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The sudden deafening silence mixed with darkness and isolation was a sensation he was no stranger to. Ever since he first accepted a dare to explore a haunted location, and dared his challenger to venture into an equally, albeit differently, paranormal space; these situations have become annoyingly commonplace.
Okarun was just so sick of aliens and empty space.
The only saving grace was he was never alone in these situations. No, he had his best friend with him. And he’d do anything for her. Momo Ayase was Okarun’s saving grace, an angel of a girl, and beside her he felt like he could conquer planets. But those kinds of thoughts quickly fell into the back of his mind as he rushed to find her in the now desolate school.
Finding Momo wasn’t hard, the distant sound of crashing and telltale sailor talk gave away her location. Okarun watched as a Serpo was sent flying through a classroom door, back handed by Momo before he could hope to stop her current rage filled onslaught. This is how it always went. She’d keep the psychic powers of the Serpo at bay, while Okarun charged in, dispatching them and any hired goon they brought with them that day. He’d launch himself at them like a missile, legs outstretched as he delivered kicks devastating enough to drop walls. An All Out could do even more damage, but the situation at hand didn’t call for it. The invading troublemakers were already nearly dealt with. They, however, failed to notice that the previously tossed Serpo was still very much alive and had injected the gig worker with a Serpo Energy Drink. The gig worker was already a burly alien, all bulk and muscle but with no speed, but after being injected, not only did it double in size, but also became decently fast. Fast enough to catch Momo off guard.
Not faster than Okarun, though.
With a red blur, he snatched her, moving her out of the way of the large, ground shattering fist, missing her and instead making contact with the floor of the school hall. Despite the surprise, everything felt so painfully familiar. The usual nonsense they had to deal with. So why…
Why was he filled with dread all of a sudden?
It was like his mind and body became separated suddenly. Like he was a passenger in his own mind. His logical thoughts screamed at his body to act, yet all he could do was watch on as it seemed to act on its own accord. He watched as he put down Momo at her request, ignoring how his mind screamed as the dread grew stronger, like he just made a mistake. Everything became muffled, fuzzy. He barely registered rushing the gig worker, didn’t even feel the usual residual pains that came with going All Out as his head made contact with its torso. He didn’t even feel the fist that came down on his back once the alien recovered from the staggering blow. It was only the aftermath that became horrifyingly lucid. From the contact, the floor of the hall cracked ominously, the sounds becoming violent snaps before the floor gave way. The next few moments he experienced with disturbing clarity. Okarun barely managed to catch himself as the floor gave way beneath him, only to feel his grip grow cold and falter as he heard Momo’s screams reach his ears. He turned his gaze just in time to see her reach out, causing him to reach out with a hand of his own as she fell. It all seemed to flow in slow motion, her hand reaching for his, her fingers grazing his as they just barely missed. Okarun knows he’s screaming, screaming with everything he can, but nothing comes, if anything it’s like he can barely breathe, which only drove the panic in his chest in even deeper. He watched as Momo tried reaching out with her powers, attempting to use its reach to grab the outstretched hand she missed. Okarun strained, trying to stretch his arm out farther to make it easier, but the growing pit in his gut just knew; it wouldn’t.
Things were all too clear again, moving far too fast, as he watched Momo fall, landing in a heap of sharp, cracked concrete and jagged rebar.
The next scream that ripped from Okarun’s chest filled his dark bedroom. He sat up, his breath coming in heavy, labored pants as he took in his surroundings. Everything felt both sharp and fuzzy as he tried to gather himself. He was drenched in sweat and chilled to the bone all at once.
A nightmare. An especially nasty one, too.
Okarun leaned his face into his hands, letting out a shuddering breath as he tried to calm himself. He was no stranger to nightmares, everyone has them after all, but just how visceral this one was left him shook to his core. He didn’t even notice that he was transformed until he gathered enough of his nerves to drag himself to the bathroom and saw his own reflection. This dream had really left an effect on him. He was just too shaken to his core. He hated how real it felt. How real it looked. It was only after an hour without being able to change back when he finally accepted, he may need to do something about it.
He needed to see her.
Momo Ayase was someone who enjoyed her beauty sleep. Granted, many would say the way she slept was anything but. She laid sprawled out, limbs in every direction, her lower half pretty much hanging off her bed, mouth wide open as she shamelessly snored. This girl was sleeping like a log, and nothing could wake her up.
Well, almost nothing. Something tapping at your bedroom window is sure to wake anyone up to be fair. She grumbled, annoyed at first, thinking it might just be some weird late night bird. The tapping persisted though, finally annoying her enough to stir herself awake.
“What the hell…” Momo groaned out, forcing herself up slowly to blankly stare at her curtained window. After a deep yawn, and a few more taps, she pulled the curtains open, staring blankly into a pair of red eyes sat behind a pair of large, round glasses. Momo jumped a bit, not expecting a whole ass person to be staring back at her. A few blinks and a rub at her eyes helped gather her thoughts and steady her vision.
“….Okarun?” Momo reached out, opening the window to let her yokai-ed friend in. Okarun slunk in, his gaze never leaving Momo as he settled onto her bed with a soft thump. Once the white and red hair boy was settled into her room, Momo closed up her window and drew the curtains shut again. As she adjusted and sat herself down, she glanced over at her clock. Two in the morning. She groaned, rubbing at her eyes again.
“Dude…why are you here to late?” Momo wanted to be annoyed, to scowl at the gloomy specter sitting on her bed, but whatever irritation she felt melted out of her once she got a good look at him.
When Okarun went all “Yokarun”, as she has personally coined, he was often a bit blank in expression. Tired and emotionless. Not that he couldn’t have expressions while in that form. Angry, concerned, focused. She’s seen all those looks in those red eyes of his. But not this. Not what she was looking at. His eyes were filled with fear, an unease. One so deep it spooked her. Momo gently reached for his hands, attempting to comfort him. She now noticed they were trembling.
“…Okarun what happened? Are you okay?” She watched as Okarun continued to sit silently, his eyes looking over her features, as if looking for something. Checking on her the same way he silently did after every battle they had together. His gaze finally fell to her hands as they rested in his. The same hands…
He squeezed them tightly, gently bringing them up to rest his cheek against her knuckles as he let out a shuddering sigh. “….had a nightmare…really bummed me out.” Momo ignored how her heart fluttered, willing away the blush creeping at her cheeks in response to Okarun’s affections.
“Looks like it did more than just “bummed you out”…If the problem was just a nightmare, why are you all transformed?”
Okarun shrugged, letting out a shuddering breath. “….can’t change back.”
Momo’s tone became more concerned now. “You…can’t? Why, whats-“ She stopped herself. The look in his eyes. The way his hands trembled. She put it together quick. It was a BAD nightmare. One he was clearly having trouble coming down from. Momo gently pulled one had free, using it to cup Okarun’s cheek, gently urging him to look at her. “What was it about?” she coaxed him softly. She knew her Okarun. He’d keep it bottled up for far too long unless she urged it out of him.
Okarun’s expression shifted from fear to pain, his eyes instinctively clenching shut at the memory of the bad dream. “We…We were at the school, in empty space…The Serpo were there with this gig worker…” Momo couldn’t help the soft sigh that escaped her as Okarun explained. At least now she knew she wasn’t the only one still dreaming about this constant bullshit. A smile spread across her face when he went into about how she was “an absolute badass” in his dream. She blushed a bit too, but she quickly willed that away. Whatever small feelings of flustered joy were cut short when she heard Okarun’s words stutter. “…but then the gig worker…they…” Okarun squeezed her hand tightly. “It felt so real…it all looked so real.” Momo sat with him silently for a moment, waiting to see if he’d continue on his own.
When it became clear that he was going to need another push, Momo spoke up. “What did?” She expected an answer. Not to be suddenly embraced, clutched to his chest like she may disappear if he let go. “…The floor broke apart in the fight. You fell…I tried grabbing you, and you tried reaching out but-“ his voice cracked, his fingers gripping into her back. Momo had heard enough. She hushed him softly, gently rubbing his back with a soft sigh.
“Well…it was just a dream. I’m here. Unfallen and in one piece, okay?” She gently pulled away to give him a smile. “See? All in one piece!” She gave him a grin in an attempt to lift his mood. Okarun stared for a moment before his gaze softened.
“You’re like the sun…” he muttered out, slumping forward as he let his head fall onto her shoulder. Momo struggled to find the words to respond. She always forgot he completely loses his filter when he gets like this. Before she could say anything, he continued.
“My life would become so dark if I lost you…I can’t go back to that.” Momo’s fluttering emotions were replaced with an ache. Her mind went back to the boy who just wanted a friend. The boy who just enjoyed the occult and wanted someone to share that joy with. The poor boy who was bullied and mocked for it for no good reason other than others felt they could.
With a sudden movement and a yelp from Okarun, Momo flopped them both into a laying position on her bed. “Well, lucky for you that I’m not going anywhere then, huh?” She used her powers to pull the covers over them. Okarun blinked, turning his gaze back to Momo, those normally pale, grey cheeks now had a tint of pink to them.
“Momo…?” The girl just gave him a smile, her hand reaching up to rub through his ethereal locks. Okarun felt his cheeks grow warmer, his eyes gazing into her own. She really was just like the sun. Her smile alone seemed to shine a warmth over him. Slowly, he began to melt against her, gently closing his eyes. Momo really was an angel. A gift he, to this day, he feels undeserving of. Despite his lack of a filter in this form, he kept those thoughts to himself. He knew it’d just upset her, and it’d turn this tender moment into a another scolding about how he shouldn’t be so hard on himself.
“Momo…thank you.”
The girl chuckled. A sound like bells. Warm as a summer breeze. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. Now try and get some shut eye, alright? You’re lucky it’s a weekend.” She gently rubbed his back, hoping he doesn’t notice just how red her ears were.
As Okarun lay there, wrapped up in the warmth of the sun, cocooned in the tender, undeserved affection of his dearest friend, he found himself finally feeling at ease. Soon, his breathing slowed, his eye lids shut, and his body back to its original state. Momo watched as his hair went from white to brown, and skin from grey to his usual, flushed pink. A psychic hand reached for, and very gently removed his glasses, placing them on the near by nightstand. Despite how exhausted she was, she found herself laying awake as she watched him sleep. His features were so soft. And he has such crazy long lashes! She was honestly kind of jealous. Most of all though, as she watched him sleep, she felt grateful. Most guys she knew sucked, she won’t lie. Even Jiji was a bully in her life at one point. But Okarun? From the very start, all he did was match her energy. She didn’t expect a nerd like him to have so much spunk. She expected his kindness even less so. Okarun was smart, caring, understanding, and frankly way too patient with her bullshit. Momo isn’t dumb. She knows she’s a lot. Lots of people in her life aren’t afraid to let her know. But to Okarun? She’s….perfect. A undeserving title if you asked her. Regardless, she wanted to protect him as badly as he did her. A need so powerful, that failing to do so in a dream shook him so deeply to his core, he forced a transformation in his sleep.
This little nerd really cared for her that much.
It’s a strange feeling….knowing just how shamelessly, and unabashedly loved you are. Momo kept her vigil for a little longer, bringing it to an end with a soft kiss between his eyes.
“I’ll always be here, I promise.” She whispered softly to the sleeping boy that rested oh so sweetly against her chest. Soon, Momo joined him in his sleep, the night carrying on peacefully.
His dreams now shone with the sun, and carried the scent of peach.