Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Holy shit,” Momo groans, sprawled starfish on the floor of the spaceship's airlock. “That was insane.”

She can hear the compartment pressurizing, oxygen slowly hissing into the room, but louder still is her gasping breath and heart pounding in her ears. She thinks she can hear a more distant pounding and a roaring yell but she can’t make sense of it.

Momo watches her breath slightly fog the space helmet glass. It feels like her brain is still out there in space, floating without gravity and unable to grasp a single grounding thought.

One thought finally does connect though.

“I punched a meteor,” she says aloud and that should be absurd but frankly she can’t be surprised by this shit anymore. This ranks low compared to the fucking unibrow clone army and whatever the fucking soda can thing was a long while back. She does wish that these petty aliens wouldn't try throwing meteors at Earth just because they couldn't invade on their watch.

The more surprising thing is how strong her powers have actually gotten. Out there in space, tethered to Mr. Mantis’ spaceship by the Nanoskin spacesuit she had held back a meteor probably the size of a sports stadium with her powers and then just… spiked that sucker like a volleyball back out into space.

Fucking nuts.

She laughs and winces at the dull ache that spikes from the top of her head and down through her otherwise numb body. It feels like all her limbs are asleep.

“I can’t move,” she sighs, recalling how her spiritual hands shattered upon contact in a way they never had before. The backlash was unreal. The feeling was like having your ears pop from elevation but… your whole body… and brain...

Wait, she isn’t making sense anymore is she?

Ugh. Seriously, what would the Earth do without them? It feels like in just the last year since that fateful night with Okarun it has been one potentially world-ending thing after another.

Okarun… Wait! Okarun! That’s the roar she’s hearing!

“Miss Ayase!”

Suddenly, there he is kneeling over her and reaching down to lift her head from the ground oh so gently, cradling her limp body against himself.

“Miss Ayase!” He calls again, expression frantic and eyes wide behind his glasses. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?!”  He’s popping off her helmet and Momo inhales dry spaceship air. His eyes are glowing red as if he’s on the cusp of bursting into a transformation in his panic.

“I did it,” she smiles up at him, head lolling onto his chest. If she could move her arms she would flash a peace sign in triumph. “Did you see that? Was it cool?”

Okarun gapes down at her as if she had asked him to stick his fingers up her nose or something equally weird.

“No,” he says, voice slightly wobbly and now brown eyes watery. He pulls her up higher so he can press her face into his shoulder and wraps his arms around her fully. “No, it was not cool. Not cool at all. I so was worried.”

Momo huffs. “C’mon, I totally slapped away a meteor with my powers just like we planned. That’s cool as shit. I saved the Earth! Give me some credit Okarun!”

Okarun squeezes her tighter and takes a deep breath and she knows he’s doing that weird yokai scent or sense thing he’s developed as of late. This weird extra sense that lets him know where she is at times. Which is odd because she’s right here. Still, he's warm and his shirt smells like the laundry soap at her home so she lets herself slump into him.

“It was a little cool,” Okarun finally mumbles into her shoulder. Momo giggles.

“Damn right it was- ok owowow- Okarun you’re squeezing me too tight.”

“Sorry! Sorry!” He exclaims pushing back but not fully letting go.

“Momo!” Vamola shouts coming into the airlock, her starry eyes teary as she kneels down next to her. Her antenna twitches slightly. “You ok?”

“I’m fine,” Momo sighs, continuing to use Okarun as support. “Just feeling a little steamrolled. It feels like my powers popped like a balloon with that hit.”

“You smashed it hard enough to force it back against Earth’s gravity,” Mr. Mantis says approaching from the door. "I'm not surprised that it took all of your powers to do it."

“It was super cool!” Jjii shouts, running up and going circles around them and pumping his fist like a boxer. “You were like bang! Pa-pow! Boom! Booosh!”

“Booosh!” Vamola echoes excitedly with a little sniffle.

“Alright, enough of that,” Aira says rolling her eyes and kicking the prancing Jiji knees. She looks down at Momo held by Okarun and her lips purse into a pout. Arms folded she runs her gaze over her and Momo thinks she detects what could be concern. “Are you alright, Momo?”

“Hehe, worried?” Momo teases. “Fearless leader?”

Aira flushes, pink brows furrowing. “No! Why would I be worried about an ugly baldy like you?!”

There she is. Momo sighs in relief. These were the moments she liked. When the relief of surviving another whacky chapter in their life seeped through her. If anything this ended up being a more straightforward emergency. She was already looking forward to home home-cooked meal from Granny around the table.

“Anyway we should get this Nanoskin suit off you Miss Momo,” Mr. Mantis says, reaching for her. "Mister Kinta will-"

Only for him to snatch his hand back at the sudden hissing rumble and the burst of yokai aura that douses the area around Momo in a protective circle. Vamola reels back in shock and skitters to hide behind Jiji’s legs.

“Okarun!” Momo gasps, looking up at the scarlet-eyed yokai, his skin ghostly grey and his mask of sharp barred teeth leaking smoke. She does a double take, confused as to why he has gone full Yokarun (as she dubs it). Okarun stares hard at Mr. Mantis before looking back at Momo. Just like that he blinks and the white hair and lanky limbs go back to normal in a crackle of bones. The yokai aura dissapates.

“Ah, sorry Mr. Mantis,” Okarun says sheepishly, holding Momo close. “I’ll uh… take care of it.”

“Geez,” Momo says rolling her eyes. That was a new one. She had never seen him transform like that when a friend got too close. “On that note, yeah, I need to get out of this thing. The perv's imagination of a space suit is a little too… uh tight.”

A wave of dizziness goes through her and she can feel something warm drip on her upper lip and Okarun gasps.

“Miss Ayase! Your nose!”

“You're bleeding!” Aira exclaims.   

“Oh,” Momo says feeling a little faraway again as Okarun gently wipes at her face with a handkerchief produced from his pocket. Momo recognizes it as one she gave to him. It has little alien faces on it. “Might be from pushing my psychic powers a little too hard. Also, I can’t really move. Like… at all.”

Before she can reassure them that she’s otherwise fine and they don’t need to worry she’s being lifted up. One arm holds her back and shoulder and the other secures her legs. Okarun guides her head to rest against his shoulder. She’s so close to his neck that she could probably bite him. The unbidden thought makes her flush.

Time and place Momo, she quietly chides. Not a good thing to think about someone who is still just a friend.

“You should have said that from the start, idiot!” Okarun says in exasperation, carrying her from the airlock. “Mr. Mantis! We need to get back to Earth! Now!”

He’s fussing over her again. They all are. A part of her wants to scoff and wave it off. She isn’t made of glass or anything. Momo has always been made of tougher stuff and didn’t like it when people made too much of a big deal over her. 

But… since it’s Okarun it makes her stomach twist pleasantly and her heart gently pound. Okarun holds her so easily, months of his hard work paying off to be able to carry her like this untransformed.

The delightful feeling spreads through her like a warm beam of sunlight and it lulls her into a doze and then she's out before she realizes it.

-

Lost her. Lost her. Almost lost her. Hurt. Protect. Protect.

-

It sucks to be out of commission.

“Okaruuuun~” She sings, setting down her magazine.

The boy looks up from his magazine. He is slumped into the bean bag chair at her side by her bed, eyes obscured by his glasses.

He regards her for a beat. “No,” he says flatly.

“Aww c‘mon!” She whines, flinging her own magazine down on the bed. She covers up the wince of pain in her arms with a scowl. “It’s been two days! Isn’t that enough bed rest?!”

Okarun raises a brow. “Miss Ayase, you couldn’t even make it downstairs by yourself for dinner last night. Vamola and I had to help you. And your powers aren’t back yet.”

Momo pouts, twisting a lock of hair around a finger. “You don’t know that. They could be.”

“I just saw you trying to lift the glass of water on the bedside table with your mind. And fail.”

She huffs, blowing her bangs from her face. It’s true. Her body felt like one big bruise. All she could conjure of her powers were little flickers of the mental manifestation of her abilities. It was the only thing that assured her that they weren’t totally gone along with her ability to see auras.

That’s true and all but she’s going to lose it if she has to spend one more day in bed. She wanted to go shopping with the others but Okarun put the kibosh on that real fast. Jerk. He’s been especially… protective since the meteor.

But… she won’t deny that him also staying to keep her company makes that place in her chest squirm happily. Even if he is just making sure she stays in bed.

“Ugh, but I’m so bored! I’m sick of bed rest!” She bats her lashes at Okarun. “Can’t you just… take me outside? I wanna enjoy the nice weather!”

“Your grandma said to make sure you get bedrest,” Okarun insists carefully but he won’t meet her gaze.

“I’ll still be resting!” She pushes. “And that hag is going to be gone for her stupid TV appearance for like the whole day! She won’t know! C’mon Okarun! Pleeeeaase?”

“Ugh fine,” Okarun says setting aside his book and standing. “But we don’t leave the shrine!”

“Yay!” Momo cheers, flinging the bed covers off. It still feels like each leg is encased in a chunk of cement all the way to her hip so she’s a little slow to get up. Not that it matters.

“Wh-what are you doing?” She asks as Okarun is suddenly bending down over her, face too close.

He pauses and blinks, hands reaching out for her.

“Carry you downstairs? U-uh,” he stammers, eyes going wide when he meets Momo’s and flushing as if he suddenly remembered having any shame. “That is i-if you’re uh… alright with that?”

Heat prickles from Momo’s scalp all the way down her neck and spine. “It’s not like you haven’t before. Of course it’s alright.”

Usually, they’re in life-and-death situations though. Never in something so intimate as her own house. Her own bedroom even. Still, it’s no big deal right?

All the same she feels like she’s going to burst into flames when Okarun, sweet nerdy Okarun, once again lifts her in his arms.

“This ok?” He murmurs.

“Hm,” Momo nods, looking away yet looping her arms around his neck.

“O-ok,” he says as he pushes open the door with his foot and takes them downstairs.

Granny comes back earlier than either of them expect. Not that they notice because they’re both asleep on the polished wood of the deck, basking in the sun.

“Brats,” she says with a sigh and slight smile as she walks by.

“Young people,” Turbo Granny scoffs from on her shoulder.

-

Powerless. Prone. Bad. Soft. Lovely. Gotta protect.

-

“You mean your powers still aren’t back?” Jiji asks, tilting his head, as he balances a chopstick on his upper lip.

Vamola is on his left trying to copy him.

“Not completely,” Momo says, sitting at the dinner table. She slurps at her udon. “It’s weird. When Evil Eye broke my spiritual hands before I wasn’t able to use them for a little bit but it’s been three days now. It’s still there and I can bring up flickers of it but I can’t manifest my usual powers.” She sets aside her chopsticks and flexes her hand. A bloom of power comes up from her palm but it’s almost liquid as she tries to focus it into something solid. It can’t hold its shape and quickly evaporates.

“Should we be worried?” Aira asks with a frown, tapping a manicured nail on the table. “Not that it’s that big deal but if the Serpo or something were to come after you-“

Snap. Everyone turns toward Okarun on Momo’s right.

Okarun stares at the splintered chopsticks in his hand like he’s just as surprised. For a moment Momo thinks she detects a bright flicker in his eyes.

His stunned expression transitions to one of panic. “Oh, Ayase-san I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to-”

Granny Seiko waves a hand at him. “They were from the 100 yen store so don’t worry about it. Go get another pair from the kitchen.”

Momo watches as Okarun slinks off.

“Four-eyes!” Turbo Granny shouts. “Grab me umaibo while you’re there!”

“No snacks at dinner!” Granny Seiko shouts, flicking the cat doll in the forehead who yowls in protest. She turns back to everyone else. “Basically, my dumbass granddaughter overextended her chi. Think of it like working out your muscles too hard. To the point of fatigue and exhaustion.” Jiji nods knowingly. "Sending that meteor back into space took a considerable amount of energy and perhaps more than Momo currently has access to and the backlash took a hit to her physically as a result. It might take longer for her powers to recover than her body.”

Momo nods, already having gotten this info. “My body is already feeling better too so I’ll be going back to class tomorrow.”

“Oh. In that case we have an English exam," Aira says primly. “Tomorrow.”

“What?!” Momo almost drops her bowl. “You bitch! And you didn't think to tell me?! I haven't studied at all!"

"We have an exam?!" Jiji shouts. "Aira-chan why didn't you tell meeee?"

Aira glares at the boy slumped dramatically on the table. "You were in class! You should pay more attention!"

"It's not my fault that Kinta spilled ice coffee on me today! Evil Eye wouldn't let me switch back!"

The group quickly devolves into the usual chaos but while Aira and Jiji are shouting Momo realizes that Okarun hasn’t returned yet.

She excuses herself and stands, wobbling only slightly.

“Okarun?” She says.

He’s standing at the sink back to her, weirdly still.

She calls to him again and he flinches, shoulders hitching as he turns.

This time the blood red is unmistakable in his eyes. Faint curse lines trace from the edges of his black hair and down over the tautness in his jaw.

“Momo,” he breathes slowly. He blinks and the harsh red of his eyes softens.

“Everything alright?” She asks, padding closer. “Why are you-“ She gestures at him, self-explanatory.

“Just…” He tilts his head, glowing eyes regarding Momo in a way that makes her skin prickle. “Thinking.”

Momo hums, trying to keep her voice light. “Uh-oh. That’s dangerous. Anything you want to talk about?”

Okarun shrugs and his yokai features fade, brown doe eyes looking back at Momo.

“No, it’s…” he scowls and breathes out through his nose. “It’s dumb. I’m just a little on edge.” 

Momo folds her arms, sensing that he’s struggling to put what he wants to say into words. His shoulders aren’t slumped but they’re tense and stiff. His hands are still balled into fists. It feels more than a little.

“Hey,” she starts, reaching out.

“Four-eyes! Umaibo!” Turbo Granny shouts interrupting and making both of them jump. “Hurry up!”

“No snacks!” Seiko yells.

Okarun hesitates for a moment before offering a sheepish shrug as if to say “oh well", grabs new chopsticks, and heads back to the table.

She huffs. Later. She'll ask him about it later.

-

Not safe. She knows. Bummer. 

-

“Momo!” Vamola shouts from the front door, jogging in place. “Hurry up! We late!”

“Coming!” Momo calls, making her way down the stairs. She practically jumps from her house slippers into her school shoes. After stooping down to pull the backs out from under her heel (without her legs giving out) they rush out the door.

Only to see Okarun already at the front gate with his bike.

“Ayase-san! Vamola-san!” Okarun waves at them. He looks better than last night and it makes Momo feel a little relieved.

“Okarun!” Momo says coming up to him. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I thought I might give you two a ride to school.”

“Bike!” Vamola exclaims proudly.

“Oohhh.” Momo grins and leans in. “It just sounds like you want two cute girls to ride on the back of your bike with you.”

“Th-that’s not it!” Okarun flushes, adjusting his glasses. “I-I just thought… that you might get tired walking. You’re still not fully recovered.”

“Oohhh,” Vamola coos, echoing Momo. Momo’s face has gone warm. This boy is too sweet and kind. Her heart can’t take it.

Momo climbs onto the back of the bike, arms wrapped around Okarun with Vamola hanging onto her. She squeezes him a little and she hears his breath hitch and then he's pushing off and pedaling away.

It’s a peaceful ride except for Vamola occasionally pointing at things and practicing her Japanese vocab. The weather is calm and the sky is blue.

She thinks she could fall asleep like this.

Okarun manages to pedal for the three of them (damn impressive) until about halfway when out of nowhere another bike joins from the side street and skids to a stop next to them. Black tire marks are left in its wake.

“Hello, ladies!” Kinta crows, flipping his bangs to hide he almost had fallen off the bike. “… And steed.”

“Steed?” Okarun huffs, coming to a stop.

“Kinta!” Vamola says with a wave.

Momo rolls her eyes. “What do you want pevy guy?”

“I am here to offer one of you fine women a chance to ride with me! The Great Kinta!” He holds out a hand and winks. “What do you say?”

A crow caws somewhere in the moment of silence after that.

“Ok!” Vamola says finally, hopping off Okarun’s bike. “I ride with Kinta!”

“R-r-really?!” Kinta stutters.

Momo reaches out. “Eh? Vamola you don’t have to-“

“Want to!” She looks at Momo and Okarun with big shiny eyes and smiles. She points at them. “Alone time!”

With that she climbs onto Kinta’s bike and after a slow start Kinta pushes off, clearly thrilled.

“Huh,” Momo says, adjusting her grip on Okarun. “Well, I guess we better keep going.”

“Yup.” Okarun squeaks.

Their pace almost feels slower now and Momo is glad for it. She wants to savor it. Alone time with Okarun has become more rare nowadays. She selfishly wants to hog him to herself.

“How are you feeling today?” Okarun asks. “Powers back yet?”

“Feeling alright and nope,” Momo says, gently propping her chin on a notch in his spine. “It kind of sucks. I’ve had these powers for only a few months and it feels so weird to not have them.”

“I’m sure they’ll come back soon.”

“Yeah, but it’s taking so looooong. Ugh. What if it takes weeks? Or months?”

At that Momo feels a flare in his aura and a sudden stiffness in his back. If she focuses she can see the black and red flames of Turbo Granny’s yokai power flash through the blue of his own human aura. 

“I’ll protect you then.”

“Eh?”

“I’ll protect you!” He shouts, his voice firm and so loud that it startles a group of girls in their uniforms headed to school as they go by.

Momo laughs her cheeks warm. “Geez, Okarun! You didn’t have to say it so loud." She wishes she could see his face. See what kind of expression he's making. Is he blushing? "I can take care of myself even without powers you know.”

"But what if... what if aliens do come for you? Then what?"

"Well... I guess that would be annoying." She leans her cheek on his back, disappointed to see their school already coming into view. "But so long as we stick together we don't have to worry right?"

He's silent for a bit and Momo wonders if he's overthinking things again as they pull up the school.

"Right," he says finally. "So long as we stick together."

She doesn't know it yet but Momo will regret wording it like that.

Chapter Text

“And can you believe she didn’t tell me about the exam?!” Momo slams her loafers into the shoe locker with more force than necessary. “My English is sooo bad. I’m totally going to bomb it.”

“If you studied more often it wouldn’t be so bad,” Okarun says from the other side of the lockers.

“Studying is boooorrring,” Momo says shutting her locker and coming around to where Okarun’s locker is. “Besides, when do we even have time for that?”

“True.” Okarun adjusts his glasses as they head for the classrooms. “I could lend-” He pauses. “Wait no, never mind. I can’t.”

“Eh? You can’t just say never mind like that.” Momo nudges his shoulder.

Brown eyes refuse to meet hers and she wonders why he’s suddenly shy. “Maybe you can convince Miss Shiratori to borrow her notes?”

“I’d rather die.”

This time Okarun shoots her a look and rolls his eyes. “Then I guess you’re going to bomb.”

Momo chews her lip. Aira will probably act all smug and shit about it but ugh maybe if she had them to cram before English with Abe-sensei…

They get to the classrooms and Momo smiles at Okarun. “I’ll see you during lunch m’kay?”

To her surprise, however, Okarun shoots a hand out so fast it makes her heart jump. The warmth of his hand is… strangely only lukewarm.

She looks around wondering if she’s missed something he’s picked up on. There isn’t anyone except a group of guys who aren’t paying any attention to them and a few others who give them sideways looks as they pass.

“Hey, Okarun?” Momo gently flexes her hand in his grip. “What’s up?”

“Uh,” he says, tone flat and staring at his hand the way he stared at his chopsticks last night. Does his hand have a mind of its own now or something? “Nothing is up.”

“Alright then…” She tries to pull away her hand away but Okarun grasps her harder but not painful. “Can you let go of my hand? I need to see if I can beg notes off of someone other than Aira before class.”

“What if something happens during class?”

“What?”

Big sad eyes look at Momo and he fidgets with his glasses. “What if a yokai or alien attacks during class and I’m not there? I’ll just keep worrying about you.”

“You’re still on about that?” Momo giggles, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. Cute dork. “I appreciate the concern Okarun but I’ll be fine. Besides, I have Jiji and Aira in class with me.”

His brows furrow at that and Momo detects that flicker of red in his eyes. He doesn’t seem too happy about that answer.

“Listen, Okarun, you’re only one room away. If I need anything you’re close by. And unless you can protect me from this English exam I don’t think we have anything to worry about. So it's fine 'kay?”

It feels a little weird to need to explain this to Okarun. She knows that they tend to be joined at the hip but this is unusual for him to be this anxious. Okarun’s presence is a comfort to Momo and she hopes that Okarun feels the same way about her.. but the way he’s acting has Momo kicking herself for not checking in with him on their bike ride.

Momo leans in and talks in a soft whisper. “Besides, we can meet and talk during lunch alright?”

After a moment of hesitation, Okarun sighs and pulls his hand away like it's some herculean task and shoves both hands in his pockets. “Okay, sorry Miss Ayase. See you later then.”

He still sounds like a kicked puppy but he slinks off to his class anyway.

Momo hums and folds her arms as he goes. She makes a note to ask about it during lunch break.

-

Too far. Can’t see her. Can’t protect. Stick together. Hate this. Sucks. I wanna die, yo.

-

“Ayase-san!”

“Yes?!” Momo jumps, bumping her elbow on her desk as she rips her gaze away from the window.

Yamashiro-sensei sighs. “If you paid attention, Ayase-san, maybe your grades would be better.”

A few snickers went around the classroom and Momo pouts and shoots a hard look at Aira who is giving her a devious smirk. Jiji showed up to school as Evil Eye somehow (thank god it isn’t Tuesday) so he’s just been doodling in Jiji’s notebook and ripping out pages. Ugh. She misses Miko and Kei. They would lend her their notes! Stupid class re-assignment. 

The bald old man points to the door. “If you’re not going to pay attention then you can go to the supply room and get more chalk. Maybe a walk will help you focus on the lesson.”

Momo resists the urge to complain until she’s sliding the door closed behind her. “Ugh!” She gripes, stomping her way down the hall. “Crummy baldy. Making kids run errands and shit…”

It’s not her fault that she had been thinking about Okarun. It’s Okarun’s fault! She had spent a better part of that morning trying to work out what could be up with him. They had been in life-and-death situations before and he hadn’t acted anything like… well no that wasn’t true. He was certainly more protective of her than anyone else. But this felt like that turned up to 11.

She retrieves the box of chalk from the supply room and heads back only to feel something tingle along her skin. Something prickles at the base of her skull. A familiar feeling that her senses pick up and she turns round.

There’s something in the school. There is something watching her.

She tries to summon her psychic powers but it still sputters weakly like this morning.

Then the feeling is gone.

Nope. Nope. She’s not dealing with this. She hightails it back to class, slams the box of chalk on the desk, and goes back to her desk to glower outside as if she can find whatever it was that was looking at her.

-

Finally.

-

“Finally!” Momo stretches as the lunch bell rings she pulls out her bento from her bag and stands to get Okarun.

Only to stand and see that Okarun is already waiting outside the classroom door.

“Wow that was quick,” she says, coming up to him.

“Well-“ He says with a sheepish smile. “You did say we could talk during lunch."

“Takakura!” Evil Eye yells, slamming his hands on his desk with a demented smile. “I wanna play!”

“It isn’t Tuesday you idiot!” Aira says, bento in hand as she kicks him in the knees.

Momo frowns. Ah. They’re probably going to join them for lunch. She can see Vamola and Kinta exiting class as well with their lunches. She really wanted to check in with Okarun alone… being able to hog him to herself at school was just a rare bonus.

Without another thought she snatches Okarun’s hand and yanks him down the hall in a run.

“Momo?!” Aira screeches behind them. “Where are you talking Takakura-san?!”

“Miss Ayase?!” Okarun asks in question, yet keeps up with her pace.

She looks back at him with a big grin, green earrings bouncing. “We’re ditching them for lunch. Just for today.”

An answering grin spreads out on Okarun’s face that makes Momo push her aching legs harder. Which is needed because Aira and Evil Eye are giving chase down the hall. Or rather Evil Eye is chasing and Aira is trying to catch the overgrown toddler.

Momo groans. “Geez, they’re persistent.”

“I got it,” Okarun growls, his hand suddenly cool in hers as Momo finds herself whisked right off her feet. Okarun doesn’t even break his stride as he scoops her up into his arms and in a burst they’re at the end of the hall, probably confusing the hell out of several students.

Okarun doesn’t stop till they’re at the roof. A few other students are already there, smoking in a circle, but one look from Okarun (whether they can see his yokai form or not) has them fleeing back downstairs.

“That was fun,” Momo laughs looking up at the masked yokai. “We should ditch them more often.” She waits for Okarun transform back to human and let her down but he continues to hold her, looking around the roof, eyes sharp.

“Okarun?”

He doesn’t answer. Once he seems satisfied, he sits down against the door to the roof. Momo flushes as she is settled into the cradle of gangly folded legs like an egg in a nest. His arms loop around her waist fully to enfold her deeper into the curl of his body. He places his monstrous jaw of teeth to rest in the cradle of her shoulder and neck. The cool flame of his white hair tickles against her ear.

She’s almost thankful for the slight chill of his yokai body. Because Momo thinks she is going to explode. Her skin prickles with heat. This wasn’t how she expected things to go.

“Missed you, Momo,” Okarun says somberly, voice a deep rumbling sigh that she can feel against her back. As he talks the mask dissipates and he hooks his chin over her shoulder. “I wanted to break down that damn wall between us. Make sure you were safe.”

“I was safe,” Momo insists, nudging her head against his, trying to take this sudden turn in stride. "Unless you count Yamashiro-sensei picking on me."

“Couldn’t see you to be sure, Momo.” His voice warbles, sounding miserable as he nuzzles into her. “Can’t control these feelings as easily right now. It’s a bummer because I knew if I didn't let you go you'd be pissed. And if you were mad at me that would make me want to die even more, yo.”

Momo frowns, trying to lean away so she can look up at Okarun properly. She can't focus when he's holding her like this. He seems unwilling to move his head from her shoulder but she pushes till she can dislodge him and tilt her head to look up properly.

His emotions are usually hard to discern from his face like this; mouth in a stony frown. Now though the scarlet eyes behind his glasses stare soulfully down at her and Momo’s heart thuds at the intensity of emotion focused on her. So intense she can’t parse what is going on behind them.

This yokai is still Okarun. It’s still the precious boy she loves enshrouded in Turbo Granny’s power. No matter what form he’s in it's still him. Right now though she’s getting a little annoyed. She won’t pretend to fully understand the effect these powers have on him but she thinks more yokai shenanigans are going on here. She needs to peel away some of that to get to her friend’s common sense.

“We can’t eat lunch like this.” She holds out the bento still in her hand. “And you totally forgot your lunch in the classroom didn't you?”

Okarun shrugs. “I wanted to see you,” he says matter of factly. “You said to stick together.”

“Well, yeah... but you’ve been acting weird.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“You know I don’t need 24/7 protection.”

“…” He looks away at that and Momo scowls.

She glares hard at him, a bubble of indignation rising hotly in her chest. Momo smacks Okarun's chest. It feels like slapping a cold brick wall.

“I don’t, Okarun," she snaps. "I can handle things myself. I’m not weak.”

He tilts his head, jaw taut. "I know you're not weak, Momo. But-"

Okarun is interrupted by the sudden rattling of the door he’s leaning against.

“I know you’re here Takakura!” Evil Eyes laughs maniacally from the other side. Okarun grunts and Momo gasps as the door is shoved partially open before Okarun slams his back against it to shut it. Then another bang. With the bone-shaking hits she’s feeling Momo doesn’t think it will be long before the door is reduced to pieces.

“What are you two doing up there!?” Aira hollers, her voice deep and refined in her yokai form. “Demon, you better not be doing anything to Takakura-sama! Evil Eye, kick the door harder!”

“Aira! Jiji! Stop! Stop!” Vamola yells.

With that Momo knows that any hope of peace during lunch has gone up like a drop of water in a hot pan.

“This sucks. Such terrible timing,” Okarun growls as the door jolts again. “What a bummer, yo.”

With that, he unwinds his limbs from around Momo who scrambles away just in time for Evil Eye to kick the door so hard that the door slams open and Okarun goes flying across the roof.

The door is hanging off one hinge and bent in half.

“Takakura!” Evil Eye shouts, soccer ball (not the ball of pure malice thank god) in hand. “Let’s play soccer! All the humans in this place are too weak!”

“Takakura-sama! Are you alright?! ” Aira cries, turning her red gaze on Momo. "What have you done, demon?”

"You're the one that told Evil Eye to kick the door harder!" Momo yells back, brushing dirt from her skirt as she stands.

"What a pain, yo," Okarun groans, already up and taking a protective stance in front of Momo. He bites out a snarl at Evil Eye. "Couldn't you just leave us alone?" 

Evil Eye throws the ball at him hard enough the air audibly pops from the force and then everything devolves into chaos.

Momo never gets to eat her bento and by the time the school bell chimes she realizes that she has entirely missed her opportunity to properly talk to Okarun.

This sucks.

Chapter Text

By the time the lunch bell rang, they had managed to throw hot tea on Jiji to get rid of Evil Eye for now and Okarun forced himself back into human form. It takes a little bit of time however and it’s unusual to watch him struggle to turn back to his normal self when he normally can switch as easily as breathing. He has the appearance of a kicked puppy as he slinks back to his classroom.

Which makes Momo feel worse. Ugh.

She slumps against her desk ignoring the concerned look from a slightly damp Jiji and the still furious look from Aira.

Stupid Evil Eye. Stupid Aira. I didn’t even get a chance to ask what was wrong! She grumbles internally, hitting her forehead with a fist. Stupid me! I should have just gone ahead and asked what was wrong right away! Instead, I got all distracted!

Even as she thinks of it that acidic bubble of irritation still festers in her chest, sharp and achy, but this time it's more aimed at herself.

Momo really didn’t mind not having her powers for now… knowing they'd come back. Eventually. The waiting was more frustrating than anything.

However, the brief idea that Okarun might have thought that she was weak… hurt. Hurt enough to snap at Okarun when he really didn’t deserve it. With all the chaos she didn’t even get a chance to apologize for that. She groans, scrubbing her hands through her hair.

“I know you’re not weak Momo.”

Then why was he acting like that?! Was he really that worried about her? She wasn’t some dainty flower. She could scrap and fight even without powers. Surely, Okarun knew that too right? Did he think her so useless without powers?

She wrinkles her nose, propping her chin on her desk. After school she’ll figure this out. She'll grab Okarun and figure out what was going on in that occult obssessed brain of his. Somewhere the others won't bother them. Since Turbo Granny and the location-bound spirit were gone maybe the abandoned tunnel would be a good place to hide and talk...  

She slaps her cheeks. No! Focus on class and not failing! She can't keep getting distracted. Not even by potentially paranormal things. Momo purposely doesn’t think about that weird feeling from before lunch. That is something for future Momo to deal with. Current Momo needs to not fail English.

The bell rings and Hayata-sensei leaves and Momo pulls out Aira’s ring of flashcards. She needs to cram as much as she can before Abe-sensei comes and maybe then she’ll pass by the skin of her teeth.

“You can’t cram last minute like that and expect to pass,” Aira says, sounding smug. “Even with my cards.”

“No one asked you,” Momo hisses at her. “And it’s your fault I have to cram at all. I’m going to give myself the best possible chance I’ve got. So shut-” 

A familiar tingle goes over her skin. The feeling of eyes and then a hush falls over the classroom and a strange wash of color. A telltale sign of empty space falling over them.

The only three left in the classroom make eye contact.

"Seriously?!" Momo exclaims, dropping the cards.

"What is it now?!" Aira shouts, shooting up from her desk. "I swear if my uniform gets ruined again I will murder-“

A feeling like fingers up her spine shoots up to Momo's brain, her senses reaching out, and she instinctively ducks.

Jiji clearly sensed it too.

"Aira-chan!" Jiji shouts, leaping over his desk and tackling the girl to the floor. Just in time as what appears to be a spinning disco ball, the size of a basketball, explodes through the windows and flies just where her pink-haired head was. It lodges itself in the blackboard like a cannonball. Glass rains down on Momo.

“Aira! Jiji!” Momo yells, brusing shards from her hair. Aira is already up, yokai form out in all its toothy and long-haired glory.

“Unhand me!” Aira yells, smacking Jiji who is still clinging to Aira’s waist as she stands.

Jiji stands with her but doesn't let go. “What is that?! Protect us Aira-chan!”

“Why can't these things take a break!?” Momo yells as the disco ball floats from the crater in the wall, spinning with lights like it belonged on a dance floor. She tries to reach for her powers but again they don't resopond. 

Another boom rocks the school and Momo hears a screech she recognizes as Kinta and a metallic roar she recognizes as Vamola’s kaiju suit. Okarun! Where is-

“Momo!” Jiji shouts. Her thoughts are enough of a distraction for the disco ball to shoot towards her. Thinking fast, she grabs her backpack hanging on her desk and slings it around by the straps. It thwacks the ball hard into the floor (she has three textbooks in there) but the impact radiates up her arm so hard she feels it in her teeth. Shit, that packs a punch! The force has her stumbling, her lower back hitting the edge of the broken windows.

As the thing starts to float up again Aira’s pink hair wraps the ball in big knots till it’s cocooned in the strands. “What even is this thing?” She huffs as it strains against her hair.

“Hell if I know,” Momo replies. Another boom shakes through the building. “But we need to check on the others! It sounds like there is more than-“

“Shit!”

The ball slips free of Aira’s hair and darts towards Momo. It seems pretty focused on her. This time she holds up her backpack as a shield. It rams into the bulky bag. She winces at the force again and then… oh.

She reels back but there is nowhere left to go. Unlike before the school isn’t walled in. Her feet slip, her bag flies from her hands, and Momo goes toppling out the window.

Jiji and Aira shouts ring out as Momo feels herself fully airborne, black sky above, and stomach swooping. Her powers don’t respond. Her breath catches in her chest.

And bursts out all at once as one word:

“Okarun!”

As soon as the name leaves her lips she hears a familiar gunshot sound and arms catching her legs and back to halt her fall. Cool hands tuck her head into the ghostly flame collar and powerful long legs shattering the ground below, taking the brunt of the fall.

“Momo,” Okarun says, jaw of monstrous teeth nudging her gently. He breathes deep and Momo knows he’s checking to make sure she’s ok.

“I’m alright,” she wheezes, still trying to process that near-death experience. How embarrassing would it be, after everything, to simply fall to her death like that?

“We’re under attack,” he says.

“Yeah, I gathered that."

“No, I mean- ah.” Okarun doesn’t get time to explain as he darts out of the path of a strip of light that Momo can feel the heat of as it slams into the ground, sending chunks of earth flying. Okarun turns his body to shield Momo from the rocks.

“Well damn,” a voice says, the light snaps back to a figure standing a distance away. “I was hoping to keep your little group apart for longer and make this quick. How inconvenient.”

Momo can make out a tall figure. His skin is all blue. His hair is a tragically outdated blond mullet that is slightly dented by the wide headband around his forehead with a flashing gem on the front. 

He doesn’t look particularly intimidating but the whip seemingly made of light that casually hangs in his gloved hands certainly does. Definitely alien.   

“He attacked us in class along with a disco ball thing,” Okarun says, eyes never leaving the alien. “Kinta and Vamola-chan are fighting the disco ball.”

At that one of said disco balls comes flying down from the classroom, Aira hot on its tail with Jiji clinging to her as they fall. The ball comes flying for Momo and Okarun but the yokai boy kicks it off target with a powerful roundhouse.

“Takakura-sama!” Aira hollers as she lands. Jiji falls off her with a yelp. “I believe this reprehensible sphere is targeting Momo!”

“What?” Both Momo and Okarun say at the same time. Momo with a lilt of surprise and Okarun with a growl of rage.

“It has been going after her and only her!” Jiji says, before turning to see the alien. “Whoa! Blue!”

“Taking you should have been so much simpler without your powers,” the alien sighs, shaking his head. “But you just have to have your entourage of freaks around you that aren’t even worth much. Well maybe the Sumerian girl would be worth something… but that isn’t what I’m here for.”

Smoke hisses from Okarun’s mouth and his already jackknifed spine bends lower as if he’s preparing for an all-out. “You won’t take Momo-chan.”

Momo clings to Okarun like a koala and tilts her head back to glare at the alien. “What do you want me for, huh? You got a thing for kidnapping high school girls, sicko?”

The alien arches a fine eyebrow at her like she’s stupid and Momo notes that his eyes are a shiny black like polished obsidian. 

“If you were just a mere high school girl then I wouldn’t be here.” He chuckles, letting out the slack in his whip to coil at his feet. The disco ball that Okarun kicked floats to his side, flashing random colors that Momo notes match the gem on his headband. “But no my dear I am merely looking for the fine bounty out for Earth’s most special psychic. Which just so happens to be you.” He huffs. “It’s nothing personal.”

“Whoa, freaky!” Jiji hoots, from behind Aira. “Aliens put a bounty on you Momo! That’s kind of badass!”

“It’s not badass!” Momo yells at Jiji before focusing on the alien again. “And not personal my ass! Then you’re the bastard that was watching me earlier!”

Okarun snarls above her but makes no further moves. Yet she can feel the tension wound in his body, muscles tensed and ready to move. The flames along of his collar and along his spine flare larger, like an angry cat trying to make itself look bigger.

The gem flashes and the disco ball flashes back and yet again aims for Okarun and Momo. This time there is a snap as the whip flashes in its wake against Aira who snaps back with her own hair.

“Evil Gun!” Jiji fires off his ki at the alien who leaps out of the way. The disco ball continues to chase them. Is it some sort of container? A way to capture his bounty? She doesn’t really want to find out.

“Okarun,” she says. “Put me down. You can’t fight properly like this or go all out!”

“No.” The response is short and clipped with no room for argument.

Momo grits her teeth. “Geez, this isn’t the time for this!”

“Momo-chan, this alien piece of shit is trying to take you away. Take you from me.” His eyes flash as he smacks away the disco ball. “I can’t let you go."

Damn it! It comes ricocheting back and it’s clear that Okarun plans to play keep away with her until he’s probably exhausted.

Alright, so he won’t put her down. She doesn’t have powers. Then she needs to use her brain another way.

“His headband is what is controlling the ball,” she says.

Okarun leaps to dodge. “Headband?” 

“The gem on it flashes the same colors as the ball. Maybe it’s some kind of mental control or something but I bet he needs the headband. If we get it then he’s just some guy with a whip.”

“You're a genius Momo-cha.” Okarun darts over to Aira and Jiji who are trying to get close to the alien bounty hunter. Momo can smell burnt hair and Jiji’s clothes are singed and burnt in spots.

“Aira!” Momo shouts over the chaos as Jiji keeps the ball away with an Evil Gun. “Do you think you can keep that whip still for two seconds?”

Red eyes whirl on them, as Aira wipes blood from her chin. “His whip hurts like bitch! What good will two seconds do?”

“Two seconds is all we need, yo,” Okarun says, shifting Momo to his back, hands holding her thighs tight (she tries not to think about it). “Can you do it?”

“Don’t underestimate your leader.” She says haughtily. "I can give you five!”

Her hair lashes out all at once, strands snagging the whip mid arc with a slight sizzle while the rest snake down to tangle his arm.

“You damn yokai!” The alien shouts as the ball shoots towards Aira.

But Okarun is faster. He flies straight like a bullet at the alien so fast Momo feels like her breath was left somewhere behind her, earrings jingling rapidly. She smirks. She doesn’t need powers to do this. Okarun speeds past, just close enough for Momo to hook her fingers under the headband and rip it off his head.

“No!” The alien roars, as Momo watches the disco ball fall to the ground, lights all dead at Aira’s feet.

“Now you’re just a loser with a whip,” Momo crows, holding up the headband.

“Woohoo! Super cool Momo! Okarun!” Jiji cheers, hands out at the alien. “Too bad for you, blue dude!”

The Evil Gun sends the alien flying. He drops the whip and ragdolls into the brick enclsoures of the school.

“Nice!” Momo cheers as empty space begins to flicker and fade, blue sky returning. Thankfully, they’re behind the building and everyone should still be in class so there is no one to see unless someone glances out a window.

From around the corner of the building, she spots Kinta and Vamola (in full kaiju suit) with what appeared to be the second disco ball Okarun mentioned in the jaws of her suit. They look alright and Momo releases a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, slumping heavily on Okarun’s back. They handled that pretty well all things considered. Maybe they were getting too good at handling these things now. No embarrassing social consequences and no harm done at all!

“He burnt my skirt!” Aira shouts, back to human form and outraged as she inspects her uniform. She kicks at the dead disco ball.

Ok, well almost no harm done.

“Wahoo! Victory hug!” Jiji shouts, running towards Momo and Okarun, arms up as if to throw himself at them.

Only for a familiar thundering snarl to have him stop short, heels skidding to a halt into the dirt. The sound radiates up Momo’s spine and she can feel the pressure of Turbo Granny’s power surrounding her, curling about her.

“Okarun?” Momo questions, looking down. Only now does she realize that his body is still wound tight under her hands, not relaxed in the slightest. The flames of his collar and spine blaze red.

“Don’t-“ Okarun struggles to get out, voice gravelly and hand out towards Jiji as if to push him away. “Don’t get close. I can’t… argh…fuck.”

Without, any other warning Momo suddenly finds the world around her zipping by and the school far behind as Okarun runs off.

-

Run. They’re all after her. Can’t let anyone near. Too vulnerable. Too precious. Hide. Protect. 

-

Momo tries to get Okarun’s attention as he runs but it is no use. And she isn’t about to try and get off. That would be like trying to bail out of a car on the expressway. Besides, judging by the grip on her thighs she doesn’t think Okarun would let her. So she just holds on until Okarun until he stops.

School is a long way behind them and by the time he slows down Momo realizes they’re in the clearing where the Hospital used to be. He looks around, breathing hard, jogs off into the trees a bit and hunkers down against a tree.

Ok, Momo thinks as she’s maneuvered and enveloped in coolness again. So we’re back to the yokai cocoon again. So much for my English exam.

Okarun nuzzles his monstrous jaws against the side of Momo’s face from behind. He sighs as he pulls her back even closer, plastered so close she wonders if he can feel her heart beating through her back.

After a moment Momo speaks. “This isn’t what I meant when I said sticking together you know.”

“… Shoulda been more clear,” he says.

She groans. “I was plenty clear and you know it. You’re acting really really weird, even for being in Yokarun form.” She wiggles an arm free from his hold to poke his cheek above the mask. “Poke. Poke. Hello? Is regular Okarun home? I’d like to talk some sense into him.”

“Can’t. Sorry, yo,” he says tone flat. “He isn’t here. You’ll have to leave a message. Beep.”

Momo rolls her eyes. “Alright, fine but we really need to talk because if you’re going to keep being like this I already know I’m going to lose it.” He allows her to maneuver within the circle of his gangly arms till she’s sat with her legs on either side of his hips and looking at him face to face. "What’s bothering you?”

He blinks as his mask dissipates. “I… I don’t know if I can explain. I am an awkward fe-“

Momo yelps and slaps a hand over his mouth. “Don’t finish that sentence unless you want to die!”

His disturbingly red eyes suddenly soften into something overwhelmingly fond and slightly mischievous. She can feel his claws slide up her back to gently cradle her head, stroking through her hair. His breath if cool on her palm. It makes her breath hitch and her stomach twist funny.

“I-If you lick my hand with that freaky yokai tongue of yours I will kill you and then bring you back and kill you again.”

Ugh. She can’t keep her nerves out of her voice.

There is a rumble that Momo can feel in her hand and it takes her a moment to realize that as probably as close to a chuckle as he can get in this depressive form of his. Okarun reaches up to wrap a large hand around her wrist and pull it to his cheek. She can feel that tension he seems to have been carrying loosen a fraction.

“Try to explain it,” Momo urges. “I want to understand what’s going through that head of yours. Like what were you going to say on the roof before?”

His eyes practically glow as he admires Momo’s face, yet there is pensiveness in them. “I... I was going to say you’re not weak, Momo. You’re strong. And smart. It's me thats the problem. You don’t have your powers. You don’t have the means to protect yourself the way you normally can. And it’s… driving me crazy, yo.”

He tilts into her hand and for a heart-stopping moment, she has the silly thought that he’s going to kiss her palm. As is, the cool breath that whispers across her skin has her skin flushing so warm that Okarun’s coolness is welcome.

“These yokai powers influence me in weird ways. Ways that I don’t think I can explain properly. Everything is just so… intense. My feelings. My urges. Even when I’m in human form these monstrous feelings of mine are always there just below the surface. I can't help it. Since the asteroid it's overwhelming to the point I find myself transforming just at the idea of something bad happening. The idea of anything attacking you while you’re powerless…” Momo feels that spike of yokai aura again. His voice drops into a rolling thunder. “Makes me want to keep you with me at all times, yo. I want to hollow myself out and make a space just for you to hide in so nothing can harm you.”

Momo just gapes at him. “Oh.”

The pressure relaxes a bit, his hold a little looser. “Like I said, it’s a lot. But… I can’t bring myself to hate it. You’re precious to me, Momo-chan. If it means I can protect you… then I’ll become as monstrous as I need to be, yo.”

Momo flushes at being called something precious and the earnest way he bluntly hints towards feelings that the both of them keep dancing around. This doesn’t feel like the right time to bring that up though.

“That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself. You don’t have to do that for me.”

“I want to. It makes me feel better.”

She sighs, her thumb gently brushing the red stripes on his pale cheeks.

“So, because I don’t have my powers your yokai uh… weirdness is overreacting?”

He scoffs, tightening his grip on her. “Considering what just happened I don’t think I’m overreacting that much.”

“Fair,” Momo concedes with a pout, annoyed that a stupid alien bounty hunter just had to go and just go and enable Okarun’s overprotective nature. “Do you think when my powers come back those feelings will calm down?”

“Maybe.”

Momo wrinkles her nose in thought and her other hand comes up to squeeze at his cheeks. Oh well. It’s not like a little part of her doesn’t secretly bask in the attention of her dumb yokai boy. A little possessive part of her that knows that this is a side of Okarun reserved only for her. 

“Alright then,” she says finally. “It’s a little annoying-“ She has to smirk at the faint whine he gives off at that. “-but I can put up with it for now if it makes you feel better.”

Okarun hums at that, not smiling in this form, but looking a little more relaxed as he looks down at her. Momo smiles up at him.

“I’d rather be at home though if we’re ditching school.”    

- 

Safe, Okarun thinks in satisfaction to himself as he’s laid out on Momo’s bed. Momo snores softly, cheek pressed against his chest as she’s cradled against the long form of his body. He runs his fingers through her hair. So precious.

-

Everyone is invited to dinner that night again at the Ayase household, crowded around the table. The others explain that they figured things out in the aftermath of the fight and had taken the alien to Mr. Mantis to take care of and turn over to space authorities.

“Well I’m glad he can take care of it,” Momo says, chewing happily on her omurice.

“Yeah, yeah,” Aira says, glaring between Momo and Okarun (who has successfully turned human again for now). “Where did you two run off to anyway?”

They glance at each other.

“Nowhere,” Okarun says with a shrug.

“None of your business,” Momo replies at the same time, smirking at the scowl it earns.

“Jiji!” Vamola interupts from next to Momo and points. “Soy sauce?”

“You got it Vamo-”

“No, I got it!”

At that moment Kinta (seriously who keeps inviting him?) lunged for the soy sauce. His hand smack's into Jiji's and then the soy sauce. The bottle goes flying off the table… and is caught in a perfectly formed spiritual green hand before it hits the ground.

Everyone just stares in silence, Momo included, as she sets the bottle back on the table. She hadn’t even thought about it. She just acted instinctively.

“Seriously?!” Momo groans breaking the silence. “Stupid powers! You couldn’t have come back like four hours earlier?!”