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One of the first things Kokomi learned about Kujou Sara as they grew closer is how jumpy and suspicious she is.
The way she'll nervously shy away from touch and carefully track the movement of Kokomi's hands after even the most minor of arguments, the way she'll snap around with sharp eyes towards anyone that approaches her from behind, how , whenever she's hidden away from the public eye, she'll flinch when a man raises his voice loudly enough.
It's frustrating, too. Kokomi knows very well that Sara loves being touched and craves being held like a fish craves the freedom of the ocean. It's obvious by the way she almost dissolves every time Kokomi slips her arms around her back and directs her head to rest on her shoulder.
It makes her want to throw Kujou Takayuki into the open sea, the way her ancestors did to those that wronged the people of Watatsumi in times long past.
It's why, even after all this time, she's so surprised when Sara's head slump down on her shoulder.
She perhaps shouldn't be. Sara had looked dead tired when Kokomi had arrived, as if she'd been carrying the weight of the entire world on her shoulders and hadn't slept for weeks.
When Kokomi had asked, she'd simply brushed it aside with a tired smile and a simple "I've just been dealing with a particularly exhausting band of louts, don't worry." before insisting that she pack up her novels.
Sara doesn't really get light novels, Kokomi knows that. She insists that they are unrealistic and at times outright blasphemous.
Kokomi loves them though, so every time Kokomi asks to read some together she simply nods and agrees to, even when Kokomi tells her that she doesn't have to.
On some level it's probably for this, to be close without having to admit that she craves it. She's always been so terribly embarrassed about how lonely she is. Another reason to curse Takayuki's name.
She really does carry the weight of the world on her shoulders sometimes, too. With the Tenryou commission in chaos she's one of the few people left that are both capable of and trusted enough to pick up the slack, and the increased workload has been running her ragged.
Carefully repositioning Sara's head into her lap, she starts running her fingers through the soft downy fluff that's hiding beneath her hair. Sara always loves when she does that, and even asleep she hums in appreciation.
She's clearly exhausted, and Kokomi admires her for it, because she works so hard, cares so much about the people of Inazuma. She spends every moment of her day doing her best to make sure that their lives are as free from worry as she possibly can. She deserves to rest like this every day.
She's so happy that Sara trusts her enough to sleep like this. The first time Lumine had asked them to help her deal with a Fatui plot Sara had kept herself awake the entire night, apparently convinced that it was unsafe to sleep in the presence of others.
A sharp contrast to how she is now snuggling herself further into Kokomi's lap, drawn to the comfort of her body warmth.
She really should get Sara to bed. Sleeping like this is going to make her sore in the morning.
She doesn't really want to, though. She wants to cherish the moment.
Sara's face, usually fixed into a stern stare, is lax. It looks soft. Were she more poetic, Kokomi would figure out some apt way to put words to how it's a metaphor for Sara herself, but as it is she's happy to just look at how peaceful the sleeping Tengu looks.
For all the ills that the Vision Hunt Decree brought, Kokomi is thankful that it at least allowed her to get to know Sara as anything other than a name.
She'll never be quite the family that she knows that Sara desperately wants for herself, the loving parents feeling proud of their daughter, but she'll always do her best to make her feel loved nonetheless.
Her thoughts are interrupted by another sigh and a trilling hum
"Welcome back, Sara." She can't keep the smile out of her voice, nor her giggle at the way Sara's nose bunches up when Kokomi's hair touches it as she leans down to look her in the eyes. "Comfortable?"
Sara sighs again, another elusive smile on her lips. "This is nice." She accompanies her words with again burrowing her head into Kokomi's lap. When she looks back up, her eyes glow enough to be visible even in the candlelight.
She's so pretty.
"I'm sorry for falling asleep. I didn't mean to." She sounds genuinely apologetic, as if she's failed some grand assignment.
Kokomi doesn't mind, though.
Doing this was never about reading books anyway.