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Kokomi Teruhashi was the most blessed person in the world, but not for the reasons you’re thinking of. She was not the most blessed person in the world because of her beauty, her grace, her smarts, or even the fact she was beloved by the gods, no. The reason that she insisted she was the most blessed person in the world is because Saiki Kusuo is her boyfriend. Yes, the Saiki Kusuo. The boy who everyone thought didn’t have a heart. The boy who dodged all the affections of her friends at least once, and most importantly, the boy who claimed he would never fall in love.
Now don’t get her wrong, Kokomi knew for a fact that there were people who didn’t fall in love. That was fine by her, love isn’t for everyone and for the longest time she didn’t think it was for her. Yet here she is, hopelessly in love with her boyfriend. The claim still felt foreign on her lips despite knowing all the effort she put in to get to this point. Because it was a lot of effort.
Originally they hadn’t even been friends. Neither of them were on the other's radar, but then slowly they became aware of each other. Then they became acquaintances, then friends, then close friends, and now lovers. Them becoming friends and becoming lovers took a while, but she supposed looping 4 years would do that. Well on a technicality it was 5. All members of Saiki’s friend group asked for one more year in their new classes, just a little more time. He obliged. In the time loop breaking and a new one setting up is where they became close friends. He told everyone about his powers the day after he got them back, though he paid special attention to her. At the time she didn’t understand why, but now she knew quite well. When even her finding out the fact he could read her mind this entire time still didn’t deter her, he realized she was serious. The irony? She couldn’t tell when he was being serious. Turns out all the time of her assuming he would never fall in love with her put her in some pretty heavy denial. When the boy actually confessed she thought he was joking. It took an entire week of confessions before she believed the last one, (he confessed to her face that he loved her by spelling out the word love), since then the rest was history. She had jumped into his arms and hugged him when she realized he was serious, something that caught them both off guard, and in a similar way that’s how their first kiss went. She had been so relaxed and unthinking that she just kissed him. Recognition hit her all too late and she avoided him for two whole days before he caught her and kissed her back. Honestly she wouldn’t have their first kiss any other way. Now here they were getting ready to go on a date and . . .
She wanted to throw up. Kokomi was presently sitting on the floor of her en suite bathroom crying her eyes out. She was miserable and that was putting it lightly. She couldn’t feel her legs, her heartbeat was erratic, she was nauseous and she was 5 seconds away from ripping out her uterus with a kitchen knife. Needless to say she wasn’t having a good time.
“Fuck.” She clutched her midsection trying desperately not to cry. She was only half succeeding. “Why today? Why today of all days? Why not tomorrow?” She curled in on herself as she felt a particularly harsh cramp hit her.
Whining she forced herself to her feet, unluckily her feet gave out the second she tried to stand.
3 days of actual hell for 4 months of nothing is so not fair. She groaned as she forced herself to try and stand once more. I bet the rest of the population doesn’t have to deal with this. She thought bitterly, then sighed. I am definitely by no means blessed by the gods. Heaving a shuddering sigh she stopped her wobble as she made it to her bed. She flopped down face first into the soft bedding.
There’s no way I can go on a date now. She huffed as she inched her way higher on her bed.
“At least it’s not like he’s driving all the way here.” She grumbled.
All I have to do is convince my super-powered boyfriend who can read my mind that I am completely fine and am not suffering when he can see my muscles and my bones.
She paused, rolling on her back to look at her ceiling.
Damn it all. She groaned, dragging her hands over her face.
“If he never sees me it’s fine, he’ll never be able to tell.”
Not for the first time she wished the boy had a phone.
“I don’t need one. I can hear everyone’s thoughts, teleport to any location that I can see, and by crossing my eyes I can see where anyone is. A phone would just be impractical.” He had said when she asked one day.
She sat up quickly, instantly regretting her decision.
He can check in on me at any time! No no no no no! If he sees that I look disheveled he won’t leave me alone. I can’t let him see me like this. But what do I do?
As if she was currently being watched she put on an award winning smile. Feeling ridiculous she covered her face with a pillow.
Nothing about this is fair. He’s not supposed to see me like this.
The only people that knew about the personal hell that was bestowed upon her were her parents, her brother, and Chiyo. Chiyo had been an accident. They were hanging out one day and it came upon her suddenly, she didn’t have the time to escape the situation and ended up dealing with it at the girls house. She was eternally grateful she didn’t freak out about it, but she vowed to never let anyone see her so weak again. Blubbering, being confined to the bathroom, not able to keep anything down, all of it was terrible. Chiyo didn’t need to see all that, and Saiki definitely didn’t.
Groaning for what felt like the billionth time Kokomi rolled in her side.
“It’s fine,” she whispered, “I still have more than enough time to figure out something. As long as nothing bad happens I’ll—“
Shooting white hot pain hit her like a bucket of lava. She couldn’t think, she was hyperventilating, and in seconds she was gone.
Kokomi woke to pain in her chest, jellified legs, and a pounding head. Gingerly she sat up.
What. . .? Looking over her body she was grateful to find no physical injuries. “I must have passed out.” She rubbed her eyes, the pain dulled from the sudden extreme use of energy. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table.
1:20
She screamed.
“NO! Please it can’t be! How did I pass out for 50 minutes?!” Trying to scramble off the bed led to immediate failure and instead she landed hard on the wooden floor beneath her. Had her brother been home she was certain the police department, fire department, and paramedics would have been called by now.
The paramedics might not be so bad actually.
She hissed as she was once again reminded her uterus existed.
Okay Kokomi, this is fine. You can figure out a way to get Saiki to leave without worrying him, and more importantly without leaving the floor. You got this.
5 minutes later she had nothing, 10 minutes later she had a lie.
“I’m here. Are you downstairs?”
Even prepared she was still startled by the boy's voice in her head. She took a deep breath focusing on not letting her pain through to her thoughts.
“Teruhashi?”
Yes I’m here, sorry I. She took a deep breath. I don’t think I can go on a date today, my brother was being particularly annoying and told my parents how he’s seen us kissing. So I’m kinda grounded at the moment, they’ll be doing hourly check-ins to make sure I’m still home. I’m sorry.
It was silent. Had she not been afraid that moving from her current contortionist position would hurt she would have been pacing. She heard knocking on her window and jumped.
“First of all, your parents have seen us kiss, at least 3 times.” She grimaced, turning away from him. “Second, you're a terrible liar because you’re trying to lie to a psychic. What’s wrong?”
She pressed her lips into a thin line to stall for time, but she knew it would be short lived.
How are you on my windowsill?
“Flying, teleportation, jumping, climbing, pick one. Why are you avoiding my question?”
She didn’t have to look at him to know there was a soft glare on his face.
I’m not. I’m just not feeling up to it today.
“The date, or going outside?”
He was being patient because of course he was. Part of the reason she loved him so much is because he always tried his best to be rational.
“Or do you not want to see me? It’s fine just tell me and—“
“NO!” She had yelled so loud that the boy could hear her on the other side of the glass. “It’s not that I don’t want to hang out with you, it’s just. . .”
I can’t, it’s, I mean there’s—
Body deciding once more to make a choice for her she contorted herself and gripped her stomach tightly. Mind going blank from pain.
“Teruhashi what’s wrong?!”
Warm hands covered soft skin. Firm in their grip they were a strong counter to her shaking body.
Glancing at the window Kokomi recalled that the boy had been waiting outside because of curtsey, not because he had to.
She convulsed again and brought her chin to her chest.
“Kokomi, please.”
She managed to look at him, and she saw fear in his eyes. Her own eyes watery, she bit back tears.
“I wanted you to leave because this is gross and annoying, and I know you wanted to go out today, and I really did too but I just can’t control it! I definitely didn’t see it coming,” she hiccupped trying to keep her voice steady “a-and I’ll get if you, if you want, to t-to leave, cause it’s gross and disgusting and I should have a better handle on it.” She swallowed, pulling her wrists out of his comforting hold to press them against her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
“Kokomi what on Earth are you apologizing for? And why would I leave when you’re clearly in pain?”
“Because I’m on my period and it’s gross and annoying and—“
Saiki shook his head gently, prying her wrists from her eyes.
“Are you serious?”
Kokomi sniffled slightly, offended that her obvious pain was being questioned.
“You don’t have to mock me.” She croaked.
“I’m not, that wasn’t my, ugh.” He groaned, inhaled deeply and then cupped her face with his hands. “I wasn’t trying to mock you. And I’m not disappointed or upset or angry or appalled or disgusted or anything similar.”
So he is annoyed.
“Yes, but not because you’re on your period. Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. “I didn’t know it was coming.”
Subconsciously Saiki waited for the lie, waited for her mind to supply the truth. He was met with vague memories of past struggles and irritation at the hand she was dealt.
“Well that’s a shit deal.” He muttered.
Kokomi laughed and then whined.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you laugh.”
Carefully Saiki pulled Kokomi into his lap. Using his pyrokinesis he warmed his hands and placed them on her stomach, and warmed his front where her back would meet his chest. He felt the tension in the girl's body ease slightly.
“That feels significantly better than rolling around on the floor.”
“I would hope so.”
Kokomi breathed in and out slowly as she tried to work through the pain, focusing on the warmth in her boyfriend’s hands and back. Gently Saiki began messaging her abdomen and Kokomi suppressed a hiss.
“Too hard?”
She shook her head taking another hissing breath before resting her head on his shoulder.
Honestly at this point I probably wouldn’t be able to tell if you broke my ribs, actually it might feel better. Maybe, probably not.
“I’m not going to break your ribs Teruhashi.”
It was a joke, kind of. Will you at least gouge out my uterus?
Even though she didn’t realize when she closed her eyes she opened them to give the boy a weak smile. His eyes didn’t meet hers as they were seemingly reading something on the ceiling. As she was about to ask he looked at her.
“Maybe.”
“What?!” She stopped leaning on his shoulder to try and look him in the eye. “Like seriously?”
He nodded.
“Can you? Please?” She didn’t care if she was begging, her pain left her feeling justified in the lapse in judgment.
“No.”
She balked at him, whining on the tip of her lips before another cramp hit her and she was sent spiraling back into pain. Saiki eased her back against his chest and continued massaging her abdomen. Intermittently pressing harder on pressure points to help release the pain. When her breathing evened he spoke again.
“Excusing the fact I’m not a certified doctor, I don’t want to take something away from you when you aren’t in the right headspace. If you want to remove your uterus when it doesn’t feel like you’re dying, be my guest, I’ll help you find someone to do it. Otherwise, you might end up regretting it. Even if presently this hurts like a bitch.”
Tears fell from Kokomi’s eyes and she was glad he didn’t comment. She was fairly certain nobody had still treated her like a person when she was on her period, at the very least no one in her family did. She became a frail object that could only feel pain, instead of a human being that desperately craved distractions from the personal hell her body gave her.
She gave him a wet laugh. “It really does hurt like a bitch.”
Saiki returned the smile.
“But if it means I get cuddles from my boyfriend and get to hear him cuss, it might not be all bad.”
Saiki rolled his eyes but held her a little tighter.
Just as Kokomi was about to make another snarky comment, her stomach rolled and Saiki helped her up off the floor quickly helping her to the bathroom. He winced as he heard her discard the contents in her stomach into the toilet. Once the toilet flushed he heard the sink turn on and Kokomi returned looking even more disheveled than before.
“That was gross, sorry.” She mumbled. Leaning on him he kept her upright even as her legs protested.
“I’m surprised you're standing.”
Head turned into the fabric of his shirt he barely heard her “not by choice.”
“Have you taken anything? Do you have prescription meds for this? If you don't, that's a great oversight on. . . A lot of people’s parts actually.”
Medicine, right, yeah, medicine. Knew I was forgetting something. No I don’t, I haven’t taken any yet. I have to eat something first, and I don’t have anything up here.
“That’s dumb.”
Kokomi managed a glare. “S’not intentional.”
Saiki bent, making sure to keep Kokomi standing upright while slowly fixing her center of gravity to be horizontal. The last thing he wanted was for her to throw up again.
“You had things in the past in your room to deal with this then?” She nodded. “What happened?”
It didn’t come for like 7 months and I forgot.
Kokomi felt him chuckle as she realized her feet were now off the floor and she was being carried bridal style to her bed.
“That’s fair.”
Kokomi hummed. “Can you keep talking with your voice? It feels good.”
Saiki quirked an eyebrow at her. “The vibration of my vocal chords. . . Feels good?”
“Stop teasing! I know it doesn’t make sense and I know it’s weird and I know you don’t like talking out loud and, I don’t know.”
“Compelling argument.”
“Please Kusuo. ”
She hated begging, she hated showing weakness, she hated the idea that she couldn’t handle everything alone. Being a woman did not make her weak. So she did not cry during her period, she didn’t become “overly emotional”, and she didn’t watch sappy movies. She pushed through the pain, or oftentimes ignored it all together. Kokomi Teruhashi was not weak. But she was in pain.
“You’re not weak for being in pain by the way.” He was spooning her, and had the circumstances been different she might have blushed. “You’re just human.” The rumble of his voice, the heat from his chest and hands, and the massage that had yet to stop were all letting her body untense.
“Thank you.”
He whispered. “You still need to eat something.”
“Working on it. Don't wanna throw it up again.”
-
When she woke up she was alone, the spot behind her was cold, and she couldn’t tell if she had dreamt everything. She sat up slowly, holding her stomach out of habit.
Did he leave? Was he so grossed out that he couldn’t stand it? I don’t blame him. Why wouldn’t he leave? Or maybe he was never here at all. Maybe you just dreamt up a reality where you didn’t have to deal with this alone. Wishful thinking is for babies Kokomi, you know that.
“You’re being awfully melodramatic today.” Kokomi snapped up to the sound of the voice, unaware she had been looking at the floor
“You stayed.” She whispered. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t, not over something like her boyfriend staying with her through her pain. She wouldn’t. . . Probably.
Saiki walked over to the bed and set down the plate he had been holding on her bedside table. Distantly Kokomi realized that a tea cup was floating in the air, but she was unaffected by such feats of amazingness anymore.
When Saiki sat down she leaned on him. He grabbed the levitating tea cup out of the air and held it out to her. Wordlessly she took it and lifted it to her lips to drink.
“Mmmmm” she smiled at the warmth of it. “This is good.” She murmured.
“My grandmother was insistent on me and my brother learning how to make tea. Not only how to make it, but how to make it well.”
She nodded, rubbing her head on his shoulder as she did. She wanted to sleep again, she was just so tired .
“You need to eat something.” He said softly.
Kokomi wrinkled her nose at the thought. She finished her tea quickly and then let the cup rest in her lap.
“I did. I ate tea.” She smiled. Saiki frowned unamused. “Well if you put the tea leaves in here I could’ve eaten those, I’ve eaten worse to lose weight.”
“Societal standards. . .” He mumbled to himself.
She still wasn’t sure how he managed to mutter telepathically, but she found it wonderfully cute.
Saiki was holding a rice ball in his hand. She glared at it.
“I’m not hungry.”
“That’s great, eat it anyway.”
“I don’t wanna throw up again.”
“The tea should help with stomach pain and nausea.”
“I’m not in pain anymore.” She winced as her stomach constricted and she screwed her eyes shut from the pain. When the severity passed she noticed a warm hand on her stomach and barely contained irritation. She was pushing his limit. She was well aware.
“Kokomi.”
It was the first time he’d said her name so vindictively. She shuddered.
“Kusuo.” She whispered.
“ Eat. ”
She frowned but took the rice ball away from him taking a small bite. She looked at him to see a glare and she took an actual bite as a show of conceding.
There was ham in the center of the ball, and some vegetables. She couldn’t tell what they were because of how they were chopped. Maybe carrots, maybe peppers, she didn’t know. It was good, that’s all she cared about. She managed to get through 2 before she decided anymore would be pushing it. He made 5, he ate the other 3.
“This medicine tastes awful.” She grumbled as she sneered at the pill.
“Does it work?”
“I know I know, I shouldn’t complain if it does it’s job but—“
He cut her off “What? No. That’s how you know it works. The worse it tastes the stronger it is.”
She’d never thought about it like that before. “Oh. I guess, yeah. Huh.” Frowning a little she looked at the pill one more time before taking it. She stuck out her tongue when she swallowed and she could swear she heard a snicker.
“You laughed at me.”
“Only if it was fitting.”
Kokomi put a hand to her forehead and dramatically fell onto the bed. “My boyfriend is so mean to me! I don’t know what I should do.”
Though she couldn’t see him she could almost feel him roll his eyes.
“He hates me I’m sure!” She peeked at him to see his expression and she saw his smirk. “He simply can’t stand me. I’m certain of it. Oh Winston,”
“Who’s Winston?”
“You, now shh, you’re messing with my flow. Oh, Winston!”
“It’s not even Japanese.”
She threw a pillow at him and he dogged easily. “Oh Warai ,” she put extra emphasis on the new name. “Whatever shall I do about Lord Kusuo?”
“I’m a lord now?”
“Warai! It can’t be, you’re actually Lord Kusuo in disguise?!”
“This would be a terrible disguise.”
“Oh no! Whatever shall I do? Such treasonous things will surely result in punishment!”
“That seems extreme.” He laid down next to her, lifting her head up so it would rest on his stomach.
“Oh Lord Kusuo please forgive me for talking so illfully about you!”
“Illfully is not a word.”
“Is there anything I could do to—“ she flinched, sitting up and clutching the bed like a lifeline. If her nails were sharper she’s half convinced she would have torn the bedding.
Kusuo sat up and then slowly guided her on top of him. He was on his back now instead of his side, and she was nearly all the way on him.
“Your punishment is to lay here with me until you feel better.”
Kokomi shook her head attempting to get off of him. “Your pants,” she whispered.
“Bloodstains are the least of my concerns.” He gently eased her back down onto his chest.
“My lord Kusuo is too merciful.” The acting was lost as the pain and exhaustion entered her system again.
“My lady—“
“Princess.” She interrupted weakly.
“What system—“
“Shh. Princess, continue.”
“My princess Kokomi,” he began again. He was blushing, he had poor control of his pyrokinesis when embarrassed. “I am not so merciful. I am selfish and vindictive and very spiteful.”
“And a brat,” she interrupted again, finding his hand and intertwining their fingers.
“And a brat,” he conceded voice growing softer. “Your punishment is entirely for my own benefit so I may hold you without the need to release you. Because I hate having to share.”
The last statement was more truthful than it probably should’ve been for this silly game where she was making up the rules as she went, but it gave her butterflies which was a nice contrast to the knives it felt like she ingested.
“My Lord Kusuo, if I didn’t know better I’d say you fancy me.” She squeezed his hand.
“It’s my fault for making you think I’m not hopelessly enthralled with you.” He squeezed back.
She sat up and looked at him. “Hopelessly enthralled?” She mouthed the words, too afraid he might take them back if she voiced them out loud.
She thought he might look away and roll his eyes, or blush with a pout, or any other mannerisms she’s come to associate with embarrassment.
He sat up on his elbows, leaned forward and kissed her. It was quick, and warm. He really was overheating, but she loved it all the same.
“Hopelessly enthralled it drives me crazy.”
“I didn’t think anything got to you.” Her voice was a ghost of a whisper now.
“Nothing does, except you. I honestly think if you asked me to destroy the world I would.”
Kokomi rested her head back on his chest, listening to his ever steady heartbeat.
“I don’t need the world, just you.”
She heard him put an arm over his eyes vaguely wondering if he remembered to push his glasses out of the way. “I swear you’re doing it on purpose.”
She looked at him. His cheeks were pinker than his hair.
“I’m not.” She voiced.
He brought his hand off his face and combed a hand through her hair. “I know. You don’t have to. I think being in love just does this to people.”
She smiled and closed her eyes. “For the record I’m hopelessly enthralled with you too.”
He blushed even harder and while she couldn’t see it, she could feel the heat coming off his neck. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep.
-
She woke up to the rise and fall of the boy underneath her. Even in his sleep he was in control of his powers to keep her abdomen warm. She was so grateful to him.
I love him so much, but I really should wake him up. He needs to go home and Makoto and my parents will be home soon.
She traced lazy lines on the underside of his jaw and his cheeks. She moved his glasses out the way, taking care to cover his eyes with her hand. In the beginning of their relationship he would wake up immediately after she removed them from his face, now though he was still content in his slumber.
She kissed his chest before laying her head back over his heart, still refusing to remove her hand from his eyes.
“Petrification won’t solve your problems.” He murmured, voice still laced with sleep.
She smiled. “I actually wasn’t thinking about that, but now that you’ve given me the idea,”
He squeezed her tighter with the arm on her back. She giggled and then squealed when he rolled them on their sides. He was spooning her again.
“No.”
She laughed as he massaged her abdomen again.
“Fine, no petrification. And here I thought you loved me.”
“ I hardly see how turning my girlfriend to stone is love.”
“You don’t read enough romance novels.”
She felt him scoff before pressing his face into her neck.
“I’m sorry you’re in pain.” He whispered.
A sad smile appeared on her face as she rubbed the hand on her stomach.
“It’s not your fault,” she whispered back. “And I’m not going to have you alter the human genome again just so that I’m not in pain. Though I appreciate the sentiment.”
He was quiet as he continued to hug her.
I wish this moment didn’t have to end.
“Why does it?”
Because you have to go home.
“Do you want me to go home?”
No, but I don’t want to deal with my family.
“There’s an easy fix to that problem.” She could almost feel his smirk.
“Are you going to kidnap me?”
“ You make me sound evil. But seriously, do you want to?”
She was nodding before she fully registered what she was doing.
In the blink of an eye they were in Saiki’s room on his bed.
“And what am I going to tell my parents?”
“ You’re eating at my house.”
Kokomi smiled wide.
“I almost feel like you did this so that you didn’t have to stop hugging me.”
“ I never said your punishment was over.”
She hit him playfully on the arm.
“Seriously though, did you grab my medicine?”
“I’m not crazy.”
“That’s debatable,” he nipped her ear and she shivered, “and I appreciate you. Thank you. I think I’d be crying right about now if not for you.”
He was quiet.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you have a nice side.” She teased.
He scoffed again attempting to roll away from her. She grabbed his arm before he could.
Saiki rolled his eyes.
“ And you say I’m the brat.”
“We can both be brats. It’s allowed.”
As they began relaxing into each other again they heard footsteps and then there was a knock on the door.
“It’s my mom, is she allowed to come in?”
Kokomi considered the question briefly. Is she going to baby me and act like I can’t take care of myself?
“No.”
Okay then.
Saiki opened the door telepathically letting his mother enter his room. Kokomi once again wished her parents valued her privacy as much as Saiki’s parents valued his.
“Oh! Kokomi! This is a nice surprise, but I thought you and Kusuo were going out today. Did you change your minds?”
Kokomi hesitated in her response.
‘She’s not going to judge you if you tell her the truth. I promise. But if you don’t want to tell her I’m sure we could come up with a convincing lie.’
Kokomi shook her head as she sat up from his grasp. “No, we did have plans to go out today. And I didn’t change my mind but, um, my period came and it’s a little—“
“A lot.” Saiki interrupted from behind her where he was still laying on his bed.
“A lot, debilitating.” She finished, glaring at the boy.
“Oh my,” Kurumi cooed. “Kokomi, I'm so sorry. Would you like some tea? Or a heating pad? Kusuo has probably already given you one of his world famous massages.”
“ They’re not world famous.” Kokomi could almost hear the roll of his eyes in his voice despite his eyes being closed.
“Sush. They would be if you gave massages to more than just your family. So, Kokomi?”
“You’re not,” she started.
“Hm?”
“Well I mean, my parents aren’t very good at dealing with this.” She mumbled. “I guess I’m just surprised you’re not freaking out.”
“Of course not! It’s perfectly natural and everyone should know of ways to deal with it. It’s a very terrible time for many people, but it doesn’t have to be. I taught Kusuo and Kusuke from a young age what a ‘period’ was because mine were fairly bad after my pregnancies.”
“Right but—“ before she could rebuttal another cramp hit her and she seized up. Kusuo gently brought her back down to where she was laying before his mother came in, resuming his massage as he did.
“I’ll go make some tea.” Kurumi smiled ruefully and left the two teens alone.
“I know people call me a saint, but I think your mom is an actual angel.” She whimpered.
His response was quiet as if it was only for her ears. “Probably, it would explain how I got my powers.”
“It would also explain why she’s so scary.” She murmured back, sleep taking her once again.
“100%”
They fell asleep like that for the second time that day.
_
When Kokomi awoke this time Kusuo was reading. His non dominant hand was still massaging her abdomen.
“How’s your book?” She croaked.
“I’ve read it two other times, so it’s good.”
She cleared her throat before speaking again. “I forget you just do that. Reread books you like more than once.”
“Says the girl who made us rewatch spirited away 6 times.” His voice was flat as he turned the page.
“It’s a good movie! Some argue it’s a cinematic masterpiece and it should be treated like one!”
He dipped his book down to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your facial expressions say more than your words do.”
“So you don’t just like the movie because your childhood crush was Haku?”
She could not form words or thoughts. She tried so hard but her face just got redder and redder. She eventually just dug her face into his chest and whined.
“It’s alright, your secret is safe with me.”
“You’re supposed to be nice to me since I’m suffering.”
“I am being nice. I’m not pushing the matter further. Even if he is boring.”
“He is not!” She sat up from where her face had been resting on his chest. “He is mysterious and kind and he cares about Chihiro a lot! AND HE'S A DRAGON!”
“Very compelling argument. I wasn’t aware the bar was below the ground.”
“He was also very attractive to my child self, thank you very much.”
“That’s not a compliment to yourself you know.”
“Well, maybe if you watch it ag—“
“I would rather find a way to transfer all your pain to me than watch that movie again so close to the last time.”
“It’s been a week!!
“No.”
“But—“
“No.”
“Well we have to watch something!”
“Then we’re watching the whisper of the heart.”
He flipped another page before the silence spread on too long.
“Why are you being so quiet?”
She smirked standing to find the movies on his shelf. “No reason.”
I knew I could make him like them.
He rolled his eyes but kept his smile to himself. Once the video was ready she took the book away and tossed it lightly to his desk.
“What if I wasn’t done with that?”
“You’ve already read it and I want cuddles. You’ll live.”
“You are spoiled.” Gently he brought her close to his chest as they sat on the hardwood floor. She reclined back into him as the movie began to play.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I only let you spoil me.”
He turned away as a blush of his own spread lightly across his cheeks . “You’re going to miss the movie.”
She gave him a soft smile and settled back in where she had been before. Warming up the tea, he handed it to her before she got too engrossed in the movie.
“Mmm! This is really good. I’ll have to ask your mom where she gets it.”
“She’d give you the box if you ask.”
“I don’t need the box. Especially since she probably uses it more.”
“Then just take home some packets.”
She thought about it for a moment as she took another sip. “I’ll think about it.”
He hummed as they returned to their movie.
-
The soft knocking on the door came right as the movie was nearing its conclusion.
“What are you guys watching?” Kurumi asked quietly as she entered the room.
“Whisper of the heart.” Is the answer both teens gave in unison.
“Oh I remember this movie,” Kurumi gave the screen a fond smile. “It was so heartwarming. Not to mention it sold out as soon as it came to theaters.”
Kokomi stuck out her tongue at Kusuo and he held it. She glared at him before he rolled his eyes and let it go.
Kusuo honey, I don’t, what?
“Kokomi was trying to be mean.”
“Don’t be upset because I was right.”
Deciding she had missed something important, Kurumi changed the conversation topic.
“I actually came up here to get you both. Dinners ready and it really is best served hot.”
“We’ll come down after we wash our hands.”
“Alright. Don’t take too long!”
“We won’t Mrs. Kurumi.”
“Dear I’ve told you a thousand times you can just call me Kurumi. No more of this Mrs. business, okay?”
Kokomi blushed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay. . .” Kurumi waited as she raised an eyebrow.
“Kurumi, okay Kurumi.”
The older woman nodded swiftly and disappeared.
“She’s serious. Don’t call her Mrs. again.” He stood and paused the CD before offering a hand to her.
“I’m not doing it to be mean! I just want to be polite.”
“I know,” he held her as her legs tensed before they relaxed again. “This is just the polite thing for my mom.”
Kokomi sighed and then nodded. “Okay. I’ll try.”
After washing their hands, they started to make their way downstairs. Kokomi paused halfway down.
“What’s wrong?”
She blinked, waving her hands in front of her. “Nothing! Your room is just far away from the kitchen so I never know what’s being made, but it smells really good.”
Saiki hummed and continued down the stairs unbothered. “Curry, Ramen, or Nikujaga.”
“Which one do you think it is?”
He shrugged. “We‘ll know soon enough.”
Kokomi sat down as Kusuo helped prep the table. She noticed there were only 3 place settings and she idly wondered if Mr. Kuniharu was still at work.
‘You call him Mr. in your head as well?’
Before she even had a chance to react, he was hit on the head by Kurumi.
“Don’t tease Kokomi, it’s not nice.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Maybe not out loud. Now go sit down.”
He rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. She couldn’t help but giggle. As Kurumi rounded the table, she pulled on her son's ear. He was quick to stand so the pulling wouldn’t hurt as much and only sat down when Kurumi let go.
“And don’t roll your eyes at your mother Kusuo.”
He nodded, rubbing his ear as he did.
Kokomi loved the Saiki household for many reasons, but one of her favorites was seeing how the family interacted with each other. In the beginning a small part of her envied their dynamic, but she was quickly included in the shenanigans.
“Okay! Let’s eat.”
“Oh, Nikujaga. I would have guessed wrong.”
“Do you not like it? I thought it might be good to take your mind off the pain with foods I know you like.”
“No no, it’s great! I meant it literally. Kusuo gave me three options on what you were making and while we didn’t bet, I would have guessed curry. I just would have literally guessed wrong.”
“Oh I see, but dear,”
Kokomi looked up from the food Kusuo was putting in her bowl. “Yes?”
“Never bet against Kusuo.”
“Because he can read minds?”
Kurumi laughed aloud as Kusuo began eating. “No, I completely forgot about that. He’s a terrible cheater.”
Kokomi gawked at the woman and then looked at the boy next to her. “Is this true?!”
He remained silent as he chewed.
“Kusuo, is this true!” She saw the ghost of a smirk and immediately started berating him on ethics and good sportsmanship.
For the first time in a while, she wasn’t even aware of her pain.
-
Until she was.
Kusuo was rubbing a warm hand up and down her back as she tried desperately not to bang her forehead on the table. She was moderately successful.
I’m so sick of this. I’m so sick of being in pain.
She felt tears begin to prick at the corners of her eyes. Everything was crashing on her at once as she realized she would be like this for another 2 days.
I don’t wanna deal with this. It’s not fair!
She began to sniffle as she sat up, trying desperately to hold back her tears. Crying in front of her boyfriend was one thing, but crying in front of his mother? That was humiliating.
Kurumi came back with another cup of tea in hand.
“You know,” she started gently. “You’re a lot stronger than me.”
“What?”
“When I was your age I used to cry all the time. My pain was awful and I mean, doctors have said it feels like having a heart attack. So of course I would cry! But then one day, one of my friends said it was better to grin and bear it.”
Kusuo scoffed, mumbling as he did. “That’s stupid.”
“It was,” Kurumi nodded. “But it sounded smart at the time. Nobody likes a cry baby. If I couldn’t even handle cramps how was I to be trusted to handle anything else?”
Kokomi was clutching her fists. “So you stopped crying?”
“For a time, yes. But then I met Kuniharu. My cramps were especially awful one day, but he had planned a wonderful date and I didn’t want to let him down. So I went all day all around Tokyo. Without medicine.”
“What?” Kusuo snapped his head up at his mother’s words. “ You’ve never told me this story.”
Kurumi to her credit just looked confused. “I didn’t think you were interested.”
He crossed his arms and pouted.
“Anyway, eventually it got so bad that I just couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled him out of the main walkway and started balling my eyes out.” She gave an airy laugh. “I was miserable the entire day and Kuniharu felt awful. He only asked me why I didn’t tell him sooner. At the time he didn’t know how to really help, so he hugged me.”
She reached out a hand to where Kokomi’s hand was on the table.
“I realized then and there that crying wasn’t weakness, but strength to show that even though something is awful and hurts, you persist. Crying is human. Never let anyone take it away from you.” She squeezed the hand underneath hers. “Not that I’m saying you need to,” she gave her a soft smile, “it’s just a suggestion.”
Kokomi tried to hold back her tears. She pressed her hands to her eyes, held her breath until she was light headed, and tried to drink her tea to show she was fine.
Her voice wobbled as she tried to speak. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Of course dear, it was my pleasure.”
Kusuo took the tea cup from her hand and initially she protested, but when he stood and pulled her into his arms she realized that any further argument was futile.
‘She won’t say a word if you cry.’
Her lip quivered as she held onto him tighter and then she felt a hand at the back of her head and she let go. She sobbed into his neck clutching his shirt tight enough she was scared it might rip, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go.
“I hate this! It’s not fair! I don’t wanna be in pain, I don’t wanna feel like this, I don’t want to feel like this for another 2 days!” She cried and he held her tighter. “Why did I get stuck with this-this messed up, this unnecessarily painful thing! Why can’t mine be normal too? Why do I have to suffer so much more? It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” Even though it felt impossible she cried harder.
When she wasn’t shaking anymore Saiki spoke up. “I’d be upset too if I got a shitty deal like this. I actually think it’d be crazier if you weren’t upset.” She hiccuped as she laughed. “I’m serious. In what evolution was this deemed the best way to deal with this?” Miscellaneous tears continued to fall but she was laughing more than they were falling.
The door opened as Kokomi got the last of her tears under control.
“Kurumi I’m back,” trudged into the kitchen “you would never believe the day I’ve ha—“ the older man paused as he took in the sight he saw in the kitchen. “Hello, Kokomi and Kusuo. I thought you two were on a date today?”
Kokomi’s shoulders slumped sheepishly as she tried to ignore the alarm bells in her head. “We were,” she started slowly as he moved into the living room, “but my period came unexpectedly and I tend to have debilitating cramps.” She tensed as she waited for the squeamishness that she associated her own father having. Hope flittered into her as Kusuo didn’t react.
“Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that. Did Kusuo give you one of his world famous massages?”
Kusuo groaned. “ They are not world famous. That’s not what that means. They cannot be world famous without the entire world knowing about them. Saying that they are undermines the--”
Kokomi giggled, cutting off his rant. “He did.”
“Well I would offer to make you tea or give you a heating pad, but between my wife and son I'm sure they’ve already beaten me to that.”
She gave a small nod.
“Well I know I won’t say anything that one of them hasn’t already said, so I once again will give my sincerest apologies.”
Kurumi walked up and patted her husband’s arm in a placating gesture. “It’s alright dear. I know you would have helped had you been here. Though since you’re here now, you can tell me why your day was rough while the kids go upstairs.”
“Alright. I hope you feel better soon Kokomi.”
She smiled and only startled slightly when Kusuo picked her up. She was thankful because shortly after he picked her up she was hit with another particularly bad cramp. Unexpectedly he walked up the stairs instead of teleporting.
They sat on his bed for a while as she tried to control her breathing to get through the worst part of the cramp.
“I can’t take any more medicine yet, can I?”
She felt more than saw his head shake. He had been carrying her bridal style, but she quickly put her head in the crook of his neck.
“I have a possible distraction if you’re up for it.” He offered quietly.
“Will I have to move?”
She felt him chuckle slightly. “No. But we’ll be teleporting, if that’s not okay tell me. ”
“I’ll be okay. I’m used to the feeling now.”
He kissed her temple as she clenched her arms around his neck. “ Liar .”
When the swooping sensation of her world turning on its head subsided, she opened her eyes.
She gasped at the sight.
Kokomi had the privilege of seeing a lot of sights since dating Kusuo, but she knew it still wasn’t even half of all the things he had up his sleeve. They were on a mountain somewhere and it felt like she could reach up and touch the moon. Wherever they were, there were no city lights to drown out the brightness of the sky. It was so peaceful she felt her worries start to vanish. It was only when she started to hear the crickets that she snapped back to herself.
“What about the bu—“ she was stopped by a hand covering her mouth.
“Pointedly ignoring that. ”
She smiled softly and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to change anything? ”
She nodded. “This still sucks, but I think I can handle it with you by my side.” She looked at him to catch his blush and grinned when she did.
“You’re cheating.” He mumbled, but he only held her tighter.
“Well I have to be able to win at something don’t I? Especially right now.”
He rolled his eyes, but opened his hand to hold hers. She gladly took it.
She knew tomorrow she would go through everything all over again, but she was more confident she could handle it with Kusuo by her side.
“I love you.”
“You’re killing me. ”
I know.
“I love you too.”
The happiness she felt far outweighed any lingering pain. She could definitely get through two more days with him by her side.