arm around Haneda’s waist, before letting her go, sighing as he admitted that he got her something way less cool. Looking embarrassed, Tim said that class had made them all make gifts for someone at home, so, here, it’s a handmade wooden frame with a bunch of flowers pressed into the glass, sorry it’s not better…