Work Text:
Kirigiri/Naegi/Ikusaba
Word count: 1243
Sometimes, Mukuro has to wonder how they even got to this point.
She’s disgustingly average. Below that, even. Still, Naegi has a heart as large as the number of Hagakure’s failed predictions, and somehow, they're together now.
Naegi and Mukuro were a thing first. Then Kirigiri came along, and Naegi fell in love with her.
Well, great, Mukuro remembers thinking bitterly. I guess it couldn't have lasted forever.
But then Naegi had gone and proven her wrong again, smiling at her with that big bright grin that might as well be the cure for cancer.
“I still love you, Ikusaba-san!” Naegi had exclaimed brightly. “I just love Kirigiri-san, too! So it's okay, we can still be together!”
Mukuro had felt relieved at the time. Naegi does have an abnormally large heart, after all.
But sharing Naegi wasn't at all what she thought it would be like. Suddenly, on a day Naegi would have usually asked Mukuro to go see a movie about unicorns or whatever it was that he was interested in at the time, Mukuro was left at home with her gigantic pile of calculus homework. Naegi and Kirigiri went out for ice cream, and Mukuro could not force herself to pretend she could be in the same room as them without somehow inflicting damage on Kirigiri.
Mukuro knew from the moment she saw her that she could not love Kirigiri. Kirigiri is cold, calculating, stoic… all in all, too much like Mukuro herself. Mukuro did not and does not like herself.
In fact, it’s only because of Naegi that she’s meeting up with both of them tonight. “A movie night!” Naegi had said, his face lighting up in a childish grin.
He had reminded Mukuro of a puppy. Mukuro was called heartless by a lot of people, but she could not kick a puppy.
Mukuro stands in front of Naegi’s room nervously. What if he’s changed his mind? What if he’s changed his room? What if Kirigiri doesn't want me there and Naegi listens to her?
Eventually, she tells herself to stop being ridiculous, and she knocks three times.
She hears the pattering of footsteps, and Naegi’s at the door within three seconds. The door creaks open, and Mukuro is met by a faceful of smiling hope.
“Ah! Ikusaba-san!” Naegi cries. “You’re here! Kyoko and I were just starting to worry!”
And no, Mukuro is absolutely not jealous that Naegi and Kirigiri are already on a first-name basis.
“I see,” Mukuro replies, even more stiffly than usual. She completely bypasses the fact that she’s been calling her boyfriend by his surname all this time, so it might actually be her fault that he won't call her Mukuro.
Besides, who wants to call someone Mukuro? Who even names their kid after a corpse?
“Come in!” Naegi says brightly, and Mukuro obeys orders like she always has.
“About time,” Kirigiri says dryly, and Mukuro has the sudden unexplainable urge to kick her.
Instead, she just nods, fiddling with the knife she’s hidden in her skirt.
Naegi motions for Mukuro to join them on the couch, and she obeys robotically.
Mukuro doesn't even pay attention to what movie they're watching. She thinks it might be something to do with some boy called Jim Burden, but she can't be sure. Kirigiri doesn't seem to enjoy it either, though she seems to be suddenly obsessed with it whenever Naegi leans too close to Mukuro. In any event, Naegi is nodding off by the end of it.
Mukuro really tries her best to tell herself that luck and physics are the only things responsible for the fact that Naegi’s head hits Kirigiri’s shoulder instead of Mukuro’s.
Is that an air of smugness around the detective’s head?
“You don't like me,” Kirigiri states simply.
Mukuro sees no reason to dignify that with a response.
“I don't particularly like you either,” Kirigiri continues. “But if Makoto likes you, then I can tolerate your presence.”
And you're telling me this because…?
Kirigiri just turns back to the TV, which is now scrolling credits. Mukuro is suddenly convinced that Neil Patrick Harris’ receding name is the most interesting thing in the world.
Mukuro wonders if someone will make a film out of her life someday. After all, if they could make one of a life as boring as Jim Burden’s…
Maybe an animated series, she decides. Probably involving lots of blood, if it involves her. Would that be kid-friendly, though…?
At some point, Kirigiri harshly jabs Naegi in the side. Mukuro wants to say that she would have woken him up more gently, but she isn’t that disillusioned.
“Guh!” Naegi grunts sharply, trying to rub both his eyes and his presumably aching side all at once.
He looks around, his drowsy gaze sweeping from Mukuro to Kirigiri to the blank television screen.
“Oh… I must have fallen asleep, huh?”
Kirigiri grunts, noncommittal, glancing at Mukuro before looking away.
“Yes,” Mukuro says, and she blinks at the sharp tone her voice has taken on. She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh.
Naegi bites his lip worriedly, glancing down. “Sorry… I invited both of you here, and then I fell asleep… I must be a really terrible host, huh?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mukuro and Kirigiri reply in unison. Mukuro glances at Kirigiri in surprise, and the lavender-haired girl returns the gesture.
“The movie was boring anyway,” Kirigiri adds on as an afterthought.
That it was. Mukuro has no idea why Naegi owns it.
“Aha…” Naegi says sheepishly. “I’m really lucky to have both of you…”
Mukuro’s cheeks flush red. Where did that come from?
But still, there’s a thought hammering away in the back of her head. Both of us? Why not only me? What does Kirigiri have that I can’t give you?
“No, we’re lucky to have you,” Kirigiri says coolly, despite her own pink cheeks.
Mukuro mentally curses herself for letting Kirigiri say it first.
Naegi blushes, fiddling with his jacket. “A-Ah, thanks…”
An awkward silence fills the room.
Mukuro shifts uncomfortably. She doesn't like extended silence. It usually means someone's sneaking up on her and trying to kill her. She subconsciously starts playing with her knife again.
“A-Anyway, it’s late,” Naegi begins. “You should probably head back, unless you want the security to catch you in the wrong dormitory.”
“Are you implying you don’t want us here, Naegi-kun?” Mukuro blurts out without thinking.
Naegi gapes at her. “Wh-Wha- No! That’s not what I meant… um… This might seem weird, but can I call you Mukuro?”
...Hang on, what? Mukuro’s thoughts are even more of a mess than usual.
Mukuro blinks in surprise. “O-Of course!” Why would he think she’d say no?
Naegi beams at her with a megawatt smile. “Then call me Makoto!”
“Okay… Makoto-kun,” Mukuro replies, testing the name. It feels sweet on her lips.
Mukuro’s still basking in her small success when a certain scowling detective rudely snaps her out of it.
“It’s almost ten,” Kirigiri says stiffly, moving to exit the room.
“Ah! Sorry for keeping you so long!” Makoto cries, waving his arms around frantically.
“It’s okay,” Mukuro says, blinking. She follows Kirigiri out the door.
“Okay! See you tomorrow!”
Mukuro doesn't hear the door close until she and Kirigiri have turned the corner.
It’s not… terrible, Mukuro thinks, still giddy over the removal of the name barrier.
She glares at the detective’s back. Mukuro still liked it better when Kirigiri wasn't involved, though.