Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Saiki POV

I walk through the front door of PK academy and already have a major headache. People's thoughts and rumors are circling school that yet another new transfer student is going to attend PK. I internally roll my eyes.

'Good grief, doesn't this school have enough annoying students as it is?' I think as I put my shoes away.

Apparently, it's a girl so of course, everyone's thoughts are running wild at the possibility of what she might look like. As I walk up the stairs and through the hall towards class, students' conversations and ideas are the only things filling my mind.

'I hope she's hot.'

'I wonder if they're single?'

'If she's pretty, I'll show her around the school, that's a good idea!'

'Hopefully, we can be friends!'

'There's absolutely no way that she's prettier than me.'

I huff in annoyance at the idiocy that is this school. Who cares who this new person is? It's not like they'll be any less annoying than every other student here. I already want this day to be over. I'm brought back to reality when Nendo roughly puts a hand on my shoulder.

'Don't touch me, you oaf,' I say with a glare.

"Hey, buddy! Did you hear that a new girl is gonna be in our class?" Nendo exclaims.

'Obviously, that's all everyone has been talking about so far today.'

"I hope she's cute!" Kaido says coming up behind Nendo. They continue talking along with everyone else about the new student. I could care less, as long as she's not a nuisance to me then I don't care what she's like.

"Alright class let's settle down, please," the teacher announces.

As everyone gets into their seats, the new girl walks in and stands in front of the class. She has (y/eye color) and (y/hair color). She stands confidently, despite everyone staring at her and she smiles with a big grin.

"Hi! My name is Y/n L/n and I transferred here from (y/old town). I'm excited to be a part of this class and I can't wait to get to know everyone," she says coolly. The class is mesmerized by her presence. She fidgets with her fingers and looks over at the teacher, a silent question if that's all she needs to say.

'She looks so cool!'

'She's not as pretty as Teruhashi.'

'Wow.'

'I like her name!'

'I hope we can become friends!'

'She's SO hot!'

I internally roll my eyes. She's just another face. I huff silently in annoyance, I just want this day to be over so I can go home. But, when I look back up at her again, something clicks in my mind, which results in my slight panic. I can't read her thoughts AND she's not turning into muscle tissue. I stare at her in bewilderment and curiosity. Who is this girl? Is she another psychic? I continue to stare her down, attempting again to read her mind. She doesn't seem to be, but why can't I read her thoughts? A million of my questions circulate through my head. She takes the empty seat in front of me and before she sits down, she offers me a small smile.

'Good grief, why is it always something?'

+++++

Hi! Author here! I am so happy that you're giving this story a chance! I won't let you down! <3

(chapters will be longer than this)

Chapter Text

Your POV

I sit down in front of the pink-haired boy that the teacher pointed me towards. All eyes are still on me as I get situated in my new seat. I feel uneasy with all the attention but I assumed it would be like this. Being the new student isn't an ideal situation but I'm excited to have a fresh start here.

The teacher begins the lesson and the other students turn away from me to focus on the instructions. I release a breath that I've been holding since I walked in and I feel much better already with all the eyes off me. I rub my eyes and blink a few times to wake up. I couldn't sleep last night due to my nerves but I feel much better now that I'm here and the dreaded introduction is over. I rest my hands in my lap and focus on the teacher. I was up pretty late thinking of all the things I would do that'd make me look stupid that I almost missed my alarm. In the past, my mom would be the one to wake me up and I guess I'm still not used to not having that anymore.

After listening to the teacher for a while, the bell finally rings to signal lunch. I grab my lunchbox and start packing my things. As I get up from my seat, a girl with short, orange hair stands by my desk and smiles warmly at me.

"Hi! My name is Yumehara Chiyo! It's nice to meet you!" She says excitedly.

"Hi, I'm Y/n L/n but you already knew that," I say back. She laughs and points over her shoulder to another girl who has glasses and brown hair pulled into two low pigtails.

"I assumed that you probably don't have anyone to sit with at lunch, so we were hoping that you would join us!" She exclaims.

"Yeah, sure that sounds great," I respond with a smile, and we both head over to the girl with glasses.

"H-hello, my name is Mera Chisato, welcome to PK," she says quietly but just as friendly as Yumehara

"Thanks! It's nice to meet you," I respond. The three of us walk to the lunchroom and sit down at a table towards the center of the common area. Just as I open my box, another girl walks over and gracefully sits down across from me.

"Hi! My name is Teruhashi Kokomi! It is so nice to meet you! I hope we can become great friends!" She exclaims. I look at the blue-haired girl who seems to have a ray of sunshine reflecting off of her and I smile politely.

"It's nice to meet you, Teruhashi! I hope we can become friends too!" She sits down after looking me over and I begin eating. It's a nice relief that I was able to find some people to sit with especially nice girls like them. If I didn't find anyone, I probably would've hidden in the bathroom so I sigh in relief.

"So L/n, why did you decide to come to PK?" Yumehara asks, causing the other girls to turn their attention towards me.

"Well, it's mostly for my dad. He got a new job that resulted in us moving. But I also wanted a fresh start too," I say honestly and the girls nod their heads.

"Wow, that's awesome! What does your dad do?" Yumehara asks again and a light blush forms on my face.

"I don't really know exactly what he does," I giggle. "But it has something to do with corporate big wigs and CEOs since he's always at his office. He works in business management so I think he's on a committee for a big company or something like that," I respond.

"Wow, so are you rich or something?" Mera mumbles while chowing down on her food.

I laugh out loud again and say, "No, I don't think so. He gives me an allowance so I can go shopping every once in a while though."

"Lucky!" Yumehara exclaims and I smile.

"So what does your mom do then L/n?" Teruhashi asks.

I get a heavy feeling in my heart but shake it off and say, "She actually passed away a little over a year ago," the girls look at me sadly. "Which is the big reason why I want a fresh start, ya know?"

Teruhashi apologizes profusely and bows her head several times not meaning to hurt my feelings. She's starting to cause somewhat of a scene and people, especially boys, start turning their heads in the direction of the distressed girl.

"It's okay, you didn't know, I can't be mad at you if you had no idea," I say and she finally stops.

"So what do you guys like to do for fun around here?" I ask curiously, changing the subject back to something more lighthearted.

"There are some good cafes and shops around that we go to, there's also a nice park nearby that a lot of students hang out at, and sometimes there are events like festivals and stuff!" Yumehara exclaims.

"Wow, that sounds really fun!" I say. I look over at Mera who has completely devoured her food and she looks hungry still. I look down at my bento box and see that I still have some food leftover.

"Hey, Mera do you want the rest of my food? I am full so don't worry about having the rest," I offer. She looks at me like I'm an angel and almost looks like she's about to cry.

"Thank you so so much L/n!" She cheers and before I know it, she's practically inhaling my food.

"What do you do for fun Mera?" I ask her, hoping that conversation might save her from choking.

"I don't really have time for fun," She says in between bites. "I work 12 jobs to help my family so I guess that's what I do for fun."

"That's a lot!" I say in shock, "how do you even manage to do that?"

"I don't know, but it isn't that bad."

"Is there anywhere that you work that might be hiring?" I ask. She turns to me and swallows her food.

"Yes actually! There's a café close by that I started working at recently. They said they need more people, and if I bring you then I'd get a raise! You should come to check it out!" She says then goes back to devouring my lunch. I'm not sure if she just wants the raise or to actually have a friend to work with but I ultimately decide to accept the offer. Since my Dad is away so often, I'm alone in the apartment. At first, it was fun since I felt like an independent adult. But after a while, I really started to feel alone so getting a job, especially with someone I know, I think would be a great distraction.

"Perfect!" She says "We can head there after school, it's not that far away!" She sets down her fork and I nod excitedly. I look down to see that she already finished what was left of my lunch. She must really be hungry if she managed to eat all of that in less than 5 minutes.

"You know if you want, I can bring some extra food with me so you don't need to worry about buying food." I suggest, "Only if you want, it would be no problem since I always end up making too much anyways." For the second time, she stares at me with wide eyes.

"Are you a goddess or something? That would be great! A-as long as it's no trouble." Mera says as she places my empty bento box back in front of me. I laugh at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, it's no problem! I like to cook," I say while packing up my lunchbox. Mera continues to talk about the different jobs she has and Yumehara joins in too. After a few minutes of getting to know each other, I glance over to Teruhashi and see her eyes narrowed in a glare, staring at me with a cold expression. But the look disappears after only a split second before it is replaced with a radiating smile. I quirk my eyebrow at her and she turns back to Yumehara who is talking about her plans after school. Teruhashi has a judgmental gaze and I get the feeling that she's fake. I shake off the small moment but take note in my mind that I should keep an eye on her.

They keep telling me all about the school and the teachers when I get the feeling someone is staring at me. I turn my head in the direction of the feeling and see the pink-haired kid I sit in front of in class, looking at me with an emotionless expression. He quickly turns away and acts interested in the very animated conversation at his table. I shake it off, it's normal for someone to act like that since I'm new so I join back into the conversation that has now turned to Teruhashi and her modeling career.

Despite some things being a little hard to deal with already, I can tell I am going to like it here.

+++++

Hi! It's the author. I wanted to clear up how the dialogue will look:

the italic speech will be Saiki's dialogue when he communicates using his telepathy (how he normally talks) since what he says sometimes won't be out loud.

That's all! How you enjoy it!

Chapter Text

Saiki POV

It's been a few days since the new girl, L/n, showed up to our class and it seems like people are finally acting normal again. I still have no idea why I can't read her mind and I have tried several times to figure out the reason but nothing seems to add up. She doesn't seem like she would be a psychic but maybe she's good at hiding it like me. It honestly doesn't matter, but I want to make sure that she isn't someone that will mess with my life.

The school day ended about an hour ago and I decided to head over to a new café that I saw that serves coffee jelly. The café is somewhat hidden, almost overlooked between two larger stores so I shouldn't see anyone I know from school. I walk in the door and instantly regret my decision when I see Mera and the new girl working.

'Of course,' I roll my eyes internally. I still want to get the coffee jelly so maybe if I sit somewhere away from them maybe they won't end up serving me. I move over to a booth that is away from where they are and hope that I have some luck for my day. But I quickly realize that God is not on my side when L/n walks over to my booth.

"Hey you're Saiki, right? I sit right in front of you in class," she says. I just nod and hope that this will be over soon. Suddenly, a group of older women roars out in laughter at whatever they were talking about. I cringe, the noise practically making my ear bleed.

"Actually," she starts and I find myself hoping that she'll just leave me alone, "would you be willing to follow me? There's another spot in the café that I think you might enjoy better."

I am a little confused but decide to follow her since I can't really say no. She turns and doesn't wait for me so I follow her towards the back of the café and see that she brings me towards several small tables that are blocked off from the rest of the café with a divider decorated with vines and twinkling lights. She places the menu down on one of the small wooden tables and looks back up at me with a small smile.

"Is this okay?" She asks. I look around and realize that this is actually a pretty nice spot. It is away from the rest of the busy and loud café and it allows for me to have my own privacy. I nod and sit down.

"Would you like some more time to look at the menu? Or are you ready?" She asks. I point to the coffee jelly and she nods her head in understanding.

"Okay, I'll go grab that for you," then walks off. I am still puzzled as to why she had me move here but I'm not complaining. Maybe she has some psychic abilities that tell her people's intentions? But if so, I would assume by now she would've said something to me about them. Even though she's not the only person I can't read the thoughts of, she doesn't seem to be as brain-dead as Nendo so all this doesn't add up.

In class earlier, I had to interact with l/n for a stupid turn-and-talk teacher question. Usually, you would end up talking to someone next to you but for some reason, the teacher decided to have everyone stay in their rows so she had to turn around to talk to me. It was a dumb question that I didn't need to talk to anyone about but no one ever cares what I want. L/n turned around with a small smile and messy notes in her lap and started going on and on about the scientific theory we were talking about at the moment. She was annoying but at least she wasn't stupid, in fact, she was actually pretty smart. We had to work two more times on some of the lab questions but after the turn-and-talk, she didn't really say much, which was fine by me.

L/n comes around the corner and places the coffee jelly in front of me softly and says, "I'll be around so don't hesitate to ask for anything." But before she walks away I blurt, like an idiot, the question that had been on my mind since I sat down.

"Why'd you have me sit here." She stops in her tracks and turns back to face me. She looks over my face for a few seconds and flashes another small smile.

"I just got a feeling that you don't like the crowds and dealing with the whole people thing, so I figured you'd like this spot better," she says with a grin. She observes my face, which is probably void of emotion and takes a few steps back towards the table. "Can I tell you a secret?" She questions quietly, fidgeting with her fingers.

I nod my head in agreement since I can't really say no but I'm still curious, maybe she'll reveal that she's a psychic. She leans in over the table a little and whispers "I can read people's minds." My eyes widen in shock when suddenly L/n bursts into laughter, a horrendous cackle, and her hand flies to her mouth to muffle some of the noise. In between giggles, she says, "you should've seen your face." L/n finally calms down and takes a few deep breaths and continues, "No, I don't have any powers, I'm just messing with you. But let me know if you need anything!" She says with another grin and walks off to go tend to other customers.

After I process what the hell just happened, I peacefully eat my coffee jelly for a while enjoying the quiet atmosphere. The divider actually blocks a lot of the sound so it does feel more relaxed where I'm sitting. I think if I can sit here, I'll definitely be coming back and the coffee jelly isn't half bad either.

So L/n doesn't have any powers? I find that hard to believe since she decided that moving away from the noise of the café would be something that I would like. Perhaps she's testing me to see if I am also a psychic? The more I think about it, the bigger my headache becomes. Speaking or rather thinking of, L/n comes around the corner and sees that my bowl is empty.

"Are you all set?" She asks. I nod again and go to grab my money but she holds up her hand to stop me.

"Don't worry about it," she says. I shake my head and go to hand her the money but she crosses her arms in front of herself.

"Saiki, it's okay, they won't realize that one coffee jelly wasn't paid for, seriously it's on the house, my treat."

I sit there in shock (again) and after realizing that she's serious, I stand up and give her a small bow to show my appreciation. As I'm putting my money away she laughs a little and grabs my empty coffee jelly dish.

"Alright, I'll see you in class on Monday, kay?" L/n says with a wink as she walks back towards the kitchen.

As she walks away I can't help but get a weird feeling in my stomach. I shake it off and decide that it was because I stood up so quickly. I grab my bag and head out the café doors.

'What a strange girl.'

Chapter Text

Third-person pov

You arrive at school after the weekend feeling refreshed. You finished your homework earlier than you thought which gave you time to relax and watch some anime. You finally were able to catch up on all your subjects which gives you some peace of mind knowing that you won't have to worry about that anymore. Once you walk into the building and change shoes, someone bumps into you causing you to stumble a little. You're turn around to give them a piece of your mind but you stop yourself when you see a white-haired kid with red bandages on his arm, completely red from embarrassment.

"I am so sorry! I did not mean to bump into you! I wasn't looking where I was going. Oh my gosh are you okay, I am so sorry-" He rambles while still blushing like crazy.

You laugh, your irritation fading away, "It's okay, no harm done." He looks at you unsure but nods anyway.

"I'm Jet Black Wings but you can call me Kaido, we are in the same class," he says. His complexion cooling off slightly. You raise your eyebrows slightly at the weird name but move on anyway.

"Oh right! I knew you looked familiar," you answer. He nods and as Kaido is about to say something else a big dude with a wacky hairstyle puts his hand on his shoulder.

"What's up Kaido," he says. Kaido shakes off his arm in annoyance at the interruption and looks towards you again.

"I was talking to L/n," Kaido says with a light blush.

"Oooh, you're the new girl. Nice to meet ya, I'm Nendo," he says.

"Hi, you're in our class too right?" You ask, already knowing the answer. This guy is very hard to miss.

"Yup," he replies. The bell rings signaling it's time to get to class. You decide to wait for them to change shoes then make your way to the classroom. Kaido is very grateful that you waited and once Nendo is set, which for some reason takes way longer than you would think, you all head to the class.

"L/n do you want to come with us to a Ramen shop after school?" Nendo asks, "It's really good."

You all climb the stairs and you smile to yourself at the offer. People are asking you to hang out? Already?

"Um sure, would it be okay if I ask Yumehara and Mera if they want to come too?" You reply a giddy feeling flows through your veins, making you feel light on your feet.

"Yeah, more the merrier!" Nendo says and continues to gush about how delicious this new place is. Kaido yells at Nendo and says if it's anything like the last place they went then he will kill him, whatever that means. Nendo puts a hand on Kaido's shoulder in reassurance and Kaido pushes it off of him like it's poisonous. You laugh to yourself at their interesting friendship. Once you guys get to class, you break away from Kaido and Nendo and head over to Mera who is eating an apple while talking to Yumehara.

"Hey guys," You say with a small wave.

"Hey!" They both say cheerily at you.

"Nendo asked me to come with him and Kaido to a ramen shop after school today, would you guys like to come?" Yumehara agrees instantly and gets excited while Mera shakes her head.

"Sorry I can't, I have to work tonight," she says, taking a large bite out of her apple.

"Darn! We'll catch you next time then," you respond. The teacher enters the class and you make your way to your desk. Saiki is already sitting down and you give him a small smile before facing the front. Classes continue normally and finally, it's the end of the day. You find Yumehara and you both walk out to the front of the school to see Nendo and Kaido along with Saiki.

"Hey!" Nendo bellows, waving his arms around his head, "we got Saiki to come with us too! Let's go!" As you're about to leave Teruhashi passes by.

"Where are you guys going?" She sweetly asks, a constant light shining around her. Kaido and Nendo have a mini freak out trying to explain the details of the planned hangout. You look over at Yumehara when they're talking and see she's staring at Kaido, who is being very dramatic with his hand gestures. You catch her blush when he looks over at you both for a split second before returning his gaze to the dazzling Teruhashi.

'Aw, she likes Kaido,' you think.

You tune back to the conversation to hear Nendo ask Teruhashi if she wants to come and a few back and forths of "I don't want to intrude," and "No, you're not, join us!" she eventually agrees. We finally walk off the campus, Nendo leading with the rest of us in tow. You all walk for a little until you remember your conversation earlier with Kaido.

"Hey Kaido, what does Jet Black Wings mean?" Next thing you know, he jumps right into telling you about Dark Reunion and how they are an evil organization that he fights against. His speech goes on for a while and with each passing second, you grow more amused.

"So those bandages keep your power's in check?" You ask him, pointing at his arms.

"Correct, my powers are very strong, so wearing them is for everyone else's protection," he proudly says.

"Wow that's very interesting," you say, "so what powers do you have?" He starts to stutter before finally saying that he can't say because it's too complicated so you decide just to go along with it.

"Yumehara, didn't you tell me at lunch today that you've been seeing some shady people hang around that shop by your house?" You say trying to bring her into the conversation. She looks at you and blushes when Kaido looks at her too, confirming your suspicion that she likes him.

"Um well yeah, it is kinda weird," she replies quietly.

"Maybe it's Dark Reunion, might be interesting to look into," you say looking at Kaido.

"uhh yeah yeah, maybe I will." He says trying to mask his hesitance behind his "cool guy" façade. You turn over to Saiki who has been quiet this whole time. He stares ahead and looks as uninterested as ever.

"What made you decide to come?" You ask, honestly surprised to see him here. He just shrugs his shoulders and keeps that same emotionless expression on his face.

'I guess he doesn't feel like talking,' you think.

After a few more minutes of walking and listening to Nendo talk about his love for ramen, you guys stop in front of the restaurant and head inside. Kaido is audibly very pleased since apparently, the last place they went was a complete dump. As you walk in, the delicious smell of food fills your nose and after talking to a hostess, the group is led to a rectangular table off to the side. Nendo instantly sits down seeming very eager. Teruhashi sits down across from him and Yamuhara sits down next to her. You are about to follow (since the unintentional setup would be girls on one side, guys on the other) when you realize this is the perfect chance for some match-making.

"Hey Kaido, would it be okay if you sit here?" You say gesturing to the corner spot next to Yumehara. Yumehara's eyes widen and she looks up at you with a blush. "It would be easier since then I can sit here," you gesture to the middle seat next to Nendo, "and I can sit across from the girls." You finish with a smile, hoping that he says yes.

"Okay," he says and plops himself down in the chair and begins looking at the menu. You mentally celebrate and sit down, looking up to see Yumehara hiding her face in the menu. Saiki sits down next to you and even though you don't know it, you saved him from the dread of having to sit next to Nendo and deal with Teruhashi trying to get his attention since he's now completely across the table from her. Although Nendo is somewhat isolated from the other guys, he doesn't seem to mind as he mumbles to himself about what bowl to get. You stare at the menu trying to figure out what you might want to get when you feel eyes glaring at you. You look up just in time to catch Teruhashi before she changes her expression again, back to her sweet smile.

'Dude chill', you think and start to get a little frustrated that she is looking at you like that for no reason that you can think of. You inhale and relax, knowing that you can't really do anything about it anyway.

The waitress comes over after a few minutes and you guys order your food and genuinely have a good time! The conversation flows great with talking about school, and work, and what next magazine Teruhashi is gonna model for, to the restaurant, etc. Saiki doesn't say very much throughout the whole meal but it doesn't bother you. You can tell that Saiki doesn't want to be here so you assumed a while ago that he was probably forced to come by Nendo or something.

After everyone is full, you guys pay and walk out. Everyone goes their own way to get home after you all agree that you'll see each other tomorrow at school. Once everyone parts ways, you and Saiki end up walking in the same direction. At first, it was a little awkward but then, after a few minutes, it got comfortable. After being in a loud restaurant and constantly feeling the need to avoid awkward silence, it was nice to finally be able to relax. You knew Saiki wouldn't say anything so it felt nice to have a breather. Saiki at first was expecting you to blabber on and on to try and avoid uncomfortable silence but was surprised when you didn't talk. He was glad that he didn't need to concern himself by getting involved in a meaningless conversation. Although not being able to hear your thoughts is still a concern, having it be completely quiet was a comfort that he didn't get to enjoy often. You reach the stairs to your apartment complex and both stop.

"This is me," you say and point your thumb towards the building, "I'll see you later." Saiki nods and as you go to walk up the stairs, you remember something.

"Hey Saiki," you call out to his already retreating figure. He turns around and gives you a look to continue. "I know you probably didn't want to be with us today but we were all glad you came." He looks at you for a moment before nodding his head and continuing his walk down the street.

You turn and continue your walk up the stairs with a smile on your face. You have friends! This fresh start thing is already going great and you couldn't be happier. Sure, Teruhashi seems to be a little sour towards you but it's not something you want to worry about at the moment. You unlock the door and enter your apartment.

"I'm home!" You call out, knowing no one will answer. You set your backpack down on the floor of the empty apartment with a sigh and go to change into more comfortable clothes. For the rest of the night, you relax and watch your favorite show.

What a fun day!

Chapter Text

After a busy day of learning, the bell rings signaling the end of the day. You stay behind a bit to try and finish the worksheet so you don't have to add it to your mountain of homework you have to do tonight. After a few more minutes you finally finish and grab your bag to head home.

You're walking through the hall when you see Saiki turn round the corner quickly. You're about to wave hi but he puts a finger up to his mouth, signaling to keep quiet. Puzzled, you meet him halfway.

"What's wrong?" You ask softly. Before he has a chance to open his mouth you hear Nendo's obnoxiously loud voice.

"Saiki where are you? Come on pal let's hang out." Telling by Saiki's expression of annoyance, you figure out what Saiki is trying to do.

"You keep going, I can distract him." You say, moving past him and towards Nendo's voice. You hear Saiki say thanks but you don't have time to process the fact that he actually spoke before Nendo is right in front of you.

"Hey, Nendo!" You say loudly, hoping that signals to Saiki that he needs to get a move on.

"Oh hey L/n, have you seen Saiki? He was walking this way. Maybe you passed him?" Nendo asks. You put your hand under your chin and act like you're thinking. Humming a little to show that you're trying to remember to waste more time.

"Hmmm, I don't think I did. But you know what, I think he mentioned to me in class today that he had to return a book to the library so maybe he's there," you respond, surprisingly yourself at how easily you came up with a lie.

"That makes sense, I'll go there then," he says and tries to move around you to head towards the library.

"I'll come with you! But I think we should go this way." You tell him, pointing to the opposite direction of where you saw Saiki. "That way we avoid the traffic from the other students so it'll be quicker." Which technically would be true but since school has been over for a little while now, it won't really matter and in this direction, you avoid the main stairwell so that should help Saiki out as well, you think. At first, you were doing this to help Saiki, but now that you're following through, you smile to yourself. You feel like an undercover spy trying to distract the enemy. Even though it is deceiving to Nendo, it is kind of fun to mess with him, even if you have nothing to gain from it other than a small amount of satisfaction.

"Okay, that way we can try to catch him before he leaves," Nendo says and follows you in your proposed direction to the library.

"Perfect idea! Let's go!" You agree as you both walk away, hoping that you gave Saiki a decent head start. Little did you know, Saiki heard the whole exchange. He was originally going to try to find a safe spot to teleport home from Nendo but when he ran into you he decided to see how things played out and it was quite amusing. He smiled a little and teleported home, appreciating your efforts, even if they were unnecessary.

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Hi! Author here! I know this chapter is really short but it mostly is to show Saiki's changing opinion of y/n. This is the last chapter that will be under 1000 words and some of the future chapters are LONG so enjoy!

Chapter Text

'Math is killing me,' you think as your head pounds from the immense amount of information that your teacher is throwing at you.

There's a big test coming up that you know you're not ready for and it's stressing you out. You put your head down on your desk and close your eyes to stop yourself from thinking too negatively. You'll just have to figure it out tonight. You have been studying for the past two days but you're still not getting it. You sit up and let out a small sigh. You know you need to think of something soon if you want to be able to not let your grade drop.

"Saiki, could you please come up to the board and solve this equation for us?" The teacher asks. He gets up and wordlessly goes over to the board and answers the question. After finishing, he quickly walks back to his seat behind you and sits down again.

"Wow, great work Saiki, that equation was quite difficult," the teacher says and at that statement, a light bulb goes off in your head.

'I could ask Saiki to help tutor me for the test!' You think but then quickly decide that it's probably not a good idea. 'Are we even friends? He hasn't said more than one word to me ever. But he seems to really know what he's doing...' You keep going back and forth but as the bell rings to end the class and school day, you decide at least trying won't hurt. You turn behind you to see Saiki grabbing his papers. You tap his desk and he looks up at you.

"Hey, nice job on that equation. It looked tough," you say. He nods and is about to leave when you call out to him.

"Actually Saiki, could you maybe help me with some problems? I am so confused and I really don't want to fail this test," you ask. He stares at you for a little with that emotionless expression and you wonder what he's thinking.

'He's probably going to say no.'

'I don't want to help you,' Saiki thinks matter of factly. He is about to decline your request when he gets a feeling in his stomach and grows annoyed when he realizes it's guilt. He internally rolls his eyes. He doesn't care if you fail or not but why does he feel so guilty? He thinks a little longer and remembers the free coffee jelly that you gave him two weeks ago as well as when you helped him escape from Nendo; he internally groans.

"Fine," he says and turns to walk away, "let's go." You are genuinely surprised but silently celebrate before following him out the door.

"If you want, we can study at my place? If that makes it easier?" You suggest while walking next to him through the hallway and down the stairs to the main doors.

"No, we can do it at mine. My notes are in my room anyway," he responds.

"Oh okay, as long as it's no trouble," you say with a light blush from his word choice, trying not to think dumb dirty thoughts and follow him off-campus. As we walk, you wave to Yumehara and quickly change shoes. After being all set, you run a few steps to catch Saiki, who is already out the door. Once you catch him, you walk side by side in silence. You try to think of something to say to at least try to diffuse the somewhat awkward tension but ultimately decided it best to stay quiet. As you keep walking, your apartment complex comes into view.

"Do you mind if I stop at my apartment?" You ask, "I just need to drop some stuff off real quick."

He simply nods and when you get to your complex you both walk up the stairs and enter your apartment.

"You can make yourself at home, it'll only take a second," you say and quickly go to your room to drop off your backpack, and change into more comfortable clothes. While you're in your room, Saiki looks around your apartment. It's pretty simple consisting of a large room that consists of the dining room furnished with a plain auburn wood table along with 4 chairs in a similar style. The kitchen is against one wall and the sitting area is across from it with a couch, dark brown leather chair, and a flat-screen TV. There is another table that is smaller with the same color as the main table in the dining room. The kitchen is plain. Consisting of regular attachments like a stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator. The walls are white and bare aside from three separate doors that he assumes to be one bathroom and two bedrooms. The apartment is dull and unwelcoming, making it seem like no one lives here. The only sign of life is a small vase with a few wildflowers on the center of the dining room table. Saiki knows that you haven't lived here long but he didn't expect your home to feel so cold, it's quite the opposite of your nature. You grab your math things and head out to see Saiki still in the same spot that you last left him. He turns his head at the sound of your footsteps.

"Okay all set, sorry," you apologize. He heads to the door and as you guys are about to head out again, you remember something.

"Oh wait, one last thing! I'll meet you downstairs." You tell him as you run back into your apartment. He rolls his eyes at your retreating figure and huffs.

'Maybe I should've said no,' he thinks continuing to walk down the steps. After a quick minute, you come down the stairs two at a time with something in your hands, and as soon as you get to Saiki you hand it to him. His eyes widen when he realizes it's coffee jelly.

"I was allowed to bring some of the leftover desserts home after work yesterday, here," you say with a smile. He nods and you guys continue on your way. His house is only a few more blocks down the road which you're surprised. You didn't realize he lived so close. You arrive and both walk-in and when you close the door, you hear some noise in the kitchen followed by a high-pitched voice.

"Ku, is that you?" The voice says then a few moments later a young woman with short black hair that you assume to be his mother walks into view.

"Oh hello! And who are you?" She says excitedly while walking closer to you.

"Hi Mrs. Saiki, my name is Y/n L/n. I'm in Saiki's class," you say introducing yourself.

"That's so nice! Ku doesn't have friends over often so it's nice to see a new face," she expresses. You look over at Saiki who is trying to make his way up the stairs.

"Yeah, he's actually going to help me with math since there's a big test coming up," you say, taking off your shoes.

"Ohh that's right, that test does sound pretty serious. Why don't you stay for dinner? It would be so nice to talk to one of his friends!" At that suggestion you see Saiki freeze out of the corner of your eye.

"Thank you for the offer but I'm okay," you reply while making your way over to Saiki who is now climbing the stairs.

"Nonsense! It would be great to have you, I insist!" She says sweetly and you find it impossible to say no.

"Great! It's settled then!" She claps, "I'll let you guys know when everything's ready."

"Okay sounds good, thank you," you say and follow Saiki up the stairs. You make it to his room and he shuts the door and makes his way to his desk while you stand in the middle of the room observing everything. His room is pretty simple with all the basics of a normal room. He has a bed in the far corner of the room that is neatly made with two pillows. As well as a nightstand with a lamp next to the bed. Across from his bed are a bookshelf with many novels, manga, photo albums, and video game discs all tidily placed. Next to the bookshelf is a small table with a TV with video game controllers connected to it with some discs stacked next to the television. Finally, next to the TV is a standard wooden desk paired with a wooden chair where Saiki now sits. Regardless of the room being standard with not much personality, it is pretty cute and funny to see your predictions of his room were pretty spot on. You turn to Saiki who is leafing through papers and notebooks on his desk. He seems a little frazzled and you assume it's because you agreed to stay for dinner.

"I don't need to stay if you don't want. You're already helping me as it is and I completely understand. I can just say that something came up." You say playing with your hands nervously, attempting to ease the tension.

"It's alright," He responds and turns towards you, face holding an emotionless expression. "She probably won't let you leave anyways." And at that, you laugh. He doesn't sound at cold as he looks so you relax your shoulders, glad to know he's not too upset about it.

"She is really nice," you say. He nods and takes out his notes and for the next hour or so you guys go over practice problems and study the different mathematical methods. It was actually quite nice and you were finally understanding the concepts. It was also nice to actually talk to Saiki. Granted he didn't really talk much other than when you asked him about a certain part or when he stated the directions, it was still pretty nice. It was so strange to hear him talk so much but you liked it, he seemed a lot more relaxed since first getting here. The atmosphere wasn't awkward or uncomfortable like you thought it'd be, which was great, everything flowed easy enough and it made it that much more enjoyable.

As soon as you finished the last question in one of the practice packets, Saiki stands up and says dinner is ready. You were kinda puzzled at how he knew since you remember his mother saying that she would come up to let you both know but you follow him out of his room anyway and head down the stairs towards the kitchen. You walk into the dining room and see a man with glasses and brown hair that you assume to be his father, sitting in one of the lounge chairs. He looks up at you and his eyes widen.

"Hello! And who might you be? Kusuo's girlfriend?" He asks enthusiastically. You notice Saiki rolls his eyes as he heads into the kitchen. Your cheeks redden and you quickly clear up the confusion.

"No, I'm a friend in his class. My name is Y/n L/n. It's nice to meet you," You say while fidgeting with your fingers nervously.

"Aah I apologize for jumping the gun there," he laughs, "it's nice to meet you too."

You follow Saiki into the kitchen after finishing introductions with his dad and help Mrs. Saiki set up the table and bring the food out. Everything looks delicious and your mouth waters at the smell. Once everything is laid out, you guys all sit down and begin eating.

"So L/n, have you been in Ku's class before? I apologize but I don't think I remember seeing you before," Mrs. Saiki says.

"No I haven't, I transferred to P.K. almost a month ago now," you answer and take a sip of water.

"That makes more sense then. What made you transfer here?" She asks. You repeat what you told Yumehara and the girls on the first day of school. You say your Dad works in business management further towards the city and moving here was a better location.

"That's so interesting! Welcome!" She exclaims.

"Thank you! So far I'm really enjoying it here. I actually live in the new apartment complex a few blocks down from here," you reply.

"Really? That's great, you and Ku can walk to school in the morning!" She exclaims. You look out of the corner of your eyes at Saiki and he just continues to eat his food but you figured he probably isn't going to say much anyway.

"So how was the studying?" She asks. The conversation keeps flowing with talk about school and friends as well as other things about his parents. You all finish your meal and go to help clean up but Mr. Saiki stops you.

"Don't worry about this stuff, we got it covered." He says and looks over at Saiki, "How about you walk her home? It's getting late." Saiki nods and heads towards the door. Before you follow him you bow in front of his parents.

"Thank you so much for having me over. The meal was delicious," you say gratefully.

"Oh of course honey, anytime, really! If you ever need anything just let us know. Also good luck on the math test!" She responds. You thank her one last time before heading out the door with Saiki. You both walk in silence for a bit but it was a nice silence.

"The dinner was really nice. I don't remember the last time I ate with more than just myself," you answer bashfully, "and now saying that out loud sounds really pathetic."

You expect no reply but Saiki looks at you and simply says "that's good."

You look up at him with a grin and he looks away quickly and stares ahead again. After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, you make it to your complex.

"Thanks again for everything, I feel SO much better with the concepts," you say to him. "I think I have another coffee jelly so I'll bring it with me tomorrow, kay? See ya!" You wave and head towards the stairs.

"Good night," you hear faintly as you get to the first step. You turn around and smile at his already retreating figure.

"Good night Saiki," you respond softly not knowing that he heard.

Chapter Text

After the help from Saiki, the math test went easy breezy. You ended up getting an A on the test too! As soon as you got the score back you turned around in your seat to show Saiki and when you were talking to him about it, you swear you saw a faint smile on his face.

Now it's Friday and your dad is coming home! You haven't seen him since before school started so you are really excited to be able to catch up and tell him about all the new friends that you made.

You walk out of your apartment with a huge smile on your face and head to school. As you walk you see Nendou, Kaido, and Saiki a little ways ahead of you.

"Hey, guys!" You call out and run to catch up to them.

"Hey, L/n!" Kaido says, "you look very cheerful this morning."

"That's because I am! My dad is coming home for the weekend! I haven't seen him in so long so I'm really excited!" You exclaim, falling into step beside them. Your dad works in the city and thought it would be best to move closer. He ultimately picked P.K. academy for you, even though it's still a good hour away because the community is nice and quiet. But honestly, you think it was because he would be able to leave you (a minor) to be on your own without any problems.

"That's great!" Kaido says and smiles at your positive attitude.

"So you won't be able to hang out today then?" Nendou asks.

"Sorry Nendou, I'll probably be spending all my time with my dad. But maybe next week after school we can all go to get ramen again." You propose and he agrees with your statement. You, Nendou, and Kaido continue talking about what you'll do when your dad visits and Saiki watches your expressions as you talk. He catches himself smiling a little and when he hears your laugh he gets a weird feeling in his stomach. Before he has time to question why he feels like this, you all make it into the school and class begins.

+++++

Saiki POV

As soon as the bell rings at the end of the day, L/n jumps up from her seat.

"I won't be able to walk home with you today," she tells me as she grabs her bag, "I'm going to the store to pick up a few things so have a good weekend!" She says and rushes out the door before I can blink.

I grab my bag and head out of the classroom at a normal pace. I'm glad to be able to have the whole weekend to myself. I'll finally be able to catch up on my game and I'll probably read some more of my manga. I successfully avoid Nendou and Kaido and I make my way down the sidewalk and pass L/n's apartment complex. Even though walking home by myself is peaceful and relaxing, I can't help to somewhat miss L/n's presence which feels weird to admit, even to myself. Even if we barely talk on our walks home from school, the company isn't all that unbearable and I find her to not be as annoying as a lot of the others at PK. Maybe it's because I can't read her thoughts but I don't mind her company. When I think about it, I don't remember when we started walking home together. I guess it was after I helped her with math and somehow it turned into an everyday thing. Once I get home, I go up to my room and relax by reading a few chapters of my manga. After several hours of doing nothing, I grew bored so I decided to go downstairs to grab some food. I think there might be some coffee jelly in the fridge.

"Kusuo can you put this vanity together for me?" My dad asks while standing surrounded by several pieces of furniture.

'No do it yourself,' I telepathically answer him and head into the kitchen towards the fridge.

"Aww come on, don't be like that, it'll only take you a few seconds," He pouts while holding up a random piece of the vanity.

'No.'

"Please Kusuo! I don't have the right tools for it anyway."

'Not my problem.'

"Please Kusuo please, it's a gift for your mother."

I internally roll my eyes knowing that he won't stop asking me 'Fine,' I reply and quickly construct the vanity using my telekinesis.

"Yay! Thank you Kusuo!" He exclaims, "Now could you make this chair for me?"

I huff and decide to go for a walk. Maybe I'll even stop at the café.

"Kusuo, wait-!" But before he can finish his plea I walk out the door. The sun has set, leaving the sky a dark blue and the stars are beginning to become visible. I head in the direction of the school since there's a park nearby that I'll go stop at. The weather is still pretty warm considering the sun went down but I'm not complaining. I pass L/n's complex again and I wonder if she's having a good time with her dad. Earlier today, she was almost insufferably excited. She never mentioned it past this morning's walk other than briefly at lunch, but I could tell. She was fidgeting in her seat nonstop. Whether she was twirling her hair, cracking her knuckles, or bouncing her leg, it was painfully obvious she was itching for school to be over. I make it to the park and walk towards the fountain. As I get closer I see a figure balled up on the bench. At first, I thought it might be a trash bag but once my eyes focused more on the ball, I realized it's a person and... it almost looks like-

And sure enough, as I got closer I see that the ball is in fact, L/n. I could tell it was her by her shoes. There's nothing too special about them but when I was in her apartment for a few minutes, a pair of high-top sneakers were sprawled out on the floor, almost causing me to trip. Their design included several colors of blue that swirled together to look like a wave. I've never seen shoes look like that before so when I saw the soft blues on the feet of the figure, I knew it was her. I almost decide not to get closer since I don't think she's seen me yet but then I hear a series of sniffles and I fight the urge to find out what she's doing on the bench, by herself, and without her dad. Before I can rationalize my decision I sit down on the bench. She lifts her head from her knees slightly and looks up at me with watery eyes.

"Oh, hey Saiki," she sniffles with tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong with you?" I ask, it comes off as more forceful than supportive but she answers anyway.

"Oh uh... nothing. Just disappointed... again," she says with a forced laugh. "My dad, he never showed up," she rests her head on her knees again and looks off at the park. I don't know how to respond to what she said but thankfully she continues.

"He called me two hours after he was supposed to be here and said things at the office were really hectic and that he's sorry," she huffs. "It just sucks because he's staying in the city which is only an hour away so I don't know why he couldn't have told me sooner. I cooked dinner and really cleaned up the apartment too... I don't know why I'm surprised anymore, he's done stuff like this before," she rants.

I still don't know what to say. That is a really shitty thing for her dad to do, obviously, but I can't tell her that. Girls are hard to understand already but now I can't get the extra help with the whole mindreading thing, how am I supposed to know what I can say or not say that won't set her off? Before I can even come close to a conclusion, L/n suddenly sits up and begins to wipe her tears with the back of her sweater sleeve.

"Sorry, you have to see me as such a mess. You probably don't want to deal with this anyway but I appreciate you listening and letting me vent," she says with another forced laugh. We both sit on the bench and the only thing interrupting the silence is L/n occasional sniffle. She continues to look visibly upset and I still don't know what to say to help her feel better. If she wouldn't have wanted my company she would've said so or left by now... right? I can't read her mind to help me either so I have zero ideas if even saying anything at all will help. What do people do to stop a crying person? What would my mom do when my dad is upset? Maybe coming over here was a mistake.

'Good grief why do I always find myself in stressful situations like this.'

+++++

Your POV

I'm pulled from my sad destructive thoughts when I feel a warm hand lightly grab the side of my head and guide it back so that I'm laying on a shoulder, Saiki's shoulder. It feels nice and I probably would be a blushing mess if I didn't feel so horrible about the events that transpired this evening, or the lack thereof. We stay like this for several minutes and it helps to put my mind at ease. To know that Saiki is at least trying to help, makes me feel a little better. He pats my head softly from time to time and I close my eyes appreciating the feeling.

"Thanks," I whisper but I know he heard when I feel his shoulder stiffen a little. He relaxes again and we continue to sit like this taking in the warm air and soft chirp of cicadas, Saiki could be uncomfortable right now but I don't really care because with Saiki sitting next to me, I don't feel as alone as I did. I understand he probably feels obligated to help me since he had the unfortunate coincidence of finding me but I ignore that and appreciate the gesture nonetheless. I honestly can't remember the last time I was comforted like this and I already feel my tear-stained cheeks start to dry.

After a few more minutes, Saiki suggests that I should probably head home since it's getting late and with slight hesitancy, I remove my head from his shoulder and he walks me back to my apartment. My tears have stopped but the sinking feeling in my stomach is still present. I hug my shoulders in a comforting manner and know that I probably won't sleep a wink again tonight. We don't talk on the walk but I don't care. I don't even know what I would say or if I could even say anything without either crying again or feeling embarrassed. He walks with me all the way up to my apartment door and surprises me when he follows me inside. I slip off my shoes and turn towards Saiki who observes me intently.

"Thanks for walking me home and everything. You didn't need to do that." I say, my voice sounding a little scratchy from the crying and I internally cringe.

"Sure," He shrugs and looks around the apartment, "well, goodnight." I watch him take some steps towards the door but before he opens it he stops.

"Maybe you should invite some of your friends over," he starts while moving his hand to the door handle. "I uh- overheard Yumehara and Mera saying that they wanted to hang out... with you."

I smile at his suggestion. "Thanks, I think I will." Saiki nods in response and opens the door.

"And Saiki," I start, wrapping my arms around myself, "thanks again, I really appreciate it."

He looks over at me and nods again. He closes the door behind him with a soft click and I'm left alone in my empty, cold apartment. Even if being alone here was the reason why I went to the park in the first place, I don't feel as bad anymore as I did. I sigh and head to my bedroom where I decide to watch a few episodes of my current show and try my best to distract myself from the long day.

Chapter Text

Even though your weekend started off on a bad note, you were able to salvage the rest by having a sleepover with Mera and Yumehara at your place like Saiki suggested. When you texted them, they responded back immediately and sounded very excited to hang out. Once they arrived, you guys talked for a while and ate some desserts then watched a few movies until you guys crashed at 3 am.

Then for the rest of Sunday, you went to the store and relaxed on your own. The big reason to go out was to shop for the apartment. You decided the other night that the place needed to warm up a bit and have it feel more like home. You bought some simple paintings for the walls and some green plants to add some life. You decide that you'll get some other things later but for now, these things will do. You also did some homework and binged several episodes of your current anime. Your heart still hurts from the whole situation but every time you think about that night, Saiki pops back into your head and you get a warm feeling in your stomach. It was very unexpected of him to do what he did, you thought, but regardless it helped a lot.

Now it's Monday morning and you are getting ready for school. After making sure you have all your books and homework you head towards the door. As soon as you open it, you see Saiki standing there with his hand out looking like he was about to knock.

"Oh! Hi Saiki," You say a little surprised, "What're you doing here?" He puts his arm down and turns to walk back down the stairs.

"Let's go, we're running late now," he answers monotonously. You stand there a little confused but you lock the door and follow him anyway. After several minutes of walking in silence, you decide to try to conversate.

"So did you have a good weekend?" He nods and keeps looking ahead.

"Did... you do anything fun?" You ask him, attempting to get him to talk but all he does is shrug.

'Cool that's great Saiki, sounds really awesome,' you think sarcastically. You walk in silence again for a bit until you decide to try again.

"Do you like to play video games?" He nods again, "What type is your favorite?" When you think you finally got him to talk with a specific question that you're sure he'll answer, he just shrugs! Still looking ahead acting like you're not walking beside him.

"Can you do anything other than nod or shrug your shoulders?" You say, now annoyed. He looks over at you and you realize that you said that out loud. You kick a pebble in your path and decide that you meant what you said. You're not surprised when he doesn't say anything so you send him a glare.

"Well do you?" You say again. At this point, you were hoping that he would at least be a little more comfortable around you. Even if things may be a little awkward between you guys from Friday night, he shouldn't have to be an asshole and ignore you.

"I like adventure and strategy games I guess," he says somewhat agitated, looking ahead again. You race your eyebrows but smile anyway, knowing that you just bullied him into talking.

"That's cool, I went to the store yesterday and picked up a few games for my console, I got some like that. Do you wanna come over after school?" You ask and he looks ahead again, seeming to think about the offer. Saiki knew if you both just went home after school, he'd have to deal with his dad wanting him to finish making furniture and he almost rolls his eyes at the hypothetical. He could go home and play his own games but remembers that he completed everything that he could, even the secret levels so he would just be sitting around doing nothing anyway.

"Sure," he says as you both arrive on campus. You follow him to the classroom and you both sit down.

"Okay sounds good!" You reply and face forward as class starts. The school day went by relatively fast since a lot of the lessons consisted of practice and regular work. Once the bell rang, you walked out the front doors with Saiki and after a few minutes, made it to your apartment. You unlock the door and kick off your shoes, making your way over to the kitchen.

As Saiki takes off his shoes and neatly places them by the door, unlike yours, you open the fridge. "Want anything to eat? I went to the store a few days ago so I have some options."

He sets his bag on the dining room table and wordlessly makes his way over to the fridge. He looks inside and quickly notices that there isn't any coffee jelly, a small frown makes its way onto his face.

"Yeah, I don't have any coffee jelly this time." You close the fridge after grabbing a water bottle and open one of the cabinets and grab the box of cheez-its that has yet to be opened. "I'm going to drop my bag off in my room, you can grab whatever snacks you want." You walk out of the kitchen and quickly throw your school bag on your bed. You throw on a simple hoodie then turn around and walk back into the living room. You walk back into the kitchen to see Saiki holding a bowl of apple slices. You raise your eyebrows since you were only gone for a few seconds but decide not to comment, even though it's weird how fast he must've cut them.

You grab the box of cheez-its and head over to the TV. You set down the Cheezits on the low table and grab the few CD cases and hold them out in front of you like a stack of cards fanned out for display. Saiki puts his bowl of apples on the table and you push your hands towards him.

"Pick a card, any card."

He takes a moment to look at some of the titles before grabbing ahold of one of the cases in the middle. He pulls it out from the cases and holds it up to you.

"Minecraft?" You question, making sure that that is in fact the one that he wants to play. He nods and you take the case from him and in the next few minutes, you turn on your console, grab the controllers, and get situated on the floor with your snacks in front of you. "You know, I didn't think you would choose this one, I thought you'd go for Zelda or something."

"You can't play Zelda with two people."

You nod as you start setting up a new world. "Guess that makes sense. Creative or survival?"

"Survival."

You fiddle with the options and as the world loads, you look over at Saiki who is scrolling on his phone. "I bet I can make a better house than you."

He looks over at you from his phone, an eyebrow raised. "I doubt that."

You mock a hurt expression and look back at the TV with a light scoff, moving your character to chop some trees. "Well, you are gonna be sorely mistaken once you see my master skills."

Saiki doesn't say anything so you look to see him appearing a lot more relaxed than first getting here. His shoulders aren't as tense as they were and he stares intently at the screen as he chops some wood. For the next several minutes, you both do your own things in comfortable silence. Every once in a while you would take a few Cheezits but never stopping for too long. Both of your houses were nearly done and after adding a few finishing touches to the outside, you both decide it was time to show them off.

"Okay come see mine first." You say pressing your controller repeatedly to crouch and stand up. Saiki's character makes its way over and you give him the walk-through of the 3 story house that you created. You went with a modern and warm look using birch wood and planks. Large windows adorn 3 of the 4 walls and the roof is positioned laid out from the structure to create an overhang effect. The outside displayed a dirt path being decorated with bushes and flowers with the fencing surrounding the yard outside the front door with several sheep encapsulated inside. The inside was pretty basic but included all the necessities. The whole aesthetic was pretty close to cottage core, you smile at the finished product.

"I would've added some glowstone lanterns but I could only do so much in the time limit." You say as you walk back down the stone stairs.

He nods, you thought probably speechless with the amazingness that is your creation and you follow him over to his house. You saw some parts of it since you both are split-screen but now seeing it finished it actually looked pretty cool. He went the cobblestone route with the structure resembling a small castle. He made a watchtower and the rest being a standard large square stone structure. No windows, just holes in the walls to keep that rustic look, and once going inside it was also pretty standard like yours, adorned with the necessities. You hummed while walking around the castle.

"Does this castle have a name? Like Dragonspire castle or Nendou Stronghold?"

"Saiki Palace."

"Really? Naming it after yourself? Sounds pretty selfish."

"I built it." He starts, walking his character out of the castle. "So I can do whatever I want."

"Pfft, whatever you say, your highness." You say, mimicking a British accent. "But the judges' votes are in and they say I win this challenge."

"What judges?"

"My sheep." You say pointing at the TV. "It was unanimous but you gave a solid effort."

"That isn't a fair vote."

"How is it not fair?" You say setting your controller down and giving Saiki your full attention.

"They are sheep, sheep can't vote." He says matter-of-factly also setting his controller down.

"That sounds very discriminatory. You're being sheepist."

"Sheepist? Really?" He says, now looking at you fully, narrowing his eyes challengingly.

"Yeah, they didn't like your self-absorbed tyrannical ruling so they decided to come over to my place, where I let them eat as much of my grass as they want." You cross your arms over your chest and narrow your eyes too. "It was a unanimous vote because of that."

He looks away from your gaze and back at the screen. "Well, they're eating all of your grass."

You turn back to the screen too to see your yard now filled with patches of dirt where the luscious pixilated grass used to be.

"No! Stop sheep!" You panic as you grab the controller again to try to do something. "Don't ruin the aesthetic!"

Saiki exhales sharply from his nose and watches as you struggle to fix your front yard. You decide to let the sheep roam free around the world and after you fix the yard so that it looks good as it can, you turn over to Saiki who has an amused look on his face. You hit his character with your own but he doesn't seem to care."Don't be all smug. I'll fix it so it looks even better than before."

"Okay, you do that." He replies as he maneuvers his character away to go do whatever else he needs to do. "I'm gonna go mine."

You turn back to the screen and spin your character around to follow him. "I bet I can find diamonds before you." You feel his eyes on the side of your face, you turn back to him with a smirk. "Do you accept the challenge?"

"You're on."

+++++

For the next couple of days, Saiki came over, and you both would either play games or read, do homework, or watch whatever show was on. You would do most of the talking but you could tell that Saiki didn't really mind. He commented on the new decor saying the room looked 10x less depressing than it did. You rolled your eyes at his comment but regardless, took it as a compliment. One day Saiki even brought over some of his games so you could play them too. It was honestly a good time and it was nice to not be so alone in the apartment after school. A few times you'd only hang out for a little before you had to go to work, but most days you guys would hang out for hours before he would have to go home for dinner.

It's Friday and you both are sitting on the floor in your living room playing Mario Kart. You're neck-and-neck in the race but luckily you turn the corner and (y/character) drifts past his to victory. You lift your arms in the air and cheer.

"Finally!" You exclaim in victory and fall on your back. Saiki turns his head and looks at you with an annoyed expression.

"Well, that won't happen again. Don't get too happy," he answers with a hint of a smirk.

"That was what, our 7th race? Just let me have my moment." You say as you sit back up. You catch him rolling his eyes at your statement and you punch his shoulder lightly.

"I'm going to keep this streak going. This race, I will destroy you," you state confidently and push your hair out of your face.

"Right," Saiki draws out, "keep telling yourself that." You glare at him and press start.

After a devastating loss, you both decide to call it good for the evening since Saiki will have to head home soon. He grabs his bag and as he puts his shoes on, you pick up some of the snacks from off the living room floor and put them in the kitchen. When you come back, Saiki is standing at the door.

"Do you think you're going to go to the festival tomorrow?" Saiki asks as you make your way back over to him. At lunch earlier that day, Yumehara was talking about a festival that was happening in the park close to the school. There would be food, activities, and little shops set up with sweets and souvenirs. Apparently, it was going to be a busy and exciting event that in Yumehara's words "could not be missed."

"Yeah, I think I will. I'll have to work in the morning but it sounds like everyone is planning on going in the evening anyway," you say, leaning against the wall. He nods then goes to head for the door.

"I'll stop by and we can walk there together."

"Sure, I'll text you when I get off work," you agree and walk with him to the door.

"Next time we play Mario Kart, you're going down," you say and cross your arms across your chest, "I won't be going easy on you." A ghost of a smile appears on his face at your competitiveness.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he responds and you glare at him.

You say your goodbyes and he leaves. You go to clean up your mess of papers that you had littered around your table from the homework you guys were doing earlier when a thought came to your head.

'Did he just ask me out...? No...That was not him asking me out. He just wants to walk with me until we meet everyone... yeah.' You shake it off and continue cleaning. Either way, you're excited to go and hang out with everyone. You haven't been to a festival since your mom past so you hope it will be a good way to move on. After cleaning up, you go to watch anime, because what's better than that.

Chapter Text

Your POV

After getting home from work, I quickly take a shower and change into a simple dress. It ends just before the knee and its fabric is flowy; making it perfect for the warm weather. I put on light makeup and decide to curl the ends of my hair. I look in the mirror and do a little swirl and watch the dress flow with my motion.

'I look good,' I think and wink at the mirror while striking a dumb pose. I hear a knock at the door and flatten the imaginary wrinkles in my dress, grab my purse, and head for the door. I swing it open to reveal Saiki in a simple sweater and jeans.

"Hi," I say "let me put on my sandals." After I'm sure I have everything, we walk out of the apartment and after a few minutes of walking, arrive at the entrance of the festival.

"Wow, this place is insanely busy," I comment while looking around the park. People are everywhere enjoying all the offers of the event. I don't think I could see a single open area of grass. The atmosphere is bustling with chaotic and extreme energy. When I came here the night Kusuo helped me, this place now looks completely different. I didn't even know this many people lived around here.

"I think the rest of the gang said they would be by one of the dessert tents," I say while trying to walk through the crowd. "Let's try to stay together-" I turn to look at Saiki but he's not there anymore.

'Crap.'

I frantically look around for Saiki. He shouldn't be hard to miss with that pink hair of his but I can't seem to find him anywhere. I try to shove my way through the crowd but with so many people the task is quite difficult. I grab my phone and text him, hoping that it might help and that hopefully, he knows that I'm gone. The familiar feeling of getting forgotten itches at the back of my brain and I feel a panic stir in my chest from all the bodies. I need space. My heart is pounding and I feel like my throat is closing up, making it hard for me to breathe as my eyes start to get blurry from in-coming tears.

'It's okay, don't freak out, you'll find him,' I repeatedly tell myself, but the intense atmosphere and the huge crowd are making it hard for me to stay calm.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Saiki POV

"Wow, this place is insanely busy," L/n says while looking around the crowded park.

I continue to walk towards the dessert tents since that's where L/n said they would be. It is insanely noisy and I regret not bringing my ring with me to try and muffle all the thoughts and conversations. As I almost arrive at the tents, I look down in wonderance as to why L/n isn't saying anything only to find that she's no longer by my side.

'Good grief of course she's gone.'

There are too many people here so there will be no way to find her. I reach for my phone and realize that I didn't bring it with me. Of course. And for some reason, I can't hear her thoughts so finding her will be even harder than it already is. Attempting to find her using clairvoyance in this crowd would be a horrible mess.

I turn around and walk the way I came to try and find her. The more I look for her, the more annoyed I grow, it's almost comical, of course, she gets herself lost. She's probably freaking out and losing her shit over the fact that she's alone. I would rather not want to deal with a distressed L/n so with a heavy sigh, I continue looking around. After a few minutes, I finally see her. She is facing away from me, her dress flowing around her in an angelic way and her hair cascades down her shoulders. If I wasn't so annoyed I'd think she looked pretty. I push past the people in front of me and put a hand on her shoulder. She jumps a little, turning around, and meets my eyes with her watery ones. My annoyance fades away as I look at the panicky expression present on her face.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Your POV

A wave of relief crashes over me as I realize the hand that scared me belonged to Saiki.

"Hey," he says softly as he removes his hand from my shoulder.

"Hi," I say back, feeling my breathing begin to go back to normal, "I lost you."

"Yeah, I noticed," he remarks " I looked away for one second and you run off."

I roll my eyes at his statement and blink a few times to clear my blurry vision. I can't believe I was going to cry. I feel like Saiki has seen me emotional one too many times and I bet he thinks I'm a crybaby.

"No need to be sassy, I'm just glad you found me, I was starting to freak out a little," I say with a laugh trying to mask my uneasiness. He grabs my wrist suddenly and he pulls me in the direction of the tents.

"Since you obviously can't walk by yourself, I'll just drag you with me," Saiki jokes, or at least it sounds like it was. I huff in annoyance and punch his arm lightly with my free hand.

"Whatever," I respond and I feel another wave of relief wash over me knowing that I was not forgotten or left out on purpose. We finally get to the dessert tent and see the group. Nendou, Kaido, and Chisato are eating some deserts while Chiyo (now on a first-name basis) and Teruhashi are talking with them while their eating. Chiyo is the first to notice us and she waves us over.

"Hey, guys!" She exclaims and all eyes meet ours.

Nendo looks over at us and says, "what's this about?" Gesturing to Saiki holding my wrist. He quickly lets go of me and moves forward once he spots a tent nearby selling cups of coffee jelly.

"We actually lost each other in the crowd so we were just sticking together," I reply which was the truth. I missed the comfort from his hand but shake it off and go over to Chiyo. I don't even have to look up to know that Teruhashi is glaring at me. I found out at the sleepover last weekend that Teruhashi, apparently, has a crush on Saiki. I don't understand why she doesn't like me because of it, it's not like I like him. I shrug off her stare and when I make it over to the two girls, Teruhashi has a sweet smile back on her lips. We all get some desserts, I get my favorite, and we chitchat for a while about what the plan is for the rest of the festival. While we're trying to decide if we should go shop at the little stands or go look at the art, a familiar red-haired boy with his sleeves rolled up jogs over to us.

"Hey! Crazy running into you guys!" He says while jogging in place.

"Hi, Hairo! Do you want to join us?" Nendo asks while finishing the last of his cake.

"Sorry I can't, I'm trying to get a run in before it gets too dark. But maybe if I see you guys again then I'll tag along," he says while already moving past us. We make eye contact and I send him a small wave.

"Hey Hairo, you're crazy for trying to run through this crowd."

"Yeah well, I'll take all the extra training I can get." He says with a proud smile.

"Whatever you say, keep up the good work."

"I'll see ya!" He waves while disappearing into the crowd.

Everyone decides on checking out the vendor stands. The atmosphere, at first was overwhelming, is full of energy and life. People bustling around and delicious smelling food fill the air. It's starting to get dark so the street lamps and lanterns from the tents glow. It is a perfect night for a festival like this and I couldn't be happier. Someone bumps into me harshly and I stumbled back into Saiki. I instinctively grab his forearm to steady myself.

"Sorry," I apologize, "Someone bumped into me."

"It's fine," he replies with his usual dry tone. It suddenly gets tight with all the people crowding around and I instinctively hook my arm around Saiki's upper arm. I feel him tense up but I ignore it since I'd rather not lose him or the group again.

"Look at how cute this is!" Teruhashi exclaims while pointing to a jewelry stand. We all walk over and look around at the options. While still holding on to his arm I point to a green-rhinestone butterfly necklace.

"Saiki, that's perfect for you. I could totally see you wearing that," I say jokingly. He looks at the necklace for a moment and shakes his head.

"You don't think so? But it would match your glasses?" I say, looking up at him innocently.

"I don't think it's my style... but that one is," he says while pointing to a thick silver-chain necklace with diamond rhinestone letters that spell out THE GOAT.

"You can't be serious," I say while covering my mouth, attempting to hold back a laugh.

"I'm always serious," he responds while looking down at me with his usual stock expression and I let out a fit of laughter.

"You're crazy," I say and he just shrugs but I can see a small smile grace his typically expressionless features.

+++++

Third-person POV

It's was getting pretty late and we decide to call it a night. As the night went on, I went from holding onto his arm to holding his hand. My excuse was so I wouldn't get lost again which was true, but it also felt nice to be so close with him. Saiki made no move to pull away so I assumed that he didn't mind either. As I was leaving, I ended up buying a little figurine to remember the night and some yummy-looking matcha mochi to eat tomorrow.

After saying our goodbyes to the group, we both walked back towards our homes. I hesitantly let go of his hand and feel a slight blush creep up my neck. He doesn't comment or seem fazed that I moved my hand so I guess he didn't really care. Instead, I walk next to him so our shoulders brush against each other. The walk is silent and it's a nice break from the intense noise that surrounded us moments ago. The air has cooled off a bit but it's comfortable and the only other noise besides our footsteps is the cicadas chirping. The setting is very tranquil and it leaves me feeling content. We climb the steps to my apartment and once I get to my door, I turn fully towards Saiki.

"Thanks for sticking around me tonight. I had a lot of fun," I tell him. He nods and looks down at me.

"It wasn't horrible," he admits and I grin.

"So it seems that my positive energy is finally rubbing off on you," I say quirking an eyebrow up at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Oh God, I hope not."

"Hey, it's okay, you don't have to admit it but I can tell," I say while rocking on the balls of my feet.

"Is that so?" He asks.

"Yep." I say, popping the p, "I saw how you were admiring the street performances and the art stands. You were having fun! I think I'm really making a difference since when I'm around, you don't look as miserable as you normally do."

"Sure L/n, whatever you say," He says while looking away from me.

"You can call me Y/n," I blurt and he looks back down at me. "But you don't have to say the same. I just figured that since we hang out so much now that you should call me Y/n but I can still call you Saiki, it's-"

"Y/n," He states. "Stop rambling it's not a big deal," he says and flicks my forehead.

"Ow!" I yelp while putting a hand to my head, "that was unnecessary." I rub my forehead painfully and glare at him.

"You can do the same for me," he says "it's no big deal." So without hesitation, I raise my arm and flick his forehead the same way he did to me.

"Y/n!" Saiki says in shock, now holding his forehead. Butterflies flutter in my stomach at the way my name rolls of his tongue. I didn't know my name could sound so good coming from someone else, even if he said it in a scold. "That's not what I meant. You can call me Kusuo, dumbass. As I said, it's not a big deal," he grumbles.

"But it is! You basically just admitted that you think we're friends. So that means I AM rubbing off on you," I say in a sing-song voice. At that, he just stands there with his face expressionless and I grin up at him in victory.

"But you're sure I can call you by your first name?" I ask and Saiki nods while removing his hand from his forehead.

"Okay," I say with a bright smile on your face.

"Goodnight, Kusuo," I softly say as I get my keys out of my purse to unlock my door.

"Yeah yeah, goodnight."

Kusuo walks away and I wait for him to go down the stairs a little before I walk inside, closing the door with a satisfying click. I smile to myself as I slip off my sandals and go to get ready for bed.

'Why is my heart beating so fast?'

Kusuo reaches the bottom of the steps and continues his short walk home. As he walks, he thinks about the conversation you both had moments ago and feels a blush creep up his neck.

'Why is my heart beating so fast?'

Chapter Text

Your POV

We're in PE class playing volleyball and it's actually going well. Despite not being super athletic, I've managed to get some points for my team, and my serves have (somehow) been getting over the net for the most part.

'Call me Wakatoshi Ushijima cause I'm smashing these serves, bitches,' I think while laughing to myself. After the festival, the weekend went by fast. Having worked both Saturday and Sunday, I didn't get to hang out with Sai- Kusuo. He came in when I was working Saturday but I couldn't really talk since it was pretty busy. He sat in his usual spot and I gave him his coffee jelly (for free) and then he went on his way. I honestly don't know how my manager hasn't caught on yet but I'm glad they haven't. Once I was done with my shift, I checked my phone to see he texted me thanks. I responded back with some funny memes but other than that (and some sassy replies from him), that was my weekend.

It's my turn to serve again so I hit another ball over the net (barely getting over but it made it) and quickly get back into my spot. I am on a roll as I bump the ball as it was sent back over. I am feeling very proud of myself, nothing is gonna stop me now-...

I feel hot as I groggily open my eyes. I look over to my left and see the school nurse with her back to me, fiddling with some papers. I'm in... the nurses' office?'

I look around the room in confusion, it seems I'm the only one in here besides the nurse. I sit up but quickly wish I didn't and put a hand to my throbbing head, a searing pain erupting from the movement. The nurse turns around, hearing the rustling of the sheets and makes her way over to me.

"Thank goodness, you're awake!" She says and pulls up a chair and sits down next to the bed. "Apparently you took quite a hit to the face." She places a hand on the side of my head and tilts my face in different directions. She does some more tests with me to make sure I don't have a concussion.

"The hit seemed to have knocked your equilibrium so at most you'll have a headache but I think you should take it easy for a few days just to be safe. If any of the symptoms I said start to pop up or your headaches gets worse, you should go get checked out again." She tells me, handing me a bag of ice.

"How did I end up here?" I question while putting the bag against the side of my head.

"Well, Mr. Saiki showed up here with you passed out in his arms. Said something about P.E. and volleyball. He was here for a while and I had to practically force him to leave since the bell rang for the next class. Normally I wouldn't care, but Kaido was here a while ago and your teacher didn't like that he was faking his fever just to avoid a test. I was the one who got in trouble and I was- oh dear, I'm just going on and on... anyways I just know I'd end up getting an earful from your teacher so I made him go back," she explains looking over my face again. "You know what, I'll call your boyfriend down, school is almost done anyways." She gets up and goes to the phone and I feel my face goes bright red at her statement.

'Boyfriend?!' I think over and over. She gets off the phone after talking on it for a few seconds and when she comes back over I say:

"He's not my boyfriend... actually."

"Oh! I'm sorry for assuming, dear," she apologizes. "He seemed pretty worried about you though. He was really dragging his feet getting back to class." This doesn't help my blush and now I just know my face is a tomato. The nurse laughs at my obvious embarrassment and stands up to go back to the papers she was messing with earlier. I control my stupid and unnecessary blush just as Kusuo shows up. His eyes land on mine and he walks the short ways to sit in the chair the nurse was just in.

"Saiki hun, you don't need to worry about going to class since school is almost over anyway. Just make sure L/n here gets home safely." She says and briskly walks out the room mumbling something about files and the main office, which leaves us two alone.

Kusuo looks at me, scanning my face, "are you okay? Your face looks red."

I was sure that my face had calmed down in color but I guess not. His comment doesn't help either and I feel that hot feeling creep up my neck again.

"Um... yeah I'm good, I'm good!" I say sounding like an idiot, "what even happened?"

"Hairo got too competitive and hit the volleyball right at you on accident. He hit you so hard that you went unconscious so I brought you here," he says with an annoyed tone, probably bothered that he had to carry me here. That thought hit me once I registered it, he had to carry me.

"Sorry you got stuck with that job. It probably gave you so much unwanted attention."

Kusuo quirks and eyebrow and a look of puzzlement appears on his face. "I mean... I guess but I wasn't focused on that. You were unconscious on the floor."

"Oh gosh, that's so embarrassing," I say and cover my face with my hands. "I probably looked so dumb, people are probably gonna laugh at me tomorrow. I'm literally Daichi, I mean Deadchi now! I will never be able to move on from this-" I get cut off by the loud and surprisingly dramatic sound of Kusuo's sigh.

"Good grief, he must not have hit you too hard since you still talk too much."

"Wh- hey!" I frown and repeatedly punch his arm, "that's not very nice of you to say, Kusuo." He stops my assault by grabbing my wrist, but softly. He pulls my arm down a little causing me to lurch forward leaving my face to be a few inches from his.

"I'm glad you're alright though," he says while looking into my eyes. My face heats up like an oven (did the hit to the face make me turn into a stuttering Wattpad girl?) and I look away from his intense gaze.

"Y-yeah me too," I nod. The bell rings, saving me from any further embarrassment, and Kusuo still holding my wrist gets up and helps me stand.

"We should get going," he says while grabbing my bag and heading towards the door, pulling me along. "I can catch you up on what you missed."

I nod he drops my wrist after making sure that I can in fact walk on my own. "Don't you have to go back to class? Your stuff is probably still in there." I say as Kusuo opens the door for me.

"Oh yeah..." he says but instead turns to head to walk towards the stairs. He doesn't continue so I stop and knit my eyebrows together.

"Then don't you want to go get your stuff?" He stops and turns around towards me.

"It's fine. I'm sure Nendou probably already took it."

"But don't you have homework and your notes?"

"I have everything I need at home already, it's not a big deal." He turns around quickly and continues to walk towards the stairs. I don't move for a few seconds trying to understand why he wouldn't even want to at least check to see if Nendou was still in class or if Nendou even DID grab his stuff but I don't feel like asking him so I follow him down the stairs.

As we walk towards our houses, Kusuo suggests that we go to his house this time for a little while, saying something about making sure I'm not gonna pass out and die. I agree but ultimately know he probably is using it as an excuse to hang out. I roll my eyes at his blatant lie but go along with it anyway.

We walk into his house, I greet Mrs. Saiki and these are the events that occur after:

She asks me how I am,

I tell her I am well,

Kusuo rolls his eyes and exposes me by saying I got hit in the head, going unconscious,

Mrs. Saiki freaks out,

I try to calm her panic and tell her that I am, in fact, okay,

She doesn't listen as she practically drags me to the kitchen,

I turn to look at Kusuo, who has a small smirk on his dumb ugly face,

Kusuo thinks it's funny that I am now being handed two ibuprofens and a glass of water,

I glare at him,

He shrugs his shoulders,

I thank Mrs. Saiki after she gives me a banana (that she cut into little pieces) and watermelon, saying it helps headaches,

We then head up to his room,

I scold him for worrying his poor mother.

"I'm not sorry." He says crossing him arms over his chest "the pills and fruit will help. Mom's know best."

I roll my eyes, "they do and she's very helpful but you can't DO it like that. She is too nice and it probably almost gave her a heart attack."

"Okay, next time you get hit unconscious, I'll make sure not to say anything about it."

"You're being a little shit again," I say, mimicking his stance, crossing my arms too.

He makes a face, "again?"

"yeah."

"Then I won't help you get caught up." This makes me pause. I do need to get caught up, who knows what I missed in class. It could've been essential review material for a test or something.

"I'll just get help from Chiyo... or Chisato."

Kusuo raises his eyebrows and is about to say a snarky comment back but my phone rings. I look down at it to see my dad's contact flash on the screen. My smile instantly falls and I clench my jaw.

"Uhhh... I need to take this." I say and press the accept call button. I turn away from Kusuo to give myself a little more privacy, not that it really does much since we're in the same room but whatever.

"Hello?" I question, putting the phone to my ear.

"Y/n, I got a call from your school, something about the nurse's office?" I can barely hear him, he sounds far away, almost like he is talking on speakerphone.

"Yeah but I'm fine. It was nothing."

"Are... are you back at the apartment?" He asks, more clearly, but I hear the rustling of papers and guess that he's still at work. He can't even take a second to make sure his daughter is okay.

"No, I'm at a friend's house. They're helping me catch up on what I missed."

"Good... good. Stay on top of those studies, that's important." He responds, probably not even listening to half of what I'm saying. After he decided not to come home to see me, the next morning I woke to several text messages from him apologizing and explaining that he'll make it up to me soon. He said he would send me more money but it really just felt like a slap to the face, trying to buy my happiness. I still took the money though, there were cute shoes that I had my eye on for a while.

"So are you going to try and visit soon-"

"Sorry sweetie, I gotta go, there's a lot going on right- you got it, Andrea- right now. I love you, I'll text you after I get out of work."

Before I can get a word in, I hear the phone click. At this point, why am I even surprised. I collect myself with a heavy sigh before turning back towards Kusuo, who is looking at the wall.

"Don't be like that, I know you heard." I toss my phone onto my bag and proceed to dramatically fall on to Kusuo's neatly made bed. I look over at Kusuo to see him eyeing me, probably wondering if I am in a sour mood after the phone call. I look over at his desk to see his book bag, the one that he said Nendou would have. I turn on to my side and rest my head in my hand. "You're book bag is right there," I say, point to his desk with my open hand.

He turns to his desk, and takes a second before responding. "Yeah, my mom said Nendou dropped it off before we got here. So she brought it up for me."

I don't really feel all that convinced but in the end, it doesn't really matter. I lay back on my back and stare up at the ceiling. I know my dad won't text me, maybe because he'll forget or because he genuinely doesn't care, at this point I don't know what to believe. That call was the first time I heard his voice in about 3 weeks. I understand that his job is demanding and his jobs have always been demanding, but after a while, it begins to feel like he is keeping himself busy on purpose. I know I'm being irrational thinking that he is trying to avoid me or something but he's always been a distant parent. He's doing the only thing he knows how to do for me, the bare minimum. My mom was the one who raised me, not him.

"If you keep glaring at the ceiling like that, it might just fly away."

"That doesn't make sense, ceilings can't fly away," I mumble.

"Well with that face it just might."

I turn my head towards Kusuo, who is still sitting in the same spot but his chair turned fully towards me instead of towards the wall. I reach my hand up and grab onto one of his pillows. With a swift flick of the wrist, I send the pillow hurtling towards him and it hits his chest before flopping to the ground.

"Don't mess up my bed."

"Don't mess up my bed," I respond with the same monotonous tone he used. He quirks an eyebrow and I glare back. I'm not mad at him or anything but I'm not happy with anything at the moment and I'm just taking it out on him. I sigh and rub my eyes with my hand.

"Here," Kusuo says scooting over to me and hands me my bag. "You didn't miss much, after we go over it we can play something."

I sit up and grab my bag from him. "Let's play Mario Kart. I think I can beat you in all races this time."

"Oh yeah?"

I look over at him as he starts pulling some papers from his bag. "Yeah."

"Don't be all pissy when you lose then." He pushes himself in his rolly chair so it uses the bed as a makeshift desk. He looks up at me and a ghost of a smirk is present on his face. I don't like that he thinks he's hot shit but I know it'll all be worth it when he discovers what utter defeat will feel like.

"The same can be said for you," I say, maneuvering around so I lay on my stomach.

He makes a face like he ate sour candy. Obviously peeved that I used his own words against him. He doesn't say anything after that and instead pulls out an English worksheet. I giggle knowing that I at least got this small victory and a smile settles on my face, already forgetting about my dad. I feel Kusuo eyes on me but ignore it, knowing that he probably thinks I was mocking him or something, which is fine with me.

+++++

It's the next day and as soon as I walk into class, Hairo is in front of me, bowing profusely and apologizing for the volleyball fiasco that occurred the day before.

"It's okay Hairo, I'm fine, I know it was an accident," I assure him, putting my hands out in an understanding way. Saiki moves around me and Hairo, completely unfazed by the large bump in our way. He sits down at his desk uninterested and I turn my attention back to Hairo who is rummaging through his backpack.

"Thank you, I felt completely awful when it happened. I got you this in hopes that I can make it up to you." I was about to say that he didn't need to give me anything but when I see the desert container, I realize it's my favorite dessert.

"Oh wow! Thanks Hairo, how'd you know that this is my favorite?" I say while taking the box and staring at the mouth-watering contents inside.

"I saw you eating it at the festival when I ran by. So I hoped that you would like it."

"I do like it. Thank you." I tell him and he blushes bashfully. Kusuo sits in his seat, watching the exchange farther away. A weird feeling settles in his stomach as he watches Hairo continue to talk to you. He looks away in annoyance when you laugh at something Hairo said, the feeling festering in his stomach. He decides to distract himself with getting his notes out, trying to ignore the feeling that he didn't like but he wasn't sure why.

Chapter Text

It's a Wednesday evening and I finally finished my homework, but now I'm bored out of my mind! After already watching some episodes of my current anime and playing some Mario Kart (obviously practicing more to beat Kusuo), I can't think of anything else to do. The boredom is slowly killing me. Usually, Kusuo would be over at least combating some of the boredom but he said he had to go home right after school because his mom needed help. He didn't elaborate so my guess was that it's personal or he just didn't know what the favor was. Nonetheless, a few hours have passed since school has been over so with a groan, and sit up off the couch. Deciding to text him to see if he was still busy.

Y/n: Heyyyyyyyyy are you still busy or do you wanna hang?

As I wait for a response, I scroll up to our past conversations. I find it funny that he's just as dry in text as he is in person. The last conversation we had was after I sent him a meme of a guy backflipping and landing on his head after getting the wrong fast-food order. It wasn't necessarily funny but I sent it to him anyway with a text with it saying 'me.' He responded back pretty quickly like he normally does and was confused since it wasn't really me or whatever. So instead of typing a long explanation, I decided to call him. I think he was pretty startled since my phone rang for several seconds before he answered with a dull but somewhat curious hello.

"If I explain the meme to you, it won't be as funny but if you want me to I will." I start as I walked in circles around my dining room table. "Also hello."

He scoffs on the other end and I get the feeling he rolled his eyes. "You're calling me to ask if I wanted to listen to you talk even more?"

I groan but a smile falls on my lips. "I need to educate you so you understand the culture. Don't be a stinker, I bet you secretly like to hear me talk."

"Culture?" He asks, completely ignoring my last comment.

"Yeah, meme culture... it's a thing and it's something you need to learn or at the bare minimum, understand."

"No thanks."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's not a reason why, Kusuo."

"Deal with it."

"You're no fun." I pout, stopping to look at the time. My shift starts in 20 minutes.

"I know."

"Wha-," I start but laugh at his dryness. I try to stop my laughter but can't. It might be because I'm in one of those slap-happy moods or because I didn't sleep too well last night but regardless, after a few long seconds I finally stop with a long sigh.

"Are... are you good?" Kusuo asks, amusement in his voice.

"Sorry sorry, it wasn't even that funny but I don't know it sorta was."

"Your humor must be broken."

I giggle again but it isn't as much as seconds ago. It's silent for a few beats and I sigh again. "Well, I have to go get ready for work but tomorrow, I'll show you the good funny stuff."

"Great... I'm SO looking forward to that."

I smile but then remember he can't see, "I know you are, you don't need to hide it."

He snorts but doesn't say anything, which causes me to smile again. "Okay, I gotta go, see ya tomorrow, kay?"

"K."

"Bye Byeeeeeeeee." And with that, I hung up.

I look back down at my phone. Several minutes have past and normally Kusuo would've responded by now so I get off the couch and decide to see if he's not busy. If he is then I'll just go on a walk and if he isn't then that works too. I make my way over to his house and when I ring the doorbell, the door opens revealing a little green-haired boy.

"Oh hello," I say and crouch down so I'm eye level with him, "what's your name?" The boy doesn't respond but instead stares at me with his mouth open and in shock.

"Wow, it's really you!" He exclaims and I quirk an eyebrow in confusion. "You're Lemon Soda Woman! From my show!" He grabs my hand and starts shaking it. "First Cyborg Cider man #2, then Peach T-girl, now you! This is so awesome!" He gushes. Not wanting to ruin his excitement, I decide to play along despite have zero clues about what he's talking about.

"Yes... that's me, it's nice to meet you!" I say while shaking his small hand.

"My name is Iridatsu Yuuta!" When Yuuta finishes going on and on about your latest adventure, you look up to see Kusuo walking towards you guys. Yuuta turns around to see what you're looking at and then runs over to Kusuo excitedly.

"Cyborg Cider Man #2! Look who I found!" He says. Kusuo just nods and closes the door behind me after I sorta invite myself in.

"I came over to see if you wanted to hang out, but obviously you got your hands full," I say with a small laugh.

"Babysitting duty. Neighbor," Kusuo simply states and goes to follow Yuuta as he runs towards the living room. I take off my shoes and follow them. Once I reach the living room, I see Yuuta watching TV and Saiki sitting on the couch looking very annoyed.

"I'm guessing this is not how you wanted your Wednesday to go?" I say plopping down on the couch next to him.

"No." Kusuo sighs and he looks up at the ceiling then closes his eyes. Already not wanting to deal with his attitude and dramatics, I decide to look over at Yuuta and see that he is watching some superhero drink ad.

"Yuuta what are you watching?" I question. He turns around and makes a weird face at my comment.

"It's the show that you're in," he says acting like it's obvious, "it's my favorite."

"I'm glad," I say, "so do Cyborg Cider Man #2 and Lemon Soda Woman know each other?"

"Of course you do, you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend," he says not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Oh," I say, "right." I find that to be a very strange and weird coincidence. I watch the screen and see that we both somewhat resemble the characters but it's not too close. In fact, Kusuo looks nothing like Cyborg Cider Man #2 so I wonder why Yuuta thinks that? I look over at Kusuo to already see him looking at me with his unreadable expression. For some reason, we both quickly look away.

"Cyborg Cider Man #2 and Peach T-girl were together but I didn't like her that much," he says now taking a break from the screen to grab his action figure of what looks like to be Cyborg Cider Man #2. I pick up one of the action figures on the table and take notice that it's probably a villain.

"I'm going to get you!" I say in a deep voice, standing to chase a laughing Yuuta around the living room. Kusuo watches as I pick Yuuta up and swing him around playfully. Kusuo looks away when his stomach doing a weird flip but he decides to ignore the feeling again. I softly drop Yuuta onto the couch and begin tickling him as he screams cheerfully, squirming around trying to get out of my grip.

"I've got you now," I say. After a few more tickles, I finally stop and Yuuta slides off the couch, trying to catch his breath.

"That... was... so fun," he says in between breaths.

After Yuuta relaxes, you go back to playing with the action figures. Despite having no idea what the storyline is about, you can follow pretty well since it's pretty cliche and typical for a heroic story.

"Cyborg Cider Man #2!" Yuuta exclaims while grabbing onto Kusuo's hand, "play with us!"

Kusuo tries to shake Yuuta off but the boy holds tight. Kusuo looks over at me, slight panic in his eyes.

"Yeah you should play with us," I say and stare at Kusuo, finding his hesitancy hysterical. He looks in between me and Yuuta then lets out a long sigh.

"Fine," he quips and moves to sit on his knees. Yuuta jumps in the air excitedly and we both share a high-five at our success. Kusuo sends a glare my way and I smile innocently in return.

For the next little while, we play with Yuuta and talk about Cyborg Cider Man #2. Kusuo and I shared little glances here and there whenever Yuuta says something about our character's relationship but other than those strange, awkward moments, I think it was a pretty fun day. I haven't gotten to play with a little kid in forever so it was fun to mess around and act out episode scenes with him.

Chapter Text

I find myself back in that room. The smell of antiseptic and bleach fills my nose as I look at my mom; frail and pale on the hospital bed. The only sound in the room is the beeping of the heart monitor and the whir of the ventilator.

Suddenly the monitor starts beeping loudly and the rate of my mom's heart begins to rapidly decrease. I watch in shock as the nurses and doctors rush into the room to attempt to stabilize her. I try to call out to my mom but my voice doesn't make a sound. A nurse pushes me out of the room and the next thing I know I'm at the funeral. I look to my left to see my dad. He stares at the casket where my mom lays, then looks over at me with dull eyes.

"This is all your fault," he says in a distorted tone.

"What?" I try to say but only air bubbles escape my mouth.

"This is all your fault," the priest says. The sentence contorting again.

"This is your fault," my aunts, uncles, and friends of my parents echo. It continues and I try to speak but nothing comes out. It feels like I'm drowning as more air escapes my mouth. The scene of the funeral disappears and I'm floating out at sea. The little boat I'm in rocks as ferocious waves crash over and over and over causing the boat to fill with water. I try to hold on to the sail but the rope is torn from my hand and I abruptly get thrown overboard. I sink underwater no matter how hard I try to swim to the surface. The words my father said echo in the water's darkness. It's my fault.

I open my eyes and sit up with a gasp, sweat drips down my forehead and my back. I try my best to calm my heart by taking deep breaths. I run my fingers through my disheveled hair and shut my eyes tightly, trying to shake that post-nightmare feeling.

"It was only a bad dream," I say to myself "It was only a dream."

I look at the clock and it reads 4 am. I get up and go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face. I change out of my now sweaty pajamas and put on clean ones. I decide trying to go back to sleep is pointless so I go out to the kitchen to make myself a coffee and some cereal then go and watch whatever is on. For some reason, that nightmare was especially rough. I usually have the same type of dream but this time, it felt so much more real. After watching the tv for a while, my alarm goes off signaling it being time for school. I sluggishly get dressed then eat another bowl of cereal. I hear a knock on the door which I open to reveal Kusuo.

He takes one look at my face, "you look horrible."

"Wow thanks Kusuo, that's so nice of you," I respond sarcastically while rolling my eyes. I push past him after locking the door behind me. I don't feel like talking so the walk is silent. I feel Kusuo glance at me every once in a while but he doesn't say anything. We arrive at school and as soon as we walk into the classroom, the teacher tells me I have to go to the office. I nod and set my bag down before heading over. Once I'm there, a boy with gray, undercut hair is standing there talking to the principal and I immediately recognize him. As I get closer, the boy gives me a once over before turning back to the principal, who tells me that the boy, Metori Saiko, is a new transfer student. Since I was the latest transfer, the principal wants me to show him around. This doesn't make any sense to me because I thought class reps do stuff like this but I don't feel like arguing about it so I accept the role.

"Hi I'm y/n l/n," I say as we walk out of the office. He stops in his track and starts leafing through his wallet.

"Yeah whatever, here's some money for you to leave me alone," he says while trying to shove some bills in my face. "I'll relax here for a little bit, I don't care to be shown around."

Saiko is the heir to the top-notch Saiko Conglomerate. My father works for people like him so I know his most defining traits are being rich and being an asshole. As soon as he opened his mouth it proved my assumption.

"Thanks for the offer but you need me to show you around," I say while looking right at him, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I don't really want to show him around either but the way he carries himself and looks at me , makes me want to punch him so I want to see this through, but also make him miserable in the process. He looks up at me with a disgusted look on his face then stands up so he is looking down at me.

"Are you some teacher's pet or something?" He says annoyed.

"No, I'm not. But this school is pretty big so if you want to be able to know where you're going then you should follow me," I state "How would you, the scion to Saiko Conglomerate, feel if people laughed at your utter confusion when you don't know where to go."

"So you're one of my fans," he says with a smug grin, completely ignoring what I said. "All you have to do is ask and we can head somewhere more private."

"As if," I declare "I only know you since my dad works for assholes like yourself." At that statement, his grin falls from his face. "If you don't want my help then fine, I'll just end up laughing at you with everyone else." I finish and give him one of my meanest glares. I begin to walk away feeling pretty damn good about telling him off when he calls out to me.

"Wait," he whisper-yells. I almost don't stop but I'm curious to see how this plays out so I turn around.

"What?" I say harshly.

"Show me around," he cringes, his pride obviously hurt. I stand there with my arms crossed for a moment before rolling my eyes and sharply exhaling through my nose.

"Fine," I say, "let's go."

As I take him on a tour, he doesn't say anything else that would be considered rude and we mostly just stay in silence as I show him where everything is. I can tell that he's glad that I decided to help him since his face scrunches up as I say there's more to see. As I show him around more, I notice the way he stares at my chest and my thighs. His eyes almost undressing me on their own. He is making me very uncomfortable and as I'm about to say something, we arrive at his classroom. I internally celebrate, glad to finally be done with this.

"This is your class," I say pointing to the door.

"You're not in mine?" He asks suddenly.

"Um no. I'm not." I say, thank you God.

"That's too bad, but I look forward to seeing more of you," he says while looking me up and down. Before I can call him a narcissistic pig he waltzes around me and into his classroom. I make a face and pretend to gag before heading back to my own class. Once I get back, I quietly glide back to my seat.

'I'll just do my best to avoid that pig,' I think. His intentions are clearly messed up and now thinking about it, it makes me feel even more uncomfortable. 'What a great day this is turning out to be.'

I try to focus my attention on the lesson, and I am successful at first but as the day goes on, I have a hard time trying to keep my eyes open. The lack of sleep from last night is slowly catching up to me and I rest my head on the desk with a small sigh. After fighting the battle with my eyelids for a little while longer, the bell rings for lunch.

'Finally,' I think and grab my stuff. There is no way I will be able to deal with Teruhashi's 'it's all about me' conversation at lunch so I decide to head up to the roof. I don't normally get to come up here so I am happy to take this opportunity to have some quiet. I open the roof door and instantly feel the cool breeze rush through my hair. I make my way over to one of the walls and I sit on the floor, closing my eyes, I don't feel like eating anyway. I rest for a little until the noise of the door opening brings me back to reality and I look up to notice Kusuo. He sees me too and walks over to my sitting figure. He stops in front of me and looks down.

"Hey," I say, squinting my eyes up at him. "Lunch isn't over yet right?" He ignores my question and sits down next to me.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks flatly, seeming uninterested.

"Nothing," I say, closing my eyes. Why would he bother coming up here if he doesn't care? "You can go back to lunch then, I don't have energy to deal with more attitude." It's silent again and a warm breeze blows through my hair. I feel Kusuo's eyes on me but I don't care.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly now and I sigh. I look over to see him already looking at me, looking much more concerned than moments ago.

"yeahhhhh," I draw out. I can tell he doesn't believe me by the expression on his face. "I'm just tired," I say while looking down at my lap. It's silent again and after a second, I decide to continue.

"I had a nightmare last night, about my mom," I say while trying to stop my eyes from watering. "She um, died a little over a year ago now... from cancer. It came out of nowhere too and by the time we found out, it was already too late." I look up at Kusuo to see that he is looking at me and nods, signaling to me that he's listening.

"Things were going so well for my family before and for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that her death was somehow my fault," I say quietly, voice cracking a little. I try to distract myself from crying by playing with my fingers, a habit that I seem to have picked up. "The dream I had last night is always pretty much the same and I can never go back to sleep. I'm just tired of all of it." It's silent again and I realize that I just spilled my guts to him. Again.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to get you to feel sorry for me. But I didn't mean to completely dump all that on to you-" I start.

"It's okay," Kusuo cuts in. I turn back to him and we look at each other for a second, the silent support speaking more volumes than what he ever could try to say out loud. I never expected to get so friendly with someone who appears to be so dull but here I am. I think about Kusuo sometimes, he always asks so uninterested and bored but, I've found that when he thinks no one is looking, he really does care. I don't know how long we stare at each other before the startling sound of bell rings. Kusuo helps me stand, much to my annoyance and reluctance to get back to class but we head down back down the stairs.

"You can come over," he says dully. "After school, if you want."

I think about his offer as we enter the room, I would much rather try to catch up on sleep after school but I don't really like the idea of being alone right now either.

"Sure, that sounds nice," I answer as we take our seats.

Chapter Text

Third Person POV

After the almost impossible task of staying awake during class, the school day is finally over and you sluggishly get up from your seat. You huff in annoyance since the few cups of coffee that you had this morning seemed to have no effect. You follow Saiki off-campus and eventually you both get to his house. Once you enter, Saiki goes to the living room and turns on the tv.

"One of my shows is gonna be on soon," he says as he sits on the couch with a coffee jelly somehow already in his hand.

'Where did he get that from?' You think but ultimately decide that due to your tiredness, he probably went to grab it while you were zoned out or something. You sit down on the couch and watch the show with him.

"You should eat some of your lunch that you didn't have," Kusuo says, looking at my bag.

"I'm fine, I'm not hungry."

"Eat. Maybe it will keep you awake." He says and as I glare at him, his eyebrows are knitted together sternly and I, again, don't feel like arguing with him so with a reluctant sigh I grab my lunch. I munch on my food while Kusuo watches whatever it is and once I'm finished I lay back against the soft pillows and continue to watch too. I feel my eyes start to get heavy again and I continue to battle my eyelids. But after a while, the heaviness becomes too much and I finally give in and drift off into a much-needed nap.

+++++

Saiki POV

The protagonist of my show was walking with his companions through the dense forest not knowing that an ambush was waiting for them. The heroes stop in their tracks when they hear rustling from the bushes next to them and as the enemy is about to jump out and start the battle, I feel pressure on my shoulder. I look down and tense up when I see y/n is leaning against me, sound asleep.

'Good grief, right when my show is getting good,' I internally groan. I try to focus on the episode that I have been waiting for but y/n next to me is making it difficult. I have spent the past week successfully avoiding spoilers about this episode in hopes that I would be able to see it with no problem. I look down at y/n and see her leaning against me in an uncomfortable position, her neck bent downwards, causing her shoulders to be tense. I just know if she stays like this she'll wake up complaining about neck pain or something annoying like that. The episode's battle is in full swing as I gently pick her up and head up to my room where I lay her down on my bed. I pull the covers up so they're under her chin and I stare at her sleeping face. Although having deep eyebags, she looks a lot more peaceful than she did earlier. I've seen her some mornings when we've walked to school with eyebags before but today seemed especially bad. She seemed so out of it and I found myself hating the silent walk this morning. It was obvious something was bothering her and I assumed maybe it was something about her dad but I did not expect it to be nightmares, especially about her mom. I overheard her talking to the girls on her first day about her mom and I honestly somewhat forgot, a lot more concerned with not being able to hear her thoughts. Y/n, since she came to PK, has always been a positive face that it's hard to comprehend that she deals with nightmares. So she gets them often? How many sleepless nights has she had to endure alone? These questions and more circulate through my head as I keep looking at her face. I get a weird feeling in my stomach again.

'What are you doing to me y/n?' I brush some stray hair strands off her face. I turn off the light, close the door softly and head back downstairs to continue watching the episode.

+++++

Third Person POV

You shift around trying to fix your sleeping position and open your eyes slightly to look at your clock but when you go to look at it, it's not there. You look to your left and realize that this is not your room. You sit up quickly and notice the bookshelf, the familiar desk, and the neatly even manga stack that's positioned next to the wall. This is Kusuo's room.

'How did I get here...' You think and as you swing your legs off the bed so you're fully sitting up, the door then opens to reveal Kusuo. You squint your eyes at the sudden light pouring in from the hallway and after you adjust, you look back up at him. He notices your confused expression and points his thumb back behind him.

"You fell asleep so I brought you up here." He says nonchalantly and opens the door wider. "Come on, dinner is ready."

You stand up and put your arms out in protest. "No, it's okay! I don't mean to intrude, you already had to deal with me enough as it is-" you start, feeling a slight blush creep up your cheeks.

"Good grief, don't be an idiot," he scolds, "come on already." You roll my eyes and playfully hit his arm but follow him downstairs to have another great dinner with his parents.

+++++

After a delicious dinner, you say goodbye to his parents, and Kusuo closes the door behind him as you both walk out into the night. The walk is silent but comfortable and you think about the fact that Kusuo had to carry you up to his room.

'This is literally like the volleyball fiasco all over again. I hope I didn't look like a dead person. I hope I wasn't too heavy!' Thoughts like that swirl around your head, but you get pulled back to reality when Kusuo speaks up.

"What are you thinking about?" Kusuo says monotonously and you turn to look at him, finding the question a little alarming.

"I um, just that I really like your parents." You say truthfully although ignoring what you were actually thinking. "They're really sweet."

Kusuo just nods his head but appreciates your statement nonetheless. Even if his parents annoy the hell out of him he still loves them. You change your topic of thought to his parents. They really are great people and you forget that that's how parents are supposed to act. Of course, your mom was an amazing woman who cared deeply for you, but your father was someone more distant. He is a traditional man and the idea that your mother birthed a girl was something that he didn't particularly like. After several attempts to get pregnant again, it was all for naught when it was found out that your mother couldn't bear another child. Apparently even having you was a miracle on its own but you guess that wasn't appreciated by your father.

All through your childhood he was always away working. He constantly traveled for the different businesses that he managed and was rarely home because of it. So for most of your life, your mother was all you had. In your old town, every weekend you both would drive to the beach that wasn't too far and would sail in the small 'Gravy' boat across the sparkling blue waves. Your mother grew up by the harbor and would always be sailing with her older brothers (your uncles). She wanted to share that love for the water and sailing with you. One day, your mother was supposed to go to the doctor for her yearly checkup but you suggested going to the harbor instead since that day it was sunny and the waves were calm. So she decided to skip the appointment and spend the whole day on the water with you.

Things were going well for your family up to this point. Your dad came home more often and was actually giving you some attention. You even got to help him in his study by filing papers and listening to your father's phone calls. Your mother, who was naturally very frail, was getting better and because of that, you both would go sailing quite often. Your grades were top of the class and you were quite popular among your classmates. You even got several love confessions to which one blossomed into your first "relationship". Granted it only lasted a few weeks and the most you two did was hold hands but it was still fun. A few months later, your mother suddenly had a hard time breathing and when it became so serious that she had to go to the hospital, it was already too late. Despite the constant reassurance from your mother that her illness couldn't be avoided, even if she went to that doctor's appointment, the guilt from your decision continues to eat at you whenever you think of the last time you both went sailing together.

"I never know what you're thinking," Kusuo says suddenly bringing you back to reality. You look over at him with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean?" You ask while kicking a stray pebble.

"I just don't know what you're thinking. It's confusing... and annoying," he says while looking forward. You roll your eyes at his attitude and jog a few steps in front of him. You turn around so you're walking backward while looking at him.

"Good," you start with a smile. "I'll keep you on your toes, so watch out."

He huffs as he watches you throw fake punches at him, "you're annoying."

You stop your shadow boxing and flip him off with both hands while simultaneously showing him the biggest grin you can manage. This time, he rolls his eyes then looks down at his feet.

"You like me though," you say and move back so you're walking next to him. "Who else would give you coffee jelly for free?"

"I guess there's one reason to keep you around after all," He says while putting a hand on the top of your head, ruffling your hair.

"Hey!" You laugh, "With that attitude, I won't bring you anymore..."

"That wasn't an attitude, that's my honest opinion." You bump your shoulder against him at his statement.

"You like getting me worked up, don't you," you say playfully glaring at him.

"You make it too easy," he says while looking at you with a small smile.

+++++

Sorry, the POVs jump so much in this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! <3

Chapter Text

It's a bright and warm day so you decided to go for a walk in the park. You've been sitting a lot lately whether it's at school or at home so getting a little exercise especially on a nice day sounds like a good idea to you.

While walking, your mind wanders to Kusuo. You guys have been getting pretty close lately. Even if Kusuo doesn't want to admit it, we're pretty close friends since we go off of first-name bases and hang out a lot. While walking around the park you think about all the events that have occurred since you've moved here and met Kusuo. He sat with you when your dad canceled plans, he helps you with your homework, he made sure you were okay when you were tired from the sleepless night. Even if he acts nonchalant about everything, Kusuo really is a great person. Hanging out with him in your apartment, going to the festival, eating dinner with his family has really allowed you to see just how sweet and genuinely handsome he is all around. The more you think about it, the more you realize how you really feel about the pink-haired boy.

'Yeah. I definitely have a crush on Kusuo,' you decide. The conclusion makes your heart flutter. 'Too bad I have a fear of rejection so I guess I'll never do anything about it.'

You stop by the fountain and look at the water. Now that you are clear with your feelings, you know you cannot say anything to Kusuo about them. The idea of ruining your friendship over something as silly as a crush sounds terrifying. Kusuo seems emotionally disconnected so you doubt he'd even want a relationship. You take a coin out of your purse and close your eyes.

'Whoever is listening, maybe my guardian angel,' you start in your head, 'Please guide me on the right path, and bless me with the power to not be stupid,' You finish and flip the coin into the fountain. After the fun ritual, you continue your walk. A few minutes pass and you look ahead and see Kusuo walking in your direction.

"Speak of the devil," you say to yourself. As you get closer to each other, you raise your hand about your head and wave it around, effectively getting his attention. But as soon as you make eye contact, Kusuo does a 180 and walks back in the direction he came. You stop walking and stand there in shock.

'What a little asshole.' Honestly a little offended that he would completely ignore you but you won't let him get away that easily so you run after him. When you get close enough you latch on to his arm.

"What the hell, Kusuo," you begin to scold him, "I know you saw me, you twat."

He looks down at you with a sigh and attempts to pull his arm away but you tighten your grip. You continue to go off at him for how inconsiderate and rude he is when you look up to see him looking around somewhat frantically, completely ignoring your outburst. Normally, this would make you even angrier but you get get a feeling that something is wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" You say and let go of his arm "You seem a little...tense."

He nods but continues to look around, almost like he's missing something. You look down at his outfit to see him in a blue sweater and khaki jeans. You don't understand how he can be wearing something so heavy when it's so nice out but then again it's Kusuo.

"Wanna go to the café? I can probably get you some coffee jelly?" You suggest hoping to calm his sudden nerves.

"No, let's go to my house," he responds and you look at him in astonishment.

"Okay where is Kusuo and what did you do with him," you state "because Kusuo would never decline coffee jelly."

"Yeah yeah whatever, let's go." He says and starts to walk off towards his house, after standing there for a second you decide to follow, still confused. The walk is silent with him being a few steps ahead of you but Kusuo still looks around occasionally.

"Are you hiding from someone or something?" You ask but he ignores you and continues to walk, now exiting the park.

'Great I ran into sassy Kusuo,' You think and mentally roll your eyes. Kusuo is walking faster now and you're having a hard time keeping up. He weaves in and out of people as he continues down the path and back towards the houses. At this point, you're getting a little worried since Kusuo has never shown this much concerning emotion before, and the fact that you don't know what for makes you nervous.

"Kusuo, slow down-"

You're so focused on Kusuo and trying to catch him that you don't see the car coming as you cross the road. You look up and everything begins to move in slow motion. You try to move but you're frozen in place. You brace for the impact expecting to feel pain but instead, a hand grabs your arm, and the next thing you know, you're in Kusuo's room. You look up at Kusuo who is looking at you with wide eyes.

"Um Kusuo, w-what just happened," you stutter. "We were walking, and then a car came was coming right at me, and then now we're here."

You stumble and sit down on his bed and put your hands on your face. It's silent for a little and you're trying to process your thoughts when you feel a pair of hands lightly grab onto your arms and move your hands from covering your eyes.

"Y/n, I'm going to need you to calm down before I can explain," Kusuo says while still holding your arms. You nod slowly and he quickly takes a seat next to you on the bed. For the next few minutes, Kusuo talks about his abilities and how he is a psychic. As he talks, you get more and more mystified. When he is finally done, silence fills the room, and you look off at the wall, reflecting on everything that he just told you.

"Come on y/n, say something," he mutters.

"This explains a lot actually," you begin and he looks at you in confusion, "I mean, you've done some things that I thought were weird but I never thought it was because you had powers."

When it came to coffee jelly mysteriously appearing, him knowing when dinner was ready without his mom telling him, even that time he left his book bag behind all made way more sense now knowing the truth. He looks away from you and stares off into space. You assume he's wondering if he made the right choice in telling you his big secret. You think about this bombshell but as you do, you begin to piece more of the information together.

"It must be really hard, to deal with your powers. I couldn't imagine having to go through what you do," You say breaking the silence.

He stares at you in his usual expression but on the inside, he is genuinely amazed at this conclusion. He expected you to flip out and say something along the lines of "Wow that's so cool! You're so lucky! I wish I had powers," but what you actually said was something he didn't expect. But then again it's you, a person that he can't read or prepare for. He knew that if you kept hanging out as often as you did then you were bound to find out eventually, and for some reason, he didn't mind if you did. This situation was one that he thought about sometimes when you both would hang out. He knew he couldn't just blurt out "I'm a psychic" since that sounds crazy. Although the events that occurred earlier genuinely shook him up, it was the perfect opportunity to come clean. He mentally sighs in relief for not having to keep this hidden anymore.

"I see why you stay to yourself. You're trying to blend in, right?" You question and look at him, "You're trying to act normal." He nods again, surprised at how easily you can understand the situation. For someone who was almost hit by a car, he's surprised you're able to be so calm.

"What about you?" Kusuo asks, itching the back of his neck.

"What about me?" You answer, moving your shoulders to now be facing him.

"Don't you have powers too?" He asks and at that, you laugh that horrendous cackle that you have, but you look back at Kusuo's face you see that he isn't joking.

"Wait, are you being serious?" You ask.

"You always know just what to say to anything. It's like you know what the people around you are feeling," he says while looking away embarrassed.

You smile at his comment and look down at your hands. "I've been told I'm pretty intuitive. I grew up watching people since a lot of the time I had to be quiet, especially during events and such. It was a game to try and figure out how a person worked." It's silent again and you continue to process everything. You mentally laugh at the idea that Kusuo thought you could have powers too.

"So can I assume that the antennas are connected to your powers?" You ask, changing the subject back to him. He explains that they work as a dampener so that he can control his abilities better and he also mentions his glasses help too.

"So if you looked at me without your glasses I could turn to stone? That's crazy," You say, "What other powers do you have?" and Kusuo lists as many as he can think of:

"Telekinesis, levitation, x-ray vision, teleportation, clairvoyance, astral projection, mind reading, pyrokinesis, invisibility-"

"Wait, mind-reading?" You ask him and he nods "you can read my thoughts?" You exclaim as your face involuntarily turns red.

"I can read minds but for some reason, I can't read yours." He answers while scratching the back of his neck again.

"Huh, that's strange," you say somewhat relieved. "Is there anyone else that you can't read?"

"Nendou," Kusuo says and your eyes widen.

"Oh crap! Does that mean I'm as dumb as him?" You shriek and cover your cheeks with your hands. Kusuo rolls his eyes and pats your head, chuckling a little.

"Yeah, that's probably it."

You gasp, "take that back."

"I don't think I can, I already said it," he jokes and you glare at him.

"I don't like you," you tell him while still glaring.

"I saved your life don't forget," he says.

"Well yeah... but-"

"I think that means you owe me now," he replies with a smirk, leaning closer to you in a challenging way.

"I'll bring coffee jelly to you once I work again," you sigh and he gives you a look. I narrow my eyes back at him but after a second I give in.

"Fine, I'll bring you two."

"Deal," he answers.

You both talk a little more about his powers. It's crazy that he even has powers in the first place but it also makes sense. If anyone were to be a psychic, Kusuo seems to fit that perfectly in your mind. He tells you some funny stories that involve his powers and you laugh. The fact that Kusuo can 'talk' to animals is hilarious to you and the story about how he had to deal with a cat just kills you. The atmosphere between you two has changed after discovering his secret. Kusuo seems a lot less tense now and his true nature is peaking through more than ever, which makes your feelings for him even more apparent. After a few minutes, you think back to earlier and a question pops into your head.

Why were you so paranoid when I saw you at the park?" You ask and at that, he grows quiet.

"I got a vision," he responds.

"A vision? Of what?" you ask again. He is quiet again after that, you can tell he is trying to figure out how to best say whatever it is that he is going to say to you.

"I saw that you would get hurt," he finally responds and your face twists into confusion.

"So you saw I'd get hit by that car?" You say surprised.

"Yes and no," He starts "When you grabbed me, I got a vision that when you went on your way to the café, you'd get hit by a car that would run a stop sign. So I decided we go back to my house, changing the future, but I guess it still almost happened," He finishes and sheepishly looks away. "Sometimes, my powers can't solve everything."

"Wow, well thank you anyway. You still made sure I didn't get hurt," you say with a smile, and Kusuo nods at your statement. After a few beats of silence, you fall into him dramatically and put a hand over your forehead acting like a damsel in distress.

"My hero," you say with a higher-pitched voice and laugh at your own goofiness. Kusuo looks down at you as your head is now laying on his leg, he rolls his eyes but smiles anyways at the sound of your laugh, glad that you're okay.

Chapter Text

Third-person POV

The bell rings and you sigh in relief. It's finally lunch. You walk down the stairs and make your way towards the usual spot. Chisato, Chiyo, Haido, Nendo, Kaido, and Kusuo are already there.

"Y/n!" Haido shouts enthusiastically, "come sit by me! I have something to tell you!"

You smile and take a seat next to him. You look across the table at Kusuo and send him a little wave and he nods, acting like his usual quiet self.

"So what is it that you want to tell me?" You ask Haido.

"I'm having a big tennis match tomorrow and I would love for you to come! With you there, I am sure to win!" He says excitedly, his eyes gleam while he waits for your response.

"Oh! Yeah sure, I'd love to come!" You say and his smiles widen even more.

"Great! It's gonna be a good match," he responds, unnoticed by you a light blush finds its way onto his cheeks. You look up at Kusuo to see him roll his eyes. You're about to ask him about it when Teruhashi walks over, a ray of annoying goodness surrounding her.

"Hey everyone!" She says sweetly and takes the open seat next to Kusuo. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We were talking about Haido's big tennis match tomorrow," Chiyo says. "Do you wanna come with?"

"Sorry I would love to but I have a photoshoot after school," she answers.

'Of course, she does,' you think. While Kaido talks about the book we're supposed to read for language arts, Chiyo taps my shoulder.

"So Y/n, did Saiko send you another letter?" Chiyo asks, pulling you into a separate conversation. You roll your eyes and show her a white envelope.

"It's the third one this week," you tell her. "It's so annoying."

"But don't you want to see what it's about?" She questions you.

"No. I've read the letters. He wants me to accompany him to an outing or some weird shit like that."

Chiyo gasps, "Are you seriously turning down an invitation to be wined and dined by one of the richest kids in the world?"

"Yes," you simply state, "he's a big jerk that gets whatever he wants, anytime he wants. I don't like douches like him so why would I even bother going through that torture."

"Okay, whatever you say." She bumps her shoulder with yours playfully. "You seem to have good intuition so I'll let this slide," she says with a wink and you smile at her.

You both join back into the conversation with the rest of the group. You all talk about school, the substitute teacher who looks like a pedophile, and the weather when Teruhashi looks over at Kusuo.

"So what are your antennas for?" She asks and before Kusuo or anyone can stop her, she takes one of them out of his head and looks at it. Kusuo's eyes widen and the next thing you know he's on the ground, pale as a ghost.

"Teruhashi, why'd you do that!" You yell and get up from your seat, jogging around to Kusuo who is now drooling and unresponsive.

"I just wanted to get a closer look! I didn't know this would happen," she says and tears begin to fill her eyes. "I didn't know." She starts to cry after you rip the antenna out of her hand and bend down to help Kusuo.

'Dumb, stupid bitch,' you think while attaching the antenna back to his head. Kusuo comes to and everyone is too busy focusing on Teruhashi crying to notice Kusuo. So you help him up and put his arm around your shoulder and walk out of the cafeteria to head for the nurse's office. But as soon as you exit the doors, you end up on the roof- teleported by Kusuo.

"How long was I out for," Kusuo asks as you set him down on the ground.

"I'm not sure, I'd say around 5-10 minutes," you respond and at that, he instantly gets up.

"Woah relax Ku, you were unconscious, don't stand up too fast," you declare. He is too focused on something in the distance to notice the nickname and the next thing you know he's gone.

"Great," you say to no one. You stay on the roof and ultimately decide that staying where you are is probably the best option in case Kusuo needs to find you again and sure enough, a few seconds later, Kusuo comes back but he's completely soaked.

"Oh geez," you say, quickly walking over to him. His uniform is dripping from the water but he doesn't seem harmed in any way. He looks very deep in thought and doesn't appear to notice you even when you're right next to him now.

"Do you need my help with anything?" You ask, worried about how heavy he's now breathing. He still looks off into the distance, you assume trying to detect another threat and then he disappears again. The same thing happens a few more times before he teleports back and starts to stumble but you catch him before he collapses on the ground. All his weight is put on you and you almost fall over at the sudden pressure. He's still a little damp but other than some dirt on his face, he seems okay. He's unconscious so, as carefully as you could, you drag him over to the side and sit against the wall. You sit down and position Kusuo so he lies on his back so that you can support his head with your lap, his head facing up at you.

"You poor thing," you whisper and move some pieces of his hair off his forehead. You sit there for a while, playing with his hair and observing his face.

'He looks so relaxed.' It's a facial expression that you've never really seen on him before. His chest rises and falls steadily and you reach over and carefully remove his glasses, putting them on yourself.

"Woahhhh," you say while looking around the roof. "These are so cool."

After wearing the glasses for a little, you cautiously put them back over his eyes and continue to study his face, playing with his hair again (obviously being careful of the antennas). You hear the bell ring for the third time but decide to ignore it. Classes today were boring and you'd rather be making sure Kusuo was alright anyway, who knows what he had to fix when Teruhashi took out his antenna. You sigh trying to calm your rising anger at the events that occurred at lunch. I want to give her a piece of my mind for acting so selfishly. Did she really think Kusuo wore those every day as a fashion statement? What a dumb bitch. Suddenly, Kusuo's eyes flutter open and you make eye contact.

"Uh hello there," you cough, trying to act natural after Kusuo just caught you staring at him.

"You're cute when you blush," Kusuo murmurs. You didn't even realize you were blushing until after his comment. Which then, of course, makes your face redder and you look away trying to hide your cheeks.

Kusuo laughs lightly at your embarrassment and despite the fact that he's making fun of you, his laugh is music to your ears, making you want to listen to it for the rest of your life. Once your face calms down, you look back down at him.

"How are you feeling?" You ask and feel his forehead. He closes his eyes at your touch and doesn't say anything so you continue to do what you were doing before and move your hand up to his hair, running your fingers through it gently. His comment is fresh in your mind and you wonder if he was serious. But after looking at him for a while, you decide he's probably just delirious from his exhaustion so he doesn't know what he's saying.

"I stopped a meteor from hitting Earth," he blurts.

"You what?" You say shocked.

"And a Tsunami."

"Kusuo-"

"And other stuff," he sighs "there was a lot."

Not knowing what to do, you keep stroking his hair, now realizing just how powerful he really is. It's crazy to comprehend that he has the ability to stop literal life-ending disasters. You don't really understand how removing his antennas for that short amount of time would literally cause the world to end but regardless, figure that it's also a lot of responsibility to deal with. You can tell how stressed he was today, who knows what other things he had to deal with in his life.

"I'm proud of you," you comment and his eyes shoot open, "I'm really proud of you."

He just stares at you with his typical emotionless gaze but you know by now that he's probably just trying to figure out why you're saying that.

"Since you saved the world, I guess you deserve some coffee jelly," you say with an exasperated sigh. "I work this weekend so you should come. I'll make you a special one, it's the 'amazing y/n deluxe' so it will have a lot of whipped cream."

You look down at him and he's already staring up at you, a peaceful look on his face that almost makes you blush again. You both look at each other for a little, his eyes running across every feature on your face, until he lets out a sigh and closes his eyes again, "that sounds nice."

Chapter Text

Disclaimer TW: the events about to transpire may be triggering to some. This chapter contains attempted sexual assault. So if you don't feel comfortable, then I recommend you should skip ahead.

+++++

Your POV

"Y/n, can you get the cakes out of the oven."

"Yeah, sure!" I brush off my skirt and put on the oven mitts. I take the 5 large pans out of the oven and put them in the cooling rack. Once that's done, I look out at the tables to see only a few customers.

It's a pretty slow afternoon at the café which is actually surprising since it's a nice day. Even though it rained last night, the air is comfortable and personally, I think it's a perfect day for a warm cup of coffee. Even though I'm thankful for a quiet morning, the tips won't be as considerable as normal. I hear the bell ring, signaling a new customer, and look up to see Kusuo looking a lot more alert than when he did a few days ago.

"Hey," I say walking over to him, "wanna go sit in the back?" He nods his head and I lead him to his usual table.

"You're looking a lot better," I comment while pouring him a glass of water. "Let me go grab the coffee jelly for you."

'Don't forget the whipped cream.' Kusuo telepathically calls out as I walk back towards the kitchen.

"I would never," I say to myself, knowing that he heard while rolling my eyes. He started to talk to me using telepathy because he claims it's easier that way. Apparently, that's what he usually does when his friends talk to him and for some reason I never noticed. I always thought he just ignored them. At first, it was really weird to hear his voice but not see his mouth move but it was also really fun to be so secretive. It's come in handy so far when I needed his help in a history pop quiz. I got stuck on this one question so I reached my leg back and nudged his desk. I then moved my hand down to the ground, after making sure that the teacher wasn't looking and I gestured my fingers to make a 2 and a 3. After a second, I hear his voice ring in my head.

'23 is B, I can't believe you're using me to cheat.' His sarcastic tone is present in my head and I resist the urge to flip him off. I shrug my shoulders and bubble in the question. He can hear anyone's thoughts all the time so he definitely cheats too, so much for the pot calling the kettle black.

As I walk down the hall towards the kitchen, a hand suddenly grabs my wrist and pulls me backward so I crash into a chest. I look up to see the perpetrator and I'm met with the eyes of Saiko, the rich pig.

"Y/n," he says coolly, "funny seeing you here." I don't like how he says my name and acts like we're close. A chill runs up my spine as his hand secures itself around my waist.

"yeah...I work here," I say as I try to take my hand back but Saiko tightens his grip. I manage to push against his chest so his other hand falls back to his side, at least creating some distance. I hope that someone else walks down this hallway to intervene but no one seems to be around.

"I like the uniform," he says, looking me up and down and I feel my stomach drop. Before I can give him a piece of my mind he continues, "I don't like that you've been avoiding me."

"Avoiding you?" I say, trying to keep my voice even. "I'm not avoiding you."

Saiko's grip on my wrist tightens even more and he leans in close to my face. "You sure about that? I hardly see you around the school and when I've requested for your company you don't show."

His hold on my arm is painful now but I try my best to externally appear calm. Something about this situation feels off and I need to get away from him as soon as possible. I knew Saiko was deranged from being babied his whole life but this is something on a whole different level. He's making me feel unsafe.

"I don't know what you mean," I respond. "Listen, it was nice talking but I have to get back to work, customers are waiting so-"

Before I can finish my sentence, Saiko pulls me into the supply closet roughly and shuts the door. Leaving us in close proximity. It's dark in the small closet and I can barely see his figure from the light seeping in from underneath the door.

"I came to PK for Teruhashi, but I like your feistiness so I wanna have some fun with you instead," he smirks while pulling me by my wrist so I'm flush against him.

"You're disgusting, let go of me before I scream," I demand while trying to sound tough but on the inside I'm terrified, I'm stuck in a small room with a psycho. Trying to get around him would be a daunting task on its own considering his body is blocking the doorway, making me feel even more cornered than I already am.

"Oh don't be like that," he says while slowly pushing me backward until I feel the cold wall against me. "You know you want me. Stop pretending like you don't."

I open my mouth to scream but before I can make a sound he covers it with his hand. I try to squirm out of his grip but he easily overpowers me, using his body to trap me against the wall. I go to punch him with my free arm but he grabs it and pulls both of my arms above my head. He stares down at me with a predator-like gaze. I freeze, realizing the compromising situation I'm in, my breathing starts to quicken and I hear my heart pounding in my chest.

"You should see how inviting you look right now," he whispers into my ear.

He begins leaving a trail of kisses on my neck but I cringe away from his touch, the sensation awakens another fight in me and I try to do anything I can to force him off of me. He presses even closer and moves so his knee is between my legs, make it even worse of a position to be in. My vision starts to get blurry from incoming tears and I pray to whatever higher power that someone on staff will need to come into the supply closet. "Y/n, I'm going to remove my hand and if you scream we are going to have a real problem." He says while gripping my hands tighter and I whimper at the pain. I nod slowly and he removes his hand.

"See this isn't so bad," Saiko says and goes back to kissing my neck. I feel his hand travel against my thigh and up under my skirt. I shut my eyes tightly and wish I was anywhere else but here. I want to scream and move away from his sickening touch but I feel paralyzed. I can't do anything as hot tears roll down my face.

I don't want this, I don't want this.

Before I have time to register what's happening, a sudden light enters the closet, indicating the door was flung open. The next thing I know, Saiko is ripped off of me and is now sprawled on the floor holding his face. A warm hand gently pulls me towards the door and when I open my eyes, I'm in my apartment.

I look around frantically, my breath uneven and I have a hard time seeing due to my tears. Warm hands lightly hold my shoulders. Kusuo is standing in front of me saying words that I can't hear. His voice sounds far away for some reason and I can't focus on what he's saying. It's warped and it feels like I'm underwater again, like my nightmare. I can't calm down, the panic and fear still coursing through my body. The places Saiko put his hands feel scorching hot on my skin, the unwanted touch burned on my body.

A pair of arms wrap gently around my back, and I'm pulled into a warm chest. At the new support, my legs give out and now I'm on the floor. But the secureness of the arms stays present as one hand rubs my back and another caresses my head. This feels nice. I feel safe. After what feels like years, Kusuo's voice breaks through the unknown barrier.

"Y/n," He says softly. "You're okay."

He keeps repeating the same thing out loud and I feel my anxiety start to dissipate, my breathing starting to go back to normal, and my chest feeling less tight. After I am calmer, I realize that Kusuo is practically cradling me. I release my tight grip on his shirt and frantically stand up back, now embarrassed. He opens his arms to let me do so and he also stands back up, but a lot slower, probably to not startle me.

If Kusuo didn't get there when he did, things probably would've ended a lot differently. I almost let that asshole take advantage of me. I wrap my arms around myself, already missing the warm feeling in my stomach from his hug. Kusuo notices my rigid, lost expression and seems to already know what I want to ask but can't find the words to.

'I figured something was wrong since you were gone for a while,' he answers telepathically, keeping his gaze on me. I just nod, I don't think I can even form words right now. I stand there looking off into space, getting lost in my own destructive thoughts. Kusuo slowly takes steps towards me and stops so he's right in front of me but giving me enough space to not feel constricted.

'Can I see your wrists?' He asks and I nod again, too ashamed to look up at him. I feel Kusuo softly grab my hand and move my arm up, inspecting it. I look at it too and see bruises already starting to form from how tightly Saiko was holding me. I exhale a shaky breath and sniffle.

"Hey," Kusuo says aloud and I look up at him. "He's not going to hurt you. I stopped him." I let out a sigh and pull my hands back to wipe my face.

"Thank you," I whisper, my throat tight. I look up at him through my wet lashes and notice the obvious concern and worry on his face.

Kusuo looks at me for a while, maybe scanning to make sure I believe what he said before looking down at his feet, "yeah."

+++++

After I feel okay enough to move, Kusuo tells me to go change into my lounge clothes which consist of a cozy pair of gray sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt I found while checking the discount section at the store. It has a zoomed-in picture of a beagle's face. It made me happy when I bought it so I hope it helps to make me feel happy now. While I was changing, Kusuo called the cafe to let them know I wasn't feeling well. I guess they were okay with it since it wasn't busy and they understood. He wanted to call them to talk about the attempt by Saiko but I stopped him, saying the cafe workers would feel too guilty that they weren't aware. After I told him I would tell them about it later, he left it at that, despite audibly being against it, and the rest of the day I spend my time with Kusuo watching movies and playing video games.

As the day goes on, I feel more and more like myself. We sit next to each other on the couch, shoulder to shoulder as we watch my favorite movie. I wasn't sure if Kusuo would be comfortable with me leaning on him but maybe it's because of today's earlier events that he's letting this slide. I watch the movie intently until I realize something really important.

"Ku, I never gave you the coffee jelly that I promised," I say worriedly, lifting my head off his shoulder.

"I'll just go back another time," he answers nonchalantly.

I look at him for a while assuming that he's just saying that but when he turns from the screen to look at me, he means it. So I believe him and nod. We watch the movie for a little longer, simply enjoying each other's presence. I feel safe being next to him. It could be because he is the most powerful person in the world but regardless of that, I am glad to be next to him.

'Y/n,' Kusuo telepathically says, still watching the movie. 'If Saiko even looks at you again, I'll teleport him to a cliff and push him off.'

"Kusuo," I start, not sure if I should feel grateful for his protectiveness or a little concerned. "That's really sweet but it doesn't matter anymore. It's over I just want to move on-"

'You're right but he never should've touched you like that,' he says and his fists tighten in his lap. 'I should've pushed him harder.'

I reach over and take one of his hands in mine, opening it so it's not in a fist anymore. "I appreciate it, really, but let's not," I say while patting his hand. "Besides, if I have a problem I'll want to hit him myself." He looks at me with an unsure gaze so I send him a small smile and that seems to ease his mind.

We go back to watching the movie and Kusuo takes my hand that unfolded his fist and lightly plays with it, tracing my fingers and caresses my palm while still focusing on the tv. It feels nice and I think about how sweet Kusuo has been, always being careful and gentle towards me and my feelings, my heart swells at the thought. It feels good knowing someone actually cares about me.

I think back to Saiko and my stomach drops. I will never let him or anyone else try to take advantage of me like that again. I hated feeling so vulnerable and weak. Even if I tried to do everything I could've to get out of that situation, I never want to feel like that again. I let out a small sigh and go back to watching the movie. I rest my head back on Kusuo's shoulder. He tenses but quickly relaxes again. I think it's funny that he does that every time and I smile to myself. I'll worry about everything tomorrow because right now, I want to stay like this.

Chapter Text

Your POV

After the eventful weekend, it's now Monday and I'm walking to school with Kusuo, as usual. It's a nice day and I feel ready to push through this week but of course, something has to go wrong. As we get on campus, other students are staring at us as we walk through the front doors. Some are whispering, while others are shaking their head in a disapproving way.

"Why is everyone looking at us?" I ask when I get to my locker.

'They're looking at you,' he telepathically answers 'Saiko is- .'

Before he can finish, the pig himself makes an appearance and I freeze at the sight of him. He looks me up and down before taking a few steps closer to which Kusuo makes his presence known, by shielding me from Saiko's gaze.

"Hey y/n, I had such a great weekend. Let's do it again sometime," he smirks, trying to eye me from behind Kusuo. I don't know what Kusuo looks like staring at Saiko, but I can only imagine a glare since no words are exchanged. Not happy to get any more reactions, Saiko walks past us, but not before roughly shoving Kusuo with his shoulder. I squeeze my hands into fists and try to not let the panic that's swirling in my stomach get any worse. I take a few deep breaths and once I calm down I tug Kusuo's sleeve, letting him know that it's okay.

"How bad is it?" I say, my voice quiet.

Kusuo turns around and looks anywhere but at me as he tries to think about what to say. 'It's... bad,' he finally answers telepathically.

I groan and quickly change my shoes before heading to class. I feel like dying on the spot, can the world just swallow me up? I storm up the stairs and remind myself with every step that it'll be fine. I walk into class and all eyes are on me. I ignore them and go sit in my seat, Kusuo arrives seconds later and sits down behind me like normal. Once I'm seated, Chisato and Chiyo make their way over to my desk.

"Y/n what's going on?"

"Did you actually sleep with him?"

"Is it true?"

They keep firing questions and I cover my face. "No, it's not true. None of it is. Saiko is a disgusting roach."

"What are you going to do?" Chiyo asks, "The rumors I hear are bad."

"I can't DO anything," I whisper and put my head on the table, 'Again, I can't do anything.'

"We're sorry y/n," they say making their way back to their seats as the teacher walks in.

At least they believe me.

The class goes on and I get through it the best I can. Lunch rolls around and I already dread what types of looks I will get and what fake things I will hear about myself. I walk into lunch and head to the table as quickly as possible. The gang is already there and when I sit down, they get quiet.

"What are you going to do?" Kaido asks, concern covering his face.

"I told them the truth," Chisato says and I give her a grateful smile.

"I don't know," I say "even if I say it's fake, most everyone won't believe it. People are going to think what they want about me."

"What actually happened?" Nendou asks. I sigh and rub my eyes, the stress of the day is already becoming too much. I notice Teruhashi isn't here, how convenient.

"He tried to take advantage of me when I was at work," I mutter. "So he's probably just pissed off that he didn't get something he wanted for once in his life."

"That's horrible!" Chiyo exclaims while taking my hand in hers, "I'm so sorry y/n."

I just nod and look over at Kusuo and we lock eyes.

'This'll be old news by tomorrow,' he telepathically says, attempting to help. For the next few minutes, the group comforts me and tries to change the subject away from the drama. I get the occasional glance my way from other tables but it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. Kusuo telepathically continues to offer his support by saying sweet things that make me smile, causing me to temporarily feel better. I almost start to forget why I was even sad while listening to Kaido spew nonsense about Dark reunion. But of course, happiness doesn't last forever and I feel my stomach drop when Saiko makes his way over to our table.

The table grows quiet when they notice him. He stops in front of us and smirks, loving the attention. "So y/n, are you still sore from the other day?"

"I think it'd be best if you walk away," Hairo says, his bubbly personality disappearing.

"Walk away? I'm just asking a harmless question, Mr. Class President," Saiko answers. The table glares at him and I look down at my hands. I hate everything about this.

"G-go away. Y/n doesn't want to talk to you," Kaido says, trying to help (which I appreciate nonetheless). The tension growing between Saiko and the rest of my table is making my chest feel tight. I hang my head lower in shame, I don't deserve such nice friends who are so willing to stand up for me.

"Well she WAS screaming my name so I guess I understand that her voice would be a little tired."

I see Kusuo ball his fists at his statement and my stomach flips. I know Kusuo isn't stupid enough to say or do anything here... right? I risk a glance at Saiko to see him already staring at me, he smirks again, obviously wanting a reaction out of us.

"Thought you were going to be a challenge but you turned out easier than I expected, " Saiko smirks, holding my gaze. I can't seem to look away and he continues to smile down at me in victory. He knows what he's doing and he thinks I can't do anything about it. His nose looks a little irritated from when Kusuo pushed him into the supply shelf, but I guess makeup is probably covering up more of the real damage.

"Shut the hell up. We know nothing happened between you two so go bother someone else," Nendo says with a look that makes him look even scarier than he normally does.

"What Y/n and I do in our free time doesn't concern the sad likes of you," Saiko says, crossing his arms against his chest. "You all are too stupid and worthless to even be talking to me right now anyway, so I'll be leaving." He takes another look in my direction and I want to vomit.

"I'll see you around, right Y/n?" He smirks "Maybe I'll stop by the cafe, walk you home..." His comment grows faint as he walks away and I feel an intense anger wash over me. I could care less about what he says of me but I will not tolerate any slander directed at my friends'. Calling them stupid and worthless? Who the hell does he think he is? They did not have to go out of their way to defend me, or even believe me but they did. They made me feel so welcome when I first got here and I have offered practically nothing in return. I said I wouldn't take this so I won't, I will not be weak. Before anyone can stop me, I get up from my seat and storm after Saiko's retreating figure. I hear the gang shout my name but I ignore them and continue after the piece of shit.

"Saiko," I say, practically seething. When he turns around I punch him as hard as I can, right at his dumb little smirk. He instantly crumbles to the ground and holds his face, his eyes mixed with anger and shock.

Why you little-" but before he can finish his sentence I'm on top of him, swinging my fits. He tries to shield his face but it doesn't do much as I continue my onslaught, each hit making a satisfying thud. Flashbacks from elementary school play through my mind. Finding this situation to be oddly familiar. I was quite the problem child when I was younger and if it wasn't for my mom finding something else for me to put my energy into, I probably would be a major delinquent. It wasn't until I started seeing a therapist that I learned that the fights I caused at school weren't because I was mad at bullies hurting the smaller kids, but because I used it to try and get attention from my ever so distant father. I wanted him to come to pick me up from school, have to apologize on my behalf to the principal, and drive me home all while scolding me about how irresponsible and ridiculous I was being... but that never happened. I just wanted attention and even after all that, I never got any... at least from him, the person I wanted it from the most. I probably gave my poor mom heart attacks when she would have to answer yet another call from the school telling her that her daughter got into another fight.

One day, after who even cares who I fought, my mom decided to drive me over to the harbor for the first time. She was never someone who liked to yell instead she let the silence speak for itself and honestly, that might've been worse. She knew that I knew that she was not happy with what I did. I never wanted to make my mom upset but I know there had to be a reason to punch whoever it was.

She helped me out of the car and held my small bruised hand as we walked down some wood docks until we got to a small sailboat. It was an ugly dark beige color that looked to be faded from the obvious years of floating the water. On the side, in white bold paint that was chipping at the corners read "Gravy". My mom put a lifejacket on me and in the next few minutes, we were out on the open water. It was a small lake but regardless, the wind pushing through the sail and the sun radiating down on us brought a sense of relief to me, to be able to get away from the land where a lot of my problems were. I remember asking my mom about the name, to which she laughed that horrendous cackle that she had. It was such a sound that it made anyone laugh along with her. After she calmed down, she told me her dad (my grandpa) named it after spilling a plate of gravy on himself one random night while he was sitting in the same boat we were in.

The ride was really fun, I got to steer and we spent hours out there. I remember her glowing smile at being out on the water, sharing something she was so passionate about with her only child. Once we got back to the dock, my mom said that if I promised to not get into fights anymore then we could go sailing again.

A crowd began to form around us and I couldn't tell if people were cheering me on or begging me to stop. All I saw was red and I let my hatred and anger pour out of my body through my fists. Saiko was now blocking his face with his hands so I know I wasn't messing him up too bad, just enough to make me feel better and for him to get the message. Suddenly, a pair of arms hook under my armpits and wrap around my shoulders, roughly pull me away from Saiko's pitiful figure sprawled out on the floor.

"Y/n that's enough, do you want to get expelled?" Hairo scolds me. Once I get my footing, I stand up and yank my arms away from him. All eyes are on me as I stand there, trying to catch my breath. My adrenaline is pumping and I can't focus on more than the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I take one more look at Saiko then make my way to a nearby table, standing on top of it.

"Hey everyone, guess what? Saiko has a small dick!" I shout and with that, I jump down and make my way back to my table, where most of my friends stand there with wide eyes. I take deep breaths to catch my racing heart and ignore the shouts of surprise from the students behind me at my lewd comment. Like I said earlier, even though I obviously didn't sleep with him, not everyone is gonna believe me. So might as well have some fun with it and spread some rumors of my own. Oh god, I really am a bitch. I look down at my knuckles to see them decorated with small cuts and blood, probably more so from my knuckles splitting open. I cringe at the thought of Saiko's blood infecting my skin, I need to wash my hands.

'Y/n...' Kusuo says and I look up, he stands in front of me with an alarmed expression.

"Aww look at you. It's cute that you're concerned but I'm okay! I feel great," I say. A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I exhale a long breath.

"Y/n L/n!" I turn around and come face to face with an angry-looking principal, his face red from anger. "My office," he fumes, "now."

uh oh...

+++++

The rest of the afternoon, I'm in the principal's office getting completely screamed at for being so inconsiderate and violent towards another student. I've heard this whole speech before and I have to force myself to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I try to calmly explain the events that led up to this point but he doesn't want to hear it. There is not a good enough reason that would warrant a physical altercation between students or however he put it. He says that he has called my father but I'm not surprised when he tells me my dad didn't answer. Of course, he didn't.

"Based on these actions displayed today, I have the authority to expel you from P.K. academy."

I stare at him in bewilderment. Expulsion? Seriously? Now I'm pissed. "With all due respect sir, I understand that hitting a student is wrong but it was for the right reasons. If you just listen-"

"I said earlier that I do not care for events that led up to what happened today. Your behavior was unacceptable and completely out of line."

I feel my stomach drop. Is he being serious? Since I've been here I've done nothing wrong and as soon as I decide to beat some sense into someone I get expelled? What will I do? Will I have to transfer to another school? What about all the friends I have made? What about Kusuo?

While my head is spinning with all these anxiety-filled questions, the school nurse walks in with the rat in tow. Saiko looks absolutely WILD and I need to stop myself from smiling at my handiwork. His left eye was shaded by a deep blue that covered the whole underneath of his eye. The dark shade continues down the side of his nose. His nose was irritated and red. Could be because of me or maybe he was crying, and I hope it's the latter. The other noticeable damage is a purple bruise already forming on his right cheekbone. The nurse sees me, sitting in the chair. She quirks a brow, probably in question to the freaked expression on my face.

"So what happened?" She asks, still looking at me with her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Miss L/n here is getting expelled." The principal states again. I grit my teeth and bite my tongue from saying something I know I'll regret.

"Expelled? HA serves you right," Saiko smirks. I glare at him, he instantly looks away.

"I heard some bits and pieces but I don't understand. Y/n, could you please explain why you did this?" The nurse, Ms. Jamie asks. While her voice is stern, her eyes show that she means well.

"No, she will not. Like I said many times already, it doesn't matter. A student should not for any reason attack another-"

"Right of course not. Insinuating violence in a learning environment is wrong. But with that aside, Miss L/n here has a completely clean record with no other incidents before this one. It seems likely she was provoked in some way. I would simply like to hear what happened." She looks back over to me with a curious expression and gestures for me to explain myself.

I take a deep breath, internally telling myself to stay calm. "Saiko has been harrasing me. It got to a point where he tried to assault me at my job. I got out of that situation and then after, he spread rumors about me, saying sexual and wrong things. It made me uncomfortable, he didn't stop so I decided to make him stop."

Both the adults raise their eyebrows at my statement. They then look over at Saiko who is red in the face now, either from anger or embarrassment I don't know. "Is this true, Mr. Saiko?" Ms. Jamie asks, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Saiko keeps his eyes locked on the ground.

"Is this true?" Ms. Jamie says again this time louder.

"I can't believe that you're gonna take her side after she did this to me! Do you know who I am?" Saiko yells, frustration evident on his face.

"So what she's saying is true then?" The principal asks, now crossing his arms.

"This is ridiculous! My father will hear about this! I want her expelled or else I will sue! Not just the school but also you!" He shouts, jabbing a finger in my face.

I narrow my eyes and lean in towards him. "So then you'd let the world know that you got utterly destroyed, the heir to a major conglomerate, by a girl?"

Saiko falls quiet. He stutters, almost like he wants to say something else but after trying for a second. He looks back at the ground and huffs.

"Since you're not denying Y/n's story, then it must be true." The principal starts, stressfully smoothing out his hair. "Even though this situation is wrong, expulsion may be too severe especially since you've never had an issue before now."My face lights up and the principal scowls. "That doesn't mean you're off the hook. Suspension is the next option."

I could care less. Suspension over expulsion any day. I should probably be madder at the fact that because Ms. Jamie asked me about what happened that I am actually being listened to right now but I don't care. I make eye contact with Ms. Jamie and I thank her with my eyes. She nods her head and says she will head out. After finalizing everything with the principal, Saiko goes back to class, infuriated that I wasn't getting expelled and I walk out of school with only a week's suspension not feeling a single ounce of guilt. Since Saiko's harassment happened outside of school, the principal couldn't really do anything to punish him other than say he will be watched closely from now on. I leave the principal's office and I release a breath I've been holding since being in the cafeteria. I walk towards the nurse's office and I gently knock on the door. Ms. Jamie notices and she instantly gets to work cleaning and wrapping my hands. I feel much better now that they're clean.

"Thank you for saving me in there," I start, feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole thing. "If you didn't come in when you did, I might be expelled right now."

"Oh, no worries dear! Besides," she says while leaning in closer, "that boy is a total creep, someone needed to put him in his place." I smile gratefully at her and after she finished bandaging me up, I thank her again before she sends me on my way. I haven't snapped like that in a long time but hitting someone, especially a rat like him, brought peace to my mind and all the worry from this morning melts away.

'I may be a bitch but I'm THAT bitch,' I already have my bag with me from lunch and once I change shoes, I waltz out of the main doors, feeling the best I've felt in a long time.

+++++

After I've been home for a while, I hear a knock at the door. I open it to see Chiyo and Chisato standing there with worried expressions.

"Y/n! Oh my god!" Chiyo squeals, "You were so cool! You were like bam! And wham! It was awesome! But also totally scary!"

I laugh at her comment and let them inside. When I checked my phone on my walk home, my lock screen was littered with many many texts from these two. I was looking for Kusuo's text but it never came. Even a sassy text about being stupid or something would have been better than nothing. I decided to have the girls over since I didn't feel like explaining everything that happened in a text so here they are.

"What did the principal say?" Chisato asks, biting her thumb.

"After I got chewed out for 30 minutes, he gave me a week suspension," I reply while grabbing some food for Chisato, who happily takes it and begins scarfing it down. "But it was worth it."

"Hell yeah, it was! And when you shouted that Saiko has a small pp! Oh, it was so good to watch!" Chiyo exclaims.

"What happened after I left the lunchroom?" I ask them.

"Some kids helped Saiko to the nurse's office and people were nonstop talking about the fight. The boys were especially losing it. What you did was the craziest thing that has happened all year. You're famous now," Chisato comments in between bites.

"Great... just what I need," I say and rest my head in my hand, looking out the window.

They stay for a few hours and we catch up since we haven't talked in a while. We all squish together on the couch and take turns eating out of a carton of ice cream while we watch a random TV show.

"So y/n, what's going on with you and Saiki?" Chiyo asks.

I feel a blush creep on my cheeks. "What do you mean?" I say, acting dumb.

"Oh don't try to hide it! You guys are on a first-name basis and everything! He was totally worried today in class and don't make me forget about how you two were holding hands at the festival! You guys are so cute!" Chiyo shrieks. Once she's done, I know my face is as red as a tomato.

"We're... just friends," I say.

"Right, just friends," Chisato quips, and I send her a playful glare.

"But you like him!" Chiyo sings.

I move my hands to my cheeks to try and hide my betraying face and they both gasp.

"You do! You like Saiki!" Chiyo shouts and grabs my shoulders, giving them a shake.

"Yeah yeah," I begin "It's not a big deal."

"What do you mean? He is SO into you too!" Chiyo expresses.

I shake my head at her response. "No, he's not."

"Girl! HE IS!" Chiyo shouts. "I've never seen him be so willing to be near anyone for more than 2 seconds."

"You should go with him to the dance that's coming up!" Chisato suggests.

After a lot of back and forth conversation, I finally agreed to the possibility of going to the dance with Kusuo. We continued to chat for a while until it was time for them to go home for dinner. It was nice talking to them again. They waved goodbye and promised to stop by again after school to check in on me. Once they leave, I take a shower and got ready for bed, feeling exhausted from the eventful day. I check my phone again, no text from Kusuo. It's not like it bothers me but still... this makes me think he just doesn't care. Chiyo is great and all, but she's dense when it comes to her feelings for Kaido so how would she know if Kusuo was into me? I lay in my bed thinking about what Chiyo said about going to the dance with Kusuo. I mean he can't say no, right? Maybe I could play it off as going as friends if he doesn't like the idea..? I decide that I'll worry about that tomorrow and close my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Since I'm not in school currently, I decide that now is the perfect time to go shopping and spend some of the money that I've earned from working at the café.

'It'd probably be a good idea to get some more groceries too,' I think as I head out the door towards the market. I shop around for a bit and end up buying a few shirts and a cool jacket before heading to the grocery store to pick up a few things. I am walking through the aisles trying to find everything I need when I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Y/n is that you?" Mrs. Saiki says, making her way over to me. "Oh my gosh, it is! Hello dear."

"Hi, Mrs. Saiki! How are you?" I ask remembering that I am a student and should, in fact, be in school...

"Oh please call me Kurumi. I'm doing good! Thank you for asking! What are you doing here, are you playing hooky?" She asks with a suggestive smirk.

"Something like that," I answer back sheepishly.

"I totally understand! A little break never hurts! I won't tell anyone," she says with a wink and I smile.

"Thank you," I say "What are you shopping for?"

"Just dinner for tonight, my oldest son is back in town so I'm making his favorite!" She says excitedly. "You know what, why don't you come over! I'm sure Ku would love that."

"Oh! Thank you for the offer but I would hate to disturb your family dinner," I say back.

"No, we would love to have you! I insist! Come over at 5 okay? We'll see you then, bye sweetheart!" She says and before I can get another word in she glides away.

'Okay... I guess I'm eating dinner at the Saiki's again,' I think while grabbing a few apples. Once I finish grocery shopping, I make my way home and change into one of the new shirts I bought and a pair of regular jeans. I grab the flowers that I also bought from the store and head over. I knock on the door and Kurumi excitedly opens it.

"Y/n! Right on time! And what beautiful flowers! I'll put them in a vase right now, come on in!" She exclaims and rushes away. I walk into the house to see Kusuo and another boy. He has shoulder-length blonde hair and an antenna device on his head similar to Kusuo's.

"When mom said Kusuo was having a friend over I didn't think they'd be cute," the boy says, "Hi, my name is Kusuke and I'm Kusuo's older brother." He grabs my hand gently and kisses the top of it, I raise my eyebrows, surprised by his forwardness.

"Nice to meet you, I'm y/n l/n," I respond.

"A pretty name for a pretty girl," he remarks while letting go of my hand.

"Thank you," I say feeling somewhat bashful from the compliments. Before I can continue Kusuo interjects.

"We'll be upstairs until dinner is ready," he monotonously says, already heading up the stairs.

"That's not fair, I want to talk to y/n more," Kusuke pouts. I take a step back and remove my shoes. For some reason, the atmosphere is a little tense so I decide to follow Kusuo without questioning it.

"Too bad," Kusuo responds sending a look towards his brother. As I follow Kusuo up the stairs, Kusuke sends me a small wave and sweetly smiles at me. I return the smile and continue on my way. We make it up to his room and he closes the door. I move over to his desk and sit down in the chair while Kusuo stands by his bed, looking down at manga that clutters his bedsheets.

"I didn't know you had an older brother," I say and Kusuo just nods. It's quiet.

"Is he a psychic too?" I ask and Kusuo shakes his head no. It's silent with a weird tension in the air. Kusuo is tinkering with something on his desk, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Are you okay?" I ask and he doesn't reply. I haven't seen Kusuo since the lunchroom after the fight. He still never texted me. The radio silence was genuinely killing me so I sent him a funny video that I saw and he only responded back with a short comment. I mean, he's usually like that but his blandness kinda hurt this time. "Well, obviously something's wrong." He stays silent and I internally sigh.

"Is it because I'm here? It was very impromptu, I can leave if you want to spend time with your brother-" I start.

"No," Kusuo interrupts, looking over at me before sighing. "You're fine... Kusuke is the problem."

"What do you mean?" I ask, folding my legs.

'He can be a real pain,' Kusuo telepathically says. 'He likes to compete against me with everything.'

I send him a confused expression. I don't have any siblings so I don't know what that's like. I wish I had siblings to mess with and have fun with but judging by Kusuo, it seems quite annoying. I nod anyway, letting him know I'm still listening.

'He might see you as one of his games so be careful, I don't know what he's after, he's probably just gonna use you to get on my nerves,' he says.

"You make him sound like a threat," I say with a small laugh.

'Just don't believe anything that he says. He can be very deceitful,' he responds while making his way back over to his bed. Kusuo seems genuinely serious about the situation so I agree to be careful. 'His antenna blocks my powers from working on him so I don't know what he's planning, he's such a bother.'

It surprises me that Kusuo is so worked up about this. Kusuke seemed so sweet when he introduced himself. Albeit he was very forward but his brother's personality is the polar opposite of Kusuo's. Normally I feel like I'm good at reading people and I didn't get any negative vibes from him but I trust Kusuo and if he says that he's phony, then I'll believe him.

"So does being a pain run in the family? Or is that just a Saiki brotherly thing?" I ask with a playful smile, trying to lighten his mood.

Kusuo rolls his eyes and he telepathically throws a pillow at me, which hits me in the face. "You're SO funny," his voice dripping with sarcasm. He moves the manga off his bed with his telekinesis and neatly sets them in a stack by his bookshelf. I hold the pillow against my chest and watch the scene. I still find it insane that he can do these things but I don't want to look like a staring idiot so I keep my cool. I take a sharp inhale and unintentionally smell Kusuo's scent from his pillow, it's very calming.

"So what happened with the principal?" He asks while looking at me intently. Now laying down on his back on his bed. "You didn't get expelled, did you?"

I stare at him for a moment. He had to of heard that I wasn't, right? I mean, he can read minds so he should already know the answer. Maybe he truly doesn't care, like I suspected? I ignore my negative thoughts and blindly follow my feelings and hope that it's not the case. I put the back of my hand to my forehead acting very distressed. "Yes I did, it's very tragic!" I announce dramatically, clutching the pillow and feigning hurt. "You'll never have to look at the back of my amazingly gorgeous head in class ever again."

"How very tragic," Kusuo says dully, not buying my dramatics for a second. He looks at me with his usual unreadable expression and I stick my tongue out at him.

"No I'm not expelled, thank God," I say, running a hand through my hair. "It was moving in that direction though. If Ms. Jamie wasn't there, that might've been the case. So, I got away with a week's suspension."

'You say that like it's a good thing.'

"It is! Way better than expulsion, obviously," I stand up from the chair and make my way over to Kusuo. I sit on the end of the bed and look over at his scowling face. "I don't regret what I did, not for a second, if that's what you're thinking."

"What you did was stupid," he scolds and my expression drops to a frown. I glare at him and defensively cross my arms in front of my chest, feeling a little hurt by his words. So my guess was wrong, he wasn't texting me because he didn't care but because he was mad.

"Well, I did say if there was a problem, I wanted to hit him myself."

Kusuo sighs loudly at my comment and looks up at the ceiling, seemingly already tired of this conversation. I continue, my voice getting louder, "I don't know why you're so mad about it. It wasn't your problem in the first place! I thought you'd be happier considering the situation."

"Not my problem?" Kusuo shouts, looking back over at me, his volume shocking me a little. "You must be stupid if you think that."

"Why the hell are you being so rude?" I shout back, my anger bubbling more and more. "You hit him, why couldn't I?"

"There was no way of knowing if he would've hit back! You can't just charge into something like that, especially at school."

"You're one to talk!" I shout with more of a hushed tone, not wanting his family to hear. I don't like this, being talked to like a child. "That's exactly what you did!"

"Are you being serious? He was taking advantage of you, of course, I would step in! Do you have any idea how worried I was when you stormed after him like that? Sure, it was fine in the end but God y/n, you were so-"

"You were worried about me?" I ask, feeling my anger already start to dissipate. Kusuo looks at me again, realizing what he said, and looks away.

"Well... yeah," Kusuo says, now looking down at his lap, playing with his fingers. "At the cafe, when I saw you with Saiko... seeing you hurt like that, I guess I kinda lost it."

It's quiet for a little after that. My feelings have been all over the place these past few minutes and I take a second to relax but my heart flutters at his confession. He was worried about me.

"How're your knuckles?" Kusuo asks, tone a lot softer than moments ago.

"Oh... they're fine," I say staring off into space. Kusuo reaches over and takes my right hand in his. I shift my gaze due to his actions and watch as he traces his fingers delicately over my bruised and cut knuckle. The bruises look harsh against my skin and most of them are a shade of purple, some a yellow tint. I have a small cut on my pointer finger and a few knicks on my middle and ring finger. "It probably looks worse than it is. The nurse wrapped them up and I put Neosporin on the cuts earlier today."

He continues to examine my hand. His soft touch making me feel butterflies and I fight the urge to close my eyes at the peaceful sensation. He is making it really hard for me to not fall for him even more than I already am.

"Tch, remind me to never mess with you," Kusuo says and sets my hand down gently. He moves his arms up so they rest comfortably against the back of his head.

"Damn right," I say with a laugh. "If you need a bodyguard, I'm your girl." I throw some fake punches and flex my arms. Kusuo watches me, amusement written all over his face.

"My girl huh?"

I stop what I'm doing and look over at him again. A small, almost unnoticeable smirk rests on his face. "What?" I ask, making sure I didn't misunderstand. I feel my ears get hot as soon as I registered his comment. Before Kusuo can say anything, there's a knock on the door and Kusuke enters the room.

"Dinner is ready," he says sweetly. I quickly sit up and play with the hem of my shirt. Kusuo stands up too and we make eye contact, a look in his eyes that I haven't seen before. It feels like he's looking into my soul and I shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Kusuo walks over to the door and I follow, after quickly gaining my composure. I follow the Saiki brothers down the stairs and into the dining room. All the food is laid out in a welcoming display and I find myself unable to hide my grin. I sit next to Kusuo on one side and Kusuke is across from me with Mr. Saiki next to him. Leaving Kurumi to be at the head of the table, we begin eating and Kusuke looks over at me.

"So y/n, why do you friends with my boring little brother?"

I look over at Kusuo, who already looks annoyed. "You know I'm not sure, I think he just keeps me around since I give him free coffee jelly," I say with a smile.

"Really? That doesn't sound very nice of you Kusuo," Kusuke says. "Using a girl is quite revolting, especially one so pretty."

I let out a small laugh, "I actually live alone right now so he's been keeping me company and helping me with my homework," I say taking a bite of my food.

"Living alone? Why is that?" Mr. Saiki asks.

"My dad is away working with some big companies, it takes up a lot of his time so I don't see him often," I say.

"So you're living alone?" Kurumi questions, worry laced in her voice.

"Well, my dad has a room too but he usually just stays towards the city. He comes by as often as he can. It's really not that bad." I assure them. I don't want them to think my dad is a bad parent but then again, I don't know why I'm defending him. Kusuo scoffs quietly and I can tell he doesn't agree with my statement.

"What about your mother? I would love to meet her." Kurumi says cheerfully. Kusuo looks up suddenly and I can tell he says something telepathically to his mom since she has a regretful look on her face.

"My mom actually passed away, a little over a year ago."

"I am so sorry," Kurumi apologizes. I know that the awkward silence is to follow so I quickly try to move on.

"It's okay! You didn't know," I say with a reassuring smile. I look over at Kusuke and change the subject back to a lighter one. "So you're back in town? Where were you at?" I ask.

"I live in England. I invent machines and devices that make the world a better place. I studied at Cambridge and got my Masters and Ph.D.," he gloats.

"Wow, impressive," I say. I didn't ask him about his credentials so his comment sounded very cocky so I ignore it. I'm starting to see what Kusuo was talking about.

"Thank you, it's all in a day's work," He says with a smug grin. We continue to have small-talk, revolving more around Kusuke since he's technically the reason for the dinner. Despite Kusuo not talking, his family is more than willing to ask me about my day or how work is going, it's really sweet. I feel so welcome and at home here, it makes my heart happy, even if that sounds really sappy.

"Kusuo can you pass me the water pitcher?" Mr. Saiki says. Kusuo, without looking up, moves the pitcher telepathically and places it in front of his dad. The room goes silent and everyone but Kusuo looks at me.

"Oh! I know about his powers," I laugh and his parents sigh in relief.

"How did you find out?" Kusuke asks leaning forward in his seat excitedly.

"Well, I almost got hit by a car but Kusuo teleported me away," I say with a slight blush, embarrassed from even being in that situation.

"How heroic and noble of you Kusuo," Kusuke says while looking over at Kusuo. They lock eyes and seem to have a staredown. Mr. Saiki changes the subject and dinner goes on as smoothly as it can. After we all finish eating, Kusuke suggests that we clean up while the parents relax since they made such an amazing meal. At this point, I can see through his goody-two-shoes persona and know that he's just trying to look like the better sibling. We head to the kitchen to clean up.

"Do you have a boyfriend, y/n?" Kusuke asks out of the blue.

"Um no... I don't," I respond hesitantly and look over at Kusuo, whose back is to us, drying a plate.

"Really? I'm shocked!" Kusuke says, "a beautiful girl like yourself? I just can't believe that."

I don't really know how to respond so I nod, "yep."

"One of these days, I should fly you out to England. You'd love it there," he says. "I could show you around, take you to all the sites, and we could... do other things."

A plate slams on the table and Kusuo turns to face us, "Lay off Kusuke."

"What? I'm just talking," he responds with a knowing smirk.

"Thank you for the offer but I'll have to pass," I say, stepping in front of the sink, effectively standing in between the two. Kusuo is looking more agitated by the second and I just know things will only escalate if things continue.

"Aw, why not? It would be no problem," Kusuke pushes, taking a step closer.

"I'm uh- afraid of flying," I lie while putting my hand up to stop Kusuke from moving any closer. "It's... kind of embarrassing." The room is silent for a moment and Kusuke nods his head.

"Oh, that's too bad," He begins. "I'm sure I can work around that."

I just nod and look over at the clock.

"It's getting late, I think I should head home since it's a school night," I say and help finish up the rest of the dishes. Even though I won't be at school tomorrow, I don't need to tell him that.

"Right, of course," he says and continues to do the dishes. After a few more minutes, everything is put away and taken care of. Kusuo telepathically tells me he'll walk me home and after I finish helping him dry some silverware, we head over to the door.

"Thank you again for having me over," I say to Kurumi. "The food was delicious, as always."

"Of course! If you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask!" She says and brings me in for a tight hug. "If you ever want something to do or if you're tired of Kusuo, you can come hang out here with me!"

"It was so nice to meet you y/n, I hope we can do this again sometime," Kusuke says and looks over at his brother. "You should bring her around more often." Kusuo just nods and opens the door. I finish saying my goodbyes and we walk out into the moonlit night.

'Sorry about that', Kusuo says after he closes the gate in front of his house.

I stretch my arms up over my head, "It's okay. I didn't mind it," Kusuo's expression turns emotionless and he lets out a quiet sigh. as I put my arms back at my sides, I look over to see him with a scowl and realize what I implied.

"I just mean that I know he was just saying that to annoy you," I say. "I wasn't believing any of the things he said." He just nods but looks less annoyed. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."

'It was annoying,' he responds dryly and looks down at his feet. We walk in silence for a little and I think about how irritated Kusuo was during the whole dinner. I find it interesting that Kusuo was the most irritated whenever Kusuke complimented me. He was especially mad when his older brother made that stupid sexual comment. A lightbulb goes off in my head and I turn to Kusuo.

"Were... you jealous?" I question and he shoots his head over to look at me.

'No,' he responds quickly. 'I wasn't.'

"I think you were."

'No, I wasn't.'

"Yes."

'No'

"It's okay to admit it," I say with a smirk. The idea that Kusuo would be protective of me makes butterflies swirl in my stomach. I've decided that one of my favorite emotions (that are rarely seen on Kusuo's face) is when he's mad. But not when it's at me, obviously.

'I was not jealous,' he states. 'Why would I be?'

"Mhmm right...," I say with a smile, knowing that he will probably never actually admit it, I decide to end the conversation. It's quiet again and we grow closer to my apartment.

"You know," I start. "I'd rather hang out with you over Kusuke any day." I look over at him and see that the scowl from earlier is back on his soft features. He doesn't look at me so I decide to continue.

"Powers or not, I think you're pretty cool," I say and Kusuo finally looks over at me. "Well, most of the time."He rolls his eyes and gently shoves his shoulder against mine as we walk up the steps to my apartment door.

"Thanks for walking me home. I'll see you in a few days, once the whole suspension thing is over," I say and turn around to look at him. He nods and looks down at me. The moon's soft light pours down on his face, emphasizing his pretty features. He looks really good right now. "Hey, can I tell you a secret?" I ask him, biting my lip.

He narrows his eyes a little but curiously (and cutely) cocks his head to the side. 'Sure.'

"Okay but you have to lean a little closer so I can say it in your ear."

'But I'm the only one here.'

I roll my eyes, "just do it, stupid."

He huffs but regardless, leans in a little with his left ear closer to my face. I ignore the butterflies that are rattling in my stomach and before I tell myself I am being too bold, I lean in and place a soft peck on his cheek.

He quickly pulls back and a hand flies to the side of his face. I can't tell very well but I swear I see a blush light up his face. His eyes are open somewhat wide and I find it funny how he's trying to register what just happened. It makes me want to kiss him again. I change my mind, my new favorite emotion to see on him is when he's flustered. Before I can blink he disappears, teleporting away.

"Uh-" I start, shocked he actually ran away. "goodnight, I guess."

I unlock my door and step inside. After locking the door again and changing into my pajamas. I realize what I did and my hands fly to my face. I can't believe I did that! What was I thinking? Oh my god, I'm so stupid! I grip my hair in my hands then flop onto my bed, grabbing a pillow and scream into it. Once I get that out of my system, I ask myself: do I regret doing that?

My quick response is yes but the more I think about it, the more I rationalize that it needed to be done. He looked cute standing there, how could I NOT have kissed him. Besides, if anything, he seemed more embarrassed by it than me. Knowing him, he probably won't say anything about it since he is not one with words but that's fine. I honestly hope that he doesn't get freaked out and ghost me or something like that. What I did was WAY out of my comfort zone but man, what a rush!

Chapter Text

Third-person POV

It's been a week and a few days since you've been back in school and everyone in your class is on a school trip to the museum to learn more about the history lesson for the class. You all walk around looking at all the exhibits when you and the gang walk by the planetarium.

"Guys we should do this!" You exclaim while looking at the signs in front of the planetarium doors. As I get closer, I see that the last showing is starting in two minutes.

"It looks like we just missed the final show. That's too bad," Teruhashi says uninterested before walking off with the rest of our class.

"Darn, it would've been so cool," Chiyo says while following Teruhashi.

You sigh in defeat and stay put in front of the doors while everyone else walks away, "this sucks."

Stars and the sky have become important to you after your mom passed away. When you found yourself unable to sleep due to the pain and nightmares, you would escape to the roof of your old house and gaze up at the world above you in comfort. It made you feel so small and with that, your problems. You feel a hand gently grab yours, pulling you out of your thoughts.

"Kusuo what-" but before you can finish your sentence, you look up to see that you both are in the planetarium.

'Come on, it's about to start,' Kusuo says telepathically. You grin and both sit down in the empty seats in the back. The show starts and you look up at the passing planets and stars in awe. You've never been to a presentation like this before but it's very cool!

"Wow," you whisper, transfixed on the moving images about your head. Kusuo looks over at you but you're too busy being fascinated to notice. He smiles at how happy you look and goes back to watching the show with you. Out of the corner of your eye, you watch Kusuo look up at the moving constellations, the light dancing across his face making him look very handsome. You said that you'd see him after the suspension was over but after the first few days, you almost lost your mind due to boredom. You took up some morning shifts since you wouldn't be at school but after that, you would just sit in your apartment. Chiyo and Chisato took the responsibility of bringing over school work every few days so you wouldn't be left behind, and that was nice to see them but they'd only be able to stay for a little bit.

One day you decided you had enough, so you picked up your phone and dialed up Kusuo. Your phone rang for a few beats before he answered with a dull hello.

Y/n: Hey, what're you up too?

Kusuo: I'm doing my homework.

Y/n: That sounds very boring.

Kusuo: It is, but not all of us are suspended so I have to do it.

You gasp

Y/n: Wooooow okay, I see how it is.

Kusuo: You're the delinquent. You can't make me feel bad for you.

You snicker at his comment.

Y/n: Delinquent? But I'm using my powers for good. Ya know, since I'm still your body guard and all. I have to step in and do my job.

Kusuo: uh huh...

Y/n: Besides, I already did everything I needed to do today so now I just wanted to bug you, so you gotta deal with it.

You laugh evilly and start to pace around your dining room table, not being able to stay still for too long.

Kusuo: uh huh...

You stop and frown a little.

Y/n: Are you even listening?

Kusuo: yeah yeah, I'm just... having a hard time trying to listen to your talking and doing these problems.

Y/n: Oh... right! Sorry, I kinda forgot you're still doing that. I can go, I should probably eat some dinner or something. I think Chiyo and Chisato are gonna bring me whatever you guys are doing today to me tomorrow so I'll be able to catch up just fine. Okay I'll probably talk to you later-

Kusuo: Hold on. I only have a few questions left to do. So keep talking.

You raised your eyebrows. Does he like hearing you talk? You smile but decide not to say anything because he'd probably get embarrassed and hang up or something.

Y/n: Okay so I worked this morning, ya know, and this guy came in and asked for me. I was confused but then once I waited on him he said that he thought I was sweet and that he likes my smile! It was so nice of him and he tipped me like 10$ which was crazy and he said that next time he come in, that he would want to have me again. It literally made my day.

Kusuo: Who?

Y/n: His name is Thomas, he's this sweet little old man. He said I remind him of his grandchildren, he was such a sweetie.

The line is silent. So I decide to keep talking about whatever. I continue my pacing around the room and then stop to look out the window.

Y/n: I also played a little on our Minecraft world we are working on, ya know, and I found this crazy ravine! I was just wandering around, right, and I almost fell into it since it was kinda hidden when I was running. But anyway, I went into it and I think there's a skeleton spawner around somewhere because I could hear them but I couldn't find them. I just grabbed some iron ore instead so there's that.

Kusuo: How far is it away from our base?

Y/n: Hmmmmmmmm... I'd say about like a two minute walk. Ya know where the jungle is? It's around there but over the hill.

The line is silent again but you faintly hear the scribbling of a pencil on paper. With the phone still up to your ear, you walk over to your fridge to see what to make for dinner when you remember something important.

Y/n: Ku guess what?! I learned how to make coffee jelly yesterday morning! So now-

Kusuo: Ku?

Y/n: Yeah, is that okay? To call you that?

Kusuo: Y-yeah... that's fine.

You quirk an eyebrow, he's being weird.

Y/n: Okay so anyway, at work they taught me how to make coffee jelly so now I can make it whenever I want! It's actually not too hard.

Kusuo: Did you tell your people at work about what happened with Saiko?

Y/n: Hm? Oh yeah, I told them and they felt extremely bad. But obviously it wasn't their fault or anything, they made a 'watch list' in our break room so if he comes in again, he will be refused service. But I doubt he'll come in, he hates my guts now, which is fine by me. They put a lock on the supply closet too so now if we wanna go in there we need to get the key from the break room. So it's all good!

You hear some shuffling on the other line. Paper being moved, a chair being pushed around. You hear Kusuo sigh lightly and imagine him running his fingers through his hair.

Kusuo: Okay. Sounds as good as it will get.

Y/n: So did you finish your homework?

You don't really feel like talking about anything to do with Saiko. You're officially over the whole situation and talking about it gives you a headache. You hear rustling of heavier books, probably manga, and the replacement of pillows. Kusuo now probably lying down on his bed.

Kusuo: Yeah

Y/n: Good job! I commend you on your heroic and daring efforts in completing your task. Here is an imaginary trophy, congrats.

The line is silent, no comment from Kusuo.

Y/n: Don't roll your eyes at me.

Kusuo: Pfft, how do you know if I rolled my eyes?

Y/n: Because it's you.

Kusuo: You can't prove that I did.

Y/n: I guess I can't but I just know you did. You know Spider-Man and his spider senses? It's like I have that but I can detect your sass. It sounds crazy I know, but consider it my psychic abilities.

Kusuo: You're right, it does around crazy.

You laugh. Throwing your head forward and cackling into the phone. His comment wasn't even that funny but you don't care, honestly just Kusuo making any type of joke is funny since he's so monotone. After you stop laughing, the other side of the call is quiet.

Y/n: What?

Kusuo: Your laugh.

Y/n: Oh... sorry, I know it's kinda weird.

Kusuo: Why would you think that?

Y/n: Well when I was younger, kids in my class used to tell me it sounds kind of like a witch's evil laugh. I've tried to like... change my laugh to be more girly but it hasn't really worked.

Kusuo: Don't change it. It's fine the way it is.

Y/n: Really? You think so?

You smile, grinning in fact. No one has said they like your laugh before.

Kusuo: Sure.

Y/n: Wow! Thanks, I am greatly honored. If I were to die right this second I would die happy, knowing that you think my laugh is fine.

Kusuo: That's good.

I exhale sharply, he really is bland. But by now I can read him pretty well. I know he's just trying to be cool.

Y/n: So do you have any plans for the rest of the night?

Kusuo: Yeah, it's Kusuke's last day before he goes back to England so we're going out to dinner.

He sounds irritated.

Y/n: You don't sound to thrilled about that.

Kusuo: I don't feel like going out but he's almost gone so that's what I'm looking forward to.

Y/n: Damn, that's harsh.

Kusuo: It's really not.

Y/n: What is he doing now?

Kusuo: Other than being an annoying prick? Any chance he gets he tries to get on my nerves. He asks about you sometimes too.

Y/n: He does? What does he say?

Kusuo: Just dumb stuff. It doesn't matter. It's just irritating.

I'm interested in what his brother says about me but I decide to force my curiosity aside and focus on Kusuo's attitude.

Y/n: Well after you go out you should come over. I can show you the ravine.

Kusuo is quiet on the other end.

Kusuo: Okay. I'll text you before I teleport over.

Y/n: Okay, I'll be here just dying of boredom.

Kusuo: Have fun with that.

You groan

Y/n: Have some sympathy, you don't know what it's like to be so bored.

He chuckles softly and it sounds like he gets up from his bed.

Kusuo: Maybe not but you can't make me feel bad, since you're still a delinquent and all.

Y/n: Hmph. Fine, whatever. Don't expect me to open the door for you when you come over then.

Kusuo: I'll just teleport inside.

Y/n: That'd be consider breaking and entering so I could call the cops on you.

Kusuo: Then I'd turn invisible so they'd think you're crazy. I would then only talk to you using telepathy so they'd think you're talking to yourself, making you look double-crazy.

Y/n: Ya know, it's a good thing you're not evil because you'd be very scary.

He chuckles again and you practically melt at the sound.

Y/n: You should laugh more often. It's a nice sound.

I leave the dining room and head to my bedroom. My room is freshly clean since I finally have time on my hands. I hop into my bed and hug one of my stuffed animal pillows to my chest.

Kusuo: I'll think about.

Y/n: Okay. Good. You do that.

Kusuo: Bye Y/n.

Y/n: Bye

+++++

The presentation eventually ends and you both make your way out of the theater.

"That was so cool! All the planets and the constellations! It was amazing!" You ramble excitedly. Kusuo nods at your statement and is glad that you had a good time.

"Thanks for sneaking us in," you say while bumping your shoulder against his, "it was a lot of fun."

His stomach does that weird flip when he looks at your smiling face. You both catch up to the class and continue walking around the exhibits. You walk up to be with Chisato and Chiyo while Kusuo gets pulled back by Nendo and the other guys.

"So Saiki, are you going to ask anyone to the dance?" Nendo asks. Kusuo looks up towards your direction then looks over at Nendo and shrugs. Hairo comes up next to Nendo and slaps his hand on Nendo's shoulder.

"I think I will ask y/n," Hairo says confidently and Kusuo looks away, feeling a wave of annoyance wash over him. "She's awesome and when she punched Saiko, that was so hot."

"That was pretty cool," Kaido says. "I would ask her to go too but if you do then that's okay."

"You should ask Yumehara," Nendo tells Kaido. "I'm pretty sure she likes you."

"What? N-no," Kaido replies going completely red in the face.

"Yeah she does, remember when we went to the ramen shop, she was none-stop blushing while sitting next to you," Nendo says again.

"How would you know idiot," Kaido says.

"It was pretty obvious," Nendo responds.

Their bickering goes on for a while and Kusuo tunes them out, feeling irritated about what Hairo said. He wouldn't even know if he would've had the guts to ask you but now his dilemma is decided and he looks down at his feet, feeling like a coward.

Kusuo had an epiphany about his feelings for you when he saw the vision of you getting hurt. He didn't realize how much you mean to him and the idea of losing you was one that genuinely freaked him out. He thought about his feelings that night after he teleported back home after explaining his powers to you.

He sat in bed staring at the ceiling and couldn't believe he didn't realize his weird stomach flips were because of you. Hanging out at your house, going to the festival, and simply sitting behind you in class just to see you turn around and smile at him were all memories of you that he valued. When you asked if he was jealous of Kusuke, he brushed the question off and quickly moved on, but the more he thought about it, the truer it became. At this point, he even realized that he would go to the café just to see you, the coffee jelly was now a simple bonus.

And the other night? When you kissed his cheek? Shit, he nearly lost his mind. He regretted teleporting away like a wimp but what else could he do? As soon as he thinks he understands you, you do something like that and now he's all confused again. He couldn't stop thinking about what you did and because of that, other... fantasies, now circulate his mind from time to time. He wished he could hear your thoughts since then it would make everything easier if he knew what you thought, especially of him. He knew you two were friends but would you want to be more? He hoped that kiss on the cheek meant something and wasn't just a new way to tease him. While Kusuo and the guys talked about the dance, you and the girls were talking about the same thing.

"Y/n is there anyone you're hoping will ask you?" Chiyo says while wiggling her eyebrows, already knowing the answer. You look away with a blush.

"Chiyo you should go with Kaido," Teruhashi says sweetly, "He is TOTALLY into you!"

"Huh?" Chiyo says with shock, "You're crazy."

"No, he is!" She says and claps her hands excitedly.

"Are you looking to go with anyone Teruhashi?" Mera asks.

"Well I'm not sure, there are so many great options, I don't think I can choose," she says but looks back at Kusuo, who is looking down at his feet. You notice her gaze and internally roll your eyes. You ignore the rest of the conversation and think about the dance.

'Maybe I should ask Kusuo, but I don't think I have the guts to do that. What if he says no and that ruins our friendship? I don't think I'd be able to handle that,' you think. 'But I kissed him! Surely I could ask him to a stupid dance... Ugh, I don't know what to do.'

He hasn't said anything to you about the kiss and you are too nervous to bring it up. Even thinking about it gives you butterflies but you decide to ignore the feeling and focus back on the exhibits instead. After several more minutes of walking around and taking notes for the class, you need to go to the bathroom.

"Hey, I'm going to run to the restroom, I'll catch up with you guys," you say to Chiyo.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asks.

"No thanks, it'll only take a minute."

"Okay, we'll probably be here," she says and you head in the direction of the bathrooms. You found them with no problem and after doing your business and washing your hands, you exit the bathroom.

"Hey y/n!" Someone calls and you turn in the direction of the voice to see Hairo, casually leaning against the wall a few feet in front of you.

"Hi Hairo, what're you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to catch you alone so I could ask you something," he says now walking over to you. He stops steps away, a light blush evident on his face.

"Okay, what's up?" You ask, fidgeting with your fingers. You can already assume what he's going to say based on his body language and your stomach starts fluttering.

"If you don't have a date for the dance, would you like to join me as mine?" He asks, confidence flowing from his words. Your face starts to get hot and you bring your arms across your chest instinctively. You're obviously flattered at the proposal but can't help to think of Kusuo. The dance is just about a week away and if he WAS going to ask then I guess he would've by now.

"Yeah, I'd love to go with you," you say with a smile.

Hairo's face lights up and he pumps his fist in the air, "alright!"

"I'm glad you said yes, I was so nervous." He admits after calming down. You giggle at confession.

"There's no need to be nervous," You start with another giggle. "It's just me."

"Yeah maybe, but pretty girls are intimidating, and you're a pretty girl," he says positively. Your face heats up and you cover your cheeks with your hands.

"Stop," you laugh, "you're making me blush."

"It's the truth," he insists. You groan in embarrassment but can't help loving the compliments.

"We should probably head back over to the group," you say. Already taking a few steps towards where you came. "We don't want them to leave us behind."

"Good idea," he agrees and you both make your way back. You find them in the Japanese Renaissance section standing in front of a statue of Matsuo Basho. You wave bye to Hairo and walk back over to Chiyo.

"Hey! Sorry, I took so long," You say, lightly tapping her shoulder. She turns toward you with wide eyes and a small frown. "What's with that face?" You laugh. The group moves on to the next statue but she pulls you back.

"While you were gone... Saiki asked Chisato to the dance," she whispers, sympathy evident on her face.

"Oh," is all you say and you look over at the group and spot Kusuo's pink hair.

"She said yes, I'm so sorry y/n."

You look away from the back of Kusuo's head and turn back to Chiyo. You offer her a small reassuring smile. "It's okay actually, Hairo asked me when I came back from the bathroom."

"Eh? He did?" She exclaims.

"Yeah, so I guess it worked out anyway."

"Chisato didn't know what to do! I promise this was all an accident, she looked so frantic that she ultimately crumbled to the fear of being rude."

You laugh at her explanation. "I figured as much. I know Chisato wouldn't do something to hurt my feelings."

"But are you sure you're okay? I was so sure he would ask you."

"I'm okay, really! Kusuo and I are friends. It doesn't really matter since I have a date too," you say with a smile. After triple-checking that you were indeed okay, you both catch back up to the group and continue on with the field trip. Even though you say you're okay, you can't help but feel disappointed. Hairo is a sweet and funny guy but he's not who you have feelings for. The tour guide stops at another exhibit and you look to the left, spotting Kusuo a few people down. He turns his head and you quickly look away before making eye contact. It hurts getting your hopes shot down but it could be worse, he could've asked Teruhashi. You sigh and try your best to focus on the tour guide who is going on and on about Edo period Japan.

Man, this sucks.

Chapter Text

Saiki POV

I walk up the steps and after I knock on the door, I straighten my tie. A few seconds later the door swings open.

"Hey, Saiki! Let me go grab my sweater," Mera says and when she comes back we head over to the school for the dance. I didn't want to be a complete loner so I decided that asking Mera would be my best bet since if I have a date, I won't stick out as much. This isn't an ideal situation and I much rather would have avoided the dance altogether.

During the field trip a few days ago, I watched y/n get asked to the dance by Hairo. When I saw y/n walk away from the group and Hairo go after her, I felt compelled to follow. I knew that it would be a bad idea and that I'd ultimately regret it but I went anyway. I concealed my presence with my invisibility and watch the scene unfold. The way she smiled bashfully at his compliments and how she hid her blushing face made me feel something so deep in my stomach, I thought I might explode if I heard any more. I didn't have time to rationalize my thoughts before I turned and walked up to Mera and asked her to go with me. Her thoughts were extremely hesitant and she kept looking over to Yumehara who was also internally freaking out but I didn't care. After a few seconds of Mera stuttering, she finally said yes. Y/n and I haven't talked much since the field trip and our walks to and from school were silent for the most part. I overheard that y/n didn't have a problem with Mera going with me so I guess in the end it doesn't matter.

Once we get there, I look around the gym. There are streamers and balloons hung up all around. The disco ball is flashing and the music is on full blast, already giving me a headache. Some people are dancing while others are standing off to the side either talking or eating food.

"I'm heading over to the food table," Mera says and in the blink of an eye, she's gone. I sigh and walk to the corner of the gym, wanting to be anywhere but here. A rough hand grabs my shoulder and I look over to see Nendo.

"Hey, buddy! How's it going?" He says.

Kaido and Yumehara are behind him, both of their faces beet red. Kaido asked Yumehara after we got home from the field trip. Apparently, he was inspired when Hairo and I made our proposals. It was still a mess to watch since Kaido couldn't get the words out but Yumehara was patient and she allowed him to finish before accepting. I shrug in response.

"Where's Chisato at?" Chiyo asks while looking around. I point to the dessert table and I look up just in time to see Mera leaving the gym with a bag full of food.

'Good grief,' I think while running a hand through my hair. 'My date ditched me.'

+++++

For the next several minutes, I stand off to the side while Nendo, Kaido, and Yumehara are on the dance floor. Hairo, sweaty from all his dancing starts a dance circle and somehow commences a dance battle between himself and Nendo. I look around for y/n, wondering where she is, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I ask Yumehara if she knows but she shakes her head no. Her mind questions my feelings for her but I ignore her thoughts and continue to scan the crowd. After a while, the music and people's thoughts are making my head pound so I decided to go up to the roof for some fresh air. Once I get up there, I open the door to see y/n standing there, staring up at the sky. The moonlight hits her face in such a way that makes her look even more beautiful than normal. Her (color) dress hugs her body perfectly making her look like a celestial princess. She looks over at the sound of the door and gives me a small smile.

"Hey," she says and looks back up at the sky, "nice suit."

I'm broken from my trance and I walk over to her.

'Why are you up here?' I question and she looks down at her feet.

"I was getting bored and it felt awkward standing there by myself so I decided to come up here," she confesses and I grow confused but before I can say anything she continues.

"Didn't you come with Chisato?"

'Yeah, but she bailed after she got a ton of food,' I scoff.

Y/n cringes, "Yikes, I'm sorry to hear that."

'What about Hairo?' My curiosity getting the better of me.

She tilts her head and looks over at me confused. "What about him?"

'He's your date?'

"Oh um yeah," she starts with a laugh. " I came with him but our definitions of a good time are a little different. He's a little intense."

'He didn't... try anything, right?'

She turns to look at me and raises her hands. "Of course not! That's not what I mean." It's silent for a minute as y/n tries to figure out what to say. "You know how he is, he's the life of the party. I danced with him and all that but after a while... I don't know, I guess I needed to take a breather."

It's quiet and there's definitely some tension between us. It could be from us not talking to each other all week but it feels like it's something else.
I find myself getting angry, rage building up in the pit of my stomach. A mix of Mera ditching me, Hairo being a shit date, and my cowardice to not ask this beautiful girl standing in front of me to go to the dance makes my skin feel hot and my head swirl.

"Is that why you came up here too?" y/n sweetly asks, hugging her arms across her chest. I ignore her question.

'Did you want to go with him?'

She looks over at me confused. "With Hairo?"

I curtly nod. She scans my face, probably taking note of my rising frustration.

"Where is this coming from?" She asks cautiously.

'Just answer the question.'

"He wasn't necessarily my first choice," she admits, looking away. "In all honesty, I was hoping someone else would ask me, not that it matters now."

She was hoping someone else would ask her? Who else would there be? My mind is racing at who she could be referring to. It couldn't be anyone from the group since Kaido asked Yumehara, it sure as hell wouldn't have been Nendo, Hairo is out too... who else is there? The answer hits me like a brick to the face. At my realization, I stand there in silence feeling like a complete idiot.

I'm so stupid,' I think to myself in embarrassment. I look over at y/n to see that she's looking up at the sky again. I take a step, moving towards her. I'm not 100% on my theory but my hopes shoot high into the air as the possibility. Adrenaline replaces my anger causing my body to feel lighter, like it's floating.

'If I would've asked you, would you have said yes?' I ask. I can't miss this chance again, I just can't. She looks at me suddenly, a stunned look on her face.

"Um well, I-" She begins.

"If I asked you, would you have said yes," I say aloud. Stopping so I am standing right in front of her, looking down into her gorgeous eyes.

+++++

Your POV

Kusuo stares down at me with a serious look on his face. I feel his breath on my skin and I look up to meet his eyes.

"Would you?" He asks again softly, looking at my lips. I have a hard time processing words with him so close to me. His scent is intoxicating and I inhale a shaky breath, my stomach filled with butterflies.

"Yes," I whisper. He leans down and I can feel his lips lightly ghost over mine.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks, his voice deep. All I can do is nod, my eyes already closed, and before I know it, Kusuo closes the gap and kisses me. It's soft and shy, but also fueled by the realization that everything we were worried about didn't matter, because he was planning to ask me to the dance and I was going to say yes.

It feels like time freezes, the music fades away and the atmosphere of being on the roof disappears. It's just me and him. I instantly melt into the kiss and I exhale lightly from my nose. He brings his hand up to hold my face and I lift my hands to rest on his chest. One of my hands lightly grabs on to his tie and Kusuo's other hand, that's not on my cheek, moves to hold on to my upper arm. I pull away after a few seconds and he looks at me with a strange intensity. I blush under his gaze and look away but he guides my face back to look at him with the hand that was on my cheek.

"You look really beautiful," he says and I feel my face erupt. This overwhelming amount of attention is making my whole body feel jittery. I can't believe this is happening.

"You look really beautiful too," I whisper, and when I realize what I said I bring my hands to my mouth. "I- I mean you look good, very handsome," I say trying to backtrack. Kusuo laughs at my statement and moves a flyaway strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Thank you y/n," he says and I blush again.

"So, did you see Chiyo and Kaido? Are they still super blushy?" I ask, looking up at him.

His eyes scan my face, almost like he's trying to memorize every one of my features as if he'll wake up from a dream.

"I saw them and they are. When I came up here they were dancing together."

"That's good. Poor Chiyo was so nervous. While I was getting ready, I talked to her on the phone for 20 minutes trying to calm her down."

"Mhm." Kusuo says, now rubbing circles with his thumb on my upper arm. I close my eyes at the soft gesture and lean into his hand that's still holding my cheek. "I can't believe you said yes to Hairo."

I instantly open my eyes but see Kusuo smirk and know he's just messing with me. I roll my eyes.

"Well I was hoping for someone, who I will not name, to ask me... but it never happened, I don't wait on men so I went with the next option."

Kusuo snorts, "You could've asked me too ya know."

"That is true and I was planning on it."

"Right, I'm sure you were."

"I was! Just waiting for the right time."

Kusuo rolls his eyes and smiles down at me. His hand on my cheek moves down to rest on my collarbone. His thumb just underneath my jaw, his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck. The moonlight illuminates his face and I get the urge to kiss him like I did after he dropped me off at my apartment after dinner with Kusuke. With my hand that's still holding onto his tie, I pull him towards me and connect our lips again. Kusuo is tense at first but after a millisecond he eases into the kiss. His hand that was holding onto my arm moves to my waist and effectively pulls me closer so now our fronts are pressed impossibly close against each other. My stomach flutters and my head spins. This time, this kiss is more confident and firm unlike minutes earlier. It's still soft and slow but I couldn't ask for anything else. This time Kusuo pulls away and we both catch our breaths, staring into each others eyes'. The music from the gym easily travels up to the roof and I can tell a slow song is being played. I move away from him and do a curtsy.

"Would you like to dance, good sir?" I ask in a fake British accent, attempting to ease the tension that was created from the kiss. My whole body is running on adrenaline and my heart is pounding in my ears. He looks at me and rolls his eyes at my goofiness.

'Sure.' He says and goes to grab my waist but I take a few steps back.

"You have to say it in an accent," I demand playfully pointing a finger at him, "it's more proper."

He rolls his eyes again and bows in from of me. "May I have this dance?" He asks in a horrible attempt at the accent and I giggle.

"Of course you may," I respond, curtsying again.

I wrap my arms around his neck and he rests his hands on my waist. We sway to the music in comfortable silence. My heart is beating out of my chest but I don't care, I look up at Kusuo and he looks down at me with a small smile. Is this really happening? I feel like I'm in a dream that I never want to wake up from. I move so that I rest my head on his shoulder and he positions his chin so it's resting on my head. The embrace makes me feel warm and I let out a small sigh. We stay like this for a while, even after the slow song ends. The air is comfortable and I want to stay like this forever. He pulls away and grabs my hand, giving me a spin, my dress twirls around me and after, he pulls me back into his chest.

"Smooth," I say and take his hand in mine.

"Your turn," I say trying to spin him but he doesn't move. He narrows his eyes at me but he can't hide the happy glint in his eyes.

"Come on. Spin," I whine and he reluctantly does. I giggle and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest. I feel his lips kiss the top of my head and I hide my face, attempting to cover my stupid blush. What a surprising turn of events... but I won't complain.

Chapter Text

Your POV

It's now Monday and I walk into class behind Kusuo. On the night of the dance, I asked if he wanted to leave early and go to eat somewhere. I didn't really feel the need to join the others and I had the feeling Kusuo didn't either. We successfully snuck out and ended up getting some ice cream from a vendor at the park. We walked around the park for a while and ended up sitting down on a bench. The atmosphere surrounding us was warm and I never felt more at ease while sitting next to him, laughing about how nervous Kaido was when asking Chiyo to the dance. After we finished our ice cream, he walked me home and that was it. The rest of the night I thought about the dance, the kisses, the adrenaline. I couldn't believe that happened and I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen now between Kusuo and I. This morning, he picked me up like usual, and now we're here.

I follow Kusuo down the row to get to our desk, I look over at Chiyo and send her a small wave. While I'm distracted, Kusuo suddenly stops in his tracks and I run right into his back.

"Hey don't stop so fast," I say rubbing my nose. He looks back at me and gives me a look while trying to hide my desk. I arch an eyebrow and stand there puzzled.

"Can I get to my desk, please?" I question, not sure what he's trying to do. He shakes his head and moves closer so more of his body is hiding my desk from view.

"Move over," I say lightheartedly, successfully nudging him out of the way. My stomach drops when I look down at the wood surface. It's completely covered in mean words and names. Some are bolded and circles while others are written in different colors. I let out a sigh and sit down, crossing my arms over my desk to attempt to cover the words. Teruhashi makes her way over and stops to stand in front of my desk.

"Oh no y/n! Your desk!" She exclaims, "that's horrible." I glare up at her and she has a ghost of a smirk on her face that no one else could see. "We need to find whoever is responsible for this."

"No it's fine," I begin while keeping my glare, "whoever wrote this is probably just a jealous, insecure little troll."

Her face contorts for a second before going back to normal. "Right...I'm sure that's it," she mutters and walks off back to her seat.

'It was Teruhashi,' Kusuo says telepathically now sitting down behind me.

"Yeah, I figured," I say with a sigh, I try not to look at the words but it's hard not to and I feel my self-esteem start to drain away.

'I'm so over this crap,' I think.'I will not let some jerk like Teruhashi get away with something so preschool.'

The class goes on and I make it through, I tell Kusuo that I'm going to try and clean it off during lunch and that he can head to the cafeteria. He's hesitant at first but after a lot of persistence and telling him I'll be okay, he walks out of the room. I grab some Clorox wipes from the supply closet and head back into the room to start scrubbing when I see Teruhashi leaning against my desk.

"What do you want Teruhashi," I glare at her.

"I just want to help!" She responds.

"Cut the bullshit, I know you did this so there's no point in hiding it. No one is around," I demand, and after I say that, she drops her perfect girl smile and replaces it with a devious smirk.

"Yeah, it was me," She reveals and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Why are you so pressed that I'm friends with Kusuo," I start getting right to the point, "I know that's what this is about."

She stiffens in shock before relaxing again. "I just think you should back off," She says. "I saw you two leave the dance together and I think you're getting a little too close." I roll my eyes at this childish drama, it's almost comical.

"You just want to get with him because he's the only one who doesn't bow at your feet," I announce "He's not stupid, he knows what you really are." I cross my arms overmy chest and look down at her shocked expression.

"You bitch!" She shrieks "I am the prettiest and most perfect girl around. He will admit that he likes me eventually. He has to, it's impossible to resist me."

"Okay... good luck with that," I scoff and go to begin wiping down my desk.

"You're just jealous that other boys don't worship you as they do to me," she snarls, "no one will ever like you more than me because you're ugly and worth nothing!"

I turn to her and get in her face, causing her to back up a few steps. "I know my worth and you don't get to decide that for me. Now run along before I decide to end this like I did with Saiko."

She huffs and stomps out of the room. The adrenaline rushes through me and I feel pretty damn good knowing that I finally put that big fake in her place. But despite that, tear form in my eyes as I stare at my desk. I know I shouldn't believe these things or anything that Teruhashi said to me but it's still hard to ignore. I take a few deep breaths and continue to scrub off my desk until it's completely rid of any marks or words. Satisfied with my work, I head downstairs to the lunchroom.

As I head down the stairs, I spot Hairo walking the hallway carrying two big boxes, one on top of the other. He hears footsteps and turns his head to see me.

"Hey y/n," he says cheerfully, setting the boxes down.

"Hi, what're you doing?" I ask him.

"Just doing some things as the class rep. Nothing too hard," He says with a smile.

"That's good," I reply and as I'm about to be on my way, Hairo calls out to me.

"Sorry about the other night..." Hairo says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wasn't a very good date."

"It's okay," I say assuringly "In all honesty, I wasn't a good date either."

He nods and goes back over to the boxes. "I'm glad Saiki was able to step in my place, you two seem to match a lot better," He says, picking the boxes up, and turning to me again. "Well I'll be off, I just wanted to clear things up. I'll see ya!"

"Yeah, see ya," I say with a wave before turning and walking towards the lunchroom. I take note of what Hairo said and I'm glad that there weren't any hard feelings. As I enter, I make my way over to the usual table to see everyone either talking rather loudly or eating peacefully.

Teruhashi is there and she looks at me as I sit down next to Kusuo. "Were you able to clean off your desk?" She asks with that fake sweet tone.

"Yep! It's all gone," I say with a smile, staring her down.

"Glad to hear!" She responds and looks down at her salad, stabbing her fork harshly at some lettuce. I begin eating my lunch and listen to whatever Kaido and Nendo are going on about when Kusuo pokes my arm and places my favorite dessert in front of me. I look down at it in shock and smile.

'I went and got it when you were in the classroom,' he telepathically says. 'I feel like I was somewhat responsible... sorry," I look over at him and grin. My heart fills with gratitude at his simple gesture.

"Thanks Ku, it means a lot," I say and kiss his cheek softly. After I pull away, I swear I see a pink blush cover his cheeks before it disappears just as quickly as it came. I look back to Teruhashi whose looking at me with a forced smile. I lock eyes with hers in a staredown, silently challenging her to do something. She stands up and with a huff, walks away while I smirk in victory.

"What's her deal?" Chiyo asks.

"I don't know, I think she had to go to the bathroom or something," I state and the others at the table nod their heads before going back to the conversation.

'That was... intense,' Kusuo tells me, I smile and take a bite of the dessert, the sweet melting in my mouth.

"You're telling me," I sigh.

Chapter Text

Your POV

It's Wednesday evening and I'm sitting at my dining table going over trig functions when I decide I should take a break. I get up from my seat and stretch, resulting in my back making a satisfying cracking noise. I walk lazily to the kitchen and grab a glass of water and my thoughts wander to Kusuo. Nothing much has been said about our kiss at the dance. I know that he has to have some type of feelings for me but I can't help but feel that maybe it was just the adrenaline that made him kiss me. I felt quite bold on Monday when I kissed him on the cheek but we haven't talked about that either. I'm wondering if maybe Kusuo doesn't want to be in a relationship. I mean, he has a ton of responsibility when it comes to his powers. How would he have time for someone as plain as me? I don't want to be THAT girl but I can't help but think: what are we? I'm pulled from my thoughts when my phone starts ringing. I look at the contact to see Kurumi, Kusuo's mom.

"Hello?" I say answering the phone.

"Hi y/n would you mind coming over? Ku isn't coming out of his room and I'm hoping you could help," she says, worry laced in her voice.

"Yeah of course! I'll be right over," I say while frantically putting on my shoes. He won't come out of his room? I wonder if I have something to do with his powers.

"Thank you, sweetie," she says. I hang up and lock my apartment and descend the stairs two at a time. After a tiring jog, I get to their house as quickly as I could and ring the doorbell. Mr. Saiki opens the door and lets me inside.

"I don't know what the problem is, he won't talk to us," Kurumi says.

"Okay, I'll go check on him," I say trying to comfort her. I make my way up the stairs and lightly knock on his door.

"Kusuo?" I call out, "it's me, are you okay?" I hear some shuffling in the room but he doesn't answer.

"Ku?" I say trying again. "If you don't answer, I'm coming in." Again I'm met with silence so I decided to go in.

"Okay, I'm coming in," I say, and as soon as I open the door and step inside, Kusuo's hand wraps around my waist, and with the other, he covers my eyes.

"Woah what the hell," I say startled. I move my hands to my face so my fingers rest on top of his. He's pressed close behind me and I have to fight the urge to lean backward closer to him.

"My glasses broke so if you look at me, you'll turn to stone," he says.

"Okay I won't, you don't need to be so dramatic," I respond.

He slowly removes his hands and I hear him step off to the side. When I open my eyes, I see his room is completely trashed. Papers, gadgets, books, and games are thrown all over the place. His clothes and blankets are mixed into the mess, resulting in his floor being completely covered with not a single clean space.

"Kusuo, what happened?" I ask while staring around his room, it was such a mess. He sighs and begins shuffling around, trying to move his way around all the clutter.

"I woke up from my nap and my powers were going crazy. A part of my antenna was malfunctioning so I had to fix it but in the process, I completely destroyed my room AND broke my glasses," he mutters. "It's a miracle nothing outside of this room was trashed."

"Seems like you've had a rough evening," I say quietly and I don't even have to look over at him to know that he nodded.

"Okay, let's get started," I say rubbing my hands together and start going around the room.

"What?" Kusuo questions.

"Your room. I think if we sort everything into piles it'll be easier to manage," I say as I grab a pile of his clothes and put them on his bed. I'll fold them later, I think right now I should focus on getting things off the floor.

"No," he says. "It'll take hours."

"Good thing I have time," I respond while grabbing the blankets and folding them. From the corner of my eye, I can see him looking at me but I ignore it. "Just let me help you."

After a few beats of silence, he sighs again and bends down to pick up some things, putting them on his desk. I smile at my mini victory and continue folding the blankets. This issue doesn't seem to be a big deal if he had help. I'm surprised he didn't ask his parents but then again it seems he's not used to the idea of getting help and I wonder if he's ever asked for it before?

"So does this type of thing happen often?" I ask, hoping to make the situation not as stressful to him.

I hear Kusuo exhale through his nose, "not as often as you may think."

I nod and move some more clothes from the ground onto his bed and start putting some clothes into piles.

"You know, this could be the perfect opportunity for you to redecorate your room. Start fresh," I suggest with a smile.

"What's wrong with my room?" Kusuo says defensively and I have to stop myself from looking over at him.

"Nothing! I'm just saying," I start while putting some of his sweaters back onto closet hooks. "Maybe move some things around, change up the vibes. Something as simple as your room can be the reason for why you always act like you have a stick up your ass."

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm?" I hum, bitting my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing.

"Repeat what you just said," Kusuo says and I hear him take a few steps closer to me. "That last part."

"I uh, don't remember..."

"You don't remember?" He says, with a hint of humor in his voice. He stills takes steps closer and I fear my life may be in danger.

"Nope, in fact, I don't think I even said anything at all." I try to contain my laughter, but some small giggles slip out and I cover my mouth with my hand.

"Interesting," Kusuo says, now right behind me. I yelp when I feel his hands lightly pinch the sides of my waist.

"That's not fair, you can't harass me when I can't look at you."

"I'm not harassing you," he says, still standing behind me. "And you started it."

"Actually you started it. You were being a big grump when I got here," I say, turning around to face him. I keep my eyes shut so I won't turn to stone but I at least want to look somewhat intimidating. I cross my arms in front of my chest and knit my eyebrows together. "This further supports my earlier comment."

"So you DO remember."

"Yeah," I say matter-of-factly. "It was funny." It's silent after that and I feel his eyes scan my face. I fight the urge to look at him to try and see what he's thinking but I resist. Kusuo suddenly pokes my sides again and I bend over in surprise.

"Aah! Stop that!"

"So you're ticklish? Good to know."

"Don't get any funny ideas, mister," I say. "I know I'm your bodyguard and all but I won't hesitate to hit you too."

"Oh, that's right," he says and I hear his voice move away from me. "But I don't think bodyguards are supposed to threaten the person they're protecting."

"In your case, I can make an exception. So you better not mess with me."

"I don't plan on it." Kusuo chuckles lightly and I smile, loving that sound. We go back to sorting through his room in comfortable silence. I grab some pillows from off the ground and neatly set them against his headboard.

"What are you going to do about your glasses?" I ask after a while.

"I don't know. I'll maybe tape them back together until I get a new pair or something," he mumbles agitatedly. I nod and continue going through the pile. We made some good progress and I'd say we're about halfway through the mess. I go to pick up some books when I stumble upon a photo album. I open it to see pictures upon pictures of baby Kusuo.

"No way," I whisper and Kusuo walks over to see what I'm looking at.

"Give me that," he says while attempting to swipe the album from my hands.

"No let me see, you were so cute," I gush. He tries to grab it from my hands but misses and I run to the other corner of the room. This is quite a hard task since I can't see where he is but I somehow manage.

"Y/n, come on," Kusuo huffs in aggravation. "I'm being serious."

I run around his room a few more times laughing my head off, this situation is too funny. "There's no need to hide. These pictures should be shown to the world. They're adorable," I jump across his bed, narrowly escaping his clutches, and continue to leaf through the album.

As I try to dodge him again, he finally manages to catch me by wrapping his arms around my chest so my arms are stuck at my sides. I try to squirm out but it's no use.

"Come on, don't be embarrassed," I pant, all that running really made me tired.

"Just give me back the album," he says with a playful tone. His breath fanning my ear.

"Fine," I huff. He loosens his grip enough for me to turn around. I hand him back the album and completely forget that I wasn't supposed to look at him so we lock eyes.

I gasp and cover my face quickly with my hands. "I'm sorry! I forgot," I say panicky.

Kusuo doesn't say anything and I keep still, waiting for the effects to kick in but nothing happens. I feel Kusuo grab my hands and move them down from my face but I keep my eyes shut tight.

"Y/n, you can open your eyes," he says and I shake my head.

"No."

"You would've already turned to stone by now," he says but I still keep my eyes squeezed shut and shake my head.

"Good grief," Kusuo mutters and I feel a pair of warm lips kiss mine. I fling my eyes open at the sudden action and Kusuo pulls back.

"See, you're fine," he says and walks over to his bookshelf and puts the photo album back. I stand there confused and a blushing mess.

"Wait... I'm a little lost," I say after I process what the hell he just did. "I thought I was supposed to turn to stone."

"You would've normally but since I can't read your thoughts then it would make sense that some of my other powers probably wouldn't work on you either," he says while walking back over. "I'm not sure why though."

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," I respond. I look up at him and observe his face without glasses. His purple eyes, that I used to think were a dark brown, stare down at me quizzically.

"I like your eyes," I say while continuing to stare at him, "they're pretty." He looks away suddenly and telepathically hits my face with a pillow.

"Don't say sappy things like that, dummy," he comments before going back to cleaning. I laugh at his embarrassment but eventually follow suit.

Chapter Text

After succumbing to all the stress, anxiety, and late hours slaving away doing practice questions, exams are finally over! It's finally the weekend and I've decided to celebrate! After going out to get ramen with the gang on Friday, I decided to make some homemade coffee jelly and have Kusuo over. We haven't gotten to have any fun since every time we hung out we were studying together for exams. So making some cups of his favorite dessert and having a relaxing night in sounds perfect.

After going to the store and baking all afternoon, it was finally time. Kusuo came over and we had a little dinner then chowed down on coffee jelly. He arrived very stoic, as usual, but quickly changed his tune when he started eating the dessert. He gets the cutest look on his face and I couldn't help but stare.

"Awww," I say and he looks over at me.

'What?' He asks dully and I laugh.

"Your face when you eat coffee jelly, it's adorable," I say.

He looks away from me quickly, "shut up." I roll my eyes at his blatant bashfulness but continue eating anyway.

After we finish eating he helps me put everything away and clean the dishes. I think about how caring and sweet Ku has been and it makes my heart happy. He really has been looking out for me and I hope that the coffee jelly helped to show, even a little, how much he means to me. I know I need to say what has been on my mind for forever now and I think if I don't do it now, I never will.

"Kusuo, I have something to tell you," I say now getting extremely nervous. He looks over at me and gives me a look to continue. I take a deep breath and attempt to get the words out.

"Well um... well I-" I begin.

"Good grief, just spit it out."

"I like you," I state. The room falls silent and I feel my face go red at my outburst. I look back down at my feet, slightly embarrassed, but continue anyway.

"I think it's obvious by now that I like you, a lot, more than just a friend. I just wanted to let you know since we've kissed a few times... and not knowing what we are... was getting me a little anxious," I say without looking up.

It's quiet again and I shut my eyes. 'Great I probably sound so stupid and clingy. Maybe this was a bad idea, I'll just say I was joking or some kind of excuse like that. Yeah, that should work.' When I'm about to talk, a hand lightly grabs my chin and moves my face up. At the movement, I look up at Kusuo who has a content smile on his face.

"Good because I like you too, dummy." He whispers and before I can respond he pulls my chin up and our lips connect. Right away this kiss is more intense than the others. It full of more passion and love than ever before but it's amazing, it feels right. His free hand slides behind my back then moves down to settle on my waist as he guides me backward, causing my back to hit the cool surface of my fridge. My hands cup his face and at my movement, I feel his grip on my waist tighten. Our lips disconnect and reconnect, neither one of us getting enough of each other. His front is pressed against me, practically sandwiching me between himself and my fridge. After a few minutes, Kusuo pulls away and leans his forehead on mine. We both look at each other, smiling like idiots as we catch our breath.

"Y/n," Kusuo starts, pulling back to look at my face, "will you be my girlfriend?"

My eyes widen at his forwardness and he raises an eyebrow at my reaction. I feel my brain practically explode, his question rings in my ears as happy trumpet sounds celebrate in my head. I bite my lip, trying to contain my smile.

"Hmm," I say looking off to the side, pretending to think but I have a hard time keeping a grin from my face.

"Oh my god," Kusuo says annoyed, but a small smile is present on his face.

"Don't rush me, this is a very tough decision," I say, coving my mouth to hide my now wide grin. Kusuo pinches my sides suddenly and I yelp in surprise.

"Hey! Don't," I laugh, taking a few steps away from him. He moves slowly towards me, hands out in front of him, threatening more tickles. "Stay back, I'm warning you."

Before he can get any closer, I decide to make a run for it. I run through the dining room and as I get past the table, I am lifted off the ground and gracefully thrown onto the couch. When I open my eyes from the surprising impact, Kusuo is already there and before I can protest, his hands are on my sides tickling me mercilessly. My laughter fills the room but my pleas fall to deaf ears as he continues. He chuckles at my obvious struggle and eventually stops to let me catch my breath.

"You're evil," I pant. "Using telekinesis? That's a mean trick."

"I thought it'd be funny," he says leaning over me with a boyish grin that makes my stomach churn. "But you still have to answer my question."

I reach up so my hands cup his face gently. "Yes," I say with a big smile "I would love to be your girlfriend." With that, I pull his face down to mine and our lips meet in a soft kiss. He responds immediately and we share a few more kisses before he pulls away to look at me again, that grin still on his handsome face.

"I didn't know if you knew how to smile," I tease, sitting up on the couch. He doesn't respond and instead wraps his hands around my waist and pulls me in for a hug. He rests his chin on my shoulder and we stay like this for a while. My ear is against his beating heart and I feel better knowing that his heart is racing just as fast as mine.

'About time,' Kusuo says telepathically and I giggle. I didn't realize that he'd be such a touchy person but I'm not complaining. After we let go of the embrace, we finish doing the dishes then head back over to my couch where we watch a few episodes of the anime we started together and every once in a while sneak in a few kisses.

It's getting quite late and we want to spend more time together but decide that taking everything slowly is probably for the best. I give Kusuo some leftover coffee jelly and he heads to the door. He turns around and before leaving, he grabs my hand in his and brings it up to his lips, giving it a soft kiss.

"Good night y/n, see you tomorrow," he says while staring at me intensely. Butterflies fill my stomach at his gesture and I nod.

"Good night Ku," I whisper and he walks a few steps away then teleports. I close the door slowly and put my back against it with a sigh.

"I have a boyfriend," I whisper to myself, "and it's Kusuo Saiki." My mouth hurts from all the smiling I have done and I know that I won't be able to sleep a wink tonight.

+++++

I look over at the clock and see it's 2:30 am. I'm still wide awake and I can't stop thinking about Kusuo. How he kissed me, held me, and what he said to me. Just thinking about it makes me blush. I'm lost in thought until I hear a light knock on my window. Confused I get up and go open the sliding door to see Kusuo standing there on my balcony.

"Hey is everything alright?" I question, "What are you doing here?" He doesn't say anything as he walks past me and into my room.

'Um okay sure come on in,' I think sarcastically. I turn around to walk back in and my face collides with his chest. I look up with a questioning gaze and he moves his hand to rub the back of his neck.

"I know we said we'd go slow but I really wanted to see you," he mutters. "I couldn't sleep."

I giggle at his confession and grab onto his arm. "I couldn't either," I whisper.

He gives me a soft smile and moves his hand to caress my cheek. I lean into his warm touch and sigh contently. So this is really happening, Kusuo really is my boyfriend. I suddenly yawn and Kusuo removes his hand and looks around nervously. He's never been in my room before.

"Welcome to my crib!" I exclaim, widening my arms to gesture to my room. I'm so glad I put my laundry away this morning.

It's a pretty typical space but since I've been here for a while now, I've been able to add my own touch. My room is a normal 3 wall room, with the other wall having a walkout balcony. I have a normal closet built into one of the walls, and the other two walls have a door for each. One door leads to the bathroom and the other connects to the main living area like the dining room and kitchen. My bed is a queen size, which lets me sprawl out however I want. The sheets and comforter are a typical cream color with a sorta boho design stitched in. I have some stuffed animals littered on the bed too. My walls are decorated with posters from my favorite anime, and two corners of my room have fake vines thumbtacked to them, making my room feel more alive. I have two plants growing on a small table that are actually real and they're doing good! Other than a night stand, a fan, and a full body mirror, that pretty much makes up the whole space.

As Kusuo takes some time to observe everything in my room, I watch him. He's wearing a typical navy blue sleep t-shirt paired with some red flannel pajama bottoms. I don't know what it is with dudes and flannel pajama pants but I can't help but find him really hot right now. He nods to himself then turns his head back to me. "This isn't quite what I imagined but I guess it's somewhat close."

I cock my head to the side and knit my eyebrows together in confusion. "What did you expect it to look like?"

"You know that show we watched a while ago, the one about hoarders? That's what I thought it would look like."

I gasp and punch his arm to which he doesn't even flinch. "I can't believe you'd think that of me."

"I don't necessarily, I just thought that you'd throw all your mess in your room or something."

I don't know if I should be offended or find what he said funny. Either way I narrow my eyes at him, "I didn't make fun of your room so don't do that to mine."

"I'm not. Just saying what I thought. If it makes you feel any better, you're room is less boring than mine."

"Wow, thanks for that." I say, but I can't help the smile that sneaks onto my face. I look back up at him and see him swaying around on his feet, seeming a little anxious. He looks at my bed than at me than to the door and back to the bed again. I'm confused for a second but then I put the pieces together.

"Do you want to sleep with me?"

His eyes widen at my statement. I quickly realize what I implied and my face unintentionally lights up. "I um- that's not what I meant... I and you- I mean me and you sleep in the same bed- that doesn't sound any better... would you like to um... would you like to stay? Here?" I finally manage to get out and he just nods before walking away towards the bathroom. When he closes the door, I cover my face and begin scolding myself for how stupid I am. Why do I have to be so bad with words and so bad at keeping my face from blushing?

He comes back into my bedroom after a few minutes and I give him a small smile before slipping in between my covers. I look over at Kusuo who just stands there awkwardly and I chuckle to myself.

"Come here," I say sweetly and he makes his way around the other side of the bed and quickly gets in but he leaves a gap between us. I don't question the space, since I want him to be as relaxed as possible and once I see that he looks comfortable enough, I reach over and turn off the light.

"Goodnight," I say quietly and Kusuo nods. It's quiet and we are both on our backs staring at the ceiling. I bite the inside of my lip, the awkwardness flowing between us like an electric current. The atmosphere is so tense that you could probably cut it with a knife. I don't know what to do, should I say something? I don't want to make him nervous, but I also don't want to say something accidentally sexual again. I'm pulled from my overthinking when I feel Kusuo's hand graze my arm, it sends goosebumps up through my body and I hold my breath. He keeps inching himself closer to me, almost like he's testing the water. I don't react and he continues to move his hand so now it's wrapping around my stomach and before I know it, he pulls me towards him so my face is against his chest and his arm is draped around my waist. I nuzzle myself into him so I'm more comfortable and I let out the breath I feel I've been holding in since I turned off the light.

'Is this... okay?'

I nod into his chest, my eyes instantly become heavier the longer I lay close to him. "yeah, this is okay."

Kusuo has a hand resting on the back of my head, his fingers lightly scratching my scalp. I rest my hands against his chest and in one, I loosely clutch onto his shirt. As I finally drift off to sleep, the last thing I remember is a pair of lips softly kiss the top of my head.

+++++

I wake up to warm breath on my face and open up my eyes to see Kusuo's sleeping face inches from mine. I stare at his face and study his relaxed expression. I move my hand up to brush some of his hair away from his eyes. At the action, he stirs slightly and the hand that is around my waist tightens. I smile and sigh at the situation. I roll over on to my back and stare at the ceiling trying to decide what I'm going to do for the rest of the day. After a few more minutes, Kusuo stirs and I look over in time to see him open his eyes.

"Good morning" I say softly and he sees me, reaches over and kisses my forehead.

"Good morning." He says with a raspy voice that stirs the butterflies in my stomach. I smile at him then untangle our legs to sit up. He grabs his glasses from the nightstand and puts them on. He definitely doesn't need them, but it's probably a force of habit.

'We should go get breakfast,' he telepathically says and I agree. As he goes home to change, I quickly brush out my hair and get dressed into a pair of light wash wide- leg jeans, that I pair with a cheetah print tank top that has some lace around the hems. After a few minutes, he teleports back and we head out. We walk together in silence for a little, pinkies linked, before Kusuo interrupts.

"Let's go out," he says and I look at him puzzled.

"Aren't we already going out?" I respond and he shakes his head.

"Well duh, but I mean on an actual date." And at that statement, I look over at him with a smirk.

"Are you asking me out right now?" I say and he rolls his eyes.

"Don't be dumb," he says and I punch his arm to which he doesn't even flinch.

"Yes, let's go do something," I say while looking up at him. "Anywhere you have in mind?"

He suggests that after school tomorrow we should go grab dinner and see a movie. I agree and we walk into a café for breakfast. We eat and talk about anything and everything (well I do most of the audible talking) before we decide to head back. He asks me if I'd like to come over but I decide it's probably best to take a break from each other. I needed to run some errands before work later today anyway. We said we would take it slow but right now we are moving in the opposite direction of that, we literally slept in the same bed together. Despite loving our time together, we say our goodbyes. He kisses me then teleports away promising to see me again tomorrow.

+++++

Hope you enjoyed! <3

Chapter Text

After Kusuo walks you home from school, you quickly go to your closet and look for something suitable to wear for your date. Although knowing that Kusuo probably could care less what you end up wearing you still want to look nice for such an important occasion. After must contemplation you decide on a light blue skirt that stops a few inches above the knee and a cute cream sweater. You do your hair up in its usual style and decide on wearing light makeup. Just as you're finishing up your makeup with some Chapstick, you hear a knock on the door. You quickly run to your vanity and spritz yourself with some perfume before grabbing your bag and heading towards the door. You open it quickly to reveal Kusuo wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and a dark green crew neck sweater pulled over. You smile at him.

"Hey! Let me put on my shoes," you say before leaving the door open, you quickly slip on your white sneakers and head out.

'You look nice,' he telepathically says while looking over at me. I feel my face start to get hot so I look down at my shoes.

"Thank you," I say while pushing some hair behind my ear.

+++++

Your POV

We walk for a while until we get to the restaurant and he opens the door for me, which was so sweet. We get led to a table and when we sit down we both look at the menu.

We order our food and talk about the movie we are going to see and then when we get our food we eat in comfortable silence. It sounds like it was awkward but it was really nice. I don't have to constantly be talking and forcing myself to keep the conversation going. With Kusuo I can be myself and simply enjoying his company is enough for me.

After eating, and a lot of insistence by me that I can pay for myself, Kusuo pays for both of us and we begin our walk to the movie theater. I grab onto Kusuo's arm and he looks down at me so I give him a toothy smile to which he looks away quickly. As we walk I look up at the sky, the sun is starting to set and I look at the changing colors; the oranges, pinks, and purples, it really is beautiful out. I feel eyes on me and turn my head to see Kusuo staring at me, so I stick my tongue out at him to which he rolls his eyes. We walk into the theater and get our tickets (I paid for these this time) and as we are waiting in line for the snacks, I feel Kusuo tense up, and before I can ask what the problem is, a hand falls on his shoulder and I look over to see Nendou.

"Hey, guys! Are you seeing the new movie too?" He booms while looking at us excitedly. I drop my hands from around Kusuo's arm and face Nendou.

"Um yeah, we are," I say hesitantly while looking over at Kusuo who looks very annoyed.

"Awesome we can watch it with you guys," Nendou says and Kusuo and I share a look.

"We?" I ask.

"Yeah! Kaido and that new kid, Aren," he says while looking around. "They said they would meet me here." Seconds later, Kaido and the new purpled-haired kid with glasses make their appearance beside Nendou.

"Hi, I'm Aren." He says and puts out his hand.

"L/n y/n," I say and shake his hand, he gives me a polite little smile before dropping his hand. He looks normal but for some reason, I pick up some gangster or fighter vibes. At the moment, I decide to ignore my thoughts about him to focus on Kusuo, who looks very peeved.

"Let's go!" Nendou says as he walks off towards the theater. Kusuo sighs next to me, obviously irritated to see people from school here especially these guys. Even if we told these guys it's a date, they probably would still insist on sitting with us so, in the end, there basically was no escape.

I reach my hand over and rub his back. "It'll be okay," I say and after we get a bowl of popcorn and two blue-raz and cherry Slurpees, we follow Nendou towards the theater. We get to our seats and I sit in between Kusuo and Kaido with Aren next to him and Nendou on the other end.

"I heard this movie can get pretty intense," Kaido mutters as the trailers for other movies play.

"Are you scared?" I playfully question already taking a few pieces of popcorn and popping them in my mouth.

Kaido's eyes widen "N-no I'm not scared. This will be no problem. At all," he rambles and I just nod, knowing that he's probably gonna lose his shit. The lights dim and the movie starts.

I look over at Kusuo and he gives off the vibe that he would rather be anywhere else but here. I reach over and grab his hand from the armrest and hold it in mine. I look back at the screen and from the corner of my eye, I see Kusuo looking down at my hand holding his and I feel him relax slightly.

'Sorry, I have my ring on so I didn't see them coming in time,' Kusuo telepathically says. I nod with a smile and give his hand a reassuring squeeze. I appreciate the fact that he wanted to focus the night on just us instead of normally having to deal with outside interference and, I honestly don't mind too much that our date got infiltrated. Our dinner was great and I know we'll have more time alone in the future so I don't feel too mad about it. We go back to watching the movie and it was pretty good even though Kaido almost peed his pants in fear. A few of the intense scenes got me freaked out and any time I thought something bad was gonna happen, I squeezed Kusuo's hand that I held onto the whole time. At some point later in the movie, when the plot was slower, I rest my head on his shoulder. He tensed up at the action like usual, but relaxed quickly and kissed the top of my head. Kusuo would occasionally rub his thumb over my hand and it made me smile. We walk out of the theater and say our quick goodbyes to the others before we make our way back to my place.

'Sorry, this date sucked,' Kusuo says, kicking a rock sending it flying down the road.

"It did not suck!" I say quickly, "I had a really good time." He looks back up at me and makes a face, crinkling his nose.

"Honest!" I begin, hugging his bicep close to my chest, "The movie might not have gone to plan but I still had a really good time, I'm serious!"

He still looks unsure as we get up to my apartment door, but before I have time to rationalize my decision I reach up and grab his face in mine and kiss him as passionately as I can. He's thrown off for a second, stumbling a little, but quickly recovers and grabs my waist, pulling me closer. Fireworks go off in my stomach and my skin is on fire when he runs his fingers from my waist and up my back. He pulls away suddenly and looks down at me intensely. We both catch our breaths and I grow nervous under his gaze. We stare at each other for a while, not wanting to say goodbye, both not wanting the night to end.

"Do you trust me?" Kusuo asks out of the blue, dropping his hands from around my back. I look at him confused.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" He says again.

"Of course" I nod still puzzled by the strange question. He holds out his hand and I take it softly and the next thing I know we're in the middle of nowhere. I look around confused for a second before I look up at the sky and gasp. It's full of stars and they're so vibrant it's almost hypnotizing. It's like we're in a snowglobe, the stars illuminating the dark sky in such a way you'd think it they were whole punched into a black piece of paper.

"Kusuo," I whisper not taking my eyes off of the beautiful night sky. "Where are we?"

"Australia," he says behind me, "I figured that since you liked the planetarium so much then you'd like to see the real thing, at least the closest I can get you."

"It's absolutely amazing," I exclaim as I feel my face heat up at the fact that he remembered. It goes quiet for a little and we both just stare up at the stars. Kusuo comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, settling his chin against my shoulder.

"Thank you for bringing me here. It's beautiful," I say leaning into him.

"Yeah," He responds and pinches my face.

"Hey!" I shout while turning around in his grip. I look up at his smiling face, his eyes filled with nothing else but admiration and pure joy, so much so that I have to look away. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" He prods, rubbing a hand up and down my back.

"Like how you are. It makes me nervous," I say and he exhales through his nose sharply, amused at my obvious uneasiness.

"Well then stop doing cute things," he says continuing to rub my back softly. The gesture makes my head spin and I have to hide my face in his chest. I groan, feeling too much in the spotlight, and Kusuo laughs at me again.

We end up laying on the ground, ours legs pointing away from each other but our head side by side, staring up at the sky. Kusuo listens to me babble on about the different constellations and stars that chart the starry night. I point out Virgo and Ursa Major and he asks about the Big Dipper. It's so peaceful out here and I feel if I reach out to the atmosphere, I'll be able to touch it. After some time, fatigue starts to course through my body and I feel my eyes start to get heavy. I think Kusuo takes notice of my newfound silence and suggests that we head back. I hesitantly agree, not wanting to leave but I feel I could fall asleep any minute if I were to continue laying down. Kusuo helps me up and the next thing I know, we're in front of my apartment door.

"That was really cool, thank you Kusuo," I say gratefully. Sure there were some bumps earlier but the date ended on a good note! I'm very happy with how things are going so far and I hope Ku is too.

'It was no problem,' he says, looking at me with a small smile.

"Glad to hear it," I smile back. "Well then goodnight, parting is such sweet sorrow."

He rolls his eyes, "did you really just quote Romeo and Juliet."

"I did, makes our goodbyes more romantic."

"You're making it sound like I'm going off to war or something."

I place a hand over my heart and my other hand against my forehead, looking very much like a distressed damsel. "Oh how I will miss you, I will think of you every day and I hope you keep me in your heart during your conquest."

"Good grief, you're ridiculous," Kusuo says but I can tell he thinks it's funny.

"Of course it sounds ridiculous when I say it. I'm just telling you that's what you'd say since I'd obviously be the one going to war, I'm your bodyguard after all," I say putting my hands on my hips confidently.

"Ohhh yeah, that would make way more sense," he says sarcastically. I ignore his blatant satire and agree.

"Yeah, it does. We can't both go, someone would need to stay and take care of the home."

Kusuo lets out a small laugh and my heart swells at the sound. If I can make Kusuo laugh, then my life is fulfilled.

"Okay, parting is such sweet sorrow, yada yada goodnight," Kusuo says boringly. I smile, happy with my mini victory. I lean forward, putting my hands on his shoulders, and kiss his cheek. I pull away and Kusuo has a sour expression on his face.

"What?" I ask confused.

'You missed.'

Oh god. He really is a clingy damsel. I huff at his comment but regardless, I lean forward again, this time meeting his lips in a soft kiss. I move to pull away but Kusuo wraps his arms around my waist keeping me secure in front of him. He deepens the kiss by moving one of his hands from my waist up to my cheek, holding me gently. He pushes me backward and after a few steps, I feel the cool wood of my front door against my back. Butterflies fill my stomach and I instinctively move one of my hands from his shoulder to the back of his head, pulling his head closer to mine effectively deepening the kiss. I'm feeling pretty bold so I decide to swipe my tongue over his lip and in an instant, our tongues meet. I've never had a full-blown makeout session before so I'm just going with what I've seen in movies and I hope that it works. But everything that I'm doing seems to just come naturally at the moment, my mind is fuzzy and the only thing I can focus on is how Kusuo tastes. Kusuo moves the hand from my waist and travels it up to my back then down again, settling underneath my sweater, his hand touching the skin on my side. My skin burns from his touch and I can't help but wish for him to touch more of me.

"What are you kids doing?" Questions a wispy voice.

I quickly push Kusuo off of me and turn to see one of my neighbors, Ms. Irene, staring at us with a knowing look.

"H-hi, Ms. Irene," I say, clearing my throat. "How're you?"

"I'm doing just fine," she says as she walks past us but not before giving Kusuo a once-over. "You should come over for tea sometime soon y/n. An old woman like me needs some company."

"Of course, I look forward to it."

She nods then swiftly unlocks her door. "Alright, sweet dreams."

I wave at her with a smile and she closes her door. I look over at Kusuo who is already looking at me with a strange look on his face. We stare at each other for a second before I burst into laughter and Kusuo smiles shyly, a quiet blush dusts his face.

'That was awkward,' Kusuo says, stating the obvious. All I do is nod as I try to calm my giggling. 'I forgot I have my ring on still.'

"It's okay," I reassure him. "We'll be more careful next time."

'Next time?'

I realize what I said and raise my eyebrows. I simply shrug, forcing my brain to think of anything else to stop a possible stupid blush from climbing to my cheeks.

"Maybe there will be, if you're lucky enough," I smirk, turning my back to him and grabbing my door key. He exhales sharply from his nose, amused at my response.

'Okay, I see how it is.'

I unlock my door and turn back towards Kusuo. He looks really good in the crew-neck sweater and his hair is somewhat disheveled from my hand running through it moments ago. Kusuo is sweet and gentle by nature but that makeout really showed a 'new' side of him. One that was more demanding and intense. It wasn't something that I expected but I'm pleasantly surprised with the discovery. It's something fresh and exciting and it makes me hope that there is a next time.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow Juliet," I say with a smile. Kusuo rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest. He looks like he's about to say something snarky but ultimately decides against it.

'Whatever, goodnight Romeo,' he says shaking his head.

"Goodnight," I say quietly. He moves a stray piece of my hair behind my ear and rests his hand on my cheek. He leans in and gives me a soft kiss on the lips before turning, walking a few steps, then teleporting away. Once I close the door, I sigh in content.

This date REALLY ended on a good note.

Chapter Text

I walk into class and follow Kusuo to our seats. As I sit down, Chiyo practically runs over to my desk. Before I can say hello, she drags me out of my seat and and pulls me towards the door. As I leave the classroom, I turn to look at Kusuo, who seems just as surprised as I am. I'm sure Kusuo notices my panic but simply shrugs his shoulders as I disappear out the door.

"Chiyo what are you doing?" I question once she's stops. We're in the hallway and once she lets go of my arm, she squeals but punches me in the arm. "Ow! What the heck?"

She ignores my pain. "I can't believe you didn't tell me that you and Saiki are official! I thought we were besties!"

Before I respond, Chisato comes out of the classroom and makes her way over to us. "Yeah! I can't believe you didn't tell us!"

I stare at them, eyebrows slightly raised. They are making this way to big of a deal. "Well, we made it official a few days ago so it's pretty new. We only went on our first date yesterday."

Chiyo practically jumps through the roof. "And you didn't call or text us after? What even are we?" She grabs my arm and shakes it frantically. "Tell us EVERYTHING!"

I laugh at her persistence but then realize a key piece of information is missing. "How'd you even know we're together?"

They both look at me, blank faced, then turn to each other before breaking out into fits of laughter. "Okay don't get mad," Chisato starts, which makes me feel like I'm gonna get mad. "But we heard it from Kaido."

Now I really raise my eyebrows. Kaido? Seriously?

"Yeah, when Chisato and I were hanging out yesterday, ya know, the day you said you were busy- which we will get to later, I can't believe you bailed on us-, Kaido texted me and said that you were cuddling up on Saiki and holding his hand during the movie and all that!"

"So," Chisato continues, "we asked Kaido to make sure and he saw you guys share a quick kiss as you left the theater! Ughh I'm so happy for you but also so irritated that you didn't tell us!"

I internally groan. "Sorry, next time I'll let you guys know I guess, and the movie wasn't supposed to be a group thing. We happened to run into some of the gang and they ended up sitting with us. Kusuo asked me to be his girlfriend on Saturday after exams. We didn't really talk about how private or public we want to be but I think Ku would prefer it stay more on the down low."

"Aww! You have a nickname for him! That's so cute! Does he have one for you?" Chiyo asks, clapping her hands together excitedly. They both already seem over the fact that I didn't mention anything to them so that's good, at least. I'll make sure to have a talk with Ku on what he's okay with and not when it comes to our relationship. I know he likes to keep to himself, ya know, keep the spotlight off of him and I don't mind if we stay minimal when it comes to PDA. I know how he feels about me and he's a lot more comfortable around me in private so in the end, it's okay. I don't need him to be all over me all the time to know how much he cares.

"No he doesn't have a nickname for me but that's besides the point. You had Kaido spy on us?"

"But only out of love from our hearts, we were too curious not to know! We're sorry!" Chiyo says and smothers me in a hug. Chisato laughs at my obvious annoyance and joins in on the hug too, effectively trapping me in place. I try to playfully push them off of me but it doesn't work.

"You have to say you're not mad at us if you want us to let you go," Chisato laughs.

I try to shove them away but it again doesn't work. I groan "Fine. I'm not mad."

"Promise?" Chiyo questions.

I sigh but can't help the smile that makes it's way on my face. I wiggle around a little so I can hug them back. "I promise."

"Yay!" Chisato exclaims. They let go of me and as soon as they do, I punch them both in the arm. They instantly grab hold of where I hit them and wince. "Okay, we deserved that."

"Gosh, now I kinda know how Saiko felt. Your punches hurt." Chiyo groans, still rubbing her arm.

I laugh at their discomfort and after we're all good, we walk back into class just as the bell rings. I wink at Kusuo as I sit down and once we begin working on the warmup problems for math, I hear a familiar voice ring in my head.

'Sweetheart.'

'Babygirl.'

'Princess.'

'Beautiful.'

I'm confused. What the hell is he doing? I rack my brain until I remember the conversation I just had in the hallway with the girls. I turn in my chair, "you were listening?"

'Listening to what? I'm just thinking of what to else I could call you.' He answers, not looking up from his page.

I quirk a brow, "Hmm right, whatever you say. And it's okay, y/n is just fine. I don't really care what you call me."

He looks up from his paper, observing my face. 'That's a lie. I'll think of something.'

I laugh a little and am about to insist that I really don't mind when the teacher call my name and I quickly turn back around in my seat. I make eye contact with Chiyo and she makes a kissy face and forms a heart with her hands, I roll my eyes.

'Honey.'

'Teddy bear.'

'Cinnamon Roll.'

'Sexy.'

I reach back and kick his leg with mine. 'What? You don't like them?'

"Shut up." I mutter, trying to stop the blush from creeping up my neck. He's so dumb sometimes, I swear.

The rest of classes go by just fine and when the bell rings for lunch, I grab my bag and head out. Kusuo is right beside me and he nudges my arm after we walk down the stairs.

'Since you weren't responding to the names, I came up with one instead.'

I cock my head to the side slightly, curious as to what he might say. I stop outside of the lunch room doors, which leaves us to be the only ones in the hallway. With us alone, Kusuo feels more comfortable (or maybe bold) so he reaches up and cups my face in both his hands. He stares into my eyes, and caresses his thumbs over my cheekbones. I grow shy under his gaze.

"My dream girl." He says aloud softly and brings my face to his lips, giving my forehead a light kiss. When he pulls away he smiles down at my now very flustered face. I think my brain has stopped working and I'm sure smoke is coming out of my ears. I remove his hands from my face and move closer to him and hide in his chest. He wraps his arms around me and chuckles lightly.

'Do you not like it? I think it's fitting.'

I internally scream. I don't deserve him. I wrap my arms around his waist, trying to burying myself deeper into his chest. "No... no, I like it."

'Good, I like it too.'

"I didn't realize you'd be such a flirt." I mumble, moving my head to look up at him again.

'What was it you said to me that one time... I'll keep you on your toes.'

I exhale and pout, "don't use my own words against me."

His eyes flick to my lips than back to my eyes again. 'I'm not, I'm just saying.'

I observe his face for a second, he looks very at ease and my heart melts at the fact that it's probably because of me. He mindlessly rubs his hands on my back and his features are soft as he looks at me. I suddenly remember that we're at school and it is lunch and that we've been gone for a few minutes and now I'm probably gonna get interrogated by the girls for disappearing with my boyfriend. My stomach flutters... boyfriend.

"We probably should go eat, I'm sure the gang is wondering where we are." I suggest, pushing away from his hold. He let's me move and turns towards the lunch room door.

'Fine.'

I internally roll my eyes and before he opens the door for me, I give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He blinks a few times and pouts.

'You missed again.'

I narrow my eyes and playfully glare at him. "I'll kiss you again later because if it goes like last time, we'll be making out in the hallway."

'That's okay, no one's around.'

I giggle as he opens the door for me, "you're crazy."

'Crazy for you, dream girl.'

Damn, he's good. I smirk at him and make my way over to the table, where Chiyo and Chisato are already giving me a questioning look.

+++++

I set down my pencil and shake out my tired hand. I sit at Kusuo's desk trying to get through this history essay that's due by the end of this week. I look over at Kusuo, who's head is down, focusing on his own homework. He's casually holding his pencil and filling in whatever worksheet he's doing. Every once in a while, he'll furrow his brows and purse his lips in concentration. I smile and still can't fathom that he's my boyfriend. Like, how did I go from the new girl to being the girlfriend of the most antisocial yet most powerful person on the planet?

'What?' Kusuo telepathically says, looking up to meet my staring gaze.

"Oh nothing, just got lost in thought," I say, waving it off. Kusuo quirks and eyebrow at me but doesn't say anything before turning his gaze back to his homework. I reluctantly turn back to mine and continue to power through, already on my second page. After some time, Kusuo gets off of his bed and walks over to me at his desk, he looks over my shoulder.

"You spelled 'necessary' wrong," he says, pointing at the word on my paper. I swat his hand away and pout.

"It's a hard word to spell okay," I huff, erasing the stupid mistake. He laughs under his breath then stretches his hands over his head.

"I'm going to go get a snack from downstairs, do you want anything?"

"Sure, anything is fine, but if you have chips then I'll take that," I say, not looking up from my paper.

He soundlessly leaves and I finish writing a sentence. Once I'm done, I decide to take a quick break and walk around his room. I end up at his closet and I leaf through his selection until I come across a light blue crewneck sweater. I take it off the hanger and cannot resist the urge so I put it on, instantly being enveloped in Kusuo's smell. I go back over to the desk and continue doing my homework. Kusuo comes up a few minutes later carrying a bag of chips and some fruit. He sets it down before doing a double take at my new outfit.

"Um no," he says.

"What?" I reply, acting dumb.

"That's not yours," he says while pointing at the sweater I'm wearing.

"I was cold," I begin "and it's so soft." He looks down at me and crosses his arms in front of his chest still not liking the idea.

"Please?" I pout and he stands there unmoving. "Wait! I have an idea," I start and stand up, walking over to him. "Here have this," I say handing him one of my hair ties, "now it's fair."

"This is hardly fair," He says while looking down at the hair tie that I slipped on to his wrist, "That's not an even trade."

"Why not? I use hair ties every day and you wear sweaters all the time. These are fair," I say and he just stares at me with a playful glare on his face. Eventually, he sighs and sits back down on the bed and I inwardly celebrate my victory.

We go back to our homework and after some time, we finish. I suggest watching a movie so we head downstairs and cuddle up on the couch. Kusuo sits against the armrest while I sit in between his legs. His arms are wrapped around my waist and I lay my head back on his chest. My hands are in his and he mindlessly plays with them while we watch the film. Throughout the movie, Kusuo places little kisses either on my head, palm or knuckles and my heart swells bigger every time at his sweet and gentle gestures.

"You look good in my sweater by the way," he whispers in my ear, resulting in goosebumps to travel from my neck to the rest of my body.

"Shut up," I say while biting my lip to stop myself from smiling. He pinches my sides quickly, making be jump and when I turn my head to shoot him a glare, he pretends to not see and continues focusing on the movie. I roll my eyes and turn back towards the TV and snuggle closer into his warm chest.

+++++

The atmosphere is intense. Both of us are staring at the screen as we move the controllers aggressively. It's the final lap of our Mario Kart race and I am in the lead. This is what I've been working towards and if I win this race then I win the cup and then I will finally be able to brag to Kusuo at how awesome and better I am at the game than he is. Finally, we come around the last turn and I catch a drift perfectly, giving me an even bigger lead than what I had. But, he's right behind me so I make sure to keep the red shell as a defense in case he tries to throw anything my way. I can taste the victory and as the finish line appears on the screen, Kusuo grabs me by the shoulders, and the next thing I know we're outside in the street in front of his house.

"Ku, what the hell? I was gonna win!" I shout, frustrated at the foul play but when I turn to look at Kusuo, he's pale.

"We should go somewhere," he responds dryly, looking down at his feet.

"Um, why?" I ask and he just shrugs his shoulders.

"Kusuo?" I try again, grabbing his sleeve. "What's the matter?" He looks down again and kicks a rock with his shoe.

"I saw a bug in my room," He mutters bashfully and I roll my eyes. He dragged us out here over something as silly as a bug? You got to be kidding me.

"Okay, I'll be back," I say but Kusuo quickly grabs my arm, stopping me in place. I look up at him and see worry evident on his face, I find it funny that someone as powerful as him would be scared of a small bug but I shake it off and instead find it very adorable.

"Kusuo it's fine I can get it, just wait here," I assure him and gently shake off his hand.

'It was nice knowing you,' he telepathically says and I roll my eyes again.

'What a big baby,' I continue my way up to his room. I look around trying to find the bug and get distracted by the game which resulted in both of us losing since our cars stopped. I huff at the results but forget about it to look for the bug. I finally find it as it moves from the ceiling and down the wall. As i get closer to it, I can understand why Ku would be nervous by it. It's a dark black thing with wings and long antennas, it's pretty large for a house bug and I find myself needing to remain calm. I grab one of my notebooks that I left here and a plastic cup then trap the bug. It squirms at the sudden change in environment and after I know it's secured, I quickly make my way down the stairs and out of the house towards Kusuo who is now waiting across the street.

He sees me with the glass and watches as I walk down the street a few houses down from his, then release the bug onto a patch of open grass. I then turn around and make my way over to Ku who stares at me in awe.

"See, it wasn't so bad," I say dusting my hands off and look up at Kusuo who is looking at me like I'm a God.

"You're my hero," He says while grabbing my face and peppering it with kisses. I laugh while squirming around in his grip.

"Stop it, that tickles!" I exclaim but he continues anyway.

+++++

Hey! Author here! I wanted to write some little short parts with y/n and Kusuo interacting before I continue on with the story. I loved writing these and I hope you continue to enjoy!! <3

Chapter Text

It's another nice day and Kusuo and I are taking a walk around the park after school, hand in hand. We talked about the whole PDA and comfort level thing. We decided that at school, it should be kept to a minimum, since Teruhashi is a dumb bitch and Kusuo would prefer to stay under the radar. I agreed since having to deal with Chiyo and Chisato every time I touched Ku was already getting on my nerves. But when it comes to at home or somewhere where there's not a lot of people, PDA was okay. As long as it was consensual. I'm glad we talked about it, setting some boundaries and figuring out how we want this relationship to go makes me feel happy. I don't need to worry about what's okay and not anymore. We walked in the usual silence but it's not like I mind anyway. We make our way back up the steps of my apartment and I smile up at Kusuo.

"I'll see you later, okay?" I ask and he nods, kissing me softly.

'See you later, dream girl.'

My heart nearly explodes, how can someone be so sweet? I am falling more in love with him by the second that it's not even funny. I watch him walk away a few steps before he teleports. He said he had to help his dad with something around the house but he'll come over later to continue the anime we're watching together. As I put the key in the lock, I realize that it's already open. Confused because I know I never forget to lock the door, I push the door open and see my Dad, with his back to me in the kitchen.

"Dad?" I ask and he turns around quickly.

"Y/n darling, hello," he says as he stands there awkwardly, hands behind him as he leans back on the counter. I tighten my hand around my backpack strap. "How're you-?"

"What are you doing here?" I question aggravatedly, cutting him off and he sighs, looking down from my gaze.

"Sorry I haven't been around, things have been pretty busy recently." He answers while looking at the dining table. It's quiet, I don't try to say anything since I know my dad, I know there's more. I don't even know what to say to him, I feel my anger start to bubble up, he didn't even bother to let me know that he was coming? While I wait for him to build up to whatever he needs to say, I walk off to my room and drop my bag off. I come back into the room, after taking a deep breath, and face him again.

"I met someone," he says and my eyes widen.

"Oh," I say. Shock probably evident on my face.

"I met her while working, we're on the same committee," he says and I nod slowly, trying to take all of it in.

"That's great. I'm happy for you," I smile but it doesn't fully reach my eyes. It's been a little over a year since mom passed but I'm surprised he already moved on. I don't really know what to do with him around. I haven't seen him in so long he feels almost like a stranger to me.

"I proposed," he says and I look over at him in shock, "and she said yes."

It's silent. I don't even know what to think let alone say. Proposed? This is the first time I'm hearing about this woman and he already proposed?

"Wow," I mutter. "Wow, that- that's something." It's silent again for a little and I look at him and see how jittery and on edge he is.

"I feel like there's something else you're not telling me," I say wearily and he exhales a long breath before looking up at the wall.

"We plan to get married soon, it'd be small," he starts. "She has two kids, much younger than you so I'll be spending a lot more time over there."

Panic rises in my chest. "So, are we moving again?" I ask nervously and feel my heart sink. I can't leave, I can't leave my friends, I can't leave Kusuo. I really like it here, I can't leave. I make up my mind to fight him on it. I've already lived here on my own for several months, I can just keep doing it, no problem.

"Um no, you will stay here," he says and fidgets with his pants. "So... I'll probably be seeing you less." At that statement, I feel the wind knock out of me. Anger and confusion circle around my stomach. How can he be seeing me less if he barely comes around anyway?

"So... you're practically abandoning me?" I question, I feel tears start to cloud my vision.

"No... no I wouldn't say that... just...- You're going to be 18 soon. Once that happens, you won't need me anymore."

"Are you being serious?" I say raising my voice, "I'm your daughter! You left me to live by myself for months and you've rarely reached out to me! I ALWAYS reach out to you first. You rarely answer my calls and you respond dryly to my texts. I let it go because I thought you were busy and you were working but you actually have been replacing me with another family?" Tears are flowing freely now down my cheeks and Dad won't even look at me, he's looking everywhere but at me.

"Look at me! Stop pretending like I'm not even here-"

"Enough y/n! Enough! I am your father and you will not talk to me like that!" He shouts but I roll my eyes and scoff.

"You've never let me voice my opinion on anything! You just scooped us up to move here out of the blue! I always have to go along with what you want. You hang up or ignore a text where I try to ask something. You always make me stay silent and you don't think I don't notice how you can never look at me, for more than a second, after mom died? I always noticed, Dad! It's been over a year, get over yourself!"

He is obviously getting more and more frustrated with each word I say but I don't care. I have had kept this inside since mom passed and I can't keep it contained anymore.

"You call yourself a father? Do you even know anything about me anymore? Did you know I aced all my exams, ones that I spent hours studying for? I finished among the top of the class because of it. Did you know I have amazing and caring friends that stick up for me and make sure I'm okay? Did you know I got sexually assaulted? That I got into a school fight? That I was suspended for a week? Also, I have a job now, by the way, and I'm on track to get promoted soon. Did you know that I'm practically a master at Mario Kart? That I know how to make coffee jelly? Speaking of coffee jelly, I have a boyfriend now, and he is the sweetest and the absolute best person I have ever met and I'm becoming more sure by the day that I will spend the rest of my life with him. I have done all these things and more in the last few months and you're right, I have been doing well on my own, thriving in fact, but that does NOT give you the right to abandon me or turn away from your past just because I was apart of it. Stop burying all that away! Since I'm getting things off my chest, here's another fun little fact, you're a terrible dad! All I ever wanted was attention from you when I was little and you always ignored me! Pushed me aside like I'm worthless, like I'm garbage. Now you're trying to do it again! What the hell is wrong with you?"

He slams his fist on the table and stands up, his face red with anger, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. He quickly walks over to me and raises his hand.

"Are you going to hit me? For being right?" I shout while balling my fists at my sides and staring him right in his eyes. He turns away under my gaze and covers his mouth in frustration.

"How can I look at you when you have her eyes and hair, and laugh. You are the spitting image of her and when I look at you, I see her. Especially now." As he talks his voice gradually becomes quieter and his tone lighter.

"So what? You're going to run away from me because I look like mom? I can't help that!" I exclaim and he looks down at his feet while I ferociously stare him down. "I had no help from you after mom died. I had to handle all that grief and sadness on my own! You're a coward!" My voice cracks and he looks up at me with tired eyes, eyes that show he won't budge or change his mind.

"I know and I'm so sorry, I truly am. I'll have to deal with that guilt for the rest of my life but I just can't. I can't see you anymore. Not right now. You've made it clear that you can handle yourself here without me so I think you'll be able to continue what you've been doing just fine," he expresses "I'll still offer you financial support, but I need to sort things out for myself, and Andrea is helping me." Tears continue to flow down my face making my vision blurry, leaving the person I thought was my father to look distorted. I feel my throat tighten and it becomes hard to breathe.

"Dad," I say but he ignores me as he grabs his coat and bag and heads for the door. My heart is caught in my throat and I find myself unable to speak as his figure passes me without a second glance. He reaches the door and I finally snap out of the trance.

"Stop!" I shout and he looks back at me with his tired eyes.

"Please" I whimper, "please just-just wait for a second, I'm I- we can figure something out please just-" and as I move towards him he shakes his head and closes the door right in my face. "Don't leave me," I croak as I stare at the closed door. My emotions are all over the place and I can't decide if I should be infuriated or devastated.

My mind is pounding at me to fling the door open and run after him but deep down, I know it won't change anything and now he's gone. Just like mom. I fall to the ground and sob but I can't hear it. I gasp for breath but everything feels numb. I don't understand. What's wrong with me? Why am I so upset? He's an asshole, a completely shit father, someone who did the bare minimum to support me, but why do I feel like my heart is getting ripped out of my chest? All these thoughts are running around my head and I can't make them stop. I'm not good enough, I am worthless, I'm a nuisance, I'm unlovable. The cycle doesn't stop and I feel like I'm drowning, I feel like I'm floating in the cold and dark water, completely void of any feeling.

But I'm pulled up, above the surface when I feel a warm hand on my back. I look up to see Kusuo, staring back at me with a worried expression. Normally, I'd probably comment on the emotion that's present on his typically stoic face but I can't bring myself to even say a word. A broken sob escapes from my lips and I feel more tears threaten to fall from my eyes.

"Hey, hey" Kusuo whispers softly and pulls me against his chest, resting his chin on top of my head while rubbing my back comfortingly. Hot tears fall from my face and onto his shirt. I hug him tightly like my life depended on it. I can't lose him either. He whispers sweet nothings into my ear and I feel my eyes begin to get heavy and the next thing I know, everything fades away.

+++++

SORRY but we needed some angst... right? I think it's also great for y/n to move to some closure. She finally got to say everything that she's been bottling in when it comes to her dad. Hopefully this will be a wake up call for him.

Chapter Text

I wake up to the smell of bacon and tiredly lift my head to look at the clock. It's almost 1 in the afternoon. I get up from my bed with my head pounding and go out to the kitchen to see Kusuo's mom.

"Kurumi?" I question, my voice sounding like someone else. She turns her head quickly and rushes over, enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Hi honey," she says and I pull away after a while.

"What happened? Where's Kusuo?" I ask confused. She walks back over to the frying pan and gives the eggs a stir.

"He had to go to school. He called me last night saying he was staying here since you weren't feeling well."

I nod at her statement and find my heart to feel less heavy. He stayed?

"Okay food's ready!" She exclaims and places a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me with a glass of water. She sits down too and she drinks some orange juice. I stare at the food for a little before deciding that I should probably distract myself from how horrible everything hurts.

I finish eating, even though it look a while, and put my plate in the sink before walking back over to Kurumi who is still sitting at the table. I make my way back over and sit with her again.

"Would you like to talk about it?" She asks softly. I sigh and look off to the side to stop tears from welling up in my eyes.

"I don't think I can right now." I shakily reply and Kurumi just reaches over and holds my hand in hers.

"Of course dear, that's no problem." She informs before getting up and cleaning the kitchen. I sit in the chair for a while just thinking about the events that transpired the day before and inhale deeply.

"Wanna come with me to town? I want to grab some things and maybe after we can get our nails done!" She exclaims while walking back over to the table.

I nod, getting out of the apartment is probably the best idea and I go change into something less depressing. Then, once I feel as ready as I can, we head out. We do some errands that consist of grocery shopping and dropping some things off at the bank which doesn't take long before we head over to the nail salon. After she drops the groceries off in her car, we start our walk to the salon.

"Ku never tells me anything," Kurumi says. "So I don't want to assume but you guys seem pretty close."

Just the thought of Kusuo puts a smile on my face. "Yeah, we're actually dating. Have been for almost two weeks now."

"What? Really! Oh my gosh, I am going to have a talk with him later," she pouts.

"Sorry you had to hear it from me. But it's pretty new so maybe he just wanted to wait until we were together for longer."

"Maybe," she says with a small smile. "I figured that something was up though, especially when he called me last night. He rarely if ever asks me for help and he sounded very frantic, said he didn't know what to do. He really cares about you."

I feel my cheeks go red but I can't stop the grin that inches its way on my face. It feels a little weird talking to my boyfriend's mom about this but it's nice to hear that he was worried. It makes me fall for him even more.

Spending time with Kurumi makes me forget about some of the hurt that I feel in my heart and I really appreciate it. Every time I have come over to their house she is always happy to see me and is genuinely interested in what I have going on in my life. We walk out of the nail salon with our nails painted and make our way back towards my apartment.

"Thank you," I say while looking over at Kurumi.

"Of course hun, this was so fun! I haven't gone to get my nails done with another girl in SO long! We need to do it again sometime," she exclaims and I smile at her attitude.

"Yeah, I would really like that."

We get to my apartment and she says that Kusuo will be on his way since school just got out and that if I need anything at all then she'll be happy to help. I show her out and she leaves but not before engulfing me in a warm hug. Not even a minute later, Kusuo appears in my living room and I look up from the couch.

"Hi," Kusuo says while slowly making his way over to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I say while he sits down on the couch beside me. "Your mom was a real help."

"Sorry I couldn't stay, I was hoping to catch you before I left but-"

"It's okay, really," I say with a small smile, grabbing his hand in mine. "I ran some errands with her and we even got our nails done." I show him my now painted nails by wiggling my fingers in front of me. He holds one of my hands and observes the color.

'I like them and I'm glad you got out of the house.' He looks at me with soft features and I nod in agreement. He studies my face and then stands up suddenly, holding out his hand. I already know where this is going so I stand up and take his hand and then when I look around, we are on a beach.

"Come on," he says and pulls me so that we walk in the sand. It's comfortable and I'm just happy that we're together, far away from anything I know. The sound of the waves and the feeling of the sand beneath my feet is calming and after a short walk, Kusuo pulls me over to a hammock between two palm trees. We sit in the hammock with our feet dangling and stare out at the waves. His arm is around me and I lean my head on his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks softly while pushing his feet against the ground, swinging the hammock.

I nod hesitantly and spend the next few minutes retelling the events. I pause every once in a while to calm my rising anger but I eventually tell him everything. I look over at Kusuo periodically to see his face slowly show more irritation, his brows furrow, and his mouth forms a frown. He doesn't interrupt or say anything and when I finish, he lifts his hand and lightly wipes tears, that I didn't know were falling off of my face. It's quiet for a little and I can tell that he is trying to compartmentalize everything. Suddenly, he swings his legs into the hammock and pulls me with him so my face is resting against his chest. One of his arms wraps around my back and the other goes to the back of my head. He lets out a heavy sigh.

"I'm going to kill him," he mutters. I sigh and look up at his face and he looks down at me with a serious look.

"Don't say that," I begin. "It doesn't matter, I'm dead to him anyway."

"So you're saying it'd be okay? I'll just push him off a cliff or something." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Thank you for that, but I don't think murder is a good idea," I say with a small smile.

"No one would know it was me," he says. "I could make it look like an accident."

"I guess. But then you'd constantly have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life."

"Well if I have you as my bodyguard then I don't have to worry. I know you have a pretty strong right hook, I think I'll be okay," He says while stroking my hair.

"That's true, but it'd be too much drama. You wouldn't want to deal with all that. You'd hate if your life became a soap opera," I say matter-of-factly.

"If I am with you then I could care less," he says and I look up at him. He stares down at me with something in his eyes that I can't quite describe. "I can't imagine my life without you y/n. You're amazing, caring, smart, beautiful and so many other great things. If your dad can't see that then it's his loss." My heart swells at his words and I bury my head into his chest.

"I still think murder is a bad idea," I murmur against his chest.

"Yeah, that would be kinda bad," he says and I laugh, actually laugh.

"I don't know if I should be grateful or scared at the suggestion," I say and poke his cheek.

"All I'm saying is that the offer is there," he responds and I laugh again.

"Okay Mr. Assassin, I'll keep that in mind."

It's quiet again and I focus on being in Kusuo's arms, the feeling it gives me, and the love I feel.

"Thank you for staying, last night, your mom told me," I say.

"I didn't want to leave you, not like that," he replied and moves my chin so I'm looking at him before he continues.

"I'm here for you," he says. "I mean it."

I look back up at him and kiss his lips.

"Thank you," I say and give him another peck on the lips before laying my head back down and enjoying his company while listening to the calming crash of the waves. Being with Kusuo makes me feel so safe and cared for that the feeling I had this morning don't hurt me as much as they did. I know it's still early in the relationship and I don't want to jump the gun or scare him away but... I know now that I'm in love with Kusuo. Just the thought makes my stomach erupt with butterflies and I hope with some time, he'll feel the same.

+++++

I decided that I should probably go to school since I know missing another day will make me even more behind, even though Kusuo insists that I'd be fine if I continue to take it easy. I walk into school with Kusuo and begin putting my stuff away in my locker when I hear someone call out to him.

"Saiki!" They say and run over to us. It's a purple spiky-haired kid with a white bandana. He stops in his track and stares right at me.

"Who's your pretty friend?" He says while staring at my chest. Kusuo moves in front of me to stop his gaze.

'What do you want,' Kusuo says.

"Oh nothing, I just wanted to say hey to a fellow psychic," he admits and Kusuo rolls his eyes.

"You're a psychic?" I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

"Yes I am, cutie," He says while striking a pose "I can see ghosts."

"That sounds pretty scary," I say, going along with it.

"Maybe for some, but for me, it's no problem," he says while flexing his muscles. "If you want I can see who your guardian is."

'Go away Toritsuka,' Kusuo says.

"Wait, I kinda want to know," I say and look over at Kusuo who just sighs annoyingly.

"I'll tell you!" He exclaims while looking behind my shoulder, to which I turn around in confusion. He stares off into space for a few seconds but when I look back at him, his face shows confusion.

"Okay um, I really can see ghosts but for some reason, it looks like you don't have a guardian. I've never seen that before."

"Oh," I say, I guess he was just messing with me.

"Tell her Saiki, tell her I really can see ghosts! Tell her I'm not a fake."

I turn to Kusuo who seems to be lost in thought. 'He can see ghosts, I wonder if you're blocking his powers like you do mine.'

"Huh? Blocking my powers? How is that even possible?" Toritsuka sputters. He gets closer to me and leans forward, stopping a few inches from my face. I lean backward, putting distance between us but he still keeps staring at me. "That's trippy man, are you a psychic perhaps?"

I quirk my eyebrow at the suggestion. A psychic... me? I don't see that being a possibility but there seems to be a growing trend that makes the theory hard to ignore. I look over at Kusuo who looks back at me and we share the same lost expression.

"Maybe I'm just tired today," Toritsuka states matter-of-factly, eyes wandering down to my thighs. "I bet if you go with me on a date, I'm sure that I'd be able to see your guardian."

"What?" I say now getting creeped out.

"Go on a date with me." He says again and reaches for my hand but gets blocked by Kusuo, who moves in front of me.

"Forget it. She's mine," Kusuo states and before I can get another word in, he drags me off to class. We sit down in our seats and I turn around to look at Kusuo.

"That was... something," I say with my arms on his desk.

'He's so annoying,' he telepathically says, taking out his notebook.

"I'm talking about what you did back there. Didn't think you'd be the possessive type," I smirk.

'I knew he'd just keep bothering you, he's a perv,' He says looking back at me and tilting his head to the side.

"Hmm okay, let's go with that," I say. The teacher comes back in and I turn around, facing forward again. She starts the lesson and I whisper, only loud enough for Kusuo to hear. "I think it was pretty hot."

'Is that so?' He says and I look behind me again to see Kusuo staring at me with an intense gaze and I swear I see a light blush make its way onto his cheeks before it disappears. I simply wink at him and look forward, focusing back on the lesson, and trying my best to ignore the butterflies that flutter around my stomach.

Chapter Text

Saiki POV

I finish my homework and sit back in my chair. I'm hungry but I don't want to move. I could go downstairs and watch some tv or something but that sounds boring. I think about teleporting over to y/n's place but then realize that she's working today. I groan at this dumb situation. I'm so bored. Now I understand how y/n feels, being bored sucks.

I look at the time and see that it's 6 in the evening. Y/n's shift ends at 8 so I'll just head over to the café, it'd be much better than sitting here staring at the wall. I teleport over and make my way inside. I spot Mera and she walks her way over to me.

"Hey Saiki, you can head back, I think your usual spot is open," she says in passing as she goes to help a customer. I make my way to the back and wait for y/n. After a few minutes she comes around the corner and when she notices me, her face lights up.

"Hey Ku! I didn't know you were going to come in today!" She says with a smile and stops in front of my table. I find myself unable to stop a smile from falling on my face at her surprise.

'I was bored and I wanted coffee jelly.' I telepathically tell her and she rolls her eyes.

"I should've guessed," she replies with a smirk. "I'll be back, don't miss me too much."

I blow air out of my nose in amusement, 'I won't.'

She comes back after a while and I dig in. It's just so good. I finish eating it and I look around the shop. For a Thursday night it's pretty busy, I watch as other workers rush around the tiny store, tending to other customers. Y/n comes around the corner and grabs my empty dish.

"Sorry I can't talk, a lot is going on right now," she apologizes and I nod.

'It's okay, you talk too much anyway,' I say.

She gasps and acts offended. "The audacity! You shouldn't say that, I could force you to pay for the coffee jelly, ya know."

I glare at her and she does the same while putting her hands on her hips, but her seriousness doesn't last long before she breaks into a grin.

"Okay Mr. Sassy Pants, I won't. But you better be nice," she playfully scolds me while pointing a finger at me. "I have to get back but thanks for stopping in. I'll see you tomorrow?"

'I'll just wait until your shift is over,' I respond. 'I can walk you home.'

Her face heats up in that cute blush and she nods shyly. "Okay, if that's alright with you."

I just nod in response. She walks away and goes back to doing her job. I look at my watch and see that it's 6:45. I don't really care about waiting since this place has really grown on me.

I continue to look around the shop and my mind wanders to y/n. Just the thought of her makes me internally smile. I don't know what it is about her but she's simply perfect in every way. Anytime I'm around her I feel so different compared to being around anyone else. I have never felt this kind of attraction for anyone before but I surprisingly don't hate it. She comes into my line of vision and turns around. Noticing that I'm blatantly staring at her she sticks her tongue out at me and makes a face to which I roll my eyes.

'God I love that idiot,' I think and continue to look around the shop. But when I realize what I just thought my face starts to turn red but I quickly cool it down with cryokinesis. But after thinking about it, it feels right.

'Good grief, I love y/n l/n.'

+++++

After a while, y/n makes her way back over to me with a tired smile.

"Hope the wait wasn't too bad. I clocked out so we can leave now," she says and we both make our way to the door. Mera is waiting for us and we walk out.

"I didn't realize you stayed Saiki," Mera says and I nod.

'That is just so sweet! They are so cute together! I wish I had a boyfriend,' she thinks and I mentally sigh at the unwanted attention.

"I gotta go but I'll see you guys in school tomorrow!" She says.

"See ya, Chisato," y/n says and Mera turns off down a different street. Y/n wraps her hands around my arm and we head in the direction of our houses.

"Even though it was busy today, I make almost $100 in tips! It was crazy! Just from a 5-hour shift! I think that's my new record-" she rambles.

I continue listening as she animatedly moves her hands and talks about work. I love her voice, even if I say she talks too much, I could hear her speak all day. She smiles up at the sky and I glance at her face. I love that smile and the way she looks at the world. We make eye contact and she laughs, damn I love that laugh.

"Dang, I was rambling again," she sighs. "Do you wanna come over for a little bit? I need some help on the math worksheet and then maybe after we can watch a movie?"

I nod and we make our way over to her apartment. I help her with her homework which didn't take too long and now we're watching a movie cuddled up on the couch. Y/n is lying down on the couch and I am sandwiched on top of her with my head on her chest. There's a blanket over us and she's gently running her fingers through my hair while watching the movie. It feels nice until she stops suddenly and sits up.

"Crap!" She exclaims and gets up quickly resulting in me falling off the couch and onto the floor. "I forgot about the popcorn."

She walks off and I lay there for a second before getting up and following her to the kitchen. She leafs through the cabinets until she finds a packet of instant popcorn and throws it in the microwave. She turns to me and notices my scowl and she laughs.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to knock you on the ground," she says and kisses me on the cheek. The microwave beeps and she goes back over to take out the now inflated bag. She opens it and pours the popcorn into a bowl. Just doing the simple task makes her look angelic under the kitchen lights. Before we started dating I thought she was pretty, no matter how much I used to deny it. I know other guys have thought about her and tried to formulate ways to get her attention. At first, it didn't concern me since I contradicted my feelings for her for so long. But now that we're together, the thoughts of other horny dudes make me feel somewhat nervous and insanely annoyed. Hell, Hairo was even interested in her (and still sometimes is) and he is literally the blueprint for a perfect man. Hairo is outgoing, confident, friendly, and exciting which are all things that I'm not. Sure, being a psychic has its perks but she could be with someone so much more worth her time, I feel like I'm holding her back.

'Why do you care about me?'

She turns around suddenly and gives me a confused look. "What?" She questions.

"Why do you like me," I say and turn away so my back is to her, now feeling embarrassed that I said that out loud. "I just don't understand."

It's quiet for a second before she talks. "I don't know," she says. I hear her feet shuffle over to me and she wraps her hands around my waist and presses her face to my back. "You're grumpy and sarcastic and mean. I honestly can't stand you," she finishes and I smile. She lets go of me and I turn around to look at her. She grabs my face in her hands and moves my head down so I'm staring in her eyes at her height, which isn't that big of a difference.

"You're the sweetest, most caring person I have ever met," she says with an unwavering gaze. "When you comforted me after my dad decided to not show up, we were barely friends then but you still sat with me. And that meant a lot to me. You use your powers for good and you always have everyone's best interest at heart even if you don't want to admit it."

I stare at her and she pecks my lips and gives me a tight hug. "I like you because you're you, Ku. Even if you give me a headache." She lets go of the hug after a little and pats me on the head. She turns around and grabs the bowl of popcorn and makes her way back to the couch. She sits down and without looking up at me, pats the spot next to her, signaling for me to sit.

I stay frozen to my spot thinking over the words that she said to me. My heart swells and my face starts to get hot. How am I dating someone like her? She's too good for me. But the idea of her being with someone else makes me feel angry and sad. I gaze at y/n casually watching the television and stuffy her face with the popcorn. She makes me so happy, it's crazy.

"I love you," I say, and y/n looks over to me with wide eyes.

"W-what did you say?" She stutters slightly and I make my way over to the couch and sit down next to her.

"I love you y/n," I say, louder than the first time. "You're my dream girl." She still stares wide-eyed at me like she can't believe what I'm saying to her. Her eyes dart around my face to try to see if I'm joking but I keep my focus on her. "I'm serious," I say and her eyes start to tear up.

"I love you too," she says. "I love you Kusuo."

I genuinely grin at her response, my heart is so happy that I feel it might fly out of my chest, I feel like I could run around the earth and not get tired. I feel so alive, unable to contain myself, I connect my lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

+++++

Your POV

His lips lock onto mine and in no time his hands go to my waist. I grab the collar of his shirt and pull him closer so his body is pressed against mine. I feel his tongue swipe my bottom lip and am surprised at his boldness but open my mouth anyways and our tongues swirl together.

He leans forward, resulting in me getting pushed back so I'm lying down on the couch and he is on top of me. Heat ignites in my stomach and electricity shoots throughout my body at his touch. My hands move around his neck and go up to his hair. His hands move under my shirt and travel up my sides, leaving a trail of fire. I move my hands down so they rest against his nape, I play with the hairs on the back of his neck and give them a slight tug. He grunts at my action and cups my chest and squeezes, I gasp at the feeling and Kusuo takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss even more. The heat in my stomach travels down and stays there as Kusuo breaks the kiss and moves to my neck. I feel my breath start to get heavy as we continue to explore each other. He loves me! He actually, genuinely loves me! I almost can't contain my excitement and I want to scream it to the world, Kusuo Saiki loves me and I love him too. I move one of my hands down his chest and as I'm about to reach his belt, Kusuo unexpectedly sits up quickly and moves to the other side of the couch. I sit up after trying to calm my breathing and look over at him.

"What's wrong?" I ask, "did I do something wrong?"

"Um no, no," he says and grabs the blanket and places it over his lap. He looks anywhere but at me and I realize what the problem is.

"Ku it's okay, there's no need to be embarrassed," I say and I can tell that he's trying to hide his blush. I go to reach over to him but he stands up quickly and makes his way towards the door.

"It's getting late, I should probably head home," he states while grabbing his shoes. I look over at the time and it's past 11.

"Oh, yeah I didn't realize that it got so late," I say and move some hair behind my ear. I walk with him awkwardly to the door and he opens it.

"See you tomorrow." He mumbles before walking off.

"Yeah see you tomorrow." I sigh and slowly close the door, feeling disappointed. What the hell was that?

Chapter Text

It's Friday night and the girls are on their way to my place for a much-needed sleepover. I have the living room set up with blankets and plenty of pillows and I have enough snacks to last days (which I know Chisato will appreciate). I hear a knock on the door and I open it to reveal a very excited Chiyo and Chisato and the new transfer student, Aiura Mikoto. She moved here recently and seemed really cool and turns out she's an oracle! She became quite popular in class because of it too but everyone only really cared about what she could do rather than who she was. So I asked her to sit with us at lunch and invited her over to my house with the rest of the girls for a sleepover!

"Hey, babe!" Chiyo says and flings her arms around me. "I missed you!"

I laugh and once I shake off Chiyo and let everyone in, I close the door.

"I just saw you a few hours ago at school," I respond.

"Well yeah but still!" She exclaims.

"So this place is all yours?" Aiura questions while looking around my apartment.

"Yeah sorta, my dad has a room too but he doesn't really use it since he's gone a lot."

"That's so cool! You could have as many parties as you want!" She exclaims.

I laugh at her excitement, "I guess I could but I like it more mellow, you guys are enough for me."

They set their stuff down and we head to the living room for some games. We catch up and talk about school and work while we play. After a while, Chisato suggests that we take a break for snacks, so we move to my kitchen table. We talk about school, the weekend, and how Aiura is settling in.

"So you're really a soothsayer, Aiura?" Chiyo questions.

"Yep! I am! Been like this since forever," Aiura says confidently.

"Wow, that's so cool!" I exclaim, "how do you do your readings?"

"Well you've seen me in class with my crystal ball, that usually helps, but sometimes I do whatever I feel is needed to see what I need to see. Sometimes the rituals are weird."

"Yeah, I'll say, when you were walking around the class and breaking pencils, that was funny," Chisato giggles.

"Yeah it's weird but when I do that it works," Aiura says with a shrug.

"I know you've been doing this a lot since you got here, but could you read my future?" I ask hesitantly, I know it's selfish to ask that but I am SO curious it's almost killing me.

"Sure! I haven't done a reading on you yet," Aiura says excitedly. "Give me your hand."

I place my hand in front of her and she grabs it with both of hers. She closes her eyes for a second before standing up quickly and going to my kitchen. She grabs a glass and fills it with water then comes back. Chiyo, Chisato, and I watch her in amazement as she takes some chips and crushes them into the glass. She swirls it around for a second before sitting back down and grasping my hand in hers again. An intense look of concentration appears on her face and she hums to herself. She opens her eyes and sets my hand down. She looks like she's in deep thought and I fear that something is wrong. She quickly looks back over at me and smiles with a big grin.

"I see a big event in your future! Maybe a birthday party or a wedding. Something big like that."

"Wow really?" I question. For some reason, I get the feeling that there's something else she's not saying. She seems a little on edge but masks it pretty well behind a smiling face.

"Yes! It'll be sometime over the course of the next few weeks."

"Maybe something big with happen at the school trip next week?" Chisato asks in between stuffing her face.

"Mmm no, I don't see something like that, it'll be more formal," Aiura states. "Are you guys excited for the trip though? I know I am!" She pulls the conversation away from the reading but not before giving me a puzzled look that makes me worried. What did she see?

"Yeah, it's going to be so much fun!" Chiyo says, "I still need to pack but I just bought a new bathing suit the other day and I'm so excited to wear it!"

"I bet you are since Kaido will be there," I comment with a smirk. Chiyo's face turns bright red at my statement. Kaido finally asked Chiyo out a few days ago, thank god for that, it was starting to get annoying to watch both of their faces turn into tomatoes and stutter like they forgot how to speak. But they are really cute for each other and I'm so happy for Chiyo, she is always in a good mood, not that she wasn't always in one before.

"Speaking of relationships..." Chisato starts, "You and Saiki are so cute! The way he waited for you at work! Ugh, it was the sweetest." I laugh and cover my face with my hands.

"You're dating Saiki?" Aiura squeals, "I didn't know that! That's so cute!"

"Yeah we've been together for a little while now," I say with a smile. "He is so sweet and yesterday, he told me he loved me."

The girls scream in delight at my comment. Chisato and Aiura start throwing questions my way while Chiyo is so excited that she falls out of her chair.

"OH MY GAWD Y/N!" Chiyo shouts and gets up from her position off the floor. "Tell us ALL the details!"

I roll my eyes at her intensity, "Well it was pretty out of nowhere. I was making popcorn and out of the blue, he asked, 'Why do you care about me', which was so cute since he seemed surprisingly self-conscious about it, almost like he was thinking about it for a while. So I just told him that I think he's amazing, thoughtful, caring; basically, it was a speech about all the things I like about him. It seemed to make him relax so I went back to watching the movie and he just blurted it out, and at first, I thought I heard him wrong but he was so serious, it was just- so... wow." I say while looking off into space, remembering the events. "I really love him too. It's crazy, I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"Aww!" They squeal.

"What happened after that?" Chisato asked curiously.

"Uhm... we kissed and then it got... kinda intense," I say and I look over at Chiyo, who looks like she's about to explode.

"DID YOU GUYS DO THE DIRTY?" She bursts. Aiura covers her mouth to stop her laugh and Chisato's eyes are wide.

"No- no we didn't!" I say putting my hands up defensively. "But I think it was definitely going there... or something."

"Then what was the problem?" Chisato asks with her hand on her chin, leaning forward even more.

"He uh..." I trail off, trying to find the right words. "He got excited and I think he got embarrassed so we stopped and he just left."

"Oh wow," Aiura says. "That's... yikes." I sigh at her comment.

"Was it awkward today?" Chiyo asks.

"A little, but I basically just breezed right by it to attempt to ignore the tension," I explain honestly. "We walked to school in the usual silence and partnered for the lab in science today so I think it was fine."

"Did you want him though?" Chiyo asks. I raise my eyebrows at the personal question.

"I-I mean, I guess?" I say.

"It's a yes or no. Did you want him?" She states seriously.

"Yes."

"Then girl! You need to go after it!" She exclaims. "Saiki is a shy and closed-off guy. If you want it, you gotta let him know!"

I groan at the criticism and bury my face in my hands.

"You know I'm right." She sings triumphantly.

"You should take your own advice," I mumble between my hands.

"Hey! This isn't about me here," she says, ignoring my comment. "This school trip could be the perfect opportunity for you guys."

"Yes! It will! We'll take you shopping for some hot outfits and swimsuits," Aiura chimes in.

I look up from my hands, "that'd be great."

"Then it's settled! We can go tomorrow," Chiyo says with a clap. "Now, I say, it's a good time we start our Studio Ghibli marathon!"

"Okay!" Chisato agrees and they make their way back to the couch.

I grab some of the trash and head to the kitchen to throw it away. The conversation we just had, replaying in my mind. 'I obviously want him but am I really that confident in myself to do something like that? I mean I guess I'll just go with what happens but damn,' I think.

Aiura joins me in the kitchen with some trash in her hand. "Hey," she says and walks over to me after throwing it out. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah sure," I say, already knowing it's probably about the reading from earlier. "Is everything okay?"

"Well yes but I'm a little confused," she says crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Are you a psychic?"

I raise my eyebrows and widen my eyes in shock."No, I'm not," I say now extremely puzzled, not expecting a question like that. Saiki thought the same thing when I first met him too... but me? A psychic? "What makes you think that?"

She leans back against the kitchen counter and stares off in thought. "Well for starters, when I tried to do the reading, I couldn't see anything," she says. "When I do a palm reading I can normally get an idea of an event in the future pretty easily since it's not a specific thing that you're looking for, but when I tried it with you... I saw nothing, not a single vision or clue. So I decided to try and amplify my powers with that little ritual and I was barely able to sense that clue of an event."

I look out the window above my sink to see the sky turn from a purple to dark blue as it gets darker. "That's really strange," I start and look over at Aiura, "are you aware that Kusuo..."

"That he's a psychic? Yeah, I found out pretty quickly. He's really powerful, his aura is insane." She looks off again and continues to think and I go back to emptying cups and putting them in the sink. As I wash out one of them, Aiura gasps loudly making me jump in surprise.

"Give me your hand again, I think I have an idea," she says as she walks over to me. I show her my hand and she takes it in hers and stares at my face. I am a little embarrassed under her intense gaze and after a few more seconds she takes a step back and puts a hand to her forehead. "I figured this might be the case but wow this is an interesting development."

"What? What is it?" I question, the suspense killing me.

"Your aura. It's completely closed off," she says looking at me. "I have met some people with very little aura before, so little in fact, that you have to squint to see it radiating off of them. At first, I thought that was the case for you since I couldn't see it but now that I'm looking at you, You're aura is invisible. It's like you're dead."

I widen my eyes at her statement. Completely closed off? No aura? I don't really understand what that means but if it's something that she's never seen before then that's saying something.

"That's why I wonder if you're a psychic or at least have some type of power. I wonder if you can switch it on and off? I wonder why it's closed off..." Aiura mumbles questions to herself and I pace my kitchen floor in confusion.

"Now that you mention it, other similar wierd things have happened recently," I say and Aiura looks up at me, her eyes telling me to continue. "Kusuo can't read my thoughts and his ability to turn people to stone doesn't work on me either. Also Toritsuka, he apparently can see people's guardians, told me that I didn't have one and that he couldn't see one for me."

"Really?" Aiura says, shock evident on her face. "That is SO interesting!"

"Your'e excited about this?" I say, still worried that something is wrong with me.

"Yeah! I mean this totally means you have some sort of dampening ability. It's interesting that you didn't know until now BUT I'm sure Saiki and I can help try to teach you how to use it."

"Okay hold on," I say holding my hands out in front of me. "Assuming that I even have powers, what if there's a reason my aura is closed off, maybe it should just stay like that."

"I guess, but it wouldn't hurt to try," she says. "Maybe you'll learn something new about yourself."

"Hey guys! You coming?" Chiyo yells from the couch. "We have Spirited Away already set up and ready to go! Come on before we start it without you!"

"Okay!" Aiura yells back. "We can talk more about this later but tonight let's just relax!"

She walks out of the kitchen and I finish putting all the glasses and plates away. I feel like suddenly I have a lot more on my plate than I did before. I take a deep breath and decide that tonight is not the time to worry about something like that so I exit the kitchen and join them in making a blanket fort.

+++++

It's the next morning and after everyone wakes up, it's almost 1 in the afternoon. We decide to go to a coffee cafe then go shop for summer clothes and bathing suits for the school trip.

"Ughh I am in desperate need of coffee, we stayed up so late," Chiyo groans and rubs her eyes.

"We were only up till 3, that's not too bad," Aiura says while opening the door to the cafe.

"Not that bad? Tell that to my brain, it's so tired," Chiyo mumbles.

"You were the one that wanted to watch Howl's Moving Castle, so technically it's your own fault." I say with a laugh. Chiyo continues to grumble so I tell her I'll pay for coffee and she instantly perks up. I look at the board and go over my options. Everything look so good here that I have a hard time choosing. Eventually it's my turn to order and I get a (drink name) and Chiyo gets a caramel frappaccino. Once we all get our drinks, we head back out and walk along the strip and pop in and out of stores that peak out interests. So far, they've helped me buy three bathing suits and some tops. I think now all I need is two or three pairs of shorts and then I should be all set. As we browse through some racks of another store, Chiyo ducks down suddenly behind a rack of sweatshirts. She turns to us and makes crazy gestures with her hands, a frantic look on her face.

'Get down,' she mouths and we all slowly sink to her level still very confused.

"What's the problem?" I whisper and she points to her left. We all follow her finger and see that she is pointing towards a pink haired boy that I know too well.

"It's Kusuo!" I say, getting a renewed sense of energy just by seeing the back of his head. "Let's go say hi." I move to stand up but Chisato hold my shoulders down.

"What?" I question and Chiyo shushes me.

"He can't know we're here then he'll know our plan to make you look hot." Chiyo says, determination in her eyes. I furrow my brows at this ridiculousness. I'm sure by now he knows that we're here, even though his back is towards us, his mind reading is all he really needs.

"Okay so now what?" I say, playing along with this game.

"We should make a break for it," Aiura suggests with a smirk, obviously going along with it too. "The faster we make it out the better."

"Okay okay, so when I count to three we dash out of here. If for some reason we split up, let's meet at the food courts." Chiyo commands and we all nod. I take another look over the rack and see Kusuo browsing through the button ups. I bet he's shopping for the school trip too. He has a few things in his hand and I find it adorable watching him do such a domestic errand like shopping.

"Three, two, one, go!" Chiyo says and she takes off along with Chisato. I stand up normally and decide to say hi to Kusuo. Aiura stands up with me and we both laugh, the other two already out of sight.

"I'll text the girls that we got caught up or something," she says pulling out her phone. "That was fun but I DON'T run."

I laugh at her comment and make my way over to Kusuo who is now facing us, flipping through a rack of t-shirts.

"Hey," I say once I get close enough to him.

'Hi,' he says with a small smile. 'That was quite entertaining.'

I smile back at him, "how much of that did you see?"

'All of it, I knew you guys were coming in before you got into the store. You guys are so weird.'

I laugh and cover my cheeks in mock embarrassment. "Oh yeah? Well, I think you're just jealous that I have an entourage."

'Right, that's totally it.'

Aiura makes her way over and I remember what we discovered last night.

"There's something we found out," I tell Kusuo, "it's about how some of your powers don't work on me."

This gets his attention and he fully turns toward us. 'What did you find?'

"I think y/n has the ability to block other psychics from using their abilities on her," Aiura says excitedly. "Or, she has powers to dampen her own presence to the point some effects won't work for her!"

Kusuo furrows his eyebrows but doesn't say anything. I explain more in-depth about Aiura's psychic reading and how she couldn't see my future that well, if at all. I don't know how I am like this or if this is something that I can even control but now with Kusuo in the mix, maybe he'll have some theories.

'It's also possible that you may have other abilities aside from the dampening ability.' He says while quizzically putting a hand under his chin. 'You obviously have good intuition on what people are feeling around you, I think on a higher level than a normal person. So for you to have an empathic ability would make sense too.'

"Could it be possible that she be born with abilities and never realize that it wasn't normal?" Aiura asks, she rests her hands on her hips and sighs. "That would somewhat make sense if it coexists with the dampening ability."

"Hold on," I interject. "We don't even know if I have powers, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

This is all a lot to grasp and I feel myself start to panic, confusion fueling my nerves. Aiura and Kusuo keep throwing their ideas around and I calm myself by taking deep breaths. I know they are trying to help so I decide going along with it is probably for the best. Eventually, Aiura's phone starts ringing and she looks at the caller ID.

"Shit, it's Chiyo," she says puts the phone to her ear, and starts making her way toward the exit.

'I'll reach out to Kusuke to see if he would have any ideas,' Kusuo says as I'm about to head out.

"Are you sure? If you don't want, you don't have to talk to him, I'm sure we'll be fine on our own."

'I don't want to, but I think his input would be helpful, he knows a lot about this type of stuff so it's fine,' he says while walking towards the register.

"Okay, only if you're sure," I answer attentively. Aiura is now standing outside the entrance, a cringed look on her face I assume from Chiyo's scolding. "I gotta go, it looks like the girls are all shopped out. I'll see you later, okay?"

'Yeah sounds good.'

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too."

+++++

Hope you enjoyed! <3

Chapter Text

Your POV

Before you knew it, the week was over and the trip was right around the corner. Kusuke instantly responded to Kusuo's text for help and is flying down to talk about it in person. Kusuo told him that he didn't need to come down, that a simple phone call would be fine but Kusuke insisted. I am relaxing on the couch waiting for Kusuo's text about Kusuke coming. Even though the television is on, I can't focus on it due to my nerves. Don't get me wrong, having psychic abilities is like a dream, but I don't know if I want them. My powers are probably not that big of a deal and I know I shouldn't worry, but there is so much unknowns that I can't help but be scared. The ping of an incoming text startles me back to reality. It's from Kusuo so I make my way to the door after putting my shoes on and head to the Saiki's.

The whole walk there I do my best to keep calm and before I know it, I'm at the front door. I knock a few times and the door swings open and Kusuke greets me with a warm smile.

"y/n! It is so grand to see you!" He exclaims and pulls me in for a tight hug. "I haven't seen you in forever, it's been too long." He releases me from his hug after a few seconds and a take a step back to regain my balance. He let's me inside and I see Kusuo standing in the doorway of the living room, a sour expression on his face.

"Thanks for coming all the way out here, you didn't need to do that," I say to Kusuke as he closes the door.

"It was no problem! Besides I missed my mother's cooking and my baby brother of course," Kusuke exclaims with a smug smile. Kusuo rolls his eyes and his aura just radiates annoyance.

I walk over to Kusuo and ignore Kusuke's ramble about Europe and the new inventions that he's made. I stop right in front of my boyfriend, who looks as handsome as ever, and grab his face in mine, pulling his face towards mine for a light kiss. I pull away and turn to Kusuke who has stopped his chatter and now has a stunned look on his face.

"W-waa Kusuo! You womanizer when did this happen?" Kusuke says, surprise evident on his face. But his surprise is quickly turned to a wide grin and he takes a few steps over to us, his arms wide. "Isn't this is just the cutest thing? I knew something was going on but wow, am I shocked! When's the wedding? I want to be the clergy." He stops in front of us and tries to hug me again but Kusuo stands in the way. Ku and I share a look and Kusuke gasps.

"Look at you two, just one look and you're on the same page. Ugh young love."

I giggle and Kusuo rolls his eyes. 'Shouldn't we be talking about what you're actually here for?'

"Right, right. Let's go into the dining room." Kusuke instructs as he takes strides toward the table. Kusuo exhales deeply and I pat his head. He look down at me but relaxes when he see my reasurring smile. We enter the dining room and sit next to each other while Kusuke is across from me, the same set up when we all had dinner together. Kusuke begins taking stuff out of a large crate that is on the floor next to him.

"Alrighty, so it is just a prototype to see if you even have this dampening ability but using this device," he says while pulling a bulky headset with wires and knobs sticking out the top of it, "we will be able to know if you have powers."

"It looks like it'll melt my brain," I say nervously. I play with my hands that are under the table but stop when Kusuo rests his hand on top of my wrist. I take a deep breath, his comforting touch puting me at ease.

"I'll tell you how it works so it looks less intimidating," Kusuke assures with a smile, obviously very excited to test his new device. "Even though this hunk of junk look scary, it actually doesn't interfere with you or your brain at all. The device, which I have decided to uniquically name 'The Scanner' will send a wavelength around your body and disrupt your power! It will cause no harm to you and if it works, Kusuo will be able to hear your thoughts! It's that neat!"

I raise an eyebrow but feel better knowing that there should be no problems. Kusuke is a super genius with degrees and several successful inventions under his belt already, so I decide to agree and proceed to put the crazy helmet on my head. The next several minutes consist of Kusuke attaching wires and turning knobs of a power bank and screen that will read the energy surrounding me. With one final look at Kusuo, I give Kusuke the go ahead and he turns the device on. It makes a whirring sound and I look over at Kusuke who is smiling like a crazy scientist.

"Okay! The machine is working so far!" He claps excitedly. "Kusuo, let me know as soon as you start hearing her thoughts or anything different happens."

Kusuo nods and continues to observe the scene. I feel some tingliness that starts in my chest then spreads through my body from my arms to my fingertips. I don't know if its just my nerves but I glance up at Kusuo and gasp at what I feel. Worry and uncertainty cloud my head as I stare at Kusuo's stoic face. Even though I have these emotions, it somehow feels different. Kusuo notices my shock and takes a step towards me, a new emotion that I recognise as concern rushes through me.

"What's wrong?" He asks, standing a few feet away to not disrupt the machine. I scan his face again before looking over to Kusuke. As soon as I do, a wave of excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of arousal flys through me, emotions that I now know aren't mine.

"Your emotions, I can feel them," I announce. Shock, happiness, and curiosity surge through me and I know what I'm feeling is their emotions.

"Really? That's amazing!" Kusuke expresses, "I am going to turn up the intensity, let me know if it get too much, I want to see if it'll open up new abilities."

I nod and feel a lot more excited than I was before. I actually have powers, there's no doubt about it. The tingly feeling from before courses through me and makes my brain feel fuzzy, I shut my eyes to steady myself. It is definitely more intense than before and I put a hand to my head to stop the room from spinning, my stomach feels sick and the swimming in my head makes me nausiated.

'Are you okay?' I barely hear Kusuo question and I reply with a simple nod. I need to see this through, there has to be more to myself that I thought before and it causes adrenaline to rush through me.

'I'm fine,' I tell myself and continue to repeat the mantra even though my eye sight is now getting blurry.

'Y/n, look at me,' Kusuo says and I look up to see him now really close to my face. I have a hard time focusing on his him and I feel like I might faint. 'Think of something weird,' he tells me and I instantly think of the pink-haired psychic in front of me. I blow air out of my nose at my own amusing thoughts and Kusuo rolls his eyes but a genuine grin falls on his face. Surprise and exhilaration streams through me and I feel my knees buckle but I quickly steady myself.

"Kusuke turn it off," Kusuo demands as he sees me struggle to stay standing. Worry and concern rush through me again which I know to be Kusuo's emotions. Instantly, the nausiating feeling that I experienced dissipates and as my legs give out, Kusuo is there to catch me. Kusuke rushes around the table and shoves a bag of gummybears in my face.

"Here eat these, it'll help," Kusuke says and proceeds to take the contraption off my head.

They give me a few minutes to compose myself. After eating some gummy bears and drinking some water, I feel a lot better so Kusuo helps me up and we go back to sitting at the table.

'I heard your thoughts,' Kusuo says looking at me with a small smile. 'I can't believe you think I'm weird.'

I pull some hair behind my ear and giggle, "Well it was your fault for asking a question like that."

"So it worked?" Kusuke interjects, leaning over the table.

'Yes, but it obviously took some time. Whatever barrier or powers y/n possesses are pretty strong,' Kusuo says.

"Okay so let's make our conclusions," Kusuke say while standing up in his chair and pacing the room. "Y/n dear, you have powers but they are limited due to this 'shield' that even effects psychics around you. 'The Scanner' works and was successful in, even temporarily, allowing for your barrier to be opened. Although there were some surprising side effects, I'd say it went pretty well! What you do think y/n?"

I stare down at my hands and crease my eyebrows together, "The one thing I don't understand is how I have these abilities and never knew."

"My main hypothesis is that you were likely born with them but never knew until you interacted with other psychics. Your dampening ability is also a very likely reason to why you never knew." Kusuke explains while resting his chin in his hand. "But were you ever experimented on, in a traumatic accident or even given a gift that could've led you to have these talents?"

"No I don't think so. I'm not some protagonist in a shonen show."

"Hmm, perhaps not, but I think even if the manifestation of your powers is unknown, today we have made immense progress. If you like, I can see if I can make a device that allows you to use the capacity of your empathy? Maybe I can even keep your barrier open? I need to write this down, I think if I can somehow get this data into a microchip then maybe I can..."

Kusuke continues to ramble on as he pulls out papers and folders from the crate 'The Scanner' was in. I inhale then exhale deeply, feeling quite drained from the the heavy duty appliance.

I inhale and play with the hem of my shirt, "thanks for the offer but I think I'm okay as I am now."

Kusuke pauses what he's doing and looks over at me in shock. I turn to Kusuo and his eyebrows are raised, obviously surpised.

"A-are you sure? This could be huge breakthrough," Kusuke insists.

"Maybe, but I can already use my powers to some extent so amplifying them doesn't really sound necessary to me," I say honestly, fidgeting with my hands again. "Besides, I think Kusuo would not like me anymore if he had to hear my thoughts all the time. He already says I talk too much."

Kusuo blows air out of his nose and rolls his eyes. He brings his hand to rest on top of my head and ruffles my hair. 'Judging from the short time that I could, I don't think I'd be able to either.'

I scrunch my nose and stick my tongue out at him. He pokes my side playfully and I hunch over in surprise. "You can't do that," I groan. "I might throw up on you."

As Kusuo is about to respond, no doubt with something humorous, Kusuke interjects.

"You guys can banter like an old married couple later," he says, "I respect your decision but I insist on at least building something that would allow you to control your powers, just in case you ever want it, the opportunity is there for you."

I think about his proposal for a second and ultimately decide on agreeing. Kusuke seems like the type to build something for me anyway so there's no point in trying to decline. Besides, I might need it some day. After the discovery, I decided to call Aiura and update her on the situation. She was very proud that her reading led to the finding of my powers and said she'd like to help in any way she could too. I gave Aiura's number to Kusuke and they worked 'together', at least the best they could, to create a bracelet. It's cute and simple (thanks to the design by Aiura) and it allows me to turn it on and off whenever I want to enhance my ablilies. The main side effect that I've found after practicing is dizziness. It really sucks and after a while it grows to fatigue and makes my vision blurry. Despite the side effects, it's actually really fun to use my powers to the full extent, especially when at school. I already assumed the feeling of people around me but it's extra interesting to use with Teruhashi (whenever something doesn't go her way). I've found that my powers also don't work on Nendou, but at this point I don't think there's a single thought behind his eyes.

One of my favorite discoveries is involving Kusuo. When I have the device turned on, I have found him to not be as apathetic as he appears to be. I wasn't surprised to find that annoyance is a constant emotion for him but his feelings towards me are always so genuine and loving that it makes my stomach flutter. I remember the time after the festival when we were walking home and I said that whenever I'm around, he doesn't look as miserable. He blew it off of course, but with these powers, everytime he looks at me, his emotions shift more positive.

It's been quite fun to communicate with him subconsciously. Now when I use the bracelet, he hears my thoughts so we have full conversations without anyone knowing. This has helped me quite a few times especially when it comes to math. It's not completely one-sided since I help him for English which makes me happy. I don't use the power around him, at least as much as I can help, since even though I know he was joking about not wanting to hear my thoughts, I know that if we're hanging out together alone, having the break of not having to hear others is probably pretty nice. So more often then not, I don't use the bracelet.

It's now Sunday night and I am just about finished with packing everything that I need for the trip. I look down at the bracelet on my wrist and contemplate bringing it with me. I don't necessarily need it for anything but since it is cute, I'll bring it anyway. I need to sit on my suitcase to squish it down enough so it shuts and after a minute of struggling, I successfully manage.

After barely getting enough sleep due to my excitement, it's finally the day we leave for the trip! Once everyone is in front of the airport, we go in and check our luggage, go through security, and head to our gate. Kusuo and I got here at a good time since he just teleported us to the airport instead of walking the long way.

'Don't worry about the plane, I'll be there so I won't let anything happen,' Kusuo telepathically says.

"That's good, I'm not worried, it's gonna be fun! I haven't flown on a plane in forever," I respond, scanning my eyes around the airport.

'Aren't you afraid of flying?' Kusuo asks and I look at him in confusion.

"No, why do you think that?" I question.

'You told Kusuke that you didn't want to go to England because you were scared to fly.'

"Oh," I begin while trying to hold back my laughter. "I was just trying to make up an excuse so he wouldn't keep asking me to go."

He doesn't say anything after that, so I grab his hand. "Thank you for thinking about me. That's really sweet," I say while looking up at him. The girls and boys get separated into groups for the plane, so I give Kusuo's hand a squeeze then go over to the girls. I walk over to Chisato, Aiura and Chiyo who are animatedly talking about how excited they are.

"Hey girls!" I say, grabbing their attention.

We talk for a little about how excited we are before it's our turn to board. We get on the plane and I, luckily, end up sitting next to Chisato and Aiura. Aiura starts to choose a movie for us to watch and I help Chisato shove her backpack (I assume to be full of snacks) underneath her seat.

'SOS, I'm sitting in between Hairo and Kaido,' Kusuo says, using his telepathy again.

I sit up a little in my seat and look down a few rows to see Kusuo looking back at me with an annoyed expression. I raised my eyebrows and give him a shrug since I can't really help him.

'Sorry,' I mouth, finding his predicament extremely funny, and he just rolls his eyes and turns to face forward again.

The flight isn't that long and after watching two movies with Aiura, we land and get off the plane to go grab the rest of our luggage. I walk over to Kusuo who looks as emotionless as ever but when he sees me walk over, a small smile appears on his face.

"You survived!" I say to him while watching the carousel, looking for my luggage.

'Barely, I had to pretend I was asleep to get them to stop talking to me,' He responds, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Did you not watch a movie?" I ask him.

'Once I had my headphones on, they didn't bother me. Kaido was going to get sick so I had to reverse his body so he wouldn't give me any trouble.'

"That's good," I say unsurely "so Kaido is going to feel like that at some point?"

'Yeah but that's not my problem now,' He states and I glare at him. My suitcase comes around and Kusuo helps me take it off the carousel.

"I could've done it myself," I say now walking back over to the group with him.

'Are you sure? With all the stuff you packed I don't think so.'

"Hey! First of all, I wanted options, and second have you seen my muscles? I'm ripped," I state while flexing my arms and posing like a bodybuilder. He reaches his hand over, giving my bicep a squeeze.

'Right... very muscular,' he answers sarcastically and I punch him in the arm.

"You're really irritating," I say while glaring at him. "And you can't treat your body guard like that."

He rolls his eyes and stares ahead as we walk over to our group. 'You know you love me.'

"I actually don't like you. At all," I respond while stopping to stand with the class.

He scoffs, 'find a new boyfriend then.'

"You know, maybe I will. I bet Hairo would just love to sit next to me on the bus ride to the hotel," I smirk, looking around for the redheaded exercise psycho.

'That's not funny,' He says and grabs my arm lightly, pulling me closer to his side.

"It's a little funny," I say with a chuckle. I look up at his face and see Kusuo staring emotionlessly ahead. I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek to which he looks down at me. "I love you."

He sends me a small smile and helps me put my luggage underneath the travel bus.

'I love you too.'

+++++

We make our way onto the bus and sit together. The ride is only a few minutes, but the view so far is fantastic. The ocean looks so blue and the architecture is so beautiful. We make it to the hotel and head to our rooms to get settled before we can go anywhere for dinner. In my room, there is Chisato, Chiyo, and Teruhashi (sadly). Aiura was peeved that she wasn't with us but we promised we'd make sure to stay together for all the activities. We change into different clothes more suitable for the hot weather and head back down to the lobby to meet up with some of the guys.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Chiyo asks in the elevator.

"I don't know. Maybe we can walk around and explore the city then get dinner?" I suggest to which everyone agrees. We get out of the elevator and tell the guys our plan and they go along with it. We head out of the hotel and walk down the resort's sidewalk until we hit the heart of the city.

"Wow!" Teruhashi exclaims while looking around. "It's so amazing!"

We do some window shopping and walk along the bustling side streets, we get to a market square with vendor stands selling food, trinkets, and clothes.

"Let's go in here! I want to practice my bartering skills," Kaido says excitedly.

We all follow him through and walk along the many stands, this place reminds me a lot of the festival that we went to back home a few months ago. I hold on to Kusuo's arm as we make our way through the crowd.

"Oh no! Someone stole my purse!" Teruhashi shrieks, looking around frantically. I look over at Kusuo who looks back at me already knowing what I'm about to say to him and the next thing I know Kusuo releases my hand and is gone. We walk over to a corner and we try to calm her down the best we can. Kusuo comes back after a few minutes with the purse in hand.

"Oh my gosh, Saiki! Thank you so much! That was so nice of you!" Teruhashi expresses and I watch Kusuo hand over the purse and nod at her gratitude before making his way back over to me, grabbing my hand.

"Thank you for doing that," I say and give his hand a squeeze.

'Yeah yeah, it was no big deal,' he responds as we make our way out of the market.

We end up on a pier overlooking the beach and Hairo suggests we go to a restaurant a little further down that is right on the sand. We follow him and walk over to the restaurant. He wasn't kidding when he said it was right on the sand because when we get to our table the floor is literally sand. I take off my flip-flops while using Kusuo's shoulder to steady myself and put my feet in the sand. I wiggle my toes in, so my feet are gone, and I look back over at Kusuo.

"It feels nice," I say. "You should try it."

He takes off his shoes awkwardly and puts his feet in the sand. "It feels weird."

I roll my eyes at him playfully before pulling him over to the table with the rest of the group. We enjoy a delicious dinner and from our table, we can see the sunset. The colors are so vibrant, and I find myself already never wanting to leave.

"Tomorrow we should spend the whole day on the beach!" Aiura exclaims.

"Yes, I think that is a great idea!" Chiyo says with a few claps.

You all agree and after paying for your meals, you make your way back to the hotel. Now that the sun is down the atmosphere is calm and quiet, the street vendors have packed up and now the market is still. But the lamps overhead illuminate the sidewalk in a calming way. We get into the elevator and press the buttons for our respective floors. The boys' room is a floor below ours so when it gets to their floor, Kusuo brings our intertwined hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles lightly.

'Sleep well, love you,' he telepathically says and I smile up at him. Dying on the insides at how adorable he is without trying.

"See you tomorrow," I respond back and the guys head off down the hall. We make it to our room and get situated for bed.

"It's going to be so much fun tomorrow!" Chiyo exclaims

"Yeah, I'm so excited!" Mera says "I think we get free food from 12-3 tomorrow since we are staying at this hotel."

"Sounds awesome!" Teruhashi says sweetly. We change into pajamas and split up into the two queen beds in our room. I'm with Chisato and Chiyo is with Teruhashi.

"Goodnight girls!" Chiyo says and turns off the light.

+++++

L O N G!! Wowww hope you made it through alright lmao

Chapter Text

Your POV

My annoying alarm goes off. I open my eyes groggily and quickly try to get to my phone to turn off the sound. After I successfully do that, I hear shuffling from across the room.

"Good morning!" Teruhashi exclaims, walking out of the bathroom already looking perfect, the ray of light surrounding her like usual.

"Good morning," Chisato says sluggishly while rolling out of bed. I chuckle lightly at her horrendous bedhead and she shoots me a glare. I instantly stop, I forgot she's not a morning person. We all eventually get up and start getting ready for the beach.

"Did you wake up early or something?" I ask Teruhashi as I run my fingers through my hair.

"Well I didn't want everyone to fight over who uses the bathroom, so I just decided to wake up early to avoid it," she explains but not before giving me a once over with a glare.

"Didn't want them to see you not looking 110%, right?" I say to which she just scoffs.

"I always look 110%," she pouts before walking back over to her suitcase. I go to my suitcase and look at my options. I have three bathing suits that I got when I went shopping with the girls.

"Go with the red one!" Chiyo says while holding it up. "It's SOOO hot!"

"Okay," I laugh and go to change. After getting the bathing suit on, I put on an oversized shirt (that may or may not belong to Kusuo) and a pair of athletic shorts. I slip on my flip-flops and jog over to the door that Chisato is holding open for me. We walk down the hallway and get into the elevator.

"Saiki is going to flip when he sees you..." Chisato says to me, bumping my shoulder.

"I don't know but we'll see, I don't think he really cares about this sorta stuff," I reply honestly and push the button for the lobby. I ignore Teruhashi's stare and continue, "he's pretty unbothered with the world around him. I can't imagine him being focused on what I wear, let alone what anyone wears." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Teruhashi roll her eyes, but she stays quiet. The elevator opens and the guys are already waiting by the front doors.

"Let's go! I want to get some serious swimming in!" Hairo shouts before booking it out the door. I walk over to Kusuo, he's wearing a gray t-shirt and navy-blue swim trunks.

"Good morning!" I say, stopping in front of him, "Are you ready for a beach day?"

'If I can relax in peace then yes,' he answers and I sigh, giving him a look but decide to ignore his comment. We walk out of the hotel and down the steps to the beach. I take off my flip-flops, displaying my white painted nails, and follow the group to an area with chairs and umbrellas already lined up for us.

"Wow! This is so nice!" Teruhashi says, already gaining the attention of some boys nearby.

"Yeah, it's perfect," Kaido agrees. The group starts putting their bags and towels down on the chairs.

"I thought you said Kaido was going to be sick today?" I quietly question Kusuo off to the side.

'He would've been, but I decided to revert him again,' Kusuo replies. 'I'd rather deal with him like this than him whining.'

I laugh and hug his arm. "Well I'm glad, Chiyo was really looking forward to spending the day with him."

'I know, that's all she's been thinking about,' he says. 'I saw a food truck a little way down that sells coffee jelly, I'll be back.'

"Okay, I'll be here," I answer and I watch him walk off. Even on vacation, he's looking for his favorite food, the thought is enough to make me smile. He's too cute. I put our stuff down and begin laying the towels on our chairs. Teruhashi takes off her cover-up and the boys and other beachgoers turn their heads in awe: so many nose-bleeds. She walks towards the water with a huge posse following her. She turns back around and locks eyes with me, giving me a smirk before turning around again to continue walking. I roll my eyes and take my cover-up off and begin to put on some sunscreen but I see Chiyo anxiously standing off to the side.

"What's wrong?" I say, walking over to her side.

"I can't follow up Teruhashi! She's perfect! Kaido will think I look like a potato compared to her," she panics, hugging her body.

"Don't say that about yourself! You are so beautiful! I can tell that Kaido really likes you. He can't stop blushing around you, it's adorable," I tell her. She looks back to the beach again with a sad look but her face changes to confusion and she squint her eyes, I follow her gaze and see Kaido running back over.

"S-sorry! I got caught up in the crowd and they dragged me away," he explains while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "W-wanna go swim?"

Chiyo's face goes red. "Y-yeah let's go," she says unsurely. She unzips her cover-up and puts it away. Now Kaido's face turns bright red and he becomes a stuttering mess. They both walk off to the beach and Chiyo turns around giving me a happy wave. Now it's just me and Chisato at the chairs. I go back to putting on my sunscreen and when I feel I am all set I hand the bottle to her.

"Do you want some?" I ask.

"Thanks." She replies, taking the bottle and putting it on. "I think I'm going to go to get some food since it's free and all."

"That's cool! Let me know if they have anything good," I tell her before she walks off.

I decide I'll wait for Kusuo to get back, so I lay down on the beach chair and stare out at the water. It really is beautiful. I feel a tap on my shoulder and look up to see Aiura.

"Hey girl!" She shouts excitedly and sits down in the seat next to me. "I love your suit! It's so cute!"

"Thank you!" I reply with a smile, "I like yours too!"

"Want to go swim? No offense but you kinda look like a loser just sitting here by yourself."

I laugh at her comment and nod my head "Okay."

We walk down and stand at the water's edge. I let the waves wash up to my ankles and see my feet slowly disappear in the sand.

"The water is so warm!" I exclaim.

"It is! I want to try to look for shells to make into a necklace," she says and sits down, sifting through the sand with her hands. I stay standing and look out at the water again, there is a big group of people to the left of us that I assume has to do with Teruhashi. Kaido and Chiyo are floating off to the right of us a few meters out. Aiura stands up quickly and grabs my arm excitedly.

"Look at this shell! It's so pretty!" She squeals. It's a blue and purple-ish swirly shell that seems to glow in the sun.

"Wow! That is so pretty! Good find!" I say and she nods excitedly.

"You know what, I'll give you a necklace with this. It matches your whole aura," she says while she wiggles her toes into the sand.

"Really? Thanks!"

She smiles at my excitement then looks past my shoulder and smirks.

"Don't look now but Saiki is hardcore staring," she whisper-shouts to me.

"What?" I question.

"Hey, Saiki!" Aiura shouts and waves her hands frantically at her sides. I turn around to see a now shirtless Kusuo walking over to us. I feel my cheeks go red and quickly stop my eyes from traveling around his surprisingly lean body back up to his face. I guess saving the world from getting destroyed more than once would make someone pretty fit.

"I'm going to go back to the umbrellas now. Have fun!" She says while skipping away.

"I thought you said you're a loser if you sit by yourself?" I call out to her as she prances back to our spot.

"I was lying," she says back and I roll my eyes at her retreating figure. I look back over to Kusuo who is looking me up and down but quickly moves his eyes up when he realizes that I caught him staring.

"Like my bathing suit?" I ask teasingly and do a slow spin. Kusuo gulps, averting his gaze to the water when I turn back around.

'Red is a good color on you,' he says and I look down at my feet, feeling myself blush but I quickly get over myself.

"Thanks! Wanna go for a swim?" I ask him and he nods, still looking out at the water. An idea pops into my head and I poke him in the stomach.

"Tag, you're it," I say and take off into the water. I only get a few feet before the water gets too high on my legs, so I dramatically fall onto my back and sink under the water. I come up for air after a few seconds and see Kusuo right in front of me, half of his body still above the water.

'That was... entertaining,' he smiles.

"Yeah? I bet it was," I say while standing up again and wading further away from him. "You're still it!" I continue moving deeper and now I can't touch the bottom. I look over my shoulder to see how close he is, but I don't see him anymore.

'Huh?' I think to myself but the next thing I know a pair of hands suddenly grab my waist and pull me underwater. I gasp in shock and I sink to the bottom and feel a warm chest against my back.

'You can open your eyes,' Kusuo says but I keep them sealed shut.

'Trust me,' he says and I open my eyes. At first, I don't see anything but once my eyes adjust, I almost release my breath. We are sitting on the bottom and it's like we're snorkeling. The coral is so vibrant and there are so many kinds of fish swimming around us. I turn on my bracelet and gaze at Kusuo in confusion.

'I made it so we can breathe underwater,' he says and my eyes widen. He chuckles since my thoughts are violently questioning him but he insists that it's okay, so I exhale all my bubbles and I tense up, expecting to inhale water but I actually breathe like normal. I'm super confused but don't question the science of it all.

'Wow!' I exclaim (in my thoughts). 'I'm actually breathing underwater!'

Kusuo pulls me tighter to his chest and I let out a sigh. We stay like this for a while just holding each other and watching the fish swim. It's relaxing and I find myself never wanting to go back up to the surface. It's so quiet and peaceful that I feel I can just fall asleep.

'We probably should get back soon,' Kusuo says and I nod, I'm starting to feel a little dizzy from the bracelet anyway. I switch it off and wave bye to the fishies to which Kusuo rolls his eyes and we push off from the bottoms and pop up on the surface. We swim back over to the shore and tread through the sand back over to the beach chairs.

"That was so cool!" I exclaim as I strain some water out of my hair. I continue talking about how amazing it was as we make our way up the beach and Kusuo just smiles. Once we make it to our spot, the rest of the gang is there eating lunch. Aren, Aiura, and Nendou are sitting on the ground making a sandcastle while Chiyo, Kaido, Teruhashi, and Chisato are sitting on the chairs. Kusuo hands me a towel and I wrap it around myself.

"You guys were gone for a while..." Chiyo says and gives me a suggestive look. I look over at her and shake my head at her dirty mind. Kusuo and I sit down on the same bench and eat some of the snacks that we brought.

"Teruhashi said that some locals invited her to a bonfire party on the beach tonight and that we can come!" Kaido says happily. I instantly perk up, a party? On the beach? That sounds so fun!

"Yeah, it'll be a perfect way to end the day!" Chiyo exclaims. They talk about the party for a while and I zone out of the conversation and look over at Kusuo, his hair still dripping from the water.

"Do you want to go?" I ask quietly. I know I want to go but if Kusuo thinks it's too much then I don't mind sitting it out. I'd rather spend my time with him anyway. I would stink to miss but I just know the whole scene would make him uncomfortable.

'No, but I know you really want to. So I'll go,' he says and I smile up at him. 'Someone's gonna have to make sure you don't do anything stupid.'

"Hey! I don't do stupid things, it'll be fun."

Kusuo just grumbles under his breath in between bites of his sandwich.

"We don't have to stay for long, just to see what it's all about," I assure.

'Right, like I'm going to believe that,' he responds, kicking some sand with his foot so it buries my toes. I roll my eyes, I know that he's right, I'll probably get too engrossed in the atmosphere but I'll do my best to make sure that he has a good time too. I move my head and rest it on his shoulder, casually taking sips of my Capri-sun while listening to Aren talk about the souvenirs he wants to buy. Chiyo makes eye contact with me and winks. I narrow my eyes at her and hold my tongue from asking what she and Kaido did in the water that whole time. After a while, I feel Kusuo move his hand to rest on my back, every so often he'll rub his fingers up and down or gently draw random shapes that practically leave a trail of goosebumps.

Chisato looks up and her eyes stare behind me, as I am about to lift my head from Ku's shoulder, Hairo comes into my line of sight and plops down next to me.

"I am starving!" He exhales and grabs two sandwiches and instantly takes a large bite out of one of them.

"Where were you?" I ask him, still resting my head.

"I was swimming for a while and then I saw some other bros down the way throwing around a football so I went over and hung out with them for a while. They invited me to a beach party tonight and they said we could all come."

Hairo is a little down that he wasn't the first person to know about this beach party but quickly moves on since he is too excited. Hairo keeps going on about the party and I end up zoning out and instead move my focus to try and decipher what Kusuo is now spelling out on my back.

I

L

O

V

E

Y

O

U

M

Y

D

R

E

A

M

G

I

R

L

<3

+++++

Hope you enjoyed it! <3 It's gonna get a little steamy soon... ;)

Also, I am taking summer classes at my university so it may be slower on the updates but I will try my best!

Chapter Text

IMPORTANT: it's gonna get steamy, if you're a minor please don't interact. This is for the story and isn't necessary to be exposed to so young.
The smut starts after the '+++++'. Also, I don't promote or support underage drinking, this is a story that is fiction.

Your POV

After a relaxing and fun day at the beach, we walk back to the hotel to get ready for the party. I choose to wear a one-shoulder black top paired with a cute floral skirt that stopped about the knee. While Chiyo helped style my hair, I applied some makeup. Once we're all ready, we meet the boys in the lobby and head back down to the beach. We could see the fire before we even made it to the sand, the flames had to be at least 10 feet tall, it was crazy.

"Wow!" Chiyo exclaims, "Look at the fire!"

People continued to add logs to the ever-growing centerpiece. They danced, drank, and talked while standing around the large display. I held onto Kusuo's arm as we all moved through the crowd. I felt my excitement grow by the second the more time I spend observing all the relaxed and happy faces of the other partygoers. There's music emanating from two large speakers and it makes my head pound, but in a good way.

"Those dudes are playing beer pong in the sand, I'm gonna head over there," Hairo says and saunters off to join, Nendou and Aren following close behind. Teruhashi gets engulfed in a crowd of guys but it looks like she doesn't mind. I look over at the fire when it makes a loud cracking noise, people hoot and holler at the sound, and I feel the heat of the fire even though I'm several yards away.

Kaido points out coolers filled with alcoholic drinks and guides Chiyo over to them. I follow with Kusuo and he hands me a whiteclaw and grabs water for himself.

"You're not going to drink?" I ask him, letting go of his arm to now pop open the can.

'I said I had to make sure you don't do anything stupid so I'll stick to water.'

I take a long sip of my drink and decide to ignore his jab. "Okay, but I'll be fine. I don't want you not to have fun."

Aiura pops out of nowhere and grabs my hand. "Dance with me!" She shouts over the music, I look back at Kusuo, knowing that he'd probably hate to be left alone surrounded by random people.

'It's fine. Go have fun,' he says. I still hesitate, I want to go but I feel too bad.

"Go." Ku chuckles, seeing my obvious resistance. "I'll be okay" Aiura starts to pull me away and I grin at him.

"Let me know if you need anything!" I yell after I kiss him quickly on the cheek. Aiura pulls me away and through the crowd so we are closer to the music. We dance for a bit, having a blast. It feels good to unwind and just let loose. Bodies of random people bump against us but I don't care. Being able to finally have a chance to breathe after being crammed with homework and stress really makes one feel good.

"I'm going to go get another drink! Want anything?" Aiura says as she taps my arm.

"Sure, I'll come with," I respond now feeling a little hot from all the dancing. We walk back over to coolers that are open revealing a large variety of drinks. I grab Mike's hard lemonade, twist it open, and take a large gulp of it.

"Solid choice," Aiura says, grabbing a beer. We both stand off to the side and talk for a bit when two guys make their way over to us.

"What are two beautiful ladies like you doing all alone?" One of them asks and before I can tell them to leave, Aiura cuts in.

"We're having a good time, that is until you showed up," Aiura states bluntly. "Move along. Not interested." I'm speechless at her outburst and the boys widen their eyes in shock.

"Geez, whatever bitch," one of them says and they both shoot us a glare before walking away.

"Ugh I hate men," Aiura says and rolls her eyes. "They're so... sensitive."

"That was amazing," I laugh, "You're literally the coolest."

She flips her hair and doesn't act surprised. Once I'm done laughing my ass off and praising Aiura for how awesome she is, I feel a pair of eyes on me and look up to see Kusuo a little ways away. I send him a wave and he looks away, probably shy now that I caught him obviously staring.

"Hey, I'm going to go over to Kusuo," I say, taking the last sip of my second drink.

"Okay, I keep making eyes with a girl on the dance floor so I'm going to go say hi," Aiura says also finishing up her drink.

"Good luck," I wink at her and she smiles shyly. I make my way through the crowd that somehow has increased in the time that we took a break and finally make it over to Kusuo. I feel a little tipsy from the alcohol but welcome the warm feeling in my stomach anyway.

"Hey," I say now standing in front of Kusuo.

"Hey," He says back, looking down at me.

"How're you?" I question, wrapping my arms around his neck.

'I'm better now that you're here,' he replies and moves his arms to lazily rest on my waist.

"Real smooth, babe," I say and he scrunches his face at the nickname.

'Babe?'

"Yeah? I think it's fitting."

'No.'

"Yes."

'No y/n.'

"Why? I think you secretly like it, BABE," I emphasize with a giggle to which Kusuo rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything else.

"I knew it," I sing and start to sway us both to the beat of the music but Kusuo is still stiff as a wall.

"Come on," I whine, "dance a little with me."

After a bit of banter, he finally starts swaying with me but it doesn't match the beat so it's probably really funny to watch.

"Do you want anything to drink?" I ask him, moving one of my hands to play with the hairs on the back of his head.

'No,' he says, fluttering his eyes closed.

"Do you want to leave?" I ask. "I know stuff like this isn't your scene." He opens his eyes and moves a hand from my waist and brushes a loose strand of my hair behind my ear before resting his hand back against my side. His fingers rub circles on my exposed skin.

'No, it's okay. I know you're having a good time,' he replies back, letting go of my waist and grabbing my hand to give me a twirl before pulling me back so I'm flush against his chest, now even closer to him than before. I rest my head on his shoulder and we sway to our own song, just focusing on each other's company. After a while, Kusuo pulls back and looks down at me with a look I can't decipher.

'Want to go for a walk?' He asks. I just nod and he pulls me gently through the crowd and walks down to the waves, making our way across the shore of the beach. Now absent from the giant fire, I move closer to Kusuo's side and we walk in silence just listening to the waves.

"I'm sorry," Kusuo says aloud and I look over at him in confusion.

"What do you mean? I'm okay with taking a break from the party, it was starting to give me a headache anyway," I say reassuringly.

"It's not that," he says and stops, turning to face me. "I'm talking about when I left after that night."

What night? I can't think of anything that he could've done wrong. There've been no problems between us other than when he awkwardly left after telling me he loved me...wait... I finally piece the information together and my eyes widen slightly in realization, now understanding where this conversation is going. I nod my head slowly. "Oh... "

He sighs and runs a hand through his pink hair. This seems to have been on his mind for a while now, judging by how tense he is.

"I was nervous. I shouldn't have run away. I- " He explains but I stop him with a quick kiss to his lips.

"Don't worry about it," I say, leaning forward again to kiss his nose lightly. "If you didn't feel ready then that's okay."

He looks at my face with an unreadable expression then sighs again and looks off at the water, "This is so embarrassing."

"It's not," I begin reassuringly. He doesn't say anything and keeps looking out at the water. I'm feeling a little bold and can probably attribute the feeling to the alcohol. "But, if you feel in the mood again... talk to me, I want to be able to...help."

He looks at me quickly and a light blush makes its way onto his usually emotionless face. He moves his hand to rub his mouth before leaning forward and resting his head on my shoulder, blocking his face from my view.

"You can't say stuff like that," he says in slight aggravation. "When I'm around you, I'm always feeling in the mood, y/n."

I feel myself literally stop breathing. 'Oh, shit shit shit shit'. I feel myself beginning to panic but then I remember Chiyo's words and I think about what I want to say. I know Kusuo will never ask to do anything, he's too much of a sweetie and probably too shy, even if he doesn't want to admit it. I bring a hand to hold the back of his neck, moving my hand slowly through the hair at the back of his head.

"Well, then I'll help you," I say quietly and Kusuo visibly tenses at my statement. After a few seconds, he moves his head back up and looks at me seriously.

"Are you sure?" He mumbles. His question erupts butterflies in my stomach and I nod with a small smile. Before I know it, he puts his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me close for a passionate kiss. I grab his face in both hands and deepen the kiss...

+++++

I don't realize the feeling of the sand beneath my feet and the sound of the waves are gone until Kusuo, without pulling away, slowly guides me back onto a bed, and not just any bed, my bed. Back at my apartment. I look around, taking note of all the familiarities, and laugh at Kusuo for teleporting us back home. He leans on top of me and muffles my laugh with more kisses.

"I didn't want anyone to interrupt," he comments huskily and I feel my stomach flutter. His hands travel from my face down to my sides and under my shirt, his hands sending electricity throughout my body. We make out for a while, feeling each other up when Kusuo's hands move down to my hips, and begin to pull my skirt down. I shoot my hands down to his forearms, stopping him.

"I thought I was supposed to help you out?" I say, already trying to catch my breath.

"This is, but I want to please you first. Is that okay?" He asks, looking down at me with dark eyes. (AWWOOOGA consent is hot)

"Y-yeah, okay," I whisper and he brings his lips to mine again and easily slips off my skirt, leaving me in my underwear. He removes his lips from mine and moves to my neck, giving me soft kisses before settling on one spot and sucking. I inhale sharply, the feeling practically making my toes curl. My hands move on their own and I start unbuttoning his shirt, when he realizes what I'm doing, without pulling away, he finishes unbuttoning his shirt and that thing is gone in seconds. He moves a hand up my thigh, leaving a trail of goosebumps, and over to my heat, placing his palm over it. I continue to move my hands over his chest and down his toned stomach and back up across his shoulders. Kusuo brings his lips back to mine and I feel him move his hand under my underwear and slowly start to rub his thumb against my clit. I gasp at the feeling to which Kusuo takes as an opportunity to deepen the kiss and use his tongue. He continues to move his thumb and I instinctively push my hips forward closer to his hand, seeking out more of his touch. He removed his lips from mine and makes eye contact with me, his eyes full of lust, I grow embarrassed under his gaze and am about to apologize for the earlier action but before I can, he moves his attention to my underwear. He looks back at me and slowly moves my panties down my thighs, past my knees, to them now being completely off. All I can do is watch, the want for more of his touch festers in my lower stomach and I have to refrain from almost begging for him.

Once my underwear is off, he suddenly pulls my legs so I'm half hanging off the bed and I yelp in surprise. He kneels down and hooks the underside of my knees to rest on his shoulders, I realization dawns on me for what he's about to do and I can't stop the butterflies from rattling around in my stomach. With one last look, he bends his head down and places a few kisses on my inner thighs that makes my breath shutter. One of his hands stays securely wrapped around one of my thighs and the other reaches up to grasp my hand, stroking the side of his with his thumb. I exhale when I feel his breath fan my entrance, the sensation makes my walls clench. I look down, the sight of him in between my legs is almost enough to make me come.

I gasp when his lips close over my clit. I lay my head back on the bed and move all my focus on the feeling. His tongue runs against my clit over and over, and I move my free hand to my mouth and force myself to stay quiet. My breaths already becoming short and ragged and I have a hard time controlling myself. As time goes on, I feel less shame and buck my hips towards his mouth, trying to chase the feeling. He is seriously eating me out right now, and here I thought men would rather not deal with the daunting task of finding all the switches but so far, Kusuo has been having no trouble as he continues to move his tongue with ease.

Eventually, he moves his head back up and leans over me. He softly grabs the hand that I had covering my mouth and moves it above my head. "I want to hear you." He says, moving his other hand to move some stray pieces of hair off my forehead. "I want to hear how you react to me."

That statement alone makes me feel hot and I nod, unable to get any words to come out of my mouth. He kisses me on the lips then sinks down to my neck and chooses another spot to latch onto. His hand that was holding my arm above my head moves torturingly slow down my chest, my abdomen, my thighs. He pulls away from my neck and makes eye contact with me, a silent question to keep going evident on his face. I smile up at him, feeling so loved and I nod my head.

He presses a finger into me slowly and the feeling makes me shift but Kusuo stops my movements by holding my thigh open with his free hand. Soft gasps and whines leave my mouth and after a minute, when I think I feel ready enough, he adds a second finger. My vagina walls get used to his fingers and now he's moving at a rhythm that is sending pleasure throughout my body and I grip onto his hair and pull slightly. He responds by pushing his fingers in deeper and I moan. He releases his lips from mine and moves back to my neck, sucking on another spot.

I"m honestly surprised at how amazing I feel right now, I wasn't really expecting my "first time" to be anything monumental but Kusuo seems to know exactly what I want, which is surprising since he can't read my mind.

Suddenly Kusuo chuckles and I look up at him, confused at the sound. As I make eye contact, the feelings of lust, passion, love, and nervousness swirl in my head, and I realize why he laughed. My eye widen and I feel my face get hot with embarrassment. My bracelet is on... he can hear exactly what I'm thinking. I panic, how long has he been able to hear? Could it have been as early as when he was stroking my wrist with his thumb?

Kusuo retracts his fingers when he sees me try to switch the bracelet off again. He catches my wrists in his hands and pins them down to my sides. He leans over me again and gets close to my ear. "I want to hear you... everything."

I feel exposed, but for some reason, I welcome the situation. He seems to obviously find pleasure in making me feel like this so I decide to have some fun of my own. I think of how hot and toned he looks hovering over me, how I want him so bad, how I need him. I feel him freeze, then take a deep breath, he looks down at me again then connects our lips in a passionate and hungry kiss. I feel him smirk against my mouth and I can't help but feel aroused by the simple action. After the kiss, he pulls away then moves back down to my vagina. This time, he inserts three fingers and I fling my hand to my mouth to stop from practically screaming. He gives me a look and I remember what he said and quickly lower my hand down to my side again. Each thrust making me feel more light-headed but at this point, I can't tell if it's from coming closer to the edge or the bracelet.

I suddenly lose my train of thought when Kusuo's fingers brush against a good spot, that shoots electricity through my body and I inhale sharply. I don't even have to say anything before Kusuo continues the exact same movement in the exact same spot. He curls his fingers and my body jolts at the pressure causing me to curl my toes and tighten my grip on Kusuo as I feel myself come closer and closer to the edge. I look up to see him rubbing his other hand against his obvious clothed erection. Kusuo licks his lips in anticipation as my chest heaves up and down at each passing thrust. Sweat is present on my temple, making the hairs on my neck and forehead stick to my skin.

"Kusuo," I whine.

"You're doing so well." Kusuo hums in my ear, he pulls away to look down at me with those dark eyes full of desire. "I know you're almost there."

The praise makes my stomach churn and I smile to myself. The smile doesn't stay on my face for long, however, since Kusuo curls his fingers causing me to moan. I start to feel dizzy and trying to form a thought seems to be impossible now. Kusuo, while continuing his work, leans down and kisses from my shoulders to my collarbone, and on both sides of my neck. The love emulating off of him makes me come even closer to the point where I am dangling over the edge.

Kusuo pulls back and looks down at my face and I now find it unfair to not be able to read his thoughts. "I'm gonna..." I start but he already knows and proceeds to thrust his fingers into me faster, my juices completely wetting his fingers. I feel my legs begin to quiver when he continues to know exactly where I need him to hit. My lips were parted, now completely unable to form any more words through my uneven breathing.

"Be a good girl y/n," Kusuo starts, as I feel my climax approaching. "Come for me."

And suddenly, my whole body was in motion, My back arched, my hips froze in place as the intense wave of tingling ecstasy washes over me. After my moans fade and my legs stop shaking as much, Kusuo carefully removes his wet fingers and moves them up to his lips, licking them.

'You look so beautiful,' he says and I glance over at him, still trying to catch my breath. I have a hard time focusing on his figure since now there are two of him so I reach down to switch off my bracelet, instantly feeling less light-headed.

"That... was amazing." I huff and slowly sit up. He walks a few steps towards my dresser and leafs through the drawers until he seems satisfied and comes back over to me, holding a clean pair of underwear. I laugh as he slowly guides the garment up my ankles, my thighs, to then fall into place. I smile gratefully and move over to him, away from the mess that came out of me moments ago. His erection is still present so I move my hand down to his waistband. "Your turn."

"Woah, hold on." Kusuo says and grabs my arms, "don't feel like you owe me."

"I don't." I say seriously, "I want to, please."

He looks at me unsurely but slowly nods anyways and slips off his shorts so he's in his boxers. He looks at me again making sure that I'm serious before slipping off his boxers revealing his erection. He looks away shyly and I run my hand down his arm.

"It's okay," I say and once I know he's comfortable, I gently grab ahold of him. I rub his tip with my thumb that's already dripping with precum then proceed to move my hand up and down his shaft. He inhales sharply and closes his eyes. I genuinely have no idea what I'm doing but I'm going to keep doing this and hope that it's okay. I keep moving my hand up and down and listen to Kusuo's breathing as it gets heavier and heavier. He puts his hand over mine and guides me, each pump getting faster. I pull away suddenly and he shoots his eyes open in confusion. I laugh at his eagerness and put my hair up in a ponytail. Once I'm done, I look back over at Kusuo who looks at me with wide eyes. I smirk to myself, I feel an immense amount of pride knowing that I am the only one who gets to see him lie this, so vulnerable and bothered.

"Can I put it in my mouth?" I ask and he visibly gulps, it makes me feel a type of way knowing that he feels tense, it gives me a confidence boost knowing that he's just as nervous as I am.

He nods his head slowly and I move my head down and take him in my mouth. I move at a similar speed that I did with my hand and Kusuo starts breathing hard again. After a few sucks, he throws his head back and groans. He moves his hands to my hair and pulls faintly, which makes me move my tongue and results in Kusuo letting out another groan.

"Shit," He mumbles "I don't deserve you." This results in me going faster and taking him deeper in my mouth. His breath is ragged now as he appears to hold back from forcing my head down to go faster. The hairs on his forehead are sticking to him and the pleasurable look on his face he is motivating me to keep going.

"I'm... fuck," He mutters breathlessly. He leans his head back and I quickly move all the way down his shaft and let him burst, having his cum shoot down my throat. It's not an ideal sensation, it's horrible in fact, and I find myself almost gag but that feeling goes away when after I swallow, I look back up to see Kusuo looking at me adoringly, his head leaning on his shoulder as he tries to catch his breath. He leans forward and grabs my chin, wiping away some of his juices that I couldn't contain off my cheek. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me with him, falling back onto the bed, bringing me down with him. He pulls a blanket over us and we lay there together. Kusuo catches his breath and says, "I love you... so much." and kisses me on the forehead softly.

"I love you too," I say to him, lightly peppering his jaw with kisses. He sighs and we lay there for a few more minutes before Kusuo helps me clean myself and the bed up before we go back to bed. As I lay wrapped in his arms, I think how lucky I am to have someone like him in my life, someone who genuinely loves me. Now that I have him in my life, I don't know how I was ever able to live before now. Kusuo soothingly rubs his fingers over my arms and now bareback since I decided to only sleep in a comfy bra. My eyelids grow heavy and as I fall asleep, I feel a pair of lips kiss my forehead and I smile.

Chapter Text

Your POV

I wake up to the sound of a door closing. I open my eyes and turn to look over at Ku but he's not there. I look around and sit up when I realize that I'm back in my hotel room. Kusuo must have dropped me off here at some point after I fell asleep. I rub my face and Chiyo walks out of the bathroom.

"Oh good, you're awake!" She says and walks over to her suitcase.

"Where is everyone else?" I ask and get up out of bed to start changing. I pull out a pair of normal light-wash jean shorts and a light blue fitted tank top.

"They just went down to get breakfast- OH MY GOD!" Chiyo shouts and grabs onto my shoulders.

"Woah what?" I say confused and Chiyo starts to jump up and down.

"What did you do last night? You and Saiki left the party and I didn't see you for the rest of the night..." She squeals. I look away from her to try and hide my smile when I remember what happened last night. I don't understand how she would know or what gave her such a big reaction.

"I don't know what you're implying but we just went for a walk, nothing crazy," I tell her and run my fingers through my bedhead.

"Hmm okay, whatever you say," she winks with a giggle. I'm still confused so I walk away from her and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. But when I look in the mirror my eyes widen. I see not 1, not 2, but 3 hickeys on my neck and they're pretty dark too.

"Oh shit," I say to myself and walk back out of the bathroom. Chiyo is now bombarding me with questions once she knows that she caught me, the more she asks the redder my face gets. I go over to my makeup bag and try to find some foundation and when I attempt to cover it up, it doesn't work.

"I have something that you can use...." she sings. "But you have to tell me what happened."

I give her a look but I eventually give in with a sigh and tell her everything. She squeals at every detail and constantly interrupts.

"What did he say?!... He did what?!... Oh my god!" She exclaims "Y/n I am so jealous!"

I can't help but smile at remembering last night's events and I cover my face with my hands.

"Here use this, it contrasts the color, but let me grab some ice first, it helps," she says and walks towards the door with the icebox.

"How do you know so much?" I question her and she looks back at me shyly.

"Well... let's just say I read a lot," she answers and walks out the door. I get back to changing and once brush through my hair and do some light makeup, I start to pack since we are leaving early tomorrow morning. It's honestly sad that the trip is almost over, everything is beautiful here and the break from school has been amazing and very much needed. Chiyo comes back into the room with the ice and helps me more with the hickeys. They are still faint under the makeup but it isn't as noticeable now which is good enough for me.

After Chiyo is changed, we both head down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. Most of the gang are sitting around the table eating their breakfast. Nendou and Kaido are yelling at each other about who knows what, Aren is trying to break them up.

"I'm going to say hi to everyone, I'll save you a seat," Chiyo says and walks over to the table, waving to Chisato. My stomach growls so I head over to the buffet-style service that is in the next room. I walk in and see Hairo, Teruhashi, and Kusuo grabbing different foods.

"Good morning y/n!" Hairo says excitedly and Kusuo turns his head and we make eye contact. I blush under his gaze so I look away and grab a plate. Teruhashi walks out as soon as I enter but I don't care.

"Good morning. How'd you sleep?" I asked Hairo while adding some scrambled eggs and bacon to my plate.

"I slept like a log, I don't remember how I got back to my room after all the drinking games I played BUT I slept well," he answers while chugging some water.

"That's... good?" I question. I don't know if I would call that sleeping well but I simply go along with it. I pour myself a glass of apple juice and take a sip.

"Yeah it was, thanks. How'd you sleep?" He asks innocently and I feel my cheeks heat up. I don't even have to look over at Kusuo to know that he's smirking.

"Um... good, yeah," I respond awkwardly.

"Cool! If you feel a little hungover, I have some Advil, you can use," he says as he picks up his full plate.

"Great, but I'm okay," I say to him as he walks out.

"You sure? If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he says. I nod and express my thanks and he leaves. I walk over towards Kusuo, who's waiting for the toaster to finish toasting his bagel. I grab a slice of bread and pop one of the halves in the slot next to his. I reach over to grab a knife when Kusuo interrupts the silence.

'Just good?' he comments and I roll my eyes.

"Shut up," I huff and I let my hair fall to cover my face from its stupid and annoying intense blush. Seriously, I need to fix this blushing problem. His bagel pops and he spreads some cream cheese on it before adding it to his plate.

'Trying to cover up my marks?' he says and I stiffen before glaring at him.

"Yeah. I am actually," I reply and move away from him to grab some fruit. I hear him follow behind me and while I'm scooping some strawberries and pineapple pieces into a bowl, he wraps his arms around my waist and rests his chin on my shoulder.

'Why? Are you embarrassed to be with me?' he says, placing a soft kiss on my shoulder. I turn around quickly to clear up his worry and when I face him, he has a playful smile on his face. I observe him, even though he looks calm, happy in fact, his question is definitely one that he has worries about.

I love everything about him and wish he had less doubt in himself, he is too good for me. Seeing him (even if it's rare) be nervous like this hurts my heart and it reminds me of when he asked me why I liked him. I wrap my hands around his neck and stare up into his radiant purple eyes that are hidden behind his glasses.

"No, I'm not embarrassed to be with you. I love you so much," I say with a smile. "Last night was amazing, the only thing I'm concerned about is the reaction of everyone else."

'Who cares what they think? I want people to know that you're taken,' he says seriously and I quirk an eyebrow at his comment.

"They would flip their shit," I respond with a laugh. "When Chiyo saw me this morning she completely lost it."

'Good, they should see,' he says. I almost roll my eyes, he's being stupid. This man before me hates attention with a burning passion. There is no way he would want people to bother him for something so absurd... right? He leans forward and rests his head on my shoulder with a sigh. 'Then Hairo will get the hint to stop flirting with you.'

I bring my eyebrows together in confusion. "What do you mean? He's not flirting with me." I move one of my hands so it rests in Kusuo's hair and I run my fingers through his soft pink strands.

'If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask? He didn't even try to hide it,' he grumbles.

I think back to the conversation I had with Hairo earlier. I thought he was just being friendly so I didn't see it like that. Kusuo is probably reading way too much into it but I can understand where he's coming from. It's like when Teruhashi tries to make a move on Kusuo or when she tries to do something to get his attention. It makes me mad even though I know that Kusuo would never respond to her attempts. Kusuo can also read his thoughts so maybe there is more that I don't know about when it comes to what Hairo thinks of me.

"I see what you mean," I start, still stroking his hair. "I honestly didn't think his comment was flirtatious. Besides, if I ever need anything I'll just get it myself."

'Or?' He comments, turning his head to the side, still resting on my shoulder. I know he wants me to say that I'll go to him for help if I ever need it.

"Or I'll ask Chiyo, or Aiura, or Chisato," I say, biting my lip to suppress a laugh. Kusuo hums at my response but doesn't say anything. After a few seconds, I feel Kusuo's warm tongue lick my neck. I push him away in surprise at the weird sensation and he smirks at me after he stumbles back a few steps.

"Kusuo!" I squeal and my hands fly up to my neck. "Don't do that!"

'What? I'm just trying to get the makeup off,' he says playfully, now looking down at me.

"Stop being a dummy and go eat your bagel," I say and swat his arm and he huffs in response.

'Fine,' he draws out while rolling his eyes. My toast pops up out of the toaster so I follow him. As he grabs his plate, I start adding the butter to my toast, and before Kusuo leaves, he pats my ass.

'Good morning,' he says in my ear and kisses my cheek. I think my brain has stopped functioning... and Kusuo walks out of the room, back towards the table. Once he's gone, I take a second to compose myself. 'What the hell was that?' He is showing a new side to himself that is a lot more touchy and intimate, not that I mind. I finish adding the butter to my toast and grab the bowl of fruit, my glass of apple juice, and head to the table. I sit next to Chiyo and Kusuo sits across from me.

"So what do we want to do for our last day?" Aren asks after taking a sip of his orange juice.

"Let's go walk around the city for a while! I saw that they have a beautiful botanical garden and we could have lunch there!" Chiyo suggests.

"That sounds great Chiyo!" Teruhashi exclaims.

"I saw that there is a hiking trail not too far from here that leads to a huge waterfall. We should do that," Hairo suggests. The table starts animatedly discussing the plan for the day and I just continue eating my food.

"What do you think y/n?" You're good at making decisions so you choose," Nendo says while scooping a huge bite of ramen into his mouth. I ignore questioning how he even has ramen since there isn't any being served and think about the options.

"Oh... well I like both of the ideas, so maybe we can start at the garden and then go do the hike?" I recommend.

"Yeah let's do that! We can make the most of the day!" Hairo shouts and stands up quickly, "I'm going to go get ready." Before anyone can get another word in, he dashes off.

Everyone slowly disperses and goes to get ready for the day. I decide to wear my bathing suit and over top, I decide to stay in the outfit I had for breakfast. We start at the botanical garden which was absolutely stunning. Thanks to Teruhashi, we got prime seats right in the middle of a flower section of the garden for lunch. Once we were done eating, we walked around the garden. Chiyo dragged me to the butterfly area and we took pictures together with butterflies on our arms and shoulders. Kusuo even had a butterfly land on his head and I, by some miracle, managed to snap a picture before it flew away. In the picture, Kusuo looks annoyed but I love it so I decide to make it my lock screen. Kusuo tried to stop me but I think he secretly liked my idea. After we walked around there for a while, we made our way to the waterfall hiking trail and started the trek. The hike was four miles round trip but the path was easy to walk, so it wasn't that bad. I hung back with Kusuo and we held hands, taking our time.

We knew we were close when we heard the crashing of the waterfall. Once it came into our sites, everyone gasped in awe. The waterfall cascaded off a cliff and caused a mist to surround the small lake. Everyone unanimously decided to swim in the small lake so we set up our stuff on a large flat rock that banked the water. The guys occupied their time climbing the rocks and jumping off of them into the water and the girls were just wading through the water and cooling off. Kusuo simply hung out on the rocks with our stuff and watched the scene, I tried to get him to come into the water with us but he said he would later. This time I have on a flattering light blue bathing suit that I really liked and I could tell Kusuo did too. His eyes were all over me and anytime I look over at him, he was already staring.

"Y/n you need to try this!" Hairo shouts to me. He jumps off the cliff with a front flip and enters the water with a splash.

"Yeah you girls should try it, it's really fun!" Aren agrees, trying to climb back up the cliff. The girls decided against it but when I said I might try it, they encouraged me to go. So, I swam over to one of the rocks the guys were jumping off and climbed up. Once I safely scaled the rocks, I realized how high I was. When I looked over the edge, my knees got all weak.

"Go y/n!" Chiyo yells and I gave her a thumbs up. I just have to not think about the height and I'll be fine. I take a few steps back then before I have time to rationalize, I run back towards the edge and on my last step, I launch myself off the rock and out towards the water. My stomach flips and in seconds, I come into contact with the warm water. I swim up to the surface and wave to the girls that I survived. I look over to my left and see that I am pretty close to the waterfall so I decide to swim closer. I dunk my head under water and swim underneath the crashing water. I come up for air to a little indent in the mountain that is hidden by the waterfall. I figured there was some sort of opening here and I am pleasantly surprised to see how big it was. After I get situated on a ledge, Kusuo appears from under the water and he makes his way over to me.

"How cool is this!" I exclaim loudly since the waterfall is so loud. He swims his way over and joins me in sitting on a ledge so that we're halfway in the water. I let out a sigh and stare at the waterfall. "I don't want to leave."

It's quiet for a few minutes, we sit there just listening to the crash of the water and we enjoy each other's company. Kusuo moves his hand to cup my cheek and moves my face to look at him. He leans in and kisses my lips softly and I deepen the kiss by moving my hand to the back of his neck. After kissing for a few minutes, Kusuo moves his hand down from my face to my waist and pulls me on top of him so now I'm straddled over his lap. Bold move by Kusuo but I can't focus on anything else except Kusuo's lips on mine. My hands go from his wet hair down to his neck and Kusuo moves his hands from around my waist and up my sides then around my back to then rest on my ass. We continue to make out like this for a few more minutes until I get an idea in my head. I move my hands from his neck and travel them slowly down his chest before I pull away suddenly and splash him right in the face. His reaction is priceless and I can't stop myself from laughing at how pissed off he looks.

"That was not funny," he mutters as he moves past me and begins to swim back under the waterfall.

"Wait don't leave, I'm sorry," I say trying to stop my laughter. "I was joking... wait, babe."

I follow him out of the waterfall and grab his arm as he's halfway out of the water. He looks back at me, still annoyed but lets out a sigh. A small smile ghosts his features as he tries his best to stay mad, 'you're irritating.'

I playfully glare at him and let go of his hand. "Yeah yeah," I start and cross my arms over my chest. "But it seems to me that the only reason you got into the water was so you could feel me up."

He raises his eyebrows at my accusation and a quiet blush dusts his cheeks before it disappears again. "Is that what you think?"

"Yep. That's exactly what I think," I say seriously but I still grin at him since it wasn't like I wasn't enjoying it. We commence in an intense but innocent stare-down. I know I'm right and Kusuo just doesn't want to admit it but I want to hear him say it. Before I can blink, Kusuo sweeps me up off my feet and tosses me into the water.

"Hey!" I laugh and when I come back up he wraps one arm around my stomach and uses the other to tickle my sides. I let out a fit of giggles and I try to squirm out of his grip but it doesn't work. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I shout trying to get him to stop, and he finally does but not without throwing me into the water again. I come back up and catch my breath and Kusuo helps me up with a small chuckle. I glare at him again, "you're just embarrassed that I caught you."

He doesn't say anything and just hums in response. I roll my eyes and move my wet hair behind my ears. "I'm not gonna let you pull something like that again unless you admit it."

He looks down at the water and shifts his weight from one foot to another.

"I'm waiting," I draw out while looking at my painted fingernails. It's silent for a few moments and I patiently stand there, occasionally sighing very dramatically.

"Maybe you're right," he admits bashfully.

"Maybe?" I respond and quirk an eyebrow.

"Okay... you're right," he says with a small laugh, now looking much less embarrassed.

"That's what I like to hear," I say with a smile and poke him in the stomach. He rolls his eyes but I don't care. I wade closer to him and wrap my arms around his neck, giving him a hug.

"I love you," I say, planting a wet kiss under his ear. It might just be the fact that we've been standing half out of the water for a few minutes but I feel him shiver.

I look up to see Teruhashi glaring at me from the shore, I roll my eyes but wave sweetly over to her before focusing my attention back on Kusuo. After letting go of the embrace, we swim for a few minutes before we decide it's probably time to hike back and eat dinner.

As I dry off, Nendou keeps glancing at me with a confused look on his face. "Y/n, what's up with your neck?" He asks leaning forward to observe. My hand flies up to cover the hickeys, that I figure are visible because the makeup came off while in the water, and I wave off his question as no big deal. Aren makes his way over, wanting to see the commotion.

"Woah are those..." He starts and now the others are making their way to take a look. Thanks to Chiyo, who can't keep her mouth shut, she blurts out in bottled-up excitement that they are, in fact, hickeys. My hypothesis was an understatement, they all flip their shit and nonstop bombard me with questions exactly as Chiyo did earlier this morning. I look over to Kusuo, who is being smothered by the guys and we make eye contact. A small smirk rests on his face at my unwanted attention. I glare at him and decide that I will ignore him for the rest of the day so, I turn away from him and go back to getting ready to leave. The girls are of course supportive and constantly hype me up (aside from Teruhashi who acts interested in something else) about how forward I was. Their questions kept coming for the two-mile walk back but, thankfully, everyone got distracted soon after seeing a food truck that sold delicious smelling food.

I look at the options on the menu, the smell makes my mouth water and I can't wait to dig in. All the walking and swimming have really made me hungry. I'm pulled from my thoughts when I notice Kusuo standing next to me. I cross my arms in front of my chest and look back at the menu.

'Y/n,' Kusuo says but I continue to ignore him. I am so irritated with him that I can't even look at his dumb cute face. 'Y/n.'

'My beautiful dream girl, don't act like this.' I continue to ignore him. I almost broke at the nickname but miraculously stay on course.

'Y/n, come on,' he says again, moving an arm around my waist. I move away quickly not wanting him to get any satisfaction and continue trying to decide what food I want to get.

'It wasn't my fault, you wanted to go swimming so it's on you that the makeup washed off.'

I turn around and glare at him as hard as I can. Is he being serious? I mean, yeah he is technically right but I am still mad. His eyes widen and he ducks his head quickly away from my intense gaze. I huff and turn back around, switching my bracelet on. I want him to hear all the things I am thinking about him right now.

'Stop that, you're being childish,' he says, obviously aware of my thoughts.

'No, deal with it,' I snip and hand the guy behind the register my money for the food. Kusuo orders his stuff and he follows me off to the side. 'Also,' I start. 'It is 100% your fault that I even have these in the first place. I told you earlier that I didn't want them to see and now look at what happened.'

A mix of guilt and pride wash over me and I continue to glare at him. Even if he is semi-right, I don't love that everyone knows our personal business. The more time I look at Kusuo and feel his emotions the less mad I become. Technically, I guess this situation worked out because now, I don't have to hide the hickeys anymore but it's still embarrassing to have the group know about what we did.

Our orders get called and I grab my carry-out container and follow everyone else, who are walking towards the beach where the sun is now setting over the horizon. Kusuo hovers close by, still giving me enough space but obviously aware that I have calmed down.

'Want some of my french fries?' He asks, holding his container out towards me.

I huff, already knowing that I won't be able to hold back and accept by taking a few and moving them on to my case. Hairo helps Nendou spread out a large blanket that they rented from the stall we passed on our way to the sand. We all spread out and look out at the sun setting against the water.

'Sorry I thought all those not nice things, I didn't mean it,' I say, continuing to shove more of my delicious food into my mouth.

Kusuo chuckles next to me and repositions himself to sit criss-cross. 'It's alright, here.' He pushes his container in front of me, gesturing with the box to take some more of his fries.

I smile at him and happily take some more. I turn off my bracelet since I was started to feel its usual effects and I don't need to use it right now anyway. I look back out at the shimmering water and I sigh contently. This trip has been one of the best experiences I've had yet and I am so grateful that Kusuo is here with me at my side. I lean my head on Kusuo's shoulder and he tenses for a second before settling again.

"You don't need to tense up like that every time I lean on you," I say quietly.

'I know, but when I don't hear your thoughts I don't know what you're going to do,' he says now leaning his head on mine. 'It surprises me is all.'

I exhale sharply and smile, "glad I'm still keeping you on your toes."

I don't even have to look up at him to know that he rolls his eyes. He doesn't say anything but I feel his lips kiss the top of my head and I close my eyes at the feeling. I take note of this moment, Kusuo next to me, the warm sun now disappearing in the water, the soothing breeze, and the lively conversations of the gang. This trip has been very eventful and packed with fun things that have kept us busy. I find myself never wanting to leave this spot and hope that my future with be as warm and calm as it is right now.

+++++

LONG CHAPTER WOOOOOH my fingers hurt from all the typing lol, hope you enjoyed it!!

Chapter Text

"We're home!" I shout to my empty apartment when Kusuo and I walk in through the door. I throw my bag and suitcase off to the side and walk to the couch and flop down on it, exhausted from the long travel day. I hear Kusuo close the door and move my bags so they're off to the side and neater.

'You can't just throw your stuff around,' he says.

"I don't care, I'm tired," I groan and I just know he rolls his eyes. I hear him moving around in the kitchen, probably checking to see if I have any coffee jelly so I get up and head over to the kitchen with him. I'm pretty sure there's not coffee jelly left but I don't want to burst his bubble so I don't say anything.

As I walk through the dining room, I see some mail on the ground that must've been pushed through my mail slot while I was gone. I pick the small pile up and sift through it. Most of them are just annoying college spam information that I'll just throw out but then, I get to a letter that is smaller and has my name written in pretty calligraphy.

'Is this finally my Hogwarts letter?' I laugh in my head. I open the letter and pull out the off-white card stock. I read over the words and my heart clenches. I move to my dining room table and sit down, throwing the other dumb letters across the table. I stare at the letter in my hand with a lot of emotions and I let out a long sigh. Kusuo makes his way back over and sees that I'm suddenly in a bad mood so he bends his head down to see what I'm looking at.

"It's a wedding invitation," I say quietly, "for my Dad."

It quiet. I don't know what to feel. Is this invite supposed to add more salt to the wound? Did he suddenly change his mind and decide I'm good enough to have back in his life again? I don't understand. Kusuo lightly takes the card out of my hands and looks at it himself.

"It's next weekend," I mumble. "I honestly didn't think I'd even get invited."

Kusuo continues to look at the card and I keep my eyes focused down on my hands. I fidget my fingers and try not to think about the last time I saw him. I honestly forgot all about him and this wedding during the trip. Isn't it great? To come home to my main problem being thrown back in my face?

'What do you want to do?' He asks, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I sigh again.

"I don't know, I already feel drained just reading the invite," I say. My mind is being overrun with thoughts, I'm not sure what to make of this. Kusuo puts the letter-facedown on the table and moves the stray hairs that cover my face behind my ear. The simple gesture helps me relax a little.

"What do you think I should do?" I ask, now looking up at him.

He's silent for a few seconds but eventually answers. 'Don't go. The way I've seen you treated by him makes me think he's a scumbag that has no idea how amazing you are,' he says while bending down and cupping my face in his hands. "But whatever you decide, I'll support you."

I nod and think about what he said. Kusuo is right, my dad hasn't done anything more than providing the bare minimum for me. But why would he invite me to the wedding when he said he wants nothing to do with me? I decide that it doesn't matter and make my decision.

"You're right. I won't go," I say and stand up. I move to the kitchen and throw the letter in the trash with the rest of the junk mail. I turn back over to Kusuo and give him a small smile to assure him that I'm okay with my choice. He continues to observe me, and he looks like he's about to say something but decides against it.

"You should probably head home, I'm sure your parents want to see you," I suggest and walk back over to him.

'Yeah probably,' he answers while wrapping his hands around my waist. 'You can come if you want.'

I look at him with a raised eyebrow, "You're not tired of me yet? After spending the whole vacation together?"

'Well now that you mention it, I think I am tired. See ya,' he says and walks over to the door.

"Wh- hey!" I laugh. I run after him and jump on his back. "That's not funny!" He wraps his arms under my thighs to support me and looks over his shoulder.

'I'm kidding, I want you to come,' he says with a small laugh. 'I know my mom would like to see you too.'

"Okay then let's go!" I say and point forward at the door. "Onward my trusty steed!"

'Good grief,' he groans with a small smile, and the next thing I know we're in his bedroom. He walks backward a few steps and falls back onto back his bed, literally crushing me.

"Get off of me you dummy, I can't breath," I wheeze dramatically.

'I think I'll stay like this, it's quite comfortable,' he says and continues to smoosh me.

"You're a terrible horse," I say and he finally gets up and offers me a hand. He pulls me up and gives me a look.

'You say that now but...,-' I cut him off by punching him in the arm. I roll my eyes at him and shoot him a playful glare as I walk past him.

"That's inappropriate." I open his door and we walk down the stairs. Just as we're about to turn the corner he slaps my butt. I gasp and turn around to say something to his perverted ass but Kurumi pops out of nowhere.

"Ku you're home!" She exclaims and pulls him in for a tight hug. She bombards him with questions all about the vacation and as she's talking, she looks up to see me and squeals. "Y/n!" She runs over to me and engulfs me in a warm hug which I gladly reciprocate.

"It's so good to see you! How was the trip?" She asks and takes a step back over to Kusuo.

"It was really fun! We had a great time," I say and she smiles.

"I'm so glad to hear that! Dinner is almost ready! Tell me all about it then!" She says and walks back to the kitchen.

'We did have a good time,' Kusuo smirks at me. I can't with this boy.

"Stop talking, you perv," I scowl at him and walk toward the kitchen.

We eat some delicious food- at this point, it's not a surprise since Kurumi is a great cook. It's a simple dinner with his parents and the whole time we catch them up on all the fun things we were up to (obviously leaving out some parts). Kurumi scolds Kusuo for not taking any pictures but when I show her the ones I got, especially of Kusuo, she's delighted again. Of course, Ku isn't happy once I show her the butterfly picture but he gets over it quickly.

When we finish, Kusuo suggests that we go to the living room to watch a movie. I instantly agree and once we put on what we want to watch, we cuddle up on the couch so that I'm laying down on my back and Kusuo is laying on top of me (not crushing me this time) with his head on my chest. I play with his hair and he has his arms wrapped around my waist.

Throughout the movie, Kusuo moves up so now his face is nuzzled in my neck. He'll kiss my neck occasionally and hug me closer to him, which is so adorable. The trip home must have made him very tired. On the way back, our seats were different. I was sitting in the middle next to my faves, Chisato and Chiyo. I was very happy with the placement but as I looked over to Ku... he was irritated that he was between Hairo and Kaido again. Chiyo suggested that once the flight starts, she could switch spots with him. Obviously, she wanted to spend some more time with Kaido but it also worked out for me too. I turned on my bracelet to let him know and he accepted the idea before I could even finish telepathically telling it to him. So although I didn't get to sit with both my gal pals, having Kusuo was just as good... I guess. Just kidding, it was great, except for when he complained about my movie choice or the snack options. After we landed and got our bags, I said goodbye to our friends, promising to see each other back in school soon, and then Kusuo teleported us to my apartment.

I continue to play with his hair and at this point, he's not watching the movie anymore and his eyes are closed. I try to sit up but he only tightens his hold on me.

'Stop moving,' he says. I tilt my head to the side and reluctantly sit back against the couch.

"You look tired."

'I'm not.'

"It doesn't look like that to me."

'Well get your eyes checked.'

I giggle, he's so dumb. I move my hand to stroke his back and he relaxes.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

'No, I'm fine right here.'

"Are you sure?"

'Yes, go back to watching the movie.'

I exhale sharply out my nose but decide to drop it anyway. He'll probably never admit that he's tired but it's so obvious. His breath fans my skin and it tickles a little but I manage to not be affected.

My mind wanders to earlier about the wedding invitation and I can't help but get a guilty feeling in my stomach. I know that my father has neglected me and has literally said that he doesn't want to see me, but then why send an invite? Why even bother? I am so confused and it hurts my brain thinking about it. It makes me feel curious. It makes me want answers. There're so many unknowns that come with going that it makes it all that more enticing. I wonder who the woman is? Is she after him for love or for his money? I know I'm getting too ahead of myself but I can't stop these questions that pop into my head.

"If you keep making that face, it'll stick," Kusuo mumbles aloud and I look down at him.

"What face?" I ask.

"The one you make when you think too much," he answers.

"Well, how would you know? Your eyes are closed," I say skeptically and stop playing with his hair. He opens his eyes and raises his head a little.

"I just know," he says and rests his head back on my shoulder. I sigh but I go back to playing with his soft hair again.

okay, I think I need to break this down.

Let's start with the Pros: Free food, I get to dress up, I could potentially sneak some alcohol, I get to dance, see some of my family, eat cake, attend an actual wedding (its been forever since I've been to one) and I'd bring Kusuo for back-up and to have a good time with.

Now the Cons: It's my father's wedding, that means I'd probably have to see him, see some of my family- that I don't like, it's my father's wedding, meet the bride having zero idea what she's like, meet her kids that I know nothing about them, the potentiality of not obtaining booze, and lastly it's my father's wedding. Did I mention it's my dad's wedding? The guy who basically disowned me?

Ugh, my head hurts.

"I think I'll go," I say unconfidently.

"Huh?" Kusuo questions and lifts his head to look at me.

"Yeah, I'll go to the wedding."

'You sure?' Kusuo asks.

"No... But I get the feeling I should. Maybe it'll be good closure," I say. I know I may be fishing for something that isn't there but for some reason, I feel a tug in my heart to go. Kusuo runs his eyes over my features but ultimately settles back down again, his face in my neck.

"Could you come with me?" I whisper.

"Of course," Kusuo says strongly and kisses my neck, making me shiver.

"Okay, great," I respond with a sigh and look up at the ceiling. I don't know what I'm getting myself into but either way, it will be an experience. Besides, it's only for a few hours. If I don't feel it, I can always leave. What could go wrong?

"You can stay the night if, you want," Ku says quietly and I look down at him again.

"Do YOU want me to?" I ask and he is doesn't answer, but after a few seconds, he nods his head. My heart swells at the fact that he wants to spend time more time with me so I agree.

"It's like you don't ever want me to leave your sight," I tell him and he huffs.

'Shut up,' he says and I giggle at his embarrassment.

+++++

After the movie ends, I get Kusuo to reluctantly sit up so I can turn off the TV. As I fold the blanket and make the couch neat again, Kusuo stands off to the side, his eyes getting droopier by the second. I turn off the living room lights and say goodnight to his parents who are still lounging around in the kitchen.

"Goodnight, sweetie!" Kurumi calls out. "Glad to hear the trip was nice!"

"Goodnight," I smile. I grab on to Kusuo's hand and guide him up the stairs and into his room. As we enter, I instead turn on his bedside lamp. I close the door softly once Kusuo is inside and I start moving the covers.

"Go get ready for bed, babe," I tell him. I turn behind me to see him practically drifting off while standing, and I almost laugh at the sight. Once I get the bed all set, I grab hold of his hand again and settle him so he's sitting down on the edge of the mattress. I walk over to his drawer and pull out a sleep shirt and shorts. Once I get those, I walk back over to him and then remove his glasses.

"Ku, can you take off your pants, please?"

His eyes are closed but he smirks." That's an interesting question, y/n."

"Don't be stupid," I laugh. Even when he's about to fall asleep he's making lewd comments.

He slowly undresses and I help him get into more comfortable clothes. Once he's all changed, I grab the dirty clothes and toss them in his dirty hamper. I guide him over to his bed and get him all situated. This situation makes me smile, sleepy Kusuo is a very cute sight. As I'm about to turn away, Ku's hand shoots out and latches onto my arm.

"It's okay," I start while slowly unhooking his hand. "I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

He groans but lets me go. I laugh to myself and then once I grab a shirt and pair of boxers, I go to the bathroom and get changed. I wash my face, do my business and put my hair up so it's out of the way and hopefully won't get as tangled in the morning.

I walk out and turn off the light. I walk over to the other side of the bed and get under the covers. I sigh, glad to be off my feet. As soon as I'm situated, Kusuo turns over and pulls me closer to him. His arms are wrapped around my stomach and now I'm practically on top of him. It's dark so I can't see his face clearly but his eyes are closed and he exhales a long breath. I rest my head on his chest and get comfortable.

As I feel myself drift off, Kusuo's grip slightly tightens, "you're so pretty... I love you... dream girl."

I smile to myself, how am I lucky enough to deserve this?

"I love you too, Ku."

Chapter Text

The weekend of the wedding quickly arrives and I find myself adding the finishing touches to my makeup. Every day leading up to this point I kept myself busy trying not to think about the wedding because if I did, I know I would possibly change my mind.

School started up again and I was successful in burying myself in school work. Kusuo and I hung out practically every day and it was nice. We would typically start with watching a movie and then forget about it halfway through since we'd be too busy focusing on each other... if you know what I mean. He'd stay the night, of course, and then we'd go to school together. He comes over so often that at this point he has a drawer of his school uniform and some other clothes in my closet. It's a dangerous game since I'm sure Kurumi has to have some idea what we do but I'm thankful that she's okay with it (at least to my knowledge). And, it's really nice being able to wake up some mornings with him at my side. We make breakfast and spend our mornings in peaceful silence. It's very domestic and sometimes I catch myself pretending we're a married couple. But then thoughts like that bring me back to the actual wedding ceremony that's coming up and I have to bury that anxiety all over again.

After I think I look pretty good, I turn to go grab my heels and Kusuo is standing in the doorway which scares the living shit out of me.

"What the hell?" I scream at him. "You scared me!"

He covers his mouth to hide his laugh but I hear it anyway and punch his arm. He hunches over, still laughing and I roll my eyes at him and pass him to get my heels. They're only a few inches and the heel part is wider so I hope they don't hurt. I hear Kusuo follow me and he's still chuckling.

'You should've seen your face,' he says. 'Priceless.'

I glare at him but hearing him laugh puts a smile on my face so I don't stay irritated for long. I look at his choice of outfit and see that he is wearing a simple black tux paired with a black tie.

"You look really handsome," I say to him, straightening out his tie a little.

'Thank you,' he says and gives me a chaste kiss on the lips. 'Ready?' I step back and finish putting on my shoes and grab my small purse.

"Yep," I exhale and take his hand, Kusuo gives it a reassuring squeeze and we teleport over to the location of the wedding. We teleport in a quaint forest and as we walk, I begin to hear soft music playing and after a few more steps, I can spot the wedding setup. It's an outdoor wedding surrounded by trees that have beautiful Edison lights connecting them. We get to the entrance and I stop and stare at the welcome sign.

Welcome to the Wedding of Stephen & Andrea L/n!

I continue to look at the sign and can't help but feel sad. It's not the fact that my dad is getting remarried that I feel my chest tighten. But the fact that this is really happening makes me realize that coming here was definitely a mistake.

"Kusuo, let's just go," I say quietly. "I was wrong, I can't do this."

'Y/n/n yes you can,' he says reassuringly but I feel the rising anxiety build up in my chest. Why did I think this would be a good idea?

"I think I'll reschedule."

'You can't reschedule, you're already here.'

I grab onto his arm and try to pull him back to where we teleported from but he won't budge. "I think I left my curling iron on."

'No, you didn't, you don't forget stuff like that.'

"What if I did," I yank on his arm, the panic starting to get to me. "I'm serious, we need to leave."

He turns and lightly grasps my upper arms, causing me to look up at him. "Hey, relax. You'll be fine."

I try to pull away but he doesn't let me. "Let go."

"No."

I glare at him as hard as I can. "I don't like you right now."

"And that just breaks my heart, come on."

I continue to try and reason with him but he doesn't want to listen. As I'm trying to drag him away again, a woman shouts my name loudly. "Y/nnnnnnn!"

I turn my head and see a woman, with long black hair and tanned skin. Her hair is done in a neat and simple half-up half-down look and she is wearing jean capri pants with a plain t-shirt. As she gets closer I take note of her bright olive-colored eyes. Her smile is wide as she stops in front of me and she grabs my hands in hers.

"I knew it was you!" She exclaims excitedly. "I am so glad you're here! It's so nice to meet you! I love your dress! You look even more beautiful in person!"

"Oh hello," I say hesitantly. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

Her eyes widen and she profusely apologizes.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry dear! Sometimes I get excited and just ramble on and on," she laughs "I'm Andrea, your father's fiancé, or at least for a little while longer."

I raise my eyebrows in shock, 'this is who my father's marrying?'

"It's nice to finally meet you," I say and point to my left. "This is my boyfriend, Kusuo Saiki."

"Nice to meet you!" Andrea says and Kusuo nods, moving to stand closer to my side.

She looks back over at me and giggles, "I can't believe you're here! I practically had to go all FBI to find your address."

"You sent me the wedding invitation?" I ask her, shocked that she would send an invitation without even knowing the person she's sending it to.

"Well of course! I wanted to be able to meet you and having you here on a day as special as this! It would be so important to your father," she says with a smile.

I expected to come to this wedding and meet an evil witch who wanted to steal my dad's money or something but this woman is not at all what I thought she was going to be and honestly, I find myself starting to like her.

"So then about my dad," I start, "does he know... that I'm here?"

She doesn't say anything for a second but gives me a sympathetic look. "He does."

I nod my head slowly and feel Kusuo's hand on my lower back, letting me know that he's still here for me.

"I recently found out... about when he went to see you," Andrea says, still embracing my hands in hers. "I told him that he was the dumbest person on the planet and that if I were you I would've clonked him on the head for being so inconsiderate and horrible."

Every word she says, my eyes widen at her bluntness. "Oh um... wow," I stuttered not knowing what to say.

"He really cares for you, I just think he had a hard time handling the grief, not that it justifies any of his behavior. Stephen's really bad with his words, which I've learned over these several months but I am working on straightening him out," she says seriously and my heart starts to feel less heavy. So far, Andrea seems to be a straightforward and passionate lady, and that's definitely something. Her nature is very different from my mother's but that's okay, I was worried that my dad would replace mom with someone like mom, but I'm glad it'ssomeone like Andrea.

"Mommy! Hamura is pulling my hair again!" A little girl with two black pigtails and a cute pink dress pouts. She runs over to us and Andrea lets go of my hands, bending down to look at the girl.

"Oh Mae," she says. "You can't keep letting him push you around like that. What did I say you should do?"

"Step on his foot," the little girl says.

"Exactly," Andrea laughs. Andrea takes hold of the little girl's hand and stands up, looking at me again.

"Y/n this is my youngest, Mae," she says. Mae looks up at me and I smile down at her. Before I am able to say anything, the little girl lunges forward at me and holds my dress in her little hands.

"You are the prettiest girl I have ever seen!" She squeals while staring up at me in awe.

"Oh thank you, Mae," I smile and bend down to her level. "I love your dress, you look like a princess."

"Really?" She squeals again.

"Of course," I say matter-of-factly to which she bounces around a little. "How old are you?"

"I'm this many," she says proudly while holding out her hand showing her pointer and middle finger to me.

"Oh wow, two!" I say. "That's very old."

She smiles at me and is about to say something else but a boy looking to be about 4 or 5 runs over to us. He has black hair too and is wearing a cute little light brown suit with a bow tie, that sits unevenly around his collar.

"Hamura," Andrea scolds. "Don't pull your sister's hair."

The little boy stops and puts his hands in his pockets.

"But she was annoying me," he answers to which Mae starts yelling at him. The scuffle continues for a few more seconds and I look over to Kusuo who is already looking at me. I give him a warm smile and turn back to the bride-to-be when she calls my name again.

"would like you to meet my oldest, Hamura," she says.

"Nice to me you," I tell him and he nods shyly, eyeing me wearily. He seems to be more withdrawn and observant than Mae. He's probably very protective of his family since obviously they are getting a new dad and I'm sure that was hard for him to understand. I totally understand, to some extent.

"Mae, Hamura, meet your new big sister!" Andrea says to them and they both widen their eyes. I also widen my eyes at the sudden comment, not expecting her to blurt that out so soon.

"Seriously!" Mae exclaims.

"Huh?" Hamura questions.

"This is Daddy's daughter. She lives a little further away," Andrea explains while straightening Hamura's tie.

"This is so cool!" Mae says. She comes back over to me and starts bombarding me with questions. Hamura stands behind his mom and looks apprehensive which I don't blame him, I feel the same way. I am meeting the kids that my dad chose over me. Of course, I don't blame them, it's not their fault but it still hurts, but now that I've met them, I don't feel that anger that I felt before.

A man makes his way over to us, he is wearing a regular tux but he has a burgundy tie that matches the wedding's theme. He's probably one of my dad's coworkers. He nods to me then turns to Andrea.

"Sorry to interrupt but your bridesmaids are looking for you," he says to her.

"Oh, right! That means it's almost time. I guess I have to finish getting ready," Andrea says. "It was so nice to meet you, I'm so excited and I cannot wait to talk to you more!"

She gives me a wave and walks off, her two kids following close behind. I exhale a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"That was..." I trail off and stare blankly ahead, my mind processing the scene that just occurred.

'She geniunely wants to get to know you,' Kusuo says, having heard their thoughts this whole time. 'The little girl does too.'

"That's good," I say still looking off to where Andrea walked away. "We probably should go see where everyone else is at."

When Ku doesn't respond, I turn to look at him to see him looking down at me, his eyes scan my face. I send him a small smile. I'm glad to hear that Andrea actually wants to know me and it's not just some farce. I guess it does come in handy to have a boyfriend that can mind-read, even if it is a little invasive...

"You're probably going to have to meet some of my family today." I start, turning fully towards him. "But I can do most of the talking."

He takes a step closer and rests a hand on my cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" I question, his gaze making me feel shy.

'Have I told you that you look nice yet?'

I bite my lip, "No, I don't think you have."

Kusuo hums in response then pulls my face up to his and our lips connect in a sweet kiss. After we pull away, Kusuo roams his eyes up and down my figure.

"You look very beautiful," he says aloud. I can't help the smile that comes on to my face. Even though he's said that to me several times now, it's like it's the first time all over again.

"Thank you," I reply and kiss him quickly on the lips. "Alright... let's go say hi."

We walk hand and hand through the entrance and find seats on my dad's side. When my dad said that this was going to be a small wedding, he wasn't kidding. There are about 40 chairs on each side of the aisle. I recognize some familiar faces and I wave and have small talk with some of them. Kusuo doesn't really do much other than nod but I find it really fun to introduce him as my boyfriend and I can tell he likes it too because when I do, he gives my hand a squeeze. He is so sweet it hurts.

As we make the rounds, I'm feeling pretty good! The family that I've said hi to so far are very sweet and are happy to see me again. It feels good to see that they don't blame me for my mother's passing like I thought they did, like that stupid dream that I used to have. As we make our way to the front, a voice calls out to me. I turn at my name being called and who I see makes me force myself to keep a kind smile on my face. It's my grandmother, my dad's mom.

I squeeze Kusuo's hand tightly and wait as she makes her way over to us. For context, I don't like her. My father grew up a very traditional man, which makes his parents just as bad if not worse; stuck in their way and always very opinionated about it. My grandfather passed away when I was very young so I don't remember him but I know I never liked being near them when I was younger as they always had something to say about me, and it was always rude. Their house was cold and big. I wasn't allowed to touch anything and I remember pretending like it was Medusa's lair since everything felt lifeless.

One time, when I was forced to go spend the day with my granny. She had me help her with chores around the large house, like washing the windows and cleaning the dishes. Doing the chores wasn't the bad part (even if I still was miserable doing them) but what she said to me was. I have this memory where I was helping her fold laundry, she turned to me and said:

"You aren't a pretty girl."

I stopped my folding and looked over to her. She kept on folding whatever it was like the comment was as factual as the weather. I was around 8 at the time so I didn't necesarrily care about how I looked, after all, I was still a snot-nosed child. But for some reason, the comment really struck me, more so than anything she's ever said to me before.

"No matter I suppose, your mother was able to seduce our son so I'm sure those qualities are in you too."

I didn't know what "seduce" or having "those qualities" meant at the time but I knew she was saying something wrong about my mom. I turned to the pile of clothes we had folded already and with one kick, sent the whole pile tumbling. I even pushed the laundry basket with the unfolded clothes over so everything was mixed together again.

Granny stood up and gasped. "You little brat!" She grabbed me by the arm and bent me over, smacking me several times on my butt. I have never gotten scolded like that before and it really hurt. Once she was done, she pushed me away from her like I was poison. "I told your father to raise you better, it seems he's still as incompentent as he was when he was your age."

I felt anger wash through my little body, who gave her the right to talk bad about my parents; the coolest people in the world. Sure my dad was gone a lot, but when he was back, he always had a new stuffed animal for me and my mom would have tea parties and make pancakes in the shape of animals for me. I wiped my tear struck face and planted my feet in the ground.

"You're the ugly one! You're a witch!" I shouted.

Her mouth fell open at that. "Why you little-"

She took steps closer to me but I didn't give her the chance to hit me again and I booked it out of there. I ran out the room, through the hallway, down the main stairs, and right out the door. She was screaming mean things as I ran away but I didn't care to hear them. I ran through the courtyard, down the dirt car path, and stopped when I made it to the front gate. There, I waited the next few hours until my mom came to take me home.

"Hello dear," Granny says opening her arms. I forced my tight smile to stay on my face and enter into her boney embrace.

"Hi Granny, it's been a while." As I pull away she glances over my dress and makes a face before looking back up at me.

"Yes it has. I didn't think I'd see you here." She comments. I scrunch my eyebrows together, I know she's always had a strong influence over my father since he was her child but she wouldn't have affected what my dad decided to do with me... right?

"I received an invite like everyone else, I wouldn't have wanted to miss such an important day for my dad," I say back. I understand that my statement is pretty much a lie, but I hate the women in front of me more than I hate my dad so I don't care. She's always been so critical of my parents, especially my father so now, for some reason, I feel the need to defend him.

She tsks, "I don't remember sending one with your name on it."

I struggle to keep my face emotionless. She was in charge of them? What if dad actually tried to get one to me and the ice queen said no? When Andrea said she had to go "FBI mode" to find my address, I thought she meant from my dad, but now it seems to be because of the women in front of me.

"That's strange." I start with a sweet smile. "Why wouldn't there be one for me? I am his daughter after all."

She doesnt say anything and instead turns her attention to Kusuo. "Who's this?" She asks.

"This is my boyfriend, Kusuo Saiki," I state proudly.

She gives him a once over, "Right, hello."

Kusuo just nods but gives my hand a squeeze. I get the feeling she thought some rude things of him, or us in her head so I think it's time to end this little reunion.

"Well we're going to go find our seats. It was absolutely divine catching up." I sarcastically say.

She narrows her eyes, "Yes... it was."

I smile tightly at her again then pull Ku away without looking back. Her depressing aura makes my head hurt and I don't want to be near her anymore.

After we get a safe distance away, I turn to Ku. "I'm sorry, she's such a witch. Please don't believe any of the things she thought. She's just a miserable person."

'Are you okay?' He asks, completely disregarding my comment.

"Wh- yeah I'm fine, I've dealt with her for years." I start, pushing some hair behind my ear. "She's a soul-sucking demon and I hope that you- ."

'She doesn't want you here,' he interrupts. 'She purposesfully threw your invitation away.'

I huff, "I'm not surpised. She doesn't really like me but the feelings mutual."

I look back up at him and his face is twisted into a frown. This is an interesting development, if she had jurisdiction over who got to come today, who's to say that she also told my father to come to visit me that day and practically disown me. Honestly, when I think back to it, he was very distraught and saddened. I thought it was because he didn't want to deal with me anymore but maybe... and of course not trying to justify anything he did, maybe he didn't want to leave me.

Obviously, Andrea and her children seem very friendly and sweet, I can't imagine that Andrea would've wanted to ignore me, especially since Kusuo said she really wanted to get to know who I am. Things are slowly starting to fall into place and I find these new discoveries to change my perspective a little. I'm brought out of my thoughts when Kusuo rests a hand on my head.

"Sorry you had to hear whatever my grandmother was thinking, she's one of the only rotten ones in the family."

He smiles softly at me, 'It's okay.'

I take a step closer to him and wrap my arms around his waist, needing a warm embrace to revive me after those painful few minutes. "Thank you for coming with me today, it means a lot to me."

He wraps his arms around my back and kisses the top of my head, 'You're so strong.'

I smile into his chest, I love that he knows exactly what I need to hear without me even telling it to him. It's reassuring to know that even if he can't read MY mind, he still knows me as best he can without his powers. We pull away and I give him a quick kiss. I look behind his shoulder and see one of my family's friends.

"Come on," I say while grabbing his hand again. "I want to introduce you to more of my family."

After a few more minutes of mingling, everyone starts filing into their seats. Kusuo and I sit on my father's side and I pick a spot in the middle-front. I probably could be closer, since I'm his daughter and all, but I don't want to be too close to the ice queen so this is fine. I feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as the ceremony is about to start. My father comes out and stands at the altar and I feel my heart get lighter. He looks so at peace, it's something I haven't seen him look like in a long time, and that makes me happy. I turn to Kusuo with a smile and squeeze his hand that I'm still holding. The music begins to play, we all stand and the ceremony starts.

Chapter Text

The ceremony was really sweet. Mae was the flower girl and she looks absolutely adorable swinging the basket around and delicately throwing out the petals. Hamura was the ring bearer and he looked very serious on completing his mission in delivering the rings to the front alter.

The whole time I felt like I was watching the scene from outside of my body like I was a spirit just walking around and observing. It was weird to see my father this way but the face he made when he saw Andrea walking down the aisle, in her beautiful white gown, made me feel surprisingly warm. I haven't seen him look that way ever since mom passed so seeing him so happy now, somehow lifted a weight from my shoulders. I still have very conflicting feelings towards him and I don't know if I can forgive him right now but it makes me feel at peace knowing that my father has moved on too and somehow, that seems alright with me.

After the vows and their kiss, they both walk back down the aisle, hand in hand, and everyone followed them down a stone path to the reception where there are tables with beautiful flower displays in the center. There is a bar and a dance floor off to the side too.

I sit with Kusuo and we listen to all the speeches and kind words from bridesmaids, the best man (who is one of my Dad's longtime work partners), and even little Mae. While she was talking about how excited she is to have a new dad, I lock eyes with my father. We stare at each other and I can sense the guilt in his eyes. Mae finishes her speech and everyone claps, bring my eyes back to her small figure. After the dinner, the party begins and people start getting up out of their seats and intermingling.

"Babe, wanna go over to the bar?" I ask Kusuo.

'Why? So you can try to get alcohol?' he answers and I fake a shocked expression.

"I can't believe you'd suggest such a thing," I say with a mock gasp. "I just wanted a Shirley Temple."

'Right...' Kusuo sasses and I glare at him. Regardless, he walks with me over to the bar and while I'm waiting for my fancy (alcohol-free) drink, my father makes his way over to us. I start to panic and try to look for an escape route to avoid him. Kusuo notices my hesitance and stops me from leaving my lightly grabbing onto my elbow.

'You should hear him out. He's nervous too.' Kusuo says, letting go of my elbow. I bite my lip apprehensively, I know I have to talk to him eventually so I guess now is as good of a time as any. My dad stops a few steps away from us and sends me a small, sheepish smile.

"Hi, y/n," my dad says awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Hi," I say. "Um, congratulations."

"Thank you, thank you," he says. He then turns to the bartender and asks for a glass of water. While he waits, he turns to me again. "You look nice."

I look down at my dress, "thanks."

Silence fills the space and this leads to him looking at Kusuo.

"Oh, this is my boyfriend," I say, again feeling pride in calling him that. My father's eyebrow raises and he nods. He sets his glass down and holds out his hand.

"Stephen L/n."

"Kusuo Saiki," Ku says as they clasp hands. For some reason, I'm nervous. I don't care what my father thinks of him since I know he can't do anything to stop me from seeing him but at the same time, I want him to like Ku.

Their handshake doesn't last for long and when they separate, my father nods again. "I'm glad you could make it."

I nod, "I appreciate the invitation."

It's quiet again but the silence isn't as suffocating as it was before. My dad picks up the glass of water and takes a sip.

"I met Andrea and her kids before the ceremony, they seem really sweet."

"Yeah, they are. I met her through work... we're in the same department... and we just clicked." My dad sets his glass down and a small smile forms on his face. "Andrea and her ex-husband separated a little after Mae was born, so in some way... we could relate to each other."

I smile at that, someone like Andrea must have been the perfect person to get him to open up. Even though my dad is a pro at keeping his emotions in check, you could see the stress lines start to grow deeper each day. Despite those lines still being there, his face is happier, somehow back to normal if not even brighter than when it was with mom.

He lifts his gaze and finally makes eye contact with me again. "Listen uh... I want to-" but before he finishes his sentence a bright light shines on him and people start moving him towards the dancefloor for the first dance. He gives me an apologetic look but I nod in understanding and he's whisked away. He has a slow dance with Andrea and other couples begin to join in.

"Would you like to dance?" Kusuo asks and holds out his hand. I set my now empty Shirley Temple down on the counter and have to bite back a smile.

"Hmm I don't know... should I?" I ponder aloud to myself and Kusuo shoots me a glare but grabs my hand anyway.

"Stop being dumb," he says and pulls me with him to the dance floor. We sway for a few songs, and I lay my head on his shoulder. It's crazy how so much has changed between us over the course of the past few months. This moment reminds me of the dance that we shared at PK when we were on the roof, where Kusuo kissed me for the first time. I have always treasured that moment and now I can't think of my life without him.

"You're the prettiest girl here, my dream girl," Kusuo says quietly in my ear.

I look up at him and smile. "Thank you, Ku," and I give him a quick kiss. We stare at each other and it's like we're the only two people in the world. I don't care how sappy it is, I am so in love with Kusuo Saiki.

The song changes to a fast-paced one and Kusuo suggests that we take a break so we head back to our table where Andrea and my dad stand, talking to other guests. I decide now is the perfect opportunity to make my way over to Andrea and get to know her more.

"Congratulations," I smile at her after I wait my turn to talk to her. "Your dress is gorgeous."

"Aah! Thank you y/n! I'm so excited and I cannot wait to get to know you more!" She exclaims, holding on to my upper arms. She practically bounces up and down at the idea of knowing me better and I grow excited too.

"I can't wait either," I respond with a smile. She smiles at me with a big grin then lets go of my arms to take a quick sip of her champagne. She sets it down then looks at me again but with a more serious expression.

"I want to get this out of the way now, it's okay if you don't want to call me mom. I know we just met today so it's no problem." I did not expect her to bring that up but I nod at her suggestion. I appreciate that she isn't forcing the idea of being my "new" mom down my throat.

"Okay, I appreciate that," I smile. She clasps her hands togehter and smiles at me again.

"So, how long have you and Kusuo been together? How did you guys meet? Tell me everything!" She questions and starts to actually bounce up and down in excitement but then registers she may be overstepping her boundaries a little bit and profusely apologizes.

"It's okay! We've been together for a few months now, we hit 5 a little bit ago," I say. I tell her some other things like how we met, how we started to get to know each other, the cafe, the festival, the dance, and the vacation. It's crazy to look back at everything since it feels so long ago. So much has happened but I'm so grateful for all these experiences.

"I really do love him," I finish and look around to find Kusuo. I spot him standing a few feet talking with my dad. They seem to be having a normal conversation but I still can't help but be nervous. 'I wonder what they're talking about?'

"Aww! That is just the sweetest thing I have ever heard!" Andrea squeals. "The way he looks at you is just to DIE for!"

I laugh at her comment "I hope it's the same way my dad looks at you."

She gives me a grateful look and grasps my hands in hers.

"We NEED to hang out sometime soon, just us! We can go shopping or go out to eat, whatever you want to do!" She says and I smile at her eagerness.

"I would really love that."

The night continues and I get to talk to Mae and Homura more. Homura even begins to open up to me. We talked about all the things younger kids like to do and I promised that when I see them again, we'll play some Mario Kart.

I managed to grab Kusuo onto the dance floor again to dance to the Cha Cha Slide, since it is one of THE best party songs, and after, we bounced around to some other songs (well I bounced around and Kusuo just kinda vibed). Another slow song started playing and I dance with Ku for a few seconds before feeling a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head to see my dad with a shy smile.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" He asks us. I look to Kusuo and he shrugs to which I turn to my dad and and nod. Kusuo removes his hands from my waist and walks back to the table but not before giving my hand a soft squeeze. We start dancing and it's quiet between us so I look down at my feet, not knowing what to say.

"I'm... sorry," Dad says causing me to look up at him. "I made a huge mistake and I really want to fix things. With you," he pauses and inhales with a shaky breath. "I know I've been a terrible parent for a while now... and I want to be in your life, I just hope that you can forgive me."

Tears begin to fall down his face and I can tell just how much he's been hurting from the situation. I understand that he feels sad and confused but his neglect towards me is still hard to forget. But, the fact that he has been able to open up this much to me is a huge step. After mom passed away, he couldn't even be in the same room as me but now, he's finally talking to me and letting me know how he feels.

"I really appreciate you talking to me. I know you were under a lot of stress and hurt," I begin. "But what you said to me, I don't think I can just forgive you. At least right now."

He listens to me as I explain my thoughts and he nods along, showing me that he's listening, which is something that I am not used to from him.

"I really like Andrea and her kids, I think it's amazing that you have found someone that makes you happy again," I say, my voice starting to wobble. "But I can't forget about everything that has happened throughout the past years. You can't ask me to do something like that." The song stops and I walk off to the side with him.

"I understand," he says. "But I want to try. I want to get to know you again. Andrea has really helped me deal with myself. Being able to relate to each other was one of the things that brought us to be so close. It has made me realize how horrible I was. To my own daughter," he hangs his head in shame. "I hope one day you can forgive me."

"I hope I can too," I declare and he looks up at me with watery eyes.

"You've always been so mature, even when you were little," he says with a small smile. "That's another thing that reminds me of your mother. You're both so level-headed," I smile back at him and he looks over my shoulder.

"I like that Kusuo. He seems like a great kid," he says and I turn to look at Kusuo who is on the dance floor with Mae. He looks a little annoyed so I assume she dragged him against his will but it brings a big smile to my face.

"Yeah, he is," I whisper.

After the talk with my father, we separate and he goes to mingle with other guests and I go over to Kusuo and join in on the fun. I feel so much better after the talk, like a heavy weight has been removed from my shoulders. I know trying to become a family again with my dad won't be easy but I know that it is something that I want to try to do.

The night finally ends and after saying our goodbyes, we walk away from the reception and teleport back to my apartment. I set my heels against the wall and Kusuo walks towards my bedroom.

'Geez, my feet are killing me, I think Mae was purposely trying to step on me,' he says and slips off his shoes then to hang his jacket on the coat rack.

I stare at him and when he realizes that I'm not answering he turns to me with confusion on his face.

'What?' he says. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist to which Kusuo wraps his arms around my back.

"Are you alright?" He questions aloud.

"Yeah," I sigh, resting my head on his chest. " I know I already said it but thank you for coming with me."

"Of course," he says and kisses my head. After the short embrace, I let go of his waist and move to my closet to start changing into comfier clothes. I decide on simple grey sweatpants that are fleece-lined on the inside (for max comfort) and a regular tank top. I decide to throw one of Kusuo's sweaters on top and move to my bathroom to remove my makeup. Once I'm done with that, I tie my hair back in a loose braid and walk back into my bedroom to see Kusuo lying on my bed, texting on his phone. In the time that I was getting ready, Kusuo must have teleported home and changed.

"Is your mom okay with you staying over?" I question once I reach the foot of the bed.

He puts the phone on the nightstand and looks up at me. 'Yeah, I just finished texting her.'

I nod and walk around the bed and slip underneath the covers. Once I'm situated, I turn off the lamp on my side and turn so I face Kusuo who was watching me get comfortable.

"What were you and my dad talking about earlier?"

Kusuo shrugs and lays down, turning to face me. 'Just guy stuff.'

"Guy stuff?" I say with a laugh. "What does that even mean?"

'It means I can't tell you.'

I huff but ultimately drop it. It was probably about our relationship or something. I doubt my dad did the whole 'hurt my daughter I hurt you' talk but something good must have come out of it if my dad told me that he likes Kusuo. I think about the day and I am so glad that I went. It really feels like I got some closure. I thought it would hurt seeing my father move on, but it's necessary and I think my mom would be proud of both of us for connecting again. We have never really have been close since but now that he is trying to make amends, it really shows that he means it. The fact that he was able to admit that he was wrong is HUGE and I truly think Andrea is helping him in the best way possible. I know that building our relationship is going to take time and patience, on both sides, but I have a good feeling about it.

I get pulled from my thoughts when Kusuo moves his arm to wrap around my waist. "I'm really proud of you for going today," he says, running his hand across my waist and lower back. "That takes a lot of courage, I really admire that about you."

I shift closer to him and cup his cheek. "Thank you but I couldn't have done it without you."

I kiss his nose and in the dim light, I see his face scrunch at the gesture.

"I love you," I mumble, feeling my eyes get droopy. "So so much."

He strokes my hair soft and I feel myself battling sleep. "I love you too y/n."

Chapter Text

The bell finally rings, signaling the end of the school day. I don't know what it is, but for some reason, Tuesdays seem to drag on forever! Having completed a math test earlier in the day to then come back after lunch to write a timed essay, I think it's safe to say that I am very grateful to be done. So with a sigh, I pack up my things. As I am about to head out the door with Ku, the teacher reminds me that today is my day to clean up the classroom.

"Ugh dangit," I groan. I turn to Kusuo, and he shrugs, the gesture showing he'll be zero help. I know he can't do anything, and I usually wouldn't have an issue with cleaning, but today, my other partner is none other than the Queen Bitch herself... Teruhashi. "This'll only take a few minutes so I can meet you downstairs."

Kusuo nods, 'Okay, good luck.'

I send him a playful glare, and before I turn back into the classroom, I sigh again. I'll just try my best to ignore her, and everything will be fine, and besides, if she starts to get on my nerves, I'll threaten to beat her up.

"It shouldn't take you girls too long, so see you tomorrow." The teacher says as they walk out the door.

"Have a good night!" Teruhashi exclaims at their retreating figure, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. It's silent in the room, but I could care less. The sooner I'm done, the better. I wipe down the chalkboard as Teruhashi wipes down the desks. After this, I'll put away the supplies, sweep the floor, and then we should be good to go.

"I can't believe Saiki is dating someone like you."

My hand stops moving the eraser; who the hell does this girl think she is? Like, get over it already, he doesn't like you.

"I also can't believe that you even have any friends. You're so weird," she says. I feel her eyes stare at the back of my head. I know she wants a reaction, so I continue to ignore her. "It's kinda funny actually, Mera and Yumehara didn't want you to feel left out on your first day, but I know they didn't expect you to cling to them as you did. It's so embarrassing."

She's lying.

"You should see their faces every day before you'd sit down at lunch. They're miserable."

I continue moving the eraser across the surface and quickly finish up. I set the wiper down and turn to her with a quizzical expression. "Were you saying something?"

She crosses her arms and glares, "It's true; they think you're so annoying and weird. They told me."

I cringe at the sentence. It's crazy how she thinks stuff like that is gonna get to me. I know Chisato and Chiyo care about me. We're great friends. Hell, the fact that Teruhashi calls them by their last names is all I need to know about their 'friendship.' Also, how can someone like Teruhashi be a real person? We're in high school. The fact that she still tries to say dumb shit to me tells of how childish and jealous she is.

"What are you talking about again?" I say as I walk past her. I stop at the supply counter and start to put them away. I start organizing them, and she follows me.

"I know you hear me. You think you're so tough, but in reality, you are just a fat and ugly loser. No one actually likes you. Saiki only dates you because you're a whore. You probably give him whatever he wants. I mean, come on, after the whole Saiko thing, it was so obvious. Someone like Saiko could never like you too, so you must be good at giving a hand since that'd be the only explanation for why any guy would find you attractive."

My blood boils as I try to stay focused on setting all the pencils and papers in the right spots. I clench my jaw and grind my teeth together to stop myself from doing anything irrational. She wants me to flip out at her. She wants me to yell and give her the satisfaction of getting under my skin. I take a deep breath and move away from the now organized supplies to grab the broom.

"Are you gonna stand there, or are you going to do your job? The teacher will get mad if they find out I'm the only one cleaning up."

Teruhashi scoffs as she moves to the teacher's desk and sits down.

"I heard that your dad remarried. Now that he has a new family, he'll probably be so busy with it that he won't have any time for you. I mean, it makes sense, you're old news to him, and now he has a whole new future to focus on. What? Hasn't it only been a little over a year since your mom died? He works fast. I bet he thinks you're a mistake and is trying to forget you."

This comment must have been a last-ditch effort to make me react, and trust me, it is taking everything in my body not to lunge and rip her hair out. My hands are clenched tight around the broom handle as I somehow manage to will myself to keep sweeping. I need to remind myself that she has no idea what she's talking about and that she is dead wrong. I feel my self-esteem start to drain no matter how much I know she's just a bitch.

I know she's lying, I know she's lying, I know she's lying.

I sweep the crap off the ground and into the dustpan. I feel her eyes watching me as I shake the dustpan into the garbage and set the broom back into the supply closet. After I'm done, I turn to her, still sitting in the teacher's chair.

"Feel better now? Getting all that out of your system?" I ask sweetly.

She huffs as she stands up from the chair and exits the classroom, leaving me to finish some last few things. I sigh heavily again, her stupid words cycling through my mind. I finish up the final few touches, which only takes me a minute, then I turn off the light, close the door and head downstairs to look for Kusuo.

As I get down the last step, I see Kusuo leaning against one of the locker walls. He's on his phone once he hears my footsteps; he looks up and meets me halfway.

'All set?' He asks.

I nod with a small smile, and we make our way out of the building. As we walk, I try to distract myself from what she said, but I can't seem to shake it. I look down at my feet and kick a pebble, sending it rolling down the sidewalk. I don't believe a single thing she said but, at the same time, it sucks, and I can't help but think about it. For a day that already made me feel drained from all the work we did, this stupid situation with Teruhashi made my mood even worse. I feel Kusuo occasionally look at me from the corner of my eye, but I don't feel like talking.

After a few more minutes, Kusuo opens his front door for me. Once we enter, Kurumi is there holding a laundry basket full of folded clothes on her hip. "Hey, guys! How was school?"

I force a smile, "it was good, a lot of work, though."

"But it's all done! I just cleaned and cut some strawberries, so take some!" She says as she walks down the hallway back towards her bedroom.

"Okay, thank you," I smile at her retreating figure and move to the kitchen with Kusuo right behind me. I open the fridge to see the glass bowl of strawberries cut into thin slices. I take them out of the fridge along with a small cup of coffee jelly. I hand Kusuo his favorite dessert, which he happily takes, and I scoop some strawberries onto a plate. We eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, I stare off across the dining room table, starting to think maybe I am a little overbearing on my friends.

'Wanna go relax upstairs?' Kusuo questions after finishing his coffee jelly.

I put my plate in the sink, "sure."

I follow him upstairs, and once we get up to his room, he goes over to his closet and changes out of his school uniform and into the pair of gray sweatpants I bought him. He then slides on a standard white t-shirt to go along with it. As he's busy doing that, I set my bag against his desk and take off my uniform's knee-high socks that are too itchy now. I put my hair up out of my face, and once I'm done with that, I sit down on his bed.

My hands instinctively rest against my stomach, and I look down at my thighs. I never really saw myself as being fat but am I? Am I not good enough for Kusuo? Am I just overthinking this whole thing? I definitely am, but I can't stop thinking about it! Teruhashi's just trying to get in my head, I know my friends care about me, I know Ku loves me for more than what she suggested, and I know that my father wants to reconnect. But why can't I stop thinking about all of it?

'Y/n.'

I turn my head at my name just as Ku throws one of his sweatshirts at me. I, of course, wasn't prepared, and it effectively startles me back into reality when it hits me in the face. It falls from my face then into my lap, and as I'm about to respond, he throws a pair of my shorts that also hits me in my face. I pull the shorts down and playfully glare in his direction. He has a mischievous smirk on his face that I can't be mad at, so I roll my eyes and take off my uniform top.

As I change into comfier clothes, Kusuo closes his closet and moves his school bag that he initially threw on his bed to his desk. I slip my shorts on just as he turns around, and I meet his typical unreadable expression. I give him a thumbs-up as I sit back down on his bed again. I watch him as he takes the few steps to reach the bed. He sits down next to me and cocks his head to the side, studying my face. I lean back a little, to which he responds by leaning forward even more, slightly squinting his eyes. I can't help but grow a little more self-conscious under his gaze.

"What?" I question meekly.

'You're acting weird.'

"Umm, no I'm not."

'You haven't kissed me since we've gotten home.'

I quirk an eyebrow at him. "That means I'm acting weird?"

His expression changes to one that would resemble an obvious 'duh!'

I smile and roll my eyes before leaning in and capturing his lips in a soft kiss. I pull back, "better now?"

'No.'

I narrow my eyebrows. "Now what?"

'Teruhashi said something to you, didn't she.'

"Wh-," I start.

'I knew it.' He says as he stands up. 'Why the hell would you ever listen to anything she has to say?'

I groan. I don't know how he would know since I haven't even said anything, but I guess he's getting better at reading me without the whole mind-reading thing. "I'm not. I just can't help it."

"That's stupid," He says aloud.

"I know that!" I protest, also standing up. "But it's not that simple."

He crosses his arms over his chest and stares me down. "It IS that simple. Get her out of your head."

"You don't understand."

'Okay, and?'

I huff, "stop being sassy."

'I'll stop being sassy if you stop being self-conscious over nothing.'

"It's not nothing!"

"It's nothing if Teruhashi said it. She has no clue what she's talking about, and you know that."

"I know, I know I know, it's just-" I sigh and look down at my feet. "It still hurt my feelings."

It's silent for a few seconds before Kusuo sighs lightly. "Good grief."

"Don't good grief me," I snap as I look up at him again.

"What did she even say that hurt your feelings?"

I shrink under his gaze and play with my fingers nervously. "Just...stuff."

"What stuff, y/n."

"Just stuff..! About how I look... and that I'm too clingy... and annoying to be around." As I continue, my voice gets quieter. "I know she was just saying all those things... but then I was just thinking, and maybe it's a little true? I mean, I've been told those things before, when I was younger, so... I don't know."

Kusuo moves a hand to rest on my cheek, the silent support evident as I will myself to keep explaining. I sigh, "she mentioned Saiko... and then went on to say that I'm only desirable for sex... which is stupid, I know but-... And then she brought up my dad... You know I'm already anxious about that..." I sniffle, trying to stop the tears from starting to brim my eyes. "It was just... stuff."

His hand, still cupping my cheek, angles my face, so I have to meet his eyes. He moves his other hand to brush some of my hair behind my ear before setting it against my other cheek.

'What she said is utter bullshit.'

I try to move my face down, but he holds me in place.

"You're..." He starts. He looks away and then back again, his cheeks dusting with a pink hue. "You're so SO beautiful. Inside and out. I can't even begin to- to explain to you how amazing and absolutely breathtaking you are. How can you doubt yourself like this? It's so irritating."

I can't help the small smile that makes its way on my face. The fact that Ku is saying this much means a lot, and that flustered look on his face makes it even better. I put my hands to rest on his chest, "sorry... about this mini freakout. I'm probably starting my period soon."

"Shut up. Don't apologize for anything." He says, bringing my face closer to his. "Listen. I'm probably one of the biggest shitheads on the planet. I don't like most people, and I say mean and sarcastic things. I have these crazy psychic abilities, and yet I pretend like I don't. After hearing everyone's thoughts for the past few years, I have enough blackmail on everyone to completely destroy their lives. It's crazy to me how you, a literal goddess on earth, decided to like me."

"Don't say that about yourself, Ku."

"But it's true! I'm an asshole, and I'm fine with that, but everything Teruhashi said to you, that's all fucking stupid garbage that she spewed out to try and- and make you feel this way."

Before I can respond, he leans in and kisses my forehead, then my cheeks, my nose, my eyelids, my jaw, then finally my lips.

"You're my dream girl, y/n/n."

It takes me a second to calm my heart after hearing all of these sweet things. All my doubts seem to wash away in an instant. I move my hands from his chest up and around his neck to then hook my arms, so they rest on his nape, instinctively moving a hand to play with the hairs on the back of his head. I feel so fortunate to have someone who can listen to me vent and then turn it around to make me feel better. Is this really my life?

I tilt my head to the side and smile, "Even if you say you're a big jerk, I still love you. Including all your sarcastic comments."

He smiles down at me with that cute boyish grin of his and leans close to me again. He kisses all over my face so much so that I can't even keep my eyes open. I giggle at the feeling. With each passing second, he puts more of his weight on me, practically suffocating me with all these soft kisses that bombard my face. His weight becomes too much, and my balance gets thrown off, causing us to fall back onto his bed. As we land, our foreheads bump together, causing a slight amount of pain to shoot through my skull.

We both pull back, "Ow," I laugh, moving a hand to rest against my forehead.

He winces and also moves a hand up to his head. 'That's my bad.'

"Yeah, no shit," I snort.

Ku scoffs and sits up off of me. 'Goodbye forever then.'

I grab his arm to stop him from getting off the bed. "Stop being dramatic and come cuddle with me."

'Someone's being demanding.' He comments, looking down at me.

"It's been a long day. So deal with it."

He settles back down, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me closer to his side. 'I'm not complaining. It's making me feel some type of way."

"I'm bet it is," I hum in response, becoming more drowsy by the second. Ku shifts a little, allowing for our legs to comfortably intertwine. Kusuo's face rests against my shoulder and occasionally, I feel his lips kiss my neck.

'Even though today was hard, we stilll have homework to do later.'

"I know... but I don't want to think about that right now."

'Pfft, okay.'

"Just wake us up in two hours or something."

'Sounds like a plan.'

Chapter Text

Songs for this chapter:

Unchained Melody: Righteous Brothers

We Belong Together: Ritchie Valens

My Girl: The Temptations

Baby I'm Yours: Arctic Monkeys

+++++

I clock out of the shift at the cafe and walk down the street towards the shopping strip. I can't believe it's been over a year since I started working there. I stop in the middle of the sidewalk and squint up at the sky. A bright blue backdrop is dotted with soft white clouds that hang like a blanket above my head. The scene makes me smile, it's the perfect day to celebrate a one-year anniversary.

I walk into the grocery store and start making my way up and down the isles, looking for all the necessary ingredients for tonight. Everyone told us we should go out somewhere fancy for such a big occasion, but we both decided that cooking a nice meal together would be better. I know that it's a big day, but I know how Ku is, and I think we both would be more comfortable spending this day together in a relaxing way. He said that once we go on break, he'll teleport us to wherever I want for a nice trip, just the two of us.

It makes me think of the school trip we took together. It's funny to look back at how shy Kusuo was to do anything. I smile to myself as I continue on my way. He's the complete opposite of that now. He practically never leaves my side when we're together, but it's not like I mind. I know by now that if I were to say anything to him about it, he'd instantly stop then say something sarcastic, and I don't want to deal with his attitude.

Speaking of Ku's attitude, he was such a weirdo when I first met him. So closed-off and unapproachable. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, since I ultimately fell for his quiet and alluring nature, but still. It's funny to think it all started because I asked him for help with math problems. I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I decided not to ask him for help that day if we'd even be together. I asked him about it before, to which he immediately brushed it off, saying that we would've still ended up together regardless. I asked him why he thought that, to which he responded:

'Because you're fucking hot.'

I remember quirking an eyebrow at him and then saying that doesn't mean we would've gotten together. He squinted his eyes at me, then turned his attention back towards whatever he was reading at the time with a shrug. When I thought the conversation was done, he ended the little exchange with:

'I probably would've kept coming to the cafe to get free coffee jelly until I fell in love, obviously.'

I pointed out that that was technically what already happened since the first time I met him was when I set him down in his "official" spot and gave him coffee jelly for free (the whole staff knows that's where he sits now). He shrugged again and said that he rests his case.

I walk through the instant coffee and gelatin section, to which I obviously grab all the things to make the sweet. We can't have a nice dinner without a proper dessert.

I think about all the fun and exciting things that I have done since I've moved here, and most of them have Kusuo there right by my side. At the festival in the park, I think that was one of the first moments I realized he was cute. To even when I found out about his powers, a.k.a when I almost died! That was crazy, and honestly, I almost forgot about that.

As I add a slab of filet mignon steak to my cart, I think of all the fun dinners with his family. I smile again, Kusuke, Kusuo's older brother, came back a few weeks ago, which was an interesting few days. Every time I came over, Kusuke was there. He wanted to hang out with us to "feel young again," which was funny to hear since he isn't that much older than us. Of course, Kusuo was irritated, so for those days, we ended up hanging out at my apartment instead. Even if Kusuo was desperately trying to avoid Kusuke at every turn, we still ended up having dinner with Ku's whole family, a request by his mother. It was going well, like it always does, until Kusuke, being the instigator that he is, asked us if we were sexually active... during dinner! It was mortifying, and it resulted in the whole "use protection" speech by his parents. They were ultimately okay with everything, and apparently, they already suspected it. After that dinner, we were both dying of laughter at how horrible the situation was. Well, I was dying of laughter, and Ku was just irritated.

Other than that awkward moment, Kurumi and Kuniharu have been so welcoming and friendly that I consider them my second parents. It was such a shock at first to feel such love from people that I barely knew, but I'm so grateful for them. Kurumi was such great help when it came to trying to figure things out with my dad and Andrea. It's always nice to have a figure in your life that you can rely on for advice. Kuniharu has also been an absolute joy to get to know. Aside from his silly, scatterbrained nature, he really knows how to make someone laugh.

Another memory that I hold dear to my heart is the school dance. The night that Kusuo kissed me for the first time. Being on the roof of the school feeling like the only two people on earth. I love feeling that way with him. I never thought I'd be the cheesy romantic type, but I guess stuff like that changes when you actually get into a relationship. When he tells me he loves me, it feels like he's saying it to me for the first time. Everything from our first date to stargazing to even just handing out in his room after school are all memories that remind me how head over heels I am for this boy.

I walk through the produce section and browse all the vegetables and fruits. I pick up some potatoes and green beans then add them to my cart.

Even though all those memories are great to look back at, the new ones we make are something I hold close to my heart. Like when I finally beat him at Mario Kart. It was beautiful. We had a long weekend, and after we finished the anime series we were watching, I told him I was ready to take him down. It was like my hero story and when I crossed the finish line after winning the other three races prior, let's just say I earned a pretty awesome reward that night.

I read over my grocery list and finally check off the last ingredient before heading to the checkout line.

Oh! I can't forget my father's wedding! That was actually a really fun night. And since then, things have been going really well between my dad and me. They moved closer to me (so now it's about a 20-minute train ride), so I can see them a lot more! They asked if I wanted to move in with them, and I honestly was considering it but ultimately decided that staying closer to school would be better in the long run. At first, living by myself was lonely, and I hated how quiet the space was. But now, I am comfortable being alone, and it's also a great place to hang out with Kusuo, just the two of us. I can also have the whole gang over for hangouts, and I don't have to worry about parents constantly checking in and getting into our business. There is also a bonus that Ku and I won't be interrupted when we have sex, so all-and-all, there were more pros to keeping the apartment. My phone starts buzzing, speaking of family... I see Andrea's ID flash on my screen, and I happily answer the call.

"Hey mom, what's up?"

"Hey hun! Is Kusuo with you?"

"No, I just got off work, so I'll be seeing him later."

"Okay that's fine. I'll call back later to wish you both a happy anniversary! I guess I'll just tell you that for now, but I'll still call back."

I laugh, "okay, that's cool with me. How's everything with you?"

"Not much has changed since I saw you yesterday. I get off of work earlier today, so I think I'll take the kids to the movies."

"Aww, that sounds fun! Tell them both I said hi."

"I will! They are both very excited to see you next weekend."

I told mom and dad that I can babysit Mae and Hamura so they can take a date night. I know they both have been working hard to start their own business together, so it's the least I can do. It's also so much fun. When I hang out with them, something eventful always happens. For instance, when we were at their house for a family dinner, we accidentally broke the TV while playing Wii bowling. It was an honest mistake, and poor Hamura felt terrible, but with the help of Kusuo, we were able to fix it up before our parents could see what happened. Obviously, I made sure the kids didn't see his powers, and we played it off, saying that the smashed TV wasn't that hard to fix. So since then, we've decided to keep that our little secret.

"I'm so excited too! I'm thinking of taking them to the town pool, then after we'll get ice cream."

"That'd be perfect! Alright, I don't want to take up too much more of your time. I know you're busy. Call you later!"

"Bye mom, love you."

"Love you too, byeeee."

I hang up, and now that I've exited the store, I make my way back down the sidewalk and towards my apartment. Andrea has been such a fantastic person to come into my life. She's an honest and no-bullshit type of woman, which helps when it comes to my dad and other aspects of my life. She tells it how it is, and I appreciate her for that. I mean, sometimes it irks me when we go shopping, and she tells me her honest opinion on clothes that I try on, but it also helps me save money so I can't be too irritated. I'm so grateful that my dad is back in my life too. He's been going to therapy and really working his shit out. It's honestly really inspiring. I guess to some extent, it hurts to see how nice he treats Mae and Hamura. Sometimes I catch myself feel a tinge of jealously when he swings them around or carries them on his back, wishing that that could've been me. But even with those occasional thoughts, I'm glad that we could resolve our pasts and move towards the future. Together. I know my mom would be proud.

I finally walk up the steps to my apartment and set one of the bags down to unlock the door. I step inside, and as I close the door, Ku is already there, taking the groceries out of my hands and moving them into the kitchen.

I slide off my shoes with a huff. "You really had me unlock the door when you've been here the whole time."

'In my defense, you told me to get here at 4:00, and it's 4:04. I literally just teleported over. I didn't know that you weren't back yet until I heard you open the door.'

I squint at his back as he takes the groceries out of the bag and begins separating them into piles. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook this time."

I walk into my bedroom and quickly change out of my uniform and into more comfortable clothes, consisting of a pair of athletic shorts and a regular light blue tank top. Once I'm done, I walk back into the kitchen and move next to him, bumping shoulders and begin helping him get started on dinner.

As I wash the veggies in the sink, he leans in and kisses me lightly on the cheek. He asks me how work was, and I tell him the usual. Nothing really eventful happened, which is surprising since it was a lovely morning/afternoon. I got a raise a few months ago, which came with more responsibilities, but it's such a fun job with fun people that I know I plan to stick around for longer. He nods, and after I'm done at the sink, I move to my phone to play our shared playlist. I hit shuffle, and we engage in small talk as we continue to make the meal. This whole situation is very domestic, and I love that. We work around each other in almost a synchronized pattern (sometimes accidentally bumping into each other), and it makes me feel warm inside. Even if we both have powers, we don't need to use them to understand what each other needs or what next step we need to take. After about 20 minutes, everything is either cooking, searing, or cooling down, which leaves us with nothing to do at the moment.

I wipe my hands on my apron and turn to him with a smile. I notice the song playing on my phone and take a few steps towards him. I stop, keeping only a tiny amount of space between us, and do a curtsy, hands holding the side of my apron acting as if it were a dress. "Would you care for a dance, my good sir?" I ask in a British accent. He bows, not taking his eyes off me for a second before slowly standing straight again and offering his hand.

"Of course, darling." He says, in also a British accent.

I hum in delight as I happily take his hand. He wraps his other hand around my waist loosely, and I rest my free hand against his shoulder. "Your fake accent has gotten very good. I have trained you well."

He doesn't say anything and instead hums along to the current song as we begin to sway to the melody. After a few minutes of swaying, he pulls back, takes my hand in his, and gives me a quick spin. As I come around, he wraps his arms around my waist and dips me, pure love swirling around in his eyes as he looks down at me. I giggle as he brings me back up.

"Always so smooth."

'It's a talent of mine.'

I laugh again and lean in to meet his lips in a soft kiss. "Happy anniversary, babe."

He kisses me again before letting me go and moving back towards the steak that appears to be almost done. "Happy anniversary, dream girl."

We spend the next few minutes getting everything ready, and as I set up the table, Ku quickly cleans up the kitchen. Just as I'm finishing up, my mom and dad called to wish us a happy anniversary and that she owes us dinner. After the quick phone call, we both sit down, clink our sparkling cider, and dig in. For the next 45 minutes or so, we talk about random things. Most of it consists of our theories on the current anime we're watching and where we might want to go for our trip when the break finally comes.

"Okay," I start with a smile that hasn't left my lips since I've been home. "What is your favorite memory of us." He gives me a look, and before he can say anything, I talk again, "and don't say anything sexual."

'But what if those moments are my favorite.'

"Those don't count right now."

He leans back in his chair and looks off to the side for a moment. I continue to eat my steak, and after I take another sip of my drink, he leans forward and nods. 'I have two favorites... both non-sexual.'

"Really?"

'Yeah.'

"Okay... so what are they?"

'The first one was when we went stargazing after our first date.'

"That's a good one."

'And the second one was at your father's wedding.'

"Really?" I say again, somewhat surprised with that answer.

'Yes. You looked really nice in that dress.'

I grin, "thank you, I really liked that dress too."

He asks me the same question, to which I say I can't decide since they're all good memories that I really appreciate, to which he just rolls his eyes (in a playful way, of course). But after thinking about it, I say our school trip. He makes a sexual comment. I punch him in the arm, he doesn't flinch, I stick my tongue out at him, and he just laughs. We finish eating, and then we dig into the coffee jelly that we had chilling in the fridge. Instead of sitting at the table, we make our way over to the couch and enjoy the sweet treat as we cuddle up watching our show. After two episodes, Kusuo looks down at his phone for what feels like the 8th time.

"Got somewhere else you need to be?" I question, quirking my eyebrow.

He sets his phone facedown and looks to me, 'No, just checking the time.'

I softly smile at him and decide that it's probably nothing. I look out the window and see that the sun is beginning to slowly sink down. I love days like this, where it's still right out even though it's almost 8:00.

After one more episode, Kusuo abruptly stands up and offers a hand. He shifts on his feet anxiously, and I grow amused and confused.

"Everything okay?" I question, standing up.

He nods but doesn't say anything else, so I accept his outstretched hand, and the next thing I know, we are on the shore's docks, but not just any shore. As soon as I realize where we are, I turn to Ku with a massive grin on my face. He looks over at me with a smug smile. 'Does this place look familiar or something?'

"How did you know?"

'I asked your dad.'

I can't contain my excitement, so I drag Kusuo along down the same dock I walked with my mom all those years ago. Even though it's been some time, it's the muscle memory that takes me towards the small sailboat that I haven't seen in ages. I stop in front of the little boat with faded lettering that's unmistakable, Gravy. I stare at it for a moment, not sure what to even say. But of course, Ku seems to be able to read my mind without actually being able to.

'Your dad had it stowed away in a storage garage.'

My heart swells. I thought we sold it since I was still young and didn't know how to drive it, and my dad had no time to be out on it. It's nice to know that my dad held on to something my mom cared so much about.

'Want to go sailing?'

I turn to him, surprised, "but... I don't know how."

Kusuo just shrugs and hops down into the little boat. 'That's okay because I can.'

He holds out his hand again and helps me hop down into the boat. I am thoroughly confused as I watch him adjust some ropes and prepare to actually go out on the open water.

"Babe," I start. He continues to get ready, but he raises his eyebrows to let me know he's listening. "What do you mean you can?"

He pauses for a second, then shrugs his shoulders, 'I took some classes.'

"Wh-? When did you do that?"

'A few months ago, it was during the time where you worked almost every day at the cafe, the time where they were really short-staffed when the flu was going around.' He hums. 'I wanted to surprise you, and that was the perfect time to prepare.'

"Why?"

'What do you mean why? To make you happy, dummy.' He says like it's an obvious fact.

He notices I'm not saying anything, and when he turns, he takes notice of the tears starting to well up in my eyes. 'Y/n/n,' he begins. He closed the already small distance between us and took hold of my shoulders lightly. Before he can say anything, I cut him off.

"I'm just a little overwhelmed," I sniffle. "Give me a minute."

He chuckles and moves a hand to pull my head to his chest, to which then he wraps his hands around my back in a much-needed hug. I hug him back, and for a few seconds, we stay like this. He really took sailing lessons for me simply because he knew it would make me happy.

I pull back from the embrace and smile up at him. "I'm good now."

He smiles too and then goes back to getting everything prepared. It only takes a few short minutes before he hoists the sail, turns on the motor, unties us from the dock, and takes us out to open water. The further we get from shore, the happier I feel. Memories of me and my mom start coming back to me, and I can't help but grin. It's been over two years now since her passing, and even though I still hurt sometimes, I know that she would be proud of how far I've come. I turn to Ku, who's already looking at me with such adoration in his eyes.

"My mom would've really liked you."

He softly smiles, 'I'd hope so.'

After a few minutes, he cuts the motor and throws an anchor off the side of the boat, keeping us in place. Once he's sitting down again, I lean over and kiss him softly on the lips.

"Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me."

'I'm glad.' He says, 'because if it didn't, this would be kinda awkward.'

I laugh, "why would it be awkward? You know I'd appreciate anything. Even just staying at my place would've been fine."

'I know, but this is important.'

"I agree, but that doesn't mean I'd love you any less if we didn't do something as awesome as this. I like you a lot. I could literally watch you watch paint dry."

He blows air out of his nose, 'that sounds like it'd be awful.'

"But I'd be with you."

He looks away, seeming a little flustered, then looks back at me again, but this time a determined look is present on his face. 'I have something to say.'

A little thrown off by his nervous demeanor, I tilt my head in a questioning way.

'Don't laugh at me, alright, I'm nervous.'

"Why would you be nervous? It's just me."

He's quiet. He bites the inside of his cheek, his face becoming a light shade of pink.

"Ku," I start, "what's wrong?"

'Nothing's wrong.' He starts, 'I just-... I'm not good with words.'

I grab his hand and pull it into my lap, "take your time. I'll listen."

He slackens his shoulders and takes a quick breath. 'Okay.'

"Okay."

"So basically..." he starts out loud. "When you asked what my favorite memory was of us, one of them was the wedding."

"Right, because my dress was nice."

"Well, duh, obviously, but it was also more than that." He pauses again. "When... I saw how everything was... I don't know... I guess I just... I wanted that too."

I knit my eyebrows together, a little puzzled at where he's going with this. I rub my thumb across his knuckles, and the movement seems to give him enough confidence to keep going.

"The wedding made me realize how much I want to be with you... and it's one of my favorite memories because that was when I decided... I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He takes his hand away from mine and reaches into his pocket to pull out a small black velvet box. I gasp, my hands flying up to my mouth.

"Kusuo," I mumble, feeling tears start to prickle my eyes again.

"I know we're young... but I can't see myself with anyone else." He says seriously, looking deep into my eyes. "You... make me feel average... like I'm just a normal kid and... that's all I ever wanted...and, and even being around you, especially in the beginning... I've never felt such a connection with anyone before in my life, so basically what I'm trying and failing to say is that... you're it for me, dream girl."

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

At his confession, I think my heart might burst out of my chest. This kid never ceases to surprise and amaze me with everything he does. Looking back, even though he's really only open with me, he's come a long way and actually willingly joins in sometimes when we hang out with the whole gang.

"But Ku," I start, dropping the hands from my mouth to rest anxiously on my knees. "We can't get married, there wouldn't be any way to support ourselves- I mean, I have money saved from the cafe but all the expenses and-"

He cuts me off with a laugh, a laugh that fills up my entire body and instantly sets me at ease. I love that sound. He reaches over and rests a hand on the top of my head. "As awesome as that would be, I also agree."

He retracts his hand and opens the small box. Inside holds a dainty silver band with a single diamond that rests elegantly atop the ring. It's simple but classic. He says, "I want this to be a promise, that when we're old enough and all that... I want to marry you..."

I smile so big that my cheeks hurt. "Are you sure? Stuff like this might bring you a lot of attention."

He smiles too. "I've never been more sure about anything else in my whole life."

"Okay," I smile, and he carefully removes the ring from the box and slips it onto my middle finger on my left hand, saving my ring finger for a few years down the road. I marvel at the ring, and my whole body practically explodes from happiness. Is this real life?

Kusuo exhales and leans back against the seat, 'I'm glad I got that over with.'

I snort, "Yes, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. It seems our business conference has concluded, I'll fax over the information, and I look forward to conversing with you again."

He rolls his eyes, 'you say the weirdest things sometimes.'

The boat spins a little as the soft breeze blows through the sail. The sun is finally setting over the horizon, dusting the sky in soft pinks and oranges, the dark purple and blues beginning to take over.

'I actually... talked to your dad about this at the wedding.'

I turn my head so fast I almost think my neck breaks, "was that what you guys were talking about?"

He nods, and my mouth drops open in shock. "That was months ago. Why'd you wait so long? Was it because of my dad? Did he say something to you? I swear if he did, I'll have a talk with him. I'll call him. He can be such a dummy sometimes-"

'No, that's not it,' Ku interrupts. He moves from his seat across from me to now sit beside me, draping his arm over my shoulder as we watch the sunset. 'He was actually really helpful. I just decided to wait because I thought it would freak you out... I figured if you could put up with me for another six months, then you could probably handle anything. And here you are.'

I rest my head on his shoulder, "here I am."

'Somehow.'

I rest my head on his shoulder as we continue to watch the sun disappear over the tree line. Surprisingly, it's just the two of us out here. The air is starting to get cooler, and when another slow breeze rolls through, I scoot closer to Ku.

"Can we come back again? Maybe next time we can swim."

'Sure, whatever you want.'

"I think that would be fun. We can have a picnic or something."

'Yeah, that'd be nice,' he says and kisses the top of my head.

I tilt my head to look up at him. He looks down at me, and I lean up to close the small gap between us. We share a few soft kisses before turning our attention back to the sun that has practically disappeared. Even though I don't know what the future will hold, I know that I will be just fine knowing that Kusuo will be right there at my side.

"I love you, Kusuo Saiki," I breathe out, fiddling with the simple ring that hugs my finger.

"I love you too, Y/n L/n."

+++++

The End!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I've put a lot of hours into this book and I am so happy with how it turned out! I started crying as I finished the last few sentences, I can't believe it's done! Thanks for voting and commenting! The comments make my whole week!

Stay tuned for future works! (Possible fics for MHA and Jujustu Kaisen!)

Love you all <3

Juliana