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Crossing an apocalyptic, ravaged wasteland was no easy feat. The fact that Kyoko had managed to reach her in the first place was more than a little surprising and warranted no small amount of respect. But that didn't make their trek back to the nearest Future Foundation outpost any easier. Safe food and water were scarce, and looters still liked to opportunistically pick off prey.
It was a good thing Mukuro was used to that kind of environment, then. She ripped her combat knife out of the chest of the Monokuma-masked man who had tried to overpower her, his body limp and growing cold. The two looters he'd had with him ran during the scuffle, recognizing her prowess when their leader was pinned to the ground. Mukuro looked to make sure Kyoko was safe, and allowed herself some relief to see the detective unharmed.
Though Mukuro no doubt had blood splattered on her face and across her clothes, Kyoko didn't at all flinch at the sight of her, instead giving her a vague nod that Mukuro took to mean 'job well done.' Taking the opportunity to find more supplies, Mukuro searched the man she had killed, patting him down and ultimately finding only a couple spare coins - useless these days - and some chewing gum.
"Anything on him?"
"Nothing worth having," Mukuro reported. She tried not to let it get to her, but they were reaching dire straits here, their water nearly gone and food tightly rationed. Around her old van shelter, Mukuro had located an adequate source of water via a broken water pipe, which she boiled before consuming. For food, she had enough time and knowledge to craft traps and make do with whatever wild game made it through the Tragedy.
"I see. That's too bad," Kyoko noted. "In that case, we should seek out shelter. If we get to sleep early, we can try to scout around the area before leaving." Mukuro nodded. That could work. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, a deep scarlet against the polluted red air. Kyoko had told her about efforts to purify the air, but the Tragedy had been on a global scale, so any attempts at rebuilding would be slow.
The two fell into step with each other, ignoring the looted man's corpse. That was the kind of world they lived in, now. One where the last vestiges of humanity cannibalized each other in a bid for survival. It had driven most mad, but for Mukuro, there was something comforting about the way the world was. Gone were the social constraints, the cues she didn't know what to do with. With the entire world a battlefield, she felt more at ease than ever.
It helped to have Kyoko at her side. With someone to talk to, even if Mukuro wasn't very good at it, she didn't get as lost in her thoughts as she did after leaving Hope's Peak. There was one particular benefit that Mukuro held close to her chest, however, unwilling to divulge to anyone but herself. With limited shelter available, Kyoko and Mukuro had to take what they could get, which meant they were holed up in some derelict bastion of the old world, crammed together like sardines on most nights.
Mukuro didn't mind the close quarters. She'd shared a sleeping space before, back when she was still a member of Fenrir, though those had been barracks. No, the complication arose when Mukuro learned a surprising fact about the ice-cold detective; she got extremely cuddly in her sleep. Mukuro expected it to bother her more, to be an annoyance, but it... wasn't? Being clung to soothed some animalistic part of her brain that craved for physical touch, and she had begun to look forward to it each night.
She didn't dare tell Kyoko, though. Anything that risked taking that physical contact away from her was to be avoided at all costs. Sometimes, she stayed on watch extra late, just to enjoy being held more. Mukuro could feel the difference even when she slept through Kyoko's sleep-induced cuddliness, markedly calmer and more capable of focusing come morning.
She banished those thoughts from her mind, keeping herself wholly preoccupied with the present. They were in the midst of a decimated city, buildings left half-standing and streets filled with rubble. It must've been one of the cities Junko had toured her giant Monokuma through, then. It felt strange to see what had become of a place she'd only vaguely heard spoken of.
However, that was fortunate for them. There had to be a building around with stable enough walls to keep them safe for the night. Mukuro kept her eyes trained on the destroyed cityscape, trying to locate such a building for their use. As it turned out, Kyoko was doing much the same and raised a hand, pointing at a building not too far off. As she did so, her left hand and Mukuro's right brushed against each other. Mukuro fought to keep a blush off her face.
"That looks to be an abandoned apartment complex. Shall we check it out?" Kyoko asked. Not trusting her voice, Mukuro merely nodded, happy to let Kyoko take the lead. She had always done better under orders, but her classmates had been so unaccustomed to survival training that she'd taken it upon herself to watch after them when they attended Hope's Peak together. Now that Kyoko was competent in surviving this dangerous, empty world, Mukuro was entirely fine deferring to her judgement.
They climbed over chunks of concrete and avoided most of the broken glass, making their way to the building Kyoko had spotted. It was laughably easy to get in, the door locked with a physical chain that Mukuro did away with quickly. Once inside, they began scoping the place out. Somewhat lived-in, it was clear that it had seen occupants after the Tragedy. Whether they were still there or gone was another matter.
Due to structural damage on the opposite side of the building, many of the apartments were caved in, and the whole thing tilted to the side. Every once in a while, the metal beams supporting the structure would groan, but the building didn't lurch. It wasn't the safest place, but there weren't many other options to pick from.
Kyoko found them a nice two-bedroom apartment to stay the night in. The lock had been broken but the door still fit its hinges, the place ransacked and promptly left behind. Kyoko took out a candle to illuminate the living room as the setting sun cast darker and darker shadows, while Mukuro grabbed their water and rations. It was another night of wild game jerky, courtesy of her meager stash.
They ate in silence, Kyoko only pausing to mutter a thanks for the food before chewing on her jerky. Mukuro could taste the gaminess of the meat, having had no access to spices in any form to cover the flavor. It was also tough, beginning to reach the point of inedibility. Still, a meal was a meal. It was more than she'd gotten some nights working as a mercenary under Fenrir.
When it came time to turn in for bed, Kyoko walked off to the bedroom further into the apartment. Mukuro trailed behind her, as she'd done every night they spent together. However, as Kyoko reached the bed she'd be using, she turned and gave Mukuro a questioning look. Oh, right. Two-bedroom. They could have their own rooms for the night. She'd known that, and yet, it was difficult to bring herself to retreat to her own, separate, bed.
"...You can stay, if you'd prefer," Kyoko said after some time. She pulled off her suit jacket, exposing the white shirt beneath. One could clearly see where it had been stained and marked by the unforgiving wasteland around them, dirt and red markings marring the pure white. "I merely thought you'd enjoy having your own bed for once." Mukuro blinked, having gotten distracted for a second there.
"No, I can..." she trailed off. Shaking her head, she rephrased, "I'll leave you alone." Walking to the door, she was stopped by a hand around her wrist. If she'd wanted to, she could've thrown the owner of said hand over her shoulder and against the wall or floor, but she resisted her combat instincts. It was Kyoko reaching out to grab her. She wouldn't hurt the first person to give her a chance after she'd helped end the world.
"Stay," Kyoko commanded. And Mukuro listened. She watched as Kyoko hid their things behind the headboard of the bed rather than under it, as she hung up her suit jacket and instead found an actual, full-sized blanket to use for the night. When she'd gotten herself situated on the bed, she patted the empty space beside her, beckoning Mukuro up.
Mukuro approached the bed, eying it up warily, as though it were somehow a trap. Still, that longing for touch spurred her on, and she mindfully, gingerly climbed onto the bed. She was careful not to touch Kyoko in any capacity just yet. When awake, the detective didn't care for physical contact, and Mukuro didn't want to get herself kicked out. Even after she had laid on the bed, Kyoko was giving her a look that Mukuro couldn't decipher, some silent message she wasn't receiving.
"Turn on your side," Kyoko told her. Wordlessly, Mukuro complied. Unwilling to be trapped staring at Kyoko for potentially hours on end, she instead turned to face the doorway. If any threat came for them in the night, she would be able to have a clear visual on the assailant before they could get close enough to cause any harm. Her thoughts promptly shut down when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist, and she shivered when she felt something poke between her shoulders.
"K-Kyoko? What are you doing?" she asked hesitantly. There was no way she'd fallen asleep that quickly. Kyoko had to still be awake. But she was generally avoidant to touch when awake, to the point that it used to repulse her when they were still in school together. So why did she have her arms wrapped around Mukuro? Her breath hit between Mukuro's shoulder blades and her knees touched the back of Mukuro's thighs. Every point of contact made her tremble.
"What does it look like? Snuggling you, of course," was Kyoko's matter-of-fact reply. She adjusted her grip, pulling Mukuro back towards her. The soldier couldn't help the small gasp that escaped her when she felt Kyoko genuinely nuzzle into her back, her entire body inexplicably warm all of a sudden. "You're a good snuggling partner, to my surprise. If you insist we share the same bed, I expect this much, at least."
"You..." Mukuro fumbled to come up with a reply. Kyoko knew? She had known about her sleep cuddles, and was openly embracing them? "You were awake for that?" It had only taken two or three nights of Kyoko grabbing onto her for Mukuro to begin relaxing under her touch and, every so often, return the hold. But she could only do that because she'd assumed that Kyoko was completely unconscious. Then, had there been moments of wakefulness that she'd missed, distracted by this newfound relaxation tactic?
"I woke up from time to time, yes," Kyoko confirmed. She tilted her head down so her forehead could rest on Mukuro's back instead of her nose. "Imagine my surprise when I would regain consciousness, only to find the Ultimate Soldier holding me in her arms, fast asleep. It was rather... cute." Mukuro's heart was beating out of her chest, only increasing in pace at Kyoko's quiet admission. Kyoko found her cute? Why? Why did that make her heart pound and her stomach buzz with anxiety?
"...You liked it?" she asked. Kyoko chuckled lowly at her self-conscious question, her arms tightening around Mukuro's waist. Though Mukuro wasn't any good at reading body language outside of combat purposes, it felt like Kyoko was trying to stop her from leaving. Or maybe, she was trying to pull Mukuro even closer? Either way, she could feel her heartbeat in her gut now, right beneath Kyoko's arms.
"I wouldn't be doing this right now if I didn't," Kyoko said plainly. She shifted again, removing the hand that encircled the side of Mukuro's waist that was pressed against the mattress. Mukuro's body mourned the loss of contact, and she was momentarily surprised to find herself repressing a whine. "Rather, I don't know if I could do this with anyone else."
With that one uttered truth, Kyoko fell silent. Mukuro had no words for what she was feeling. There was the satisfaction and terror of being held by a still-awake Kyoko. Then, the circles she was running in her mind trying to figure out what, exactly, her cryptic words meant. But beneath all that was a part of Mukuro that was preening under the praise. It was a small, oft-overlooked piece of herself, one lost to time over years of neglect.
Pride, for being able to provide Kyoko a safe environment to hold someone else in. Pride in herself, for not leaving the room when she had the chance, and for not pushing Kyoko away when she first initiated contact. When was the last time... that she'd felt proud of herself? Really, deeply pleased with her accomplishments? Had she ever really felt that way? Hmm... Perhaps that, more than anything else, made the night worth it, she thought with a faint smile as her eyelids grew heavy.
Mukuro had a rare night of peaceful dreams, waking up feeling refreshed and with Kyoko's arm still wrapped over her side.