Its The Colours You Hate

SAVE OFFLINE

It's The Colours You Hate Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/20713673. Rating: Archive Warning: Category: Fandom: Relationship:

Character: Additional Tags:

Series: Collections: Stats:

Mature Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi 斉木楠雄のΨ難 | Saiki Kusuo no Sai-nan | The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Kuboyasu Aren/Saiki Kusuo, Saiki Kusuo/Teruhashi Kokomi, Saiki Kusuke/Saiki Kusuo, teruhashi makoto/teruhashi kokomi, Teruhashi Kokomi/Yumehara Chiyo Saiki Kusuo, Kuboyasu Aren, Teruhashi Kokomi, Kaidou Shun, Yumehara Chiyo, Saiki Kusuke, Saiki Kurumi, Saiki Kuniharu One-Sided Attraction, One-sided Incest, Developing Friendships, NonConsensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Touching, Asexual Character, (It's Kusuo), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Everybody is in love with Saiki its canon gdi, Defrosting Ice Queen Trope: The fanfic, Take a shot everytime Kusuo is described as arrogant(or synonym), Take a shot everytime Kusuo is described as attractive(or synonym), Take a shot everytime there's a canonical inaccuracy, cus author is badly sick and forgot until it was too late so heck it, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault, Assault, (forgot that one rip me) Part 1 of How To Trauma When You're A Psychic: A Non-Definitive Guide FTTN's Favorites Published: 2019-09-20 Completed: 2019-11-20 Chapters: 10/10 Words: 122429

It's The Colours You Hate by freakshow (oatmealcrisp) Summary

Saiki Kusuo doesn't have friends, there's just people who hang around him a lot. He doesn't fritter with emotions, he has no interest in romance. His life is secluded and that's just the way he likes it. That all changes when Teruhashi rescues him from his brother and he gradually learns to stop lying to himself. Apparently even super-powered genius psychics need friends. (And if love just so happens to bloom? Well, it's a pain in the neck but he supposes it's not the worst thing in the world.) Of course his life can never be that easy, though. Kusuke was never one to give in without a fight.

Notes

I think Kusuke and Makoto are total creeps so I wrote a 241 page fanfic that's nearly 100k words solely to express that. It's completely finished so updates will be released weekly. Though Saiki is absolutely the main character here (the content largely revolves around him), the POVs of other characters will be explored as well. This is a canon divergence that pretends the last chapters of the manga/the last episodes/the whole thing with the volcano was never a thing. Where does it take place in the timeline of the series? Dunno! Aren also has an alternate backstory since his house and family never show up in the anime and only briefly appear in the manga. This applies for other characters as well, whose backstories have been fluffed up where appropriate. And also I gave Chiyo curly hair...because I think she would look cute with curly hair. One more thing: "External dialogue" (This includes Saiki's telepathy) 'Internal dialogue' "Flashback/Emphasized dialogue" 'Written dialogue' I know a lot of people like to write Saiki's telepathy in italics or ' ' , but I felt this flowed better since other characters are initially unaware that Saiki is speaking to them via telepathy, not his voice, and this goes between...like...a lot of POVs guys. So doing it the other way was a) less consistent with the POV character's knowledge, b) just didn't look as good to switch back and forth with, and c) more effort rofl Welp I hope y'all don't mind this beast, if anyone actually bothers to read it to begin with. Please enjoy!

Rescuing Princess Peach Chapter Notes See the end of the chapter for notes

Teruhashi Kokomi didn’t believe in luck. Like money, it simply wasn’t something she needed. A whisper of Angel Breath and she had anything she wanted handed to her by a rightfully adoring populace of nearby men, a thought to

God and any possible wish she may have ever made was granted. Sure it was a little inconvenient sometimes - actually addressing her fans, memorizing the details of her classmates, going to sometimes extreme lengths to maintain her perfect demeanor, all took up a significant portion of her day that perhaps could be better spent elsewhere. But, sometimes… “YOU CREEP!” Kokomi shrieked as she stalked out of her own house, visibly seething. Teruhashi Kokomi didn’t believe in luck, but sometimes she wondered if the karmic payout for her perfect beauty was maybe a little unfair. Surely having a brother who pawed about through her dirty laundry was just too much? “But Kokomi-!” “No!” The girl whipped around to slam the door behind her, listening with satisfaction as her stupid brother’s face made impact. Huffing at it, Kokomi spun around on her heel and lifted her chin as she strode out the gate. Sunday had dawned cheerfully enough, with sunny blue skies marred only occasionally by fluffy white clouds. Autumn leaves, delightfully crunchy, skittered across the ground on a light breeze and the trees were a riot of gold tones. It had been a great opportunity to get some laundry done because fewer things were as pleasant to lay on than sundried sheets washed with her favourite lavender scented soap. Kokomi had made herself a perfectly balanced breakfast, and then had gone to prepare her laundry when she’d stumbled upon Makoto perving through her hamper. Honestly, how disgusting could he be? How unlucky could she be?! Kokomi’s typically unaffectable glow was flickering with the weight of her fury so she took a couple of breaths to calm down. A day downtown getting spoiled by strangers might be just what she needed to get over this sour mood, and then after that… Looking over her shoulder as she approached a bus stop, Kokomi frowned at the direction of her house. More and more it felt less like a home, especially as of late with their parents overseas and unable to deter her brother with their supervision. Perhaps she could spend the night at Chiyo’s. Or maybe… Kokomi felt her gaze soften somewhat as she boarded the bus, the chorus of infatuated gasps serving to brighten her spirits somewhat but not quite as much as the thought of a certain someone. Saiki. Saiki Kusuo. Her pink haired, completely aloof, and utterly disinterested classmate. At first she’d only been determined to make him gasp at her, irked completely by his standalone refusal, but now things were a little different. She no longer craved to be the hammer that struck his nail down. Kokomi felt she had grown to know Saiki a little bit and he made her feel not only warm and lovestruck but totally and completely safe.

She hopped off the bus lightly, hair bouncing and shining brightly in the mid-morning sunshine, and breathed in lightly with a smile. Just the thought of her secret, favourite, only crush was enough to lift her mood. Kokomi knew that he would never let anything hurt her even if he pretended not to care. Of course he also pretended not to care about everyone but actions spoke louder than words. Throwing her gaze up to the clouds, Kokomi's memories drifted immediately to waking up in the infirmary and being told that Saiki had not only carried her there after she collapsed, but had even been the one to catch her before she hit the ground. Her heart wiggled a little in her chest just thinking about it. When nobody had even noticed how terribly sick she’d been feeling he had, and he’d been there to make sure she was okay. He was quiet, but he was dependable. After that incident Kokomi had begun to watch Saiki a bit closer and had come to notice that, despite his apparent disinterest in being around people, he always seemed to be around just in time to prevent someone from getting hurt. It was like he was always looking out for everyone in his immediate vicinity. He tagged along on misadventures seemingly for the sole purpose of preventing any grave occurance from happening. He shared his food with Mera unflinchingly, and it didn’t take much work at all from Hairo to get him to help with projects. He stood by Kaidou’s side even during the worst of the white haired boy’s eighth-grade ramblings, and he didn’t even seem to mind Nendo very much anymore. Even the way he looked after that horrible neighbour boy was never halfhearted, and Kokomi was growing pretty certain he actually had a soft spot for children. Saiki also let others copy his homework, friends or no. Kokomi didn’t really agree with that part, but it went to show how unfailingly generous and attentive to the needs of others he was. In fact, she giggled lightly to herself, he was almost a bit maternal. Then Kokomi hummed a little and thought more on that. It was a little strange actually. Saiki’s grades were completely average, but his friends were always running after him for homework help. How could a boy who unfailingly graded 90th place in their school be trusted for homework help and to be copied from? Actually wasn’t it a bit strange how he was always in 90th place to begin with? Surely there should be a bit of a give and take - some subjects that were stronger than others, some tests that he’d scored better on or worse? There were discrepancies there. She’d heard rumors that he was actually very strong and he was so, so fast - he could run like the wind! Saiki’s powers of observation were also really something else. They had to be to catch onto the problems around him so he could be so unfailingly helpful. And his eyes... Kokomi lowered her head, her heart pattering at the thought of his intense gaze. Behind those glasses, his eyes were always sharp. It was clear to see that he was really very intelligent actually, which was why his friends automatically defaulted to him for academics despite his bewilderingly average grades. He even had a strange sort of charisma - every single transfer student they’d had lately had wound up in

Saiki’s circle of gravity, as if by some force of pure magnetism. And if he was magnetic enough to make even her, Teruhashi Kokomi, consider Saiki as a potential something-or-other, then there was absolutely something to be said about that. The girl paused and turned slightly, hands clasped behind her as she considered a window display. Fittingly enough to her thoughts, it was a bridal boutique with gorgeous white and sparkling gowns on view. She gazed yearningly at the beautiful lace, satin, and rhinestones, wondering how she would look in them, before considering her reflection and noting with pleasure that her hair was perfect despite the light breeze. A thought struck her. How did a boy with bright pink hair and such strange hair clips manage to consistently fade into the background anyways? As if summoned by her thoughts a glimpse of pink caught her attention in the reflection. Kokomi’s eyes widened slightly and she almost spun around to do a double take when she spotted someone else right behind him. Oh, she thought, utterly unimpressed. It was that brother of his, the utterly gauche one who not only also refused to gasp in awe at her but had insulted her as well and told her that she would never be good enough for Saiki. As if Saiki was the one superior to her! What a weirdo, she huffed at the man’s reflection. Normally a brother would be outwardly happy that a perfect pretty girl like Kokomi was even talking to their baby sibling, and internally screaming with jealousy, like Saiki’s dad had been doing that one New Years Day at the shrine. Instead, Saiki Kusuke had been wholly focused on his little brother. It was, actually, unsettlingly familiar. The two siblings were walking on the other side of the street, pushing by people at a quick pace. Saiki uncharacteristically seemed pretty perturbed and was even leading the way, body language stiff and uneasy, his expression caught in a frightening scowl. Kokomi wondered with worry if something might have happened. Had there been an accident? Saiki, she had observed, was a bit of a mama’s boy - had something happened to Kurumi? But that awful brother of Saiki’s didn’t look agitated at all so that couldn't be it. In fact, his disposition was as sunny as the sky, his cheeks faintly pink and his smile wide and excited. His gaze was focused completely on Saiki’s back and there was something distinctly unsettling in his single visible eye. Kokomi stilled, certain she wasn’t imagining things, and slowly turned around to watch. The blond reached out and grabbed onto her classmate’s arm, spinning the younger teen around and Kokomi felt her stomach drop into her shoes. Saiki’s reaction was instant. Despite the obviously tight grip he’d jerked his arm free with an impressive show of strength, so hard that his older brother was knocked off balance, and then he pushed the blond further away so fast that Kokomi hadn’t even seen it. In all the time that she’d known him, Kokomi hadn’t witnessed Saiki yell once. It was one of the things she liked most about him, part of what made her feel so completely safe around him. His voice was always even, soothing, and steady.

He was yelling now though, or close to, his voice growling and disturbed. “Get away from me!” Her feet began moving and before she realized it, Kokomi found herself jogging lightly down a nearby crosswalk toward her classmate, heart pounding so hard it made her chest ache. There was a lump in her throat, one that tasted sickly, and her entire body seemed to prickle unpleasantly. “But Kusuo!” The older blond simpered as he picked himself up, reaching again for Saiki with a look in his eyes that was both venomous and heated. “C’mon, it will be fun! If you win, I'll give you coffee jelly?” The sleeze knew right where to hit to make Saiki stop and reconsider but even with that Saiki was still hesitating, his face pinched in disgust. He took another step back, wary, slow, like he was getting ready to flee. As she closed the distance, Kokomi noticed his fists were shaking. “Oh Saiki, there you are!” Kokomi called out with all the joy of a girl ready to go out on a date with her cute boyfriend, shoving by the awful blond and clamping down onto her crush’s arm. There was a soft gasp as the taller boy rolled with the movement, stumbling back a couple of steps. Kokomi had hit him hard after all, her veins were pounding with the urge to get him away from here as soon as possible. Saiki blinked down at her, his eyes round with shock behind the strange green lenses he wore. Kokomi anchored him to a stop before he was at risk of tripping and sidled in close, gazing up at Saiki’s pale face and completely ignoring the irritation of Saiki the elder. She could hear him insulting her, trying to hit her where it hurt. Clearly Saiki Kusuke was smart too, he was dissecting her, tearing her down in a way that usually would have left Kokomi shaken and devastated because nobody spoke to her like that. She ignored him completely. “You’re late, silly!" Kokomi giggled, high pitched with panic, and tugged at his arm to start pulling him away. "Come on, let’s go, we’re going to miss it at this rate you know?” “A-Ah…” Saiki’s voice was soft but he was letting her tug him, following her lead. “...It. Right.” Good. Saiki had not only caught on immediately but he’d actually agreed for once. Kokomi’s knees trembled as she realized how dire the situation must really be for him to actually go along with her plan. Saiki usually went out of his way to avoid her completely for some reason. “Hey, what-?” Kokomi laughed to drown out the raising voice of the horrible man behind them. “Come on!” She began to run, pulling Saiki with her by his hand and ignoring the cruel yelling they left in their wake. Kokomi’s heart was so sore that her whole body ached with the weight of her sympathy, but under that she was angry. No. She was furious. Bad enough that she had to put up with something like that, but her crush as well?

That was unacceptable. They ran for a few blocks longer until she was certain they weren’t being followed and slowed. Kokomi breathed out a heavy sigh, flicking hair away from her forehead and releasing Saiki's hand. “Phew, I think we lost him. Still…” She looked around quickly and then pushed Saiki into a nearby alleyway just in case. Then, and only then, did Kokomi finally withdraw from him completely, holding her hands tightly to her chest. She blinked up at her favourite boy and swallowed tightly. She’d touched him, laid her hands on him. It was the first time she’d ever done so. Outside of the one occasion, their disastrous date, she’d rarely seen him being touched by others and she’d never seen him initiate it. She wondered. “Sorry about that, I know you’re usually pretty shy about these kinds of things but when I saw that-” Kokomi swallowed harder, her disgust balling up in her throat and making her voice break. “that creep pawing at you I just...reacted.” She shrugged, feeling her face go pink. Had she really just grabbed onto Saiki like that? She had held his hand! His fingers were long, kind of soft, and his palm had been warm and comfortable in her own. She shook her head hard. Now was not the time to be mooning over her crush’s hands. “I’m sorry!” “...It’s fine.” Saiki’s voice was as soft as his hand, which he was casually tucking into the pocket of his cute, chunky knit and cream cardigan with handsome wood patterned buttons. Under that he wore a striped white and navy shirt, and he'd paired that with plain dark jeans. Saiki, Kokomi had noticed, often seemed to prefer comfort over fashion in his casual clothes but he still always seemed to put together outfits that were effortlessly stylish. He was looking at her kind of oddly, but it wasn’t difficult to read the gratitude in the relaxing slope of his shoulders. His previous unease had almost completely gone, which Kokomi was relieved to see. Indeed Saiki’s features had smoothed from the grimace into his typical mysteriously bland expression, even if the look in his eyes was still one of mixed emotion. “Thank you, actually. That pain in the ass is becoming more and more bothersome to deal with lately.” Kokomi laughed a little, beginning to relax herself now even with the hard curdling in her gut. Yes, she understood that completely, and she knew he knew that. He’d been victimized by Makoto repeatedly after all, in the name of their ‘love’. “It’s the same with Makoto.” She smiled toward the ground. “Every year he becomes more difficult to manage. I can’t wait to move out on my own but even then…” Her smile faded as resignation thrummed through her, and Kokomi looked up with a shrug. Saiki nodded, and the understanding grimace on his face was painful to see. “He’ll probably just follow you.” “Yeah.”

Saiki fell silent, gaze turning downward as he shifted back to lean against the wall. The alley they’d stopped in was mostly clean but the buildings were a bit more worn here than on the streetfront, yellowing plaster cracked and crumbled to expose red brick. She hadn’t counted on the dimmed half-light to put softer shadows into Saiki’s face and hair, that the warm tones of the building he was leaning against would contrast handsomely with his pale skin and cool toned complexion. A stray autumn wind made her shiver a little and Kokomi looked toward the ground as well, trying very hard not to feel too flustered. It wasn’t easy around Saiki these days. In fact, it was just getting harder and harder as she careened into a spiral of affection, warmth, and dare she even say, love. Sometimes she felt she was fooling herself, that she’d tricked herself real good by falling for the single person in the entire world who would never like her back. And on the off-chance that he ever would, would that be the end of her feelings for him as well? Sometimes Kokomi worried she was fickle. It wasn’t a mood that set over her often, but seeing Saiki just now getting accosted by his older brother the way her older brother did to her...well, it had put her in something of a poor state of mind. “...Teruhashi,” Saiki mumbled toward the ground, his face turned away from her so she couldn’t see him. “I...really appreciate what you did back there. I suppose, if you wanted, I could buy you a coffee or something.” Kokomi felt as if the world had just lurched to a stop under her feet and she actually stumbled a little with the force of the reality adjustment. Did Saiki Just Ask Her Out? “Not as a date, but-” “YES!” Kokomi squealed, feeling her face go pink. She had to bite down on the urge to bounce and promptly reeled back her definitely-too-obvious excitement, hiding her mouth behind one fist. “I mean, uhm. Sure. If that’s what you want to do I guess I can let you.” Saiki stared at her for a moment that was so long Kokomi almost thought he might finally gasp at how pretty she was, but his expression remained unchanging and there wasn’t the slightest hint of red in his cheeks. Finally he gestured over his shoulder as if making up his mind, toward the other side of the alley. “Mera’s work is a couple of blocks that way. It’s usually pretty quiet.” “Okay!” Kokomi nodded, unable to and not really wanting to restrain the bright smile that shone from her face. A date with Saiki was the best reward for her good deed. Her day was looking up! They gathered a significant crowd the second they came out of the alley, the warm wave of amazed gasps giving Kokomi even more energy. Saiki walked in front of her and Kokomi got the impression by the set of his shoulders that he’d suddenly become viscerally uncomfortable. It was tempting to go into a little daydream about how embarrassed and nervous he must be to

actually ask her out on a date, and how excited he must be that she, perfect pretty girl Teruhashi Kokomi, had actually accepted, but something wasn't quite right. He was too agitated for that to be it, and Kokomi wouldn't kid herself by thinking the affable boy was actually flustered for the reasons she wanted him to be. ‘It’s almost like...’ Kokomi thought to herself as she looked around, a mild frown settling onto her full mouth. The stunned gaping of the many men following them were a comfortable weight to her, but to Saiki they seemed to be the bane of his existence. And it wasn’t just the disgusted and envious glares he was receiving at being in her company either - just the very act of being gawked at seemed to make Saiki anxious. Even his weird little hair clips seemed to droop like he wanted to find a nice hole in the ground to hide in. ‘It’s almost like the whole thing is an act,’ Kokomi narrowed her eyes as she thought back to the discrepancies in his behaviour she'd been mulling on earlier. “So people won’t notice him.’ Her eyes widened and she very nearly felt the click of a puzzle piece sliding into place. Yes, Kokomi decided with a sharp bolt of satisfaction, that was exactly it. ‘Saiki doesn’t want to be noticed, he wants to skate under the radar and never have any attention be paid to him and it’s because of that-’ Kokomi gasped with sudden enlightenment, ‘That he doesn’t want to be around me!’ Kokomi drew attention as easily as she breathed. It was only right because clearly the world revolves around her, the adoration of the planet's population was something that was simply her due since she was so perfect. But to Saiki and his deliberate wallflower act, it made her anathema. Kokomi drooped just like Saiki’s hair pins as her mind went back to that creepy big brother of his. To make Saiki Kusuo hate to be noticed so much, to make him avoid touching and being touched, to possibly even stop his emotions from showing, what had Saiki Kusuke done to him? She wailed internally in dejection and sympathy, her imagination immediately drawing upon her own personal fears - the worst case scenario. Kokomi sniffled a little and tried not to dwell on it. This was only a theory, there was all the reason in the world to believe just as much that what she feared wasn’t true. The bells above the cafe door chimed as Saiki pushed it open, holding it for her as she stepped in and promptly shutting it behind them on those that had dogged their steps. Kokomi winced a little at the sound of several thuds and groans as multiple people crashed into it, and looked around for a moment before spotting Mera. “Mera!” She called and waved with a somewhat weak smile, drawing the busty girl’s attention from the patrons she was setting coffee in front of and to them instead. “Oh, it’s Teruhashi! And Saiki! Hi!” Mera responded jubilantly, moving over to them and smiling bright. “Welcome, welcome! Please, take a seat anywhere you like!” “We’ll have the booth in the back, please.” Saiki raised his finger immediately as he walked passed Kokomi toward said table. “Aw.” Mera pouted in sympathy at the pink haired boy’s apparent foul mood and followed. Kokomi glanced toward the window at the prying eyes of the huddled masses outside and wished

them a sympathetic apology at being bereft of her presence, which had no doubt made their lives better just for that day, and followed as well. Sliding into the seat opposite Saiki, she smiled upwards at Mera. “I’ll have a medium hot chocolate please!” “And I’ll have my usual please,” Saiki nodded. “Thank you.” “Coming right up!” Mera nodded, her pigtails bouncing, and waved at Saiki. “And I’ll do my best not to drop it this time!” She wrote down their order and spun on her heel, walking away maybe a little too quickly. Kokomi raised an eyebrow. “She’s going to drop it.” Saiki said and she switched her attention to him. He was watching her knowingly with his palm on his chin, fingers covering his mouth. “Not because she’s clumsy, but because that way she gets a coffee jelly too when I order a ‘replacement’.” ‘And that way you can be sure Mera’s eaten.’ Kokomi smiled softly to herself, a flush of warmth gusting through her. He was just so considerate. Saiki’s gaze was far off as he stared passed her shoulder. She could almost feel him considering what to say, and waited patiently as the other gathered himself. Clearly he was about to open up to her - this was important. “...It’s not what you think,” Saiki finally picked, treading through the words carefully and turning to face her with an expression made of stone. His lips were firmly pressed together against his fingers and Kokomi was temporarily distracted by their fullness and perfect cupid’s bow shape. “Kusuke isn’t...exactly like your brother.” He was plodding through the subject with a rare trepidation that she almost never saw in him. Kokomi straightened, attentive. “He’s not in love with me like that pervert is with you. And he’s never made advances towards me.” Saiki grimaced off to one side. “So it’s not what you think.” Kokomi jerked and felt the warm gust of earlier turn into a hot surge of anger. She leaned forward and spoke through her teeth in a sharp whisper. “I know what I saw. I’m not dumb Saiki, I saw the way he was looking at you when he went to grab you. Just because he may not want to marry you doesn’t make him any less of a creep than my big brother is, they are exactly alike. He’s...he’s into you!” “I know that.” Saiki dropped back into the bench, almost appearing cornered by her with his face dropped to the side, glaring at her disdainfully from the corner of his eye. He was actually, legitimately emoting his discomfort, Kokomi realized and drew back somewhat. He was probably about a thousand times more uncomfortable by this than what was actually getting through, to even let that much slip by his rigorous control. “He’s.” Saiki ground down on his jaw, eyes deflecting to the wall as he struggled to explain the exact relationship to her.

Kokomi didn’t need the explanation, but she was ready to let Saiki give it when Mera suddenly popped back up and startled her. She'd been so utterly focused on reading the mysterious and cool teen across from her that she hadn't sensed their classmate's approach. As Saiki predicted, the girl promptly fumbled the tray and almost dropped it, upsetting it just enough so that Saiki’s pudding, and only Saiki’s pudding, was jostled enough to rattle and nearly tip over. A bit of cream and jelly dropped over the brim onto the tray. Kokomi blinked. That counted? “Oh no!” Mera squealed as she set Kokomi’s and Saiki’s (very expertly not fumbled whatsoever) drinks in front of them. “I’m so sorry! I’ll be right back with a replacement for you, Saiki!” “Thank you.” Saiki nodded at her and watched as the excited girl trotted off. His shoulders slumped slightly, as though he had suddenly realized how stiff he was and then he sagged completely, suddenly becoming resigned. He frowned at the table and proceeded to doctor his coffee with an obscene amount of sugar, and just a bit of cream. “Kusuke is a genius.” Saiki revealed, and Kokomi blinked at the sudden segue. “He was talking and walking perfectly in under a year, and doing complex maths by three years. He’s only 19 and he’s already graduated from Cambridge. He's created many inventions which have made him wealthy, the thing on his head is one of them and he works for the government on various contracts.” Kokomi nodded, following along and impressed despite herself. She pounded any admiration down soundly. That skeeze did not deserve any positive will from her! “That sounds like...a lot…” “I was talking, walking, and doing complex maths all within three months of my birth.” Saiki casually sipped at his coffee. Kokomi stared. She stared. But Saiki barely blinked, completely unaffected and having stated it like a simple fact. The sky was blue, water was wet, and her classmate and crush Saiki Kusuo was a super genius. “He hated that. A lot. So I began to hate him in return.” He nodded at Mera again as the girl dropped off a full coffee jelly, absently tapping the corner of his lip at her. She hurriedly wiped away a hint of frosting and left. “He was constantly threatened by my very existence so he took every opportunity to compete with me, trying to beat me down any way he could. I was totally drawn in. I refused to lose just because he thought I should, and I still refuse to now.” Here Saiki took a pause and sipped at his coffee. “As he grew older, as he lost more and more, those feelings grew complicated. Now he’s developed a sadomasochistic fixation with me. He loves losing to me and he still wants to crush me. So you see, it’s not exactly the same, and it’s not what you think. Kusuke has never touched me in the way that you’re worried about, and he doesn’t harbour incestuous feelings towards me the way your brother does to you. He just wants to play games so he can...Well. So you don't need to worry.” “Makoto has never touched me,” Kokomi hissed back, eyes narrow. “But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think about it, and that still freaks me out. It scares me. I live in constant doubt of his ability to restrain himself. Your brother derives sexual pleasure from the thought of you. It’s. The

same. Thing.” “It’s not!” Saiki’s eyes seemed to flash as he jerked his head up so fast his short hair fluttered. Kokomi blinked, and dismissed the flash as light hitting his glasses. She shook off her distraction and plunged forward with the matter at hand, speaking rapidly. “It is! And it’s because of that you refuse to draw any sort of attention to yourself! You associate attention,” Kokomi jabbed her nail into the table. “With him and he,” She jabbed again. “is a creep!” Saiki leaned forward as if to say something else before blinking and then retreating somewhat as he actually paused to digest what she said. “If you are some super genius like you say you are then you shouldn’t be in highschool with us trying to figure out calculus and ways to duck attention. You should be out there in the world, using your big brain and showing it off so you can make a difference! But instead you’re hiding, here, with me, because your freaky brother groped you on the street-” Saiki cringed. “He didn’t grope me, he grabbed my arm. There's a difference.” “-he groped you on the street and tried to bribe you into giving him material for his spank bank!” Saiki actually flinched then, closing his eyes as if he’d been slapped by her. Kokomi blinked as though coming out of a trance. She leaned away (when had she gotten so close?) and sat back down (when had she stood up?). “...I’m sorry.” She said finally, and for once she actually meant it. “I shouldn’t have said that.” Saiki dropped his head toward his chest, hair clips glimmering, and Kokomi was treated to the whorl of his pink, straight hair for a long moment. “...No.” He gave his head a shake and dropped his face into his palm, finally sneaking a glimpse of her from beneath an eyebrow. “You’re right.” That single eye closed and for a moment Saiki’s shoulders shook as if in a laugh. “When you’re right, you’re right Teruhashi.” He dropped back, lowering his hand to the table and staring at it. “I’ve just been trying to avoid it.” There was a look in his face when he sat up properly again to dig into his coffee jelly that made Kokomi feel as if she wasn’t getting the full story, somehow. When he took a bite of what Kokomi knew to be his absolute favourite treat, his usual pleasure was foregone by a sharp wryness. “I hate that asshole.” He actually chuckled with a shake of his head, eyes closed and bitter. Kokomi reached up to circle her hands around her mug, rubbing one finger up and down the shiny white ceramic. It was pleasantly warm and grounding, and she took comfort in its weight when she lifted it to sip at her drink. The hot chocolate was sweet with just a hint of bitter dark cacao and topped with whipped cream - just the way she liked it. What did she say? Where did this go from here? Kokomi licked the cream from her lips and asked what was forefront on her mind.

“Did you always hide yourself this way?” Did she even know who Saiki was? Doubt suddenly engulfed her. What if she’d been misreading him the entire time, reading into what wasn’t there? She hadn’t spotted the apparently insane genius that was busy calculating the absolute most average test scores so he could avoid notice, so how could she be sure she’d actually known anything about him at all? It was big. It was impossibly big and it was blinding like an expanse of bright summer sky, the kind that stretched on forever and made your eyes tear up with the brightness of it. It was overwhelming. Kokomi rubbed her knees together. “Well...I’ve always gone to school at my age group’s grade level. But no. We had to move a couple of times, and at least once the government got involved.” Saiki's expression was completely bland. “I was a bit too good at Rock Paper Scissors.” “...Oh.” So it wasn’t just his brother then, but a series of events in addition to his brother. Kokomi sat back and reached up to play with her hair, a nervous tick that she didn’t mind over much as it made her seem more approachable, and also made her hair glimmer while drawing attention to how pretty her neck was. Across the table, Saiki frowned into his jelly and in an uncharacteristic lack of appetite, poked at it. No, she decided as she watched him, her doubt resolved. She wasn’t wrong in her reading of him. She’d known that Saiki was actually very intelligent, Kokomi just hadn’t expected the depths of that intelligence. And really, who would? It was a perfectly reasonable blind spot to have even to her canny senses and deductive reasoning. She wasn’t wrong at all. Saiki was presently overwhelmed and exhausted. He was in pain from this, and it hurt to see him like this, just poking listlessly at the dessert he loved so much. Just like before, the urge to rescue him was cropping over her and Kokomi thought quickly. “I was…” Kokomi started, then stopped and nibbled at her lip uncertainly. Her hesitation made Saiki look at her. Kokomi paused further but for a different reason this time, momentarily taken in by her classmate’s flawless complexion and cheekbones. Oh, right. She pulled herself from her stupor, wondering what she was thinking. Saiki was just an average looking guy, now she was reading into what wasn't really there. “I was thinking about sleeping over at Chiyo’s tonight! To get away from Makoto. Perhaps...perhaps...” Saiki blinked at her, looking a bit surprised again, and eventually shook his head. “No. Thank you, but no. A boy sleeping over with two girls is completely inappropriate, Yumehara’s parents would never allow it. And for good reason.” Yeah, that was true. Disappointed, Kokomi lifted her cup and sipped at her hot chocolate lightly. The rich and velvety flavour was ashen. She really wanted to help Saiki, she realized abruptly. She really, absolutely, truly did. Not just because of her crush on him but because she was honestly concerned for his welfare. Because he was a person, and she was a person, and they had these horrible and unexpected

circumstances in common, and he just did not deserve it. Nobody did. Kokomi almost choked on the overwhelming feeling, desperation creeping in. Saiki had helped her so much. It was only right to try and return the favour. “Well...maybe if...maybe if we told them about this-” “Absolutely not.” Saiki gave her a Look. “Does she know about your situation?” “No.” Kokomi smiled sadly down at the whipped cream topping her drink. “No, she doesn’t.” “Then it wouldn’t be fair to only tell her about mine.” Saiki said sternly, glasses flashing again with annoyance. But then he softened, the hard expression letting up into something almost leaning into openness and Kokomi’s heart gave a sharp thud because of it. “But...thank you, still, for trying. I do appreciate it Teruhas-” “K-Kokomi!” Kokomi blurted out and then started when Saiki looked at her in surprise. For a moment Kokomi quailed because she'd never actually done this before but suddenly she wanted this extra step in their friendship as badly as anything. “You can call me Kokomi! We-that is to say-” She stifled a little whimper. Oh these feelings, oh this back and forth. It was making her dizzy. “...Teruhashi.” Saiki was firm but stunningly gentle, and Kokomi felt a little piece of her wither and die. Saiki dropped his gaze as though he could sense her mounting need to sink into the floor and just disappear forever. Kokomi felt utterly crushed. She couldn’t believe it! The first boy she had ever given permission to use her first name like that and he’d shot her down. Her! Teruhashi Kokomi! She couldn’t stand it, the humiliation was biting. Her bottom lip shook. “Teruhashi...That’s going a step too far. I-” “Why?” Kokomi horrified herself with a trembling voice, knowing that she was close to tears. “Why is it too far? You know it’s true.” “...Because I know how you feel for me, and I...I can’t reciprocate. I refuse to lead you on that way. It would be cruel.” Kokomi’s earth shattered beneath her feet like so much glass. He knew. No. He’d known. The whole time, he’d known. “Tha-...that’s right.” Her breath shivered, causing her trembling voice to be gusty and wet. “You’re some sort of genius, aren’t you? You’ve known...the whole time…” “...Look, I know it’s very mean of me to do this now, considering what you’ve done for me today-”

“The whole time.” Kokomi felt her eyes grow wide, sudden clarity clearing through the gloam. Yet more pieces were slipping into place, things that had confused her but that she’d eventually dismissed as strange tsundere traits. “You’ve known…” “But I can’t. Not only do I not feel the same but I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way towards anyone-” “So that’s why…” She breathed. “-Well there was one boy maybe, Satou Hiroshi, who’s a genius of being average and it’s so admirable and would you listen to me please-” Kokomi was jerked back to reality. “Wait, a BOY?!” She couldn’t help herself and shrieked in surprise, gaping at her classmate. Saiki shrunk back immediately, his face bleaching of colour. His eyes widened and his lips drew taught. He clearly hadn’t meant to say that. Kokomi blinked rapidly and yes, she was definitely feeling a little woozy now. “...Yes.” “...A boy…” No, actually. No. It actually made sense. ‘You’re getting distracted again, that’s not important so shake it off!’ She did so, giving her head a sharp shake, and pointed at Saiki. “Nevermind that!” “Nevermind-? What?” Saiki’s expression went from fearful to flat in exactly two seconds. “I was talking before you interrupted my epiphany, thank you. That’s why you’ve been so weird to me! Why you were acting like such a jerk that one day we went out, and-and why you’ve been so hot and cold-you WERE hiding at your neighbour’s that day I KNEW IT-” “Good grief...” Saiki dropped his face into his hand again. “You jerk!” Kokomi gestured harder, her entire arm wagging with the power of her vicious pointing. “You’ve been trying to let me down easy this whole time!” “Why do you hate me, God.” “I hate you!” Kokomi gasped and covered her eyes. “I hate you!”

Chapter End Notes

In the next chapter, we have Saiki's POV for the first time, Teruhashi has some secrets to spill, and Yumehara enters stage left after certain conflicts resolve. Saiki reflects on Satou and how bothersome dealing with people is, but unexpectedly discovers the value of teamwork.

Conversations Kill Chapter Summary

Kokomi is still oscillating wildly as she tries to make sense of the overwhelming morning she's had. The conversation draws to an end, and Kusuo, Kokomi, and Chiyo make a plan.

Chapter Notes

Recommended listening: Kusuo: Colours by Grouplove, This is Gospel by P!atD Kokomi: Clarity and Beautiful Now by Zedd Chapter title: Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots Small disclaimer for this chapter: Please note the views of the kiddos presented here do not necessarily reflect those of the demisexual homo-leaning author. Kusuo being gay does not 'make him one of the girls', as Kokomi says - being gay in no way lessens or affects a person's masculinity unless they say it does. Likewise Kusuo's disdain for fujoshi isn't much more than his disdain for the general populace - it's just one more thing which could potentially make his life inconvenient/cause him grief for the reasons he describes. Also, Kusuo doesn't know asexuality is a thing yet, this is something he'll discover in a later chapter. Speaking of, I personally HC Kusuo as ace but think he would consider attempting to have sexual relations with the right person. Whether or not he'd be successful I'm not sure of. I likewise don't think he has any real preference between genders, since he's displayed signs of romantic attraction toward both men (Hiroshi Satou) and women (That small offu in the episode where Kokomi tries to be a gyaru to impress him but decides to stick with her true self totes counts). I'm also approaching his character arc as a person who's so unused to feeling attraction that he doesn't recognize it when he does (It took me until I was 19 to figure that out so yep, that's a thing lmao). What he would choose to label that aspect of his sexuality as (pan vs bi vs queer) when he figures it out, I have....no idea rofl Regarding geography! The show doesn't get into the city's layout overmuch besides showing middle class and upper class neighbourhoods, a river, the downtown areas, and some slummy areas. It likewise doesn't really talk about public transit but it's unlikely that it wouldn't have one. Not only is this Japan but it seems like a middle to large sized city. To that effect, I've injected a subway and a bus system for the characters to get around on. According to the fanwiki, Kusuo lives in a middle class area and Kokomi lives in an upper class one. It doesn't say where Chiyo lives but her bathroom looks nice so I'm HCing her as middle class as well, albeit lower middle class for purposes of character depthening. However, I'm putting her area on the other side of Kokomi's

neighbourhood, so in effect she lives the farthest from Café Mami which I've put just a few minutes walking from Kusuo's place...for reasons of pure plot convenience. Suburbia has to meet downtown somewhere, right? Eheheheh… Also writing Kusuo as an old man in a kid's body who's sick of all these youngsters on his lawn is just...the best. It's my fave. Alrighty, that said...enter Chiyo!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘I’d better finish this coffee jelly before the mob outside murders me.’ Kusuo grabbed his bowl, dipping his spoon into it. He glanced absently at the hostile group of men outside. They’d taken the hint, but only because he’d jammed the door. Nobody could pass through that way, in or out, until he was good and ready to release it. Across the table Teruhashi was a shaking mess, her thoughts racing so fast that even he could barely keep up. She was actually handling his final rejection pretty well, all things considered. He’d halfway expected to get murdered by HER after all, only for her to then feed what little of him remained to her horde of devoted man slaves. Teruhashi wasn’t to be rejected by anyone so blissfully fortunate to catch her attention, Kusuo knew. It was against the very laws of nature in her universe. That’s when Teruhashi began to laugh. ...How was it that he, who had telepathy and could hear every word she was thinking, was completely clueless as to what was going on? “You-” The girl laughed and rubbed at an eye, smiling at him through tears that Kusuo wasn’t sure were from sadness or mirth now. “I can’t believe you, you jerk. How are you so nice?” “...What.” That was so far from the expected response that it may as well have come straight from Jupiter. Kusuo wasn’t sure he was hearing things correctly, except that was impossible, because his hearing (both mental and physical) was painfully perfect. “What.” “This entire time you’ve been trying to make me hate you because you knew, you jerk-” She was calling him a jerk now after just calling him nice? What was this? “-because by making me hate you, you wouldn’t be able to break my heart. Well tough luck, Saiki.” The girl dropped back into her seat and smiled into her lap. Despite her steady grin, tears still rolled down her face. “Tough luck, cus I already knew that it was hopeless.” What did he say in this situation? What expression was he even supposed to make? What the hell was he supposed to do? Kusuo knew he was staring at her dumbly and he didn’t want to do that.

Reaching around for something, he spotted his still mostly untouched coffee jelly and finally settled on stuffing as much of it into his mouth as he could. He was utterly baffled, and completely exhausted. Not only had he been avoiding Kusuke for the last two days but now this? People were weird. Girls were weird. Teruhashi was the weirdest. Her mind was spinning, dancing between concepts and emotions with the speed and erraticness of a typhoon that Kusuo couldn’t beat. Back and forth between ‘a BOY?!’ and ‘poor Saiki’ and ‘I hate that son of a bitch’ and admiration for his supposed empathy and then she would get distracted by the light in his hair, and then she’d circle back around to his brother, and it was exhausting to keep up with. And loud. Oh so loud. He kind of wanted to go to bed but he couldn’t because home was where Kusuke was, and Kusuo wanted nothing to do with his older brother right now. He didn’t even want to be near him. Because Teruhashi was right. Even with all his powers, even with Kusuke’s telepathy blocker so he couldn’t read the older man’s thoughts, Kusuo just didn’t want to be around him. It wasn’t that he felt unsafe, precisely. He knew he could defend himself in hundreds of different ways that Kusuke couldn’t have any hopes of beating if Kusuke ever so much as tried to touch him the wrong way. It was just that his skin crawled like he was being covered in a hundred cockroaches whenever Kusuke looked at him anymore, and his heart had developed a bad habit of palpitating whenever his older brother was near. It was because he knew that no matter what he did anymore this wasn’t a game he could win. Winning wasn’t winning, not when Kusuke flushed a hot red all over with delight at being beaten, and losing was absolutely unacceptable because then not only would his brother be made hot by it but then there would be hate there, too. Visceral shining hatred, all for him. Kusuo didn’t need telepathy to figure that. Not when he had eyes, a nose, and ears. It was worse lately now that Kusuke was back home, set up in in the spare room for the moment. He’d been there for a while now and Kusuo was feeling more and more strained by the proximity until, yesterday, he’d finally let himself be driven from his home. The walls weren’t thin but Kusuo’s hearing was pronounced, and sometimes at night… Kusuo stifled a shudder by biting into his spoon. The metal bent just a bit, kind of like his psyche that was started to go a little sideways from the stress. Kusuke was staying over, having made some lame excuse about radiation at his place, and his usual cold hearted but smiling manipulation (“Seeing as I bought this house anyway, really it’s only fair I get to sleep in it sometimes” “Oh Kusuke of course you can stay for a bit! Stay as long as you need! Kusuo I’m going to need to get you to move his stuff back into the spare room, okay?”) had their parents wrapped around his little finger. They were so glad their eldest was back home for even a little bit that they were blind to the increased tension between the two brothers. It was just impossible to fully avoid him. Kusuo felt cold just thinking about sleeping underneath the same roof as the blond but even he needed to bed down somewhere, and where else could he go?

Suffice it to say, he hadn’t been sleeping very much lately. He was gaunt from it, his impressive cognitive abilities growing more and more debilitated by the day. There were dark, puffy circles under his eyes and his control over his abilities was beginning to become tetchy. Kusuo was feeling the strain, and that strain was dangerous - it impaired him and that in turn made Kusuo a threat, a fact which only added to the stress. Just perfect. Maybe Teruhashi’s suggestion held some merit, he should just find somewhere else to sleep for the night. Or a few nights. The whole week, really. Kusuke had stated yesterday he was supposed to leave sometime Friday afternoon or evening. Sucking on the spoon, Kusuo immediately dismissed all his acquaintances out of hand. They’d be troublesome to deal with, he didn’t want to face the inevitable questions or handle the also inevitable hijinx it would inspire. It would also be that much harder to hide his abilities, being with them day and night, especially when his control was already slipping. Likewise, Kusuo just couldn’t deal with the thought of peopling that much right now. Perhaps he could find a hotel room for the night somewhere, or even a nice tree. Hell, he’d heard that the Canadian prairies were nice this time of year. Maybe he could just find a field of wheat and sleep in picture perfect solitude. Kusuo looked up at Teruhashi again, then looked away again, hitting himself mentally. He couldn’t believe he’d spilled all that to her, and he was frustrated with himself over it. Her strange behaviour had been, honestly, freaking him out and between that and his exhaustion he’d become uncharacteristically talkative. Damn that Satou Hiroshi and his completely boring haircut, and his bland brown eyes, and his unremarkable face, and his totally average everything right down to the time it took him to poop. Kusuo wasn’t even certain if what he felt was a crush, damnit. Admiration? Definitely. Excitement whenever they so happened to cross paths? Yeah okay, his heart rate picked up a tad. And sure he may have developed a mild habit of stalking the other boy so he could admire Hiroshi’s completely normal life, and he’d found out every single one of Hiroshi’s interests so he could attempt to inject himself into said completely normal life, and yeah he’d actually put himself directly into the other boy’s path to actually attempt to gain his attention and companionship and it had actually stung quite a bit when he’d been turned down flat. But none of that was a solid indicator of a crush. Kusuo didn’t do crushes. He was pretty certain he wasn’t capable of them. Anyways it was Toritsuka who had suggested it may have been a crush and Toritsuka was a trashy, filthy, pervert, so clearly his mind was just in the gutter all the time and his opinion was to be, at best, taken with a grain of salt. Or perhaps a mountain of it. Kusuo blinked and popped the spoon from his mouth. Not good. He’d gotten so carried away by his thoughts of Hiroshi that he’d begun to levitate the sugar. He put it down quickly and sipped at his coffee, glanced again at Teruhashi, and then away again. Good, she hadn’t noticed. As well, in the time that he’d lost to thinking it seemed her mind had finally begun to slow down, circulate, and then settle on what she considered a solution.

Kusuo frowned because no, that was not a solution and he wasn’t going to have it anymore than he would abide her spilling the truth about his home life. It was private, damnit. “...Well, if you’re really gay, then it probably wouldn’t be so weird if you hung out with me and Chiyo tonight then.” Teruhashi had perked up, practically reinflating from her deadened slouch. She clapped her hands together. “You’d practically be one of the girls! And on the way there we can compare notes on boys!” “There’s only ever been the one boy.” Kusuo huffed and frowned diplomatically (okay he pouted) at the wall of their booth. “And I absolutely am not a girl.” ‘Most of the time.’ Kusuo was careful not to broadcast that one as he glanced at Teruhashi, and then away, again. ‘But you think I’m my own sister, so.’ Though that said he wasn’t particularly attracted to any gender. When you could shapeshift into anything from a girl to a cat, concepts of gender and sexuality got a little blurry and didn’t seem to matter very much. It was just one more thing that made Kusuo different. “And also no.” He added, but she didn’t seem to hear him. She was on a roll again. Probably better to let her finish and then pop her bubble after. Sighing into his mug, Kusuo took a long pull at the last of his coffee and did not slam it, no he set it down in a perfectly composed fashion. Slamming your mug was rude, and he would break it if he did. It was tempting though. “It’s really not that surprising when you think about it,” Teruhashi chirped, fully cheery again. Wow, she’d gotten over that quick. “You’re constantly surrounded by cute girls, not to mention me, and I don’t think you’ve admired any of us the way a straight guy would! And I’m pretty certain I’ve caught you looking at Hairo’s butt.” “Well his pants are always getting pulled down." Kusuo said into his cup, taking one last swig. "Can we not talk about this?” It was funny though. Despite his discomfort, he was feeling lighter. And by the sounds of her thoughts, Teruhashi was too. It was like the air had been cleared between them, knocked around at first by her rescue of himself from his creepy older brother, and then crumpled completely by the rest of their conversation. Had Teruhashi not been the flame to which moths (men) flocked to, Kusuo might wonder if he'd actually be able to tolerate being her friend now, with all the romanticism out of the way that he'd been so previously threatened by. But then… Teruhashi’s previous words came back to them and he chewed them over for a minute, peering into the dregs of his coffee. She had said he was hiding because he associated attention with Kusuke.

It wasn’t completely true of course but Teruhashi hadn’t missed the mark completely. Growing up with a brother who openly despised him, insulted him, and came at him at every opportunity had been a factor. Not only was Kusuo saddled with powers that he couldn’t afford to let the discovery of get out, but perhaps he had been hurt a little by Kusuke’s teasing. Kusuo tilted his mug back and forth a bit. He’d practically killed his drink with sugar, and the tan colour of the few undissolved crystals was almost soothing against the quiet backdrop of the cafe. He refused to let himself be beaten, Kusuo repeated his earlier words to himself, just because his brother thought he should. And he desperately needed a good night’s sleep before he really screwed the pooch, as they say, and ended up doing something he couldn't undo. “...If Yumehara starts to think of me as a rival for Kaidou’s affections,” Kusuo projected to the blue haired girl’s mind, setting the mug down completely with a click. He’d made his decision. “I’m leaving.” Maybe it was time to start peeking out of his eggshell just a little bit. Teruhashi squealed and it hurt his ears. The girl was performing a mental victory dance, joyous at succeeding and light for being able to help him. He would not admit that he was smiling to himself. He definitely would not admit that he was touched. Not at all, because he wasn’t. “Alright, alright. Good grief, what a pain.” “I’m going to go call Chiyo right now, then!” Teruhashi beamed at him and Saiki squinted against the surging power of her golden aura. “And ask her if we can stay! Uhm...I know you said no but I might really need to, to make this work, so is it...okay that I tell her about your, uhm, well.” She poked her fingers together and looked off to the side, cheeks pink. “Your crush?” “It’s not a crush,” Kusuo parried automatically. Well, in so far as the weight of secrets he was keeping this one was pretty mild, but he still didn’t know how comfortable he was with that. Still, he’d pretty much negated his prior refusal with his quip about poor Kaidou so Kusuo shrugged and tried not to dwell on it too much. “But go ahead, it doesn’t matter to me.” He pointed toward the restroom area. “You might want to make your call in the bathroom, though.” ‘Otherwise you won’t be able to get out and that would be suspicious.’ He thought to himself but spoke aloud, “Otherwise we might be here a while.” “Oh! Right! Hehe, good idea. I’ll be right back.” Teruhashi’s smile was warm, glittering and genuine before she ducked her head and slipped out of the booth. Kusuo watched after her, puzzled as her thoughts drifted into the café background under the brunt of the seething masses scowling at him from the window. ‘...People are strange.’ Kusuo finally concluded again, pinging his mom absently and letting her know via telepathy that he wouldn’t be home tonight. He was sleeping over at a friend’s, and could she please have a change of clothes and his pyjamas ready for him when he got home? And maybe a book or two as well. His mom, of course, agreed ecstatically despite the fact that tomorrow was a school day. At least her excitement made sense to him. She was his mother, and she was a good one. Kurumi

had concern about his well-being and because in her mind, friends equated to happiness, she yearned for him to have lots of them. He completely disagreed with her but he still understood it. Kusuo’s eyelids drifted closed for a moment and his chin dipped down toward his chest before he jerked himself awake and straightened, lifting his hand to catch Mera’s attention. He could not afford to fall asleep yet, not here. “May I have another coffee and coffee jelly, please?” “Coming right up!"

Kokomi felt as light as a feather as she leaned against the bathroom stall door. The world was right as rain, it was a perfect day and she was still the most perfect, prettiest girl in the whole wide world. Yes, everything was perfect, and her perfect title was still intact! Saiki Kusuo was gay. It all made sense! Sure he may have taken it back after spilling the beans but that’d just been an automatic denial to attempt to save face, she’d seen it many times before with her many acquaintances and few friends. Though even Kokomi, with the tabs she kept on every student in her school, was struggling to remember this ‘Satou Hiroshi’ person that apparently had caught the impenetrable Saiki’s attentions. But still, there was no denying a person’s natural inclinations - even her own perfect beauty couldn’t overcome the barrier that was a person’s sexuality. Between that and his avoidance of attention, Saiki’s complete lack of reaction to her charms, and indeed his outright avoidance of her, just made sense. There was nothing wrong with her. She was still a goddess, and the world was still hers. Kokomi realized she was hyperventilating a little bit and forced herself to stop, clutching her phone tightly to her chest as she whined under her breath. Still, she was definitely sad. Sure she’d known that there wasn’t much of a chance, but to be shot down completely for the first time in her entire life? Well, she was feeling a little traumatized regardless of the reasons, but she could get over it. She was going to have to give up on her first love. Her first love, who still cared about her enough to try to spare her feelings from his rejection. “What a stupid, nice guy…” She sighed into the bathroom stall, staring at the ceiling. She flipped open her phone, making the charms jangle and clack, and quickly dialed Chiyo’s number.

“Come on, pick up…” Bouncing on her toes antsily and puffing up her cheeks, Kokomi furiously willed her friend to answer. Chiyo wasn’t nearly as pretty as her, but nobody was, and she was a good and dependable friend. One of Kokomi’s best friends, actually. She was also good at keeping secrets and even though Saiki had said he was okay with her telling Chiyo about his crush so they could get permission for him to come over, he’d said as much after a period of hesitation like he was trying to tell himself he was okay with it when he actually wasn’t. Therefore, she needed to keep this information under wraps. After all, Saiki had trusted HER, confided in HER, and that trust was something perfect pretty girl Kokomi refused to betray because she couldn’t be the perfect girl if she wasn’t also a perfect friend. “Hi-hi~!” The call was answered! Finally! “Chiyo!” Kokomi bounced. “Chiyo, it’s Kokomi! Are you, uhm, are you busy tonight?” “Ah? Well, only homework, why? Did you wanna do something?” “Well,” Kokomi scratched her cheek. “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to have a sleepover tonight! At your place? With, uhm, a mutual friend maybe?” “Oh that sounds like fun, I’m totally down for that! Who’s joining us, I kinda thought Chisato was working tonight?” “Well, she is. Uhm.” Here it goes. Kokomi took in a huge breath. “It’s Saiki.” “...HAAAAAH?!” Kokomi pulled the phone sharply from her ear, wincing. Heedless of her volume, the other girl rambled quickly. “OH MY GOD KOKOMI IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’RE NOT TELLING ME ARE YOU TWO ON THE RUN TOGETHER OH MY GOD WERE YOU KICKED OUT AFTER CONCEIVING A CHI-” “OhmyGod Chiyo, NO!” ‘Does this girl seriously think I would let myself conceive a child at my tender age? Are you kidding me?’ “Nonono! It’s nothing like that! Uhm. Actually.” “Ah? Kokomi?” Saiki had entrusted her with a very important secret and, even though she considered him a friend, she knew he didn’t quite feel the same about her. But Chiyo was Kokomi’s friend, her very good and trusted friend, who was good at keeping secrets. Kokomi reminded herself of that, and then reminded herself that despite his misgivings, Saiki had entrusted this to her judgement, and her judgement was a sound and sharp beast that was rarely wrong. “...Chiyo, I need to tell you something, so just listen for a little bit alright?” “...Okay. I can do that, Kokomi.” Kokomi closed her eyes tightly and took another deep breath, her brows furrowing and a delicate grimace settling on her mouth.

“I have an older brother. His screen name Mugami Tohru but his name is actually Teruhashi Makoto. He’s been…” She shifted, rubbing her knees together. “He’s been in love with me since I was a little girl, and it gets worse every year. Today I caught him in my dirty laundry. He was fondling my sheets. Rubbing his face on them and smelling them. And I think he-” No, she couldn’t say it, it was too gross to say it. Kokomi powered on. “I hate him so much. I can’t stay there right now. And Saiki…” She opened her eyes to the floor, taking in the fake tile. Under the harsh fluorescent lighting it looked cold, old, and sad. Desolate. “Saiki has the same problem.” She closed her eyes again. “Please let us come over Chiyo.” For a moment there was silence, only the sound of Chiyo’s calm breathing telling Kokomi the other girl was actually still on the line. Then, finally, the other girl spoke and her voice was smiling. “Of course you can stay the night. And Saiki too, I guess? Lucky for you, my parents aren’t home tonight, they’re on some couples retreat, so we won’t need to explain that. But we’ll need to get your things. Where are you two right now? I’ll come with you!” Kokomi couldn’t help but choke on a tiny grateful sob. “Thank you. Thank you, Chiyo.” “Anytime! What are friends for? Now tell me where you are and I’ll come pick you up. It really, really is lucky my parents aren’t home tonight, otherwise I’d have a really hard time convincing them why a boy is having a sleep over with us, haha!” Ding. “...Oh.” Kokomi wiggled her foot a little, toe-kicking at the floor. “Right, about that. Saiki’s probably gay anyways so it doesn’t matter. He has a crush on a boy.” The silence was so rapid and pressing that Kokomi warily withdrew her phone from her ear in preparation for a reaction that would no doubt be about ten times bigger than hers. Chiyo was a very...intense person sometimes. Her caution was correct but she still ended up fumbling her phone when the other girl screamed. “HE’S WHAAAAAAT?!”

Outside in the cafe, Kusuo flinched as a mental shriek rang painfully loud in his head and stared in horror as his jerking hand, armed with a spoon, knocked over his favourite treat. He reacted quickly, slurping it into his mouth via psychokinesis before it could hit the table, and closed his eyes in pleased satisfaction while he chewed. What a close call to disaster that would have been, Kusuo couldn’t abide ruined coffee jelly. He was pretty sure that had been Yumehara he’d heard just now, which was impressive considering the girl lived nowhere near here. He tried to be a little incensed that Teruhashi had

dropped more than what she’d okayed with him, but she was right, he had put his faith in her judgement. Now he got to live with the consequences of that. Really, it was his own fault. Kusuo resisted the urge to sink back into his seat, consternation and apprehension warring with equal ferocity inside him. To say that tonight was going to be interesting would be an understatement. He hoped that he’d get out of it without too many questions, but when had God ever answered his prayers before? At least Teruhashi hadn’t gone into a homophobic rant. Just because Kusuo very much did not have a crush on Hiroshi didn’t mean one couldn’t be inferred, and a boy having a crush on another boy could still be dangerous. It was, of course, a concern of Kusuo’s that this was something he might have to deal with eventually. Not because he was afraid that it would hurt his feelings, since he really couldn’t care less what other people thought of him beyond ‘don’t notice me too much please’, but because it would mostly just be really inconvenient and a hassle to deal with. And no doubt if such a thing happened publicly it would draw attention. How terrible. No, that had to be avoided. As well, while Kusuo wasn’t certain where his friends stood on the concept of sexuality and gender (it wasn’t something that came up often in their day to day lives, even in their innermost thoughts), he knew for a fact that he had unwittingly drawn to him a group of deeply compassionate and sometimes almost reasonable people. They weren’t his friends, and they were a bother to deal with, but they did have some merits. So no, he wasn’t too concerned about any negative feedback this may inspire. Kusuo’s eyes drifted over to a pair of adult women giggling quietly in the corner over a manga, and he could see easily from his position (and hear from their thoughts) that it was a homoerotic mess of tentacles and hands that were a shade too large. No, what he was really worried about were the ones who would exclaim and coo over him while asking whether he preferred to play the uke, or the seme. The answer was neither since he just wasn’t interested in sex whatsoever, and fielding those questions would be an even bigger pain in the ass than dealing with some homophobic idiot. It wasn’t exactly the norm for a boy his age to have no appetite for that sort of thing after all. Kusuo grimaced to himself with a roll of his eyes, and then turned around as Teruhashi approached. Clearly the girl was still stinging a little from his rejection but she was still in surprisingly good spirits as she settled down, carefully folding the skirt she wore as she did and then giving her pink sweater a small adjustment. She smiled at him radiantly. Kusuo had eyes. He could see and appreciate that Teruhashi was as beautiful as she inwardly proclaimed, and outwardly denied, to be but that didn’t mean he was interested. ‘Sorry Teruhashi,’ Saiki thought with perhaps just a smidge of regret. ‘You’ll just have to be someone else’s perfect pretty girl someday. I hope you find him. Or her,’ He added, thinking to the tiny Imu Rifuta who had recently decided to ‘switch sides’, as she had said. ‘Your natural inclination is towards men but you never know.’ “Chiyo is going to come to the cafe for a little while, and then we’re going to my house to pick up my clothes. Oh, but we’ll have to get yours too,” Teruhashi frowned down her fist at him, which she’d tucked up to her mouth. “You can’t sleep in those and you’ll need something for tomorrow.”

“I’ve let my mom know and she’ll be packing a bag for me,” Kusuo replied. “We don’t live too far apart, getting around won’t be a problem. Besides,” He took a sip of his coffee, eyes slipping shut. “It’s not like you need to come with me.” Teruhashi’s cardboard smile told him he’d said the wrong thing before her thoughts did. Ah, she hadn’t appreciated that much, had she? “Yes we do.” She said sweetly. “If you think we’re letting you go over on your own when there’s even a chance that freak might be there, you’re mistaken.” Her voice was as pleasant as sunflowers despite her language. It was pretty impressive, Kusuo thought, how she could fit so much expression into her face and tone so well as to emote frustration, exasperation, skepticism, and sarcasm into one pretty smile. She really was a master of conveying what she wanted others to see. He wondered if it was more or less work than what he put into controlling his own expressions. Not that it took a lot of effort for him since he had perfect and complete control over his entire body but It seemed to Kusuo that kind of thing would take a lot of doing but Teruhashi did it with no effort at all. She was a natural. He was trying to ignore the weird bubbling sensation in his chest by overthinking on the little things but he couldn’t deny it any more, he was genuinely touched by the girl’s sudden urge to protect and help him. It wasn’t anything he needed...but it was kind of nice, especially now that the air had cleared between them and she wasn’t doing it with ulterior motives of seduction. Not too sure what to say Kusuo simply said nothing at all, instead settling for nodding his head. “Good, so that’s settled then!” Teruhashi clapped her hands and Kusuo nodded again, clamping down on the warmth that wanted to settle into his cheeks. Cryokinesis was handy for automatic reactions like that. “Chiyo and I will go to your house first because it’s farther from Chiyo’s than mine. I’m sure she won’t mind the pit-stop.” Yeah that sounded like a decent and logically sound enough way of going about things. Kusuo nodded a third time and lifted his coffee to his mouth, then paused. Somehow, it felt like running away just a bit. He thought about his home, his room in particular which had previously been his haven from the loud and people-ridden world outside. It was the one spot he could count on as being an uncontested place of safety. He had gotten used to that once Kusuke had left for England, he realized. Sorrow pinched his gut but was quickly overtaken by determination. He couldn’t allow this to continue. Somehow, someway, Kusuo was going to figure out a solution to all of this. He looked at Teruhashi, whose smile had given way to something more genuine as she chattered about all the fun they could have together that night, and felt that determination solidify into firm choice. She was small, and light, and while she was physically fit Kusuo had never seen her lift so much as a hand to stop someone who was getting too grabby, like those men on the beach in Okinawa. More than him, she deserved comfort and safety because she couldn’t protect herself in the ways that he could. If Makoto ever did get the nerve to actually try something…

It didn’t bear thinking about. So he was going to solve this. For both of them. It wasn’t long before Yumehara arrived, dressed in an eye catching plaid green dress with a frilled hem and her typical red headband. Kusuo barely got the door open and closed for her in time because the crowd of men was still there. Teruhashi got up quickly to go greet her and once Yumehara had ordered the girls returned to the booth. Yumehara, Kusuo was unsurprised to notice, was practically bursting to ask him questions. He wasn’t sure he understood what Yumehara’s fascination with other people’s crushes was. It wasn’t like she was going out of her way to play match-maker, it was just one of her favourite things to gossip about. And to hear that he, the impenetrable Saiki Kusuo who had so neatly dodged her attempts possibly had a crush on someone? As was the common slang lately to say, it was ‘the hottest tea’. Kusuo eyed her warily. “WHO IS IT?!” Well at least one thing was playing along predictably today. Sipping at his coffee the boy tiredly closed his eyes as his constant low-grade headache threatened to worsen. It was hard to be constantly buffeted by noise that you could never tune out no matter how hard you tried, and that stress had solidified into mild discomfort years ago. It got even worse when people yelled at him directly, with their minds or their voices, of which Yumehara was presently doing both. Good grief. “Chiyo!” Teruhashi reprimanded but Chiyo slammed her hands on the table and leaned forward intently, the expression on her face somewhat terrifying in its glee. Her thoughts were racing along one line, ‘Who is it who is it who is it who is it-’ and it was uncomfortably loud. Kusuo almost felt a bit squished underneath the weight of her interest. “No Kokomi,” Chiyo gasped, a hint of a sweat shining on her forehead. She...wasn’t blinking at him. It was creepy. He swallowed. “I HAVE to know!” Teruhashi looked at him with an embarrassed apology in her eyes and while Kusuo was pleased by her discretion and tact in not naming names, they were both seeing the drawbacks to that now. Kusuo closed his eyes as he thought about how to handle this. On one hand, name dropping would get her off his back, probably. Sometimes just giving in was worth more than resisting and Kusuo had learned early how to pick and choose his battles. But on the other hand that wasn’t a guaranteed outcome and it could lead to further consequences. His eyes flashed as he looked at Yumehara, he wouldn’t let her accost the poor boy he had an obsession with, and he could easily read that in her intentions. She wasn’t just obsessed with crushes. Well she was, but that wasn’t the only factor at work here.

Yumehara was jilted and Kusuo would protect Hiroshi’s perfectly bland life from the likes of her (admittedly mostly benign) plans. He WOULD. Kusuo set his cup down with a loud click and frowned at the strawberry headed girl, eyes narrow. “I’m not telling you.” Yumehara’s jaw dropped and he could see her drawing herself up to pursue the subject with all her power but he held up his hand. “No. I’m not telling you. In fact I don’t even want to get into it at all. You can respect that, or I can leave.” Kusuo didn’t typically assert himself like this with the girls. Well, he didn’t typically assert himself at all with anyone other than Toritsuka and sometimes his dad when the man was at his most obnoxious. It usually wasn’t worth causing a conflict. That didn’t mean he was incapable of doing it, and doing it seriously. Yumehara clearly hadn’t been expecting him to. She was blinking at him in amazement but he could see in her face, and mind, that she was rolling his words over in her head and giving it genuine consideration. ‘This is privileged information,’ Yumehara was thinking. ‘And Saiki is drawing a line in the sand here. If I have a chance at ever getting it out of him I have to respect that. For now.’ Maybe the reason why she was doing it wasn’t the best for him (he could see her daydream of them, him blushing and squirming and mewling indecisively before finally coming out with it. It was another sleep-over scenario and it kind of reminded him of his Grandpa’s daydreams. How embarrassing.) but she still nodded and finally sat down, smoothing her dress properly over her black stockings. Kusuo was grateful. “Okay, Saiki. I won’t press.” She smiled at him and if Kusuo didn’t have a front row seat to her brain he might have actually believed the sincerity in it. Still, he felt himself relax a little bit and nodded his head toward her in appreciation. “Thank you.” “So I was thinking that before we go to my place we can stop by Saiki’s to get his things as well.” Teruhashi also seemed to be a little relieved and was quick to change the subject. “I, uhm, I don’t think he should go alone either, considering the situation.” Yumehara’s thoughts instantly darkened into a seething, roiling rage. Outside, her demeanor stayed sunny and calm as she nodded at Teruhashi’s suggestion. She was trying very hard not to react to the situation like it was anything out of the ordinary, and not in an effort to avoid the disturbing subject either. ‘If I’m not careful here I could make this horrible situation even worse for them. I have to play it cool,’ Yumehara seemed to be reminding herself even as her feelings expressed an urge for outraged violence on both their behalfs, not just Teruhashi’s. Kusuo was actually a bit shocked and he sucked on his teeth hard, lowering his head. Their genuine concern for him, truly felt and completely unnecessary, was hitting him like a gut punch every time. It was getting bad for his heart. He was actually feeling a little guilty that they

were pouring so much into him like that when it was wasted on him, he who had the psychic powers of a God (according to certain people) and who didn’t even want friends, nor did he consider them friends. Yumehara’s concern was mounting too. She wasn’t as sharp as Teruhashi, who was almost uncannily perceptive, but that didn’t mean she was an idiot. She could see his bruised under-eyes and strain just like anyone else if they chose to look, and right now she was. “That sounds perfect! Oh, we should think of what we want to get at the store too!” “The store?” Teruhashi carried the conversation in his stead, giving him a moment. “Duh, of course!” Yumehara squeaked enthusiastically. “You can’t have a sleep-over without delicious munchies, AND we should figure out dinner too obviously. And probably lunch as well, it’s almost one in the afternoon and we can’t just eat coffee jelly.” Kusuo’s stomach grumbled minutely at the thought of real food and he patted it as he squinted at the redhead. She was actually ribbing him. People never did that. How odd. He drew his jelly closer with a small frown. “I could live off coffee jelly forever.” Kusuo rebutted but conceded anyways. If he didn’t eat something besides sugar he would end up with a headache even worse than what he had now and he’d start getting queasy and faint to boot. His life was very difficult. “Hm, you have a good point. I am getting kind of hungry…” Teruhashi did as well and looked back over at the menu board. “I don’t think they serve anything but drinks and treats here though.” “There’s a MgRonalds pretty close to my house, we could always go there before we go to the market.” Kusuo couldn’t help but perk up as he heard that, brain sinking sideways into thoughts of MgFlurries. He hadn’t had one of those in a while. Smarties, oreos, and cake chunks all wrapped in a decadent vanilla soft-serve danced in his mind’s eye. He checked himself for drool. “I don’t know, Chiyo, isn’t that kind of…” Teruhashi trailed off, her thoughts worrying over the nutritional value of what was, at the end of the day, junkfood. Teruhashi definitely had treats often but in her opinion it wasn’t possible to be a perfectly pretty girl without some perfectly balanced meals to perfectly balance her perfect health. Kusuo kind of got the impression that ‘perfect’ was one of her favourite words, especially when applied to herself. To say that Teruhashi was a perfectionist was a gross understatement. Yumehara winked. “Yeah but I think we’re allowed to treat ourselves today, don’t you?” “I agree with Yumehara.” Kusuo threw in immediately, his brain methodically listing the menu of delicious ice cream drinks and desserts he had easily memorized years ago after looking at it once. Perfect recall was just another one of his abilities after all.

A burger and fries wouldn’t be too horrible either, it was a nice change from the ramen Nendo always wanted to get. Yumehara immediately looked at him with stars in her eyes and a grin on her face. He didn’t return the smile but his eyes glimmered in response. Memo received and understood, right now they were allies and with teamwork they could overcome Teruhashi’s tyrannical intolerance of treats. “See, even Saiki agrees! You could get a milkshake you know,” Yumehara prodded deeper, elbowing Teruhashi a bit. “And besides, we can always make a good dinner.” “I guess…” Teruhashi mumbled into her knuckles, looking downward as she considered. “But then we really shouldn’t get too much at the store.” Kusuo traded another look with Yumehara. The girl nodded back at him, her smile and brown eyes sharp. He gave a thumbs up in return, glasses flashing. Sent and received. ‘I’ll handle the snacks-’ Kusuo began. ‘-And I’ll distract Kokomi!’ Yumehara finished. Maybe things like teamwork really were all that they were cracked up to be.

Chapter End Notes

Next chapter we get Chiyo's POV. Kurumi and Kusuke make their appearance, as does Best Boy!Amp.

Eight Legged Freaks Chapter Summary

Things get to Kusuo. He slips.

Chapter Notes

Recommended listening Chiyo: Count on Me by Bruno Mars, Flicker by Porter Robinson Kusuo: Safe and Sound by Me vs Gravity (Cover), Wiped Out! By The Neighbourhood Kokomi: Love, Save the Empty by Erin McCarley, Cameo Lover by Kimbra This is the crossover chapter lmao So uh here's one of those canonical inconsistencies I joked about in the tags. We're just gonna ignore the fact that Chiyo has met Kurumi and Kuniharu in the 'surprise birthday party for the wrong person' episode, of which this takes place afterwards since we're in October. I'm keeping it cus I like the scene. As well, Kaidou's art skills are definitely a YMMV but the kid's definitely got a Junji Ito/Scary Stories to tell in the Dark flare which would make for a very interesting battle/shonen manga lmao Likewise this chapter is the reason why I threw up the most recent tag. I waffled on it since it's not explicit but the implication is definitely there in this and later chapters so I added it just to be safe. Kusuo is going to be showing some PTSD from now on after basically getting put under a non-sharingan Tsukuyomi. Too bad he can't just turn his telepathy off, eh? Speaking of his telepathy I'm headcanoning that Kusuo works on different frequencies, so to speak. The lower the frequency is, the more private his thoughts are. From that he can dial it up to one person (whispering), people in his immediate vicinity (talking regularly), and louder from there until he can speak to everyone within his 200 metre radius. This one also gets into some headcanoning about the, ahem, bio-logics (badumtsh) of Kusuo's powers. The brain requires the most calories and Kusuo's got a superbrain so I think sugar cravings (given sugar is the most easily accessed energy the body can use) wouldn't be too unrealistic if you applied realism to his powers. He doesn't display a huge appetite for anything else so he's not your average Saiyan, but I'm borrowing that and applying it to him. Of course sugar is just straight up delicious so there's definitely that too. Kusuke calling Kokomi a slut is a bit OOC but he's a bit OOC in this entire story because I hate him and I'm dialing him up to the logical extreme. He basically implies as such when they go to the temple together anyway, which, rude brotherfucker Kokomi is better than you in every way you butt. Also I don't think Amp would like him very much after the robocat fiasco.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The day had not gone how Chiyo had been expecting it to. Sure it had started according to plan. She’d eaten breakfast with her family before waving her parents off around mid-morning, wishing them a fun time at their retreat. After she had settled in for a few rounds of Street Fighter (it was silly but it reminded her of Kaidou) and then had done some aerobics for a bit. She’d just stepped out of the shower after her work out and was busy getting dressed to do some errands when Kokomi had called, making Chiyo’s world flip upside down three times. It was disorienting and the reason for it filled her with a black rage. She’d never known that about Kokomi. Honestly she hadn’t even known Kokomi had a brother, she’d figured the other girl was an only child like herself because she’d never talked about any siblings. Chisato anguished over her little brothers and sister often and even Kaidou had talked about his family sometimes when he wasn’t going on about his ‘Scenario For the Jet Black Wings’. (Really, Chiyo thought, that boy should go into the manga industry because he was pretty good at drawing too and with all the stories he had in his cute fluffy head he’d be a perfect fit. She’d never say that out loud though. Even if Kaidou’s imagination ran away with him a lot it was still rude to point out that was all it was - just imagination. But still...No, now was not the time to fantasize about being Kaidou’s background artist, proximity and hijinx causing love to bloom!) She’d even thought maybe Saiki had a younger brother. He’d made excuses on behalf of babysitting a few times and Nendo had always responded with, “Oh yeah, your little bro!”. But no, it wasn’t a little brother. It was an older brother. For both of them. Chiyo cast a glance from the corner of her eye as they walked, her on the right, Kokomi in the middle, and Saiki on the left. She couldn’t believe it. Well no, she sort of could, especially for Kokomi, but it was disgusting to think about and while Chiyo wanted to believe that Kokomi was over-stating the situation, she knew her friend was being one hundred percent truthful. Kokomi would never lie like that for one, and she rarely exaggerated anything. Besides that, while Kokomi looked perfect (as per usual) Saiki...didn’t. Oh sure he looked good, handsome as always with the sun shimmering in his pretty pink hair and with that cute little outfit on, but it was easy to see he was tired and, if she stretched a little, maybe even a bit frazzled. It was obvious the boy hadn’t been sleeping and though Saiki was naturally very fair-skinned today he was practically ashen. He’d also ordered a coffee to go. Chiyo knew Saiki liked anything that was coffee flavoured but adding together the dark circles under his eyes and the look of concern Kokomi had paid to it, Chiyo didn’t think it was a huge leap to assume that right now their classmate was enjoying it for more than just its taste. She breathed out and turned her gaze forward, determined not to dwell on it too much even if she fingered the cellphone in her dress pocket. If things got hairy, Chiyo had decided before heading out, she was not going to hesitate to call the police. She didn’t care that this was a family matter, it

was even worse that it was to begin with. But she needed to keep her head in the moment because if she got pissed off (and oh how she wanted to get pissed off) then she could very well be risking making her friends even more miserable and that was A) not allowed, and B) not her role here. Her role was to give her friends a safe place to sleep and a fun evening to cheer them up. And oh what an evening she had planned! Cackling internally, Chiyo went over it in her mind. First they were going to watch some movies she had picked out. She’d gone through her collection beforehand to destroy all of the Tohru Mugami films she had, of which there were a lot, and she was going to need to tell Kaidou to do the same but anyways. First it was going to be movies, scary ones since Halloween was right around the corner, filled with munchies and candy! Then dinner, then they were going to play some games! And after that, ohoho, after that it was going to be time for scary stories. Then maybe some truth or dare before bed, where she could show off just how magnanimus she was being about Saiki’s crush. Because oh my God, Saiki had a crush. And more than that, a crush on a boy. Chiyo practically vibrated with the potential in that, it was impossible not to. She’d never told any of her friends in a million years about her secret yaoi stash but she just loved love, romance was her thing. Chiyo had yaoi, she had yuri, she had het, she even followed a couple of furry webcomics because the art was cute and so was the romance. If it was a love story then Chiyo wanted it! For a while she’d been thinking that maybe Saiki just wasn’t into love at all, and that was fine, everyone had their own thing. It had made her sad, a little, but only because it was another way she would never be able to relate to him and Saiki was so remote and distant already. But this! Chiyo loved boys, Saiki loved boys, it was the perfect jumping off point to really getting to know her distant friend! It was such an exciting possibility, especially after earlier when they’d teamed up against Kokomi in the name of snacks. Another thing in common, and this one so strong that Saiki had set aside his usual nonchalance in order to support her in their shared goal! So yes, Chiyo was vibrating with excitement. This was going to be such fun! Still, she had to make sure this actually happened so, hands clasped behind her back, the girl swung around to walk backwards so she could face her friends. “So you said that your mom has everything packed up for you? Your parents won’t mind that you’re doing this on a Sunday?” Some parents were picky about this since Monday was a school day. Chiyo’s usually were too, and she felt kind of guilty that she was essentially going behind their backs to do this, but she knew if she told them it was to help her friends they would understand.

Saiki shook his head. “No. They’ll just be thrilled that I’m going to be in the same room with other people for a while.” Chiyo snickered at the bland delivery. Saiki’s sense of humor was dry, witty, and the boy was also a fan of understatement. It seriously tickled her funny bone. “Besides, they like Teruhashi, so it’ll be fine.” “Oh that’s right! You’ve spent New Years together a couple of times now, haven’t you?” Chiyo smiled and Kokomi nodded, her smile sparkling. “Uh huh! And I’ve been getting cooking lessons from his mom too, she’s an amazing chef.” “Whaaaat?! Oh, I wanna come too!” Chiyo had to learn how to cook a yummy meal if she wanted to provide for Kaidou someday, and unfortunately neither of her parents were particularly skilled in that area - they ended up eating a lot of premade meals. She could practically feel Saiki rolling his eyes but despite that the boy gestured ahead with his coffee. “Well we’re almost there, I don’t live far from the cafe after all. You can ask her yourself when we get there, I’m sure she’ll be more than pleased to have you over too.” Oh wow, Chiyo thought a moment later. Saiki’s house was...kind of big wasn’t it? It was an 80s modernist build, she thought based on the research she'd done to become Kaidou's eventual background artist, with pale brick and deep grey shingles. It also kind of towered over the neighbouring single story homes just a bit. Yeah this was a middle class neighbourhood but Chiyo’s family was middle class too and they were stuck in a two bedroom apartment. Still, it was really nice. Like...really nice. But Saiki was pausing at the front gate, gazing up at it with a considering weight to his gaze. After a moment he shut his eyes. “Good,” He seemed to mumble to himself, barely audible. “He’s not here.” It was only then that he reached out and opened the gate. Chiyo felt her chest give a pang and bit her lower lip, gaze sliding to Kokomi. The girl returned her look and nodded, determination shining from her. Chiyo nodded back and together they fell in behind their pink haired classmate as he moved up the walk-way. An orange tabby cat with a bandana was meowing outside the door and upon seeing Saiki it perked up and trotted over to wind around his legs. ‘Feed me,’ it seemed to be saying and Chiyo giggled. “Aw, you have a cat, Saiki? He’s so cute! Here kitty-kitty,” She kneeled down and stretched a hand out. The cat saw her and rubbed up against her hand so Chiyo obliged with a scratch behind his ears. He looked over at Saiki kind of smugly, as if to say ‘here, you see this? This is how you should be treating me!’ and Chiyo grinned up at Kokomi. How funny that such an aloof boy had such an expressive pet. Kokomi smiled back but remained stalwartly standing, a pillar of poise behind Saiki. Chiyo’s gaze softened. She knew Kokomi must have been devastated to learn of Saiki’s ultimate feelings after how much

effort she’d put into pursuing him. Why she’d ever thought her friend had liked Nendo was beyond her, it was almost painfully obvious where her heart lay. “He’s not really our cat, mom’s allergic. Mostly he comes over when he wants food.” Saiki looked at her before turning to open the door, stepping into the landing. “Mom, I’m home.” “Oh! Welcome home Ku!” A voice drifted down the hallway and shortly after a pretty woman bustled into view. Her hair was cut into a cute black bob and she was wearing an apron over a warm looking violet sweater and a knee-length cream skirt. She had warm dark eyes that contrasted against her pale skin and the kind of face that leaned toward smiling. She was also dragging a massive duffle bag behind her. “Mom…” Saiki’s expression dropped into one of exasperation as he hurried to meet her. “Here, let me help you. When I asked you to pack a bag for me, I didn’t mean this…” “Oh, I know Ku-dear but I wanted to make sure you had everything you and your friends could ever need while you stay with them!” Mrs. Saiki reached up to comb his hair out of his eyes, giving one bang a tweak. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind, well, staying out for a little longer than just tonight. I know you’ve been stressed about things lately and maybe this will help!” She clasped his shoulders for a moment, her smile sweet and sad and it was clear that even if she didn’t know everything that was going on in her house she knew enough to be concerned for her son. After a tender moment Mrs. Saiki turned toward Chiyo and Kokomi. “Kokomi it’s so good to see you again! And you must be one of my Ku’s other friends, hello there! What’s your name, dear?” The sadness dropped in favour of sunshine and flowers and Saiki’s mom stepped around her son, who was contemplating the oversized bag with an odd expression. The woman reached out and clasped Chiyo’s hands, her entire being seeming to radiate a loving warmth. Chiyo startled at the forwardness but forced herself to relax. “U-Uhm, I’m Yumehara Chiyo. Saiki and I have been in the same class for a couple of years now.” “Aw, it’s so good to meet you Chiyo! Such a pretty name for such a pretty girl! You can call me Kurumi okay?” “Uh, right!” Kurumi thought she was pretty? Chiyo felt like sparkling and decided she liked this woman right away. Kokomi nudged Chiyo and it was then that she remembered what she wanted to ask earlier. “Oh! Kokomi said you were giving her cooking lessons, is it okay if I join you? I really want to learn too but my parents aren’t that good at it, eheh.” Saiki was shaking his head in the background of Kurumi’s ecstatic shine. “I don’t mind at all, that sounds wonderful!” Kurumi exclaimed, bouncing. “Come over any time okay? And you’ll have to take some home with you of course!”

How such an expressive and sunshiney woman could produce someone so taciturn as Saiki was beyond Chiyo but she felt a warm affection growing in her immediately toward Kurumi. She could tell that they could be good friends. “Right, okay!” “Aw, are you going to feed your kitty Saiki?” Kokomi asked behind her and Chiyo turned to watch Saiki crack open the top of a can of cat food. The cat was lingering in the doorway, tail flicking and bright eyed. He was still meowing too. “He won’t stop whining otherwise. And his name is Amp, or that’s what dad calls him anyway.” Saiki paused as he set down the duffle and leaned over to place the can on the ground, watching the tabby as it immediately tucked in. “I didn’t like him much at first but he’s good pest control.” Kurumi giggled. “Ku is scared to death of bugs but Amp eats them all up!” “Ooohh,” Chiyo nodded and went ‘ew’ on the inside. “Well, we should probably get going though. We still have to get lunch and do some shopping!” “It sounds like you have a full day ahead of you then,” Kurumi beamed, her dark eyes twinkling. “Have fun and be safe, okay? And Ku-dear, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. Anything at all.” Saiki rose and turned to face his mom again, picking up the bag she had packed. Chiyo stifled a sharp gasp as the boy favoured his mother with a soft and gentle smile. Suddenly she was struck by not only the resemblance between mother and son, but by how much prettier Saiki was when he looked like that. “I will, mom. See you later.” She had never seen it before! It was so sweet! Chiyo turned to sparkle at Kokomi who winked back at her, pressing a finger to her lips. There would be no teasing Saiki for being a mama’s boy. Not today anyway. Some motion caught her eye over Kokomi’s shoulder and Chiyo blinked, looking past her friend. A smiling man with shaggy blond hair that covered one eye was stepping through the gate. She squinted. He was wearing some sort of weird tiara thing that vaguely resembled Saiki’s hair pins. What a strange fashion statement. “Kusuo, there you are! I lost you earlier. I was so worried after that strange, horrible slut dragged you away, are you okay?” The smile dropped from Saiki’s face like so many rocks. On the stoop Amp hissed, back arching and fur standing on edge before the cat bolted to duck into the bushes. “Okay, time to go!” Kokomi’s smile was as radiant as the sun but cold as the moon. “We’ll see you later Kurumi, have a good day!” Saiki, posture stiff, nodded jerkily and turned to follow Kokomi through the door, his fingers white knuckling the strap over his shoulder. Chiyo watched the taller man follow Saiki with his single visible eye and bristled with disgust at the dark heat that practically glowed from it. So this was the older brother. Yeah, she got it now.

“Oh are you leaving to play with your friends Kusuo?” The blond said patronizingly as if Saiki was four years old, reaching up to adjust his tiara. “Alright, I’ll be here when you get back. I’d hate to miss out on brotherly quality time on one of my rare vacations!” He reached out as Saiki passed by him and patted the boy’s shoulder once, twice. Saiki's to-go cup dropped from his fingers. Okay, that was it. Chiyo felt her face turn red with the burst of fury that flamed through her and surged forward, utilizing a move that every girl knew when it came to rude men. With a flip of her hair she shouldered passed the pervert roughly, pleased when she succeeded in knocking him off balance. In front of her Kokomi had reached back to seize Saiki’s hand in a tight grip, pulling him away and tearing through the gate. Chiyo chased afterwards and shut the gate behind them, glaring at the still cooly smiling man with all the seething anger in her heart, determined to let him know with one look what she thought of him. She blew a raspberry at his stupid smug face and rushed after her friends. When they were clear by a couple blocks Saiki jerked roughly from Kokomi’s grip. He stumbled to a neighbouring wall and clutched his hands to his mouth, shuddering deeply. His face was paper white and dripping sweat. Behind his glasses his eyes were huge and bulging, pupils pinprick small in fear. He looked like he was about to be sick. “Saiki…” Kokomi whispered, and Chiyo was shocked to realize her friend was trembling just as much, a hint of tears on her lashes. Slowly the dark haired girl reached out as if to comfort their friend but stopped, hands hesitating a few inches from his back as if Kokomi was unsure she was even allowed. “J-Just give me a minute.” Saiki’s voice was raspy and sharp. “Uhm. Th-The coffee’s trying to come up on me, that’s all. I haven’t eaten yet today.” He seemed to swallow and dropped his hands to ball them against his throat and chin, still looking painfully shaken and vulnerable. “Don’t tell me you’ve only had coffee and jelly today…” Chiyo hugged herself and stepped in a bit closer, but like Kokomi still kept some distance. The last thing she wanted was to crowd their introverted friend. “...” Saiki, eyes still a bit round, looked over at Chiyo and then dropped his gaze. It was a confession without words. “Saiki?” Kokomi muttered. “I...didn’t quite get a chance to eat dinner last night either.” Saiki swallowed heavily one last time and turned around, adjusting his glasses. The green lenses only made his pallor look sicker. “I’m fine. It’s fine. I’m better now. I apologize for worrying you.” “You’re not going to pass out on us again, are you?” Chiyo noted his ashen complexion with skepticism. Saiki did seem to do that sometimes. The sports festival especially had been really scary. One of

Chiyo’s cousins had seizures sometimes and she’d almost wondered then if he’d been about to go into one given how bizarre and tense his face was. “No. I’m fine. Sorry.” The boy gave his head a shake, short pink bangs dark and sticky against his clammy forehead. “Let’s go.” “...Okay.” Kokomi wiped at her eyes and sniffed once before landing a penetrating look on Saiki. “But we’ll be quick. You can’t skip meals like that, Saiki. It’s not good for you!” Saiki didn’t say anything more. He just looked at his shoes and nodded jerkily. Chiyo...couldn’t. She couldn’t stand to see him like this and not do something about it. Wiping at her eyes quickly (and when had she started crying too?) she stepped forward with determination in her heart and did something she’d never thought she’d ever be able to do. She hugged him tight, pressing her body fully into him and her face into his shoulder, doing her best to convey with her body alone that he was safe and would be alright. Saiki’s chest jumped as he gasped above her. He was hot to the touch and solid under her grip. Chiyo gripped the back of his sweater tightly, squeezing her eyes shut, and okay maybe she wanted a little bit of reassurance too. “It’s going to be okay, Saiki,” She mumbled into his shirt, tilting her head into his cold and sweaty neck, really hoping and praying that it would be. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry about that freak. We got you.” The taller boy was stiff as a board at first but softened gradually. Eventually Chiyo felt his arm shift and then there were a couple of very, very light pats to her back before Saiki settled his hand there, butterfly soft. Satisfied, the girl drew away just a little, opting instead to wrap herself around one of his arms. She would have killed for an opportunity like this a year ago and even now it ignited an old excitement that she’d long since abandoned in favour of Kaidou. But a year ago she wouldn’t have dared, and a year ago she never would have imagined seeing her mysterious classmate look so painfully and deeply traumatized. She beamed upwards at him, trying to tell him again without words that he was going to be just fine. Still looking pale but a bit more grounded now, Saiki slowly nodded back, the motion barely there. Keeping one arm looped through his Chiyo turned around and beamed at Kokomi, giving her an entire second’s worth of warning before she was lunging for the other girl and linking their arms too. “There! Now we’re unbreakable!” Chiyo chirped, feeling very pleased with herself, and proceeded to drag her two friends into a laughing gallop.

Fortunately Teruhashi’s house was empty because Kusuo didn’t think he could stand a dose of Makoto on top of Kusuke and that trick his older brother pulled earlier. He still felt shaken right down to his core and if it weren’t for Teruhashi and Yumehara he knew

he’d practically be sizzling in anxiety. Kusuke had never hesitated to try and use Kusuo’s powers against him before but that... Dazed, Kusuo stood in the front hall of the pleasantly decorated house. It was clean and very white but still had the homey touches that turned it from a showroom into a home. He knew with one look at a family portrait on the wall that it, like his, was one that was filled with love and affection save, of course, for one person who loved just a little too much and a little too wrong. His shoulder was still burning where Kusuke had touched it and he reached up to try and rub the sensation away, gazing unfocused at the floor in front of him. With just two short taps his brother had turned his telepathy against him and forced images into his mind, ‘offerings’ of just what exactly Kusuke would like to do to him. They had been horrible and for those brief moments he’d felt as though he’d been plunged into hours and hours worth of torture and pain. He swallowed, feeling cold all the way down to his toes. Kusuo had known, he’d known that Kusuke hated him but that much? In that violent loathing there had been the urge to not only hurt and humiliate him in ways he could never recover from but there had also been darkly sexual yearning and imagery that had hooked into Kusuo’s navel and tugged so hard that he’d been immediately frozen by the need to vomit just to be rid of it. There was still a bitter taste in his mouth which he grimaced around and tried to swallow back. It didn’t go away. “You’re the only one who makes me feel this way, Kusuo…” Kusuke had whispered into his mind. “My adorable, sweet, freak baby brother...” Kusuo shook himself with a shudder and tried to come back into reality by looking around and really taking in the details. Somehow he’d wandered from the entryway to the kitchen without noticing and he blinked, tilting his head as he peered into the clear glass of one of the cupboards. Sitting there, bathed in daylight from the massive windows, was the mug he’d picked for Teruhashi when Makoto had cornered him that one day. He still had that awful tiki mug he’d switched for the one on the shelf too. It made for a very ugly pencil holder. “Whatcha lookin at?” Yumehara peeked over his shoulder and Kusuo, who’d heard her thoughts approach and therefore didn’t startle despite her soundless feet, nodded at the mug with his chin. Odd, though. Yumehara’s thoughts were distant, kind of like he was hearing them muffled from very far away and the same could be said of every other head inside his 200 meter radius. Kusuo frowned as he realized that. Peculiar. “Aw!” The girl exclaimed. “What a cute mug!” “Isn’t it?” Teruhashi came up behind them, a backpack slung over her shoulders, and looked at the item in question with a mixed expression. On one hand she liked it and thought it was cute. It was easily the best present her brother had ever gotten for her. She had appreciated it then and still did today. But on the other hand, Makoto was a raging creep who wanted her in ways big brothers shouldn’t

want their little sisters. Kusuo debated telling her for a moment that it had actually been him who’d chosen it for her but decided not to. He’d been uncharacteristically talkative today as it was, he didn’t need to embarrass himself further. “Makoto bought it for me. I was really surprised actually, he usually has...pretty horrible taste in gifts.” Teruhashi continued, her tone thin and complicated. “I almost wondered if he’d tricked some poor person into helping him pick it out.” “From what you’ve told me about him, I wouldn’t doubt it.” Yumehara practically sneered but wiped it away quickly. “Are you ready to go?” “Mhm! I’m so relieved,” Teruhashi confessed as she began to head for the door. “I was worried he’d still be here but it looks like he’s gone to work for the day.” “And thank goodness for that,” Yumehara grumbled bitingly. For the third time today Kusuo agreed with her. Thank goodness for that indeed. “If I had to listen to his ranting again I might have actually thrown up this time.” He rolled his eyes. Teruhashi snorted in an unladylike manner, her cheeks puffing up with muted laughter while Yumehara let out a shocked cackle. “Oh my God, if you do, please do it on him!” The strawberry headed girl exclaimed, clutching her belly as she chortled. Kusuo felt a surprised warmth curl through him, cutting through the cold like a gust of hot air. He’d...made them laugh. It felt kind of nice. “Roger that.” He said dryly, confused by himself because he didn’t think he’d mind doing it again. Since when did he care about making other people happy? He hated people! They were loud and confusing and nothing drained him faster than being forced to interact with them. But, Kusuo conceded internally as he watched the girls chatter back and forth, these were the good sort of people and somehow he’d tricked them into caring about him when all he’d wanted was solitude. And they had helped him, offered him sanctuary from his brother, pulled him away when he’d been frozen, rescued him really. Maybe he could begin to admit after today that yeah, he kind of cared about them too. Just a little. Only a bit. Okay, a lot. “So my apartment is only a few stops from here. It’s not as nice as your houses, I uh, I hope that’s okay.” Yumehara scratched the back of her head. The girl had freaked out a bit at seeing the massive pink mini-mansion that the Teruhashis called home and was feeling a little inadequate in comparison.

“As long as certain people aren’t there it’ll be fine.” Kusuo told her with a mild frown, wishing she wouldn’t be so silly and self-conscious about the disparity between their income levels. It was nothing to be ashamed about. “Exactly! Don’t worry about that Chiyo, we’re just grateful you’re letting us stay with you for the night. Though…” Teruhashi locked the door and looked back at him, or rather at the duffle he was carrying. “Your mom kind of gave you a lot on purpose, didn’t she? Does she...know what’s going on?” He could feel the judgement begin to seep into her emotions and stiffened, outraged on his mom’s behalf. “Of course not! She has no idea. She knows things have been tense between Kusuke and I but they’ve always been, she would never guess that it...was like that. And lately it’s gotten worse, it hasn’t always been this bad.” Kusuo felt himself begin to drift off again and forcibly dragged himself out of that quagmire and into the present. They were just about at the train stop now, it wouldn’t do to forget himself in such a fragile environment. “She thinks he’s been teasing me more, and also that maybe school hasn’t been going very well. Therefore, she’s of the impression that if one of those is taken out of the picture then I’ll start to feel better, and this way she’s also hoping I become closer friends with both of you.” Frowning at Teruhashi, Kusuo demanded her to get it so he wouldn’t have to turn the tables using her own parents as a prop. He didn’t want to do that, it was mean, but he would to make a point. He wasn’t the only one keeping secrets after all. “She doesn’t think you’re going to walk away from this with a girlfriend, does she?” Yumehara asked as she spun around to walk backwards, crossing her arms behind her head. Kusuo shook his head. “That’s more dad’s thing.” Truth be told, Kusuo and his mom had a bit of an understanding. Kurumi wanted grandchildren someday but was aware that his abilities would make finding a partner difficult, and she’d always suspected his leanings might be unique anyway so she didn’t push it. In return Kusuo tried to keep an open mind if she ever had a genuine and well-meaning suggestion. Of course, like everyone else, his mom had been completely taken in by Teruhashi and had quietly sat him down one day to talk to him about it. He’d been very careful to be gentle in dispelling those notions - he was aware of her crush on him, he was aware that she was a good person, he was aware that she may even be able to match him in certain aspects. Not just anybody could sense Kusuo when he was actively trying to hide himself after all, and she could. He was also having a harder time keeping her under his hypnosis as of late. She was picking up on things alarmingly fast, and kept getting distracted by how nice she thought his face was. While he thought she needed to get her eyes checked for the latter, that made her a contender in and of itself. But the way she lived her life and the way he wanted to live his were too dissimilar and that made them bad for each other. He would stifle her and make her miserable with his disinterest in waiting on her adoringly. She would drive him nuts and he’d end up a paranoid NEET just to avoid the gaggles of people she attracted the minute she left the house

There was no way it could work out. The train station was packed when they got there, which wasn’t surprising considering it was a Sunday. Still Kusuo grimaced at the redoubling of thoughts that pounded into his head. God, it was so loud...couldn’t these people shut up for once in their damn lives? His head throbbed unpleasantly and he sighed. Just like he’d predicted earlier his headache was getting worse. Their timing was good though because the train was just pulling into the station. Their little group pushed through the crowd to find a spot that had a little bit of elbow room, and were even offered seats by a flushed trio of salaryman who’d become enchanted by Teruhashi. Typical, Kusuo thought as he sat down and clutched his massive bag to his front. He eyeballed the trio balefully, not for the first time wishing he’d come back in his next life as a beautiful girl. “Does she know about him~?” Yumehara leered at him in an attempt to pick up the earlier conversation, waggling her eyebrows. “Your mom that is? About your crush?” Gross. Kusuo ignored her and looked at Teruhashi. “When will your parents be back? They’re out of the country right now aren’t they?” He asked, ignoring Yumehara’s flailing and “Hey! Hey! Don’t ignore me!”. Teruhashi tilted her head. “Well, it really depends on how well filming goes. It’s going a little sideways on location at the moment due to a storm so they’re having difficulty keeping to a schedule.” “Oh that’s right! Your parents are in India right now aren’t they?” Yumehara gasped. Teruhashi’s family was lowkey media royalty, her father being an acclaimed director and her mother an internationally beloved actress. They were popular and wealthy but surprisingly down to earth, or that was what Kusuo understood based on Teruhashi’s thoughts. They insisted their children went to just a small private school and were socialized with the common masses (the middle class) instead of the ridiculously wealthy. They both used stage names to preserve their privacy and didn’t display their wealth overmuch either, hence their living in a (yes, well to do) inner-city suburban house unlike, say, Saiko who lived in a mansion that was admittedly only about fifteen minutes walking from Teruhashi’s. Yeah the house was multi-level and had a couple of wings and Kusuo was sure it could probably fit his home inside it twice over, but still. It made her earlier gold-digging attitude puzzling for him. Fortunately she’d matured passed that stage for the most part, though she still refused to allow strangers to court her unless they had a very sizable net worth. Kusuo supposed everyone had to have some kind of standard, even if it was one he didn’t care about. Just another reason why they weren’t good for each other. “Yeah! They sent me this gorgeous hand-painted and stitched dress called a ‘saree’. I guess a renowned Indian designer gave it to them for free when they showed him a picture of me, saying he’d be honoured if I chose to wear it.” She giggled, clearly pleased as she gazed off dreamily. “So far I haven’t found an excuse to wear it but if I get invited to any high-end functions in the next little while I intend to. It’s so pretty!” “Woooow….” Yumehara gasped softly with stars in her eyes. “You’re gonna show me right?”

“Of course! But anyways, why do you ask Saiki?” Kusuo shook his head, unwilling to voice his reasons yet. He didn’t want to get her hopes up, but he was intending on figuring out a plan and enacting it before her parents got home. With Makoto it might be easier because he actually cared if he hurt his sister. So instead he talked out his ass. “Well, maybe instead of me being the one who stays over for a few weeks it should be you. I can find somewhere else to go.” He tucked his mouth into the fabric of the bag in his lap, seriously contemplating hotels in the area now since there was no way in hell he was going back home after what Kusuke had done earlier. The world felt darker, now, a bit greyer than it had been just that morning. He was still queasy and cold just thinking about the visions his brother had pushed on him, eyes burning against the threat of tears that he locked away forcibly. He wouldn’t let Kusuke win like that. Kusuo put the traumatizing event in a box and packed it away deep in his psyche where he wouldn’t need to look at it. Instead Kusuo looked at the girls, eyebrows furrowing. “I know you think it doesn’t matter but what do you suppose will happen when people find out you’ve had a sleep-over with a boy, Teruhashi? Even a supposedly homosexual one?” Yumehara paled. “It would be World War three…” Kusuo nodded. “Exactly. On the other hand it’s totally benign for two girls to spend the night with each other. You can say your house is being fumigated or something.” Makoto was nothing if not a pest after all. “Nobody will think twice.” But Teruhashi was looking at him with a deep well of sadness in her eyes and a stubborn set to her mouth that let him know this issue was not going to be dropped even if she saw the wisdom in his logic. Internally she was already going over a list of people and places she might be able to convince to let him stay. “Well...we’ll think about it tomorrow, but right now I still want to get you something to eat,” Teruhashi said as the train turned a corner and came upon the stop closest to Yumehara’s apartment complex. “So let’s get our stuff dropped off and then head to MgRonalds, okay?” Food really was starting to sound like a very good idea. His stomach grumbled a little in agreement through his nausea, aggravating it, and to soothe his stomach Kusuo clutched his bag closer. Kusuo hadn’t been entirely honest with them earlier when he’d nearly thrown up. He hadn’t eaten at all for a day and a half now, he’d been too busy trying to avoid being anywhere near his brother and that included the dinner table. While it wasn’t overly difficult for Kusuo to slow down his metabolism, adjust his blood glucose levels, manually tinker with his electrolyte levels, and control his insulin production so he’d decrease his risks of actually passing out, he still needed to eat and after so many shocks in one day he was reaching his limits. He was exhausted as it was, he was low on energy, his fastidious control was slipping and Kusuke’s dark eye was hovering in the back of his mind. On top of all that, the measures he was enacting to ensure his uprightness were all last ditch efforts because, like any other activity, Kusuo’s powers required calories, nutrients, and water. Sugar especially he craved constantly, even with his love of sweets.

Controlling his autonomic nervous system also expended energy, and a lot of it due to the delicate nature of the work, so he knew that if he didn’t eat soon he was actually at risk of fulfilling Yumehara’s concerns. Screwing with his body was dangerous but he’d had to, he’d been left with no other choice. Kusuo reached up and rubbed at his forehead as they departed the train, arduously controlling the wobble that threatened to overtake him as his head spun and a cold sweat prickled at the back of his neck. Yes, food was definitely going to be needed soon. Kusuo blinked passed the grey moving into his vision and forced his legs to move forward one step after the other.

“Hey, maybe he should stay here and we can get lunch to go,” Kokomi turned to Chiyo with a soft whisper, worriedly eyeing their mutual friend over her shoulder as they approached the elevator. The other girl nodded in consideration, also eyeing the boy trudging behind them. “Maybe not a bad idea…” The walk to Chiyo’s apartment block had indeed been a short one but now Saiki was wobbling openly, head low and shoulders drooped. Chiyo had made a good point earlier. Saiki had been pretty grey by the time they got to his place and now that it was forty minutes worth of walking later, the sickly boy looked ready to drop. Yeah, Kokomi nodded to herself with a huff. Saiki could take a nap on the couch and leave the rest of the running around to them. The taller boy was already a bit prone to passing out and, at the risk of sounding callous, Kokomi just didn’t think any of them, Saiki included, felt like dealing with that right now. The elevator ride was thankfully brief and not too bumpy. Chiyo kept up conversation to fill the silence while Saiki yawned in the back. Kokomi tried her best to focus on what the redhead was saying but she was having an admittedly hard time of it. “Alright, here we are!” Chiyo grinned at them as she unlocked her door a few minutes later, swinging it open widely. “Home sweet home! Come in, come in, you can drop your stuff anywhere, we can figure out sleeping arrangements later. Hey Saiki, why don’t you go sit on the couch? There you go. Oof, that’s heavy!” The girl lifted the duffle strap from the pink haired boy’s shoulder and dropped it in favour of pushing Saiki toward said couch, skipping and chattering as she went. The contrast between Chiyo’s bubbly energy and Saiki, who was barely on his feet, was actually kind of adorable. Kokomi smiled as she set down her bag next to the boy’s, watching. When the girl wasn’t overdoing it in desperation to be noticed, Chiyo could be really cute. “It’s really really comfy!” Chiyo remarked as she settled Saiki down. “You can sit here for as loooong as you like!” “...Kay.” Saiki mumbled, having apparently cottoned onto their little plan without them noticing and putting up no resistance.

Right away the boy settled into the couch, curling up into a little ball and tucking his socked feet into the seat cushions. It was no time at all before his breathing evened out into the rhythm of a person deeply asleep. Kokomi smiled to herself and stepped over, reaching out and gently pulling the glasses from his face. Without the green lenses it was even easier to see how deeply purple the bruises under his eyes were and she shook her head, folding the glasses’ ear pieces and setting them on the table. ‘Oh Saiki…’ Kokomi sighed as she gazed down at her crush, unable to help herself as she reached out again and ran her fingers through the pink strands she so admired. His hair was as kitten soft as it looked and her fingers ran through it easily. She pushed a lock of magenta behind one ear and finally tore herself away, feeling her heart cry with it. ‘How I wish…’ She sighed to herself softly and straightened. “We probably don’t have to hurry. Looks like he’s passed out completely.” Kokomi shook her head then peered about. “You have a very nice home by the way, Chiyo!” “Oh, you think so? Hehe, thank you!” The girl rubbed the back of her head, looking a bit dubious but Kokomi had meant it genuinely. It was a modern flat with pale wood floors and white walls that was accented by vibrant pops of green and yellow. The design was a bit eclectic but put together well and clearly set up with thought to comfort. It was well lived in, and felt both relaxing and inspiring. There was even an empty easel by the balcony doors. It was breathy and open and Kokomi loved it. “Mom’s an artist, so she really likes bright colours.” Chiyo nodded to a painting on the wall and Kokomi gasped softly at the riotously expressive oils that depicted a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers on white linen, barely contained by a single purple ribbon. “Dad’s just a salaryman but he works hard to support us and keep me at PK, and mom tries to sell her work wherever she can.” “It’s beautiful…” Kokomi wandered over, eyes following the thick lines of paint. It leant the work a heavily textured feel that suited the subject matter well. Her parents would love it. “Could I take a picture of this?” She asked abruptly, peering over at Chiyo who blinked in surprise. “Uh, sure, if you want.” Taking out her phone, Kokomi did so and smiled then spun on her heel toward the other girl. She’d need to send it to her parents, they’d no doubt be purchasing a lot of Mrs. Yumehara’s work in the near future. “Alright, let’s go!” They ended up going shopping first. Chiyo pouted hard as Kokomi steered her away from the candy and chips once they had a full basket’s worth. Kokomi was quite certain from how the girl sulked there had been a conspiracy against her apparently tyrannical rule which had been thwarted, as Chiyo’s accomplice was quite likely snoring away on her couch. For dinner Kokomi ended up picking out some salmon that was on sale, green beans and some other vegetables, and rice just in case. Having consulted Chiyo as to what sauces, spices, and food they had available, it seemed the simplest and the yummiest. Kokomi tried very hard not to feel too warm about cooking for Saiki and getting to show him just how amazing of a chef she was even without his mom’s help. There wasn’t much of a point to that

anymore after all, showing off for him that is. She knew where she stood, and where she stood would never change. It was sad, but in a way also kind of relaxing. After that, they headed to the MgRonalds which was actually pretty busy that day. “Whoa…” Chiyo muttered as she took in the crowd. Kokomi tried not to be too distracted by the strawberry blond part-timer who was bringing a tray of food to an elderly couple. She looked really similar to Chiyo actually, exceptWhoa. Those were big. Kokomi swallowed to herself and turned away immediately before she was caught staring at the Chiyo-almost-lookalike’s chest, trying not to feel too inadequate about her own bust size. Though...Mouth dry, Kokomi turned to surreptitiously eye Chiyo’s chest. The other girl’s chest wasn’t much bigger than Kokomi’s own and her current fitness routine made her waist and legs trim. Clearing her throat and fanning herself to cool her warm face, she waved off Chiyo’s concerned look. “Little warm in here with the crowd, eheh.” Kokomi laughed, deciding that it did make sense the other girl had more romantic experience than her. Maybe Chiyo wasn’t perfect like Kokomi, but that didn’t mean she was ugly, and her chest, while not as ample as the part-timer's, wasn’t completely lacking. Kokomi tried to tell herself that she was just relieved to not be the only one overshadowed but for some reason the logic felt weak. Oh well. Something to think about later. They ended up standing behind a woman with very long and very vibrant red hair who started harassing the employee behind the counter the moment she got there. The man, who had choppy black hair and brown eyes leaning red, looked deeply exasperated but maintained his customer service demeanor very well, and listening to it made Kokomi and Chiyo both decide to leave him a good review on their way out. “Uhg, I hate people like that!” Chiyo sighed heavily as they left, the doors sliding shut automatically behind them. “My ex-boyfriend was like that, totally awful towards customer service employees. It was so embarrassing!” Kokomi nodded with a grimace, not able to imagine having to go on a date with a guy that hassled the staff. “It is pretty gross. I don’t care how big a guy’s net worth is, if I ever catch them doing that when I’m around then that’s it, we’re over.” “Speaking of,” Chiyo looked over at her as she swung her groceries (she was also holding the drink tray), her brown eyes wide with gentle concern. “Are you, you know, okay? About everything?” “...I’m better than I thought I’d be, honestly.” Kokomi smiled at her friend, warmed by the girl’s worry. “I always kind of knew it was never going to happen with Saiki, even if it’s...well, really not something I’m used to. Rejection that is. And it hasn’t been easy because he’s just so…” She gestured expansively and sighed, head tilting forward in resignation. “But Saiki’s always made it blatantly obvious he was never going to return my feelings.” She scuffed her shoe against the

pavement, her heart aching in bittersweet happiness, and giggled to herself. “Y’know, he actually tried to get me to hate him so he could spare my feelings of the whole thing? How stupid is that?” “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” So Kokomi went over the one and only date she’d ever asked a boy out on and how awfully it had gone, with Saiki taking every opportunity to show her how horrible of a match they’d be. From bowling to waifu figurines to thoroughly out-playing her in every single game, Saiki had gone above and beyond to put her off him as a love interest. “It was all to avoid my brother who was doing some filming in town. I learned later that the director had actually switched locations so that probably explains what happened next. Anyways, so at the end of everything he just grabs my hand-” “No!” Chiyo gasped, jaw dropping and Kokomi nodded rapidly. “Right? He just grabs me and then we’re running into a photo booth. I figured out that we must have been avoiding someone he’d seen but oh, Chiyo.” Kokomi sighed and would’ve clasped her suddenly warm face had she not been carrying groceries and the fast food bag. “My hearts never raced like that before! I’m not sure it ever will again! He was just so commanding…” She shook herself out of it. “I still have the pictures but they’re a bit underwhelming.” “But don’t you think it’s kind of weird,” Chiyo asked after a moment as she pushed open the door to the apartment complex, juggling the groceries and drinks carefully. “That he knew all of that to begin with? How you hate anime figurines, how competitive you can be about, like, everything? The bowling versus karaoke coulda been a fluke, every guy knows a girl would rather sing than bowl, but for him to get a perfect three out of three on all the things you hate he must’ve been keeping tabs on you like you’ve been on him, right? Maybe it was for opposite reasons but it’s...actually kind of funny how alike you are.” Chiyo snickered a bit and Kokomi pouted at her. Still, the other girl had a point but how remarkable that point was when you threw in the fact that Saiki was apparently a super-genius was debatable. Kokomi considered herself very, very above average in everything from sports to musicality to manners but even she hadn’t been talking, walking, and doing calculations by three months like Saiki claimed to have been. There was a possibility that the boy was exaggerating, but Kokomi doubted it. The evidence only pointed toward, not away. Chiyo had even added to it just now by pointing out how observant Saiki was to pick up on everything Kokomi despised when Kokomi worked so hard to keep all of that under wraps. After all, she didn’t want to disappoint the planet or hurt everyone’s feelings, even if she really did think those pin-up figures were pretty gross. But she had a duty to her adoring fans to make their day and to warm their hearts, not break them, and learning that they liked something she didn’t was bound to do only that, so she kept it as quiet as she possibly could. By the time they got back to the apartment Saiki was still sleeping and as Chiyo went to put the groceries away, Kokomi tried to wake him up so the poor boy could eat.

Trying not to giggle too hard to herself she prodded at his cheek. The other teen had rolled over sometime while they’d been gone, turning to face the back of the couch. He was still curled up, fists tucked into the crook of his neck and feet crossed at the ankles. He was, Kokomi grinned, adorable. “Saikiii~” She crooned then gave his shoulder a shake. “Saiki, it’s time to wake up. We got you a MgFlurry.” “Mmm.” Saiki’s brows pressed together hard as she gave his shoulder another wiggle. Slowly the boy’s long, dark pink lashes fluttered open and for a moment Saiki blinked languidly at the fabric of the couch before he closed them again and shifted to sit up. “Where’s my glasses?” “Oh. Uhm. Here.” Kokomi grabbed them from the table and held them out, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart because oh wow, Saiki’s eyes were purple. Such a pretty, pretty shade of purple that she’d never seen before since he was always wearing those stupid glasses. Was that why the lenses were green, so the colour wouldn’t stand out? But no, that couldn’t be right, because green lenses stood out too. Her earlier questions itched at the back of her mind. She still didn’t understand how Saiki, who wanted to fade into the background so much, actually managed to do that with such...interesting fashion choices. It was another anomaly to add to the list. “Thank you.” Saiki spoke as he slipped the frames onto his nose, pushing them up and blinking up at her. Kokomi blinked back and then huffed out a laugh, covering her mouth. The boy’s hair had devolved from it’s typical tidiness into a mop of bedhead, fluffy with strands curling out at odd angles. He looked adorable, like a cute fuzzy alien. “Don’t laugh at me.” Saiki pouted at her as he knuckled at one eye and gave a jaw-popping yawn. “MgFlurry?” “Yeah, yeah. And something resembling food too. Here.” Kokomi shifted to sit next to the boy as he sat up, curling into a cross-legged stance, and passed him his lunch. It was interesting seeing Saiki just after waking up. During school he was typically the perfect picture of poise, back straight, unwrinkled, shoes clean, constantly hyper-aware of everything. Here he was relaxed, a bit rumpled and messy as he bit ungracefully into the burger, having just barely unwrapped it enough to sink his teeth in. His cardigan had slipped down one shoulder and his striped shirt had wrinkled, both riding high in the back to expose the waistband of his jeans and just the faintest sliver of underwear as he leaned over his knees to dig into his meal. It was kind of like seeing someone be a human for the first time after they’d spent the last few years as a statue. The burger was gone by the time Kokomi unwrapped hers and when she’d gotten half way in the fries were gone too, Saiki having wolfed them both down with all the enthusiasm of someone who really, sincerely, hadn’t eaten anything but coffee since yesterday’s lunch. He looked better for it too, perking up in posture as he wiped gobs of ketchup and mustard from the corner of his mouth with his fingers. “Wow, you’re already done Saiki?” Chiyo asked as she came into the living-room, carrying a tray

of assembled snack food and her own MgRonald’s. “Must’ve been hungry.” Kokomi teased, smirking as the boy paused in sucking some grease and mustard off his thumb. Slowly Saiki blinked, his awareness seeming to come back to him. He cleared his throat and shifted, straightening from his hunch and dropped his legs from the couch as he grabbed at a napkin and used that to clean himself up instead. “...Sorry.” He spoke into the napkin, tone a bit gruff like he was embarrassed, and there was just the faintest hint of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pink in his cheeks. “That was rude.” “No, don’t be sorry! We know you haven’t eaten in a bit and besides, you can relax.” Chiyo beamed as she set the tray down and settled on the floor next to the table to tuck into her own food. “There’s nothing to worry about Saiki, we’re all friends here. You don’t have to be so uptight about everything.” “I’m not uptight.” Saiki frowned but his shoulders still relaxed a bit as he reached for the MgFlurry and spoon. “So! I was thinking we could watch some movies!” Chiyo didn’t pursue the subject. The girl could be very tactful when she wanted to be even if it was rare she wanted to be. “And since Halloween is coming up, I thought we could enjoy some spooky ones, hehehe!” Reaching for the remote as she stuffed a couple of fries into her mouth, Chiyo turned on the TV and got the DVD player going. “I figured we could start with a funny American movie called Eight Legged Freaks. Work our way up to Samara, you know? I haven’t seen it but I’ve heard it’s pretty good.” “...Eight legged what now?” “Ssshh, Saiki.” Kokomi curled back, knowing full well what Chiyo was doing and getting ready for some amazing comedy. “Just enjoy the movie.” It was as amazing as she could have expected. Saiki’s reactions that is, not the movie, which was admittedly entertaining too in a dumb way. It centered around an American desert town that’d been over run by giant mutant spiders who were intent on eating everyone. The boy jumped and flinched every time there was a bug on screen and by the time the film got to the spider-keeper having been killed and eaten by his own pets, Saiki had found a pillow to quail behind, curling around it tightly as glowered at the screen with spoon and MgFlurry in hand. He was still eating his ice-cream though. Half the time the plastic spoon was dangling from his mouth as he glared at the TV, thoughtlessly riveted to the plot despite his issues with the subject matter. It was adorable and Kokomi was not shy to admit to herself that she spent most of the movie watching him instead of the screen. She couldn’t help it after all, she was a girl in love. The movie did have to end though and Chiyo turned toward them with a bright smile once it had. The desert town was safe, and rich, and the radio host had a set of new, pretty, gold teeth. “That was fun! How about The Fly ne-” Chiyo gasped theatrically and eyeballed Saiki’s leg, dropping her voice to a whisper as she pointed with a shaking finger. “Oh no Saiki, don’t move!

There’s a spider on you!” There wasn’t, in fact, a spider on Saiki but that didn’t stop the boy from going dead white and thenHe vanished. There was a flicker and he was gone, just gone, the cushion empty and the weight from the sofa disappeared as though he’d never been there to begin with. A second or two later and Saiki slammed back into the couch, looking just as pale as before but significantly more wide-eyed and perturbed. He sat stiffly, totally rigid, not moving a single muscle. Next to him, having definitely seen and felt what she’d just seen and felt, Kokomi began to tremble, gaping. “...Haha, what?” Chiyo said with a blank smile. “Uh.” “What…” Kokomi squeaked. “Uhm.” “”Saiki, what was that?”” Kokomi and Chiyo asked simultaneously. “...Uuuuhhmmm.” The pink haired boy swallowed and cringed at his lap. “Well. Shit.”

Chapter End Notes

Next chapter Kokomi teaches Kusuo a thing or two then decides to play matchmaker because anybody is better than that damned Satou Hiroshi. Enter Kuboyasu Aren.

Mr. Independant Chapter Summary

Kusuo learns he can still learn things.

Chapter Notes

Recommended listening Aren: Everything Black (Feat. Mike Taylor) by Unlike Pluto, Honest by The Neighbourhood Kokomi: Toxic by 2WEI, Karma by AJR Kusuo: Goodbye to a World by Porter Robinson, Tear in my Heart by Twenty One Pilots Yep, I sure did skip that conversation alright. Hate me? Well I hope you'll forgive me cus screw 'there was only one bed', there was only one motorcycle! Hue. THIS IS YOUR FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT KENTO YAMAZAKI PLAYS KUSUO IN THE LIVE ACTION. I don't care that it was probably a meta joke based on the author's blatant mancrush on him, Kento is Gorgeous. Like hot damn, can I just? Stare at you please? There are also manga panels outside of people's imaginations (IE from Kusuo's POV) that depict Kusuo as fricking beautiful so y'know what? We're going full steam ahead here, folks! The art is so pretty...I have actually saved panel screenshots cus he's so pretty...my beautiful son...…. Taking some liberties with Kusuo's powers here because I wrote this entire thing before I found the explanations for certain powers of his. Kusuo's x-ray vision, for instance, is depicted in the anime as a largely triggered ability (see the episode where Amp chokes on one of Kuniharu's model pieces) whereas in the manga it's revealed to be on a timer. Oh well! Speaking of the manga, Aren's room is based on that. That's the only time Rean seems to have speaking lines in the manga so he's basically an OC now. Miri is an OC and also my most favourite plot contrivance that I've ever devised. 'You gotta use each other's first names in this house cus reasons but I'm mom so what I say goes' made my life so much easier bwehehe Also the last two chapters were actually four in the original format but I feel it flows better this way. Because of that and future uploads I don't know how many chapters there's gonna be anymore oop

See the end of the chapter for more notes

School the next day began, for the most part, pretty normally.

Of course there had been a few differences. For one, Kokomi, Chiyo, and Saiki had gone to school together. For another, on the way there they had been ‘introduced’ to two other psychics. Sure, Toritsuka and Aiura had claimed to be psychic but Kokomi had always felt somewhat sceptical over it. Of course, now that she knew that kind of thing really did exist... They also practically worshipped the ground Saiki walked on though Saiki was hard pressed to endure it, especially coming from Toritsuka. It was clear to see the pink haired esper barely tolerated the medium but he was usually too polite to really do anything about it. “Sometimes he can actually be useful too.” Saiki explained through what Kokomi now understood to be telepathy, speaking directly into their minds. It was downright fascinating to witness, now that he had lifted the mild hypnosis (Chiyo liked to call it a genjutsu, the nerd) that kept them from really noticing it. “But he really is a giant pervert so he can be difficult to be around. Fortunately, I'm here to keep him in check for the most part.” Saiki hung back as they approached the gates so he wouldn’t be caught entering with them by the school’s male populace, then slipped through unnoticed by anyone. For another, with the hypnosis finally lifted Kokomi had the answer to the question that had been bugging her most. Now she understood how a boy with such a weird fashion sense always managed to slip under the radar. Not only did he keep himself invisible to it, but he kind of was the radar. His hypnosis and telepathy all worked to influence the standards of those around him so he could make himself seem to be as average and unremarkable as possible. Watching her friend go through his day though, Kokomi easily spotted the cracks. She had been correct about his magnetism. No matter how hard he tried, Saiki’s natural charisma and, yes, his beauty, shone through. Because Saiki was beautiful, hence why people kept on getting crushes on him so easily even with the hypnosis. You could lie to people’s brains all you wanted but the eyes would see what the eyes would see, uncensored and unfiltered, and they saw him in all his honest truth. In fact, Saiki was easily a second to herself under his little genjutsu and THAT was probably what pissed her off the absolute most. Beauty such as theirs was meant to be admired and appreciated with all the benefits that came with it and Kokomi was driven to despair by the fact that Saiki was so determined to hide his. The guy looked like professional model and actor Yamazaki Kento for heck’s sake! Damn that brother of his! Kokomi placed all of her blame directly at his feet. Since they’d forced it all out of him after he’d accidentally teleported himself away from the spider that didn’t exist, the psychic decided to exclude them from the mass hypnosis he used with pretty much everyone else sans those already in the know, like his family and any other psychic who tracked him down. Some people would probably be pretty pissed off by all this and Kokomi had definitely been angry and shocked at first, but that had given way after listening to her friend explain himself and giving it a bit of thought.

The constant telepathy? Whatever. Saiki knew her inside and out and had decided to stick with her, still cared about her, despite listening to her catty inner monologue. It was nice, actually. She knew she could relax with him completely. There was nowhere to hide ergo there was no point in hiding, although she’d already figured out a possible means of getting him out of her head if she needed to. The x-ray vision? Whatever. Bones and muscles were more gross than sexy and Saiki had divulged that it was usually one or the other these days. His gaze was too powerful to only see through clothes anymore. Either it was muscles and organs and bones, or it was nothing at all. The lying and the secrets? Whatever. Everybody lied once in a while and everybody had a secret here and there, it just so happened that Saiki’s were a bit bigger than most people’s. Like the super cute little sister they’d thought he had who didn’t exist but had actually been him, as a girl, trying to take advantage of a women’s-only promotion and oh hadn’t THAT been embarrassing to discover. No wonder ‘Kuriko’ acted the way she had when Kokomi was about to ‘confess’ - she had actually been about to confess to Saiki! And besides, nothing they could say to him would be worse than how he was already castigating himself daily because Saiki hated his powers and would consider himself blessed to be rid of them. The cute little hairpins? Power limiters so he didn’t explode a city block or ten if he tripped. The glasses? The only way to stop his medusa vision that turned people to stone with a look. The constantly uptight demeanor? To keep himself in control so he didn’t give himself away and get tracked down by the government to be experimented upon and sold to the highest bidder. It was a situation that had almost happened at least once. Apparently that particular intelligence agency just...wasn’t around anymore. Saiki had been in kindergarten when he’d erased the knowledge of that agency from the world’s consciousness. He was never, ever, able to fully relax. Even his sleep was often plagued by visions of the future. It sounded exhausting to begin with, but then put all of that into a natural introvert with a psycho older brother and bam, you got the hyper-vigilant anti-social turtling pretty-boy esper who was sitting behind her glaring holes into her back because she was thinking embarrassing thoughts about him to disguise what she actually wanted to ponder over. Kokomi smirked deviously to herself. Heh. He was so easy to tease. This was going to be such fun~! Class let out for break and Kokomi turned around, finding that Saiki was already being surrounded by his ‘three amigos’. Nendo and Kaidou were already snarking at each other but Kuboyasu was sitting next to Saiki’s desk, attempting to engage the other boy in a conversation and SaikiWell, Saiki was actually listening, chin in hand as they both ignored the sniping overhead. Kokomi blinked and then squinted, pursing her lips as she rubbed her chin. The two had grown closer lately, by Kokomi’s appraisal. She’d often noticed them gossiping like old biddies and trading back and forth in snark. The former punk hadn’t been bad looking before but with the throes of puberty just about done Kuboyasu was becoming pretty handsome, especially now that he had a growth spurt under his belt. The girls had begun to sigh over him a bit, a marked contrast from his first appearance in their class at the beginning of the semester. Hmmm. Kokomi squinted. Something to think about. But first!

She stood and made her way over, smiling brightly as she leaned in. There was the immediate chorus of amazed gasping that made her soul sing in delight. “Hi guys! Do you mind if I borrow Saiki for a bit?” “O-Oh! No, not at all, we don’t mind!” Kaidou sputtered red faced while Saiki gazed up at her, unimpressed. “Why, what’s up?” Kuboyasu tilted his head, his flush rapidly cooling. Interesting. Kokomi waved his question off but took note of his reaction, determined to observe further before leaping to assumptions. “Oh nothing, just something we were talking about the other day.” Saiki quirked an eyebrow at her but sighed, nodding to Kuboyasu. “I’ll be right back. This conversation isn’t done yet.” “Heh, right.” The purple haired teen snorted with a shake of his head and turned to Kaidou instead. “What were you talking about?” Kokomi asked as she gestured for Saiki to follow her into the hallway. Saiki’s eyes glimmered just a bit. “He was sharing his mother’s coffee cake recipe.” Yeah, that sounded about right. So simple. How could she have ever thought this guy was mysterious? His motives began at ‘coffee flavoured sweets’ and ended at ‘become wallpaper’. “So!” Kokomi chirped as she began to maneuver through the hallways, feeling completely rejuvenated by the healing sound of people smitten by her very presence. “Which class is he in?” “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Saiki sighed and shifted to walk ahead of her. “Follow me.” A couple minutes of walking and they were peering into Year 2 Class Four’s open doorway. Toritsuka spotted them immediately and perked up, wandering over. “Hey Saiki! H-Hey Teru-” “Don’t look at her, don’t talk to her, don’t breathe on her.” Saiki interrupted promptly and turned to Kokomi, who was a bit surprised by the intensity of Saiki’s response. “Be careful, he will ask ghosts what colour your underwear is.” “Ew!” Kokomi promptly stole behind Saiki, glaring up at the purple-headed pervert over her friend’s shoulder. So that’s what Saiki had meant earlier she thought, pulling her skirt so it firmly covered her backside. Toritsuka deflated. “Aw, c’mon man, don’t tell her that...” “You say that like it’s not something you try daily. Anyways, we’re not here for you so move.” Saiki was focusing passed the medium with a look in his eyes that Kokomi had only ever seen directed at sweets, gaze shimmering and cheeks just a bit pink, a smile fond and sweet brightening his face. Oh yeah, this was a crush alright. Kokomi felt her eyebrow twitch.

“That’s him there, third seat from the window, two rows from the back. You’ll need to look a few times or you won’t see him because he blends in so perfectly.” Wait, what? Kokomi did as instructed and squinted, her eyes eventually alighting upon what was probably the dullest boy she had ever seen in her entire life. Oh wow. There was no way in hell that was the boy Saiki chose over her, perfect pretty girl Teruhashi Kokomi! He was painfully plain, Kokomi thought as she practically vibrated in bitterness, and his haircut looked stupid! “He’s amazing.” Saiki’s voice was hushed as he stared, half hiding himself between Toritsuka and the doorway. “He’s 169.9 centimetres tall and weighs exactly 61 kilograms, both the totally average height and weight for a seventeen year old male. His birthday is January 25th and he plays outfield on the baseball team-” “Oh geeze, this again?” Toritsuka sighed and ruffled his hair, looking passed Saiki toward Kokomi as the pink haired boy continued to ramble, even pulling a checklist out of his pocket. “So you found out about Saiki’s crush huh?” “It’s not a crush, you’re just a pervert. But as I was saying-” “That’s...really him.” Kokomi felt her soul turn to stone just a little bit at seeing her beautiful, amazing, exceptionally smart, stunningly talented Saiki moon over the complete dullard that was, apparently, Satou Hiroshi. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting but this...definitely wasn’t it. She felt sick. Toritsuka’s expression was completely commiserating. “Saiki discovered this guy cus Satou’s always scoring 90th too. Ever since then, he’s been completely smitten by how average the guy is.” He shook his head. “He’s even waited at the gate for Satou with his favourite manga, tunes, and drinks after stalking down all of the kid’s hobbies just to get his attention so he could ‘become Satou’s friend’.” Toritsuka even emphasized his words with bunny ear gestures. “It’s seriously weird.” “You,” Saiki sniffed haughtily as he glowered up at Toritsuka. “Just don’t-” “‘Understand how much a genius at being normal he is’, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.” “He’s not just a genius. He’s a god! A God of Normality.” Saiki’s eyes gleamed passionately with pure admiration. “Even the people in his social circle-” “I think I’ve seen enough.” Kokomi interrupted, feeling even queasier at listening to Saiki’s lovestruck ramblings. “Uhm.” She had to be polite after all so she turned to the medium and bowed. “Thank you Toritsuka. We’ll be going now.” She walked back to the classroom in a daze. Kokomi supposed that she should have been expecting it but this...but this…this was too much. That was the guy Saiki had chosen over her?! She’d never felt so humiliated in her entire life! “It’s still not a crush.” Saiki mumbled petulantly behind her and Kokomi rounded on him instantly, her blue hair lashing out behind her as she shoved him into an empty girl’s bathroom with a series of pissed off pushes. The door slammed shut behind them and Saiki looked around with an expression of horror as he stumbled to a stop, shoes squeaking on the floor.

“Hey! I can’t be in he-” “Shut up!” Kokomi snapped, jabbing toward his chin sharply with a single finger. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! You pee sitting down sometimes too, so just shut up!” She drew in a trembling breath, trying to keep a leash on her rage but she was still flushed and quivering with it just a bit. Closing her eyes she counted to ten, but gathered from Saiki’s somewhat pinned expression that she wasn’t much calmer looking for it. At least he’d gone quiet. “Now. Tell me what makes you say it isn’t a crush.” Saiki blinked, clearly confused, so Kokomi continued because for a psychic and a genius the guy could actually be surprisingly dense. “That’s what you’ve been saying since I found out about this yesterday. So what makes you think that?” “Well. Because it’s not.” Folding her arms across her chest, Kokomi began to tap her foot as she stared the taller boy down. Saiki didn’t back down per se but he did seem to start wrestling for an explanation, a soft “Good grief” exhaling from his mind. “Okay, well.” It was clearly difficult for Saiki to talk about as he reached up to adjust his glasses, crossing his own arms in a defensive position. “Let’s establish first what a crush is.” Oh, this should be good. Kokomi drew back. “Continue.” “Take Yumehara’s crush on Kaidou, for instance. Yumehara wishes for Kaidou to admire her talents, she wants to share her thoughts and her feelings with him and for him to agree with her and share his in return. She desires a life with him wherein they share everything together. And most of all, she wishes for him to desire her sexually. This includes things as minor as holding hands and kissing to the ultimate act of ‘doing it’, and from that potentially creating a family with him. Therefore it could be said that there are at least three criteria that must be met for a crush to be established.” The boy turned and walked over to a mirror, writing on it in light with his index finger. The words shimmered and sparkled and Kokomi tried not to ogle how pretty it was because she was still angry, damnit. “First and foremost, there must be sexual desire. Secondly, the desire for a life together in some capacity. Thirdly, the want to share not just your body but your soul with the object of your desire. A meeting of souls, so to speak.” That...actually didn’t sound very unreasonable but Kokomi had a feeling that this apparent logic was going to end pretty laughably, so she didn’t say anything. Give a guy a shovel and he would dig his own grave with pleasure. “While it’s true that I have two and three,” Saiki underlined said ‘criteria’, and then crossed out the first. “I do not desire the first.” Then he wiped away the light-writing with his palm, turning back to her. “Therefore, it’s not a crush.” Oh wow. Kokomi resisted the urge to facepalm because the boy was speaking with her honestly and that demanded at least a little respect.

“Okay, putting aside for a moment the fact that you have a brother who’s sexually traumatized you, because that may or may not be playing a role here,” Kokomi said as she walked forward and shifted to lean against the counter to look up at he who was her own crush. “Saiki...describe your feelings for him to me please?” For a moment Saiki looked like he wasn’t about to oblige her so Kokomi pushed it. “I’m trying to help you out here, and to do that I need to hear you say it. Unlike you, I’m not a telepath.” The pink haired boy hesitated for a moment, scratching his cheek, then sighed. “Well. Admiration, certainly. He’s everything I want to be. I guess you could say I look up to him.” Oh and if that didn’t just make her stomach cramp with pure disdain...Kokomi put that aside for the moment. “And how do you feel when you see him?” “Excited,” Saiki stated matter of factly, avoiding her eyes now. “Pleased. I...would like for him to notice me and I want us to be friends. I’d like to know everything about him, and I want to protect him.” “What does your body do?” “Is-Is this really necessary?” Saiki shifted, looking visibly uncomfortable now. “Yes, it is.” The boy dropped his head and thought for a moment. Eventually he sighed, gusty and longing. “My...heart will race, and my breath will quicken. I feel the need to be close to him.” Kokomi sighed, futily wishing that he would ever say that about her, and shook her head. “Saiki, what you just described is a crush.” She held up a hand before he could protest. “Yes, it is. Listen to me for a moment. There are lots of sexualities on this planet, just like there are lots of people. Gay, straight, and more. A lot of these are defined by, yes, sexual desire. But for a lot of people there is NO sexual desire. It just never happens for them, or if they do develop it, it’s so small as to be insignificant. What they do feel is romantic. It becomes less about sex and more about…” Kokomi grasped for words to use. “More about like what you said, a meeting of souls.” Saiki was blinking at her in shock so Kokomi pulled her cellphone out of her skirt pocket. She wasn’t strictly supposed to be having it with her since school was still on but she had her reasons. “Here,” She said after a moment once she brought up a webpage about asexuality and its subidentities, passing it over to her clueless classmate. “Read this.” “We’ll be late for class.” Saiki said even as he took her phone, leaning against the counter next to her. Feeling pleased with herself Kokomi just shrugged. “Use your hypnosis or whatever and nobody will ever notice we weren’t there. Just read the article.” Saiki nodded and did so, pressing his knuckle against his lip in thought as he became rapidly engrossed. Kokomi hopped up onto the counter, kicking her feet as she absently counted the tiles on the ceiling. There was a small scare as the door began to open but Saiki lifted a hand and pushed it closed from where he stood, locking it with a twist of his fingers. “This...A lot of people experience this?” Saiki asked eventually, still reading.

“Mmmhm.” Kokomi responded. “I’m surprised I never knew this.” To that she couldn’t stifle a small giggle. “Well, even big bad espers like yourself will come across something they don’t know from time to time. It describes you pretty well doesn’t it?” “Actually,” Saiki lifted his chin and turned to look at her and Kokomi felt her heart skip a beat. “It does.” He was looking at her so warmly, like he genuinely appreciated what she’d done for him. He hadn’t even looked like that when she’d rescued him the other day. There was almost even a smile on his face as he passed her back her phone. “Thank you for showing this to me. And explaining things.” And then he did smile, canting his head to the side. His bangs swayed with the motion and Kokomi could swear she saw the air around him glimmer just a bit his teeth were so white. “When you’re right, you’re right, Teruhashi.” Even though he wasn’t using her first name yet, Kokomi decided she was beginning to enjoy that little turn of phrase. She couldn’t help it. Heart racing in her chest, she smiled back. “You’re welcome, Saiki.” She’d helped. It was an incredible feeling. They snuck back to class hand in hand under the guise of invisibility, which was probably the coolest thing Kokomi had ever done now that she knew she was doing it (unlike that time in the photo booth) and when they got in it was like they’d never left, with Saiki doing as she’d suggested and simply making it appear as if they’d been there the whole time. Amazingly, a few seats behind her Saiki still had a little smile on his face.

It hadn’t always been about trying to blend into the wallpaper, though that had become his priority in the last few years once Kusuke’s feelings had turned sexual with the onset of puberty. No, for a while Kusuo had simply wanted what everyone else did - to fit in. This was next to impossible when you were born with pink hair and purple eyes, when you could heal yourself and others with a thought, when you had a genius intellect and super powers, so Kusuo had shifted the human genome planet wide so he’d have a better chance at not being so alone. He’d kind of forgotten that lately but what Teruhashi had shown him was reigniting that. Kusuo wasn’t quite as painfully different from his peers as he’d feared.

When Kusuo had noticed that the boys and girls around him began to seek out...a different kind of companionship, he’d readied himself for the inevitable only to be a bit bewildered when it had simply never come. There were no urgings in him that other people his age felt. Once in a blue moon he might feel a stirring but for the most part it simply remained flat-lined. There was just no interest. Oh he had eyes, certainly. He could understand what made one person more attractive than another and sometimes Aiura’s cleavage was difficult not to stare at, but there was a divorce between what his eyes appreciated and what turned the switch to his libido. And there was very, very little that turned that switch. Granted, Kusuo hadn’t experimented overmuch but again, he just plainly wasn’t interested. It didn’t seem a valuable use of his time. It was just another thing to set him apart and Kusuo had internally, without realizing it, resigned himself to never having the kind of companionship that was socially considered the ‘end goal’. He’d never have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It would be impossible, he reasoned, because others would want things he’d simply never be able to give them. Saiki Kusuo was just not a sexual being. But it turned out that even without his meddling he wasn’t as alone as he’d feared. There was in fact an entire sexuality defined by its lack of sexuality. ‘Asexual,’ Kusuo tested he word in his mind, the weight of it, the way it felt, the rhythm. Yes, Kusuo decided. Yes, that felt right. It would take a bit more research than what he’d accomplished in the fifteen minutes within the bathroom to truly determine if that was correct, but for right now Kusuo was simply in awe at the feeling of finding himself to be a member of a group he’d never known existed. It was almost as fantastic as finding another psychic had been before Toritsuka had ruined that for him forever. “Hey,” A deep, rough voice that he recognized as Kuboyasu whispered from behind him and Kusuo inclined his head to show that he was listening. “Where’d you go?” As of late he’d found himself growing somewhat…’closer’ wasn’t entirely the right word, but perhaps more tolerant, of Kuboyasu. The other boy had a sense of humor that Kusuo didn’t entirely mind and with things so stressful at home lately he just felt like he needed a bit more of that in his life at the moment. And it seemed that Kuboyasu didn’t entirely mind him in return. Of course, the purple headed punk hadn’t really to begin with, and had even confided in him on occasion, but Kuboyasu had always been closer to Kaidou than Kusuo, which had been the way Kusuo had preferred it. As of late that seemed to be shifting around a little bit. Unfortunately that also meant the other boy had apparently become more in-tuned to Kusuo’s presence. Apparently a lifetime of thugging around left one with observational abilities that almost rivaled ESP, like a permanent battle awareness. He was probably the only person he’d met, aside from Teruhashi, who could sense him when Kusuo was trying to hide and lately that had only become sharper. Because of that it meant that Kusuo’s hypnosis didn’t always work on the other boy anymore. It was a bit nerve wracking but, for some reason, also very interesting. Maybe a little thrilling even. Kusuo tore a page out of his notebook and scribbled a quick note.

‘Teruhashi wanted to show me something.’ After a moment’s pause, he added more. Eggs and shells, he reminded himself. ‘I’ll tell you on the way home.’ He passed it back discreetly and tuned back into the lecture. It wasn’t as if he precisely needed to pay attention because he knew all of this already, but getting called out for goofing off in class was the last thing Kusuo was interested in right now. Besides, one of the others might need his notes. With that in mind the teenager settled in for another boring class. There was a bit of relief when they were dismissed for lunch because that meant the day was half done and Kusuo was only a few hours left from going home. With a soft sigh he stood from his desk, resisting the urge to stretch his back like an old man. These damn kids were so loud, but having gotten a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while made Kusuo a little more prepared to deal with them. “So whatcha gonna have for lunch?” Kuboyasu asked as they fell into step together, Kaidou a step behind and Nendo pulling the lead as they moved in a group toward the cafeteria. “RAMEN!” Nendo shouted and Kusuo gave a roll of his eyes as he looked at the other teen. “Probably the usual.” “I’ve heard,” Kaidou interjected both verbally and physically, pressing between Kusuo and Kuboyasu. He smiled darkly, covering his face in a way he thought made him look mysterious and cool but actually just seemed a bit silly. “That the Dark Reunion has infiltrated our peaceful school and tampered with the cafeteria. Surely if we let it, it will turn into a blood-bath of mindless zombies. Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity, and be wary of the pork.” “Wow, that Dark Reunion is at it again huh?” Kusuo hummed and quirked a brow at Kuboyasu. “You weren’t intending on having any pork today, were you?” “I might have to now,” Kuboyasu chuckled darkly, eyes gleaming. “It’s been a little while since I’ve had myself a good’ol bloodbath.” “You guys aren’t taking me seriously at all, are you?” Kaidou squealed immediately and turned to walk backwards, gesturing dramatically at them. “Mark my words, the pork is to be feared!” He leaned in to whisper softly behind his hand, eyes intent. “Mama bumped into one of the cooks and he told her the cafeteria’s refrigerators haven’t been working properly this weekend. She actually packed a lunch for me today.” Kusuo knew he was safe from any form of poisoning, food related or not, but that sounded like it could turn into a hassle if any of the people around him were affected. Also it would taste really gross. He grimaced as Kuboyasu exclaimed in disgust next to him. “Then why don’t they just shut the kitchen down? That’s disgusting!” “Dunno, something to do with protocols and wasting food or something? It’s an administration issue.” Kusuo looked passed Kaidou and cringed even deeper as he realized that Nendo was nowhere to be

seen. He poked Kuboyasu’s arm and gestured to where the mohawked idiot had stood. “How much you want to bet he’s craving pork ramen today?” Kusuo asked. “Sucker bet, I’ll pass.” Kuboyasu sighed heavily. “And I guess I’ll be passing on eating lunch today too, what a pain. I’m not into eating just carbs, I want meat!” With that the former thug turned toward Kusuo and smiled. “Hey, you want me to get you something from the vending machine? You don’t have anything to eat either, do you?” Oh. That was surprisingly sweet. There were no ulterior motives in the other boy’s thoughts either, just a genuine desire to make sure he ate something because he, Kusuo, was considered a friend. Kusuo glanced away and reflected that’d been happening often lately. It wasn’t necessary, he repeated himself to himself, but maybe it was nice to be thought of. “It’s fine, I have money. But thank you.” There was a hint of a smile peeking through at the edges of his mouth and Kusuo let it come. “I can share too. Mama made lo-OOOH wow, Teruhashi! Hehe, HI!” “Oh, hi Teruhashi!” Kuboyasu rubbed at the back of his head, his high cheeks gaining a rosy tinge as he turned to look at the girl who had just caught up with them. Kusuo squinted at Kuboyasu, wondering when the taller boy’s jaw had become that defined. He kind of wanted to roll his eyes at his and Kaidou’s reactions, but considering what Teruhashi had done for him lately he refrained. Instead Kusuo looked over at her and nodded despite his annoyance. “Hi guys!” Teruhashi waved as she slowed to a walk, her deep blue hair swaying around her shoulders. “Do you mind if I invite myself to eat lunch with you today?” “O-Oh, well, not at all! Oh but you should know, the kitchen’s fridges aren’t working, Teruhashi, sssssooooo uhm, maybe can I share my lunch with you instead? N-Not that you may not have brought your own lunch but, y’know. Offers on the table. Eheh.” Kaidou swallowed and smiled shyly, lifting his obento. Oh boy, that meant a whole lunch period of being gawked and glared at by the rest of the cafeteria, didn’t that just ooze with the possibility of fun. He’d rather get dragged over a bed of hot coals he couldn’t psychic his way out of. Kusuo tapped down on his glower as Kuboyasu immediately agreed too, the idiot. Damn you, Teruhashi. “Bathroom.” He explained curtly and promptly switched directions, making his way down the next hall. Screw it, he was eating his whatever-his-lunch-was-going-to-be in the bathroom. Or maybe he’d just go home forNo. A cold sweat shivered across him and Kusuo swallowed, steps faltering for a moment as Kusuke’s dark green eye shone in his mind. No, Kusuo repeated to himself as his hands fisted and his breath quickened, reaching up to rest one hand over his hasty heartbeat to settle it and the cold that had swept him over. He was not going home.

He couldn’t.

“And there he goes…” Aren sighed, watching as Saiki detoured sharply the moment Teruhashi joined them. “Well, so much for that idea. Sorry about him, Teruhashi, sometimes I think he doesn’t realize how rude he can be.” Teruhashi beamed at him so brightly that for a moment Aren had to blink the sparkles out of his eyes. “Oh don’t worry about Saiki. He just doesn’t want to deal with being stared at. Besides, it’s a good thing for me that he left!” She clapped her hands and spun to stop directly in front of him and Aren stumbled a little, stepping back so he wouldn’t bump into her. The girl peered up at him, her pretty blue eyes shining through the slant of her thick bangs. Aren gulped a bit and tried to muster a smile. It was a little unnerving to have the full weight of Teruhashi’s stare upon him, which was kind of weird because a little while ago he probably would have turned into a puddle of goo just at being in her presence. Well, get stuck on an island with someone and see how fast things change, he figured. Teruhashi was just a girl after all. A ridiculously pretty one, but still just a girl, and one of his friends besides. “Kuboyasu,” Teruhashi lifted her hands to her mouth, still pressed together. “Do you think Saiki can stay with you for a bit?” Wait, what? “Wait, what?” He repeated out loud, blinking and arching an eyebrow. That had not been expected. “Well, you see, I bumped into him yesterday and we got to talking a bit. Turns out his house is being fumigated at the moment so his parents have gone to stay with his grandparents for a week, but they don’t have room for everyone so Saiki volunteered to stay behind. He’s been at a motel but it’s not in a very safe area of town so I think it’d be better if he stayed with someone.” This girl. Aren bit back a sigh and glower. Teruhashi was feeding him bullshit by the shovelful. She lied very well, Aren granted, but he knew how to tell when someone was giving him a story and a half. It was also kind of weird that she’d even been asking on Saiki’s behalf to begin with. Not only was Saiki perfectly capable of asking himself, but as far as Aren could remember the pink-haired boy had almost made it his life’s mission to avoid hanging out too closely with Teruhashi and now suddenly they were on good enough terms for her to ask about something like this for him? She was also working very hard to get him to agree, batting her long and pretty eyelashes at him, her sea blue gaze puppy-dog and big. Aren wasn’t dumb, he knew this girl knew about the weapons she weilded and she used them as naturally as breathing. Oh sure, Teruhashi played innocent and clueless about how gorgeous she was, but Aren could spot her fake attitude from

thirty paces. Sure she was a friend, albeit not a close one maybe, but it could still be aggravating. He almost wanted to call her out on it but he wasn’t going to lie, he was a bit intrigued by this. And, honestly, he didn’t think it would be too bad to have the other boy over for a bit if Saiki agreed to it. He’d lately come to appreciate the smaller teen more. Saiki was full of a sharp, dry wit that was tempered by a kindness and integrity Aren hadn’t seen in many people. It was also entertaining as hell to watch Saiki grumpily mother hen everybody within his vicinity like the world’s weirdest tsundere, constantly determined to help but also pissed that he even had to. Aren kind of admired it a bit. Saiki was the first with a cutting remark sure, but he was also the first to offer a bandage. “Right.” Aren inclined his head, keeping his expression open and unaware. “Yeah that makes sense. Sure, I’ll talk to him about it after class.” Oh and wasn’t that interesting. Teruhashi’s eyes glimmered, her expression inching towards a sly one. Sure she may not have been fooling him, but he wasn’t fooling her either apparently. As if by telepathy they seemed to reach an agreement on the matter. The school was full of enemy eyes and ears so they had to lay low, else trouble might come their way. Aren didn’t really mind trouble but he was doing his best to stick to the straight and narrow, so he’d avoid it when he could. “Perfect! Chiyo and I made him stay over at her place last night so his bag is still there. You don’t live very far do you?” “Nah, just a bike ride. I’ll come with you guys to grab his things and then we’ll head over to mine. Sound good?” “Sounds great!” “Hey, maybe I can come over too! Keep you guys company!” Shun peeped up, looking so eager and excited that Aren couldn’t help but snort fondly as he reached out to ruffle the shorter kid’s hair. “Yeah sure, I don’t see why not. Sounds like fun.” “Awesome!” Flash forward a few hours to the end of the school day and Shun was wibbling up at him with big, teary eyes that were utterly gutted with disappointment. “I can’t coooomeeee!” Saiki paused in packing his bag and looked toward them, expression blank. Aren hadn’t actually gotten around to asking the other boy yet but he had the strangest feeling that, despite not having been present for the conversation and not having a phone, Saiki knew about the invitation and had already agreed to it. It was weird but Aren knew that his gut was right. “Aw, did your mom say no?” Shun sniffled and nodded, looking so crushed that Aren just had to reach out and ruffle his hair. Saiki had turned to lean against his desk and was looking at Shun with an expression that was one part sympathy, three parts annoyed.

“HEY! Whatcha guys talkin about?” Nendo took that moment to stick his big head into the conversation, effervescent smile present as usual. Aren flinched back and twitched. For some reason he just could never seem to sense the big lug coming. Nendo was surprisingly sneaky and silent, considering how huge and oafish he was. “We goin somewhere?” “Uh,” Aren started and stalled out, furiously trying to come up with an explanation that wasn’t the truth. He loved the big guy, he really did, because Nendo was one of the good ones, but he just did not feel up to spending the next week constantly in Nendo’s company. He had no doubt that the mohawked fella would invite himself over because, as usual, where Saiki went so too did Nendo. “Kaidou was just saying that he can’t come for ramen today,” And there was Saiki with the save, the smooth motherfucker. He’d gone back to packing his bag. “And I can’t either. Stuff to do.” “Uh, haha, yeah me either.” Aren rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit bad for lying but there would always be tomorrow. “The folks want me back home asap today. Chores, you know?” Nendo drooped. “Aawww, but raaameeen…” “There’s always tomorrow, Nendo.” Shun said and shooed Aren and Saiki off with a gesture while the giant was distracted. “We don’t need to go for ramen every single day you know?” “But tomorrow’s so far away and I love getting ramen with my pals!” Saiki jerked a thumb over his shoulder and Aren nodded, having already spotted Yumehara and Teruhashi sneaking out just a minute or two before them. The pair tip-toed quietly to the door, slipping out with identical sighs of relief and joining the exodus for the shoe lockers. “Nendo’s a nice guy but I don’t know how I feel about having him over for the week too.” Aren explained needlessly, putting his hands in his pockets. Saiki raised a razor sharp eyebrow at him as if to say ‘you’re really taking my agreement for granted, huh?’ before dropping it and lifting his head to look at him fully instead of the previous side glance. “You never finished telling me about your mom’s coffee cake recipe.” Oh. Pfft. “If you’re really gonna be crashing at mine for a bit then you’ll probably get to try it.” Aren grinned, unable to help himself. Saiki’s adoration of everything sweet and coffee flavoured was so reminiscent of his mom that he couldn’t help but comment on it. “Mom loves coffee flavoured stuff too, you know. You two might have to swap notes on favourite cafes and shit.” Saiki’s eyes sparkled in excitement and Aren snorted with fondness. Before he knew it he was reaching up to ruffle the other guy’s hair the way he so often did with Shun. Huh, he blinked. Soft. Wait a second-! Aren froze in amazement at his own gall, feeling himself begin to sweat a little bit. Saiki was such a reclusive and touch shy guy that Aren had always been careful to keep his distance, but here he

was rubbing the dude’s head! Saiki looked just as shocked as Aren felt, peering up at him from under Aren’s arm. His gaze was round behind his glasses and his jaw was just a touch agape, formerly neat hair now tousled around Aren’s fingers and drooping lop-sidedly into his eyes. It was, Aren blinked, actually kind of cute and for a moment his brain couldn’t help but imagine his friend as a little pink bunny with long lop ears. And then he realized his hand was still on Saiki’s head, right between those weird hair clips, and he snatched the errant limb back as though he’d burnt it. “Ah! Uh! Ahehe, s-sorry about that man! Uhm, didn’t mean to.” Aren coughed into his hand which was still tingling from the shock. “Won’t happen again. Sorry about that. Seriously.” Saiki reached up to smooth his hair, still looking up at Aren. The expression of shock was fading swiftly from his features, like the boy was adopting a mask as he put himself back together. “It’s fine.” He said finally and turned to continue making his way for the shoe lockers. “Let’s go.” ...Huh. Aren tilted his head at the other boy for a moment then shrugged it off and followed. Well, if Saiki wasn’t going to make a big deal about it then neither was he. Though he had really been expecting a bigger reaction. Saiki’d always regarded those who were cavalier about invading his personal space with nothing but contempt. He tolerated Nendo like an old, frustrated dog who knew there was no use in dissuading the toddler that was yanking on its fur, and Aren was pretty sure he’d even seen Saiki throw a few glares Hairo’s way whenever the over excited sports fiend clapped a hand onto his shoulder. But if he wasn’t going to get his hand broken off or speared through by Saiki’s coldest of glares Aren wasn’t going to complain about it. The little dude could be scary when he wanted to be and Aren wasn’t up to having a heart attack today, thanks. They changed shoes and met with Teruhashi and Yumehara at the gates. The moment he and Saiki got there Aren could sense a dynamic that had shifted between the other three teens. There was an air of camaraderie there. Imperceptibly Saiki’s body language changed into that of one who’d just gotten home, a faint relaxing in the hyper-awareness that always suffused the shorter boy’s aura. Likewise so too did the girls. Yumehara didn’t have the same awareness that Saiki and even Teruhashi used in their daily lives but she seemed more at ease with him, hopping forward with a wave andAren jerked in surprise as Yumehara grabbed onto Saiki’s arm and began to natter about something while they walked, also linking her other arm through Teruhashi’s. Saiki didn’t look comfortable with it per se but the aggravation he always regarded Nendo and Hairo with whenever they spaceinvaded was remarkably lessened. Teruhashi didn’t seem annoyed by Yumehara’s forwardness at all, listening and responding as she tucked a strand of ocean blue hair behind her ear where it’d been stirred loose by the faint autumn breeze. ...Huh. So Saiki was one of the girls now, according to said girls. Aren raised one eyebrow and wondered what’d brought that on not only for it to happen, but for Saiki to allow it, and hurried to catch up. There was a short train ride, then an elevator, then Aren waited in the doorway to Yumehara’s

apartment as Saiki went about gathering his things. Aren’s sharp eyes noticed a bit more than just the pink haired boy’s belongings scattered about the living room. So Teruhashi was staying with Yumehara too? Something was going on. Aren’s eyes narrowed. “Thanks for letting me stay.” Saiki nodded to Yumehara to which the girl just waved him off. “Don’t be silly, Saiki. You’ll always have a place to sleep if you need it!” Yumehara’s gaze became serious. “And I do mean always. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, kay?” “Yeah.” Saiki responded and waved to Teruhashi before slipping his shoes back on and stepping out. “Okay, I’m ready.” “Right. Off we go then!” Aren waved at the girls as well and closed the door behind them, following Saiki back to the elevator. “So how are we getting to your place?” Saiki asked, shifting the already rather full duffel bag against his hip to wiggle in some room for his school bag as well. Aren frowned. “Well we could just take the bus but I really don’t want to leave my bike at the school, so…” “Ah. Well, give me your address and I’ll get myself there.” Saiki said, his eyes straight ahead and his expression neutral. His hair was still a little windswept. It leant him a softness that usually wasn’t present. Aren tilted his head at Saiki, wondering what it was that had made his pink haired classmate seem a bit more approachable than usual today. “What are you talking about?” Aren frowned at the guy, then smiled. “I have more than one helmet, you know.” “What?” “Well you’re riding with me, of course.” Aren’s smile dropped and he considered the boy curiously. Had Saiki really not realized that? Apparently not, judging by the peculiar expression that was drifting across the other boy’s face. “You’re not afraid to ride or something, are you?” Aren asked as the doors opened and they headed out of the lobby. “We got those licenses together after all, you did just fine then.” “I’m not.” Saiki denied immediately and Aren could sense the truth in that. No, something else was the issue here. “But I can get there just fine by myself.” Ah, there it was. Little Mr. Independant wanted to be a big boy instead of riding bitchseat. Saiki shot a sharp glare at him as if he knew what Aren was thinking and the former thug cracked up with laughter instantly. “There’s no point to you going on your own when I can get you there just fine. Come on bro, it’s not a big deal.” Aren winked at his friend once he’d calmed his cackling and flashed Saiki a thumbs up. “I’ll keep you safe. It’ll be fun.” The pink haired boy snorted and faced front, imperiously dismissing him, and Aren couldn’t deny

another short chuckle. This kid was just too much sometimes. That was as settled as the matter was about to get though, and Aren lapsed into a comfortable silence as they made their way back to the train stop. He lifted his head and began to consider how pretty the October sky was, silvery clouds with shades of blue peeking in here and there, and mused that it was a big change from yesterday. The clouds had moved in overnight, leaving the day overcast in a gauzy film. Aren had always found the intensity of brightly coloured leaves against the grey everything else Fall usually brought to be pleasantly surreal in its contrast. He kind of wished he was skilled enough to depict it in a painting, or write a poem about it, but his hands would always be too used to the crack of bone under fist to ever be able to adequately hold a brush, Aren was sure of it. “Oh, that reminds me,” He spoke suddenly with a blink, turning to look down at the boy who was walking quietly next to him. “You said you were going to tell me about what Teruhashi wanted with you earlier?” It still weirded him out how the two goody-goodies were so buddy-buddy now. He’d miss it too, the sitcom slapstick lengths Saiki had used to go to just to avoid being cornered by Teruhashi had been hilarious. “Hm?” Saiki blinked up at him in return as they stopped to wait for the next train back to school. “Oh. Right.” His buddy paused for a moment, pushing one hand into his pocket, and looked away to consider the direction of the tracks. Aren waited patiently, gaze wandering to the clock. The train would be here in about five minutes. “Have you heard about asexuality?” Saiki spoke suddenly and Aren’s eyes jerked back to him immediately. “...Kind of.” He nodded with a gradual tilt of his head, waiting for Saiki to get to the point. The boy glanced back at him through the corner of one eye. “A sexuality defined by the lack of sexual urges. She was showing me an article.” There was a fuckton of information loaded in what Saiki was not saying. Aren whistled lowly and shook his head. “That must have been some conversation you two had yesterday.” He watched Saiki nod in his peripheral. “So...what. You think that applies to you or whatever?” Saiki nodded again and Aren considered that, knowing that the other boy was waiting for him to drop what he felt about this little revelation that’d just been given to him. “You’re not into anything then, or? How’s that work for you exactly?” “...” Saiki cleared his throat and when Aren looked down at him there was a tinge of pink in the boy’s ears. “Well.” Aren watched as he fidgeted a bit with the keys in his pocket, keeping one eye on Saiki and the other on the tracks. He wasn’t going to make any assumptions here, and would simply let Saiki say what Saiki wanted to say. He was a hot tempered guy but for his valued companions he always had patience, understanding, and time.

“She’s insisting I have a crush on a boy in our year. With this new information in mind, I find myself in agreement.” “Alright. Cool.” Aren said and glanced over at the clock on the wall. The train was a bit late. “...That’s it?” “Hm?” Aren blinked down at Saiki, who was regarding him with a somewhat peevish expression. “Yeah, man. Well, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you figured that out for yourself. That shit can be stressful.” Saiki’s eyes narrowed at him like he was trying to dissect Aren and the purple headed punk sighed, giving his head a shake. “Lots of families throw their kids out,” Saiki was asking him to explain his lack of reaction, so he would. “When they find out their kid isn’t heterosexual or whatever. A lot of the time those homeless kids end up in gangs like the one I used to lead. It’s no big deal, man.” Aren offered his perturbed friend a smile. “I’m just glad you figured it out. Feels better, I bet.” Saiki’s expression cleared of the doubt he’d been glaring at Aren with before, smoothing into one that was considering. “It does.” The train finally pulled up and around them the masses of people began to shuffle forward. Saiki, however, stayed put and his gaze was distant. “I didn’t know that was a thing.” Then the other boy hesitated again, seeming to weigh his options. “...It’s a relief to know you’re not the only one.” Holy shit. Aren stared at Saiki for what felt like an eternity, shock and a bit of joy electrifying him. Holy shit, had Saiki just confided in him?! With feelings and shit?! He had! That was new. Very new. Aren was commenting on it before he knew it, his mouth getting away from him in his surprise. “That must have been one hell of a conversation you guys had yesterday.” He said again with an awed shake of his head, more curious than ever. “It really was.” Saiki agreed verbally this time, face forward, and finally started for the train. “...Fucking character development, man.” Aren gave his head another shake and followed suit before the guy disappeared completely into the crowd. For a guy with bright pink hair, green glasses, and antenna hair clips, Saiki was pretty good at that. The ride back to school was a quiet one that Aren spent absently surfing his phone. Due to the crowd they’d been forced to stand, which Saiki didn’t look bothered by even if he had to reach a few inches further to grip the handle. Aren, enjoying the simple pleasures of a recent growth spurt, was gripping the rail the handle was attached to and when Saiki scowled at him in consternation he’d just given the shorter boy a shit-eating grin. It wasn’t like Saiki was the smallest guy in their class, or even their year. He was in fact only a couple inches under the average. Aren was pretty sure that title of dubious honour went to Shun

hands down, who was still shorter than even some of the girls. That wasn’t going to stop Aren from lording his new half foot of height over everybody that was smaller than him though. Why yes, the weather was lovely up here and thank you for asking! They arrived back at the school which was still pretty populated by club activities. Withdrawing his bike keys, Aren tossed them lightly up and down as he lead the way to the parking lot reserved for faculty, staff, and the few student mopeds and motorcycles that couldn’t be parked with the bicycles. When they got there he patted the motorcycle’s handle fondly. Good’ol Betty had needed a lot of work after he’d taken that tumble off a cliff but now she ran as smoothly as ever. Aren unlocked the storage compartment under the seat and pulled out a spare helmet and his leather jacket, then stuffed his school bag into it and closed the seat. Donning his riding jacket and zipping it up to his throat, Aren handed the helmet to Saiki even as he shifted to straddle his beautiful American beast and clip on his own. Saiki was staring at the helmet as if Aren had just handed him a big old rock and this time Aren couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Oh for hell’s sake, Saiki, just put it on and get on here.” He grumbled as he turned the ignition, grinning to himself as the motorcycle purred to life. “I can get there just fine by myself,” Saiki grumbled and carefully slipped the helmet over his hair clips. “Yeah yeah, whatever man.” Aren watched the guy shift his duffle bag so it would be more secure and then Saiki gingerly got on behind him. Before his buddy could try to find the seat handles, Aren grabbed Saiki’s arms and pulled them around his waist. “Hey.” Came the instant petulant response and Aren rolled his eyes again as he carefully pulled out of the parking spot, knocking down his face shield. “It’s easier to hold onto me than the seat. Just shut up and don’t let go.” He nudged the switch on the handlebar to blast some tunes, putting a final seal on that conversation before it could really start, and gingerly maneuvered Betty out of the parking lot, mindful of his passenger. The guy really could be such a princess sometimes, honestly. Then Aren bowed low over the seat, lifted his feet onto the footrests, and merged into traffic. The old familiar feel put his heart at ease immediately and Aren grinned widely behind the greytinted plexiglass of his helmet, feeling the worries of the day slip away just like that. Every time he was on his bike he felt good as new again, in his world and released, calm and at peace with his existence. There was nothing that could put him in a good mood faster, could drain away his rage, his hatred, the burning desire to eviscerate an idiot, quicker. It would always and forever be a relief. Funnily enough the feeling was only enhanced by the weight of Saiki’s arms around his waist and the feeling of his buddy’s weight pressing firmly into his back. It had been way too long since he’d ridden with someone, not since his gang had he actually had the pleasure of not flying solo. Sharing this was just as important to him, Aren realized suddenly, as experiencing it in the first

place. “Hold on!” He shouted over the music as he pulled off the main road to begin the mountain climb up to his place. “I’m gonna gun it!” Saiki’s arms squeezed around his waist in response and Aren grinned as he cranked the throttle.

It was like flying, but better. Kusuo was practically invulnerable but like this, down here and clinging to a fragile human boy on the backseat of a flimsy motorcycle that could crash if Kuboyasu mishandled it even a little, he didn’t feel like it. His heart was pounding and his veins were tingling with the adrenaline surging through him - a thing Kusuo very rarely felt. He almost felt human. The winding mountain road was filled with sharp corners and Kuboyasu navigated them without slowing down in the least, coming so low to the ground that the pavement almost lashed at their knees. Above them the trees were tall and filled with birdsong that Kusuo could barely make out above the roar of the engine and the blasting music. He gawked through the shrouding pines at the crack of silver sky, curving like a reflection of the road and moving by at speed. Kusuo almost felt dizzy with it, like he’d found himself at the bottom of a tightly snaking river. Sure the speed was slow compared to what he could do, but experience and knowledge were two different facts and right now his experience was that they were going faster than he ever had. How could a deadly roller-coaster and a motorcycle feel so different? He closed his eyes and marvelled at it as Kuboyasu brought them around another corner so close to the bank that he could feel the energy of the wildflowers tickle him. His senses were expanding beyond his telepathy and for that moment he felt calm, completely as one with the landscape and part of the planet in a way he’d never experienced while flying above it. Kuboyasu’s energy was mirroring his as well, or maybe Kusuo was just borrowing some of it. The other boy was totally at peace as he drove them up the steep mountain drive, none of his usual hair trigger black rage within him anymore. He was fine, happy, thrilled even, to be doing his favourite thing and moreover, to be sharing the experience with a friend. Kusuo didn’t know what to feel about the frog that had jumped into his throat when he realized that, or about the itchy feeling in his eyes, so he shut them both away and turned his attention back to the sky while his hands curled into the fabric of Kuboyasu’s leather jacket. It felt soft and warm under his fingers. Yes, he was glad to experience this too. The ride felt like an eternity in sublimity and still ended far too soon. Kuboyasu began to slow as they came to an area that was sparsely housed and eventually they pulled into the gravel driveway of what was apparently his home.

The thin lane opened widely after only a few feet into an expansive front ‘yard’ that was covered in grey gravel. The home itself had a wood exterior cut by white plaster, having been built with a traditionally Japanese flare though it looked like a new-build. A separate outhouse no doubt acted as a shop, clubhouse, and garage. Pine cones crunched under his feet as he stepped off the bike, feeling somehow lighter and heavier at the same time. The house was firmly ensconced by trees, closed in despite the sprawling nature of the home, but a thin cobblestone path appeared to lead around the house into the back. There was a woman on the verana, looking quite comfortable in her rocking chair and covered by a quilt. She looked up at them as Kuboyasu cut the engine and kicked down the stand, stepping off the bike and removing his helmet in one smooth motion. The taller teen gave his head a shake, pushing his hair back from his eyes and Kusuo felt his chest tighten just a smidge. Huh, weird. Giving it no thought he took off his helmet as well, very carefully returning it to its original size as he did so. It would have been too small to fit his power limiters comfortably if he hadn’t enlarged it just a tad. The point of a helmet was to be flush against his head to protect it but again, Kusuo was pretty invincible, he wouldn’t actually be hurt if they’d managed to crash. Laws were laws though, and Japanese laws dictated one wore a helmet while operating a bike with or without a motor. “Hey mom!” Kuboyasu waved and set his helmet on the handle then took Kusuo’s and simply placed it on the seat. Then the taller boy was moving to greet his mother quickly. Kusuo decided he should probably follow and did, noting that his legs felt a bit wobbly from the ride up. Stepping onto the verana, he kept a respectful distance. “Hey kid,” The woman reached up and ruffled Kuboyasu’s hair, dragging him down to smack a kiss onto his cheek. It was only after she didn’t get up that Kusuo noticed the cane next to her rocking chair. She was so young though, to need a cane. There was barely a line on her face and only the faintest hint of grey in the blond roots of her hair. Kusuo suddenly got the feeling that Kuboyasu’s decision to leave his thug life behind was a bit more complicated than he’d made it seem. “So this is the buddy that’s staying over, eh?” The woman’s eyes locked on him and Kusuo blinked as she gained a devilish aura, blacker than Kuboyasu’s had ever managed to be, all while her expression barely shifted. Was she trying to intimidate him? People were so weird. “My name is Saiki Kusuo,” He bowed in greeting anyways because his mom had raised him with manners, thanks. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “Mom, cut it out. He’s a real friend.” Kuboyasu gave his mother’s shoulder a light thwap. The aura cut off on cue and Mrs. Kuboyasu snorted affectionately. “Shut it, kid. If he can’t withstand a little bit of the Kuboyasu spirit then he’s got no business being here. So your name is Saiki Kusuo, huh?”

A mischievous smile lit up the woman’s pretty face, making her eyes twinkle. “Looks like you have a set of balls on you. Good! Welcome to casa de Kuboyasu. Aren, sweetie, help me up.” “Yeah.” The purple headed teen extended his arm which Kuboyasu senior quickly grabbed a hold of, his other extending to steady her as she heaved herself up. Kuboyasu quickly grabbed the woman’s cane and handed it to her. “Old war wound.” Kuboyasu’s mom explained with a pat to her hip, giving Kusuo a wink. “You shoulda seen the other guy. Get inside, dad’s working on dinner. Oh.” Kusuo blinked as the butt of the cane was suddenly thrust toward his face, stopping just an inch away. And then it booped his nose. He wrinkled it and frowned. “While you’re in this house we’re on a first name basis, alright kiddo? Call me Miri.” And with that apparently decided the woman tottered into the house, leaving the door open behind her and yelling into the kitchen. “Hey Rean! Your damn son is home and he’s brought a pal so fix us up some tea, will ya?!” Wordlessly Kusuo looked at Kuboyasu and quirked one eyebrow. His class-mate just chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, my parents are...a lot, but they’re good people. Anyway I guess you’re calling me Aren now. C’mon, I’ll show you around the place.” Somehow this was giving him even bigger feelings than when Teruhashi had asked him to call her Kokomi just yesterday morning. And speaking of which, what was with this? All of a sudden two people in two days were trying to get on a first name basis with him. Kusuo swallowed and stepped into the house, taking off his shoes. But if the matriarch of the house had demanded it, then he guessed he didn’t really have a choice. “Call me Kusuo, then.” He said before he changed his mind. Eggs and shells, he reminded himself. And he’d always been a big believer in tit for tat anyways. “Huh?” Kubo-...Aren turned around to blink at him with surprise but it was only seconds before a wide grin stretched across his face. “Really? Sure thing, dude! Kusuo it is!” That felt so weird and Kusuo did his very best not to think about it too much as he tucked his feet into a pair of guest slippers and followed Aren into the house. The tour was quick because the house really wasn’t that large, it was just squat and thin. There was a small backyard that cut off deeply at the edge into a ravine, and the entire place was covered in swathes of gangster memorabilia. Kusuo stared at the bent and conspicuously stained pipe crossed with a bat festooned in rusty nails, hung lovingly over the living room’s mantle piece, and decided not to say anything. Their decorating sensibilities weren’t something for him to judge, even if it was pretty out there. “You’ll be staying in my room with me. Sorry about the mess, I uh, didn’t expect to have guests over today.” Aren shrugged at him and Kusuo nodded his head as the taller boy opened the bedroom door. That was fair. Kusuo kept his room pretty tidy but he also had psychic powers so it wasn’t like cleaning up took any time or effort.

“Well, this is it.” Kusuo supposed he should have expected what greeted him when he stepped inside but he still felt a tiny smidge of surprise. The room was full of clutter, the floor all over with pillows, magazines, and weapons. There was one mahjong table, legs sawed off so it sat low to the floor, pushed to the side right next to a flashy pachinko machine. A bokken hung on one wall and a rack full of thug looking streetwear was pushed against another. Furthest from the door was a western style bed, covers strewn about as though no attempt had been made to make it that morning, and on either side of that was a pair of squat, beaten up looking bookshelves. Apart from that, the room could have been handsome with deep brown wood flooring and white plastered walls sectioned by yet more wooden beams in a reflection of the home’s exterior. Kusuo glanced at the ceiling, taking in even more wood, and finally turned to Aren who seemed to be waiting on his opinion. Kusuo gave him a thumbs up, and the taller boy sagged in relief. “I’m glad you don’t mind. We’ve got a spare fuuton somewhere, we’ll have to air that out before tonight I think.” Kusuo nodded, that made sense. It made so much sense that he could only watch in confusion as Aren set about to collecting the sheets and blanket off the bed, fully intending to strip and remake it so Kusuo could use it. He was having some difficulty in actually predicting Aren’s actions despite his telepathy, it made him feel like he was actually being thrown off regularly which wasn’t good for his heart. “I’m fine sleeping on the floor.” Kusuo frowned, to which Aren snorted. “You kidding? Mom’d have my hide if I let a guest sleep on the floor. I’ll be using the fuuton and you’ll be using the bed.” Aren stated it so matter of factly, like he expected nothing but Kusuo’s obedience. He set his hands on his hips and glowered at the purple headed punk until Aren noticed and watched, pleased as the other flush bright red in embarrassment once he’d realized he’d just been ordering Kusuo about. “Uhm.” Aren gulped and then smiled, a hint of sweat dotting his brow. Kusuo could make his glare very intimidating when he wanted to, and he was glad to see even the former thug was properly affected by it. “Please? Please use the bed? I, uhm. I insist.” That was better. Kusuo nodded in agreement and gestured at the bed. “Can I help?” “Nah, just make yourself at home. Thanks, though.” Kusuo looked around and wondered where he was supposed to do that, given the clutter on the floor. Eventually putting his bag down in a corner, Kusuo settled himself at the mahjong table once he’d gingerly toed a nail covered bat out of the way. It was only then that he noticed a small dresser and he pondered it, then soundly dismissed it. There was no need to get curious about the very illegal glock hidden within it, none at all. “There we go, good as new.” Aren muttered to himself as he finished re-making the bed. “I won’t lie, I’m still getting used to all the space in here. Used to be we lived in dad’s childhood home but after I got out of the game things got...a little hairy.” “Was that how Miri got hurt?” Kusuo asked as Aren sat down at the table next to him.

Aren snarled deeply and Kusuo flinched as his fist crashed into the table, glaring at the wall. “Yep. But trust you me, those fools got theirs. None of them’ll ever think about goin’ after my mom again. And if they do I’m good to help her myself now. Did some first aid courses, I’m qualified.” He shook his head. “Still, we decided it was best to move from Ibaraki and between our family savings and the sale of dad’s old place, we got this one. Moved in right before I started at PK so it’s been a bit but, y’know, grow up in one place and it just doesn’t leave ya.” Aren turned to look at him. “How bout you? You in the mood for sharing?” Well, if they were on a first name basis he may as well. Kusuo shrugged and fiddled with one of the tiles from the table. “I wasn’t born here either, moved in middle school. My older brother bought us a house but before that we were usually in pretty cramped apartments. Four people, two bedroom, five hundred foot square kinda thing. We moved around a lot.” “Yeah that is pretty small...wait, you have an older brother?” Kusuo felt his gut turn into ice, cold and heavy. He set the tile down with numb fingers. “...Yeah. You?” “Nah, only child. So he bought your house, eh? Must be pretty stinking rich, what’s he do?” Folding his hands in his lap, Kusuo blinked blearily at them. Weird, he thought. They felt so far away. “-usuo? Hey, Kusuo!” A hand clapped down on his shoulder and gave him a rough shake, causing Kusuo to jerk. He blinked, then looked around with a mild frown. Strange, he’d...kind of forgotten where he was for a moment. Uhg, his head was pounding again and so was his chest. Rubbing at his forehead he directed a tired glower at Aren. “What?” There was nothing but a scared looking concern peering back at him and Kusuo stiffened, alarmed by it. Aren was also a lot closer than he’d been before, practically on top of him, and the other’s hand was still on his shoulder. Had he lost time or something? Kusuo wanted to brush the hand off but he was exhausted all of a sudden, feeling distant and sore, so even that just felt like too much effort. What had just happened? “You okay, man? You just...kinda zoned out, there.” There was a kernel of suspicion forming in Aren’s mind but Kusuo was too freaked out by the blurry image of himself that was held in the other’s head to pay attention to it. He saw himself staring into nothing, absolutely still and barely breathing, only responding to Aren’s progressively louder questioning when Aren had touched him. That wasn’t usual. Not at all. Kusuo reached around for something to say and decided to just respond to Aren’s question.

“Yeah.” He finally shrugged the hand off, feeling too disturbed to be touched right now. “I’m fine. Got to daydreaming. Uhm, I don’t want to talk about,” Why was the world tilting sideways? He squeezed his eyes shut hard and the room returned to normal but left him feeling considerably more light headed. “My brother right now.” Aren sat back and looked at Kusuo with a gaze so piercing he wondered if the other teen was trying to read his mind. Eventually he relaxed though, pasting a fake smile onto his face. The other’s thoughts were loud but sounded muffled and Kusuo turned away, clutching at his ankles tight enough for his fingernails to dig in. It was the same with all the other thoughts within his limiter-induced radius. It sounded like everyone was talking through water and when Kusuo tried to focus on them his head gave a sharp pound. It was happening again. Why couldn’t he make them out? What was going on here? “Yeah, that’s fine. So uhm, have you read the latest Shonen Jump?” “...No.” Tired and painfully confused, Kusuo shut his eyes. “Not yet. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Aren didn’t want to jump to conclusions. He was a hot-tempered guy so it was pretty easy to do that to begin with. He really didn’t want to but like he’d explained to Sai-no, he was Kusuo now. Like he’d explained to Kusuo earlier, his gang had taken in a fair amount of kids who’d been kicked out for whatever reason, and a lot of those kids had come with their fair share of issues stemming from their families too. So Aren knew what a panic attack looked like, and he didn’t want to assume that’s what he’d just seen his friend do but something had just fucking happened there. Usually there was a bit more involved than what Kusuo had just done - trembling, crying, hyperventilating, but Aren didn’t know how else to describe what he’d seen. Kusuo had gone so still, all the life dropping from his face to leave him staring unblinkingly into his lap. For a little over a minute the other boy had just been an empty husk, totally devoid of anything Aren had come to recognize as the person he knew. Hell, Kusuo had barely been breathing! He’d just completely frozen. After having called for his classmate repeatedly, even snapping his fingers in front of Kusuo’s face, he’d finally given in and shaken Kusuo’s shoulder. The boy had rolled with the motion at first, limp and unresponsive before he finally snapped out of it, mostly. Kusuo still didn’t seem all there yet, honestly. His usually sharp buddy was dull and limp. Aren wasn’t going to lie. He was freaked out. There was a puzzle in front of him in the form of a pink haired teenager, one he hadn’t seen there before. Kusuo had always been introverted and a bit prissy but other than that he’d just seemed like a

regular guy. Aren was rethinking that now because some of the pieces in front of him were, frankly, looking pretty grim. Kusuo couldn’t go home for whatever reason right now. Along with that, he’d stayed overnight at Yumehara’s with Teruhashi after some sort of incident. There was also a previously unheard of brother in the picture that factored in somewhere. And there was something that could leave his usually stoic and steadfast buddy so shaken that he practically disappeared from his own body. Aren had understood that Teruhashi had done her level best to feed him a solid, steaming pile earlier to fend off eavesdroppers but how much of that had been BS and how much of it had been reality? It was a challenge to keep on talking manga when Kusuo was gazing up at him looking well and truly exhausted from whatever his little episode had been. Aren almost wanted to suggest that he just go right to bed but that’s when his dad popped in with tea. “Hey, Aren.” Kuboyasu Rean was a large, imposing man with a shaved head and ample tattoo coverage.. He’d been a tough disciplinarian when Aren had been growing up but he appreciated it - it’d taught him to fight, and keep fighting, and never give up. He also respected his old man a hell of a lot for dropping the gang life the minute Aren had popped out of his mom, giving all of it up for the straight and narrow that Aren was still having one hell of a time adjusting to. (He may have nearly gotten Takahashi over the head with a fire extinguisher again. He couldn’t help it, the green haired fucker was just way too obnoxious for his own damn good.) His dad was also just as, if not more, skilled than Aren at reading the atmosphere. “Got some tea for you kids. Dinner should be ready in boutta half hour.” Which was why the man didn’t stick around, dropping the tea tray on the table and getting the hell out of dodge. It wasn’t that he’d walked into something crazy or outrageous, per se, it was just that Rean was shit with feelings and the kid who was sitting across from Aren wasn’t the same one who’d been scowling him into submission for ordering Kusuo to sleep in a fucking bed just fifteen minutes ago. It was like comparing a deadly, ferocious tiger to one that had washed up suddenly half dead. Aren had a puzzle here, and he was determined to figure it out. The boy in front of him gazed listlessly into his tea before forgoing it to drop his head into his arms, pillowing it there. He’d solve it, Aren resolved. For Kusuo’s sake. Kusuo helped everyone around him and now it was time to return the favor.

Chapter End Notes

In the next chapter, Kusuo gets on a first name basis with more people while reality finally sinks in for Kokomi.

The Princess and the Punk Chapter Summary

Aren confronts people, Kokomi catches up to reality, Kusuo wishes his life was different.

Chapter Notes

Recommended listening Aren: Addictive by Royal Republic, Love me Dead by Ludo Kokomi: Girls like Girls by Haley Kiyoko, I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift (Or We Came as Romans if you pref punk) Kusuo: Same Damn Life by Seether, Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea by Fall Out Boy, When I Grow Up by Mayday Parade too ngl I am so jealous of teenage vigor right now. I could go days without sleeping when I was a youngin but one night of no sleep now that I'm hitting 30 and I am rendered not only useless for the day, but hostile and outright suffering. Chronic pain and sleeplessness don't mix, folks. Kiddos, enjoy that shit while you can, cus it fades fucking FAST. But that's why this one is coming out a bit late. I forgot to get it up cus chronic insomnia has made me prone to falling asleep whenever and wherever. I had to leave my job because of this. I'm broke AF right now. Goddamn. Shit blows. Well, also cus they were pricks, but still. Stupid Aren. Who I almost call Arin on the reg and wouldn't THAT make for a weird ass romance crossover DAMN lol Welp it looks like poor Kokomi finally got hit by the heart break train, poor wee lass. She'll be okay folks, don't worry, she rebounds quick. We also get to meet Chiyo's parents in this chapter and boom, introduce the curly hair I was talking about in chapter one. Still a fan of that concept. I have the sketches to prove it. This was a funny chapter actually. I didn't start this fic with the intention of throwing Chiyo and Kokomi together but then I wrote that fluffy scene in the kitchen and was like 'shit. ….SHIT. I TRICKED MYSELF.' Also, take a shot everytime the author nearly says 'all according to keikaku' in Kokomi's head wow. the memes are old just like the author. I am taking some liberties with her character in this but lbr Kokomi is just a few steps away from yandere-town. Hell, in the live action she's even closer! Been debating writing another 'Saiki in peril vs Yandere Teruhashi' fic, actually, but we'll see. This is a bit of a comedy chapter, so I've got Kusuo acting like a lovestruck dork here who's aping Chiyo by doodling his crush. Honestly I think he and Chiyo share some resemblances when it comes to romance, being Kusuo has been shown to relentlessly stalk Hiroshi just like Chiyo does with her crushes.

Speaking of, Kusuo has finally defrosted, folks. Took him long enough! BTW Shinjuku Shark and Blood Stained Tea are real books. I've only read the latter. That was an interesting piece of serendipity that I couldn't help but shove in here when I found out it was a BL cus oh boy THEMATICALLY RELEVANT SURPRISE :D

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Aren spent most of the night awake, arms folded behind his head as he gazed at the dark of the ceiling, his ears tuned into the soft and peaceful breathing of the boy in the bed above him. Despite, or perhaps because of, his earlier episode Kusuo slept with no issues. Aren was somewhat pleased to discover that his friend wasn’t a snorer like Nendo or a sleep-talker like Shun. Rather the most Kusuo did was shift occasionally while breathing the peaceful staccato of someone dead to the world. It had been some time since Aren had kept vigil at a person’s bedside. Not since his mom had been beat half to death, actually. It was those guard-dog tendencies in him, he reflected as the outside sky crept steadily toward dawn. Above all, Aren was a territorial son of a bitch and what was in that territory was his - his to protect, his to serve, his to enjoy. It wasn’t strictly the most PC way of thinking and Aren had done well to keep most of that under wraps during his transition to the goody-goody life, but that didn’t mean he’d relinquished it. It pounded in him stronger than ever, actually. Not all of his new friends could defend themselves. So he kept vigil at the foot of his own bed, ears tuned into Kusuo’s night noises for any sign of trouble, be they nightmares or whatever else. He was pleased when the night passed without incident and allowed himself forty minutes of shut eye come 5:00 a.m., content that the time until their alarms rang would be more of the same. It wasn’t as though the lack of sleep would affect him overmuch. Aren was well accustomed to catching winks of shut eye wherever and whenever he could to supplement that which he didn’t get at night. Not only was he a natural insomniac but the biker gang life didn’t exactly keep to normal business hours. Cue Tuesday. Kusuo’s retro style alarm went off, shortly followed by Aren’s phone, and so began the morning slog of emptying bladders, attending to hygiene, getting dressed and ready for school, and finally filling the gullet. The night of sleep seemed to have done Kusuo good. The other boy was much restored to his typical attitude, softened only slightly by the lingering effects of sleepiness that left him yawning often into his hand. There was only a slight alteration to the typical Kuboyasu routine with their guest - another body vying for the one and only toilet, an extra setting at the table, another mouth to feed. Kusuo was an undemanding and calm guest, polite if a bit quiet. Aren actually found he didn’t mind the latter, though - in between his parents shouting and tripping plus Aren’s own very loud contributions (the first and foremost language in their house wasn’t Japanese, it was yelling), Kusuo almost felt like an oasis of calm in a storm. Peaceful, quiet, and simple. Amusingly the only thing that had gotten a rise out of his buddy was when his mom brought out the coffee cake to give them each a slice for their lunch. Kusuo had practically sparkled when he

saw it, locked onto the confection completely even as his toast hung from his mouth. And when Aren said locked he meant locked. The guy’s entire body was turned toward the cake, gaze following every crumb that dropped to the plate. Aren was pretty sure he even saw a line of drool begin to drop from Kusuo’s mouth. “Aha that’s right!” Aren snickered and waved to get his mom’s attention, seated next to Kusuo at the table. “Mom, I’ve finally found someone who likes coffee flavoured shit as much as you do! You know, every time we stop at the store after school Kusuo spends the entire time staring at the coffee jelly?” “Oooh?” His mom crooned, turning to look at Kusuo and grinning wide as she caught his expression. Kusuo was still drooling around his toast. “Well shit, aint that a treat? You want a piece with your breakfast then, kid?” “Miri makes the best coffee cake in the entire goddamn world,” Bragged his dad but Kusuo wasn’t listening. Instead he was gazing at Aren’s mom with stars in his eyes, the toast dropping from his mouth and hitting the floor. “Are you a god?” Kusuo asked breathlessly as Miri set a small slice in front of him, to which the woman responded by cackling until she coughed, giving Kusuo’s back a solid whack. “I’ve been called a lot in my day but that one’s a first! You’re alright kid. Don’t worry, there’s still a bunch left - in fact, have another piece. Been a while since I’ve laughed like that.” “I love you.” Kusuo shimmered ecstatically as another piece was loaded onto his plate. “Please marry me.” “Hah, you hear that you old dog? You got competition, if ya aint careful I might go running off with a younger man!” “Shut your face, wench, and give me a kiss.” “Good, huh?” Aren smiled as he watched his classmate take his first bite. Kusuo melted immediately, eyes drifting closed as a pleased flush rose to his cheeks. He sighed softly, looking as if he’d just entered a tiny slice of heaven, and his eyelashes seemed to glimmer a little like he might begin to cry from the sheer bliss he was apparently experiencing. “It’s amazing,” the pink haired boy moaned in reply, voice gone deep and breathless. Aren did not expect that sound to thunder right into his crotch. ‘Whoa!’ He jerked back, glancing horrified into his lap. Betraying him, his eyes cast back to the guy next to him just in time to catch Kusuo shiver delicately with pleasure as he took another bite. “S’cuse me!” Aren rocketed up from his chair, not caring about the jostling plates and cutlery as he bumped into the table, and promptly took off for the bathroom. He completely missed his parents shared look and twin smirks. Locking the door behind him, Aren shoved his back against it and grit his teeth then stormed over to the sink and cranked the cold, ripping his fake glasses off and splashing his face with water. He almost wanted to punch himself right now because what the fuck, teenage libido? He didn’t care if his pretty-boy friend made sexy sounds while eating his mother’s home baked

cake, that was not meant for him to get off on! There was one thing that Aren and Kusuo absolutely agreed on and that was their antipathy toward perverts. Anyone who took advantage of another person sexually was garbage. Be it peeping or full on assault they were trash and were to be treated as such. Aren may have run a biker gang but that didn’t mean he was one of those immoral sonsabitches to get caught with his pants down with someone who hadn’t consented to the activities. And Kusuo, who’d figured out and confided that he was ace just yesterday, obviously wanted no part in those activities. Aren gripped the edges of the sink and glared into it furiously. It was not for him to turn his friend’s simple pleasure over sweets into something it wasn’t. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it, and then exhaling out slowly through his mouth. His buddy was ace, he reminded himself, and had a crush on another dude that wasn’t him besides. Not to mention Aren was holding out for a family. He opened his eyes, hands softening as he thought back to that silly childhood promise he’d made to himself so long ago. A lot of people had thought him an idiot for it but maybe he was something of a closet romantic. He wanted something true, something long term that would turn into forever. He wanted loyalty and love and marriage and then the baby carriage, and he’d settle for nothing else. He wasn’t about to share something that he wanted to be special on a common dalliance. Aren’d had plenty of friends who didn’t feel the same way and that was fine. He considered himself a pretty open minded guy and understood that not everyone shared his views but if they were gonna be his then they were gonna have to. And making kids, he reflected wryly, would be hard to do with another dude. Aren paused, blinked passed the water dripping from his lashes and brow. Had he ever truly thought about that? His own preferences? He grabbed a towel to wipe his face before he soaked his uniform. Because of his yearning for a family of his own he’d defaulted to girls, but in all honesty nobody had ever quite gotten there for him. Sure he found bodies and sex to be erotic but eroticism was only part of the package for him, he wanted the full deal. Setting his glasses back onto his face, Aren straightened them as he looked into the mirror. And truly there was something noble about adoption. Gay couples did that all the time, didn’t they? It would be kind of like creating his own mini-biker gang, he thought with a bit of a smirk. Bringing together the misfits and the castoffs into something that resembled, no, was a family. So that requirement didn’t rule out guys either. But was he attracted to men? Just because his gut responded to a dude making sexy noises next to him didn’t necessarily mean anything. It could very easily start and end at him being a horny and hormonal ass teenager, which he was. It was something to think about, Aren decided as he folded and hung the towel back on the rack, combing his now damp hair out of his face. He grimaced a bit. He hoped Kusuo hadn’t noticed his little escape or if he had, hadn’t cottoned onto the reason behind it.

Course that would be impossible. The pink haired guy played at being Mr. Average but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was anything but. If Kusuo had noticed it then Aren had no doubt the guy would figure out what’d sparked it. And of course getting anything past Kusuo was like pulling teeth, the kid was freaky observant. Thankfully he was also a guy with integrity who kept his mouth shut. Aren shuddered to think about what someone without his pal’s sense of morals would do with those skills. Well, all he could do was hope that his classmate was too involved in his mom’s baking to notice, which was actually a possibility. Give the guy some sweets and Kusuo became oblivious to anything outside his own personal heaven. It was like his one weakness. Feeling calmer the teen stepped out from the bathroom and made his way back to the kitchen/dining room, sighing in relief when he saw that Kusuo was indeed still mooning over cake although he was just about finished. Good thing his mom’d given Kusuo two pieces. Settling back into his chair Aren shovelled the rest of his breakfast into his mouth. They’d need to get going soon if they were gonna make it to school on time. Pretty soon they were kicking their shoes on and saying bye to his parents. “So you’re not gonna bitch about riding to school with me, right?” Aren asked, school bag over his shoulder as he pondered the colour of the sky. Still grey and the air was feeling a bit wet this morning, cool and damp like it was gonna rain sooner than later. Days like these it was usually best to hitch a ride or take the bus but hopefully the weather would hold out for them. “I don’t bitch.” Was the non committal response to which Aren snorted and flashed Kusuo a grin over his shoulder. “Sure you don’t.” “I don’t.” Saiki said, glasses flashing and blank faced. Aren got the feeling he was hiding a smile. “My token complaining is more concise than that, thank you. Have some respect.” “Hah!” Aren crowed and gave his head a shake, chuckling to himself. “Yeah okay, I’ll give you that. So, oh master of concise complaints, would you do me the pleasure of riding to school with me today?” He dropped into a theatrical bow, one arm sweeping grandly toward Betty. Wait, token complaining? He blinked to himself and felt his heart warm. So Kusuo didn’t actually mind anything they really did together then? Cheeky fucking tsundere. Kusuo set one hand on his hip and cocked his head, inspecting Aren for a moment and then apparently deeming him and Betty good enough. “I guess I can do that for you.” The boy lifted his chin and strode passed Aren with cooly closed eyes. “Heh.” Aren straightened and watched as his buddy approached Betty, posture straight and tall, feeling inexplicably fond of the little bastard. Yeah he was gonna say it. “Princess.” “Punk.” Kusuo returned without pause, taking the spare helmet from where Aren had left it on the seat and pulling it on. “I happen to be reformed, thank you!” Shaking his bag ‘threateningly’ at his pal, Aren followed and pulled his own helmet from the handle, his other hand taking the keys out of his pocket.

They settled on the back like they’d been riding together for years, Kusuo’s hands finding their place on Aren’s waist without any prompting. Unable to deny his smile, Aren turned the ignition and gave the engine a couple of revs to get her going, easily pulling Betty into gear and swinging them around to move through the gravel of the driveway and onto the pavement. “You got a good grip back there?” He asked and Kusuo tightened his hug in response, pressing forward until his chest was flush against Aren’s back. “Alright, good, cus we’re off!” The engine roared and Aren pulled onto his back wheel, showing off for no other reason than he had someone cute to show off to, and they exploded forward down the road. He felt more than heard Kusuo’s gasp and the other boy’s grip migrated to his chest to cling all the tighter, long fingers white knuckling Aren’s driving jacket. Aren yelled in glee and dropped back down onto both tires, closely maneuvering around a steep corner, bypassing an SUV on its way to work, and throwing up a disturbed flock of crows with the volume of his engine. It was impossible to battle back the thrill, not when there was another body pressed so flush against him, warm blooded and strong but still slim and small. Not when he needed to focus on the pin narrow road or risk getting them gravely injured, not when the beast he drove, heavy and hot between his legs, ate the ground up with no mercy. The adrenaline was real this morning, encouraged by the splash of Kusuo’s warm breath against the back of his neck. The trees gave way to an explosion of blinding blue sky. Cloud had retreated up the mountain to leave the city awash in another beautiful day, highlighted with amber light and the remnants of pink dawn. Aren couldn’t help but take in the sprawling expanse with a light heart, stunned not for the first time by how beautiful his new home could be. Then he drew his attention back to the road, slowing down according to the speed limit. More cops on the highway after all - they almost never came up the mountain. Kusuo relaxed his grip somewhat but his arms remained locked around Aren’s chest. He might have given the other guy a scare, Aren thought guiltily, but he doubted it. His pink haired buddy, unlike Shun, was not easily frightened. No, if anything Aren got the sense Kusuo had been just as excited as him. He thought he could feel what might be a rabbit fast heartbeat knocking against his back. It slowed with their more gradual pace but when it’d begun, well, Aren had never done a funner wheelie until now. The drive to PK Academy wasn’t a super long one but it was exacerbated by the morning rush. It made a motorcycle a valuable commodity because with it he could easily circumnavigate the traffic by using holes a regular vehicle couldn’t. He still had to be slow and careful about it, though. The last thing he needed was a door thrown into his face by a smug driver with a tiny dick. Also, Aren liked to think he wasn’t that much of an asshole who’d put innocent civilians in danger just cus he needed to get somewhere. All told it took about a half hour to get to school, even with his devil-may-care race down the mountainside. They barely squeaked in under the warning bell and at the gate, Matsuzaki didn’t look particularly thrilled to see them lagging behind but at least he didn’t say anything besides barking at Aren to take off his riding jacket. Slipping into homeroom just in time, Aren let out a sigh of relief and waved as Shun greeted them excitedly. “I was starting to get worried you guys weren’t gonna make it, everything okay?” The petite teen asked, red eyes bright. Aren gave his head a ruffle as he slipped passed to his own desk, dropping

down and grinning at his friend. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Kusuo was too busy mooning over mom’s coffee cake to realize the time, I practically had to drag him from the table!” “It was good cake.” Said boy pouted as he sat as well, posture much more dignified than Aren’s automatic slouch and leg spread. Instead Kusuo sat with back straight as he unpacked his bag. Aren wondered if that was a natural thing or something his parents had drilled into him. He was kinda leaning towards the former Saiki seniors one and two were pretty goofy and hadn’t seemed too worried about manners. No, Kusuo was probably just a natural priss. Honestly, it didn’t bug Aren at all. Usually that kind of thing got on his nerves but with Kusuo it didn’t come from a place that was mean spirited and holier than thou. It was just the way the kid was. It was only then that he realized Shun was gasping and squeaking at him and Aren blinked at the other kid. “What’s up? You okay?” He asked and Shun swallowed dramatically, pointing at them. “You two...are on a first name basis now?!” “His mom insisted we be since I slept the night, but yes.” Shun turned bright red, stars shining in his eyes as he very nearly vibrated in excitement. “C-C-Can I, uh, that is, can I-” Kusuo favoured Shun with a vaguely irked expression, mouth twisted to the side and brows furrowed sarcastically. Then he sighed and opened his notebook. “I’ve been your friend longer so I guess it’s only fair. Yes, you may call me by my first name.” Aren was kind of surprised the top of Shun’s head didn’t blow off in a puff of smoke because he looked that delighted. “Yaaaayyyy,” Shun wheezed out then shook himself and adopted a dramatic pose. “I shall treasure this gesture of our friendship, fellow warrior against the Dark Reunion! Fear not for I’ll take your sacred given name to the grave!” “That’s nice, Shun.” Kusuo muttered, attention fully on his notebook now. “You okay, bro?” Aren asked Shun because the kid looked like he’d just died of glee. “Fine.” The boy sniffled through his tears. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking, Aren. I’ve just waited for this moment for years, that’s all.” Dude. Other than that the school day went pretty unremarkably. There was an excited flurry when Teruhashi heard that Aren, Shun, and Kusuo were all on a first name basis but that had been about it. The girl dove into Saiki’s personal space with a finger pointed at herself and a grin, only to get shut down before she could even say anything by the sea of male classmates drawn in by the gravity of

her smile. In the middle of the attention, Kusuo looked aggravated to the extreme. Just for that Aren was betting that the pink-haired tsundere was gonna hold out for at least one more day before calling Teruhashi, ‘Kokomi’. It, he thought as he watched his friend attempt to extricate himself from the crowd surrounding his desk, wasn’t an unfitting punishment. Aren was having problems keeping his eyes to himself though. That little episode this morning had seemed to plant a seed in his mind that was growing rapidly, or maybe it’d already been there and he was just now realizing it. The entire day he found himself taken in by his friend’s slender wrists and his long fingers. Without realizing it, he’d then get distracted by how impressive the other’s straight posture was, which would then lead his eyes to thoughtlessly admire how slender Kusuo’s throat was and the shape of the boy’s jaw. In turn that would inevitably draw his focus to the sweet sunset pink mop of Kusuo’s hair, always groomed so neatly. It was a totally brain dead thing too, which was a bit frustrating. Aren always tore his eyes away when he began to actually concede how pretty the other kid’s lips were, instead forcing himself to think deeply and hard about how impressive Aiura’s rack was and of which guys he might actually consider attractive because THAT was his thought-project for today, thank you, not how kissable Kusuo was. Fortunately Aren’s creeping was seemingly saved from Kusuo’s notice by other shit that began to demand his full attention. Of course word got around fast that suddenly Mr. Hold-Out was on a first name basis with other people, leading Kusuo to be repeatedly accosted by folks demanding to get in on the friend action. Soon the only people in their friend group that were excluded were Teruhashi, because punishment, Nendo, who didn’t seem to care (“My buddy is my buddy! I don’t care what he calls me cus he’s my buddy! Right, buddy?” “Good grief…”), and Toritsuka, who trashed his chances the moment a stray gust of wind lifted a girl’s skirt at lunch time and Kusuo promptly told the drooling boy to go die, but only after pinching the perv’s cheek so hard that Toritsuka was left walking around with a red indent on his face for the rest of the afternoon. So not only did that leave Aren checking out how pretty his friend’s fingers were, again, but how impressive his strength was as well. Goddamnit, he couldn’t win! Despite having seen it his very first day at PK, it was still shocking how popular Kusuo was. Kusuo himself didn’t seem to be enjoying it over much - by the end of the day the boy was looking harried and overwhelmed, hair a bit ruffled from how much he’d run his fingers through it in his stress. The guy really was one hell of an introvert, wasn’t he? ‘Prissy little thing,’ Aren rolled his eyes to himself and approached the other boy’s desk. “Hey Princess,” He called out sarcastically only to be rewarded with an unimpressed scowl. “I’ve gotta do a couple things before we head out, you okay to sit for a bit?” Kusuo sighed deeply as Shun screeched in the background how “You guy’s have NICKNAMES?!” and Aren winced a bit. Oops. Sorry, Kusuo. “Tch. Punk. Fine, whatever I guess. Hey Jet Black Wings, shut up, you’ve already got one.”

“‘The Jet Black Wings’ is not merely a nickname, dearest ally Kusuo, but my designation in the-” “Right now your designation is ‘idiot’.” Kusuo groaned and dropped his head into his hands as Shun continued to ramble. Snorting fondly, Aren smiled at the other youth and couldn’t help himself, reaching down to ruffle those soft pink strands again. “I won’t be long, kay?” “Just go before you make things worse.” Kusuo glared upwards through his fingers, cracked open special just for Aren. “But why’s your nickname ‘princess’? Hehe, it’s funny that he’s calling you that when you’re a guy.” “I dunno, ask him that. And don’t be sexist, I can be a princess if I want to.” These geeks were absolutely adorable and Aren was tempted to stick around to enjoy it but he did have something he wanted to do. He looked over at Teruhashi and once he’d caught her eye, nodded toward the door. The girl lifted a finger, silently asking him to give her a minute, and began to make her excuses to the ring of guys surrounding her. Aren stepped outside and made his way down to the end of the hallway to wait. Hopefully Teruhashi would actually be able to get away, he’d prefer to have this conversation in private. It did take a few minutes for the blue haired girl to escape but once she did she came right for him despite his being half hidden, confirming Aren’s suspicions that this chick had some pretty impressive senses. He’d almost call it a battle awareness except he was certain Teruhashi hadn’t seen a day of physical violence in her life. She had minions for that if it came down to it after all. Only in the most dire of circumstances did the Queen step onto the chessboard. “Hello Kuboyasu,” When she spoke her voice was quiet, and to Aren’s surprise she had none of the usual fake attitude. The girl who was speaking to him right now was the genuine article, not the face she wore with her drooling peons. “What’s up? Everything’s okay, right?” When she smiled her eyebrow twitched. “It’s gotta be if you two are on a first name basis.” “Like Kusuo said, mom insisted.” That didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying the benefits though. “But something weird happened last night and since you’re the one who suggested this, I was thinking you might be able to shed some light on the situation.” “Oh?” Teruhashi blinked and frowned. Leaning against the wall he crossed his arms with a nod, thinking back on the night before. “So we’re talking, right? And when we get to his brother, Kusuo…” It was still disturbing to remember. “He froze completely, barely breathed for like a minute and a half, it was like he wasn’t even there. And after he came out of it he was tired as heck so it wasn’t just nothin. When he realized what’d happened, he was as freaked out as I was.” Aren dropped his eyes from the ceiling to Teruhashi, brows deeply furrowed. “So obviously this is new for him too. You got any ideas?” He cocked his head. “The guy didn’t breathe in any ‘fumigation fumes’, did he?” “You said this was after you two started talking about his brother?”

Aren nodded and Teruhashi clutched a fist to her mouth, looking deeply concerned. She seemed to wrestle it over for a moment or two, fidgeting all the while before sighing and shaking her head. “I can’t tell you, Kuboyasu. I’m sorry, but it’s not for me to say.” Teruhashi looked up at him. “Thank you for taking care of him. And if you don’t mind, please keep me updated. That sounds...really unlike him…” Aren sighed and closed his eyes, pushing his hair back and contemplating that. “...I can respect that.” He said finally. He could. Clearly whatever this is was big and deeply personal, which made sense for Kusuo to be so badly affected by it. The guy was harder than a sack of nails, it’d need to be a lot for him to begin to show that level of trauma. Teruhashi nodded, crossing her hands behind her back and kicking at the floor. In that instant she looked every inch the sixteen year old girl she was instead of the goddess she played at being. Aren blinked and tilted his head to watch her better, an awareness sparking to life in the back of his brain. “You...really care about him, don’t you Teruhashi?” He asked in burgeoning realization, feeling his eyes widen. The other teen jumped then blushed bright red, but nodded. Teruhashi picked up a lock of her hair and twiddled with it, her entire being seeming to soften as she thought of the boy in question. “I do. At first I couldn’t stand him. He’s the only one who’s never...y’know. But then as I tried to nail him down, I also got to know him better and I learned how he’s a really sweet guy. And also how similar we are, and how...human he can be.” She smiled shyly to herself, eyes swimming with potent affection. “Sometimes I feel like we’re two peas in a pod, you know? And maybe that’s why...we’ll never work. We’re too alike and at the same time we live our lives so totally differently. I love him.” Teruhashi beamed up at him with pink cheeks, her radiant warmth shining like sunlight and catching in the tears that were blooming in her eyes. “And because I love him I’m ready to let him go. He can only be a friend to me, he can’t give me more than that. And he’s...he’s such a good friend.” Aren watched horrified as the girl sniffled, smile breaking down and becoming wobbly. Teruhashi lifted her hands to her face, her throat catching on a tiny sob. “No matter...how much I might want him to…” She hiccuped, expression crumbling completely as she half hid behind her hands, wiping obsessively at her eyes as if to prevent the tears that wouldn’t stop coming. “He’s never gonna feel the same way...as I do and-and-and it’s not f-fair of me to keep expecting him to. It would just be too selfish. I love him so much! I don’t wanna hurt him!” Holy shit. Aren swallowed tightly, watching as the reality of a situation Aren hadn’t even been aware of until now seemed to just catch up to the girl. Guessing this was at least part of The Conversation Kusuo and Teruhashi’d had a couple days ago he sighed deeply. “Hey now,” He muttered lowly and stepped forward, setting a hand on the petite bluenette’s shoulder. When she didn’t pull away he drew her into him, wrapping her in a solid one armed hug. “Hey, that just shows how much you’ve grown as a person, Teruhashi. And that makes you a good friend to him too.”

Teruhashi clutched at him, her tiny fingers working their way into his school jacket as she cried, her sobs soft and muffled by his uniform but wrought through with the devastation of legitimate heartbreak. Aren fell silent after that, just letting her get it out of her system as he gazed off through the window, and yeah his heartstrings were being tugged on by Teruhashi’s meltdown. ‘Saiki Kusuo, you heart breaker…’ He thought to himself. He didn’t want to end up like the girl under his arm but, he reflected as he traced the pinkening streaks in the mid-evening fall sky and finding them wanting in comparison to a certain prissy princess’s soft hair, he might not end up having much of a choice. ‘Don’t break me too, buddy.’ Aren eyed his reflection then closed his eyes on it, giving the devastated girl’s back a pat. ‘Please don’t.’ “I’m sorry, Kuboyasu,” Teruhashi sniffled and drew herself back, fat tears still rolling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” “Nah, don’t worry about it. If I can’t comfort a buddy that makes me a pretty lousy pal, doesn’t it?” He pulled out his napkin and offered it to her, watching with a hopefully comforting smile as she accepted it and dabbed gently at her eyes. “I know we’re not super close but I still count you as a friend, Teruhashi.” And okay, his heart did still give a pleased flutter when the pretty girl smiled at him in thanks through her tears, the expression so open and honest that it made his teeth ache. “Thank you, Kuboyasu...for everything. I’m glad to have you as a friend.” After that Teruhashi made a quick pit stop into the girl’s bathroom to adjust herself. When she came out she was looking much better, the crying flush mostly gone from her cheeks and eyes, and her hair fixed back into its typical sleek perfection. Aren escorted her back to class, finding to his amusement that the conversation hadn’t changed much from when he’d left. “Hey Kusuo,” He called as he stepped into the room and made for his desk. “You ready?” “Aren, why do you call him ‘princess’?” Shun stepped in to interrupt, eyes squinting. “I know he has pink hair but don’t you think that’s insulting to his masculinity? As a fellow man you should know to never insult a guy’s manhood!” Kusuo looked deeply exasperated and Aren got the feeling that his buddy didn’t really consider himself the epitome of masculinity and nor did he care about it. “Because he’s a prissy little bitch.” Aren decided to come straight out with it as he looped the straps of his bag around his arm, bluntly deadpan. “He acts like a princess, so I’ll call it like I see it.” Shun gaped and began to draw himself up in defense of their mutual friend when a noise caught both their attention. They turned as one toward the source, which turned out to be Kusuo who’d turned away, one hand covering his mouth as his shoulders shook. “Aw, Kusuo, it’s okay! I’m sure Aren didn’t mean it like that! I mean, maybe you’re a bit haughty but-NO WAIT I didn’t mean that! Uhm, arrogant? NO THAT’S WORSE!” Shun tore his fingers through his hair and looked about ready to cry himself. “None of that makes you a bad friend though, you’re a great friend, really! We really like you! Well, I do! Wait, does that sound weird? UH.”

The shaking doubled, accompanied by a wheezy huffing noise and Aren blinked, then grinned widely as he realized what was going on. Shun had yet to figure it out though and the boy rushed forward, reaching out to grab Kusuo’s hands and clasping them tightly. “I’m serious man, we-” Having pulled Kusuo’s hands from his face revealed the glittering expression beneath. Kusuo was laughing, eyes shut and brows drawn high as he giggled mutely, smile toothy and white. The realization seemed to come over Shun in a wave and Aren watched as the Jet Black Wings’ eyes sparkled. Kusuo pulled one hand away and reached beneath his glasses to scrub at the corner of his eye. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that,” He gasped breathily, regarding both of them with a smile. “I think it’s been actual years. You guys are such idiots, oh my God.” “Glad to be of service, your majesty,” Aren piped up and watched in pleased satisfaction as Kusuo snorted into his fist. “Wow, if I’d known that all it’d take to make you laugh was insulting you, I’d have started doing that years ago.” Shun pulled back, fists on his hips as he watched with mirroring grin. “Don’t get me wrong, that kind of thing usually pisses me off. It was the delivery, or maybe I’m just tired.” Kusuo’s shoulders sagged sharply as he sighed, smile sweet, soft, and affectionate. “Either way, thanks. I think I needed that.” “You’re welcome.” Stepping forward Aren offered a hand to help the other boy up, happy when Kusuo accepted. “But we should really start getting home. All of us, before it gets too dark you know?” “Oh, right! I need to go anyways, I’ve got cram school.” Shun quickly began to gather his belongings while Aren and Kusuo waited. As he did, Kusuo surreptitiously glanced down and wiggled his hand which Aren realized he was still holding. He jumped and let go immediately, scratching at the back of his neck with an apologetic and embarrassed smile. Kusuo shook his head as if to say not to worry about it, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Where’d Nendo go?” “I think Hairo dragged him off for some sports thing.” Shun replied and straightened with a jaunty bounce. “Makes sense, Hairo’s pretty determined to beat him.” Aren nodded. They turned as a group for the doors, the conversation navigating away to an episode of an anime Shun and Aren both watched. Kusuo remained silent as was his usual wont, simply soaking up the conversation as it flowed around him. Splitting ways once they’d reached the gates, Aren and Shun waved at each other while Kusuo watched then followed after Aren toward the parking lot. “Has it really been years since you last had a chuckle at something?” Aren piped up suddenly. Kusuo lifted his chin at that then looked up at him and nodded. Aren frowned. That didn’t seem

healthy. “You need to watch more comedy, dude.” He suggested. “I’ve got some great stand up at home, maybe we can put that on while we do our homework.” “Dad says I’ve outgrown my sense of humor.” Kusuo shrugged, not looking like it actually bothered him much. “Well hey, even if you don’t enjoy it, I will.” Aren tossed Kusuo the helmet that’d somehow become his over the past couple days. Kusuo caught it easily and they fell into the routine. Aren was distracted this time as he drove them home, though. The usual serenity that he experienced on his bike was avoiding him. He mulled on that and then twisted his lips, determined. “Hey, we’re gonna take a little detour!” He yelled back to which Kusuo patted his chest to acknowledge he’d heard. Instead of going directly up the mountain, Aren followed the highway a bit longer as it rose above the city. Eventually they hit a look out spot, one that Aren liked to come to when he wanted to think sometimes. It was, in his opinion, the best place to marvel at the beauty of the city. Cutting the engine he waited for Kusuo to dismount before hopping off himself, kicking the stand into place and wandering over to the concrete barriers. The look out was empty, fortunately for them, and Aren swung his legs over to have a seat as he pondered both the city and how to best phrase his question. Kusuo watched him for a moment, gaze boring holes into Aren’s back, and finally joined him on the barrier, pulling off his helmet to settle it next to him. “You want to ask me something.” Kusuo goaded after a minute of silence and Aren looked over at him, taking in the relaxed slope of Kusuo’s shoulders and the way he’d pulled one knee against his chest, casually draping his arms across it. It was over that bridge that the other boy regarded him, eyes quietly patient, and Aren sighed. Yep, getting anything passed this dude was impossible when he wasn’t neck deep in sweets. Aren smiled wryly because of course Kusuo had known what was going on, of course. “Yeah.” He ruffled his hair, pondering the sparkling twilight of the city below them. “So I know your house aint being fumigated, but Teruhashi was being honest when she said you can’t go home right now. You and Teruhashi spent the night over at Yumehara’s together before she approached me to ask me to take you in on your behalf. And then you got this rich bro who I’ve never heard about too and just the mention of him is enough to freak you out so you…” Aren gestured. “We’re friends, and I’m worried about you. Wanna tell me what the fucks going on?” Glancing back over at Kusuo he frowned. “I haven’t asked until now cus I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination or not, but if you’re in my house I think I deserve to know. Are you in trouble, Kusuo?” “Hm.” “Teruhashi won’t tell me, says it’s not for her to tell.” “...Gimme a moment.” Kusuo shut his eyes and Aren nodded, turning back to appreciate the beautiful city view.

‘Eggs and shells, Kusuo. Eggs and shells.’ His mind was spinning in perturbation, puzzling over how best to explain this to someone who hadn’t seen it. How had Teruhashi done it again the other day? If he remembered right from overhearing it she’d kind of just spilled her guts to Chiyo in one big rush, but Kusuo was incapable of that. He wasn’t a rush-in-thoughtlessly type of guy. If he had been the world would’ve been broken to pieces long ago. No, the weight of his powers and the responsibility that came with them had forced him to learn to stop and consider every possible outcome, right down to every word he ever spoke, before he did it. He’d gotten a bit freer with his words as of late, actually. It didn’t take nearly as much effort to engage in a conversation anymore. He’d even been able to laugh today. It really had been the first time in years, Kusuo reflected. Certain incidents stood out in his mind, like going to the arcade with his mom and watching cartoons in his youth, reading manga, but he really, honestly, couldn’t remember the last time he’d done it. The freedom from stress in knowing that there were people who knew his secret and still gave a shit about him after had relaxed him a bit apparently. That was the only reason he could think of for his softening attitude. This wouldn’t be any different, he knew. Once Aren’s loyalty was won it was there forever, and revealing his relationship with his brother, or even his powers, wouldn’t change that. Still he swallowed in nervousness, brows pressing in low as he took in the lights of the city. The sky was getting pretty dark. It wasn’t late in the hour but it was late in October, so night seemed to be falling earlier each and every day. “...My brother,” He began tentatively and stopped. “My brother…” That strange, heavy mist was starting to fall over him again and Kusuo squeezed his eyes tightly shut in discomfort at the pressure it applied to his brain. Just like that, the mental voices of hundreds of people grew watery and distant as his extrasensory senses became muddy and indistinct. Under his sleeve he gouged his arm with a fingernail, determined to drag himself back to reality, but it was the solid hand that clapped down on his shoulder that anchored him. He jolted and looked up, finding Aren’s expression patient but stubborn. He wasn’t going to back down from this, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation was for Kusuo. The esper couldn’t help but appreciate that a bit. Aren wouldn’t let him piss about and avoid the subject and apparently Kusuo needed someone like that to make him sit down and face it. Kusuo didn’t want to back down either. He swallowed again and looked away. He needed to say this. “My brother is a genius inventor. He’s always been a genius but when he was three, he hit a wall.

That wall was me. I was better than him at everything. I developed faster, I was smarter than him, had better reflexes than him, even fished better than him. I…” Here we go. Slowly, like he was pushing through water, Kusuo lifted his hand and gestured, lifting the multitudes of trash that littered the ground below and sorted it carefully before delivering the garbage to their respective bins not too far away. Damn obnoxious litterbugs. “I was even born with psychic powers. He wasn’t.” Why was his mouth so dry? “I’m actually talking to you via telepathy right now.” Had he ever actually spoken? Something to think about later. “He rapidly grew to despise me because of this. Called me every name under the sun, did his best to beat me down. He was especially fond of the word ‘freak’, actually. I even had to fend him off when I was sleeping because we had to share a bedroom. Our parents think that we’re just competitive and that he likes to tease me but really, they don’t know the half of it.” He sighed and pillowed his head against his arms. The hand was still on his shoulder, keeping him grounded to reality, but the thoughts around him were still so hard to decipher that Kusuo couldn’t make out what exactly Aren was thinking, just that he was thinking at all. It was a bit scary for his powers to go so haywire like this. Was there a doctor you could see for this kind of thing? “And then puberty hit and things got…” He dug his nails into his arm again, the faint sting distracting him from how distant the world felt. “...Weird. He’s developed a sadomasochistic obsession with me and it’s…” Was he panting a little? His heart rate was picking up too, a spiny cold sweat tingling on his skin as his brain listed back into the vision he’d been plunged into a few days ago. Kusuo shook it off and shoved it back. No. He didn't want to think about that. “It’s sexual. He’s been home for a bit and I-I just...can’t be there right now. He’s figured a way to use my telepathy against me and it’s...I just can’t be there right now.” Peeking over at Aren, Kusuo blinked passed the pounding in his head. “Teruhashi kind of rescued me from him the other day, and that’s how Yume-...how Chiyo got involved too. So they both know everything. That’s what Teruhashi didn’t want to tell you.” He debated revealing that was a commonality he and the girl shared but decided against it, following Teruhashi’s lead instead. That wasn’t for him to tell. Aren wasn’t saying anything and Kusuo looked away and down at his hand where it clenched against his opposite arm. Oh, he blinked, and lifted one palm. He...was shaking. Well, that was disturbing. Finally Aren blew out a thick sigh and used the hand on his shoulder to draw Kusuo in, wrapping that arm firmly around him. Finding his head braced against Aren's shoulder, Kusuo blinked, wide eyed. “This is a lot to take in,” Aren said finally, a throaty growl infecting his voice. Under his skin Kusuo could feel a thick and sweltering fury, but without the other boy’s thoughts to guide him he couldn’t tell who it was meant for and stiffened. “But I believe you, Kusuo.”

The fingers on his arm would have been tight enough to bruise if Kusuo was a regular person. Aren looked down at him, deep blue eyes glittering with the furious thunder that was crashing inside him. “I believe you because you’re my friend, and friends are for life. Your brother is a piece of shit sicko who deserves to die and you better bet your ass that I’m not gonna let him dig his claws into you anymore, you got that? And I don’t care what you got to say, you don’t get a choice in this cus you’re MY friend and I protect what’s mine! You got it?!” “...I got it.” Kusuo whispered, having never felt so grateful to be shouted at in all his life. “Good.” Aren snarled and drew him in tighter, shifting to turn his face into Kusuo’s hair. Kusuo stilled, unsure what to think of that, but eventually figured that Aren was simply trying to comfort himself as well. “First chance I get, I’m eviscerating that fucker.” Kusuo breathed out, finally relaxing into the one armed hug and even allowing himself to sink into it a bit. “Thank you,” Kusuo closed his eyes. He didn’t need the protection of another person but he couldn’t deny to himself that right now he wanted it. Aren’s body was hot around him and Kusuo was feeling quite suddenly incredibly tired from not just the effort of the day, but of the conversation. Maybe that’s why the voices he was constantly bothered by were so hard to make out, he thought. He was just exhausted from peopleing, because peopleing was damn difficult. Kusuo actually began to feel himself fall asleep, seduced into a light doze by the comfort Aren was giving him, when the other boy gave him a shake. Blinking open his eyes the boy peered blearily upwards in silent question. “You’ve got to tell your parents about this.” Aren was calmer now as he glared out at the city, but only by a bit, apparently enough to reason things out. “That’s the only way to really start to solve this. You gotta tell your parents.” Just because he could see the logic in that didn’t mean he was happy to hear, or agree, to it. Exhaling sharply through his nose, Kusuo turned to consider the long grass that rolled down the steep embankment. It shifted in the breeze, rolling and hypnotic. “You’re gonna tell them, right?” “...Kusuke leaves on Friday.” Kusuo hedged, carefully avoiding Aren’s eyes. The piercing way the taller boy looked at him sometimes made him almost think Aren was the psychic, not him. “When I go home once he’s left, I’ll tell them then.” “...It’d probably be better if you did it sooner,” Aren mumbled, his deep voice still a bit raspy with anger. “But I guess that’s good enough. You’ve been keeping this from them for too long. You afraid of disappointing them or something?” “Well.” Kusuo paused. “Not really. I know they’ll believe me, and they’ll side with me. They’re good people. But...they love Kusuke too and...and it feels like in telling them that, I’d be taking their son away from them.” “But you’re their son too, Kusuo!” Aren hissed sharply, turning to snarl at him and giving him a shake. “And it’s their responsibility as parents to keep you safe! Sure maybe you’re a psychic or whatever but you’re still their fucking kid, not the other way around!”

Kusuo blinked and stared gobsmacked at Aren. He’d never thought of it that way before. Their family dichotomy revolved around his powers so much that, perhaps, they’d all kind of come to take things for granted that they should have spent a minute or two thinking about. Sometimes Kusuo felt like an alien dropped in the middle of an otherwise average family, like part of some stupid experiment. He felt responsible for them, he realized sharply. How much of that was just him as a son, and how much of that was him as a super-powered psychic who could destroy the world with an errant thought? ‘These powers really are a curse,’ He grimaced bitterly, darkly pissed off. ‘Without them…’ He closed his eyes, imagining the alternate universe where he’d been born a normal boy. A brother who cared for him as a brother, one who Kusuo could safely look up to, and parents who just expected good grades and happiness from him instead of the solution to every single one of their petty fucking problems. Well, that was more his dad than his mom. His mom was truly the only reason he hadn’t run off the deep end with this curse and he did love and admire her for it. He supposed that Aren did have a point but still, he wished there was some way to spare them from the misery of the entire thing, and even save himself from the embarrassment of admitting it a third time. But there wasn’t. All that was left to him as far as options went was to face and own up to it. Own up to everything, right up to the hot and heavy feeling of shame and guilt in his chest that he’d spent years suppressing, along with all the thoughts that went with that dark ball of grief. It was his fault that Kusuke was like this. If he had just been born normal… “C’mon,” Aren muttered above him and without Kusuo asking for help, jostled him upright to start them back toward the bike. “Let’s get home. No doubt dinner’s waiting for us, as well as your third and fourth slices of cake.” The joke was a very thin one but Kusuo still huffed in appreciation of it, stuffing his helmet back on and mounting the bike behind Aren. He wasn’t all that hungry though, honestly, even for Miri’s amazing coffee cake. No, the only thing he was hungry for right now was Aren’s bed. He blinked, and squinted at himself. That had come out wrong, it’d made it sound likeKusuo stomped down on the blush before it could redden his face, helped by the cool wind that lashed his face as Aren began to drive. No. Nope. Not thinking about that. Besides, he thought as he wrapped his arms around the other boy’s waist, hard with muscle even through his clothing, Aren was no Satou Hiroshi. (But was that a detriment or was it a point in his favour?) And anyways he was pretty certain Aren wouldn’t be interested anyways, Kusuo reasoned weakly to himself against the bizarre feeling tightening his chest. After all, the taller boy had spent nearly the entire class gawking at Mikoto’s chest. She’d been pretty smug about it too when she noticed. The bitch. ...Why did that piss him off so much? God, he really was tired, wasn’t he? His brain was just

coming up with the weirdest thoughts right now because there was no way he was crushing on the purple headed punk he was riding with. No, he absolutely was not. It didn’t matter that Aren was Aren now and had made him laugh for the first time in forever, made him feel human and vulnerable by showing him the thrill of a mountain road, made him feel safe and protected by promising to rip out his pervert older brother’s entrails should Kusuke ever approach Kusuo again. And it definitely didn’t matter that he had a handsome face with a strong and defined jaw and sharp blue eyes under expressive brows, or that he was loyal to the very end. It didn’t matter that he was so smart and observant that he naturally defied Kusuo’s hypnosis where not even Teruhashi had fully managed, or that he hadn’t hesitated for a second in opening his own home and bed for Kusuo’s comfort while not knowing the situation, just that Kusuo needed a place to stay. It didn’t matter that Aren could so effectively make his day better just by being there. It didn’t. ‘...Shit.’ Kusuo swore to himself, feeling his eyes bulge. ‘Shit. Shit, shit, shit!’ It totally did. And it’d mattered for a while now. Kusuo had been falling steadily since midSeptember, unaware that part of his brand new appreciation for the taller teen stemmed from attraction and not just a fellow dry and sarcastic person to quip with over coffee. Unable to stop himself he gasped and tightened his grip around Aren’s waist, feeling his breath pick up pace for a different reason now. Goodbye, Hiroshi, Kusuo thought to himself as his eyes anxiously trailed up to the hint of purple hair peeking out the back of Aren’s helmet. It was just visible in the dark of night, barely lit up by the glowing beam of Betty’s headlight. Heart pounding like a wild animal in his chest he gazed up at Aren with just a hint of awe. How had he not realized until now? He closed his eyes and let Hiroshi’s barely noticeable face depart from his mind. Damn him for being human.

“-so then Dai gets the motherfucker over the head with the baseball bat he stole from the very same guy and says, ‘batters up, bitches’ and I swear it was the cheesiest thing I’d heard in my entire damn life!” Giving his knee a slap, Aren chortled. Sitting next to one of the squat bookshelves, Kusuo snorted. “That is pretty cliched.” They'd finished their homework so he was currently looking for something to read because for whatever reason his mom had not packed a single novel, autobiography, manual, manga, or textbook among his belongings. Apparently ‘whatever you and your friends need’ did not include books but DID include a week’s worth of munchies, several board games, cards, and Kusuo’s video game system - not so coincidentally, every single one meant for multiple person activities. He grimaced, thinking back to his TV. He was definitely gonna have to buy a new one now as, since he’d been unable to turn back its time with avoiding his brother, it was now well and truly broken.

Anyways the point was that Kusuo was craving something to read, and badly. He’d mastered anything high school could throw his way when he’d been five so his textbooks were the last thing he wanted to bother with. What he was really craving was the aeronautics text he was currently going through. There was actually a lot that went into the engineering of atmosphere level flight-craft (for people who couldn’t just take a hop and be in space in a minute or two), and it was interesting stuff. He was chewing through the designing that went into shuttles at the moment, and had already thought of a few ways to improve upon them based on even the average human’s capabilities. “Right?” Aren snorted and shook his head. “Fucker on the ground even says as much when he tries to shank Dai so that’s when I stepped in. He didn’t have much to say after that but it turned out he was just bait and while he’d been fucking with us, the rest of his gang got us surrounded. It was a rookie mistake on my part to let that happen.” Aren glowered toward the floor, hand clutched tightly around his fake glasses. Kusuo shook his head, not looking up from the bookcase. “You were thirteen, don’t be so hard on yourself. Most kids would cry at the sight of a collegeaged gang member bearing down on them with shiv and bat in hand, you know.” ‘Thirteen year olds shouldn’t even be in that kind of situation,’ He thought with a wry and tired smile toward the ceiling. ‘So much for the ‘it’s the parent’s job to keep their kids safe’ lecture I got earlier. You have no room to talk, idiot.’ Too bad he hadn’t been there, he could’ve helped. When Kusuo had been thirteen he’d been in the process of trying to dodge WASA while launching a moon sized asteroid back into deep space. He hadn’t entirely succeeded on the first part though. Invisibility was an entirely different beast to navigate with light that wasn’t being filtered by the atmosphere of your planet, not to mention the cosmic radiation, space debris, and the fact that ability only lasted 10 minutes before he needed to recharge it for a day. He also hadn’t been as good at holding his breath for hours at a time back then. Suffice it to say, it’d been a tricky situation. Kusuo had needed to infiltrate several American government bases afterwards to erase not only footage of himself but the memories of the people who’d been working on it. Thankfully the Americans had been pretty secretive when it came to stuff they’d found like that back then because it’d been tiring enough without having to repeat the process in Canada, England, Russia, China, and whoever else they might have shared the footage with. But it had started an itch that he’d finally gotten around to scratching. The International Space Station had been pretty cool to snoop around in. Area 51 had actually been rather tame by comparison. But yeah, point was, Kusuo had been busy. “Yeah but it’s still frustrating you know? Dai was my boy and I’d led him right into a trap. I shoulda known better.” Aren snorted and grinned a bloodthirsty grin. “Anyways it wasn’t like they stood much of a chance against me. They tried and got in a few good ones but in the end I managed to take’em all out. After that people finally started respectin’ me as someone who wasn’t to be toyed with and I began my rise in the gang world, kept growing my hair out.”

“If they hadn’t after that they’d have to be idiots…” Kusuo muttered as he followed with the memories playing in Aren’s mind. It was scary stuff, especially given the other boy had no psychic powers. He kind of wanted to go back in time and pluck the itty bitty Aren right out of that battlefield and plunk him on his lap where the kid would be safe. It was nerve wracking, but also impressive, he wasn’t gonna lie. “Oh don’t get me wrong, they were idiots already for picking a fight to begin with. Aint nobody messing with a Kuboyasu and getting away clean.” Aren tilted his head, a motion Kusuo was able to follow even though the other boy was directly behind him, and made a gesture. “You find something to read yet?” “I’m trying to decide between two I’m not going to tell you about, otherwise you’ll spoil it for me.” Kusuo mumbled as he squinted between the novels he’d picked, hand on his chin in thought. Did he read Shinjuku Shark by Osawa Arimasa or Blood Stained Tea by Tasukada Amy? Unsurprisingly, Aren had a lot of crime thrillers and gang-related novels and manga, which was perfect because Kusuo loved a good thriller, then even some magazines on motorcycles and mullets. What had surprised Kusuo was the also sizeable section on art and poetry. Aren had an entire shelf dedicated to magazines on art of varying mediums and styles, manga art books, and a handful of very worn and tatty poetry that Kusuo didn’t need to use psychometry to tell had been read over and over and over again. He couldn't help but draw comparisons to the sophisticated samurai of yesteryear - dignified and art smitten in the palace but a beast on the battlefield. It was just like Aren. Not to mention, Aren would probably look...seriously good in samurai cosplay. Okay, stop that right now. He didn't need to give this crush anymore attention or Kusuo would just make it worse. Kusuo had never really understood art but he had to admit some fascination of Aren’s fascination. A lot of the magazine spreads had been pretty cool when he’d flipped through them. They were nothing like that stuffy English museum he’d gone to. “Yeah man, that telepathy’s gotta suck. How do you get by without getting spoiled on everything?” “By never going to a movie theatre, coming straight home whenever a new episode or season finale comes out, and only playing crappy video games that nobody could ever care about.” Blood Stained Tea it was. Kusuo nodded to himself and carefully wrapped the cover in some lined paper he’d put aside for just this purpose, hiding his choice from Aren’s view because he seriously, seriously hated spoilers. They just took the fun right out of everything. “Although a little while ago I did find this ring made of germanium. For some reason it seems to block my telepathy. First thing I tried to do when I realized was see a movie but,” He sighed, still feeling some leftover annoyance from that. “Well, it didn’t turn out quite the way I’d hoped.” Aren was smiling open and unguarded by the time Kusuo turned around, lifting the book to indicate he’d made a choice. The other’s thoughts were still a bit distant, like hearing someone through a couple of thin walls, but were more legible than they’d been earlier. He really wasn’t sure what that was all about. Right now the other teen was still trying to digest what Kusuo had told him. Oh he’d accepted the truth of his older brother well enough, no it was the violation of privacy that

Aren was currently having trouble with. He understood that Kusuo couldn’t just turn his telepath off and that holding it against him was unreasonable because of that (the former delinquent was likening it to expecting someone to go deaf just for his convenience, which wasn’t an entirely inaccurate analogy), but he couldn’t help but still feel a little betrayed and betrayal was something Aren took very seriously. That was fine. What mattered was that Aren was doing his very best to work passed it, and that he would because Aren cared about him. Kusuo had known on a logical level that Kusuke was wrong about a lot of things but it was something entirely different to experience it first hand. He was coming out surprised but grateful each and every time he revealed his secret, amazed by his friends capacity for forgiveness and acceptance. Because they were absolutely his friends, Kusuo had decided. He could respect them enough to admit that much. They were more than he deserved, surely. “That sounds like a story.” Aren lifted his brows, his interest genuine. “Up to sharing?” “...Well, it started when mom kept getting schemed on by salesmen,” Kusuo began, wondering at himself as they both stood. He usually despised sharing but for some reason, opening up was feeling like something of a relief, like lancing a boil. “We got that sorted out but there was this ring left over from all the stuff she bought, and I was about to return it as well when I noticed that, by touching it, I finally couldn’t hear everybody’s thoughts.” He recounted the sweet relief he’d felt at first that’d given way to anxiety from his harrowing trip to the movie theatre. There’d been a lot of Nendo’s, he’d explained, which then required further explanation about how he couldn’t hear any of Nendo’s thoughts. “I can’t hear bugs either, so I always kind of figured it was because his brain was so small, like a cockroach.” Kusuo realized that was a bit uncharitable but didn’t feel like shoving away his annoyance of the big goof. Nendo was a good person. He was. That didn’t mean he wasn’t a pain in Kusuo’s ass who consistently foiled his plans for a peaceful, calm day spent with a good book in the relative quiet of his house. They stepped out of the front door and the cool night air tickled at Kusuo's nose. He breathed it in anyways. The air smelled different up here, he realized. A bit wetter, a bit greener, run through by the scent of soil and pinecones. It was peaceful. There weren’t as many people living up here than in the city, and the thoughts that did cross his 200 meter limit were faint and dozey with the late hour. Kusuo decided to one day own such a mountain home. The gravel crunched under their feet, chased by crickets and the few frogs that had yet to succumb to their winter sleep, and they made way for the outhouse. “So I manage to get there. Lost my drink and snacks when a couple bumped into me but being able to just plug my ears when people tried to spoil me carried me through.” Kusuo sighed deeply as they stepped into the garage, watching as Aren flicked on the light and looked around. To his eye it looked as any shop might look, a couple of gleaming bikes set to one

side next to a much dustier and older looking grey Honda. The concrete floor was stained in oil and various tools lined the walls. Off to one side was a carpeted area with a couple of old couches, a table, a mini fridge, and a small TV. Toward the centre of the shop sat Betty, ready for some maintenance. The entire place smelled like cigarettes, gas, and beer. It was pungent but novel. “And that’s when I saw who was seated next to me. It was Teruhashi, and she just so happened to be there with her brother, the famous Mugami Tohru, who upon seeing me took off his disguise for whatever reason to yell at me. That guy hates me thanks to Teruhashi’s crush on me.” Aren snorted and facepalmed. “Let me guess, since he took off his disguise the entire theatre saw and you weren’t able to watch your movie.” “Right in one.” Kusuo responded, settling into one of the couches. “I think a lot of the time that God hates me. Even with my powers I can never seem to win.” “Well, how about this.” Aren turned around to look at him as he crouched next to his bike, eyes gleaming as he gestured at himself. “On Sunday you put on that ring of yours and I take you to the movies.” The purple headed teen winked. “I’ll make sure no one crashes into you and that you don’t get hassled by famous movie stars.” Kusuo’s heart squeezed in a way it’d never done before, not even when he’d been daydreaming of finally making friends with the apparently impenetrable Hiroshi. He coughed and hit his chest, making Aren perk in confusion. “You okay, dude?” “Fine.” Good grief. “I guess that sounds good. Sure.” “Awesome. So her brother is Mugami Tohru, huh? You know, now that I think about it they do actually look alike don’t they? I guess that makes sense.” Aren said as he settled in with a wrench and an oil pan. “I think their mom’s an actress, too.” Kusuo said, pushing the weird wiggling dance his heart was doing to the back of his mind as he opened the book. “And their dad’s a director.” “Oh, cool. Hey, wanna turn on that radio? I need to listen to some tunes.” Kusuo lifted a finger and zapped the radio to life, making Aren whistle. “Cool trick! Thanks man.” Raising the novel higher to hide his smile, Kusuo nodded. “You’re welcome.” A few pages into the second chapter, Kusuo couldn’t help but quirk an eyebrow and look over at Aren consideringly. The protagonist of the book, Nao, was apparently gay, and apparently very attracted to the Korean mafia man he’d found injured and then taken in. He almost wanted to ask the other teen about it, ask if his keeping of BL literature meant anything, but he’d never caught a hint of that in Aren’s head. In fact, rather the opposite. Kusuo remembered with a mild grimace again how the other boy had been so fixated on Mikoto’s chest earlier. He also didn’t want to tell Aren which book he was reading, lest the taller boy spoil it for him with his muffled thoughts. The writing was good and he was hopeful that the mystery and action would

play out enjoyably. The reformed punk had explained at length that he’d taken a lot of LGBTQ youth into his gang, Kusuo remembered and turned back to the book. Maybe it had been a gift from one of them. But then he got to the part where Park offered to perform certain deeds on Nao in thanks for tending to him and Kusuo swallowed hard, feeling his ears tint red. “...Aren…” He asked, skimming over that bit. Thankfully it was only briefly described, saving him the embarrassment. “Yeah?” The boy responded, half hidden behind the bike and not looking up as he cranked a bolt loose. Kusuo found himself waffling. Tell him or don’t tell him? Ask him or not? He fingered the corner of the paper he’d hidden the cover with, thumbnail slipping underneath, and debated taking it off and letting that speak for him. A moment later he smoothed the edge back down. It didn’t matter, in the end, because even if Aren did by chance lean toward men, Kusuo doubted they were compatible. Aren was way more respectful of the girls in their class than other boys Kusuo could think of but that didn’t mean he wasn’t just as hot blooded as the rest of them. At the end of the day, Kusuo wouldn’t be able to give the other teen what he needed. He cracked down on the disappointment that made him feel. Really, it was better to realize that now and snip this crush in the bud before he made a fool of himself. Crossing his legs and holding back a sigh, Kusuo turned the page. Park had left and Nao was trying to infiltrate a lawyer’s office with a carefully liberated Korean business card he suspected was mafia related. “Nevermind.”

Wednesday morning found perfect pretty girl Teruhashi Kokomi stretching awake with a small groan, ensconced deeply in the Yumehara household’s surprisingly comfortable couch. The first night there had been spent sharing the bed with Chiyo so Saiki could enjoy the couch, but once he’d gone she’d migrated to the couch herself, determined to leave Chiyo to the bed even when her friend tried to convince her otherwise. Kokomi was being enough of an imposition by staying here for so long, she would feel even worse about it if she kicked Chiyo out of her own room. Yumehara Retsuko and Kimihiro had gotten back from their couples retreat early Tuesday morning, looking refreshed, relaxed, and very surprised to see her there. Chiyo had bumped a fist into her head when she realized that she’d forgotten to tell her parents and quickly had them sat down with tea to explain the situation. She hadn’t gone into it at length, only saying that Kokomi couldn’t be at home right now and that she’d offered to lend her friend a hand by letting her stay over as long as she needed. Retsuko had

looked at Kimihiro, Chiyo’s eyes dreamy in her face, and mumbled, “Well, if it’s to help a friend in need…” After that Kimihiro hadn’t been able to say no. Kimihiro was a typical salaryman, his hair short and black, and he was of average height and complexion. He wore a set of thin wire framed glasses that tended to slip down his nose whenever he was deep in thought. At work he managed numbers and at home he managed the bills and the shopping - he was a natural analyst with a brain for calculation. He was also kind of boring and a bit stern. By contrast Retsuko was a much more whimsical looking character. It was from her that Chiyo had inherited her strawberry blond hair and it fell down her back in soft waves. She had a tendency to lean in whenever you spoke and she wore a lot of shawls with soft, pretty dresses unless she was painting, then she traded that out for a more pedestrian set of paint covered overalls and a tee shirt. The pair were also madly in love with each other. It was plain to see that Kimihiro felt he’d lucked out that his wife was as attracted to him as he to her, and Retsuko utterly adored Kimihiro for the very fact that he was so different from her. Every time Kimihiro began to grumble about numbers and bills she sat to listen, entranced with admiration. The same applied for Kimihiro as well, who could often be caught gazing dreamily at his wife as if he couldn’t figure out how he caught her. They were really the cutest couple. In her thus far brief stay she’d also gotten to know her best friend even better and was happy for it. Kokomi had felt close to Chiyo before but now that she’d gotten to see into Chiyo’s private life and learn the girl who lived there, not just the one at school, she felt they were even closer. For example, Kokomi discovered that her friend straightened her hair every morning because for whatever reason Chiyo thought the naturally wavy texture was embarrassing, especially when it was at her preferred length. Kokomi didn’t care. She had decided to make it her current life’s mission to get Chiyo to stop straightening it and start babying her pretty curls, and maybe someday they would be as lovely as her mom’s. The other girl was much prettier, in Kokomi’s opinion, when she let her natural self shine through. Her hair was a big part of that right along with the natural freckles on her nose that she kept hidden with heavy powder, and the way she sometimes snorted when she laughed. When she wasn’t restraining herself like she often did at school Chiyo laughed right from her belly, full and heartfelt and loud, with her entire body. It was actually really charming and Kokomi knew right away that was how she’d find a guy - by being her true, natural self and catching his heart with her laughter that was wild and free like the wildflowers Kokomi strove to emulate. But maybe Kokomi was just biased since her own life revolved so heavily around her personal perfection, and the maintenance of it. She’d also learned that her friend was way good at drawing. Chiyo leaned more toward markers and graphics tablets than the traditional set up of her mom, and she had sketchbooks filled with doodlings in the anime style. “I kind of wanna go into manga,” Chiyo had confessed the night before, rubbing her head in embarrassment as Kokomi flipped through the girl’s latest sketchbook, feeling very impressed.

“Dad doesn’t really want me to, he’d rather I go into office work, or nursing, something steady you know? But I don’t really care about either of those things. I wanna make art my career like mom has. Besides, you don’t need good grades to make comics!” There had even been little chibis of their friend group, and a looooot of doodles of Kaidou in various anime inspired outfits. Kokomi determined that with her next month’s allowance she’d commission her friend to draw her those chibis for her, though. She already planned to make it her desktop wallpaper. The sketch had involved them in various cute poses, all except for Nendo who’d been rendered in caricature with a creepy expression on his face. The little pencil Kokomi was winking and had angel wings, and Chisato was looking very pleased inside an empty ramen bowl. Aiura levitated on a heavily decorated crystal ball with a sly smirk on her face (Kokomi hadn’t actually realized her rival for Saiki’s affections and Chiyo were friends) while Kaidou was in his Jet Black Wings pose, surrounded by little flowers and hearts, and Hairo was depicted from the back, pants down while he caught a ball. Kuboyasu was flashing a peace sign on top of a motorcycle and toward the bottom was Saiki. Chiyo herself was in the middle, tongue out while she winked. Kokomi had been unable to help her eyes lingering on the little drawing of Saiki, drawn on top of a huge coffee jelly. He was his typical bratty self, frowning haughtily. Chiyo had captured his attitude well. Her breakdown in the hallway with Kuboyasu still felt fresh, emotional nerve endings sizzled and raw. A delayed reaction, Chiyo had guessed, and Kokomi agreed with her. She’d been okay at first but that had only been because reality hadn’t fully set in yet. When she’d seen Saiki and Kuboyasu walk into class not looking worse for wear she’d patted herself on the back. When she heard Kuboyasu refer to Saiki by his first name she’d patted herself on the back again for her expert match-making but there was a little twist in her chest that tugged and tore every time she heard him call her crush ‘Kusuo’. She’d tried to get in on that action but her plans had been thwarted by her wonderful (stupid) fans. Now she was one of the few who hadn’t achieved that Friend Level with him yet. She understood his annoyance but it had still hurt both her feelings and her pride. And then Kuboyasu and Saiki had begun to parry and ricochet witty little comments back and forth at lunch from everything over the ramen selection to the colour of the linoleum tile. They’d been doing that more and more for a while but it was different this time somehow, they both seemed to be in their own little world. When Kuboyasu had called Saiki ‘Princess’ and Saiki had called him ‘Punk’ at the end of the day, performed thoughtlessly with all the makings of an inside joke, Kokomi had felt any lingering hope tear itself to shreds. She’d done her work well in choosing Kuboyasu, having noticed Saiki doing some lingering glances and being aware of their strengthening friendship because anybody, ANYBODY was better than that stupid Satou Hiroshi. One expert push to get them into close quarters for a while by taking advantage of Saiki’s horrible situation had been all it took. She just hadn’t expected it to hurt so, so, so much. When Kuboyasu had talked to her in the hallway, displaying serious concern for their mutual friend, Kokomi had congratulated herself while her heart broke into a thousand little pieces like it’d just been trashed on the floor. She’d been unable to contain it. She’d embarrassed herself and it’d

been even worse when her third and latest rival had comforted her. ‘Don’t you get it?’ She’d wanted to scream at him. ‘You’ve already won! One night together and you’ve won what I spent so long working for while I lost! Please, please don’t rub it in, I can’t bear it if you’re the one who comforts me in my defeat!’ But it had been good, too. She’d chosen well for her One That Got Away, Kuboyasu had a good and kind heart just like Saiki did. They’d do well together, and she’d done well to push. And, Kokomi thought to herself as she muzzily rubbed at her eye, pouting into the blanket on her lap because her eyes were still itchy from all her crying yesterday, she had needed it, and she appreciated that he had done it because Kuboyasu wasn’t just her rival or the one that’d beaten her, he was her friend. They’d spent four days trapped on an deserted island together, you don’t just come back from that with nothing gained. And at the end of the day while a lot of it was genuine loss, a lot of it had been her pride too. Kokomi had always been so very, very competitive after all, and the matters of the heart were no different. Especially the matters of the heart actually, where she should have had the advantage! Once she’d gotten back to Chiyo’s she’d had another crying jag in the sanctity of her friend’s very pink and white bedroom. Chiyo had spent it rubbing her back and then they’d enjoyed the evening cuddled together in bed, making fun of RomComs, eating candy, and throwing sweet popcorn at the TV. Kokomi had needed and appreciated that too, but her heart still felt sore and bereft. She didn’t want to go to school today. She wanted to stay right here and pout all day. She most definitely didn’t want to watch Kuboyasu and Saiki flirt like they’d done yesterday, and she didn’t want Chiyo’s sympathetic sideways glances while they did it. Kokomi swung her legs over the side of the couch anyway and pulled herself up to begin her morning routine. She had a perfect attendance record to keep. Kimihiro had already left for work and Retsuko liked to sleep in until ten so it was just her and Chiyo. The other girl joined her in the kitchen sleepily fifteen minutes later, still rubbing at her eyes and her bedhead bouncing with every step, all over in curls and that stuck out in every direction. “G’morning Koko-” Chiyo’s jaw split mid word with a wide yawn. “-Mi. Did you sleep okay?” “I did, thanks.” Kokomi smiled and pressed the mug into her friend’s hands that she was blearily reaching for. “How about you?” “Uuuhhggg, I stayed up late reading a new webcomic I found.” Chiyo huffed and pouted. “And now I’m gonna be tired all day! School is gonna suuuuuck but papa would have my head if I skipped.” “It must have been a good one.” Kokomi giggled as she poured herself some coffee. There was always some left over in the pot from when Kimihiro made his. “Did you manage to get any sleep at all then?” “Yeah, like, three hours ago.” Chiyo grumbled, annoyed at herself and knocked her head with a sigh. “Well, it’s better than none!” Kokomi smiled cheerily and Chiyo squinted away from her sunny disposition.

“How are you so cheerful in the mornings? Uhg, you suck, go away.” “You shouldn’t say that to the girl who already made you breakfast.” Kokomi smiled smugly, watching Chiyo’s jaw drop as the girl looked at the table. True to her word there were two settings on the table. Leftover salmon and eggs sunny side up, piled on toast with artfully cut pieces of avocado on top and paired with a small parfait. “I totally take it back, you’re an enchanting goddess and I love youuuu!” Chiyo squeaked and tackled Kokomi in a quick hug before getting settled in at the table. “Thank you for the food! Auhm~” Chiyo stuffed the toast into her mouth, munching happily. Kokomi smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm and shook her head, sitting down across from the older girl and tucking into her own breakfast a bit more lazily. “How are you doing though? Seriously?” Chiyo asked around her toast. “You okay?” Sighing and drawing circles with her foot under the table, Kokomi looked into her coffee. Unlike Saiki she actually took hers black, preferring the undoctored, natural rich flavours. She’d thought it was cute how the grumpy boy was so fond of sweets but now she imagined sharing a morning like this with him, day after day, watching him shovel spoonful after spoonful of sugar into his already perfectly good coffee and ruining it, and sighed. Yeah, that would have driven her nuts. They never would have worked together. ‘When you’re right, you’re right, Saiki. When you’re right, you’re right.’ She adopted the phrase she’d grown to like so much and smiled. “I will be. Maybe not right away, but I will be.” Chiyo nodded knowingly as she finished her toast. “It always takes a while to get over your first big heartbreak. Welcome to the world, Kokomi. It sucks but at least it has french fries.” Kokomi couldn’t help but snort at the inanity of the saying, stifling a laugh before she choked on her food. Chiyo smiled at her before her gaze grew serious again. “Just take it easy, okay? And hey, don’t worry. You’ll find somebody someday.” The girl reached over and squeezed her wrist before standing and walking over to the sink, quickly washing her plate and bowl before skipping to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Kokomi blinked down at her tingling wrist and then lifted her head to watch the other girl bounce away. Her exhausted heart gave a dull thump and she swallowed as she felt a flush rise to her face. ‘Maybe I already have.’ Kokomi clutched at her chest and lamented in her talent at falling for people who would never return her feelings. She huffed a sharp sigh and let out a rare curse as she closed her eyes. “Motherfucker.” This was just gonna be her life, wasn’t it? She finished her breakfast quickly and ran after her friend. “You better not be straightening your hair in there, Chiyo! I swear to heck!”

“You’re not the boss of me!” “Oh yeah?!” The train ride to school was a smug one for Kokomi despite her little nosedive back into crushtown, and she was more grateful than ever for the stubborn nature of Chiyo’s hair that needed to be treated every day for it not to go back to its natural waves. She’d won the Battle Of The Straightener and had hidden the blasted implement somewhere her friend would never be able to find it. It was with Kimihiro’s accounting books now, Kokomi reflected with an internal devilish grin, and Chiyo’s hair was returned to its natural state. It’d taken a little bit of doing to get it to sit nicely since the hairstyle Chiyo wore was both meant for straight hair and a bit damaged from the constant heat treatment, but Kokomi was proud of the end results. Unstraightened, the other girl’s hair hung a couple inches shorter but was more voluminous, twisting and curling around her cheeks like a pretty strawberry blond cloud. Kokomi had allowed the other girl to keep her headband and used it to carefully arrange Chiyo’s bangs. Chiyo was pouting though and kept tugging at a particular curl as though that would make it straight, self conscious without her usual hairstyle. Kokomi frowned and reached up to guide the other’s hand away from it. “I promise it looks fine, Chiyo. It’s pretty this way!” “So you say.” Chiyo huffed at her but dropped her hand to her lap obligingly. “I’m serious, it’s super cute okay? Stop worrying about it, I promise school is going to go just fine.” Kokomi winked at her friend. They exited the train shortly after, joining their schoolmates on the brief walk from the station to the academy. Kokomi tried to distract her friend by keeping up a running commentary of nothing in particular but when they got to the school gates Chiyo still ducked self consciously behind her, cheeks red in embarrassment. Kokomi was starting to feel guilty about her decision when Kaidou walked up. “Hey girls!” The eccentric boy waved and Kokomi immediately seized upon the opportunity, dragging Chiyo out from behind her and pushing the other girl forward. “Good morning Kaidou! Hey, doesn’t Chiyo’s hair look cute today?” Kokomi winked as she poked Chiyo’s cheek. “I stole her hair straightener!” The boy blushed red immediately at the question and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, uhm.” Then Kaidou blinked and grinned brightly. “Hey it really does! Is that your natural hair, Yumehara, it looks good!” All according to plan. Chiyo’s face went so red that for a moment she looked like she might start steaming and the love-stricken girl immediately set to fidgeting, head going downward as she pushed some hair behind her ear and cast an upwards, shy glance at the oblivious youth. “Y-You really think so?” She asked. “Yeah! It really suits you. Oh, hey Aren, hey Kusuo!”

“Hey Shun!” Came Kuboyasu’s response and setting her hands on Chiyo’s shoulders, Kokomi swallowed and tried to keep her bruised heart from pounding too hard. He was here. With Kuboyasu. Chiyo turned her head, casting Kokomi a backwards glance, and reached up to carefully take one of her hands. Threading their fingers together in solidarity, Chiyo smiled encouragingly. Kokomi smiled back and looked over to greet the pair. There was nowhere to hide, she reminded herself and met Saiki’s gaze solidly. Ergo, there was no point in hiding. The pink haired boy was walking a few paces behind Kuboyasu, holding his bag in the usual way with his other hand relaxed by his side. Saiki was his typical blank faced self but he was looking healthier than he had on Monday. His skin was clear and aglow with life and he held his usual straight backed posture with ease, peering at her with clarity and undereyes significantly less puffy and bruised. He tilted his head at her and Kokomi knew he was reading her easily. “Good morning, Saiki.” She nodded. “Good morning, Kuboyasu.” “Morning.” Kuboyasu responded, looking her over as if he was checking to make sure she was in one piece. Saiki nodded, then hesitated and carefully spoke. “Good morning, Kokomi.” Oh wow. Oh if that hadn’t pierced her straight through the heart and sent all the blood rushing to her head. Kokomi swayed dizzily for a moment and Chiyo squeaked in alarm next to her, reaching out to hold her still and rubbing warmth into her hand. The strawberry headed girl threw a vicious scowl Saiki’s way and the boy turned his head in embarrassment, scratching at his cheek even as he eyed her in worry. “I can’t believe you, you butt!” Chiyo fumed at the esper. In the background Kaidou blinked cluelessly and asked Aren what was going on, to which Aren just sighed and shook his head. The boy in question pulled his shoulders around his ears a bit, belligerent and embarrassed. “Sorry.” “I’m fine,” Kokomi wheezed, clutching at her chest. “It’s okay, Chiyo. I’ll get over it.” “I’m sorry,” Their classmate repeated himself. “I thought it was safe now.” Sai-no, Kusuo said with a deep grimace, shoulders raising higher. “Why are they speaking in code, what’s going on?” Kaidou asked and Aren took one of his shoulders, steering them carefully away to explain the situation. There was a moment of muffled whispering before Kaidou yelped. “Teruhashi WHAT?!” That had been nice to hear though. Kokomi recalled with ease their conversation in Cafe Mami that earlier Sunday, how Kusuo had refused to call her by her first name because he hadn’t thought it was safe to, for her sake. Kokomi sighed and pulled away from Chiyo’s side, approaching the esper and giving his head a solid bonk.

“You are a jerk,” Kokomi explained, head bowed in emotional exhaustion. “But I knew that already, so what should I have expected, really? You’re forgiven.” Lifting her head to see the taller boy, Kokomi smiled tiredly and did her best to ignore Kaidou’s meltdown behind her. “It’s good to meet you, Kusuo.” Kusuo blinked at her from around her arm and then gave her a tiny and soft smile in return. “And you too, Kokomi.” “HEY BUDDY!” Cue Nendo to ruin the mood. Kokomi snickered cruelly as Kusuo’s smile dropped into an open mouthed disdain as Nendo wrestled him into a one-armed hug. “Yo, I went by your house to see if you wanted ramen and your ma said you weren’t there, what’s up with that? Hey, do you wanna get ramen now instead?” “We have school you idiot!” Kaidou screeched. “Who cares, let’s skip. C’mon buddy, whatcha say?” “Get off me.” Her friends really were amazing. Feeling warm and tired, Kokomi swung her bag lightly as she spun on her heal, hair flipping out behind her and listened to the chorus of gasps that sang from the entirety of the courtyard. Yeah, things were looking up. Kokomi picked up Chiyo’s hand again and grinned at her friend, squeezing the redhead’s fingers. “C’mon Chiyo, let’s race them to class!” Chiyo beamed back immediately and the two girls started sprinting together, prompting Kaidou to yell about Dark Reunion and start running after them only to fall rapidly behind in a wheezing mess while Aren cackled at him. “Oh you wanna have a race Teruhashi? You’re on!” Off Nendo went with his freaky running style and Kusuo tossed over one shoulder. Kusuo covered his face in red-eared humiliation as he and Nendo disappeared into the school, leaving a swathe of devastation in their wake. “Eat my duuuuust!” From somewhere Kokomi couldn’t see, Hairo yelled in an acceptance of the challenge and Matsuzaki barked out. “NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS! Nendo, stop picking on Saiki!” The morning went easily from there and Kokomi spent it both annoying Kusuo with embarrassing images of him and cranking up some Final Fantasy victory music each time she saw him twitch. As far as keeping her thoughts hidden from Kusuo it seemed to be an effective measure even if she did feel kind of mean to do it. It wasn’t as though he could help it after all. But she was planning something special that afternoon during lunch, and she didn’t want him to go and wreck it on her in case he was still feeling attached. While it was fun to watch Kuboyasu and Kusuo dance around like a pair of idiots it was obvious that they were on the verge of something. Each had realized their own attraction to the other, Kokomi smirked knowingly to herself. Now they just had to understand that it was mutual.

“Maybe we should lock them in a closet or something…” Chiyo mumbled to her during the last break before lunch. She had adopted the same method for keeping Kusuo out of her head, because of course Kokomi had to tell her new crush and best friend. Kokomi looked up at Chiyo, tried not to get taken in by how pretty the girl’s neck and mouth were, then turned to consider the pair in question. “No, it wouldn’t work. He can teleport, remember?” Kuboyasu was desperately trying to show off by arm-wrestling Nendo (Kokomi was impressed to see that he actually had the tallest of them at a stand still, even if the veins throbbing in his face were a bit creepy) while Kusuo was desperately trying to stay distracted from the show going on next to him as he read a book instead. It was covered in paper. On the sidelines Hairo, Kaidou, and a few other boys were cheering them on. Idiots. “Oh right.” Chiyo sighed and shifted to sit her hip on the edge of Kokomi’s desk. “Those powers of his really put a kink in the typical romance scenarios.” And then she jerked with a squeak. “No wonder none of my tricks worked!” Kokomi blinked. “What?” Chiyo leaned down to quickly whisper into Kokomi’s ear and Kokomi was finding herself having a very difficult time staying focused all of a sudden. The other girl’s breath was warm and smelled faintly sweet and minty. She’d been eating candy earlier. “So back when I had a crush on Kusuo I tried all the tricks in the book to corner him, right? And none of them worked! Crashing into him with papers so he’d help me pick them up, dropping my handkerchief by his desk, giving him cookies, trying to get him to open a door for me, even doing the two-people-one-umbrella thing when it started raining! I crashed and burned every single time, I thought I was going nuts! Now I know why!” Chiyo hissed like an angry cat and sent a vicious glare Saiki’s way. She must have been imagining something very interesting because the pink haired boy blanched and nearly fumbled his book, paling. “What are you thinking about?” Kokomi asked curiously. Chiyo puffed out her cheeks. “Bugs. Bugs crawling all over him. Yessss Kusuo, feel my wrath. Staaaaareee…” “Aw c’mon Chiyo, don’t be too mean to him. It’s not like you two would’ve worked out either you know.” Kusuo was shivering and turning a bit green around the gills. Chiyo huffed and finally let up, watching in satisfaction as the poor boy instantly slumped in relief. Next to him, Kuboyasu became distracted and asked him what was wrong but the moment cost him when Nendo won dramatically, the desk breaking under the force of his slam. The purple haired boy promptly went with it, heels over head with a yell as he was forced straight down to the floor when his arm, and the desk, gave way with an audible snap. The crowd around them yelled in surprise and sympathy. “Ahg! My ARM!” Kuboyasu yelled, clutching at the limb in question as he curled around it in pain. “Shitshitshit!”

“You idiot, you broke him!” Kaido went to quickly help the other boy up but since Kusuo was right next to him the esper beat him there. “Ah man, sorry about that dude. Sometimes I just don’t know my own strength…” Nendo rubbed his head, looking apologetic. “Do you need to go to the nurse’s office, Aren?” Kaidou asked anxiously as Kuboyasu stood carefully with Kusuo’s assistance, grimacing thickly with pain. Kokomi noticed how Kusuo’s hand lingered on the arm the former gangster was clutching at and blinked as it seemed to glow for a moment before he pulled back. When he did, Kuboyasu blinked in surprise and relaxed, the pain vanishing from him in an instant. “Uhm, no it’s fine. It’s not that bad actually.” He rotated his arm, carefully testing the range of motion as Kusuo sat back down. Kuboyasu grinned at Kusuo in thanks before quickly covering for what Kokomi could only guess was an act of healing. She’d heard the snap from the other end of the classroom after all, Kuboyasu’s arm had been legitimately broken. “Must’ve just been the shock of getting pulled to the floor that got me freaked out, no worries, Shun. Hey Nendo, best two out of three?” “I appreciate your enthusiasm, guys, but class is about to start and now Nendo doesn’t have a desk.” Hairo gestured at said desk. “Next time, you’re doing this outside.” The metal legs had warped sharply and a solid chunk of the desktop was broken off. There was some shocked whispering at how strong Nendo was and the lug just shrugged. “Yeah I’m, like, super buff. It’s okay though cus I can just share with my buddy! Right buddy?” “Die.” Was Kusuo’s succinct response. Apparently he hadn’t yet forgiven Nendo for the earlier treatment. “See, he says I can share with him.” “Go die in a fire.” Kaidou sighed explosively at Nendo. “You big idiot. Kusuo still hasn’t forgiven you for throwing him around like a sack of potatoes and humiliating him in front of the entire school yet. C’mon, it’s safer to share with me.” “Aw but we were having fun!” Nendo protestested but shifted his chair closer to Kaidou’s desk anyways. “You were having fun. I was praying you would die in a fire.” Kusuo said, flippantly turning a page in his book. Kuboyasu snorted and gave the pink haired esper’s hair a ruffle, leaning over to thank him softly before retaking his seat a few desks away. Very minutely, Kusuo smiled. Kokomi sighed deeply and shook her head as the teacher came back into the classroom. Chiyo nodded in agreement. “Idiots.” They said in unison, barely audible under the teacher’s yelling over the broken desk.

Finally lunch came and Kokomi excused herself, smiling as she walked through the halls at the sweet, sublime sounds of people made happier by her very presence. Finally she came to the classroom that Kusuo had shown her, knocking on the door. Not that she needed to announce her presence, she thought. Everyone was already aware of her and responding accordingly. “Uhm, can anyone point me toward a Satou Hiroshi? A friend of mine asked me to give him this?” She said, holding up a piece of paper that she’d folded into the shape of a note. There was a loud outcry over which Blandness Personified was barely heard to exclaim “Me! The Goddess Teruhashi wants to talk to me!”, and Kokomi watched happily as her minions did the work for her, shoving the boy in question to the door. Kokomi forced herself to adopt a shy expression. “Uhm, it’s very private. Would you come with me for a moment?” She asked. The entire remaining population of the classroom gasped and Satou nodded rapidly, fire engine red. “Y-Yeah!” He squeaked, looking ready to melt the smile on his face was so goofy. “Sure! I can do that!” “Aw, thanks!” Kokomi then threw a wink toward the rest of the class, pleased when a couple of the boys swooned. “Nobody follow us okay? It’s a secret!” She turned on her heel, her bruised heart finally mending as the boys behind her began to cry and praise her, and began to walk away. Like a stupid puppy, Satou followed. Kokomi studied him from the corner of her eye, her pleasant demeanor not shifting once. She supposed he wasn’t bad looking per se, there were worse people that Kusuo could have picked over her. ‘Is it better to be ugly, or average?’ She wondered to herself, not that she could really relate to either, then dismissed the thought. They finally reached a vacant stairwell and Kokomi looked around, then blew out a breath as she pulled her courage together. Behind her, Satou tittered nervously. The entire walk he’d spoken not a word, simply floated along behind her in complete bliss that she, perfect pretty girl Teruhashi Kokomi, had acknowledged and explicitly requested his presence. Normally that kind of thing would be a risk to whoever the target of her attention was but Kokomi was banking on his totally forgettable aura to protect him. She’d even forgotten that he’d been behind her several times, having needed to turn around to check that he was still with her. He faded into the background so completely, it was actually kind of freaky. “W-Well, what did your friend want to say to me,” He gulped, smiling dumbly. “T-Teruhashi?” “Do you know Saiki Kusuo?” She asked bluntly and the boy blinked. “Pink hair, hairclips, glasses?” “Uhm, I-I think so.” Satou frowned and rubbed at his chin before nodding. “Yeah...Yeah, I think I’ve seen him at the school gates from time to time. He’s always reading my favourite manga, and drinking my favourite juice, and listening to my favourite songs, so I’ve debated talking to him but I always thought it was kind of weird for a guy to hang out there while doing that.”

‘Oh my God, Kusuo.’ Kokomi felt her eyebrow twitch, recalling Toritsuka having said as much earlier. ‘You really did that?’ It was one of the oldest tricks in the book was what Chiyo would claim, right up there with tripping next to the object of your affections and making them help you up. She was angry on his behalf too now. ‘How dare Satou call Kusuo weird!’ “Why, what’s up?” Satou smiled at her. Uhg. So bland. “Well,” Kokomi swung her hips, linking her arms behind her back. “You see, he’s my friend.” She looked up at him through her bangs. “And for a long time, he had a really big crush on you. That’s why he did that, in case you were wondering. He wanted you to notice him.” ‘And you, like the huge idiot you are, completely ignored him!’ Kokomi screeched internally. Satou’s reaction was an interesting one. His face journeyed through several emotions - shock, confusion, enlightenment, shock again, then embarrassment. Thankfully there was no horror to be found there, Kokomi might actually have murdered him if there had been. “Ah, I see. That makes sense. S-So, what? Did you want me to talk to him or something? I’m sorry Teruhashi, I don’t think I like guys like that.” Satou’s shoulders slumped. Aw, how cute. He was afraid he’d disappointed her by turning down her friend. “Aw no, not at all you big dummy!” Kokomi giggled and glared up at him with murder in her eyes. Satou backed up with a gasp. Good, he did have a brain and eyes after all. Considering how gorgeous her lovely Kusuo was and how much he’d gone out of his shell to get this idiot to notice him, Kokomi had had her doubts. Smiling sharper than her favourite kitchen knife she stalked lightly toward him. He backed up obligingly until he nearly tripped on the staircase, glancing back at it in shock with a pale face and a trembling gasp. “In fact, if you ever talk to him again? I might be forced to take...drastic measures.” She flipped her hair and set a hand on her hip. It wasn’t like her to set out to deliberately traumatize one of her sweet followers, but this one was special. ‘Like HELL I’ll lose to this guy.’ Kokomi’s eyebrow twitched again.’Even I, the perfect pretty girl, have a perfect pretty dark side, Satou. I’m the most beautiful devil you’ll ever see, cross me and watch what happens!’ “See, I’m really, really close with Kusuo,” She explained, watching in satisfaction as a cold sweat broke out on the bland guy’s forehead. “And I’m trying to set him up with someone way better than you in every single way, so if you even get within three, no, ten feet of him I will make sure you regret it.” She got up on her tip-toes and blew at Satou. The taller boy eeped, stumbling down a stair and barely catching himself before he fell down more. Kokomi redonned her usual sunny disposition,

giving the boy a wink. “Don’t look at him, don’t breathe near him, don’t even be in the same room as him, kay? That was all I wanted to talk to you about, so don’t let me see you around Satou!” “O-Okay.” Satou peeped out but Kokomi wasn’t listening, spinning on her heel and quite happy with a job well done. Behind her the boy sagged to his knees, clutching at his chest as his head spun. “O-Oh wow… Teruhashi...” She knew that even though she’d basically threatened to kill him he would walk out of the encounter even more in love with her than before. Kokomi sighed out softly and left, her strides long and unflinching. Sometimes the Teruhashi family resemblance came out of her just a little bit, Kokomi thought bitterly. She was more like Makoto than she cared to admit.

“I have to admit, Kokomi,” Kusuo muttered, his eyebrow twitching and his expression dark. “Your techniques work well.” “Kusuo, why are you glaring at Yumehara like that?” Bugs. His eyebrow twitched again and he had no doubt that his small smile was murderous, and perhaps just a little queasy still. Bugs all over him. Yumehara Chiyo would pay for that. “However, as a matter of courtesy, I request that you avoid sharing this technique you’ve fostered with just anyone.” Chiyo whined a little and sunk down into her seat. Bugs. Bugs. Bugs. “Kusuo’s starting to look demonic.” Aren muttered overhead to Shun, who was inching away slowly with a whimpering nod. “Ah?” Kokomi just blinked at him, her expression angelic in its innocence as she took her seat at the lunch table, smoothing her skirt under her bottom. “Kusuo, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” “I’m sorryyyyy,” Chiyo whined and covered her head. “I promise I won’t do it agaaaaiiinnnn!” Bugs. Bugs. Bugs. He was itchy all over and desperately craving a shower but that would need to wait until the end of

the day. In the meantime he’d been able to teleport to Aren’s and change into a spare uniform, but the skittering sensation of being covered in cockroaches wouldn’t leave him alone. Kusuo had washed himself quickly in the sink before Miri and Rean had noticed he was there but even that hadn’t helped. Bugs. Bugs. Bugs. He shuddered. “What did poor Chiyo do?” Shun asked in a shivering whisper. “I’ve never seen him look so...so…” “I imagined him covered in cockroaches.” Chiyo whimpered, still covering her head as she sunk low to the table, eyeing his fixed glare with the look of a kitten trembling before a God. “And then thought about it really hard at him.” “Oh yeah, buddy hates cockroaches.” “But what would that do?” Shun asked in confusion. On Kusuo’s other side, Aren blinked and lifted his head from his bowl, chopsticks stilling in his hand. “Oh, you don’t know yet? Kusuo has psychic powers.” The punk looked over to Kokomi and pushed another piece of shrimp tempura into his mouth, speaking through it. “We should really figure out who and who not to tell. Mera and Hairo next, d’ya think?” Kusuo found a new victim to spit roast, his demonic gaze swinging up to meet Aren’s. “You think you’re in charge of that you goddamn punk? You tryna pick a fight?” The taller boy let out a very audible squeak as he jerked and scuttled back. “No! No! Just-I just think we should have a plan for this! You know?! Oh my God, please don’t look at me like that, Princess, you’re freaking me out!” Well. He didn’t want that. Kusuo cut down on his glare by a factor of one hundred fifty until it was little more than a scowl, letting his head drop onto the table. He did feel kind of bad for scaring Aren and Chiyo like he had. Well, mostly Aren, but Chiyo had been enduring the weight of his murderous intent for about ten minutes now and she hadn’t peed herself yet so he had to admire her courage. “Chiyo, if you ever do that again, I will do something you won’t like.” They were still all over him. Bugs. Bugs. Bugs. So icky. He shivered. God, he hated bugs so much. Chiyo nodded quickly and picked herself back up, eventually reaching over to sympathetically pat his head. “If I buy you a coffee jelly will that make it up to you? I really am sorry, I didn’t realize how much you actually hate them...” “...Two coffee jellies and the pocky you have with you.” “Done!” Chiyo handed it over. “It’s matcha and strawberry, my favourite!” “That is a top ten flavour,” Kusuo agreed, perking up slowly as he peeled open the box. “Here, since you handed it over so nicely.”

It was a two bagger so he handed one of them back to Chiyo. The redhead cooed in response. “Aw, thanks Kusuo!” “I’m sorry,” Shun broke in nervously, lifting one bandaged hand as Aren slowly picked himself up off the floor, panting softly and holding one hand over his heart. “But what’s this about Kusuo having psychic powers?” Chin still on the table, Kusuo cast an upwards look at Shun and handlessly levitated a stick of the pocky to his mouth, crunching into it. Mmm, that sweet but sophisticated flavour wrapped around a crunchy treat was just what he needed right now. The sharp little bursts of the dried strawberries complemented well the complex flavourings of the soft green tea coating, creating a truly discerning and rich experience. The bugs finally left him alone and he bit into three sticks simultaneously, still with his psychokinesis, finally beginning to enjoy himself. “...Oh.” Shun squeaked. “Oh I see, that makes sense.” “Don’t get weird about it, pipsqueak,” Nendo said from the other side of the table around a mouthful of his lunch. “I can’t believe you never noticed. Haha, what are you, dumb or something?” “I don’t wanna hear that coming from you, you big oaf! ...Wait, you mean to say you figured it out by yourself!?” Kusuo paused. In fact the entire table did, everyone at it turning to look at Nendo with grey confusion. Nendo blinked. “What, it’s obvious! Buddy disappears, reappears, hell he does a whole bunch of cool shit. Don’t tell me you’ve never noticed! Oh I’ve been meaning to thank you for cleaning our wall that one time, let’s get some ramen on me! Ah, but I’m broke, do you mind footing the bill buddy? Buddy? Hey, you alright? What’s with everyone today, you’re all acting really weird.” Could it be that the entire time Kusuo hadn’t been able to read Nendo’s mind and predict his movements was because the other boy was a super genius the likes of which Kusuo had never seen? The common expression said there was always someone bigger and badder than you, and for a moment the esper felt a very real shiver of fear run down his spine. Had Kusuo finally met his match? Was this it? And Nendo, of all people?! He’d been a fool. Truly, a fool! “I’m just kidding, that ghosty guy told me all about it before whacking me with his bag and running away, haha, he’s such a funny guy! I’m serious about the ramen though.” Ding. Oh look, it was the last thread of his patience snapping. “I’ll be right back,” Kusuo said and began to rise from his seat. “I’ve got a perv to kill.” “Now, now, take it easy there Princess.” Aren promptly wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep him put, forcing him back down. “We gotta give it a bit of thought before we decide to add murder to your wrap sheet anyways, it aint always worth it. Besides,” The punk grinned, his voice dropping into a throaty growl and a hint of his black aura releasing into the air. “I wouldn’t want you to dirty your hands. I can totally kill that guy for ya.”

Kusuo, trying not to feel too flustered by the arm around his shoulders, considered this and nodded. “That’s acceptable. Still, give me a moment.” He closed his eyes to block out the visual stimulus, mentally sifting through the school’s thoughts until he’d found Toritsuka’s on the other side of the building. The medium was eating lunch in the courtyard with his ‘band’, though whether he was focusing more on the food or the girls was hard to say. “Kusuo’s looking demonic again.” “I hope he never looks at me like that. Brrr, that’s an expression that could send even the hardiest Dark Reunion general ducking for cover…” Dropping forcefully into the other psychic’s head Kusuo unleashed into it the full strength of his glare. “I know what you did you damn perv. You better start groveling or you’re dead meat.” The boy shrieked out loud, causing his friends to startle. ‘M-Master! What’d I do?!’ Kusuo felt his eyebrow twitch. “You told Nendo about me! I know you can’t distinguish between the living and the dead but seriously!” He projected the (admittedly few) distinguishing characteristics into the other boy’s head with bright yellow arrows pointing them out, just in case the idiot couldn’t figure it out. “Different scars. Different clothes. And how dare you talk so openly about my powers?!” “Whoa, are his eyes glowing?” “Oh yeah, you can see it through his eyelids.” “Creepy…” Toritsuka was cowering. Good. Kusuo didn’t consider himself a true sadist but he was a firm believer in both negative and positive reinforcement and he knew from experience that positive reinforcement only encouraged this guy’s immoral misadventures. Also, Toritsuka was annoying enough to the point where Kusuo’s sympathy just didn’t exist for the medium. Maybe Kusuke’s inappropriate attentions had given him something of a rage-trigger toward perverts. ‘I’m so sorry Master! I’ll never do it again! Please let me make it up to you, I don’t wanna die today!’ “Coffee jelly.” Kusuo demanded. “Enough to give to a certain overpopulated idol group. By the end of the school day.” ‘What? But I’d miss clas-’ “Like you care about that!” Kusuo popped his knuckles, his aggravation mounting, while ensuring the sound was fully obvious to Toritsuka through a little trick of projection, psychokinesis, and sound waves he’d learned while trying to escape Kusuke’s abuse years and years ago. And then he amplified it until it sounded like a thunder crack. “Get going, fool!” He smirked as the very distant sound of Toritsuka’s squeal reached his ears. ‘I’m going, I’m

going!’ Exhaling slowly, Kusuo withdrew from the medium’s head and forcefully calmed his heart beat. He could only control his autonomic nervous system with a lot of effort so even his pulse had a tendency to spike when he got pissed, but doing this would help calm him down. “I’ve negotiated a temporary truce with Toritsuka,” Kusuo explained as he reopened his eyes, stuffing another stick of pocky into his mouth. “He has until the end of the day to fulfill the terms of the contract, else, well, he’s been made to understand the consequences.” “Why does it feel like you just made a devil’s bargain, and you’re the devil?” Shun asked next to him and Kusuo favoured the shorter boy with a gentle smile. “Because I am the devil, Shun.” Then he frowned and looked ceilingwards in thought. “That’s probably why God hates me.” “The devil has pink hair, huh? Who’da thunkit.” Aren said calmly and then pulled the pocky out of his hands. Kusuo gasped. “Hey!” “You have to eat more than pocky for lunch. Eat your food and I’ll-” Kusuo shoved his entire meal into his mouth in one go, a move he hadn’t performed since kindergarten, and turned to Aren again with bulging cheeks and grabby hands. “Pocky now?” He asked, swallowing the mass of donburi with barely any discomfort at all, and tried to puppy dog eye the taller boy into submission. It was probably the only ability he held next to no skill in but Kusuo was willing to make a fool of himself if it came down to sweets or no sweets. Aren blinked and broke out laughing, deep from-the-stomach guffaws that had him clutching his belly with one hand and slapping his knee with the other. What was this weird fluttering sensation? Indigestion? Kusuo swallowed, feeling his heart pick up pace again as he stared at the other teen and wondered why he felt so completely, suddenly breathless. ‘...He has such a handsome laugh.’ Kusuo thought to himself. ‘Rich, and deep, like coffee…’ “A-Alright, if you want it that much,” Aren choked out around his chortling, turning to face him and wiping a tear from his eye, expression tickled pink and gleaming with good humor. “Here you go. Not bad, kid.” The pocky was pressed back into Kusuo’s hands and then Aren was ruffling his hair again seemingly in slow motion, causing a wash of tingling to surge through his body. Kusuo shivered at it and looked upwards. The hand, rough and large, departed from his head and Aren smiled down at him with eyes that were warm. Feeling shaky for some reason, Kusuo forced himself to stop staring and turned away. Time promptly regained its usual momentum and the conversation of the group around him resumed its actual volume. He hadn’t even noticed it grow muted. “Thanks.”

‘This crush,’ He realized suddenly, forcefully cooling his face with his cryokinesis so he wouldn’t give himself away by blushing. ‘Is only getting worse. I’ve never felt like this before...’ That seemed to be what Aren did to him, gave him one new, novel, and joyful experience after the other. Except this one wasn’t all that happy, Kusuo thought as he looked at the box he’d won back. This one was stressful, and shaking, and made him feel painfully guilty for some reason. He swallowed and shoved the last stick in his mouth. Lunch ended and the doldrum of classes resumed. Instead of taking notes for his friends for once, Kusuo spent the rest of the successive lectures doodling in his notebook, trying to dodge the knowledge that if Aren knew he could draw photorealistically the reformed punk would probably be incredibly excited. ...It was a thought though. He hummed and tapped his pencil against his bottom lip. Kusuo didn't have an appreciation for art outside the stories it could create, like anime and manga. Paint-strokes and acrylic didn’t hold much meaning for him, but if that was something Aren was interested in then it would really take no time at all to learn… He could work backwards from his photorealism, like Picasso had in his later years. Work on injecting a bit of flavor and soul into it. Aren would like that. Kusuo felt himself still, then just avoided shattering his pencil in a suddenly overtight grip. No! No no no, what was he thinking?! Kusuo had already decided he wasn’t going to pursue this and now he was thinking about how to get the taller boy’s attention?! This was like Satou Hiroshi only ten times worse because Aren was already his friend, his attention was guaranteed, and still Kusuo had inadvertently begun to plot how to, what, seduce the other guy? A cold bead of sweat dripped down his chin and landed in his notebook, drawing his eyes downwards whereupon he blanched. Viciously ripping the nearly completed portrait of Aren out of his notebook Kusuo crumpled it up and shoved it into his desk. Good grief, now he was pulling cards out of Chiyo’s deck! The redhead obsessively doodled her crushes and Kusuo had never thought he’d ever sink so low into emotionality and sappiness to do that, even if he had technically been born a girl. Uhg! This was snowballing too quickly, he had to figure out a solution, a way to stop this! It was too bad Kusuo couldn’t just reach inside his head and pull out these troublesome thoughts. Wait! Maybe he could go back in time and do exactly that? Kusuo rubbed his chin as he considered that. Take out a power limiter and he would easily be stronger than himself a week ago, or even yesterday, so much so that he’d be able to blast these troublesome thoughts out of his own head or erase them with his Nanana. ‘Mmm, no, that would just create another alternate timeline,” Kusuo frowned as he remembered the hassle that’d occurred the last time he’d tried to change something by going back in time.

Akechi still ended up knowing about his abilities and the butterfly effect had been a hassle to deal with not to mention Kusuo still didn’t actually know if he was in his originating dimension or not. Even for someone like him the timey-wimey bullshit got confusing and hard to keep track of. ‘Too much of a pain, think of something else.’ Kusuo sighed, tapping his pencil against the paper as he dropped his chin hopelessly into his hand, eyes trailing over to the clock. Maybe he should just give in and follow his brother’s lead, test out of highschool, and run away to a university in a different country. It might actually even challenge him intellectually for once, something school had never done before. His parents would be proud, even if his dad could barely get through a day without him. They’d be able to brag to the neighbours about both of their successful super genius sons and Kusuo could begin working to rid them of his evil older brother’s technological whims by providing a counter balance to the world. But… He didn’t want to. Despite the hassles, the pain, the hijinks, and every piece of evidence to the contrary of which there was a lot, Kusuo could admit to himself that he didn’t mind it here, not anymore. And he didn’t mind some of the people either. Somehow they’d managed to worm their way into a heart he thought he’d bricked off ages and ages ago, and they’d stayed. They cared about him, and he cared about them. He could admit that fully to himself now. Kusuo didn’t want to leave them just because he was running headfirst, repeatedly, into the wall that was the emotions which he’d never really learned to identify or deal with. That wasn’t their fault and he wasn’t so big of an idiot to believe they’d be unaffected by his leaving. Better off without him, maybe, but still hurt. More than anything, he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Kusuo cast his attention out the window into the bright blue sky, brows pressing together. ‘It’s me,’ He thought to himself. ‘I’m the pain in my own neck this time.’ He blew out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Good grief.’ Finally their last class ended and Kusuo sagged, wishing more than ever that he could go home. He missed his bed, he realized. He missed his deep blue comforter and the pleasing contrast it made with his light silver walls and dark brown floors. He missed his three bookshelves, he missed his desk, he missed the view from his window and playing his video games. He missed his parents. His mom’s loving smile appeared in his mind and Kusuo sighed, tamping down on those thoughts before he risked doing something stupid like crying for the first time in ten years. “So, ramen right?” Nendo asked. “Yeah you big gorilla, we’re going for ramen. Geeze do you ever think of anything e-” Shun was

interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open. The entire class looked over to see Toritsuka, panting heavily and sweating profusely. The medium was carrying a massive bag from the market and his legs were shivery as he stumbled his way through the class. Clearly he’d been running for a while. “Ma-Master!” He dropped to his knees next to Kusuo’s desk and Kusuo blinked down at him. “I got...what you ordered sir, here! Please take it, and please forgive me!” Oh yeah. He’d almost forgotten about that. An entire bag of coffee jelly, enough to make a bed with, was offered to him over Toritsuka’s bowed and sweaty head. His day was looking up, finally. It was about time. The classroom was silent though, everyone was staring at them. Kusuo glanced around before shrugging off the attention. Sweets trumped his urge to blend into the wallpaper any day. “Good boy, Toritsuka.” He took the bulging plastic bag and smiled at it. He even spared the other medium a small pat on the head, the kind that one might give to a troublesome and unadorable puppy. “Alright, you’re forgiven. Get gone.” “Oh thank God,” Toritsuka slumped deeply, practically assuming a grovelling position at Kusuo’s feet for a moment. “Thank you Master, thank you. I’ll uh, I’ll get out of your way now. Thank you.” The medium pulled himself to his feet, stumbling and swaying as he slowly left the classroom. The silence dragged on as his classmates watched Toritsuka leave but Kusuo was too enraptured by the massive bag of nirvana that had just been handed to him. It practically sang an angel's chorus at him, gleaming in the light from the window, and Kusuo traced the bulging plastic with his eyes in pure pleasure. He wondered for a moment about how Toritsuka had actually managed to get the money for this much coffee jelly, then dismissed it as he pulled out a cup of his favourite treat and held it up to admire it in the sunlight. So pretty… It was then he realized that the entire class was looking at him now, the teacher included. Kusuo glanced around, debated caring for a moment as their imaginations turned X-Rated, heeled, whip snapping, and leather wearing, then decided not to. He didn’t give a crap what they thought as long as they didn’t find out about his powers. “Well?” He turned toward the group of people that he actually did care about, in a much better mood now as he stood and shrugged his schoolbag over his shoulder. “We were going for ramen, weren’t we?” “Pfffft!” Aren snorted into his hand, coughing and doing his best not to break out into another laughing fit. “Aw hell yeah, ramen with the pals!” Nendo yelled and rapidly packed his own bag. That served to break the atmosphere for the most part but the whispers still followed them as they left. Kusuo felt way too blessed to be stressed by the already burgeoning rumors of his being a

secret dominatrix, hugging the bag full of coffee jelly to his chest and giving it a nuzzle with his cheek. Maybe he should actually be a little nice to Toritsuka for the next week or so. The guy deserved it.

Chapter End Notes

In the next chapter, Makoto makes his appearance. Aren confesses to Kusuo.

Done with Love Chapter Summary

Kusuo gets involved, in more ways than one.

Chapter Notes

We're getting close to the end here, folks!! Miri continues to be my most favourite plot device. Thank you, Miri, you fantastic blond bombshell I made up, you. Aren's too good at Not Thinking About Things but he had to slip up sometime...~ Fun fact : The kiss scene was originally supposed to take place on page 169 but it didn't happen that way rip :c Later edits bumped it up a few pages ALAS How Aren reacts in this chapter is pure wish fulfillment for my little demi heart like damn, get me someone like that pls. "I don't care about sex I just care about you" HHHHHHHHHHH For allayall calling for Makoto's blood...sorry~ But Kusuke's blood will be coming up soon enough. I'm actually debating rewriting the last chapter a little bit, hmmm...but I'll leave it at that. Speaking of, I know it's a comedy anime, but how did Kurumi and Kuniharu not tune into the fact that their elder son is an abusive lil twat? Like shit. Uhg. Guys, I know you're oblivious, but cmon………….. Also are these little brats moving too quick? Eh. I can't imagine Kusuo not telling his mom literally right away the moment he gets involved with somebody. Not only will it get her off his back but he's also a mama's boy and hiding it is just gonna be an even bigger inconvenience in the longrun so best to get that out of the way asap. Whether Kusuo has abs are another YMMV. His character design is hecking inconsistent but in a couple of scenes he SEEMS to and it makes sense given his strength, his training, and his body control so yknow what? We're running with it. Mute!Kusuo confirmed, folks. Speaking of mute!Kusuo, if y'all haven't already done so (doubtful considering the fandom is so tiny but jic), please read The Quiet Life of Saiki K by Urisaring series. It's amazing. https://archiveofourown.org/series/1397500 Also, just a heads up, the next chapter for AGWITO And Other Bad Jokes might be delayed. I'm having difficulty writing that damn party scene. I've got the whole chapter plotted out in my head, complete with scenes and story beats, but getting the words out is atrociously difficult. I need to read more books. Recommended listening Aren: Something About You (ODESZA remix) by Hayden James, Done With Love by Zedd Kusuo: Safe and Sound by Capital Cities (https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=KX54fWP-os4 the lyric video is so cute guys), Sing Sing by Marianas Trench

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kusuo was feeling completely un-annoyed as he sat between Aren and Kokomi, slurping at a bowl of noodles with the massive bag of coffee jelly tucked safely between his feet. Above his head the conversation drifted to and fro and while he didn’t contribute much it was kind of nice to just sit back and take it in. Kineshi, Chisato, and Mikoto had ended up joining as well so their booth was very full. His parents would probably cry with joy, Kusuo thought with an eye roll, if they saw him sitting in the middle of people like this and, more than just tolerating them, enjoying the company. Somehow Aren’s arm had even found itself around Kusuo’s shoulders, a weight akin to his favourite childhood blanket, while the other teenager talked with Shun to his left. Mikoto and Chiyo were discussing certain fortune telling techniques but Mikoto was shooting him sad looks every so often that were a little annoying He and Aren weren’t together after all, he had just grown to tolerate the affectionate touching the punk performed on his close male friends. Kokomi and Chisato were arguing freshness versus preservatives when it came to kitchen ingredients while Kineshi and Nendo were discussing sports. Both were conversations Kusuo wasn’t trying overly hard to follow on account of he had no interest in either subject. He tended to care more about getting the best bang for his buck when it came to ingredients (not that his mom let him do the cooking very much...she was very territorial about her kitchen, but she did let him do the shopping), and he still didn’t feel overly comfortable participating in sports of any kind. Kusuo had just begun debating throwing his opinion into the mess of headcanons going on next to him between Aren and Shun when a certain mental voice entered his 200 meter radius. He jerked, eyes wide as he calculated the rapidly closing distance. They had a couple of minutes, Kusuo realized and narrowed his eyes. This could prove to be a good opportunity to enact his plan, actually. He turned to Kokomi and poked her arm to catch her attention. “You’re going to want to go to the bathroom in a minute. Your brother’s coming this way - he’s been looking for you and has been told you're here.” It actually hurt to watch the previously happy girl’s face pale. Sitting opposite, Chiyo frowned and set her chopsticks down, already scooting out of the booth. “I’ll go with you, Kokomi.” She said, reaching down to squeeze Kokomi’s hand to stir the blue haired teen from her frozen stupor. Kusuo blinked, tilting his head and lifting a brow with the direction Kokomi’s thoughts suddenly swung in and she whipped around to glare at him. “Don’t say anything.” Kokomi hissed and Kusuo lifted his hands. “Wasn’t gonna. You have about ninety seconds.” “Right…” Kokomi sighed and shifted from the booth as well, giving him a thin smile. “Thanks,

Kusuo.” “We’ll be right back everyone!” Chiyo waved as she linked arms with Kokomi and together the pair retreated to the washroom. “What was that about?” Aren asked and Kusuo sighed, mulled that over for a moment, then looked up at the taller boy with a sad frown. “It’s not for me to say.” Aren twitched, his quick mind instantly putting two and two together. “I...see.” Kusuo was glad he was pretty close to indestructible because the way Aren’s arm was tightening around his shoulders might’ve actually hurt a normal person. He pulled another bite of noodles and broth into his mouth and had just finished mopping his face with a napkin when he was jerked out of the booth by his collar and forced onto his toes. Dully, Kusuo lifted an eyebrow. Someone was feeling brave today. Teruhashi Makoto’s face was a mask of truly furious rage and his thoughts weren’t much better. The hands holding his uniform jacket were trembling and a very unattractive vein was bulging in the man’s forehead. “Hey! The fuck you think you’re doing!?” Aren yelled behind him and Kineshi stood quickly. “Where is she, you four-eyed freak,” Makoto hissed into his face and Kusuo delicately scrunched up his nose. Smelly. “You tell me where my beautiful Kokomi is right now. I know you’ve done something with her and I know she’s here!” “Calm down, Aren,” Kusuo disregarded that for a moment in favour of controlling the rapidly blackening aura, giving the enraged teen behind him a calming look over his shoulder. “I’ve got this.” “Oh you’ve GOT THIS, do you!” Makoto seethed and drew back a fist to punch him. Chisato screamed. Kusuo turned back to the man who’d made his friend’s life hell and narrowed his eyes, reaching up to ruthlessly wrench the grip out of his shirt and catching the man’s fist before Makoto could hit him. In but a moment he had Makoto’s arms pinned uncomfortably high against his back and was steering him toward the male washrooms. “Yes, I do. Come on, pervert, you’re coming with me.” “Kusuo, I’m coming with you.” And there was Aren at his side, easily keeping pace. “Me too.” And there was Kineshi, who didn’t have a clue what was going on but trusted him all the same. Kusuo sighed and found himself marvelling yet again how amazing the compassion in these people was. What a pain, really. “Right.” Nobody made a move to stop them, though they did get a lot of worried looks. Makoto was putting up a huge, and loud, fuss but he wasn’t able to struggle too much, not without risking the dislocation of his arms. Kusuo had him outmatched in strength by a matter of thousands, after all, and his grip remained solid. Aren opened the bathroom door for them and Kineshi followed inside. Together the class rep and reformed delinquent worked to empty the bathroom, which luckily wasn’t too populated, and then

both took up guard positions at the door, Kineshi outside and Aren inside. Aren locked the door and crossed his arms, leaning to settle against it, and Kusuo exhaled. “Right.” He released the struggling actor and stepped back to avoid a punch to his face, and then quickly dodged a tackle. Makoto was a mess, his beanie and sunglasses having been knocked askew by his struggling and under the shades his eyes were seething, a bit crazy, with dark bags underneath. The hollows of his cheeks had deepened significantly like he hadn’t been eating and he swayed, sweating, before raising his shivering fists again, apparently determined to beat his sister’s ‘safety’ out of Kusuo. Kusuo felt a shock of sympathy jolt through him but quickly suppressed it. Makoto cared about his sister, true, but he cared about her in the wrong way and that had caused Kokomi stress, fear, and pain. Still, he decided this might be easier if he let the other guy tire himself out first and erected a sound barrier around the bathroom so the other customers wouldn’t be bothered by the racket the actor was making. He lazily continued to dodge and deflect the furious but exhausted man’s attempted assault and true to form it wasn’t long before Makoto was lagging. “I know…” The man panted heavily. “That you got her chained away somewhere in here you bastard...what’ve you...done with her?” ‘Right.’ Kusuo thought to himself, waving aside a feeble arm. ‘He’s done. Any further and he might pass out.’ Cobra quick he lashed out and grabbed the man’s head, pushing Makoto to his knees. Reverse forced telepathy. Unlike his own brother, Makoto did genuinely care about his younger sister. He wanted her to eat well, sleep without fear, be healthy, be safe, and be happy. It’d just gotten perverted somewhere along the way until that honest brotherly concern turned deviant. He could fix that, though. “You’re her brother,” Kusuo forced into the older man’s brain, grimacing as he struggled to keep a tight leash on his own antipathy. “And you’re lusting over her the way a husband lusts after his wife. Not only is that wrong, but it’s traumatizing.” Kusuo showed him the tears Kokomi had wasted on him, the fear she’d displayed the moment he’d told her Makoto was on his way, the way she and Chiyo had quickly ducked into the bathroom opposite the one which they stood in, her knees knocking together in anxiety and horror. He showed Makoto the stress, the bitter anger, the deeply buried grief Kokomi held for the relationship she’d lost without ever truly getting to have it. “Kokomi wants to look up to her older brother, she wants to be friends with you and, truly, she admires you. She wants to love you but she doesn’t feel safe in her own home or even expressing that to you for fear of what you, the one who’s supposed to look out for and protect her, may do to her. You fill her with disgust, rage, fear, and despair. Get over yourself and give her back the brother you need to be, not the husband you want to be. For her.” Kusuo shoved the man away and took a shaky step back, panting just a bit with the effort of

holding back his feelings. “Also we’re not in a relationship like that, we never were in a relationship like that, and we’ll never be in a relationship like that, so stop taking your anger out on me and look in a mirror because the one you should be pissed off at is yourself you complete and utter dumpster fire.” On the floor Makoto shivered in a heap, eyes bulging round and panting heavily. He blinked once, twice, and began to retch. Kusuo grimaced and picked him up by his shirt collar, shoving the man into a stall before he inconvenienced the staff by throwing up on the floor. “You okay?” Aren asked by the door and Kusuo rubbed at his forehead. “Yeah.” There was a knock and Aren unlocked the door he leaned against, peeking out. “Yeah?” “The manager’s asking if everything’s okay, I think he’s debating calling the police. Is it going alright in here?” Kineshi asked in a whisper, looking around in concern. He grimaced a bit as the sound of vomiting echoed in the small space. A few feet behind him hovered the manager in question, a worried looking man with a receding hairline and wringing hands. Aren nodded and smiled. “Yeah, everythings alright sir. Our friend has some issues with sudden panic attacks is all, and we thought it’d be best to bring him in here so we didn’t disturb the other customers.” “Oh, well, that’s all well and fine but you can’t block other diners from using the washroom, sirs.” “We’re almost done here, honest.” The manager’s worried eyes hovered over Aren’s shoulder, looking toward Kusuo who was busy wetting a paper towel to bring to the man puking in the stall. He’d upset the Makoto’s entire world, after all. Briefly, Kusuo had contemplated means such as simply writing Makoto out of existence or using his mind control to shift Makoto’s obsession. There was a chance that neither may have fully worked though, and Kusuo wasn’t into murder besides, but showing him the consequences of his actions? That would very likely do the trick. “You doing okay?” He asked as he leaned into the stall, covering his nose against the acrid stench of vomit. It seemed as though Makoto really hadn’t been eating much at all, all the man had brought up was bile and stomach acid. The bluenette heaved one last time before shakily wiping his face and Kusuo shifted deeper inside, pressing the damp towel against the adult’s cheek to make him aware of it. Outside he heard the manager sigh. “I’ll get you boys a glass of water for your friend but I really must insist you stop blocking the door.” “We understand, sir. We’ll do that, and we apologize for the inconvenience to yourself and this establishment.” Kineshi was no doubt bowing deeply. “We were just worried for our friend is all, but maybe we did act inappropriately in the heat of the moment. I apologize.” “It’s fine, it’s fine. You seem to be good and upstanding young men, so I won’t bring this to the attention of your school so long as you don’t make anymore disturbances. I’ll be right back with

that water.” “Thank you, sir.” “How’s everything going in here?” Aren asked a moment later, peeking into the stall. Kusuo, who’d taken to leaning against the stall’s wall with his arms crossed, nodded. “I think we’re nearly done here.” “Was…” As one they turned to look to the man crouched by the toilet. Makoto had mopped up his face but was sitting in a defeated slouch, regarding the floor and shaking with trauma and devastation as he wrung his beanie in his hands. When he peered up at them his face was wet with tears and he looked to barely be choking back his sobs. “Was all of that true?” The man sniffled weakly. “Everything you just showed me, all of that was true? Have I really been hurting my beautiful, sweet Kokomi so much with my love?” Kusuo inclined his head in a shallow nod and that was all it took for the actor to break down completely into a mess of heaving, raspy sobs. “Oh Kokomi…” Makoto shoved his face into his beanie and bowed low over his knees, heartbreak pouring from him. Kusuo shifted uncomfortably, glancing down at the floor, and then very slowly shifted to kneel next to the actor. The man’s misery was painful to listen to, and to feel. He also didn’t think his mom would very pleased with him if she learned he’d made somebody cry so fitfully and then not do anything to help, even if it was for a very good reason. That was what he reasoned to himself at least as he reached out and wondering at himself, very tentatively began to rub the other’s back. “You need to get help,” Kusuo told Makoto as he ripped off some toilet paper from the roll above them, handing it to the man. “Not just for Kokomi’s sake but yours as well. The extent of your obsession with her isn’t healthy for either of you and maybe if you manage to get passed this, you’ll actually have something that resembles a genuine relationship with her someday.” The man ignored the paper completely and Kusuo sighed. “Is everything going okay in here?” Kineshi wandered over to crowd the stall door as well, and Aren obligingly moved over. “He didn’t hurt you Kusuo, did he?” Kusuo shook his head. “Kusuo said this should probably be wrapping up soon,” Aren spoke for him and Kineshi sighed softly in relief. “Oh good, that scared me. Good job in restraining him though, maybe you should think about joining the judo club.” Trust Kineshi… Kusuo shook his head, ignoring him. “It’s not that difficult when you have super powers, Kineshi.” “Haha, wait, what?”

“Are you boys doing alright?” The manager re-entered, bearing the promised glass of water and Kineshi moved over for him so Aren could take the glass. Kusuo tried not to look at the manager, knowing the man’s eyes were burning with sympathy as he gazed at the picture he and Makoto made next to the toilet. He took the glass as Aren passed it to him and pressed it against Makoto’s clammy forehead. “Hey, you should drink this.” “H-Huh?” “You’ve badly dehydrated yourself. You need to have some water or you’ll have difficulty getting home.” Makoto sniffled wetly, looking at Kusuo with shock. “What? Wh-Why...why do you even care? After everything I’ve done to you and to my dear Kokomi, why do you care?!” Kusuo didn’t feel comfortable answering that so he didn’t, just offered the glass again. Makoto stared at it for a long moment, his head a dizzying jumble of emotion more than thought, but eventually reached for the glass with a shaking hand. “Do I need to call an ambulance for your friend here?” The manager spoke softly, causing Makoto to startle and fumble the glass but Kusuo caught his hand, helping to steady him. “No, I think we’re just about done. Thank you so much for all your help and understanding sir, we truly do appreciate it.” Kineshi, ever the diplomatic class rep, swung into another bow. “We’ll make sure to tell all our friends about how kind you were and how good your food is!” “Th-thank you sir.” Makoto said as well as he quickly shoved his glasses and beanie back on, shifting carefully to his feet. Kusuo rose as well and reached passed him to flush the mess in the toilet. The actor rubbed at his face one last time and bowed as well. “I-I apologize for disturbing you and your customers...thank you for your patience.” The manager waved him off, smiling pleasantly under his thick mustache. “Think nothing of it, boys. My grandfather lived outside Nagasaki when the atomic bomb dropped and I remember how bad his outbursts could be, even into his old age. So I understand completely.” His eyes grew stern in a paternal way. “But you should think about seeking professional help for that, son, especially if yours are as violent as they were reported to be by other customers. You don’t want to hurt your friends and family after all, and you should thank them as well for being so considerate and understanding.” Makoto shifted uncomfortably, shifting his sunglasses, and nodded. “Now, if you’re done with that glass I’ll be taking it back. Yes, thank you young man.” The manager nodded to Kusuo as he handed it over, taking it. “Please return to your meals. And no more blocking the bathroom!” Kineshi and Aren laughed and with that the manager finally left them. Once he’d gone, Aren swung around and snarled at Makoto, causing the man to back up a step. “You lay another finger on Kusuo and your ass is grass, got it?” Aren demanded more than asked, jabbing one finger into the actor’s chest. “Consider yourself lucky you picked a public place to do

that or you’d be needing to put your teeth back into your pretty little head. C’mon Kusuo.” And with that the punk threw his arm back around Kusuo’s shoulders, dragging him out of the stall and toward the door. Kusuo nearly stumbled in surprise. Even with access to the other boy’s thoughts and feelings he hadn’t seen that coming. He’d really been having difficulty pinning down the taller boy’s intentions lately, it was almost as if Aren acted more on instinct, body moving without his ever really thinking about it. Kusuo blinked and stared in shock up at the other boy. Yes, that was it exactly. Aren’s upbringing had left him a man of muscle memory and hot blood. His brain lagged behind his body, or rather his brain came second and his body swung first, and the more emotional or immediately dire a situation was the more Aren’s thoughts shut down and the more he became a being of pure action. It was the ultimate form of ‘shoot first, ask questions later’. That was why he’d had such difficulty predicting the other’s movements or understanding him at all. Kusuo swallowed, letting himself be pulled out of the bathroom, and tried not to be too bizarrely thrilled by that. It was a fine balance apparently. Complete unpredictability and Aren would have been like Nendo, and therefore totally unattractive and, in fact, kind of scary. Enough to go on some of the time and it was like a puzzle had been put in front of him, one that Kusuo actually had to work to solve, and therefore...exciting. He was so, so, so screwed. By the time the three of them got back to the booth, Kokomi and Chiyo had returned as well. The table sent them an anxious glance and Kineshi threw them a thumbs up, prompting the group to give a relieved sigh. Kokomi and Chiyo both stood to let them get back in. “That was scary how he came at you like that, are you okay Kusuo?” Shun asked and Kusuo blinked as he was pushed into the booth first. But this hadn’t been his seat before? “Uhm-” He started to ask as Aren settled in beside him, wordlessly switching their places. “Shut up and eat,” Aren grumbled. “I swear when that guy grabbed you I almost had a damn heart attack so just let me do this, okay? I know you can handle yourself but it makes me feel better.” ...Right. Kusuo dismissed that and turned back to Shun, nodding. “I’m fine, he didn’t hurt me.” He shifted and leaned passed Aren to look at Kokomi. “I meddled. Hopefully this will make things better.” “Makoto was pretty distraught to learn that he’s been...hurting you with certain things.” Aren muttered to her lowly in explanation. “Kusuo explained it to him. I think. I only caught some of it, to be honest.” “He’s also coming this way.” The table fell silent, Nendo even putting down his chopsticks and spoon, as Makoto reapproached the table. Kusuo tensed a bit but honestly, he didn’t think he’d need to do anything. The man’s face was still red and blotchy under his disguise and his entire demeanor had shifted from his typical confident and flamboyant swagger to something severely diminished, tired, and

sad. “Uhm, Kokomi,” When Makoto spoke his voice was rough, still a bit wet. “I...understand if you don’t want to talk but would you please do me a favour and listen for a moment?” Kokomi tensed but drawing on her not unimpressive strength of will, nodded and stood. “I think it would be best if we had this conversation outside.” “I’m coming too!” Chiyo volunteered instantly but Kokomi shook her head and favoured her friend with a smile. “This is...something I’d rather was private, Chiyo, even to you. But thank you, I appreciate it.” “He knows what’ll happen if he screws around.” Aren declared darkly, chewing on a toothpick as he glared with teeth at Makoto. Makoto nodded in agreement. “I promise I won’t do anything untoward. I only want to talk.” “Then let’s talk.” Kokomi smoothed out her skirt and lead the way out the restaurant doors. In a unanimous decision the table promptly crowded the window next to their booth. “You haven’t seen anything, have you Mikoto?” Chiyo mumbled from her position underneath the gyaru’s impressive assets, to which the blond shook her head as she squinted down the street. Makoto and Kokomi were barely visible on the other side of the building. “No, nothing at all so I think it should go okay.” “I swear if he touches a hair on her head I’m gonna go Jet Black Wings on his butt,” Shun hissed like a scalded cat, bristling. “Kusuo can back me up, right Kusuo?” Deciding not to point out that it would be him doing the work in that scenario, Kusuo just nodded while Aren grinned savagely above him. “I’m right there with you.” “I still can’t believe the famous Mugami Tohru is such a violent jerk…” Chisato whimpered. “His moving performances have gotten me through so much. I always thought if he could get through things, that, well, that I...could too.” “I don’t think he’s a naturally violent person, Mera,” Kineshi mumbled knowingly. “He doesn’t have that look about him. He’s just an unstable guy that’s been pushed to the edge a bit, that’s all. It could happen to anyone.” ‘Not to mention abject poverty and acting out a script are two totally different things,’ Kusuo thought as he looked towards the auburn haired girl, knowing how much she suffered and starved so her mother and siblings got a chance to eat. ‘You’re way stronger than he is, you just don’t know it.’ “I’m still totally not watching that dumb detective show anymore though.” Shun sulked. They all nodded in agreement. “How’s it looking out there, Kusuo?” Mikoto asked. “Good. They’re coming to an understanding. He’s not going to bother her anymore.” The esper

responded, getting fed up with trying to squint through the window and instead crossing his eyes to activate his clairvoyance. Mikoto smirked at him. “I thought you only got involved when things directly affected you? All that lecturing me not to help irresponsibly and look at you, helping. Face it Kusuo, you’re a big softie.” “This does directly affect me. He’s been a huge pain in my ass for the last two years, always cornering and threatening me. And…” Kusuo uncrossed his eyes. “And I finally stopped lying to myself.” Mikoto’s face lit right up but Kusuo held up a hand to forestall her gushing. “Kokomi’s coming back, we should resume position.” There was a huge scramble as they did just that, a couple of banged elbows and knees becoming casualty to the facade of normality as they did their best to get casual and pretend they’d never been trying to eavesdrop. Kusuo shoved a mouthful of cooling ramen into his mouth and Chisato loudly declared that she was going to order another helping just as the girl in question returned to the table, her head dropped so her bangs blocked her eyes. The forced conversations dropped into muted concern. Kokomi’s shoulders were trembling. “Kuboyasu, can you move please?” “Uh, sure thing Teruhashi…” Aren mumbled, watching her in worry as he shifted out of the booth. “Kusuo, come here please.” He swallowed his mouthful and nodded, likewise shifting out of the booth to stand silently in front of the tiny girl. Kokomi sucked in a wet gasp and shivered, and it became obvious that she was crying as a tear dropped from her chin. “Can I hug you? Please?” Ah hell, why not. He guessed he could do that for her, considering. Wordlessly Kusuo opened his arms and the girl dropped into them immediately, burying her face in his chest as her arms wound around his back. When was the last time he’d been touched as much as he had been lately? Kusuo pushed the question back and very carefully wrapped Kokomi into his arms, simply holding the shaking girl. “Thank you,” Kokomi gasped, her fingers clutching tightly at the back of his jacket. “Thank you, thank you so much! I never...I never thought…” She hiccuped on a tiny sob. “Just...thank you!” “You’re welcome, Kokomi.” Kusuo closed his eyes and risked hugging her to him just a bit tighter, nervous of breaking her. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it helped.” “So,” Kineshi asked lightly behind him. “What’s this about Kusuo having super powers?” Shun began to chortle smugly. “Oh how little you know. It’s like this…” The boy began to explain things but Kusuo paid it no attention. One down, he thought as he began to absently stroke Kokomi’s hair the way his mother had used to do for him whenever he’d been overwhelmed by his telepathy. One to go. He still had no idea what he was going to do about his own older brother. Unlike Makoto, Kusuke

didn’t give a single shit if he hurt Kusuo, in fact the very thought of doing so was enough to fill his brother with an erotic thrill. He still didn’t want to tell his parents, he’d been serious when he’d told Aren how badly that made him feel. He didn’t want them to feel like they’d failed him, either of them, and he didn’t want them to lose a family member they loved, adored, were proud of and who, honestly, loved them back. But, Kusuo thought as he and Aren helped Kokomi back into the booth while they all returned to their meals, the atmosphere significantly lighter than it’d been a moment before, he was beginning to think there was no other way. It was Wednesday evening, Kusuo reminded himself as he looked out the window and into the darkening sky, tracing the swathes of sunset colours that shot through the deepening blue. One and a half more days, and he’d be home. He could tell them then. He just hoped nothing happened before that.

Aren waved bye to his friends as they all split up, the majority having walked them back to the school where Aren had left his bike, aside from Shun, who had cram school, and Chisato, who had to go to her evening job. “See you guys tomorrow!” He called out, smiling as they returned the sentiment, and dropped his hand into his pocket as he watched them leave. It was nearly full dark now and the night had the usual late-October chill. He’d be glad to get home and into a shower then a bath, he thought with a small shiver as he pulled out his driving jacket. “Wanna put your prize in here?” He asked Kusuo as he looked at the smaller boy’s bulging plastic bag. And hadn’t that been a sight, Toritsuka barging into their class at the last minute, calling Kusuo master while he presented the bag to him! Aren was straight up refusing to admit to himself, or even think about, how alluring Kusuo had looked when he’d held his ill-gotten prize up to the light, his bearing every inch the smug, dominant princess-like imperiousness that Aren so often teased him about. No doubt there were already some interesting rumors going around but he was pleased to see that Kusuo didn’t seem to care. No, the only thing the pink haired boy cared about right now was his coffee jelly. He was looking at the under-seat compartment suspiciously as if he thought it might gobble up his treat, or make it disappear, if he relinquished his hold on the bag. Aren huffed out an amused breath. “C’mon Princess, you can’t hold onto that and me at the same time.” “Watch me, punk.” Kusuo muttered, looking for a moment like he might not give in but then he surrendered, very carefully depositing the bag inside. With a little bit of adjusting and without their

school bags or helmets, there was just enough room. “You okay with that?” Aren asked as he watched Kusuo pulled both their bags onto his shoulders, one per arm, and adjust them until they were comfortable. “Yeah.” “Where do you think he got the money for all that, anyway?” Aren asked as he tugged on his helmet, zipping up his jacket. “Don’t know, don’t care. He fulfilled the conditions so he gets to live.” “Mm, fair enough. So why’s he call you ‘master’?” “He knows I’m more powerful than him and respects that. As well he wants me to teach him my abilities, which I can’t do, but he’s still holding out hope I’ll be able to figure that out eventually and mentor him someday if he’s a good boy.” Kusuo rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah? Huh. You know the entire class is thinking that you two got some kinda kinky thing going on. Doesn’t that bother you?” Aren turned to look at the shorter teen as he stepped onto the bike, resting there for a moment. “With you being ace and all?” “Trust me, I know. There were a lot of graphic images as we left.” Kusuo did look a little irritated by that, now seeming to regret how that had gone down just a bit even if it did net him such an incredible prize. “But as long as my abilities stay secret I really couldn’t care less what they think of me.” “Even if it’s sexual in nature?” Aren raised an eyebrow, asking Kusuo to stop and consider that. “Well…” Kusuo looked away, eventually shrugging. “I don’t know how I feel about that, honestly. I guess as long as they don’t fantasize about hurting me, it’s fine. Not that they could, but it’s disturbing to listen to thoughts like that.” Aren felt a jolt lance up his chest and regarded his friend in shock before his mind drifted to their conversation the night before. “Your brother…? You’ve seen-?” Kusuo nodded in confirmation, his expression carefully blank. Against the black of the night he looked small and remote, his vibrant colours muted grey. “Usually I can’t hear his thoughts anymore but yes.” The boy’s voice was soft. There was a madness crawling up Aren’s spine, one born of grief and rage. His hands tightened on the handlebars and took in a deep breath as the urge for violence trembled in his knuckles. “Right…” Aren growled then gave his head a shake and slid the key into the ignition. He swore, he was going to murder the shit out of that man someday. And the sooner the better, but right now he had better things, and people, to think about. Kusuo’s warm and slim body settled in behind him and Aren closed his eyes as the weight of other’s arms settled on his waist. He wanted so badly to just tuck Kusuo safely into his arms and hide him from those that sought to do him evil like that, but right now getting him to the safety of Aren’s house would be good enough. And then he had a date with his heavy bag. He didn’t have a face to put to a name yet but that

didn’t mean he couldn’t take out his fury over the fucker who’d been tormenting the teen behind him. It wouldn’t be as good as killing the man but until he could, it would do. It would do. It had to. He kicked up the stand, flicked on Betty’s headlight, then turned on the radio. Carefully he navigated them out of the parking lot and merged onto the road, tail light trailing red behind them. He felt Kusuo’s helmet drop down to lean against his shoulder. At their first red light he settled a hand against one of the ones fisted into his jacket, a familiar gesture that had used to tick Aren off when anyone else had done it but with Kusuo, was nothing but endearing. He squeezed the other boy’s hand softly and felt a very minute shiver push through the body clutched at his back. Kusuo was a pro at hiding his tells but he still had them and Aren didn’t need to be a psychic to figure out the other kid’s emotions were running high after the day he had. ‘Poor thing’s probably exhausted and ready to drop into bed.’ The light turned green and Aren relinquished his friend’s hand in favour of the handle, pushing off the ground and then they were off again. It took a bit longer than usual to get them home because Aren still drove for the conditions despite the invulnerable esper behind him. “Heeey, there’s my boys!” Miri called from the balcony, waving at them. “I was wondering what you’d gotten up to!” “Oh yeah, sorry mom!” Aren shouted back as he cut the ignition and kicked the stand down. Stepping off the bike he approached his mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I meant to text you but forgot. We ended up going out for ramen after school with some friends, you don’t mind do ya?” She pinched his cheek, grinning widely but Aren could easily spot the old worry in her tired eyes. “You’re cute kid. Nah, I know you can take care of yourself. C’mere.” She smacked a wet and sloppy kiss onto his cheek and Aren stuck his tongue out. “Blargh, gross.” He grinned and wiped the slime off, turning to watch Kusuo come up the stairs. The boy had successfully rescued his coffee jelly and he practically bounced over to them (well, as much as Kusuo ever bounced, which wasn’t a lot), his eyes bright as he fished out one of the cups and offered it to Miri. “You like coffee jelly, right?” He asked, looking much returned to his typical brightly coloured self under the lights of the patio. “Do I ever! Damn, I haven’t had one of these in years, thanks kid!” Miri replied ecstatically then looked at the bag Kusuo held. She whistled. “Holy shit, is that whole thing coffee jelly? That’s enough to give to a certain overpopulated idol group!” “Or make a bed out of!” Kusuo nodded enthusiastically.

“How’d you get so much? You rich or something?” Aren snorted. “You shoulda seen it mom, it was amazing. Turns out Princess here has an apprentice and the guy fucked up pretty badly so Kusuo sends him running, tail between his legs. He comes back at the end of the day, barges into the classroom and prostrates himself in front of Kusuo, calling him ‘Master’ the entire time, and presents the offering you see before you. We’re pretty sure the entire class thinks he’s some sort of secret dominatrix now.” “Totally worth it.” Kusuo said. Miri threw herself back into her chair, cackling loudly. “No way! Oh man that’s incredible, I wish I coulda seen it! You sure you aint some sorta gangster, kid? What you got an apprentice for anyway?” “Trust me, I don’t want him. And no.” Kusuo shook his head. “That’d make mom sad.” “Aw, you’re a mama’s boy eh? Well aren’t you cute!” The woman grabbed her cane and hefted herself up and Aren was struck by a sudden thought as he watched his mother limp carefully into the house. Earlier in that arm wrestling match with Nendo, he’d absolutely broken his arm. The snap of bone had thundered through his whole body and he’d been unable to stop himself from crying out in agony. He’d been hitting himself for ever being so stupid to challenge Nendo of all people to a match, bemoaning the loss of Kusuo’s slim form tucked up against his body on their nightly ride home. And then Kusuo had helped him up, touched his arm, and healed him with a thought. Aren had been amazed and very grateful. Could he-? He turned to look at the shorter boy with wide, hopeful eyes but Kusuo returned his gaze levelly, a hint of sadness pulling through his pretty face. “The injury is too old,” Kusuo shook his head and Aren realized that Kusuo was broadcasting only to him right now. “I can’t do anything for her except perhaps ease her pain, if she’ll let me touch her. I’m sorry Aren, even my powers have limits.” Aren slumped with a sigh, unable to help but feel disappointed. “I guess that makes sense, huh…” Kusuo dropped his head and his arms seemed to grow a bit tighter around the bag he held, clutching it to him harder. “I’m sorry.” “Nah, don’t worry bout it. It’s not your fault my arrogance got her fucked up. You don’t just pull out of the life without any consequences...something always comes from it.” Aren spoke bitterly, grimacing as trauma, rage, and guilt battled for dominance inside him. “Hey, what the hell you guys still doing out here?” Miri popped her head out the door, a teasing leer on her face. “You kids making out or somethin?” “What?! MOM!” Aren yelped, feeling his entire face grow red as he spun around. “Whaaaat? C’mon Aren-pie, you gotta admit it’s nice and romantic out here, a perfect setting for a bit of the smoochy-smooch with your sexy crush?”

“Oh my God, Mom, STOP!” He cried out in mortification, gesturing at her to shut up already. Of course it would be too much to ask for his feelings to slip by his parents unnoticed. Of course! Kusuo gasped next to him and Aren felt a block of cement drop right into his stomach, slowly turning his head around inch by painful inch to meet the freaking telepath’s gaze. Kusuo was gaping at him, jaw dropped open and squeezing the bag he held so hard that a bunch of coffee jelly fell with a clatter to the ground. “Oh shit,” Miri muttered to herself. “I’ll leave you two to sort this out. S’cuse me.” The door shut behind her and Aren straightened, his heart jackhammering in his chest and eyes not leaving the shorter boy stood beside him. “A-Aren?” Kusuo actually stuttered. All at once a wave of guilt washed over him and Aren sighed, shifting to drop into his mother’s rocking chair and dropping his head into his hand. “I aint gonna deny it cus you can read my mind anyway. Yeah, it’s true. Look,” He lifted his eyes to pin his pink-haired classmate down. “Just cus I feel this way doesn’t mean we gotta do anything about it, okay? So don’t feel pressured or anything, I understand you don’t feel the same way. We’ll just pretend this never happened and go on like normal.” A shadow fell over Kusuo’s eyes and he ducked his head, a scowl painting across his full mouth and turning it thin. Aren blinked. “Kusuo?” “I understand a little better how Kokomi felt the other day, now. Tch. This is the third time I’ve had to stand there while a guy has rejected me. Look you idiot,” Kusuo lifted his head and glared down at him with vitriol and...yeah, Aren wasn’t imagining things. He was hurt too. “You don’t get to tell me how I do or don’t feel.” “...What are you saying?” Aren responded breathlessly and pushed himself up again. Frustratingly Kusuo remained silent, dropping his head to the side again to scowl at the floor. Aren twitched and growled, reaching out to grab the shorter boy’s chin and drag his face back around. “Tell me what you mean!” He demanded and winced as Kusuo dropped the jelly completely to slap away his wrist. That’d stung! “Don’t tell me what to do!” “I wouldn’t have to tell you what to do if you’d just listen to me!” Aren snapped back. “And to yourself, too! Goddamn, I’ve never met a more emotionally constipated stuck up prick!” “You wanna fucking go?” Kusuo asked, an unsettling light beginning to shine in his eyes. “You really wanna pick a fight with me?” “No, I don’t! I just want you to tell me what the fuck you’re talking about!” Aren yelled, completely frustrated. Kusuo hissed. “Then give me a minute to put my thoughts together, asshole! This isn’t easy for me, I suck at being a person okay?!”

Great, now Aren felt bad. That little emotion-driven statement had been a confession in and of itself, and it’d hit Aren right in the gut. Still, he backed off. Kusuo had been so much more personable lately that he’d kind of forgotten how truly anti-social the kid was. The other boy let out an explosive sigh and dragged his hand through his hair, looking down at the coffee jelly he’d dropped. “Look what you made me do, good grief…” Carefully, Kusuo caught the bag with his powers before it blew away in the wind and grasped it, gesturing with his other hand. What packs hadn’t been broken open by the fall were loaded back into the bag and the ones that were levitated in front of the pink haired esper. He carefully touched each one and Aren watched, impressed, as time seemed to rewind on each of the cups, the coffee jellies mending as if they’d never been broken open at all. “There.” Kusuo sighed and very carefully settled the bag on Miri’s chair, putting it out of the way. “I can only do that once every twenty-four hours so if you make me break those again, I’m gonna be pissed.” “Consider me warned.” Aren muttered quietly, watching the other boy closely. Kusuo lifted his head and looked right back at him, studying him back just as hard as he chewed over what he wanted to say. Aren took the moment to gaze openly at his crush’s face, taking in the esper’s full mouth and the pleasing shape of his eyes, the slimness of his throat and the pretty slope of his thin jaw. The psychic truly was a beautiful young man, was it really a wonder that he’d been the first boy Aren had fallen in love with? And such a painfully good person too. He reflected back to the earlier scene in the restaurant bathroom. Kusuo could have easily beaten Teruhashi senior to a pulp for picking a fight, he was definitely strong enough and many a lesser man would have. Hell, Aren would have in a damn heartbeat. Instead Kusuo had let the creep tire himself out and only then had he touched the guy. After that he’d even nursed the asshole despite Teruhashi senior’s offenses. Aren got the feeling that something a bit more complex had happened there. He wasn’t sure if maybe Kusuo was projecting his own feelings onto the guy, or maybe he wished his own brother was a bit more like Teruhashi senior and actually caring of his welfare, or maybe it’d been something else altogether. Kusuo had been looking a bit lost by the end of it himself so Aren doubted even the esper fully knew what happened there. Kusuo and matters of the heart were very rarely companions. Still, the fact that he’d done it at all was painfully admirable. Saiki Kusuo was such a fucking goody-goody that it hurt to watch but it only made Aren’s respect and affection for him deepen. “I’m…” Kusuo seemed to be looking around for something to say. “I’m really not. A good person.” Aren narrowed his eyes, bit back his automatic response, and reminded himself to be patient. “I’ve lied to everyone and pushed you all away. A good person doesn’t do that.” “Just because you’re a prissy asshole doesn’t make you a bad person, Kusuo.” Aren cocked an eyebrow and then smiled, pleased, when some of the tension broke as Kusuo snorted out a short huff that might have resembled laughter if it’d been a bit louder. “But I think you’re dancing around the elephant, here.” The esper rolled his eyes but nodded, conceding the point. “I…”

“You?” Aren goaded, both to tease Kusuo and because he was admittedly growing impatient. Kusuo rolled his eyes again, harder this time, and shot him a Look. Aren held up his hands in defeat. “I…” The esper’s gaze dodged around for a moment, finally settling on a tree in the distance. “I...like you too. But, uhm, I don’t think we’d work.” Well, the issue seemed pretty cut and dry to him. If they both liked each other there shouldn’t be any problems but apparently Kusuo had to make one, go fucking figure. Aren folded his arms tightly and did his best not to get pissed off again but it was pretty goddamn difficult. “Why not?” “Well, I...that is, you...I’m...afraid that I can’t give you what you need.” Kusuo breathed out hard, finally desisting in his bush beating. “And what’s that?” He felt a vein above his eyebrow throb and reached up to soothe it, shutting his eyes. “You know. Sex.” Oh. ...Oooooh. “You have a libido. I don’t.” Kusuo shrugged, still looking off into the distance so Aren couldn’t see his expression. The anger drained out of him completely, leaving Aren feeling limp and tired, and he reached up to rub at his head. Yeah, that actually wasn’t unfair. “Well, I’m not gonna lie, I do find you pretty sexy.” Aren dropped his arms from his chest and walked over to stand next to Kusuo, leaning against the veranda railing and looking out into the darkness as well. Faintly he could see the shimmering eyes of an owl. “But I get that you might be scared of that. Wait…” The way that Kusuo had phrased it suddenly hit him and made Aren smile. He couldn’t help but tease his classmate. “Aw, you really do care about me, don’t you? Is that really what’s been worrying you this whole time? That you’d leave me unfulfilled?” He glanced up through his brow and waggled them at Kusuo, grin growing wider as a pleased warmth sunk into his bones. Kusuo finally met his gaze again, looking a bit surprised by where Aren had taken the conversation. His mouth had made a cute little ‘o’, so sweetly parted, and Aren blew out a gusty sigh through his nose as he dropped his cheek onto his hand. “Sorry, kid. I don’t know if that’s possible,” He replied. Aren thought of the simple pleasure he felt whenever they rode on his motorcycle together, the way he admired Kusuo’s bravery, integrity, and moral values, how much he’d enjoyed getting to wrap the esper’s smaller form under his arm and keep him there lately. He thought of how glad he was that Kusuo got on so well with his mother, and how sweet he thought it was that Kusuo loved Miri’s baking so much. He thought of how he’d been relieved that Kusuo and Rean also got on relatively well, and also that Kusuo had entered his home judgement free.

He thought of how he valued the other boy’s sharp wit and how cute he thought Kusuo’s prissy attitude was, especially when contrasted with how he’d melt in pleasure the moment he had some sweets. Aren thought of all of that and then he broadcasted it openly, watching smugly as Kusuo’s cheeks began to match his hair. “I think I like you too much to ever feel unfulfilled just because, what, you don’t wanna suck dick or whatever? I can get myself off just fine, you don’t need to help me with that.” Even if the thought of getting the shorter boy off was an alluring one... “Besides, I’m not looking to rush into sex right away either.” “...Have you ever done it?” “What, had sex?” Aren shook his head. “Nah. Pretty sure I told you this before but what I want, I want to last forever. It’s one and done for me, man, and sex is a part of that. It’s gotta be special and with someone I love or it aint happening.” “...Really.” “Course a buncha my boys and girls in the gang thought I was a romantic idiot for it, but I’m determined to stick to my guns on that. So trust me when I say that, though it might be nice, it’s really not something I’m all that worried about.” “Really?” Kusuo was looking down at him with a light in his eyes that almost looked like the beginnings of hope. “Damn, you’ve seriously been beating yourself up over this, haven’t you?” Aren muttered and with that Kusuo sighed heavily and slid to sit on the ground, pushing his back into a railing post. “When everyone else started to develop in that area I stayed stagnant. And then sex-ed started and the teacher would talk about erections, masturbation, how our bodies were going to change and the feelings we’d experience and I just…” Kusuo shrugged. “It never happened for me. So I resigned myself to going through life without romance. Not only would my potential partner need to deal with my psychic powers but I wouldn’t even be able to give them, well, what a lot of people need in a relationship.” “You thought that made you unloveable?” Aren read between the lines with something like heartbreak aching in his chest, regarding the shorter boy with shock. “...Yeah.” Kusuo agreed after a moment. “You grow up with an older brother who tells you how much of a freak you are and how people will leave you the moment they know about you...I used to think he was just teasing me but I know that’s an understatement now. Then you get even less normal the older you get, and that impression can start to sink in. Besides, like you said, I’m a pretty big asshole.” “Jesus Christ, Kusuo.” Aren breathed in horror and sympathy. The esper just shrugged, looking exhausted, and Aren dropped down to sit beside him.

There was serious damage there. Aren put aside his murderous fantasies because he had to focus on Kusuo right now. He swallowed, trying to figure out what to say, and then shook his head. “Well, your brother is a deranged freak, and an idiot, and he’s wrong about everything. And you know that too, don’t you? Our whole friend group knows about your psychic powers now and not a single one of us has left you. You do understand that right? You get how much we love you?” To that the other guy smiled, sweet and sad, and nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know how a jerk like me managed to attract so many kind and compassionate people but I did, and even though it took me a while to get adjusted to it I do appreciate all of you.” Aren turned his gaze up to consider the stars overhead. Even up here the light pollution was to the point where only the brightest of them twinkled in the night sky. “How did your parents never notice? I’ve seen how much they adore you, and they’re good people.” “I hate to say it but unlike him, my parents aren’t geniuses. They’re kind and loving and they raised us well, but they can be a bit oblivious, especially when they’re doting on each other.” Kusuo shrugged, looking smug. “Besides, I gave as good as I got, if not better. I demolished him in every contest he tried to arrange and kicked his ass whenever he tried to pull something else. And then when he was fourteen he tested out of highschool, moved to England, and enrolled in Cambridge. I didn’t have to deal with him for years. So maybe some of it was him, sure, but I really am genuinely an asshole.” Kusuo frowned. “People suck. I don’t like them.” Aren snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, you’re spot on there.” They sat in silence for a moment and then looked at each other, gazes meeting. Tentatively Aren reached out, paused as he waited for Kusuo to say something, and then when he didn’t Aren closed the distance and brushed the back of his knuckles against the esper’s cheek. It was soft like his hair and a bit plush. Kusuo eyed him for a moment before his lashes dropped shut and he leaned into the touch. “So…” Aren said softly, trying to steer the conversation back to where they’d started. “Do you, like...wanna try anyway? Getting together, see how that goes?” “If you really want to,” Kusuo’s mental voice was a little breathy and surprisingly shy. “I guess that...wouldn’t be the absolute worst thing in the world.” Aren let out a cackle and drew the other boy under his arm, unable to resist giving the little geek a noogie. “You really are just the biggest goddamn tsundere aren’t you, oh my God!” Kusuo pushed him away, pulling back with a soft gasp for air and straightening his glasses. “It’s hereditary, my grandpa’s the same way.” “Hah! Are you serious?” “Yeah. He wants nothing more than to spend time with us on the inside but on the outside he’s griping the entire time. Total hot/cold temperament.” Aren snickered then couldn’t help a shiver as a breeze stirred through. The night was getting seriously chilly, a firm reminder that winter would be in soon, and while leather driving jackets were decent armour against accidents they didn’t make great insulators. Kusuo blinked at him and

then scooted closer and Aren gasped as the air suddenly grew warmer. “Whoa...are you doing that?” “Mhm. Pyrokinesis. Cryokinesis is pretty useful during the summers too.” “Okay, see, how the hell did you ever figure you’d be inconveniencing me with your powers and asexuality when I get my own personal heater and AC out of the deal? C’mere.” “Hey,” Kusuo grumbled as Aren dragged the other boy closer, finally plunking the esper into his lap despite his mild struggling. Wrapping himself firmly around the shorter boy and marvelling at how well they fit, Aren leaned down to push his cold nose into the inviting neck in front of him, smirking as Kusuo jumped. “Cold!” “Yep. This is what us mere mortals have to deal with. Feel my suffering.” “Geeze.” But one of Kusuo’s hands had very, very tentatively begun to move through Aren’s hair and he hummed in delight at the gentle petting, tightening his grip just a little around the other boy’s slim waist. Then he blinked and poked at the other boy’s stomach, craning his head to look over Kusuo’s shoulder as he lifted the other’s shirt up. “Hey!” That was a no-no apparently because this time Kusuo actually did something about it, shoving his clothing back into place. Aren had seen what he’d wanted to see though. “Dude, you’re ripped.” He stated flatly, lifting an accusing eyebrow at his new boyfriend. “Shut up.” Kusuo grumbled, a bit of pink in his cheeks as he crossed his arms tightly over his torso so Aren wouldn’t be able to lift his shirt again. “I have to train really hard to control my strength. It took me months of practice, throwing balls three hundred times every night just so I wouldn’t accidentally lob one into the stratosphere during gym class and that’s only one example. It’s a natural consequence of that.” “Y’know, given how you eat I was kind of expecting a little bit of pudge under there.” Aren grinned and waggled his brows. “Not that I would have minded that, of course. Beauty comes in all sizes and you’d be gorgeous no matter what.” “Oh my God, just shut up already!” “What, can’t you take a compliment, Princess? Sorry man, but you’re completely stunning and I love everything about you.” Kusuo looked ready to impale him but suddenly seemed to get a better idea. Aren stiffened with worry. “So I finished that book I borrowed from you.” “...Yeah?” “I would like to return it.” A twist of Kusuo’s long fingers later and the book was summoned from his schoolbag, floating over obediently. Aren narrowed his eyes, considered this sudden topic change, and prepared to get annihilated.

“Here.” Kusuo made to hand it to him then paused. “You know, Aren, I never would have figured you the type to read this kind of thing.” “Give me that,” Aren snapped and stole the book back, shredding the wrapping. His eyes promptly bugged out of his head. “I especially enjoyed the part where Nao was mooning over Park’s banana print boxers. And how shortly after that, Park gave Nao a blowjob. In the second chapter.” Kusuo tilted his head, one eyebrow arched consideringly. There was the tiniest hints of a small, smug smirk on his mouth. “I, uh…” Aren swallowed, pretty sure his entire face was red. Well, that’s what he got for teasing Kusuo, he guessed. The princess always won. “It came highly recommended on Goodreads?” They were interrupted when the door was pushed open very carefully and Miri stuck her head back out, this time with Rean looming like a silent fortress above her. “Oh good, they still got their clothes on.” Rean muttered then gave an ‘OOF’ as Miri elbowed him back and stepped out, looking a bit sheepish. “Well it looks like you two got it worked out,” She said, eyeballing their position. Kusuo shifted as if to get up but Aren just curled around him tighter and responded. “Yep.” “I’m sorry I went a little too far there, I kinda figured with how you were acting that you two were already, well.” Miri shifted onto her good leg and made a hole with her left index finger and thumb, pulling her other pointer finger in and out repeatedly. “You know.” “Oh my Gooooood, mom, c’mon, you’re embarrassing me! Wait,” Aren blinked. “What do you mean by that exactly?” “I don’t know how you haven’t noticed it kid,” Rean said as he leaned against the doorway, looking pretty amused. “But you’ve been all over your little buddy since the moment he got here.” His mom nodded in agreement. “We were starting to wonder if maybe you were just worried to tell us you were gay or something, we didn’t realize you were just being an idiot about things and hadn’t actually worked it out yet.” “And you still allowed us to sleep in the same room?” Kusuo asked skeptically, quirking an eyebrow. Rean shrugged. “Aren knows what condoms are for.” “Fucks sakes.” Aren groaned and dropped his face back into Kusuo’s neck. “Haaah, that’s what she said!” Miri chortled, then paused and looked at Kusuo. “Or, well, ‘he’ in this case.” “Looks like this is our life now.” Kusuo muttered to him and Aren nodded, refusing to lift his head until the other boy patted at his arm. “C’mon, let me up. I want to get into my coffee jelly.” “You and your damn coffee jelly.” Aren grumbled but obliged, reluctantly relinquishing his new favourite heater and letting Kusuo stand up first before he got up himself, stretching out his back and shaking out the tingling that’d started up in his legs.

Determined to escape the good natured ribbing his parents were doting upon them the pair bunked out immediately in Aren’s room. “Hm, I guess I should let my parents know too…” Kusuo mumbled as he dropped onto Aren’s bed, looking for all the world like he belonged there, and pulled himself up against the headboard, curling up with a spoon and a coffee jelly. “Can I borrow your phone for a moment?” “Huh? You can’t just, like, telepath at them?” Aren asked but tugged his phone out of his back pocket anyway and offered it to the other boy. “Wait, better question, why don’t you have a phone?” “It’s a bit too far from my house up here so I’d need to take out my limiter, and then sorting through the interceding thoughts would be impossible.” Kusuo explained as he flipped open the phone and set to dialing. “And since I can teleport instantly there’s usually not much need for one. Not being able to go home is a bit of a pain.” “How does a phone even work with telepathy?” Aren asked, flopping back to lay down and propping his head up on an arm. He realized abruptly for the first time that he’d never actually heard Kusuo speak. “Think of it as something that amplifies my range. Using this I can sort of…” He made a throwing gesture as he held the phone to his ear, cupping his coffee jelly between his knees and digging into it. “Convert my telepathy into the signals and radio waves the way it does with a normal voice. It’s a bit tricky, though, but since mom doesn’t really text and I don’t wanna deal with dad...” “Sounds complicated.” Aren blinked. The call answered and Aren distantly heard the voice of Kurumi, Kusuo’s enthusiastic and doting mother. “Hello? Saiki Kurumi speaking!” “Hey mom.” “Ku-dear? Is that you? Oh you’re doing your cute little phone trick, I see! How have you been, baby? We’ve all missed you here, even little Amp has been looking for you!” It was interesting to watch as Kusuo’s shoulders immediately relaxed the moment his mom recognized and acknowledged him. Aren smiled. The esper was such a mama’s boy, no wonder he got on so well with Miri. “I’ve been good, mom. I’m starting to feel a lot better about things, but there’s a couple of updates I should let you know about.” Aren debated for a second then got up and grabbed one of his bike magazines from the floor. He hadn’t really cleaned up much since Kusuo had gotten here. He understood it was good manners to do so but Aren wasn’t embarrassed by his room’s state, he didn’t think it was too bad, and Kusuo didn’t seem to care either. Knowing the other guy, his room was probably spotless though. ‘Such a little princess.’ He thought to himself and flopped back onto the bed, patting and pressing at Kusuo’s legs until they’d folded into the world’s most inviting pillow. Aren dropped his head into it and flipped to where he’d left off, grinning to himself as Kusuo navigated the phone into his shoulder and lifted his jelly telekinetically, freeing one hand to run through Aren’s hair. “So a few of my, uh, friends ended up finding out about my powers.”

Kurumi gasped loudly. “Oh no! Is everything okay, baby? Do we need to move again?” “No, unlike Akechi these ones can keep their mouths shut so we should be fine. And everythings okay, mom, they...they all took it really well.” There was a bit of a rubbery texture on Kusuo’s hands. Aren blinked and took the one in his hair, pulling it into view, and felt around the other boy’s wrist. Ignoring Kusuo’s irritated look, Aren traced around the limb until he found a seam. No, he definitely wasn’t imagining things, Kusuo was indeed wearing very thin, see through gloves. That confirmed, Aren took the opportunity to inspect Kusuo’s hand and wrist instead of the glove he wore. They were really quite lovely - long, tapered fingers with delicate nails that Kusuo wore short and a thin, elegant wrist. Aren found himself suddenly craving a tea ceremony. He bet that Kusuo would perform it beautifully. “Stop that,” The boy mumbled and shook off Aren’s hands. Curiosity abated for the moment, Aren decided he’d ask later and returned to his magazine. “What was that, honey?” “Nothing mom, just talking to a pest. What were you saying? I missed it.” “Oh, just that I’m so glad that worked out for you, sweetie! I know how stressed out my baby’s been having to hide his powers from the whole world. Having a support system who understands your needs is really important, I bet you feel so relieved!” “...Yeah, I do a bit actually. Not something I expected would be the case, but it has been.” “I know you’ve been so insistent on trying to do everything by yourself - you’ve always been so independent, even when you were a little baby making your first trip to the store a couple days before you turned one year old! But don’t undervalue the importance of having faithful, capable allies either. You might be an ultra powerful psychic, dear, but you’re still human.” Kusuo smiled a bit around his spoon and Aren wondered at how convenient it must be to talk and eat at the same time without having to worry about breathing in your food. “Yeah mom.” “Oh goodness, listen to me just rambling on. You said there was another thing you wanted to tell me, didn’t you, sweetheart?” “Right. You remember Kuboyasu Aren, right?” “That’s your little friend with the motorcycle and purple hair? He came to that birthday party your friends threw, even though it wasn’t your birthday yet but your papa’s!” Wait, what? Aren sighed deeply and facepalmed. No wonder Kusuo had been acting so weirdly that night, they’d totally bunged it up! “Damnit, Shun…” He grumbled. Kusuo gave his head a light pat to show he felt nothing by it. “Yeah. Well, he’s one of the friends in the know, and...we’ve also gotten together. I guess he’s my boyfriend now. Huh, that feels weird to say.” “We can come up with a different epithet later if you want.” Aren mumbled and licked his thumb

to turn the page. “HE’S WHAT?!” Kurumi shrieked and then promptly burst into noisy sobs. There was a small kerfuffle on the other side of the line as Kurumi wailed over Kuniharu’s concerned questioning, going on about how happy she was that ‘my grumpy little Ku finally has a boyfriend’. “Kusuo has a boyfriend?” Kuniharu asked distantly. “What about that pretty young woman Teruhashi? Or the chesty one your mom likes?” Kusuo frowned. “Dad!” “N-Not like I noticed or anything, eheheh. Here mama, let papa take the phone for a moment. There we go, you just sit down for a minute. Here’s some kleenex.” Kuniharu finally spoke into the phone. “Kusuo! Hey, it’s your dad!” “I know.” Kusuo’s eyebrow twitched. “So what’s this about you having a boyfriend? Congratulations! You know, this kinda puts a damper on The Talk we had a couple of years ago since we only talked about heterosexual relationships. We don’t need to, you know, redo that, do we?” “Dad, I’m not having this conversation with you.” “Fair enough! Wow, you know it feels like it was just yesterday that you considered the entirety of humanity mere monkeys under your feet. I never thought you’d lighten up enough to shack up, to be honest! That must’ve been one wild week you had!” “You’re thinking of Kusuke, dad. He’s the one who likens humanity to monkeys, not me.” “Well, either way.” And then Kuniharu sighed slightly. “You know, one day you’re changing your little boy’s diapers and then the next he’s all grown up on you, thinking about other boys, figuring out life...You’ve matured. I’m proud of you, son.” A very tiny smile played across Kusuo’s features. “...Thanks, dad.” “Well, I better let you go, son, cus your mom looks like she could use a hug. You’re coming back after school Friday, right? Uhm. Actually, first before I do let you go...Kusuo, is everything alright between you and Kusuke?” Kusuo blinked and Aren paused in his reading, looking up to watch. “I know you boys have always been very competitive with each other and that you’re a super powerful psychic with Godly abilities so maybe this is your ol’ dad just being silly, but you’ve never stayed gone this long, and since your brother’s been here the last few weeks you’ve, well, you seemed a bit stressed, son. Sibling relationships can be difficult to begin with without throwing two super geniuses into the mix. So your mom and I just wanted to let you know that, if anything’s wrong or if your big brother’s picking on you too much, well, you can come to us. At the end of the day Kusuke is an adult now and he’s gotta act like one. Maybe you act like one too but you’re still a kid, Kusuo, and we’re still your parents - we gotta act the part too. So you just let us know, alright son?” “...Got it dad. And...thanks again.”

Kuniharu’s voice was rung through with warmth. “You’re very welcome son, but I really should be going now. We’ll see you Friday, and we love you very much.” “Love you too, dad.” “I guess they did notice.” Aren closed his eyes, still enjoying the feeling of Kusuo’s fingers running through his hair. “And they took the news pretty well.” “They’ve always been the kind to roll with the punches. Well, mom more than dad, but still. Nothing Kusuke or I did ever really phased them, they just,” Kusuo shrugged, closing the phone and setting it on the bed as he pulled Aren’s hair from his forehead. “Got on with it like it was totally normal, you know? Still…” “Hm?” Aren blinked up at the pink haired esper and raised his eyebrows. There was a complicated look in Kusuo’s eyes. “Still what?” “...I dunno.” Kusuo mumbled. “I guess it’s just kind of surprising and...nice to hear dad try to be a parent.” The boy shook his head with a snort. “Usually it’s me playing dad. Or antipathy-laden roommate. Mom’s never been like that but dad’s always been kinda useless.” Aren chuckled. “Yeah, parents can be like that sometimes. At least it’s amusing.” “More like a pain in the neck.” Kusuo rolled his eyes but the smile tugging at the edges of his mouth said the opposite. “Hey, here’s a random question. Do you ever talk?” “What? Of course I do, I’m talking to you right now.” “No, like,” Aren scooched around until he sat facing the other boy. “With your mouth, and your vocal chords. Y’know, like us lesser monkeys. A couple of times it almost sounded like you were about to laugh, but.” He shrugged. Kusuo blinked and tilted his head. “I...don’t suppose I’ve ever tried. I started talking via telepathy when I was three days old. It seemed a much more effective means of communication than fumbling through learning my lips, since I could already speak that way fluently. I’ll try now.” The boy pressed a hand to his chin in thought, tapping at it for a moment before the long fingers drifted down to his throat. Kusuo’s gaze grew distant and he took a breath and opened his mouth, and Aren found himself leaning forward in anticipation but...nothing came out. Kusuo frowned deeply and tried again and this time there was a very faint sound that could have been a voice, but really more resembled a wheezy click. The boy rubbed his throat. “I guess they never developed…” Aren mumbled in disappointment. That was too bad. Hearing Kusuo actually, legitimately speak would have been nice. “Give me a moment.” Kusuo responded, closing his eyes and pressing his hand more firmly against his adam’s apple, moving it around a bit like he was looking for something. After a minute the other’s eyes reopened and Kusuo looked a bit resigned, hand dropping to his

lap. “Well, there’s drawbacks to everything I guess. They’ve completely atrophied and are pretty useless right now. I could start exercising them I guess. One can never have too many skills, and if I am ever rid of my powers I can’t just go around mute.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up.” Aren lifted his hand. “Rewind. Why the fuck do you wanna get rid of your powers?” “Because they’re a curse?” Kusuo stated as though it was an obvious matter of fact. “Everything I’ve told you and you haven’t realized that yet? I can’t-” The psychic slouched, looking sadly at Aren’s tiger print bedspread. “I can’t...live the way I want to live my life with these powers. If I’m not careful, I could very easily destroy the planet. It’s beyond stressful. Things would be so much simpler if they’d just go away.” Now what did someone say to that? The way Kusuo had put it did make it seem monumental, impossible, terrifying but… “Well, you’re still here aren’t you?” The boy blinked hard and looked up. “What?” “You’re still here.” Aren explained, sitting back on one hand and taking off his fake glasses with the other, tossing them onto the bedspread. “And so am I, and our friends, and the entire planet. You haven’t destroyed anything. Maybe you make trouble from time to time but shit, so do I, so does Shun, so does everyone. You don’t begrudge them that, do you?” Kusuo blinked. “Yes I do, actually. It’s inconvenient.” Aren snorted. “Of course you do...alright, forget I said that. Anyways, my point is.” He smacked the bedspread. “Everybody’s got an aspect of themselves they’d like to switch out for a new one they think would be better.” “It’s not that simple Aren,” Kusuo began to explain, exasperated, but Aren interrupted him. “Yeah it is. The grass is always greener on the other side, Princess. Everything always goes wrong, and you just gotta figure out how to deal with it.” Aren shrugged. “That’s life.” He dropped back with a mild yawn. He was beginning to get sleepy. “Maybe you were born with super destructive psychic powers that could destroy the planet if you thought about it too hard but you’re, what, seventeen years in and you haven’t managed it yet, which seems like a pretty good track record to me. So suck it up, quit complaining bout it, and get a move on with your life.” “There you go, ordering me around again.” Kusuo sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. Aren’s eyes, which had closed without him realizing, popped back open and he squeaked. “Oh, uh, sorry man! What I meant to say is-” “Oh, just shut up already.” The bed bounced as Kusuo flopped down as well, levitating his empty cup into the trash can and rolling onto his front to cross his arms under his chin. He pondered the wall distantly, one foot lazily kicking in the air.

“...Do you think it’s really so wrong to be stressed about this?” “Nah, I’m not saying that.” Aren shifted to face the other boy better, rolling onto his side. “It’s probably better that you do worry a bit, if what you say is true. No, all that I’m saying is...to stop doubting yourself, I guess. You’re more capable than you’re giving yourself credit for. And what, you’re really gonna stop yourself from having any fun just cus you’re afraid you’re gonna destroy the world? C’mon, Kusuo, you aint that careless.” “You think so?” Kusuo murmured, his face still half hidden in his arms as he peered upwards through his hair, one brow quirked upward as he considered Aren’s little speech. “Huh, well, I’ve never thought of you as a total idiot so maybe there’s some value in what you’re saying.” “Oh yeah? C’mere you brat, I’ll show you how much of an idiot I’m not!” Aren promptly lunged for the shorter boy but the pipsqueak saw him coming and launched himself into the air. Smugly, Kusuo waved to him by the low ceiling. “What was that about you not being an idiot again? Heh. How cute.” The esper folded his arms and put a hand on his chin, eyes gleaming as he regarded Aren with a smirk. “I’ll show you! Get down here and fight me like a man!” Aren crouched then surged upwards in a powerful jump, crowing in success as his hands latched onto Kusuo’s ankle. “HAH!” “Whoa, hey!” The esper yipped as he was dragged downwards, his arrogance costing him, and Aren cackled as he wrestled the shorter teen to the bed and got on top of him. He took a moment to relish in his victory then attacked before Kusuo could teleport away or something, thrusting tickling hands into the other’s armpits and ribcage. Kusuo seemed to stiffen all at once and then shuddered violently, clapping a hand over his mouth to hide his grin as he started to writhe. “Nooo!” “HaHA! Look who’s ticklish!” Aren yelled in success as his brand new boyfriend squirmed around, huffing out the odd voiceless laugh that Aren was quickly coming to find endearing as all hell. “Stop, stop!” Kusuo’s mental voice shouted desperately as he attempted to crawl away. “Stop, please! I give, I give! You’re not an idiot!” “You’re damn right I aint!” Aren was giggling quite a bit himself still, settling his hands next to Kusuo’s head. Underneath him the boy was still twitching, flushed with laughter and looking rather dishevelled as he gasped for breath. The esper made sure his glasses were on right then returned Aren’s suddenly breathless gaze and they just seemed to lock, staring at each other. Kusuo shifted, his arms tentatively lifting upwards inch after inch until one hand softly cupped Aren’s cheek, the other moving around his shoulders and Aren followed suit, clasping the hand on his cheek momentarily as he reached to push Kusuo’s hair behind his ear. And then they kissed. Or they tried to. They missed the first time. Kusuo’s nose wrinkled adorably as their noses bumped together hard. The second time went a little better but Aren still landed on the corner of the other boy’s mouth more than full on and Kusuo’s glasses pushed into his cheek uncomfortably. They pulled apart, the

romantic moment having become just a bit awkward and stymied, and Aren sighed. Kusuo huffed commiseratingly, looking frustrated. “Well, practice makes perfect.” Aren grinned and waggled his eyebrows. That was a good point. “So let’s keep practicing.” He responded, to which Kusuo smiled and nodded. “Let’s.” He didn’t feel like going at his heavy bag anymore. Instead all Aren was concerned about was the lovely boy underneath him and getting to know those beautiful, soft lips. He carded his hand through Kusuo’s hair and ducked down again, revelling as Kusuo tilted his pretty jaw and met him halfway. This was perfect and Aren never wanted it to end.

Chapter End Notes

In the next chapter, Kusuke gets to meet Aren and Kusuo has some school troubles. We come to the climax of the story.

Restless Chapter Summary

Kusuo gets built up just to get torn down.

Chapter Notes

AGWITO is still being written folks!! Not to worry! I'm about...a quarter of the way through the next chapter now LOL but it's still slow coming. My health has been very poor lately and it's been difficult to muster the energy to write. I mean, it's always pretty shitty, but I think the pain and the sleeplessness I've been having for the last five months is starting to really catch up to me and now that flu season is here I'm pretty sure I'm starting to get sick again. Didn't get the flu shot in time....DAMN. So to those who read both I'm very sorry for the delay, it IS still coming, it's just not coming easy. For this chapter we finally have little Shun's POV! Love this kid. And Kusuke too. Still not a fan of that one. I'm actually reworking the art I uploaded to the first chapter. I don't like it. I got a bit triggered while doing it. Kusuke looks a bit like my own abuser. Creepy fucks, the both of them! Anyways, more Kusuo acting like a lovestruck goof in this chapter. Oh, the author is also running around with a grade six math level sooooooo...no idea if the trig is correct but that's what the website said LOL I basically copy+pasted then reworded so...fingers crossed it's not too far off base? Also, we finally fulfill that 'and there was only one bed!' trope. Heh, Kusuo you sly dog. Also, despite the fact that imho opinion it's an in-universe canon fact that the kid is gorgeous, he still thinks Yumehara needs to get her eyes checked when she waxes poetic about his cheekbones so there's that. This poor kid, man. He can't catch a break. But don't worry! It gets worse c: Recommended listening Shun: Endless Fantasy by Anamanaguchi, Mac'n'Cheese by Shawn Wasabi Kusuo: Flowers for a Ghost by Thriving Ivory, Graceless by The National

See the end of the chapter for more notes

To say there was an uproar when Aren and Kusuo walked into homeroom hand in hand was a bit of an understatement.

For a moment Shun himself was taken in by the furor and shouting, gaping at his two best friends. Kusuo looked rather disgusted by all the attention but Aren just smiled fondly down at him and that’s when Shun stopped yelling for an explanation and took a mental step back, simply taking the pair in because they looked...happy. Both of them. Aren seemed incredibly pleased, a silly grin pasted across his face. Even Kusuo, who kind of looked ready to hightail it out of there, had a sweet and calm pleasure in his eyes as Aren led them toward their seats. That was when Teruhashi walked in, Yumehara a step behind her, saw the new couple, and fist pumped the air in victory. “Yes!” She shouted as she jumped, performing a little dance and there was silence in the classroom for a moment as the school’s most popular girl began to brag. “I did it! Everything went according to plan, haha!” “Yes, I’m sure you feel very proud of yourself.” Kusuo mumbled as he sat down and then paused as Aren lifted their linked hands to his cheek and simply held it there for a moment, then kissed the pink haired boy’s fingers and dropped their hands to go to his own seat. A couple of the girls in the back screeched about BL but that was by and large drowned out by the rest of the class gathering around Teruhashi to ask what she’d meant. “Well,” The girl started sweetly. “They’re my friends, and I think they’d be good together so I’ve kinda been trying to matchmake a little bit. I’m so happy it worked out, I really care about them!” “Morning, Shun.” Aren grinned up at him and Shun gave his head a shake, quickly smiling back. “Morning Aren, morning Kusuo. So, you two are an item now huh?” ‘Better not tell my mom about this,’ He thought to himself, knowing exactly what her reaction would be. The woman was strict and old fashioned, she had no patience for the homosexuals who she claimed were destroying moral family values. ‘She’ll throw a total temper tantrum.’ “Yup! We talked things out last night and decided to announce it so there’d be no trouble. I guess we’ve both had some mutual crushing going on for a while now.” Aren beamed. “You say that like Miri didn’t drop a truth bomb on me when we got back to your place last night.” Kusuo mumbled as he began to unpack his school bag. “Ah, well,” Aren flustered a little bit, scratching his cheek. “Eheh...There is that.” “It’s kind of hard to imagine Kusuo with a crush on anybody.” Shun laughed a bit and was relieved when the other boy shrugged in concession. “That’s not unfair, considering.” The pink haired esper nodded, straightening a pencil on his desk. “But I guess even I’m human enough to have them every once in awhile. Of course, this idiot has been lording it over me the entire time.” “Ahah,” Aren leered over at Kusuo. “There’s the ‘i’ word again. I thought we’d settled that last night when I showed you precisely how much of an idiot I’m not.” ‘Whoa, his voice sounds really masculine, huh.’ Shun suddenly felt comparatively inadequate, especially as his number two in The Rebellion twitched and stiffened, a faint flush turning his ears pink.

“...Shut up.” Kusuo mumbled. “Do I need to give you a little reminder~?” “I said shut up. And don’t touch me, we’re in class i-uh, Aren.” Kusuo’s eyes shifted around awkwardly. Despite himself Shun couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had happened ‘last night’? Cus it sounded...just a bit...Well. That is. Uh. “You know, when you guys put it like that it sounds really dirty.” Nendo’s voice suddenly came in from behind them as the gorilla leaned in, causing all three of them to startle badly. Shun absolutely did not scream, thank you. He gestured at the ridiculously tall ape emphatically. “Don’t sneak up on us, jerk!” “There’s nothing dirty about it!” Aren jumped in. “It was just a tickle fight, so knock it off.” “Oh yeah? Huh.” Nendo picked his nose and flicked a booger away absently. “Cus it sure sounded like it. Hey, speaking of, new kid.” Then the massive teen’s face warped into a truly chilling smile, shadows rapidly congealing to darken every line and making his eyes gleam. Every single one of his gigantic teeth bared into a gummy grin and Shun was not ashamed to say that he very nearly peed a little because Nendo was absolutely fricking terrifying. “You picked a good one, so treat my buddy right. Okay?” Shun wasn’t the only one who’d broken out into a rapid and cold sweat. Aren had too and the purple headed former delinquent swallowed, lifting a shaky hand. “Y-Yessir.” “Good.” Nendo licked at his top lip. “Felicitations.” The expression dropped and the taller boy ambled away. “Hey, class rep! Where’s my new desk?” “Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so scared in my life!” Shun squeaked and sat down tremblingly, clutching at his head as he refused to whimper. Refused, darnit! “H-How does...he know how to give a shovel talk?” Aren gasped and slunk deeply into his, clutching his head. “Christ, I feel like I’m one foot into my grave, here!” “I’m wondering how he knows the word ‘felicitations’.” Kusuo even looked pretty disturbed. “He even used it in the right context...” The three stared after Nendo for a moment then traded looks and, for the sake of their own mental health, dismissed the strange occurrence and decided to never think of it ever again. “A-Anyways,” Shun said shakily, still trying to work through his terror. “Seriously, congrats you two. You,” He paused, leaning back in his chair and considering the pair again. “You look good together. Happy.” “Thanks, man. I feel pretty on top of the world right now.” Aren beamed. Kusuo settled his chin on his knuckles and turned to consider Aren, his gaze warm and loving as a

tiny, almost invisible smile tickled his mouth. Aren didn’t catch it but Shun did, and the look on his friend’s face took his breath away just a bit. ‘Wow,’ He thought to himself as Hairo snapped out the requisite “Stand, bow, sit! Welcome to class, teacher” from the front, smiling to himself now. ‘They really are happy together. I hope I...I hope I find love like that someday.’ “Ah man, I’m so bad with math…” Shun groaned a couple hours later as he looked over his notes for the first lecture. They weren’t very comprehensive because he’d barely been able to keep up and now that it’d all gone in one ear and out the other, he knew he was definitely screwed. He didn’t think he was an unintelligent guy, really. In fact, Shun thought he was pretty smart. He studied hard and did his best and even though he still had problems making high enough grades to satisfy his mom, he managed some pretty solid ones. Math was the one subject he just could not wrap his mind around though. “First you do this...and then you try to solve for 'b'…maybe?” He mumbled to himself, tapping his eraser against the paper before jerking up. Oh, that was right! Kusuo always took really amazing notes, despite always placing 90th. Shun didn’t really know what was up with that and right now he didn’t really care either as he bounced off his chair and skipped the few feet over to his first frien-that is, his number two in The Rebellion’s desk. “Hey, Kusuo, do you mind going over this with me? I don’t quite get i-” Shun looked down into the taller boy’s notebook and felt his smile turn wooden. There were no notes there, just a ridiculously amazing and super realistic portrait of Aren done in pen. Kusuo looked up at him, gasped a little bit and went very red, then very pale as he tore out the page he’d drawn on and stashed it in his desk. “H-Hey!” The esper promptly covered his notebook and sulked up at him, the air around him chilled. “Don’t just look in my notebook like that!” ‘He’s totally besotted, huh.’ Shun thought flatly to himself. ‘There were even flowers. Huh.’ “A-Anyways, do you think you could help me with this? Though,” His eyebrow twitched a little. That’d been a seriously good drawing. “Did you even...take notes?” “Hey guys!” Shun turned around. Hairo was waving as he approached, his smile welcoming and friendly as always and Shun couldn’t help but return it. “Hey Hairo!” “Aw, call me Kineshi, man! We’ve known each other for long enough, now!” The redhead’s hand clapped down hard onto Shun’s shoulder, nearly causing him to faceplant but Kusuo caught him quickly with an arm braced against Shun’s chest. “Whoa, sorry about that, man. I forgot how- uhanyways just call me Kineshi.” Shun jumped back up and sparkled. Yay! Another person to be on a first name basis with! “Then call me Shun! Please!” “Sure thing!” Kineshi gave him a thumbs up. “Man, trig sure is pretty tough, isn’t it?”

Shun nodded as he sighed into his workbook. “Yeah, I really don’t get it. I was just about to ask Kusuo if he could explain it when, uh, heh, I found out how amazing of a portrait artist he is.” ‘Talent hoarder.’ His eyebrow twitched a bit. It could really burn when you found out your buddy was everything you secretly, and not so secretly, wanted to be. Still, he did forgive Kusuo. The other boy’s talents would only make him all the more useful in the battle against Dark Reunion, and...he knew that Kusuo really couldn’t help it. It was downright unfair of Shun to expect his talented friend to sink to his level just to make Shun feel better. That kind of thing wasn’t heroic at all, it was just mean, so he did his best to accept it like he had when he’d learned about Aren’s past as a thug. Besides, he was now in the know of a really big, really cool secret that had been entrusted to him, sort of, and that was a pretty special feeling in and of itself. Shun was determined to respect that trust. “See if I ever loan you my notes again.” Kusuo glared at him over Kineshi’s enthusiastic gushing. Shun twitched. Scary! But Kusuo sighed and dropped the glare completely, waving for Shun to pass him his workbook. Shun blinked and obliged, bending over the esper’s shoulder to watch as Kusuo ran through the steps. “The first one, right?" Shun nodded and Kusuo did as well. "Okay, for this we need to solve for cosine b. But it also has a negative number, so for the first step, which is figuring out the reference angle, don't include the negative sign. The reference angle must be an acute angle in the first quadrant, where all the trigonometric functions are positive. Then we can use our calculator.” “Right, right…” Shun murmured, doing his best to soak up what Kusuo was saying as the boy wrote out an adjusted formula then turned to grab his calculator, which Shun noticed he actually never used, and began to punch in the function. Even Kineshi leaned in a bit, eyebrows lifting in intrigue. They were interrupted though as Takahashi loomed over them, or tried to. “Hey guys!” His eyes glinted icily as he looked at Kusuo. “So, Saiki, looks like you’re dating Kuboyasu now. What, uh, what about that other dude that was in here yesterday? Calling you ‘master’ and stuff?” There was bad humor in the green haired guy’s leer and Shun frowned, narrowing his eyes. Kusuo didn’t look bothered, though. “Toritsuka is an idiot who tries to get me to tutor him after school. I guess they call those ‘masters’ in a temple.” The other teen deflected breezily. “Pffft, yeah, right. But uh, what about Nendo?” “Takahashi-” Kineshi began, getting ready to step in but Kusuo lifted a hand. “No, Kineshi, let him talk.” Kusuo straightened, gazing cooly at Takahashi. “What about Nendo?” “Well, you made that statue of him for PK Festival the other year, didn’t you? You seem to cycle through guys pretty quickly, I’m just wondering how long your latest is gonna last?” “Hey! That’s totally uncalled for!” Shun bit out, glaring up at the other boy. Damnit, why was every guy in his grade taller than him!

“Nendo and I were never together.” Kusuo’s expression was one of pure disgust. Shun nodded. “Yeah!” Takahashi giggled. “Yeah right, like I’m supposed to believe that.” Kineshi moved forward to intervene but that was when Nendo himself entered the scene, draping across Kusuo’s shoulders and making the esper blanch. “Hey buddy, oh hey guys! Man, you won’t believe the size of the dump I just took, it was huge!” “Jesus Christ, Nendo…” Shun muttered tiredly to himself as he facepalmed. Kineshi grimaced but Kusuo looked mortified, stone grey and blank faced. “You seriously expect me to believe that you’re not running your way around the guys in our year when your first boyfriend is still pawing at you to this day? Makes me wonder if those dominatrix rumors really have some truth behind them! Clearly you’re putting out something to get dudes.” “Huh? First boyfriend?” Nendo looked around. “But the new kids still in the hallway?” Takahashi blinked, then glared. “No idiot, I’m talking about you.” “What? Buddy and me? Boyfriends?” Nendo glanced at the significantly smaller teen he was slumped across. “Buddy, I’m flattered and all but I don’t feel that way for you, dude. Buddies are for paling around with, not for smoochin. And anyway, you got that new kid.” “Kill me.” Kusuo muttered, dropping his face into his hands. “Besides,” Nendo straightened and shot Takahashi a shimmering smile, jabbing a thumb into his chest as he deepened his voice. “I’m more of a lady’s man. The babes love me.” Shun thought himself incredibly democratic for throwing up into his mouth only a little eensy bit. Takahashi was silent, stunned and dubious as he squinted up at the giant. Kineshi took the opportunity to cut in. “Look, Takahashi, if you don’t stop I will be reporting you to the teacher for harassment, got it?” The green haired dunce jolted as if just remembering that Kineshi was the class rep, quickly made his excuses, and returned to his seat with a flea in his ear. “Why’d he think me and buddy were more than buddies?” Nendo turned to Kineshi and the jock shook his head. “Something about that statue he carved of you for the last PK Festival.” “Ah right, that. Haha, I get it. ...Wait, what statue?” “What, you don’t remember?! We won first prize for that! It was pushed over but Kusuo dove in to save it, here, I’ve got pictures still…” Takahashi’s friends laughed at him and his failure, saying “See? Told ya Saiki could do better than Nendo” and “You’re just jealous man, don’t be such a jerk” but Kusuo was taking no comfort from that conversation. “Rejected by Nendo,” Kusuo groaned into his hands. “My life really has hit a new low.”

Shun sympathized, he really did. Laying a hand on his first lieutenant’s shoulder, he tried to give the psychic a comforting grin. “Well hey, at least you can rest assured that he’ll never try to pursue you romantically?” Kusuo outright shuddered in horror at that and nodded, dropping his hands and picking up his pen again. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Okay, where were we?” “Uhm...we calculated the reference angle in the first quadrant, which has to be a positive right?” Shun responded as he dragged a chair over and straddled it backwards. “And then we moved onto the second step?” Kusuo nodded. “Right, okay so we know our reference angle is 45.6 degrees. Now we can use CAST to figure out in which quadrants cosine b is negative.” School seemed to pass in the blink of an eye after that and before he knew it, Shun was yawning as he jabbed his smartphone’s screen to life while their group stepped out of the school doors. “I’ve got a couple hours before cram school starts, does anyone wanna go do something?” He asked, looking around at the wide and varied group of people around him. ‘Wow, so many friends!’ He celebrated, relishing in the thought. “Huh, yeah that doesn’t sound like a bad plan. I’ve still got some of my allowance left...Hey Kusuo, wanna go on a date?” Aren asked the boy he’d tucked under his arm. It seemed to be their customary pose lately. “I don’t think it counts as a date when you’re going with ten other people. Besides, you’re taking me to the movies on Sunday, remember?” “Oh yeah…” “I’m totally down to get food! T-That is if someone doesn’t mind paying for me? Maybe?” Mera looked around and Aiura grinned down at her, poking her cheek. “Don’t you worry, Chiya-popo, I got you covered there.” “Eee, thank you so much Mikoto!” “Hey, what’s that over there?” Teruhashi asked abruptly, drawing to a stop about half way down the courtyard. The rest of them stopped with her and Nendo lifted his hand to see better, even though clouds had rolled in over the course of the day and left the afternoon unbothered by sun. “Huh, looks like a buncha chicks crowding around some dude…Looks familiar.” Nendo mumbled. Teruhashi sighed deeply. “I just bet it’s Makoto again. Darnit, he knows better than to bother me at school...c’mon guys, let’s go. Maybe we can slip passed without him noticing.” “Wait.” Kusuo said softly and Shun blinked, turning to look at the taller esper. “Whoever that is, I don’t think that’s your brother, Kokomi.” Shun felt his eyes widen. Was he imagining things, or did Kusuo look nervous? “What’s up, Princess?” Aren muttered softly and Kineshi took a step forward. “There’s only two people I’ve ever met whose thoughts I can’t read,” Kusuo was absolutely looking nervous now, indecisive as he gazed at the crowded gates only about ten feet away. “One

of them is Nendo, and we know that’s not him. The other one…” “Your brother.” Aren snarled, expression turning black. Teruhashi breathed in sharply, a look of horror and dread sweeping across her face as she jerked to turn back toward the gates - their only exit out of the school yard. Shun blinked as next to her, Yumehara became grim as well. “He’s got a lot of nerve showing his face here.” Yumehara sneered and Aiura looked back and forth between them. “Okay, I think I speak for a few people when I ask, one, what brother and two, what’s the big deal? Kusuo, you can’t read his mind?” “Kusuo, let’s just teleport out of here.” Teruhashi stepped closer, reaching out to grab Kusuo’s hand. “C’mon, we’ll head back inside and find an empty classroo-” “Aw hey, there he is!” Kusuo paled. Shun swallowed tightly. He wasn’t an idiot. He definitely wasn’t unobservant and, if he said so himself, he thought his emotional intelligence was pretty high. It had been what’d allowed him to make the first move with Kusuo all the way back in the beginning. His ability to read the other’s microexpressions, and act on them accordingly, had been invaluable even as he threw about his fantastical Dark Reunion stories as a coping mechanism for his personal loneliness, which Kusuo had tolerated. Yeah, he knew what his own deal was, and he wasn’t ashamed of it either. They hadn't been 'just stories' back then, but Shun wasn't lonely anymore, and besides, it'd been, and still was fun when he wasn't getting picked on for it. And right now, Kusuo was seriously afraid. More afraid than he’d ever seen the esper react around a bug, or a Nendo, or anything else. He stepped in closer as well and looked over at the source of his first friend’s fear. “My adorable little bro,” The tall man smiled as he walked forward, shaggy blond hair shifting in the light breeze. “How are you, Kusuo?” Shun blinked, suddenly remembering where he’d met this man before. England, that was right! This asshole had enacted some serious psychological warfare on both himself and Nendo when Kusuo hadn’t been there, only to dismiss them completely when Kusuo had shown up. The esper had been wary even then, keeping his distance, treating his older brother with disdain, but there was a marked difference in the way he reacted now. He looked back and forth between the two, taking in Kusuo’s ashen face and distant eyes. Had something happened? “Ah, so many familiar faces.” Kusuke said as he stopped in front of them, one hand on his hip. He looked at Shun and pointed. “Eighth-grader syndrome.” Nendo. “Mom’s outie belly button.” Teruhashi. “The fake primadonna slut.” Kusuke then pointed at Aren. “But my, this one’s new. How cute, Kusuo,” His smile was razor

thin and completely furious. “You’ve found a rabid dog to play with...” “What’d you say to me?!” Aren snarled and released Kusuo to push the esper behind him, stepping forward and rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll show you rabid you perverted freak!” “Kuboyasu!” Kineshi stole in front of Aren and shoved him back. “You’re not fighting on school grounds!” “Now now, doggie, the humans are talking.” Kusuke purred. “Though to be fair, I only count two, and then a whole lot of monkeys.” “Sir, I don’t know who you are but unauthorized persons aren’t allowed on school grounds.” Kineshi finally succeeded in hauling Aren back, moving in front of him completely. “As class representative of year two, class three, I ask that you leave or I will be going for a teacher to remove you.” “Aw, it’s okay. I just wanted to say goodbye to my baby brother.” Kusuke’s smile was so sweet that Shun felt his teeth begin to ache. Aren’s growling only grew louder, Kineshi was just barely holding the struggling former thug back. “You see, Kusuo, I’ve been following your movements through some security systems I hacked into so I’m aware of your new after school routine. I’m hurt, it seems like you’ve been avoiding me. I was really hoping to get in some quality time with my sweet little bro…” “You’ve been stalking me?” Kusuo asked and Shun jolted, glancing up at the pink haired boy and finding the other’s jaw clenched tightly and eyes deeply narrowed. He glanced down an stilled. Kusuo’s fists were trembling... “Now now, you know I can’t hear you like that. You gotta use your big boy words if you wanna ask me something.” The blond reached up to tap the strange tiara he wore, a peculiar and heated gleam in his dark green eye. “But as I was saying, I wanted to say goodbye. See, I’ve gotta get back to work tomorrow. A new government projects come up, so I’ll be leaving tonight instead. I just wanted to let you know that.” “You’ve said goodbye,” Aren snapped. “Now fuck off!” Kusuke’s smile became completely enraged. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up? Kusuo, you really should teach your doggie manners. Now come on, how about a game of rock-paper-scissors for the road.” Kusuke came forward another step and reached out with one long, spidery hand. Kusuo outright gasped and stumbled back. Before Shun knew it Aren had lunged forward and had the other guy by the throat, lifting him onto his toes and giving him a hard shake. “Okay you piece of shit, I’ve HAD IT with you! Kusuo wants nothing to do with you, y’hear? So why don’t you find a gutter to go die in, already?” The punk’s expression darkened even as he smiled, beginning to pull a fist back for what Shun knew would be a powerful punch. “In fact, I’ll help you get there…” "Hey, wait..." Shun took a step forward, gaping. “Yeah! Kick his ass, Kuboyasu!” Yumehara yelled and stomped her foot.

“Hey! What’s going on over here? Kuboyasu, you put that man down this instant!” Matsuzaki roared as he strode over with Kineshi. Shun glanced around in surprise, he hadn’t even seen the redhead jock leave. “Tch. Fine!” Aren responded throatily and tossed the still smiling blond away. “I don’t like to dirty my hands by touching trash anyway...” “This is the man I was telling you about, sir. He’s been harassing us even after we asked him to leave.” Kineshi stated and Matsuzaki turned to assess them. “That right?” He received several shaken nods. “Alright. Well sir, I don’t know who you are but I’m going to have to insist you leave the school grounds now before I’m forced to call the police. I won’t have anyone hassling my students.” “Alright then, no worries.” Kusuke pulled himself off the ground and dusted himself off. “I can take a hint. I apologize for causing a stir, but I’ll be on my way now.” “I’ll escort you.” “Understood.” As they turned away, Kusuke waved over his shoulder. “I’ll see you next time then, Kusuo. You be safe now!” “Wait just a moment, please.” Teruhashi cut in, her voice sweet. The two men paused as the bluenette stalked forward and stopped in front of him. Without even a modicum of hesitation the girl punched Kusuke's nose, forcing him back a couple of steps. He was barely caught by Matsuzaki, who was gaping at Teruhashi in shock. “I think it’s you who should look out for himself. Alright, sir, he can leave now.” Teruhashi flipped her hair and spun on her heal, soundly dismissing them both. “What?! I-I demand to press charges on that little-!” Matsuzaki broke himself from his daze and wrestled Kusuke’s arm into his grip, dragging the now ranting blond away. “Yeah, Kokomi!” Yumehara bounced and threw her arms around the girl’s shoulders, nuzzling close. “That was amazing, wow!” Teruhashi laughed a little and shook out her hand. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before…Gosh, my hand hurts a bit now.” “God that guy is so fricking creepy…” Shun muttered and returned his gaze to his friend. “Kusuo, you okay? What-...” He badly wanted to ask ‘what’s that guy done to you’ but the middle of the schoolyard didn’t seem quite the place for that. He bit down on the verbalization but looked at Kusuo questioningly. Kusuo blinked, hard, and shook himself slowly as though he was coming out of a dream, outright gasping for air as though he’d stopped while he clutched at his chest. Aren was on the shorter boy immediately, gripping Kusuo to him and that seemed to bring him back the rest of the way. “Easy now, Princess. Just breathe for me, okay?” Aren coached, his voice soft as he rubbed the pink haired esper’s back, every iota of anger gone and replaced by love and concern.

Kusuo shut his eyes and shifted to lean into Aren a bit, focusing on doing just that. He hadn't even seemed to notice the end of the confrontation. Shun furrowed his eyebrows, his gut heavy, and traded looks with his friends. That had not been a normal response. “Kusuo?” He asked again. “I don’t really want to get into it right now.” Kusuo’s voice was distant, fuzzy, crackling, and distorted. Shun abruptly realized his mouth wasn’t moving. Telepathy then? “Maybe...maybe another time. But...this seems too easy. Kusuke never gives up without a fight. Aren, may I borrow your phone again please?” “Sure thing.” Aren reached into his pocket and pulled out his flip phone, handing it over. “Y’know, maybe you should think about getting one for yourself.” Kusuo just started dialing, then paused when Matsuzaki returned. “You kids okay?” The PE teacher asked, looking at them one by one before his eyes landed on Kusuo. “Saiki, that man seemed to be here for you, you know’im?” Kusuo didn’t look up from the phone. “If it’s all the same, sir, I’d rather not get into it.” “...Alright, but if this is going to be a regular occurrence I expect you to come and tell me what’s going on, understood?” Matsuzaki sighed. “You’re a good kid, Saiki. If you ever need help, you know where to go.” Kusuo just nodded and shut his eyes, pale and exhausted. “And that goes for the rest of you too, kids. If any one of you ever gets in trouble, don’t hesitate. Got it?” “Yes, sir.” Shun nodded with the other murmured agreements. That said, Matsuzaki turned his attention to Teruhashi and opened his mouth, likely to begin chastising her. “Sir, before you begin,” Teruhashi said and dropped her head, peering at the man through his eyes. “I know what I did was wrong but that horrible man has done and said terrible things. I promise you, he deserved it.” She sniffled, her bottom lip trembling a little as a hint of tears began to shine in her eyes. “You believe me, don’t you?” Matsuzaki flushed and rubbed the back of his head, waving with his other hand. “Of course, of course. I believe you Teruhashi, please don’t cry...Alright, I’ll let it go but just this once, understand? Don’t do that again.” With that the man straightened and nodded at the rest of them. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Have a good evening.” “You too, sir.” They waited until Matsuzaki was out of hearing distance before Teruhashi nodded at Kusuo, tears

already gone and the psychic nodded back, finished dialing, and hit the call button. Shun couldn’t help but be impressed. Teruhashi really was super powerful. Maybe in his next life if he was lucky enough he’d come back as a beautiful girl. “I’ll put it on speaker phone.” Kusuo’s voice was weak. Shun crowded forward and the rest of the group did too, closing ranks in a tight circle as the phone rang a couple times and then picked up. “Good afternoon, this is Saiki Kurumi speaking!” “Hey mom,” Kusuo lifted the phone a bit higher and Shun couldn’t help but wonder how that worked when you didn’t talk like a typical person did. “Hows things?” “Ooouu, Ku’s doing his little phone trick again! That’s always so neat. Hi baby, things are good!” “Kusuke was just at the school, he got kicked out for harassing students,” Kusuo tactfully left out that it’d been them who’d been hassled. He hugged his arm around his middle. “But he said he’s leaving tonight. Is that true?” “Aw, yeah Big Ku was supposed to head home tomorrow a little after dinner but now he’s gotta go tonight. Maybe you should come home, sweetie, he was really sad to have missed you during the last week of his visit.” “Uh, no. I think I’ll stick to the plan and stay with Aren another night if that’s okay. I’ll be going now, I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye now.” “I don’t like this.” Aren muttered as he watched Kusuo hang up the phone and Shun nodded. “That guy pulled out all the stops in England during that game of ‘tag’. He even lied to a shopping mall to set a mob on us. A person like that doesn’t just give in without having been soundly beaten.” Shun adopted Kusuo’s favourite thinking pose, skeptically eyeing the ground, before nodding. “Tomorrow,” He said, looking around at their assembled friends. “I think we should go over to Kusuo’s with him, just in case.” Kusuo shook his head before anyone could agree, the motion drawing their attention. He was still eyeing Aren’s phone, his hand deliberately soft around it as though he was doing his damndest not to break it. “If there is some sort of trap, that would only put you guys in the line of fire. I won’t allow it. Besides, it’s not gonna matter. Tomorrow after school I’m going to tell my parents what’s been happening between us. After that, Kusuke won’t be allowed to step foot inside our home, even if he was the one who bought it.” “It’s been that bad?” Kineshi asked softly and next to him, Mera looked down sadly. Kusuo closed his eyes, his mouth pressing into a thin line. “It’s been that bad.” Teruhashi answered for him, her gaze stone cold. “That’s the real reason Kusuo’s been staying with Kuboyasu, because he can’t go home while his brother stays there. For the first night he stayed with Chiyo and me at Chiyo’s place, but he brought up a really good point

about how the people would react if we were caught.” “Still, we can’t just let this slide.” Aiura set a hand upon her hip. “Us psychics of PK gotta stick together. If anybody’s been hurting Kusuo, I refuse to let it go.” “You’ll only get hurt, or worse, put under Kusuke’s control. No, Mikoto.” Kusuo sighed wearily and rubbed at his head. “Well we can’t just do nothing, Kusuo! We can’t let you go into this alone!” Yumehara complained. “No, guys, Kusuo has a point.” Shun spoke up and winced as he was hit by a dozen betrayed eyes. He wobbled a little but shook himself and pressed onwards. “If this guy is enough to give our psychic buddy pause then we have to assume the person we’re dealing with is conniving, vicious, dangerous, and ready to use any one of us as hostages. Th-” He winced and looked over at his friend. “That’s what happened in England, wasn’t it? When he brought us over there?” “Effectively, yes. He also used my love of sweets against me. It wasn’t as bad then, though, he’s...gotten a lot worse.” Shun nodded. “Right. Above all else, we can’t allow ourselves to be used against Kusuo like that. And he won’t hesitate to do so.” “If this guy’s that bad then shouldn’t we go to the police?” Mera asked around her hands, shaking a little and blinking back tears. "They'll do something about it!" “He was very smart in letting it slip that he works for the government.” Shun shook his head. “That lets us know right away the police won’t help. He’s got cred, and he’s got connections, and without any hard evidence…” He looked leadingly at Kusuo, who shook his head. “He’s only...assaulted me by turning my telepathy against me, and to do that I think he has to touch me.” Kusuo’s eyes narrowed and he handed back Aren’s phone. “I won’t let that happen again.” “So that’s why…” Teruhashi whispered in realization. Shun didn’t know what that was about and right now he didn’t need to. “Anything else can just be put down to a healthy rivalry between brothers, especially when one works for the government and the other, sorry Kusuo, only ever gets average grades. We’d be seen as lying saboteurs, and we can’t afford to let Kusuo’s psychic powers get out. We’ve been pretty effectively checkmated, here.” “So what do we do, then?” Aren asked, deeply frustrated. “We arrange a meeting spot, or at least a communications, within a half hour of the time Kusuo gets home.” Shun’s mind worked quickly. “That gives us enough time to know if things went wrong if he doesn’t show up. If he does, then it’s nothing to worry about. And we really should get you a phone, Kusuo. You have a limited telepathic range, so you wouldn’t be able to call out to us if we’re too far away and you need help, right?” Kusuo nodded and pulled out his wallet from his back pocket, counting through the yen quickly. “That’s a good point. I should have enough for a cheap flip phone and some minutes.”

“What about if you take out your power limiter thingy?” Yumehara tilted her head in question. “Wouldn’t work.” Kusuo nodded at Shun. “Getting a phone and texting one of you to let you all know how things are going is our best bet.” “Okay, that’s all well and good, but what happens if something does happen?” Kineshi asked, crossing his arms. “We’re going up against a super genius who works for the government and who’s directly targeted what is effectively our highest stat player. We'll be helpless to stop him, especially if we can't be there!” “Then we have no choice but to call the police, and I hate to say it, at least this time there might be...physical evidence to corroborate our claims.” Shun winced. “Besides,” Kusuo slipped his wallet back into his pocket. “He hasn’t been able to get one over on me, ever. He might be a super genius but he doesn’t have psychic powers, and I have both. It may be a bit troublesome, but I should be able to defend myself if it comes down to it.” Shun sighed. “We can hope that we’re overthinking things, freaking out over nothing. There’s every chance he could actually be leaving today and things will be fine tomorrow. But there’s also a chance it couldn’t, so being prepared doesn’t hurt, Kusuo.” “You’ve got a good head for strategy, Shun.” Aren smiled weakly and Shun chuckled a bit, scratching his cheek. “Yeah, well...Anyways, sorry Nendo, no time for ramen today.” Shun grinned widely, his eyes narrowing intently. “We got some preparations to make.”

Kusuo didn’t want Friday to come. Well, he did and he didn’t. On one hand he was getting pretty homesick. His dad had been right, he’d never been gone from home so long before outside of pre-arranged school trips he could get together the energy for in advance. Even the one time he’d been successfully kidnapped when he’d been five had been a one and a half day trip, and he’d gotten himself back no problem. His yearning for his bedroom was stronger than ever as was the craving for his mom’s smile and her delicious cooking, and for his own personal coffee jelly machine. He was even beginning to miss his dad’s contrary demeanor and total over-reliance on Kusuo for anything and everything. Kusuo hoped the man had gotten to work okay that week. He was an adult, but Kusuo had perhaps spoiled him a bit. And that was going to be a problem when he left home as well. But on the other hand… He sighed and snuggled a little bit deeper, casting a look upwards at the sleeping face above him. Morning had come and Aren was still totally passed out, a trickle of drool wetting the pillow above Kusuo’s head and his hair flopping messily into his eyes. The other boy had slept restlessly, and at one point had left for an hour or so to pound at his heavy bag, but had finally settled down at

around four, and had stayed sound asleep since then. In the last few hours he'd gravitated over and had wrapped himself very soundly around Kusuo. Kusuo did not mind this. He'd woken up about forty minutes ago and hadn't moved since. ‘Cute.’ Kusuo fidgeted with a gulp, wiggling his toes to soothe the restless energy clutching at his core. Shun was right. Kusuo was completely besotted. When was the last time that he’d ever in his life found something cute? Even kids weren’t cute and he actually had a bit of a soft spot for the annoying brats, hence why he’d bothered trying so hard for them the previous Christmas. ‘Still, I’m glad I hung up before mom realized what it could mean for me to stay over at my boyfriend’s place. Of course nothing like that’s gonna happen anytime soon but I don’t doubt she’d go full demon if she found me in bed with another guy so early into things.’ It had taken a lot of work to get Aren to agree too, his own sense of morality and decency acting as a roadblock for Kusuo’s cold, determined logic. He had no problems sharing the bed, after all, especially now that circumstances had changed somewhat. Aren still refused to let Kusuo sleep on the floor, and Kusuo still felt kinda bad for stealing the bed to begin with. Ergo, since Aren’s queen size was easily wide and long enough to fit the both of them, why not simply cohabitate it? Was he going too fast? Kusuo didn’t really think so. They were taking things at their own pace, which could’ve been considered slow compared to other people. And their own pace just so happened to include snuggling in the mornings a few days after getting together. Nothing wrong with that. Right? Right. And, okay, maybe Kusuo was enjoying that snuggling. And he may have suggested they share the bed with this exact hoped for outcome in mind. Not that he’d admit it to anyone, of course. He’d held himself so distantly from other people that even his own mom rarely hugged him anymore. She touched him, sure, petted him every once in a while but she respected his boundaries, especially since so much of that was for a very good reason. There was always the chance Kusuo’s gloves could tear and leave him overwhelmed, or that he would accidentally crush someone else’s body completely if he wasn’t careful, or worse. But, like his mom had pointed out to him just a day or two ago, Kusuo was only human, and humans were social animals no matter how much Kusuo tried to deny that part of himself. He shut his eyes and slowly buried his nose into Aren’s clavicle and breathed in deeply. It was embarrassing, and maybe a bit creepy, but the smell of another, trusted human so close was soothing something deep in Kusuo’s hindbrain. The former delinquent still smelled faintly of yesterday’s aftershave as well as soap and clean laundry. ‘Smells nice…’

He wiggled his foot harder. Kusuo was maybe a little touch starved. Just a smidge, truly. And a bit determined to make up for it, in private of course, now that he’d found someone who he could trust to do that with safely. Yeah maybe he could start hugging his mom more but his dad would inevitably tease him for being ‘such a big baby after all’, and Kusuo just did not want to deal with that. Besides, Aren was something else. He wanted to be near the other teen. In fact, Kusuo outright craved the contact. So soon and already in so deep. Kusuo sighed. Still... He reopened his eyes and pondered his hand over Aren’s shoulder, the one attached to the arm the taller boy was sleeping on. He flexed his fingers. They weren’t numb, in spite of the weight compressing it. Kusuo’s circulatory system was hardier than that. ‘I still have to be careful. It would be...so easy…’ A horrible image of Aren’s crushed and mangled corpse filled his mind’s eye and Kusuo swallowed, pushing it away and dragging his mind back around to what he’d been thinking of before. Of course there was another reason why he’d been dreading Friday. After school there was a conversation he needed to have. ‘I just hope they believe me…’ For all of Kusuo’s talk about how his parents would definitely side with him, he couldn’t help but worry just a little bit at the lengths he’d need to go to make that happen. He didn’t want to show them certain things, but if he absolutely had to, then he would. And to have to tell them at all... Inevitably they would cry and feel like failures and horrible parents once they realized the extent of how badly his relationship with his brother had deteriorated. And that was the painful part, because they weren’t bad parents and he never wanted them to think that. They were good, loving, open minded people who accepted him and cared for him. Lazy, petty, foolish, yes, but above all affectionate, moral, and warm. Unbidden the memory of Makoto bowing deeply in apology to Kokomi at the end of their conversation came to mind, the man’s face shining with tears and pulled into an agonized expression. He wished… Kusuo swallowed and sucked hard on his teeth. But no. That would never happen. Kusuo wasn’t lucky like Kokomi, his brother didn’t care about him at all. Kusuke only wanted to dominate him and hurt him. No matter what Aren said, he wished more than ever that he’d been born normal. Maybe that way he’d actually have a brother that cared about him, too. By the time their alarms went off Kusuo had already pulled on his uniform, brushed his teeth, his

hair, and took care of other duties. Combing his hair was a bit of a challenge around the pins but fortunately he had his psychokinesis to take care of the worst tangles in that area while making sure that hair grew healthy and wouldn’t leave him with bald spots. He was a bit young for those yet even if sometimes he felt like he was seventeen going on seventy. He’d just sat back down on the bed when Aren groaned, reaching over to grope for his phone to turn off that alarm while Kusuo turned off his. “Good morning,” He said, forcefully injecting a coolness into his tone as he watched Aren drag himself to a sitting position. Aren’s nightclothes consisted of a tank top and boxers. It…Well. The thick muscles in the other teen’s arms bunched and flexed with the motion and his shirt had ridden up to reveal just a sliver of abdominals over the waistband of his boxers. Kusuo felt his mouth go dry and forced himself to turn away when he realized he was staring, but then realized that this was his boyfriend that he’d just spent the night sleeping in the same bed with so maybe staring wasn’t that bad? He wanted to watch and admire but even just that was confusing because what was the point of watching and admiring to begin with when you weren’t arsed to do anything about it? Even now that divorce between his eyes and his dick remained steadfast and unflinching, an indomitable barrier. Kusuo knew he was painfully attracted to Aren. The taller teen was basically candy for the eyes, Kusuo reluctantly admitted to himself, and his voice was nice and his smell was comforting, and the hugging and kissing wasn’t bad, but apart from that he felt nothing. Nothing at all. His libido remained placid as the smoothest lake, unstirred, unbothered, and cold. So what was the point of watching? What was the point of any of it?! He wanted to but he didn’t and it was the most confusing goddamn thing that he did NOT want to think about right now. ‘Uhg. Being a person sucks.’ Kusuo felt his eyebrow twitch. “Nng, morning Princess. You sleep well?” Aren responded, his voice rough with sleep as he rubbed at his eyes. Oh. That sounded nice. Really nice. Kusuo didn’t think he’d mind if his boyfriend just read to him for a bit in that tone, maybe. Yeah, that would be pretty...not bad. Decent, even. He wouldn’t mind that. Kusuo shook himself. And that was another thing! Usually that kind of nickname coming from anyone else would be enough to set Kusuo off but from Aren it wasn’t only acceptable, it was pleasurable. Aren almost even made him feel like one in some ways, which was a ridiculous sentiment all on its own. Kusuo didn’t need to be made to feel like a princess, or spoiled, or anything like that and he didn’t want to be either! He was a highly independent and exceptionally powerful esper, there was simply no point in relying on other people. Kusuo didn’t need anything from anyone. “Yeah.” Still, Kusuo felt his mouth moving upwards into a smile as his eyes were drawn inevitably back

toward the taller boy and he shifted to hand over the cup of water he’d poured for the punk a bit earlier. Aren peered muzzily at it for a moment before his mouth quirked into a grin that Kusuo thought was very handsome even if the other boy hadn’t brushed his teeth yet. “Thanks, babe.” As Aren reached to take the glass, Kusuo shifted closer and kissed the other boy’s cheek. There was stubble on Aren’s face and it tickled his lips. Kusuo couldn’t help but press his cheek against Aren’s, marvelling at the sensation because that wasn’t a problem he himself usually had. “You’re welcome.” He didn’t need it, Kusuo amended to himself as he pulled away, but he wanted it. Kusuo wanted to be loved, and cared for, and treated well by someone who only wanted the same in return. Outside of his mom, he’d never really had that. It was a novel idea, and an experience that was awkward, fretful, but enjoyable too. And maybe that wasn’t so bad. The morning passed without much incident, though a lot of teasing was had from both Miri and Rean. Kusuo had to really power through his usual nonchalance, which threatened to crack at some of the comments they were making, but he managed. They were already calling him their 'son in law', which was ridiculous, weird, and Kusuo refused to admit to himself that it gave him the warm fuzzies. Three days in, he reminded himself. They were three days in! Friday dawned cold. Thanks to that, Kusuo was in the process of being pushed into one of Aren’s warm jackets despite his insistence that he didn’t need it. “I can keep both of us warm just as well, if not better, with my abilities you know.” Kusuo said for Aren’s mind only, wondering at how his heart beat just a bit faster when Aren insisted on zipping it up for him. It was black, hooded, and a bit big on him. The cuffs spilled over his fingers and the hem almost reached his mid thigh, but Aren’s brain couldn’t shut up about how Kusuo was apparently ‘cute’ like this so, despite how inconvenient it was, Kusuo left it. Maybe he didn’t mind too much that the taller boy thought of Kusuo as attractive. Maybe he even liked it just a little bit. That was okay, right? He kind of thought the taller teen needed to get his eyes checked but still, it was...nice. “Yeah, so?” Aren ruffled his hair and Kusuo scrunched his eyes shut as the hand made a fine mess of his previously neat hair. “Shush and let me spoil you a little bit, you’re my Princess after all.” “You don’t-” “Need to? Well you don’t need coffee jelly and yet look at you, eating it every day.” “That’s a complete lie,” Kusuo said avidly as he picked up his school bag and followed Aren out

the door. “I absolutely need coffee jelly, without coffee jelly there’s no point to living!” “Oh what, does that make me chopped liver then?” But Aren grinned over his shoulder to show he meant nothing of it, then frowned and looked up at the sky. “Huh,” He said as he held out his hand. A couple of drops hit his open palm. “Starting to rain...well I guess the good weather couldn’t last forever. Too bad it didn’t start earlier, we shoulda taken the bus but there won’t be another one for a half hour so we’ll totally be late…” “No we won’t.” Kusuo said, coming up beside the other boy and reaching up to pinch the arm of the other’s driving jacket. “I can just teleport us.” Kusuo wasn’t going to lie, it was a strange experience for someone to know about his powers but not ask anything of them. Instead, Kusuo could simply offer if he felt like it and not worry about the ensuing hurt feelings, or the annoying begging and whining, of the aftermath. Maybe that would change as Aren grew more accustomed to his abilities but he hoped it wouldn’t. This was nice too. It felt like a relief. Aren blinked. “Oh yeah? Huh. Oh wait, before we go,” The taller boy turned around and looked down at him. “You got your phone, right?” Kusuo blinked. Oh yeah, that. After school the previous day they’d gone to the corner store he, Shun, Aren, and Nendo usually stopped at on their way home and there Kusuo had used up a good portion of his remaining allowance to purchase the cheapest phone they had in stock, and then about an hours worth of minutes to go with it. After that they’d settled down at a nearby cafe and he’d been shown how to set it up. It hadn’t been difficult, of course, but Kusuo and mobile phones had no mutual experience until then so he didn’t begrudge his friends for helping. There’d also been the lingering after effects of whatever had been coming over him lately when he had to deal with his brother in any way, something which made Kusuo’s brain foggy and his thoughts, and even his hands, hard to grasp. That especially had been freaky, the discordant sense of his body just slipping away from Kusuo’s mental purview. He’d needed to keep flexing his fingers and his toes to remind himself that they were there, and that they could be moved at all. And on top of that he’d barely been able to follow the words around him. It’d been a serious struggle to not just keep up, but to comprehend what his friends had been saying. Never in his entire life had Kusuo had that issue, he’d been able to comprehend Japanese grammar within just minutes of his birth for hell’s sake. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience. Kusuo was no idiot. He was smarter than half of WASA put together, but he didn’t know what this was, and that? That was almost scarier than his own brother. As he’d been doing that, Shun had laid down the plan.

“Alright, Kusuo’s gonna get all of our mobile numbers. When he gets home after school tomorrow, he’ll send us a group text so we know he’s made it there. That’s when the countdown starts.” Shun held up his smartphone to display the timer he’d already programmed into it. “If he hasn’t sent us another text within a half hour, we’ll know something’s gone wrong and we can call the police. Aiura, have you seen anything in your crystal ball that’ll tell us how this is gonna go?” “My readings on Kusuo have always been super vague thanks to his ridiculously massive aura.” Mikoto shrugged. “But I can definitely tell you that he’s not gonna die! And for that matter, neither will any of us. Not a single one of us is even gonna get hurt.” The busty girl eaned forward, smiling confidently. “So honestly I do think we’re overblowing this a bit. You haven’t seen Kusuo in action! He could kick that loser’s butt any day of the week and he wouldn’t even need to lift a finger.” “If you can’t say definitively that he’ll make it out unhurt in every way that matters, then we should still proceed with caution.” Shun aid, driving his point home further with an admonishing wave of his finger. "It's better to be safe than sorry." Kusuo drew himself back into the present and shifted his duffle over his shoulder to settle it against his hip. He’d decided it would be more convenient to bring the massive bag to school with him, even if that did mean dragging it around for the first half of the day. He’d teleport home quickly during lunch, drop it off, and then he’d pop back to school and not have to worry about it. A moment’s worth of rifling produced the cheap little flip phone in question and he lifted it up for Aren to see. The taller boy smiled. “Good, keep that on you just in case.” “Right.” Kusuo shifted and tucked the phone into his slacks pocket. Overhead the sky let out its downpour, the mild drizzle turning into a cold, thick rain that came down in sheets. Kusuo’s hand lifted and a faint barrier sparkled to life around them, keeping the rain from wetting them. “Oh wow…” Aren muttered, lifting his arm to watch the little bullets bounce off before they even touched him. “That’s so cool!” Kusuo cleared his throat, trying not to feel too flushed at the praise, and tentatively stepped closer, very cautiously winding himself very carefully around one of Aren’s arms. It had felt interesting when Chiyo had done that to him, and he was maybe a little curious to see what it was like on the other side of things. Aren’s arm was solid against his chest, and Kusuo swallowed a little as he felt his heart start to thump a bit faster. ‘It’s nice.’ He decided, one hand firm on the muscle of Aren’s bicep and the other tucked into the crook of the other’s arm. “Let’s go.” Aren’s handsome face split into a rakish grin and he bent over to drop a kiss on Kusuo’s head, causing a warm tingle to flush through Kusuo’s body. Oh. He had goosebumps. He shivered with them. “Let’s.” ‘This is almost better than coffee jelly…’ Kusuo couldn’t help but pull himself onto his tip toes, releasing Aren’s arm to grasp his shoulders instead. Aren met him halfway and with a kiss, Kusuo

teleported them in a flicker of light and sound. They re-emerged in an alleyway a block and a half from the school. It was raining just as heavily in the city and Kusuo pulled his duffle until he held it over his head, dropping the barrier with a blink. Aren yelped as the cold droplets hit his head and yanked his school bag over his head, pulling his glasses off before they could fog up. “Hey! Could’ve at least let me grab us an umbrella!” Aren realized where they were as he looked around, finally throwing a pout at Kusuo. “What’d you do that for? Why didn’t you warn me?!” Kusuo couldn’t deny himself a tiny devilish smirk. “You’re cute when you’re surprised. C’mon, let’s go before we get too drenched.” “Uhg! Brat!” Together they ran from the alley, feet slapping noisily against wet pavement. Ahead of them were a few other students who were doing the same but most of them had umbrellas and were looking at them with smug schadenfreude as they ran. “You couldn’t...just...teleport us into the school?” Aren panted lightly, his breathing deep and steady. Clearly he was used to running and Kusuo wondered if he should maybe join the other for a jog someday so he could watch. “I try to avoid doing that if I can. Too many people around, too easy for someone to see.” “Even after all this you’re still worried about keeping your powers a secret?” “Yeah, of course.” The gate was approaching and Kusuo slowed somewhat, contemplating the space where Kusuke had been waiting for him yesterday. He drew to a stop. Kusuo’s eyes stole upward, taking in the blinking red light of the security camera overhead. It wasn’t hard at all to imagine that light as Kusuke’s single green eye watching him from the other side, and Kusuo shuddered a little. His mind drifted back to his reaction yesterday. It was lucky Kusuo was a naturally quiet person because for how easily he’d been able to hear to them, his friends may as well have been on the moon. Responding had been nearly impossible. ‘I guess I should just be grateful I haven’t had another episode like on Monday.’ The red light bore into his brain and Kusuo tore his gaze away. He gave his head a hard shake, nodded to Matsuzaki who had been watching him narrowly from where he stood by the gates under his umbrella, and ran into the school yard. There was an unpleasant surprise waiting for him in the classroom, though. Kusuo glared down at the top of his desk as he pulled off his jacket. Derogatory slurs about his sexuality and his apparent promiscuity were written all over the desktop and the crumpled up drawings of Aren he’d done had been shredded alongside what few old notebooks and pencils he’d left in it overnight. He maintained the steady rhythm of his breathing by force but he had to admit, he was a bit stung.

Kusuo had never been bullied before. One advantage to keeping your head low and sticking out as little as possible typically meant he’d skated by the bullies attention in all his previous schools. Paranoia was twigging to life in his gut. Kusuo clenched a fist. ‘I’ve done it,’ He thought to himself, his brows furrowing as he glanced upwards at the classroom. Not everybody was there yet but every pair of eyes that were felt like pins and needles in his back. ‘I’ve drawn too much attention to myself. How could I let this happen?’ “Ah! You’re kidding…” Shun whispered as he came to stand next to the graffitied desk, looking down at it in horror. “Hey! Who the fuck did this?!” Aren whipped around but Kusuo lashed out, grabbing at the back of the taller boy’s uniform in a tight grip. Aren stilled obediently. Good. “Don’t resort to violence, Aren.” Kusuo told his boyfriend, his voice low. “That’ll only make this worse. Besides, none of the ones here right now are responsible anyway.” “You can tell who did this?” Shun whispered softly to him. Kusuo’s eyes glinted. He didn’t need psychic powers to figure this out, it wasn’t much of a mystery. After all there was only one group in class who had a habit of writing on desks, and out of that group only one had confronted him recently. Of course none of that mattered to the administration without hard evidence, but... Kusuo shut his eyes and released his grasp on the back of Aren’s school jacket, patting the taller boy’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it so much, guys.” Kusuo couldn’t help but smirk widely, face bowed so no one could see the enraged glow in his eyes. “Karma has a way of working pretty quickly around here.” He’d never been one to overlook an opportunity to be petty. This would be fun. “Oh no, you guys beat me here…” It was Kineshi, walking up with a rag and cleaning supplies. “I’d hoped to clean this up before you got here, Kusuo. I’m sorry.” “Nothing for you to apologize for.” Kusuo shook his head, taking the rag and spray bottle. “Thank you. I’ll clean this up.” It was then that Takahashi stepped into the classroom, his friends in step on either side of him. Instantly the green haired teen’s eyes sought him out and he badly stifled a malicious snicker. Ignoring the boy who was apparently so determined to make a victim of himself, Kusuo turned to lean over his desk, getting to work on cleaning up the writing before homeroom started. With pleasure, Kusuo began plotting out the nightmares he’d give to Takahashi tonight. So absorbed in his little task was Kusuo that he didn’t take note of the painful sadness etched

across Aren’s face as the teen took a look at his own spotless desk. Apart from that, and later finding a nasty letter in his gym clothes, the day passed unremarkably. This time Kusuo was determined to take notes for his friends instead of letting them catch him drawing embarrassing pictures or maybe he was just eager to put the earlier incident behind him, so he paid attention to the boring lectures as avidly as he had his parents story of the day they'd met after his first time travelling fiasco. Once lunch hit Aren walked him to the bathroom, which was where he intended to teleport home as planned. Luckily enough, it was empty. The taller boy flipped the lock as soon as they entered and dragged him into a kiss that made Kusuo’s toes curl and goosebumps break out all across his arms and neck. Kusuo should hit the guy for pulling this at school but there was so much emotion that it gave the kiss a distinct, almost umami flavour - rich with its sadness, dense in its joy and affection. Kusuo couldn’t help but grab at the other boy instead of punching him, very nearly rejoicing at the tight grip Aren had on his hip and the back of his neck. This was so bizarre, Kusuo thought breathlessly. It was just the weirdest thing, and a part of him wanted to be a little sick from it, especially from the wet, slippery sounds their locked mouths were making, but he couldn’t because he was enjoying it far too much. When Aren pulled back Kusuo felt a bit lightheaded and his mouth was burning. His lashes fluttered as he panted lightly. Had...he really just made out with another boy in the school bathroom? What the hell? “You’re so much better than you give yourself credit for.” Aren’s hand was still on the back of his neck, his thumb sweeping back and forth in a soothing motion. “Never forget that.” The punk stepped away completely but not before ruffling Kusuo’s hair. With that, Aren left the bathroom and by the time he’d recovered, it was to an empty room that Kusuo gave his question. “What?” Kusuo looked around and swallowed, reaching up to straighten his glasses but pausing and touching his lips instead. He closed his eyes and savoured the taste. But he still had a plan to follow. A flicker of colour and light later and Kusuo stood in his bedroom, glancing around blearily. The room looked a bit strange for having been gone from it for so long but nothing in particular was out of place so he dropped the duffle on the bed and stepped out. His mom’s thoughts were in the kitchen, and his dad wasn’t home, so to the kitchen was where Kusuo went. He kept his footsteps deliberately loud and even knocked on the doorway a bit just so he wouldn’t startle her. “Hey mom.” Still the woman jumped a bit and spun around, a piping bag full of pink frosting in her hand.

Kurumi dropped it the moment she saw him, running over. “Ku! You’re home! How are you, sweetie? Oh but you’re not done school yet...you’re not skipping are you?” Kusuo shook his head. “I just wanted to drop off the bag you packed for me, I put it on my bed.” He paused. Well, it was now or never. “After school I need to talk to you and dad about something, okay?” Kurumi nodded as her gaze grew concerned. “Is everything alright? Does this have anything to do with your brother?” “I’d rather not get into it right now, I have to go back to school soon, but…” Kusuo looked over her shoulder at the coffee jelly she was making, no doubt for him judging by the little face she’d been delicately tracing onto the top of it, and smiled. “Thank you.” “What for?” “For being such a great mom. I gotta go now, I’ll be back in a few hours.” “A-Alright.” If anything, Kurumi was looking even more concerned now but she broke through it quickly to give him her radiantly sunny smile. “Enjoy your afternoon, Ku. I love you very much!” “I love you too. See you later.” He waved. And then he was back in the closed bathroom stall, releasing the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. ‘Man,’ Kusuo thought, stretching his arms over his head and grimacing as he felt something in his back pop. ‘After this I’m gonna have to spend an entire month on the seafloor just to get my brain straight. What a weird week this has been.’ It was nearly done though. Kusuo smiled to himself as he stepped out of the stall, a little excited for the first time in a long time. By tonight, he was going to have a new normal to look forward to, and it was going to be wonderful. Of course, Takahashi had to try to ruin that for him. “Why are you so obsessed with me?” Kusuo blinked at the boy who had attempted, poorly, to corner him in a hallway close to the lunchroom. He glanced around. “And where are your friends?” Kusuo narrowed his eyes upon the other boy. “They don’t agree with what you’ve been doing, do they?” “Shut up!” Takahashi yipped then tried to draw himself up in a bravado Kusuo could easily tell he didn’t actually feel. “It just pisses me off how you think you’re so cute all of a sudden. Drop the act, Saiki, everyone knows how obnoxious and nasty you are.” “Oh, so that’s it.” Kusuo mumbled, cocking a brow before sighing a bit in disgust. Well now he’d just feel mean if he gave the guy nightmares, that wasn’t fair. “You’re projecting.” Withdrawing his cell from his pocket he checked the time and shook his head. He had to hurry if he wanted to eat at all this lunch period. “W-What? No I’m not! Now you listen here-”

“No, you listen. I’m not someone you wanna mess with so I suggest you don’t. And if your dad’s giving you such a hard time about things, maybe stay with a friend or something. Don’t take that out on other people. It’s rude, and you’re gonna burn a lot of bridges that way.” Shoving passed the afro headed, sputtering teen, Kusuo pushed his phone back into his pocket and proceeded forward a couple of steps, then stopped, frowned, sighed, and turned around. “Also, don’t think how your dad acts is your fault. That’s his problem, and he’s the shitty person for taking that out on you and your mom, okay? Okay.” He turned around with a wave and restarted his trek to the cafeteria. “See you later, Takahashi.” It was a very silent boy he left behind him. “Oh, Kusuo! You finally showed up! Here, we saved you a seat.” Shun scooted over, patting the place beside him and next to Aren, and Kusuo didn’t bother to hide a relieved smile as he dropped down into it gratefully. Aren grinned at him, promptly wrapping an arm around his waist, then went back to his conversation with Kineshi. “Thanks.” Shun grinned. “You’re welcome. So, as I was saying, Yumehara, it’s really more of a civilian rebellion.” “Welcome back, Kusuo.” Chiyo waved at him, pushing a lock of wavy hair behind her ear before turning back to Shun. “But that’s what I don’t get, Kaidou. Can you really call it that when the rebellion started within Dark Reunion? The Jet Black Wings was a member when he started it, right?” “Well, I’ve been thinking lately that maybe he didn’t start it per se but his defection leant it a lot of power and credence.” “Heeey, buddy! Here, have my rice, I don’t want it.” It felt like no time at all passed until Kusuo was again watching the red blinking light of the security camera mounted above the school gates, the school day done. The rain had stopped only about forty minutes ago but there was still no sun peeking through and the air had retained its thick, wet leaf scent. ‘Do you see me, Kusuke? Are you watching me still?’ He wondered at the camera, refusing to express the sadness he’d felt heavier and heavier when it came to thoughts of his brother as of late. Makoto had been the catalyst for that, he realized. Seeing the man’s genuine grief, and then Kokomi’s relief afterwards, had ignited a longing in him that he’d entirely forgotten, or maybe he’d just stuffed it away where he couldn’t reach it - the yearning for a familial relationship with a person it was safe to look up to and admire. He wanted to blame himself for it, Kusuo realized further. Actually, no, he did blame himself. It was a complete knee-jerk reaction to do just that, but then the words he’d spoken to Takahashi earlier came back to him. He’d never enjoyed thinking of himself as a hypocrite. It was something he actively tried to avoid. Kusuo blinked expressionlessly at the camera as he considered that, rolling it over in his mind.

‘It’s...not my fault? Then maybe it’s not my powers either, maybe..." He dropped his eyes to the ground, focusing on the damp, jewel bright leaves and the contrast they made against the blacktop. "Maybe it was just really bad luck.’ “So we remember the plan, right?” Shun asked and next to him, Mikoto rolled her eyes. “You’re still going on about that, Shu-huahua?” “Don’t call me that,” Shun pouted up at her. “And yes, I am. In fact, I insist on it. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, you know.” Mikoto waved him off. “Okay, okay, but I’m telling you everything’s gonna turn out fine. I’ve seen it.” “Let you all know when I get home, then if there’s no communication in a half hour you send the cops, right?” Kusuo interrupted before they could get started, looking at Shun, who immediately seemed relieved and nodded. “Right! And if-if nobody else takes it seriously than I will!” “Don’t worry, runt, we’re all taking this seriously. Oh, so do we really have to meet up at Cafe Mami? I really wanna get ramen.” “Yes, you do!” Chisato pouted up at him as she bounced emphatically. “I wanna make sure that everyone’s okay and my shift starts in an hour, so you’re all obligated! Bring ramen if you have to! In fact bring two, no, four bowls!” “Alright!” Nendo beamed in excitement. “Will do, pigtails girl!” “Sure you don’t want me to walk you home, Princess?” Aren asked beside him. “That’s still a deviation in the routine, you know, you walking alone. He might get suspicious.” Kusuo reached up to poke Aren’s cheek. “Positive. I’ll be fine. See you guys in a bit.” He waved, then turned around and started on the solitary walk home. This was even weirder than making out with a boy in the school bathroom, Kusuo thought to himself about ten minutes later. It had been a really long time since he’d made the walk home from school by himself like this, and though it was a short trip it was still strange to do it. He’d become used to his friends without even realizing it. Go figure. ‘Huh.’ He thought to himself as he watched Pochimi and his owner walk by. ‘Guess I really should stop taking them for granted and get around to being grateful like Aren said. What’s the saying? Hashtag YOLO?’ You only live once so may as well make it a good one. That’s what that meant, right? Kokomi’s words from the conversation at the cafe, the one that had initiated this bizarre week, flooded back to him. “If you are some super genius like you say you are, then you shouldn’t be in highschool with us trying to figure out ways to duck attention. You should be out there in the world, using your big

brain and showing it off so you can make a difference. But instead you’re hiding, here, with me!” In it’s own way, wasn’t hiding like this letting his brother win the biggest game of all - who had control over Kusuo’s own life? Kusuo blinked hard, the sudden epiphany rocking him back, and turned his wide gaze to the dull silver sky. ‘I’ve been losing...this entire time, I’ve been-’ His eyes searched the clouds for answers but, of course, there were none there. ‘I’ve been letting him and what he said control me this whole time. Sure, certain events reinforced it but would I really be like this otherwise?’ Kusuo’s shoulders slumped. “...Huh.” He whispered out loud with what little voice he didn’t have. Alright then. He hurried off before he started to attract odd looks. It was only about five minutes later that he was pushing the gate open, bending down to give Amp’s ears a scratch from where the annoying cat maintained sentry and then moving over to the front door. It was unlocked. “I’m home,” Kusuo called out, slipping out of his shoes and pulling out his phone to send off the text as promised. Then he looked up. “Huh. Nobody’s here.” ‘Ran out of rice wine, have gone shopping!’ Read a note he’d found in the kitchen, done in his mother’s handwriting. It further explained that his dad would be home a little later this evening (there’d been an incident at work) but there was a special treat waiting in the fridge for him. Kusuo gasped in delight, remembering the home made coffee jelly she’d been working on when he’d popped in over lunch, and promptly ripped the fridge door open. There it was in all its glory, a massive bowl of radiant coffee jelly ensconced in home made whipped cream with little chocolates and icing on top, and while it was maybe a little weird to eat something with a drawing of his face on it Kusuo summoned a spoon into his hand and tucked into it immediately. “Mmmm~” He sighed happily, his entire body relaxing in pleasure. Nothing beat home made coffee jelly. Kusuo ate it quickly, feeling now even more pleased than before to finally be home, and after leaving the dish and spoon on the counter to wash later he made for his room. ‘Parents aren’t here. Talk might be delayed. Will be there in 30 minutes regardless’ was the text he sent off as he made his way up the stairs. The door to his room was still open from earlier but the duffle bag was gone, his mom likely having disassembled it and putting everything away. Levitating his phone to his desk, Kusuo turned and dropped into his bed, sighing out heavily as the stress he’d been carrying the entire week immediately melted away. Here in his room he was safe. Hugging his pillow to his face, the teen breathed in the familiar scent of his mom’s favourite laundry detergent and simply let himself soak up the comfort for a few minutes. It was such a good bed. Soft, but not too soft, and the quilt on top was the perfect texture. He

nuzzled into it, eyes shutting. This was perfect. So perfect that he was almost asleep before he knew it. Stretching out with a huff, Kusuo stifled his yawn and rolled over to blink blearily at the ceiling. ‘I’m so relieved to be home I’m starting to get sleepy.’ Kusuo sighed and decided he’d better get up before he actually did fall asleep, miss his deadline, and ended up having the cops called on his house for no actual reason. “Alright bed, looks like our date’s gotta wait till tonight.” He muttered to it and gave the royal blue bedspread a pat before pushing himself out of it. Just for kicks he levitated himself over to his closet instead of walking there and then began to undress. Since he was here he may as well change out of his school clothes, Kusuo reasoned as he opened the doors. And then Kusuo was met with a conundrum. ‘What do I wear?’ He frowned and tilted his head, tapping his socked toe against the floor. It was such a stupid, insipid question but he wasn’t going to lie to himself, he kind of wanted to look good for Aren. There’d been a funny heat in the taller boy’s eyes when he’d pulled up Kusuo’s shirt to look at his stomach right after they’d confessed to each other, one that Kusuo thought he didn’t entirely dislike, and it’d been nice when the taller boy had admired his so called ‘cuteness’ when Aren had bundled Kusuo into the overlarge, borrowed jacket. And maybe if he dressed up a little bit for his boyfriend (still such a weird thought, that was) he’d get another of those amazing toe curling kisses as a reward. Kusuo definitely wanted more of those, he decided to himself, so he began to rifle through his closet. It took him awhile to decide. He wasn’t too worried about his time limit since he could just teleport near the cafe if he needed to, and it was only a few minutes to walk there anyway, but there really wasn’t a lot in his closet that was geared towards fashion. It was all comfortable and he didn't mind how they looked but none of it was eye catching. Kusuo had deliberately designed his wardrobe that way, after all. Even his clothes were geared toward not standing out. The only person whose attention Kusuo wanted was Aren's. ‘I feel like a bit of a slob, going through this. Maybe I should go shopping for clothes with my next allowance.’ Kusuo thought to himself, having eventually decided on an older pastel purple and blue sweater and a pair of slate grey jeans. He almost paired it with a white overcoat before remembering the jacket Aren had loaned to him and deciding on that instead. It was a bit big on him, he reiterated to himself, but that was fine. The over long sleeves weren’t that much of a hindrance. It was still comfortable and, Kusuo realized as he turned his nose into the shirt collar, smelled like Aren. ‘I hope that’s not too creepy of me…’ He summoned his phone back and checked the time with a yawn, relieved to see that he still had five minutes, pocketing it as he stepped out into the hallway and began to head down to the landing. Kusuo would write his mom a note in reply and then he’d be off. Abruptly the room spun and Kusuo stumbled half way down the stairs, catching himself against

the railing and sagging with a sharp, surprised breath. ‘Am I more tired than I realized? Has the week gotten to me that much?’ Kusuo blinked heavily to clear his gaze, straightened cautiously through the dizziness that was assailing him, then carefully resumed navigating his way down the stairs. It took so much effort that his heart was racing by the time he got to the bottom and his foot still slipped. He didn’t catch himself nearly so elegantly this time, crashing down the last step and into the entryway table, toppling it and everything on it. Kusuo laid in the mess he’d just made, a pile of heavy breathing and a burgeoning, feverish heat. ‘No, no something’s not right here.’ A wave of nausea pushed his stomach into his throat and he wheezed, clutching at the wall to pull himself up. ‘This is-this is wrong.’ His vision swam, blood pressure dropping sharply the higher he stood and Kusuo huffed for air, pressing his hot cheek into the cool wall and shakily reaching back into his pocket to retrieve his phone. ‘Gotta...call…’ A hand seized his wrist and jerked it savagely away, wrenching him around while another clutched his jacket collar and pushed him roughly into the wall, pinning his arm above his head. “Hello little brother,” Kusuke’s eye was totally devoid of anything at all but he was still smiling, blank and awful. “I told you I wanted some quality time with you. You’re not gonna be calling anyone.” Kusuo felt his jaw drop. “Kusuke…”

Chapter End Notes

It gets deadly in the next chapter.

Colours Chapter Summary

The climax.

Chapter Notes

BIG'OL TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER, FOLKS. Ahead is a graphic depiction of sexual and physical assault and is not suited for vulnerable persons. Please wait for the next chapter if you think you might be strongly affected by the content in this one, it won't be impossible to suss out what happened. Take care of yourselves! Alright, so we basically come to the second reason this fic exists in this chapter. I did genuinely want to explore what it would take to bring God-kun to death's door and I think I did a fair job making a reasonable case here. Too bad Kusuke broke Kusuo's arm, oh no baby, you almost had him! You were so close! Rip. Those damn power suits...smdh. Hoo boy this one's gone through some hecking rewrites. Funnily enough it's gotten more and more graphic with each one too, oop. Including a last one today even! It's been a hard one to write, too. I kept getting all 'AAAAAAAA' at first but that went away until it became...strangely entertaining. Welp, that's why this is listed under my Freakshow psued huehue. Actually this was originally the ending of the previous chapter but I thought separating them like this was for the best, considering. -Keep'Em Separated by The Offspring plays in the backgroundAlso, surprise...mute!Kusuo turned out to be a horrible, terrible plot device! Oh no! Also the alarm clock aaaaye. Did I checkhov's gun that one enough? without actually checkhov's gunning the literal gun Aren owns that gets a one time mention? That could count as a red herring tho so eh. Also next chapter of AGWITO is bout halfway done. Geeeeeeze. I think that's about it. Hope you enjoy this awful, terrible, dirty, rotten, no good chapter wink wonk Recommended listening Kusuo vs Kusuke Instrumental: Soundtrack for Last House on the Left starting from ‘In the Woods’, by John Murphy In the House, in a Heartbeat by John Murphy (28 Days Later OST) Collapse by A Cold Dead Body Non-Instrumental:

Forever by Hurt The Last Remaining Light by Audioslave Tonight You Belong to Me by Joseph William Morgan The Package by A Perfect Circle Aren vs Kusuke Anything and everything by Blue Stahli Aren saves Kusuo Instrumental: Crazy Train by Joseph William Morgan Non-Instrumental: Don't You Worry Love by Warmer Shun 'Instrumental': Silent Heaven from the Silent Hill OST Non-Instrumental: Daydreaming by Radiohead

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Hello little brother,” Kusuke’s eye was totally devoid of anything at all but he was still smiling, blank and awful. “I told you I wanted some quality time with you. You’re not gonna be calling anyone.” Kusuo felt his jaw drop. “Kusuke…” That cold feeling was back, a tremble ripping up his spine with something akin to panic surging through him at the familiar position that pushed him back, back, away from his body until the grip on his wrist was distant and size held no meaning to his eyes. The phone was ripped from his hand and thrown away, breaking on the opposite wall and Kusuo tore himself back through the cold into reality. “You-!” “Did you like that little cocktail I slipped into the jello mom made for you?” Kusuke chuckled darkly, reaching up to grab his hair and give it a sharp jerk, shoving his head back into the wall. The world spun and Kusuo groaned, feeling his legs begin to sag. Everything was getting so hot... “I bet you didn’t even taste it, did you? Silly Kusuo, you should know better than to have such an obvious weakness. Eventually someone will take advantage of that.” Tired of the rough treatment Kusuo blasted the blond back but gasped sharply as a wave of pressure built in him, squeezing his head so tight he thought it might pop. Heart racing in his ears he slipped to the ground in an uncoordinated heap, grasping at his skull as he pulled in breath after horrible, pulsing breath. The veins in his neck twitched and bulged and his teeth were clutched together so tightly he worried they might crack. It hurt-! “Looks like it’s kicking in pretty effectively, that push wasn’t even half your usual strength. Good. This might be easier than I thought.” Kusuo looked up just in time to watch Kusuke’s boot crack into his face.

HeHe hadn’t been able to stop it. He’d tried to lift his hand to catch or deflect it but his body hadn’t moved. WhatWhat was this?! Kusuo’s stomach tried to make a reappearance through his mouth, the world swimming so violently that it hurt to keep his eyes open through the vertigo. Gasping wetly he clawed for a stair, the other hand clutching at his chest in an effort to keep his racing heart at bay, and attempted to lift himself up. His legs trembled and his right knee gave out abruptly. Kusuo fell back to the stairs, blind with panic as he listened with half an ear to Kusuke’s monologue. The fucker had drugged him. DRUGGED him and whatever it was was nullifying his ability both physical and otherwise. Kusuo dragged his head inch by inch to look over at Kusuke, panting roughly through the fever, and tried to set the man on fire, to curse him, to freeze himHis body collapsed, vision buzzing out for a second as the agony in his cranium threatened to explode under the pressure. He jolted and wheezed, rasping for air, slowly coming back to awareness but even that was beginning to fade. His cognition was decreasing rapidly, and not just from the sheer bloody panic. No. No way. This wasn’t happening, Kusuo was stronger than this, he wasn’t this weak, he wasn’t this vulnerable, he could kill Kusuke hundreds of ways without even lifting a finger, this wasn’t happening“See, after noticing that little germanium ring of yours a while back I decided to experiment a bit with similar chemical compounds. What you’re experiencing are tranquilizers combined with germanium-adjacent elements and about enough GHB to kill the average woman ten times over. And then a few other things for taste to make the entire thing as sweet as possible so you wouldn’t be bothered by it, like antifreeze. How does it feel, little brother?” A hand was in his bangs, dragging him around and slamming him back against the stairs. Kusuo groaned, arching away. Every carpeted edge felt like razor wire against his spine but this position, too, was painfully reminiscent. When he clawed at Kusuke’s wrist it felt like his hands were sliding on slick rubber, he just-he couldn’t make his fingers work. Worse, it was getting so, so hot. Too hot. Much too hot. It wanted him to sleep and truly Kusuo was tired. Painfully so, he could barely see straight through the bone deep exhaustion pulling him down. It would be so easy. Distant...everything was so distant. No! He had to stay awake! “Get off me!” Kusuo yelled, forcing his body to move and kicking up into Kusuke’s gut hard enough to send the taller man flying with a wet and broken gasp, a hint of pink hair still clutched in

his strangely bulky hand. He didn’t take the moment of reprieve to relax, demanding his perfect control over his body to reexert itself and he moved, surging upwards from the stairs and pushing his legs into a run. He couldn’t tell how fast he was going, time was moving so strangely - dragged to a halt second by agonizing second even while it rocketed forward at lightspeed, but Kusuo refused to focus on that. The door. He narrowed his eyes on the slim sliver of light from where Kusuke had left it open just a crack. It was getting closer. He was almost there, he swore. The door! He had to get to the door! “Wrong move, bro.” His fingers were almost on the knob when a hand caught him by the throat and suddenlyKusuo was ripped apart at the seams. His limbs spasmed, organs revolting, and had he been able to Kusuo would have screamed but right now he couldn’t even breatheIt stopped and his senseless body was dropped but Kusuo didn’t really feel it when he hit the floor. His body was still twitching outside his control and through the stars and spots that danced in his eyes he could vaguely see a shadow moving closer. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. It was taking everything he had to stay conscious. There was a peculiar rattling noise dancing on the edges of his periphery, nearly a gurgle, and Kusuo belatedly realized it was him. His larynx spasmed and he choked on it. “Thaaaaat’s right. You just soak all that up, little brother,” Kusuke purred darkly. “It’s another toy I made just for you. Got some very interesting results from that ‘massage chair’ I sent mom a while back and adjusted the voltage accordingly.” It was hard to make out what Kusuke was saying. The shadow eventually resolved into a smudge of colours and shapes. It crouched next to him. Something poked at his cheek then danced down his jaw, his neck, twiddled at his chest. “See, I have a theory about your invulnerability. Obvious stuff like poison and knives you have no problem deflecting but the sneakier stuff? The stuff that fucks with your chemical and hormone production, your nerve endings? Like, say, drugs and electricity...That’s what you’re weak to. You know, you really are amazing, Kusuo! I even wonder if you’re human at all because after all this, you shouldn’t even still be alive! My God, you’re such a freak!” His brother’s laughter echoed strangely in his ears but finally, finally Kusuo got his lungs to work and he gasped in so roughly that the air felt like knives tearing down his throat. Shivering, his limbs jerking and uncoordinated, the coughing teenager rolled himself over inch by agonizing inch and began the arduous process of getting his legs underneath him again. His body was refusing to cooperate but he knew, he knew that he needed to get up.

Overhead, Kusuke whistled. Footsteps. He was walking away? “Wow, all that and you can still move? Damn, Kusuo, I’m impressed. You know, I think this calls for some more experimenting…” Kusuke wiped the hint of red spittle from his chin and reached behind him to shut the door, the click of it’s lock echoing like a judge’s gavel. “I wanna see how much you can take.” An explosion rocked through the back of his skull and Kusuo felt his body begin to topple forward even as the world went black. His vision sparkled for a moment and when he came to he was being dragged up the stairs again. It took Kusuo an embarrassingly long minute to work out why everything was upside down but then his head hit another stair and he whispered out a hoarse huff. His ankle was in a vice. Kusuke was dragging him up the stairs by his foot. Another step knocked into his temples and, desperately wanting the world to stop moving before he threw up, he reached out to latch onto the bottom of the railing, his grip trembling but strong enough to halt their procession. The stop jolted uncomfortably through his system and he clenched his hand harder as Kusuke ripped at his leg a couple times, lifting his entire lower body for a moment before he was dropped. Kusuo curled up slowly, feeling like every part of his being was made up of discomfort. “Wow, you’re awake already? I thought that would’ve kept you out for a few minutes for sure, not just a couple seconds. Maybe I should recalibrate this power suit, it doesn’t seem strong enough to match your physique...oh well. Let’s see here.” Kusuo groaned as his brother rolled him over and sat on his stomach, reaching up to send another psychokinetic blast or anything at all at the man but the power fizzled out before it even reached his fingertips and he clutched at his head, breath shuddering as the pounding tripled. His stomach was in his throat again, bubbling up and he choked it back desperately. This was the worst headache he’d ever had in his life. The migraines from his visions had nothing on this, it felt like his skull was caving in! “Did you just try to blast me again? Looked like it but I didn’t feel anything so I’m guessing the drugs have finally nullified your powers. Alright, don’t need these anymore, then.” His glasses were pulled off his face and tossed away carelessly and Kusuo gasped, squeezing his eyes shut on instinct before snapping them back open. Wait, that was perfect-! Kusuke seized his jaw and pulled his head back around. The man appeared as though Kusuo was looking at him through a thick covering of water. It was strange. He became distracted as he tried to piece together his brother’s face but it was like Kusuke had come unglued. For a moment Kusuo just watched the mess of colours bleed and weave. But, wait. There was something he was forgetting, here. Confused, Kusuo squinted through his wavering vision, forcing his brain to turn over click after sluggish click. Wasn’t something supposed to be happening right now? Something to do with his powers, and his

eyes, and the reason why he never, ever, took off his glasses. The realization hit Kusuo belatedly and all at once as he realized that Kusuke wasn’t turning to stone. He gaped, jaw trembling as he took in his brother’s unpetrified form. No, that wasn’t possible...No. No! “So pretty…” Kusuke muttered as he got in close, one finger rubbing next to the corner of his eye. “I’d forgotten...like lilacs in spring…I bet they’d be even prettier if you cried for me, Kusuo. Do you think you could do that for your big brother?” “Fuck...yourself…” Kusuo glared balefully and ground his teeth as he shoved at his brother limply, not wanting to admit that yeah, he kind of wanted to cry right now. Kusuke didn’t go anywhere. Kusuo’s strength was pitifully kitten weak and his arms were heavy, felt like cement. They didn’t want to move. Yeah, crying sounded good. “Oh, are you trying to cuss me out, my adorable baby bro? Heh. That’s not very polite. Guess I’ve gotta teach you some manners.” Kusuke grinned and suddenly his eye bulged and he slapped Kusuo soundly across the face once, twice, three times, fourKusuo began to lose count. He was just too dizzy to make sense of it, the harsh motion driving from him all sense of cohesion. Finally it stopped and he breathed raggedly as he tried to focus his eyes through the spinning and lurching. Little electric shocks were pulsing through him, causing him to jerk and shiver. The stairwell was melting. Kusuo shuddered and clung desperately to what little sense he had left but it was escaping him like grains of sand. He justHe couldn’t. Couldn’t think. Could hardly breathe. Where? “I see your invulnerability has stayed intact! You’re not bruising or bleeding at all, your face has barely turned red. Delightful! Well, let’s move onto the next game. This is fun, heh. Never imagined this would work so well...finally, you’re right where you should be, Kusuo. Underneath me. I’ve waited so long...But of course you never cared about that, or about how I felt. Always rubbing my nose in your supposed superiority, well look at you now! Only fair that we take turns, right?” Kusuke’s voice was raspy but Kusuo couldn’t quite follow. It was going in and out, just like the walls. They were making him dizzy. Kusuo’s sickening thoughts were soundly diverted as two hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed. “Do you even have blood, baby brother? Tell me, do you bleed? Let’s find out if there’s anything trapped in those unfeeling veins of yours, shall we?” Kusuke bent low so Kusuo could see each and every one of his tightly clenched teeth. He lifted his arms, or tried to, slowly catching onto a wrist and pushed limply at it.

It didn’t go anywhere. He was hot. So hot. Spinning. Melting. And useless. “Maybe you don’t need to breathe for hours and hours but surely your brain requires the blood supply provided by the carotid arteries. Show me, Kusuo!” Kusuo’s head smacked sharply against the stairs as Kusuke shook him. No. No. No. It was too much. The pounding in his head, the weight on him, the pressure in his chest, the nausea, the drugs rotting his brain, it was all too much. A wetness slipped from Kusuo’s eyes and down into his hair as he grit his teeth uselessly. Through his lashes, far away and barely visible was a deep brown blur. The door. It was the door. But it was closed now. Despair filled him. The pressure on his neck redoubled and he beat against it, tearing at Kusuke’s arms and anything he could reach. Kusuke continued to ramble above him but Kusuo could barely hear him, the blood in his ears was rushing too loud. And then, finally, his head exploded. The world devolved into sweet stars all at once. Everything was getting fuzzy, getting distant again. He clutched at his brother’s shirt with a shaking hand but then his grip went lax against his will and his arms vanished into the ether when they dropped, lashes hooding as he took in the disappearing ceiling. Everything was tingling, but it was warm. So tired…Where was he? It felt like he was back on the seafloor. There were even waves crashing. He could hear them. It was nice. It was comfortable. He could sleep here. Kusuo felt his eyes close. “Hm, one minute thirty seconds and you’re still conscious but...barely. Still a stunning difference to note, most people pass out within seconds of the carotids closing. Well, back to the bedroom!” Wait. What? What was that sound? There was a rush and awareness came back in drabs, leaving Kusuo to slowly become aware that he was in fact not underwater but on his home’s staircase and moving upwards slowly. There was a wretched pulling on his hair and he shifted against it but his body just sizzled ferociously like the entire thing had fallen asleep and just woken up. He was being dragged. Kusuo’s eyes turned upwards.

Kusuke. He was afraid, Kusuo remembered suddenly through the thick fog that had encapsulated his mind. No, he was terrified. “Let…” His eyes rolled back but he forced them forward again, hiccuping. “Lemme…” “Ally-oop!” A hand grabbed him by the crotch of his pants too and for a moment Kusuo was airborn. He crashed. It was painful and startling and he lurched away from it, pulling at his limbs through the aching, tingling heat. They were so heavy. This surface felt familiar. His hand slid against fabric and Kusuo’s swimming vision abruptly noticed that what he was laying on was blue. Wait. WhenHe blinked rapidly and tried to shove his body upwards. There, that was his pillow. His arms collapsed and Kusuo panted, eyes darting about. It was blurry, it was hard to see, and it took forever for him to recognize it butThis was his room. When had they gotten to his room? Kusuke was looming over him, and even though he could barely see it through the grey and sparkling fog Kusuo did not like the look on his face. He shook his head and pushed his body back. “Stop…” Kusuke was watching him. Just watching. Kusuo might have drifted off for a moment because the next thing he knew the blond was crawling on top of him, grabbing his wrists in a grip so tight his bones cringed. Kusuo grit his teeth against the pain before his eyes popped open and he gasped, wavery gaze wide with horror as he slowly turned to look up at the hands trapping him. It...hurt? But, wait. That wasn’tIt wasn’t possible. No. No. No nonoThe man above him was talking. Kusuo tugged at his wrists and his arms burned with the effort. Gradually, the noises Kusuke was making resolved into words he could painstakingly piece together, and he did not like them when he did. “Ahah, isn’t that an interesting expression…” Kusuke’s voice was rough, deeper than his usual musical alto for a reason that Kusuo did not want to identify. “Might it have something to do with the give I feel in your bones for once? Maybe under all those powers you are still human, I just had to bring that out of you... How terribly romantic.” Kusuke’s breath was shaking and hot as it washed over his face, the man bowing down low above

him as Kusuo trembled. “Oh, look at that, you’re crying for me.” The man’s left hand departed from Kusuo’s wrist to trace his face, rubbing against his under eye. Kusuo jerked his head away from the touch. He didn’t want it! “Thank you, brother. I’ll treasure this gift.” Hyperventilating, Kusuo watched in disgust and horror as the blond lifted his hand to his mouth and sucked his gloved fingers into it, a peculiar smile curling his lips as he did so before he ducked in to drag his tongue across the side of Kusuo’s face. He cringed away from his brother’s mouth and squirmed with a hiss, kicking at the sheets but unable to get away. “Get off!” Kusuke didn’t seem to notice, the man was just petting his cheek and neck like Kusuo was a favoured pet. He writhed and tried to muster something, anything, to get Kusuke off him but the power just wouldn’t come, slipped away like so many cobwebs. The pain was really kicking in now, pushing through the drugs and setting him, and the fog he’d been in, on fire. Kusuo's entire body was pounding sharp and high as though he were constricted by a horrible vice, and his joints were a wildfire of burning coals. His skin was dead or prickling by turns, a thousand needles driven into him all at once that he couldn’t even hope to shy away from. He’d never felt anything like this before in his life and he wanted it to end. Kusuo shut his eyes against the hurt and rapidly shook his head, both in denial and in an attempt to clear it, and raised the quavering hand which Kusuke had released in order to fondle his face. “I-I give up now,” He lifted it in surrender, forcing a quivering smile onto his face. Words. They came slow. It was hell to put them together, but he had to. He had to. Maybe if he could just talk some sense or negotiate or- “You win! You win. Good game, you uh, you really got me. Please,” Kusuo blinked through the wet, choking on his convulsing, mutely sobbing chest as his burning hand drooped under the strain of staying up. “Please…” Kusuke’s head tilted as he watched him, single visible eye narrowing. “You know I can’t hear you when you talk to me like that, little brother. I will force you to use your big boy words whether you want to or not.” Then he smiled. “If you do maybe I’ll be nice and stop for today.” It was as though he’d been doused in ice water and for a second the sheer dumb panic Kusuo felt actually cleared his head. “No, no, wait, Kusuke-!” Kusuo reached up to force his heavy, sizzling fingers into his brother’s shirt as the taller man maneuvered between his legs, releasing his grip on his wrist in favour of pushing Kusuo’s thighs apart. He jerked at the fabric, desperately trying to call Kusuke’s attention to the fact that he actually couldn’t speak. “Hey, no, stop, listen, listen to me-” Kusuke was a genius after all, surely he’d realize that after seventeen and a half years of never once using his actual voice, Kusuo’s vocal chords had atrophied nearly beyond repair? Surely he would, right?! “No, wait, I can’t, I can’t-” He gibbered uselessly, straining against the body keeping him pinned while he watched aghast as the situation unfolded in horrible clarity.

It was a bad dream, it had to be. A nightmare, or a prank. He kicked his legs but they were weak, wooden, his nerves lit up by fire as the pain settled in deeper, and tried to push the larger man back. Kusuke was relentless though, the man’s teeth latching onto his throat and Kusuo felt a madness rip into his brain as their position caught up to him fully, throwing his head back into the pillow with a silent shriek. He was going out of his mind, fear and flashbacks clawing at him and driving him insane. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t actually happening . “That’s not fair! I literally can’t!” Kusuo beat at the blond’s shoulders, shoved at his face, bucked, groped around for something, anything- “Kusuke, please, you gotta-you need to listen to me! PLEASE! Stop it!” Kusuke suddenly pulled back just a bit, frowning down at the jacket Kusuo wore. The relief was so heady Kusuo actually spasmed with it, breath catching in dry heaving syrupy demi-sobs, dropping back into the bed as he gagged with anxiety and stress. It was over now, right? Kusuke had won, so it was over right?! Please, please, let this be over. “I just realized...this doesn’t smell like you…This isn’t your jacket, is it?” There was pain and rage dripping from Kusuke’s voice, his hand shaking as it gripped into the collar. Kusuo blinked at his brother stupidly. He wasn’t sure he understood. What about jackets? “Wh-...What?” “You…” Suddenly the blond snarled and shook him. The vague clarity that had finally washed through Kusuo’s mind was gone all at once, replaced by the spinning and pounding heat that he’d been so momentarily grateful to be rid of. He coughed on it, struggling to squirm away, to get Kusuke’s hands off of him but“This belongs to that DOG, doesn’t it?! That awful wretch who’s convinced you to consort with him!? You-” Kusuke laughed, chilling and deranged, and dropped him completely to begin unzipping the coat. His motions were shaky and uncoordinated, giving him difficulty that Kusuo, too busy just heaving for air and trying to orient himself through the hot wash of vertigo that overtook him, could only just barely pay any mind to. Dying. This felt like dying. “I can’t believe you, Kusuo! I can’t believe that you’d stoop so low as to fuck a dog! Even the monkeys are no good, but a dog?! Why on Earth would you choose that over ME?!” The zipper ripped. Kusuke snarled and began to jerk the shoulders down. Kusuo stared gobsmacked for a moment as his brother began to undress him and then alarm and adrenaline shot him through. Fuck the agony, fuck the sickness dragging him down, if he could just get a lucky hit in-! JUST ONE!

He renewed his struggles with a snarl, redoubling them with renewed vigor and putting his entire body weight into it as he flailed. Kusuke, clearly having not been expecting it, was thrown back for a moment and Kusuo clawed at the sheets for purchase, one hand clamping down on the alarm clock on the far corner of the bed. He blinked at it then whipped it around, aim perfect despite the grey besetting his eyes, and nailed Kusuke right in the head. “Fuck!” His brother cried out and finally Kusuo was freed completely as the man fell back, feeling suddenly overwhelmingly grateful for that pushy salesman who’d thrown that in with his coffee jelly machine. It was a retro style one, all metal, and no doubt would not feel good to get hit by. Kusuo tumbled to the floor, hitting jaw first and pushed himself up but groaned in teary eyed frustration as his body just refused to hold, leaving him to sprawl uselessly. He palmed the hardwood and pulled himself forward with his nails, tearing at the floor and using the gouges for further purchase. His muscles felt like they were ripping, his bones had been replaced by white hot magma but it was fine! He’d crawl if he had to! “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Kusuke’s voice was deranged and ice cold above him and when Kusuo looked up with a gasp, there was a trickle of blood lining the side of his brother’s face. “We’re not done here yet!” Kusuo pushed through the exploding in his veins, pushed through the weakness and heat and tore his hand through the air, rejoicing as his power finally throbbed to life and shoved the man back. Kusuke grunted, tripping and falling back to the bed, sliding off the other side. The door, Kusuo repeated to himself and finally pushed himself onto trembling knees, crawling forward inch after terrible inch. He had to get...to the... The world went dangerously black and he wavered against the shocks electrifying his brain, distantly feeling his body collapse back to the floor. The nausea finally won and his stomach ripped its way out of his mouth, ejecting hot sourness beneath him. Somehow the act seemed to give Kusuo the clarity to throw out an arm and dig his fingers into the hardwood. It splintered under his grip. Kusuo pulled his leg up and it shook beneath his weight but drove him forward another half foot. He yanked his other arm around, lunging over it and demanding the opposite leg move. He had to get to the door! There was a yell and suddenly a body slammed into him at full speed. They slid on the hardwood, grappling at each other and Kusuo nearly had the fucker off him until Kusuke caught his arm. It snapped loudly in the enhanced grip and Kusuo rolled away from it with a voiceless shriek, eyes round. His arm was thrown away and Kusuke’s hand fell to his neck again, shoving at him. Kusuo retched around it, forcing his watery gaze open. “We’re not done until I say we’re done you little freak!” Kusuke roared and reared back a single fist. Kusuo’s eyes widened. Slow motion. His good hand lifted but it was too slow, too weak. The sensation was utterly indescribable. Explosions, volcanoes, fireworks, tsunamis, cartoon TNT,

nothing compared to the shock that ripped through his brain as Kusuke’s fist thundered into his eye socket. The rebounding crack of his cranium against wood made more sense but his mind was leaving, it must have been seeping out his ears for all the good it was doing. Kusuo felt his legs twitch but otherwise his body was lost. Overhead, Kusuke giggled like a lunatic. It didn’t end, and neither did the fist punching him in the face. There was no sense. There was no time. There was barely a floor underneath him much less a ‘him’ at all. And then there was reprieve. Oh. There he was. Kusuo didn’t feel that great, though. He wanted to go away again. A sparkling gasp echoed strangely through the wibbly-wobbliness, and so did the hand that reverently traced his chin. He was choking on something, Kusuo realized, and coughed weakly around the object but he couldn’t bring whatever it was back up. The drugs, he thought as his lungs rapidly began to burn. With them in his system he couldn’t control his need for air, leaving Kusuo to mouth for oxygen like a landed fish. He couldn’t breathe. If before felt like dying then this was being birthed in reverse, like he was being mercilessly squeezed through a long tube headfirst, atom by atom, into the relentless void on the other side. “You DO bleed…” Kusuke’s voice was shaking, deep, coming out in little more than a groan. “Holy shit, Kusuo, look at you...oh my God, you’re just-holy shit. Holy shit. So amazing...” The numbness was back, resolving the ache and pressure. Thank God. It engulfed him slowly but soon Kusuo knew he would be back on that sweet seafloor. Hands began to tear at his jacket again, peeling and ripping it off until it was bunched around his elbows. There were fingers on his ribcage, but he didn’t feel like being tickled right now. Go away. He wanted to sleep. Then a mouth was on his, biting and licking at him and for a moment Kusuo wondered if his brother was intending on eating him. It...was all well and good, he decided as his eye slid shut, only vaguely feeling it as Kusuke got back between his legs. It was fine. He was giving in. Kusuke could eat him if he wanted to that badly. Kusuo just… He just didn’t have anything left. Finally, he fell away. Very, very distantly, as if coming through a long cavern, there was a peculiar rushing sound and then the uncomfortable weight was knocked off him. Kusuo felt his body roll but he was too far away from it to really do much about it. He was too tired, and he hurt too much. It reminded him of the one and only time he’d ever gotten sick. The memory came to him through the dark, a flash of light.

His mom had held his heavy and pounding head in her lap, and sang a lullaby for him. Kusuo drifted like that for he didn’t know how long but came to when a familiar voice goaded at him. It wasn’t his mom, he realized and debated not replying to the male because he badly wanted to sleep, but it was so heartbreakingly familiar and sad that Kusuo just couldn’t deny him, whoever he was. One eye refused to open but Kusuo cracked open the one that would. It was sticky and crusty, and when his vision swam into place everything was kind of red. Strange. Where was the green? He blinked, slowly focusing in on a blur that gradually dissolved into a handsome face that was a strange motley of colours. Red, purple, pink, blue, white. Kusuo blinked again, the odd noises that he’d cottoned onto devolving into words. Abruptly he realized he could breathe again. Oh. It was Aren. “-Suo! Oh thank God, Kusuo, you’re awake! Stay with me now, okay? Kurumi! Kurumi, he’s aKusuo? No, c’mon beautiful, I need you to stay awake for me now, you hear me?! Kusuo? Kusuo!” Sorry, Kusuo apologized as his eye slipped shut without him prompting it to. He couldn’t.

“Parents aren’t home, huh.” Aren quirked a brow at his phone then shrugged at it and settled back into his seat. Unlike his friends who lived close enough to go home first and change before meeting up at the cafe, Aren did not so he’d decided to head straight there once Kusuo had left. He’d ordered a coffee and then after a moment’s thought a coffee jelly as well, deciding to investigate the treat he was in a firm second place to. It was, he realized, actually pretty good. And honestly, it suited Kusuo’s personality perfectly, rich and sweet without being saccharine and a hint of bitterness to round out the flavour. Aren didn’t think it would make it into his top ten favourite treats (he was more of a crunchy and savoury kinda guy himself) but he could appreciate now why Kusuo enjoyed it so much. It strangely felt like he’d just gotten to know his boyfriend a bit better. He took out his phone and wondered at the text. Kusuo kind of texted like he talked, Aren smirked with a shake of his head. Blunt and to the point. It was rare for the esper to bother with beating around the bush. Aren had only seen that be the case when Kusuo was dealing with matters of emotions, or of a sensitive nature, and then he needed the time to settle in an explain himself. ‘Emotionally constipated’, he’d called Kusuo the night they’d gotten together. It wasn’t too far off the mark but Aren had the feeling that it had been born out of difficulty and strife more than anything, and a desperate need for control in a life that spiralled into chaos way too easily. Kusuo controlled his emotions because he couldn’t fully control anything else, including and especially his own powers. ‘That damn brother of his,’ He shook his head, thinking back to the day prior when he’d finally been able to put a face to the name.

Kusuke had been handsome and charming but in a seriously creepy kind of way that the girls who’d been initially fawning over him were apparently oblivious to. It was clear to see that the blond considered every single one of them nothing more than an ant under his shoe. All of them except for Kusuo. ‘The only two humans there, huh.’ He narrowed his eyes and frowned deeply, grinding his teeth. Kusuo was way better than that piece of shit. The kid was haughty, pretentious, and imperious sure but he was also sweet and kind and born with an empathy for his fellow man that he used begrudgingly but knowingly, understandingly. And Aren didn’t doubt for a second that getting to see everyone’s darkest thoughts unfiltered had left Kusuo jaded and bitter from an early age. Kusuo didn’t like humanity all that much but at least he saw them as human, and if someone was a good person he treated them as such. Kusuke? Didn’t. And he was a stalker to boot. Aren seriously couldn’t wait for the opportunity to feed the man his own goddamn teeth. Their confrontation in the schoolyard the other day had left him itching with it, stymied and frustrated by his inability to follow through with his fantasies. Eviscerating a man at school probably would have earned him some serious jail time but goddamn it would have been so worth it. ‘Fucking creep.’ He shook his head and checked the time again just as the bell above the door jingled. “Hey Aren!” It was Shun, dressed casually now in one of his cute leather jackets and mildly tattered shirts. He’d paired it with dark grey jeans, boots, and a bevy of necklaces. Sometimes the kid tried just a little too hard but he did still manage to pull it off. Aren smiled and waved. “Hey Shun. Everything go okay?” “Yeah. As long as I actually go to cram school tonight, mom can’t complain too much about what I do in the meantime.” The boy rolled his eyes. “Besides, she’s totally in love with Kusuo. One time he and Nendo came over to my place and mom freaked out when they were, y’know, being them. Neither too interested in college yet, etcetera.” Aren nodded with a grin, seeing where this was going and entertained by it. “Right, right.” “So she takes away the coffee jelly she’d brought for us to snack on, throws a huge pile of workbooks at them and tells me to stop being friends with them. In the three minutes it’d taken for me to get up the courage to tell her off Kusuo had finished the entire pile she’d told them to do.” Shun shook his head, laughing. “I was pretty confused to come back and find her crooning over my ‘genius friends’. Course, now I know he actually IS a genius. Figures.” “It’s nice that he doesn’t really hold that over our heads though,” Aren mumbled consideringly. “I don’t think it’s really right that he tries to, y’know, force himself down to average but I don’t think I’d be able to stand him at all if he was anything like his brother is.” “Uhg, perish the thought. I don’t even wanna think about that creep! Hey, uhm...” Aren lifted his head to blink at Shun as the boy suddenly became hesitant. “The thing with his brother...I get that it’s bad, but what’s the deal there exactly? I haven’t wanted to ask Kusuo cus, y’know, but I feel…” The boy swallowed deeply and huddled into himself. “I feel like I can’t help him properly if I don’t know what’s going on. And I want to help him. Like, really badly.”

Ah, Shun really was a good kid. Aren sighed and reached over the table to ruffle the other’s hair, the tufty locks sliding through his fingers stiffly with the gel that Shun used to style it with. “I don’t think he’d mind too much if I told you, but don’t tell anyone else without asking him, kay?” He pulled away and pondered his coffee for a minute as he tried to decide which words to use. “...His brother...has a sadomasochistic obsession with Kusuo. It’s sexual. Kusuo thinks it’s just because of his powers but after seeing how the guy acted yesterday I honestly think he’d be screwed no matter what.” Aren shook his head and sighed. “I don’t know if I believe in God but I have to wonder if maybe that’s why Kusuo was born with those powers? So he could protect himself, and maybe even out the battlefield a bit. It’s seriously freaky to know that asshole works for the government.” “Jesus Christ…” Shun breathed in aghast horror, looking down at his lap. As one, they checked their phones. It was getting close to the arranged meeting time. “Oh hey, it’s Teruhashi and Yumehara.” Shun muttered suddenly. “And isn’t that Mrs. Saiki too?” “Oh yeah? Huh. Let’s go out and meet them.” As one they stood from the table and walked out to the street where Teruhashi and Kurumi had been chatting with each other. There was a wicker basket looped over Kurumi’s arm that was piled with groceries and Aren realized that was probably why she hadn’t been home. “I feel so silly for not checking on what I had before I started making dinner but I could have sworn I had some still,” Kurumi sighed heavily, one hand on her cheek. “It’s such a bad habit of mine but sometimes I can be a little forgetful! Ku’s such a good boy and runs errands for me often but since he hasn’t been home for the last week it must have slipped my mind that we may be out of a couple things.” “Aw, that’s sweet of him, though.” “Hey, Mrs. Saiki! Hey Teruhashi, Yumehara.” Shun waved and a step behind him Aren lifted his hand. “Yo. How goes it?” Instantly Kurumi gasped, stars in her eyes. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t think I’d run into you here too! Oh Aren, come here, come here, give me a hug! I’m so pleased to see my grumpy Ku’s handsome boyfriend.” “Oof!” Aren grunted as he was rocked back a couple of steps by the woman’s enthusiastic hug but after an awkward chuckle he patted the short woman’s shoulder. “Yeah uh, sorry about that. Oh, if you don’t mind my folks would like to have dinner together with you sometime. Get to meet you, y’know?” “That’s a bit fast isn’t it? They just got together, what, three days ago?” Shun asked Teruhashi who just shook her head and shrugged. Yumehara rolled her eyes. “Somehow it doesn’t surprise me…” “They’re already calling Pr-I mean, Kusuo their son-in-law,” Aren chuckled nervously and scratched his head. “They’re pretty excited about the whole thing, too.”

“Awwww that’s so cute!” Kurumi’s reaction wasn’t necessarily that of a typical parent but of an excited mother-in-law. Aren shook his head in wonder, knowing for a fact that if things were moving that fast with anyone else their parents would forbid the relationship straight out. Well, the Saikis weren’t exactly the average family. Even so, if she realized they’d slept in the same bed last night he’d probably still end up with his ass beat. “Hey guys!” And there was the rest of them. Or sort of. Aiura and Kineshi were ambling up anyways. Huh, Aren looked around. Go figure, Mera was late. Nendo too. “Aw it’s all my baby’s friends! Hi guys, hello!” Kurumi giggled and waved, looking pleased as punch, but Aiura blinked in surprise. “Ku-pipi? What’re you doing here?” The blond asked as she approached, her head tilted. Wasn’t she cold, Aren asked himself as he eyed the amount of leg on display. Then he shook himself. It was not for him to judge a woman’s decisions. His mom would beat his ass if he did. “Oh, I had to duck out and do some shopping quick for dinner. I realized just a little while ago that I was short on a couple ingredients, and then I got to talking with Kokomi and Chiyo.” The woman tilted her head with a charming smile. “But…” Aiura was paling rapidly though. “But in my vision...you were home…” “In your vision?” Kurumi blinked. “Oh, are you psychic too?” “Guys…” Shun’s voice was trembling and when Aren turned to look at him the boy was staring at his phone. He lifted it up. “It’s been forty-five minutes...and Kusuo isn’t here yet…” “Shit!” Aren swore, a rush of adrenaline pounding through his veins. “What? What’s going on?” Kurumi asked, looking around at them with worry. “We were supposed to meet up with Kusuo as a safety measure just in case something went wrong,” Shun explained, dialing and holding his phone to his ear. “After his brother cornered him and revealed he’d been stalking him we felt it wasn’t safe for him to go home alone just in case but he convinced us otherwise and-and-” “What do you mean Kusuke was stalking Ku?” Kurumi broke in, her face gravely confused. “Were they playing tag again?” Aren looked at Teruhashi. Her face was pale and she was trembling as she stared at her phone, her quivering causing the charms to rattle. He slammed his eyes shut and snarled, they didn’t have time for this! “Your eldest son,” He turned to Kurumi and gripped her by the shoulders, wrenching the woman around to face him. “Has been abusing Kusuo emotionally since they were little and lately it’s gotten sexual. That’s why Kusuo’s been staying at my house, because he was afraid to go home while that bastard was still there!” Aren vaguely heard the gasps of those who didn’t know yet but he didn’t care about them. His attention was centered on his boyfriend’s mother.

Kurumi’s eyes were dark and hollow in her pale, pale face. Her basket, which Aren belatedly realized was pink like Kusuo’s hair, slipped from her arm and crashed to the ground. “Y-You’re joking…” She whispered, her voice hoarse. “That’s...what he wanted to tell us? That...That-...” “It’s true, Kurumi.” Yumehara broke in and the woman stumbled, looking at each of them as she lifted her shaking hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes. Aiura was gaping at her in horror, pale beneath her tan. “What the fuck, man…” Hairo whispered sharply, eyebrow twitching as he gazed at the ground. Kurumi shook her head in horrified denial. “That’s not true, it-it can’t be, Big Ku LOVES-” “Yeah, he does. A little too much.” Aren growled. “Fuck this! I’m going there right now!” He turned and began to run. It was only a five minute walk from the cafe to Kusuo’s house, he knew he’d be able to make it there even quicker if he ran at full speed. “Wait!” Aren blinked in shock, turning to look as Kurumi easily caught up to him. The woman kept pace next to him, still looking stunned but there was a hint of determination shining in her pale grimace. “You don’t have keys, and I locked up before I left! I’m coming with you.” “We’ll stay just in case he shows up!” Aiura waved as she yelled after them. “Right.” Aren narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth, urging his feet to move faster and harder than he’d ever run before. It felt like forever, the streets twisting and turning, pedestrian’s gasping and yelling echoing around him in a dizzying cacophony. In reality it probably only took one or two minutes before they were crashing in through the gate. There was an orange tabby scratching and howling at the entrance and Kurumi was fumbling with her keys as she ran into the door next to it, shoving one into the lock and throwing it wide open. The scene that met them, Aren knew immediately, was one that would forever be etched in his memory. The entryway table had been toppled over, scattering books and ornaments, and the phone they’d just bought for Kusuo the day before was in pieces where it laid next to one wall. A little further down he could see a pair of green glasses also laying in pieces, one lense shattered, the other popped out, and the earpiece broken. A distant sound caught his attention and Aren broke from his horrified daze, head jerking as he looked up the stairs. The cat bolted passed them, going in the direction of the noise at speed. “Upstairs!” He gasped, his voice seeming to likewise break through to Kurumi who’d been gaping paralyzed next to him, and together the pair of them tore up the stairwell. There was a loud hiss and growl, a yell. Kusuo’s bedroom door was open and that was the one he lunged for. Aren wrenched himself to a stop, his fingernails biting into the doorframe as he made to check and felt something explode in his brain at the image that lay before him. A roar ripped from his throat and he was barrelling forward, shoes snapping at the hardwood floor

as he lunged at the body on top of his- on top of hisHe just barely missed crashing into the cat that’d been clawing at the fucker’s face. Aren didn’t care. He barely even saw it. Blood was pounding in his ears, shattering any lucidity. The collision would have knocked the breath out of him had it not been for years of practice and Aren oriented himself easily, throwing his legs around the freak’s waist, capturing the man’s arms, and flipping them while Kusuke was still recovering from the shock. As he did his hand locked into the man’s thick hair and he snapped the fucker’s cranium into the floor, then pulled the head up and repeated the action. He didn’t give Kusuke time to talk. The rage in him was too sharp, stabbing at his chest with each lungful of breath he took and he ripped back his fist. The crack of his knuckles breaking the brotherfucker’s jaw was the most satisfying he’d ever felt in his life. Aren could only vaguely hear Kurumi’s shrieking in the background and there was a thought pricking at the back of his hindbrain that he should check on hisBut he finally had Kusuke right where he wanted the fucker; underneath him and at the mercy of his fists. Aren was going to kill this maniac right here, right now, and like hell he’d let anyone stop him. Kusuke was laughing through his broken jaw, face and neck run through with scratches both thick and thin, sharp and dull. His face was covered with blood, spittle, and what looked like vomit. Aren knew that it wasn’t all his. He couldn’t help himself. A cackle was building in his own chest and he let it out. “The fuck you laughing about huh?” Aren chuckled darkly and jerked the man’s hair roughly, throwing Kusuke’s head back and letting it go in favour of rearing his left fist back. He could punch just as well with his left as his right and the wildfire inferno igniting his nerves demanded that he give this fucker the best of both his hands. “You’re about to die here, cocksucker!” His knuckles tore open on the edge of Kusuke’s teeth but they shattered like icechips under Aren’s left hook. The feeling was so familiar, sickeningly so but right now it was good, it was great, it was God. He was gonna rip this pervert’s dick out and choke him with it, by hell see if he didn“He’s not breathing!” “What?!” Aren’s head lurched around so fast his spine cracked and he gaped, the bloodthirst leaving him all at once. Reeling and dizzy with the whiplash, Aren had just enough time to lock his swimming gaze onto Kurumi’s red and tear stricken face, on Kusuo’s greying visage, before the body underneath him suddenly rolled and Aren grunted in shock, forced with it. He snarled and locked his legs tighter, determined to keep Kusuke right where he was but the man was a snake, wiggling and struggling. Aren yelled and jerked his hips, throwing his full weight into the motion and rolling them back over.

There wasn’t just a need for blood crying lustily in his veins anymore. Terror had joined in too. Kusuo was dying right behind him. Every second Aren spent grappling with the perverted psycho underneath him was a vital inch lost to his boyfriend’s life. Shit! What did he do?! He had to end this. Kusuke was still lurching about but Aren had at least thirty more pounds of muscle on the maniac so it was easy to use the man’s struggling to shift his own weight until he had the man’s neck between his knees, pushing the rest of his body onto Kusuke’s arm. He hoped the thing would snap. “Kurumi! CPR!” Aren yelled, throwing a desperate glance upwards at the pair only to become distracted by an odd sensation. ButWaitWhy was heHis body was lifting, inch by inch, and the blond somehow snapped out of Aren’s grip with a wet pop. A boot swiftly nailed Aren in the gut before he could react and he wheezed, choking on his own spit as his brain tried to catch up to the fact that he was suddenly airborn. A bedpost broke under him and Aren heaved to regain his breath, arching away from the jagged wood. “Fuck-!” He gurgled, cracking one eye open to search around for Kusuke. Through the spots in his vision he could see the blond slowly rising, one arm hanging limply as he coughed on the blood pouring down his face. Even despite the pain he must have been in, Kusuke’s mouth was twisted into an insane grin, his eyes bulging as he looked at his mother and brother. And then he was turning, listing dizzily, running. Fuck! He was getting away! “Get back here!” Aren roared and tore out of the bedding to scramble after the fleeing man as Kusuke bolted out the door. His side was on fire. He’d probably cracked a rib and the flesh was aching like it’d been ripped open. It didn’t matter. Aren was well used to fighting through any pain, any injury, until he came out on top. His dad had seen to that. If he let this man get away then he would never forgive himself. Kusuke was already halfway down the stairs and in desperation, Aren leaped with a yell. His body fell and a sick starburst of fright lanced through him but Aren didn’t have time to think because Kusuke’s back was approaching rapidly. He got his arm in front of his face just in time to shield himself from the worst of the impact, elbow digging into the back of Kusuke’s neck and left hand finding fabric, and the world spun.

The shock of collision was bad enough but then the world flipped over once, twice, and Aren cried out as his hip caught a stair. They were falling out of control, a tumbling mass of screaming and battered limbs, and Aren had just enough wits left to twist his body instinctively to get Kusuke underneath him again, his knees digging into the man’s stomach and his fingers winding into a bright red shirt collar. One second there was no ground. The next it was eating them whole. Only Aren’s instincts, hard won in battle after battle that left him no room to breathe, had him pulling his body up from the ruin of an entryway table. What had once been intact was now in pieces and Kusuke was arching away from it breathlessly, his eyes bulging as he soundlessly shrieked. It was a good look on him but Aren knew one that’d be even better. Breathing hard and moving his limbs through the vertigo and shock, Aren shifted around a couple paces closer and drew his foot up. He’d been wrong earlier. The satisfaction of feeling the psycho’s jaw break hadn’t been the best thing in the world. Delivering an earth shattering kick to his head, one that sent shockwaves up Aren’s leg, was. Kusuke would probably live through it well enough to see the inside of a jail cell, Aren thought. Probably. He honestly didn’t care one way or the other. Street justice had always seemed more effective to him anyway. Sucking in breath after breath, Aren took in the man’s unconscious, stupid face, and let his eyes drift shut. He was done. It was then that Kurumi’s earlier words hit him and Aren gasped, adrenaline tearing through him again and he spun, tripping over himself and cracking a knee on a stair. He crawled hand over foot until he was able to get himself up and then he took the stairs as rapidly as he could, lunging upwards three at a time until he was careening onto the top landing. Kusuo’s bedroom. The doorway yawned ominously and for a moment, just a brief second, Aren felt too scared to go in. Body aching ferociously the teenager willed himself step by step into his boyfriend’s most sacred of spaces, feeling pale and dazed as he took in the pathetic scene on display before him. That orange tabby was pacing back and forth, yowling and whining noisily. Kurumi was pumping at Kusuo’s chest, her hands locked over his breast bone as she counted to herself then breathed into her son’s bloody mouth. Kusuo… ‘I thought you were invincible,’ Aren gaped with a trembling jaw at his boyrfiend’s broken nose, his badly swollen eye, the long gash in his forehead and mouth, at all the blood that coated his

face. ‘What...happened to you?’ His eyes stole around the room before he could stop himself. The sheets of the bed were mussed and an alarm clock lay on it discarded, one small corner tinted red. On the floor a couple feet away from the bed was a trail of vomit that had clearly been skidded through and hints of it were speckled on the jacket he’d loaned to Kusuo, which had been pulled down to his elbows. His jeans had been unbuttoned and his sweater was bunched up around his neck and underneath his armpits. His face was also an eerie, ugly shade of airless blue. Aren felt himself snap back into reality all at once and seethed, ripping off his glasses and pushing his sleeves up as he stalked forward with all the will and determination he could muster. Like hell he was letting his boyfriend die. He’d taken that First Aid course after his mom’s attack to ensure nobody precious to him could ever slip from his hands and he’d goddamn well use it. “Kurumi!” The woman wasn’t strong enough despite her best efforts and was sobbing brokenly besides, turning her attempts at CPR messy. “Here, let me.” Aren pushed her away. He readjusted Kusuo’s head, pulling the bloody bottom jaw down to peer down his boyfriend’s frighteningly red throat. He could see something there, blocking the other teen’s airway, but it was too far to dig out. Tch. Aren grit his teeth. He’d just need to hope that the CPR would bring whatever it was out by itself then. Kusuo was in too delicate of a state to try a heimlich. Pulling his hand from Kusuo’s face, Aren crossed his fingers over the other’s clammy chest, sucked in a breath, and started to push. Five centimetres, he recalled. That was the ideal depth for a chest compression. It needed to be released fully on completion to allow the heart to refill and maximize the patient’s chances at survival. A chest compression needed to be completed a minimum of one-hundred times per minute to be good enough. Kusuo’s life was on the line here. It was hellishly difficult but like fuck was Aren giving in without first giving Kusuo his all. “One, two, three,” He counted to thirty in pure desperation, feeling sweat trickle down his face, and then dove down to peer into Kusuo’s airway, the object was no closer, breathe once, twice. “One, two, three,” to thirty, look, no closer, breathe twice. His arms, shoulders, and back were burning terribly with the strain but Aren was used to working through worse. This was nothing, not if it meant saving him. ‘I’m not...letting you...die, you-’ His mind was racing, pounding with image after image. Kusuo’s smile, his witty remarks, his haughty attitude, his shining intelligence and belligerently protective, caring nature. The way the light shimmered in his hair, his sharp eyes, how he touched like he was just learning how, how gracefully his wrist turned when he ate and Aren had been hoping to get the boy to perform a tea ceremony for him because his hands were so-

Aren clutched back his tears. He wasn’t letting this happen but he knew, he knew that it must have been several minutes by now that his boyfriend had been without air. Even if he did get Kusuo breathing again, would there be anything left of him? The cracking of a rib filled the air and Kurumi wailed. Good, Aren thought wildly as he clenched his teeth tightly with the effort. He was pressing hard enough, then. “C’mon, you fucking asshole!” Aren rasped thickly, shaking sweat from his eyes. “Breathe for me!” Look. Breathe. This time when Aren pulled away the boy underneath him coughed weakly, a chunk of something white ejecting from his mouth. Aren glanced at it and felt the world spin a little when he realized it was a tooth, bloody and accusing. He hadn’t even noticed any...what the fuck, man! Weakly, Kusuo gasped raspily and the terrible ghastliness began to fade from his skin. Aren shook himself and looked back to Kurumi, relieved to see the sobbing woman was already on the phone. “I got him back!” Aren called out breathlessly as he shifted his boyfriend’s pale and beaten body onto its side and adjusting Kusuo’s limbs into the recovery position. There was already puke on the floor, so just in case- “Kusuo, Kusuo, hey, are you with me?” Kusuo’s eyes stayed horribly, painfully shut. Not wanting to risk aggravating a potential concussion Aren got down low and gently stroked his hand through the esper’s bloody hair and down his face, determined to rouse him. “Kusuo! C’mon, wake up for me, Princess, c’mon... Kusuo!” There was a light stirring, the boy’s eyebrows twisting and pulling and Aren’s heart leapt into his throat, a smile breaking out across his face. One beautiful purple eye cracked open, bloodshot with broken vessels, pupil blown open wide despite the bright bedroom lights, and gradually Kusuo focused in on Aren’s face. Aren was babbling he knew, and he was probably crying too as he stroked fretfully through the boy’s hair but he was just so painfully, painfully relieved. “Oh thank God, Kusuo, you’re awake! Stay with me now, okay? Kurumi! Kurumi, he’s a-Kusuo?” The teen’s eyelashes fluttered, the light shining within the glazed depths beginning to dull. Aren gasped out wetly and reached down to grasp the boy’s hand, squeezing it. “No, c’mon beautiful, I need you to stay awake for me now, you hear me?!” That single gorgeous eye closed. “Kusuo? Kusuo!” From there the world faded into a dream, grey, dull, and distant. It wasn’t long before sirens shrieked in the distance and the formerly quiet, sunless neighbourhood was lit up by the flashing of brightly coloured lights. Aren found himself watching as his boyfriend’s unconscious body was loaded onto a stretcher in a daze that stuck around even when an officer shook his shoulder.

“Son? Son, I need you to tell me what happened, okay?” Aren gazed blankly at the officer’s face. The man’s hair was lined with grey and his face was stern but kind, beset with the beginnings of age lines and heavy brows. Aren queerly felt his focus catch onto the single mole under the man’s eye, barely visible under his wire framed glasses. “Hey.” The man snapped his fingers in front of Aren’s face and he blinked, clarity soaking into his mind. He was kneeling on the floor of Kusuo’s bedroom and outside he could hear sirens wail back to life as what was likely an ambulance sped into the distance. His arms and back were still burning with pain and every breath he took made his ribs and hip flare. Aren wondered if he’d dozed off for a moment there, it’d kinda felt like it. “Hey, you back with me?” The man kneeling in front of him smiled but it wasn’t a very nice one, an attempt at friendliness and joviality that was tainted by the grimness in his eyes. “I need you to tell me what happened here, son, so I can get who did this to your friend, you hear? Can you do that for me? You did a good job but I need you to stick it out with me for just a bit longer.” “...Yeah.” Aren swallowed and belatedly realized he’d never paid for his coffee, or coffee jelly. Shit, he’d done a dine and dash. He tried to laugh but it just came out as a tired breath, so reminiscent of Kusuo’s adorable soundless laughter that he winced. God he hoped he’d be able to hear that again. Kusuo’s soft and sweet smile as he’d laughed that day in the classroom flashed through his mind’s eye and his eyes welled up with tears, breath trembling. Aren had gotten him breathing, but had Kusuo even recognized him? Had the oxygen deprivation proved too much for the incredible lover he’d only just begun to know? The cat was still here, Aren abruptly realized. It was an average sized one and was wearing a bandana but didn’t seem to have any ID. Its green eyes were staring up at him with canny intelligence and, when he noticed it, the cat came over to sit beside him. It settled one small paw on his knee. Aren bowed his head and shut his eyes, feeling suddenly and horribly exhausted. “Yeah,” He sniffled and nodded, lifting a weary arm to rub at his eyes, and sat back in defeat. “Yeah, I can do that for you, officer.”

Shun paced. Back and forth, ten steps one way, ten steps the next, he counted each one and then he went back again. Kineshi was not much better. The jock’s foot hammered out a frenetic rhythm against the ground, his arms crossed and his head bowed so deep his chin almost touched his chest. Teruhashi is mute. Yumehara’s chattering almost incessantly in an attempt to bring the girl back to life but their school’s idol is little more than a statue at the moment. Shun glanced over at the pair, caught the worry tearing up in Yumehara’s eyes, how pale Teruhashi was.

‘They’ve gotten closer lately.’ Shun thought to himself. Teruhashi and Kusuo had been friendly before but in the last week they’d come together by leaps and bounds. The scene in the restaurant, where Kusuo had ‘meddled’ in the Teruhashi sibling’s relationship, that probably had something to do with it. ‘They realized the other was suffering from the same thing.’ Shun realized. He paced faster. ‘It drew them together.’ What a horrible thing to have in common. Horrible though it was, though, it made a tragic sort of sense. Kusuo was too smart, too handsome, too charismatic and too Type A to fade into the background without a reason. Someone like that should have been making the news for inventing some life changing or world saving device, not hiding in a small private school in a small town netting a perfectly average GPA. Kusuo had been holding himself back. He’d stomped himself down, determined not to stand out. Trauma, especially family related trauma, would do that to anyone. Neither Mera nor Nendo had arrived yet. Typical. ‘Probably still in the ramen line.’ Shun thought to himself, grimacing, and checked his phone again. There was an urge in him, an insatiable itch. His feet are restless with it. He wants to run. Not away, but toward. Aiura is staring relentlessly into space like she's trying to see something, anything. She's very pale now, under her tan. Her hair, usually a stylish mess of relentless curls, is even frizzier now with how many times she’d poked and pulled at it, how many times she’d run her fingers through it. They’re all suffering here. The day hadn’t been sunny before but it’d felt that way. Shun had been nervous for his friend but he’s petrified now, terrified for Kusuo’s safety in a way he’s never felt before. Everything felt wrong. Crooked, sideways, broken. The light from the day was gone and Shun didn’t even see it bleed away. Mrs. Saiki’s basket was still on the ground. Nobody had thought to pick it up yet or collect the groceries that were inside it. Shun could still hear her’s and Aren’s footsteps. The sound played in his brain on repeat, a maddening buzz. Shun looked at his phone one more time. It’d only been three minutes. He’d immediately phoned the police once Aren had started filling Mrs. Saiki in but that call had ended shortly after and Shun couldn't hear any sirens yet. The itch in his feet is burning now.

What kind of hero stood and did nothing when their best friend might be suffering? “You know what?” Stuffing his phone in his pocket with a growl, Shun looked up at his friends. “Fuck this. I’m heading over too.” “What?” Yumehara paled further but Shun couldn’t feel sorry for her right now. He nodded instead, already backing away. “I can’t just stand here when something might be happening. Our friend’s lives could be in danger and I-I don’t know what I could do to help but I can’t just do nothing!” “I’m coming too.” Aiura announced abruptly, looking at him wide eyed. “This is-I’m coming too.” “Great. Kineshi?” “Someone’s gotta stay to fill in Nendo and Mera when they show up.” Kineshi was solid, a firm pillar of barely intact patience but when he smiled at Shun it was fierce. “Run fast for me, will ya?” “Wait-!” Yumehara gasped, took a step away from Teruhashi but the bluenette’s fingers lashed out and clutched at the back of her coat. Her knees were shaking terribly. Teruhashi’s entire body was shaking. She said nothing at all, probably couldn't, just stared down at her phone as the charms laced through the slot continued to jangle. Swallowing, Shun tightly shut his eyes and ignored the sympathetic pain throttling his chest. No way those two were going anywhere. Okay then. “Let’s go.” He said to Aiura instead. The gyaru nodded at him then she was running, her heels snapping up a rapid pace. For all his bragging Shun knew he wasn't the fastest runner. He’s weak, he’s delicate, he’s always getting sick and his stamina is in shreds. He runs fast now, though. He doesn’t have a choice. “Did you see anything?” Shun called out to Aiura, just barely caught up and gasping for air. “Nothing!” Aiura yelled back. They’re minutes away at best but it was still too far, too hard. Shun could feel his lungs ache and a stitch started screaming in his side. He ignored all of it. Aiura was muttering to herself, something unintelligible, but through the throbbing in his ears Shun picked up Kusuo’s name on repeat. It sounded like the girl was praying. “Please, please, please…” Aiura muttered and then they were crashing through the Saiki’s front

gate. Shun hears sirens now but they’re distant, too far away to tell if they’re coming here. The front door was swinging open on its hinges. ‘That’s not ominous at all.’ Swallowing, Shun barely caught movement from the corner of his eye and dove just in time to stop Aiura from rushing in. “We need to be careful. We don’t know what’s going on in there.” Remembering Kusuo’s warning about Aiura possibly getting pulled under Kusuke’s control somehow, Shun got in front of her. “Stay behind me, okay?” “O...Okay.” Aiura’s voice was thready and weak but her hand was strong where it clutched Shun’s shoulder. He nodded at her and together they began to pick their way forward. Step by step. Inch by inch. The neighbourhood was calm. The quiet of it chewed on Shun’s brainstem, utterly discordant with his rioting heartbeat and the swaying front door. ‘It’s weird…So weird. How can the world shatter without a sound?’ Shun glanced around quickly, abruptly realizing they were walking into a possibly dangerous situation unarmed, and he swiped up a garden rock from beside the front walk. “Slowly…” Shun muttered, not sure if he was talking to Aiura or to himself, and they approached the door. Dry mouthed and shivering with adrenaline, fear, Shun toed it slowly open and peeked inside. “Oh shit.” He muttered, eyes going round and stone dropping from his numb fingers as he took in the unconscious body at the bottom of the stairs. The sirens were closer now. Blond hair. Blood. Weird clothes under plain ones and a pile of what looked like a used-to-be a table. Kusuke. “That’s…” Aiura breathed then gasped shrilly. “Kusuo’s glasses! And...and his phone...oh…” The busty teen began to move passed him but Shun caught her quickly again and forced her several steps back. “No. No. We can’t go in there, Aiura.” “What?! BUT-” “It’s a crime scene!” Shun yelled, barely keeping his breathing under control. The sirens were closer now. “If we go in there-” He looked at her wildly, teeth gnashing in his face. He could barely hear

himself. What is he saying? He’s panicking. “-Then we compromise the evidence! We stay right here!” “But-!” Aiura protests again. The sirens were closer now. “No buts!” He sounds just like his mother. Shun shook his head. “No. Buts. We need to make sure this son of a bitch is nailed to the floor, we can’t risk fucking it up!” Red and blue lit up the neighbourhood. Shoving Aiura off the front walk, Shun turned to watch an ambulance peel to a stop outside the front gates. ‘This is unreal.’ Despite himself, Shun couldn’t help but reach for Aiura’s hand as a police cruiser came in from the other side. The paramedics disembarked, rushed inside, a swimming sea of hard faces and a stretcher between them. “We have one-” “Upstairs.” It was Mrs. Saiki’s voice, trembling and damp. Shun could barely hear her through the fog in his ears. “Ma’am-” “My baby is upstairs! This-this man attacked him! Go upstairs! Go upstairs NOW!” “Hey, you two! What are you doing there?” A police officer. Aiura jumped next to him and Shun wondered if she was experiencing the same thing he was. “S-Sir.” Shun stammered. “I-I’m the one who called.” The man nodded and took out a notebook. Another officer ran passed him. A second patrol car was pulling up. “Alright, why don’t we just have a seat over here for now, then, and you can tell me what’s going on here.” Aiura was mute so Shun nodded back in her place. “A-Alri-” The paramedics stepped gingerly off the front stoop. The stretcher between them creaked and groaned. The flashing lights revolved again and again. Blue. Red. Blue. There was a body on it. It was red. Shun didn’t realize what he was seeing at first, not really. The figure laid out there under the white blankets was almost unrecognizable through the blood and the oxygen mask and if it weren’t for Mrs. Saiki’s pale figure hovering over him like a ghost, Shun wouldn’t have put two and two

together. “Ku...suo?” Aiura whimpered. It was. It was Kusuo lying there under the white blankets, such a motley of colours his face was practically indecipherable. Bizarrely, Shun couldn’t help but notice his hair was a mess, sticking up in tufts, stained scarlet. It looked crunchy. The vision he had of his friend, of his right hand man, of Saiki Kusuo was that of a young man who was tall and silent, confident and strong, straight backed and stolid, neat and elegant, and it didn’t match. It didn’t match the ruined and crumpled half-corpse being pulled into the ambulance at all. It didn’t match. It didn’t. It was wrong. That wasn't“Kusuo!” Aiura screamed and there was another police officer holding her back, another team of paramedics rushing into the house under police escort. A crowd had gathered, whispering and pale, a blur of concerned dark, wide, shocked eyes. Mrs. Saiki’s gaze shot over, spotting Shun and Aiura for the first time. The friendly, incandescently warm woman didn’t smile. She didn’t wave. She only nodded, her face wet, a smear of blood across her mouth, and then she was stepping into the ambulance. The doors shut behind her. She was gone. The ambulance sped off and silently, Shun watched it take his first true friend in all the world away.

Chapter End Notes

Is everything going to be alright?

Goodbye, Hello Chapter Summary

Things are okay. Sort of. Well, maybe not, but they'll get there.

Chapter Notes

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER This chapter includes the following: Talk about past assault, physical and sexual, self harm, dissociation. Hey, y'know how in the first chapter I said that this fic was nearly 100k words? Welp. Various rewrites and additions have bumped that up a scooch. LOL The hospital scenes are all a 'the author got an idea literally last night' insomnia addition so if they don't read as smoothly? That's why. Author is gomen. I've still gone over them a couple times just in case but, y'know, as u do. Also, one more mild crossover. Let's see if y'all can find it, and no, it's not the Ouran reference. Though perhaps a warning is necessary for all the references in this chapter too. Hmmmmm. Lumous isn't a word. But google docs didn't catch it so y'know what? It IS NOW. As in luminous, but shortened. HaHAH (Lumos is the Harry Potter spell) More theorizing about Kusuo's abilities n shit in this chapter. I HC the not needing to breathe as an applied ability that can be circumvented when/if he doesn't do it deliberately, if I haven't said as much already. Recommended listening Who Will Save You Now by Les Friction Veteran of the Psychic Wars by Blue Oyster Cult Rise by State of Mine From the Ashes by In This Moment Hello My name Is Human by Highly Suspect I'm Alive by Sia Kusuo and Matsuzaki: Girl from Petaluma by Megatrax Kusuo, family, and friends: Don't Stop Believin by Journey, More Than A Feeling by Boston Kusuo, Toritsuka, Aiura: Nothing Special illScarlet Kusuo, Kokomi: Breathe Me by Sia

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Kusuo did not feel like waking up at all, but his alarm was going off. Though it sounded a bit weird, he thought blurilly, and then realized how slowly his mind was catching up to wakefulness and how very odd he felt, tired and battered in a way he’d never been before. His torso hurt like hell and so did his head, and when he swallowed his throat was dry and stung. His arm was a bit itchy and sore, and it took a very long moment to lift it so he could begin to grope around for either the alarm or his glasses, either of which he usually kept next to his pillow. “Oh, I think he’s awake.” A voice sounded distantly. “Here papa, give me those glasses before he opens his eyes.” “Right here, mama.” “Ku? Ku, honey? I’ve got glasses right here for you, baby.” Was that his mom? What was she doing here and why did she sound so very tired and sad? Still, Kusuo took the pair of frames that she pressed into his hand, awkwardly lifting his other arm so he could get them open and onto his face. For some reason one of them was very stiff and his wrist didn’t want to turn, leaving him to fumble blindly. Somehow he managed to get them onto his face. His limbs pulsed, sore and sluggish, and Kusuo winced a little bit before he finally opened his eyes to blink up at the ceiling. It was white and the lighting was fluorescent, nothing at all like the calming silver tones and rounded light cover in his own bedroom. Where was he? His eyes trailed around, gradually taking in his surroundings with mounting dread and confusion. There was a monitor keeping track of his heartbeat and breathing on one side and on his other a tall IV stand loomed. Much less threatening was his parents, seated in chairs next to the railing of his bed. He was in the hospital. Kusuo jerked upwards but faltered as his vision grew blurry and his head swam. A set of arms caught him before he could fall back and his father’s tired smile hovered over him as the man gently eased him down, his touch unusually tender as he adjusted the pillow behind Kusuo’s head and smoothed his hair back. He reached to push a button on Kusuo’s bedrail and the top of the bed elevated itself with an electrical whir so Kusuo could sit upright. That. Kusuo didn't like that. His dad was never tender with him, what“Easy there kid.” Kuniharu spoke lowly. “You’re not right as rain yet, you gotta take it careful now.” “I’m in the hospital?” Kusuo asked and winced as his head pounded sharply, reaching up to rub it before jolting in alarm and patting around for his clips. “Yeah tough guy.” There was an overwhelming sadness in his dad’s eyes. “Don’t worry about your limiters right now either. You’re still too weak from healing yourself to do a whole lotta much.”

He was forgetting something. Something big. Kusuo didn’t end up in the hospital. He didn’t even get sick and he was pretty much invulnerable so why the hell was he here? Something was pressing at him, however. A feeling in his gut was acknowledging that this was exactly where he needed to be because he hurt like hell, it hurt worse to speak, and there was a goddamn cast on his arm of all things. He marveled at it in disgust, completely baffled by it as he rotated his arm as well as he could to examine the unmarked plaster. Kusuo was disturbed to realize that he didn’t really want to remember what put him here either. It must have shown in his face because his father sighed, sitting by his feet. His mom was suspiciously quiet, her face pale, hair messy and under-eyes bruised from lack of sleep. There wasn't a hint of makeup anywhere on her face. She looked diminished, fragile, miserable. Kusuo didn't like that either. “You gave us a...real scare, Kusuo. Your mom especially but I’m never going to forget that phone call...” And then the smile dropped from Kuniharu’s face, leaving the man looking tired and angry. “Your brother...I wish you’d told us sooner so we could have stopped this from ever happening, Kusuo. Don’t take that the wrong way, I’m not saying you’re at fault here because you’re absolutely not, don’t ever think that, I just wish...I just wish we’d known how bad it had gotten.” He closed his eyes tightly, forehead deeply furrowed with guilt and shame. “I can’t believe we didn’t realize…” Kurumi whispered hoarsely, looking ready to cry. Kusuo swallowed dryly again, his stomach aching queasily at the mention of Kusuke. So this had something to do with him then. At Kusuo’s questioning look, Kuniharu sighed and reached up to gently run one hand through his hair. “He drugged you, Kusuo. Apparently he slipped it into the coffee jelly mama had lovingly made you after she left to do some shopping, which he very likely orchestrated as well by stealing some ingredients to make her leave. There was an issue at work that day too, makes me wonder if he had something to do with that as well…” Kusuo watched his dad sigh deeply. ”Then he beat you, badly, and attempted to...Well.” Kuniharu closed his eyes, a muscle in his jaw bouncing as he grit his teeth. He moved passed what he obviously wanted to avoid. Kusuo frowned at him. He didn’t like how ominous that felt. “By the time your mom and boyfriend got there you weren’t breathing. Aren subdued him while your mother attempted to resuscitate you but she wasn’t strong enough, and Aren took over.” A very faint smile tapped at his mouth. “That kid saved your life, Kusuo. You picked a good one.” So even despite all his power and skill, Kusuo had found himself in a deadly situation wherein he’d needed to be saved. Kusuo looked at the opposite wall, not sure how he felt about that yet. He’d parse it out later, he decided. In the meantime he was just going to be grateful he was even still alive.

It was seriously hard to believe that his brother had nearly killed him. Kusuo swallowed around the lump in his throat. With all his ESP, his strength, his speed, his stamina, all of that… It was tempting to ask after his brother but Kusuo just couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Don’t forget about little Amp.” His mom smiled but it was weak. “He helped too. We’ve been giving him lots of tuna. But, anyway, by the time you got here…” Kurumi withdrew a shuddering breath and closed her eyes. “There was serious swelling in your brain, and everyone was worried about the damage oxygen deprivation might’ve done to you. You seem no worse for wear, though...but they’ll probably want to run tests to be sure...” Kurumi said and shifted closer, reaching out to grasp Kusuo’s hand. “The doctors said they would need to do surgery on you. I came with you in the ambulance and tried to explain your powers, but they didn’t really believe me until they took out your hairpins to start prepping you for emergency surgery, and you started to heal all by yourself.” She smiled weakly. “His metabolizing the drugs as quickly as he did probably helped too.” Kuniharu nodded and looked at Kusuo again. “A normal person would have been dead in minutes with even a quarter of what you ingested and you still put up a fight. You’re pretty tough, kid.” “Of course the doctors had to believe us after that but I’m sorry, Ku, your secrets out to a few more people now. Some of the doctors, a couple nurses, and a few police officers. But don’t worry,” She leaned forward to forestall his burgeoning panic. “They’re all very good people who just want to help you, Ku! And everyone’s signed a legally binding contract to keep it mum.” “Right.” He couldn’t remember any of this. Kusuo turned his eyes back to the ceiling, trying to find answers there but of course there were none. He blinked as a bit of deja vu struck him then dismissed it. “How...how long has it been?” “Just a couple of days. You’re light years ahead of their projections but they wanted to keep you just in case things went south again, especially since you were still unconscious. That...man very nearly did kill you, even with you being hard as nails to beat.” It was then that Kusuo finally noticed the IV in his arm and he blinked at it, startled. He’d seen the stand but he hadn’t quite put two and two together. Kuniharu snorted. “Yeah it was lucky they got a line into you in the ambulance, otherwise we’d have had some trouble with that. They tried to give you another one because that guy wasn’t in properly but it just broke.” “...That is so weird.” Kusuo mumbled in fascination, unable to stop himself from reaching to poke at it. His father caught his hand before he could, careful of his cast, and Kusuo pouted but agreed that maybe prodding an IV stick wasn’t the best idea. Then he grimaced as a thought hit him. If it had been a couple of days…“Does that mean that I have a catheter in, right now?” Kuniharu laughed, loud and abrupt, and gave his knee a slap. Kusuo was suddenly blindsided by a yearning to see Aren so painful his stomach clenched. His boyfriend was a kneeslapper too. “You sure do, kiddo. Now that you’re awake they’ll probably take it out, though. In the meantime,

just be careful of that.” “Noted.” Well, that was humiliating but not nearly enough to make him stop missing Aren. “HowHow is Aren? Is he here?” “He hasn’t left. Your boyfriend’s been camped out in the waiting room day and night but while you’ve been unconscious hospital policy has dictated only family can see you. Your grandparents have visited too. They’ve been taking care of the house while we’ve been here.” “So does that mean I can see him?” Kusuo felt himself brighten but that slipped away when Kurumi shook her head. Kuniharu patted his head again, gentle. “The doctors want to check on you first and then the police want to talk to you right after that, son. I’m sure you’ll be able to afterwards, just be patient.” Then his dad ducked down to kiss his mom’s head and he stood from the bed. “I’ll go let them know you’re awake. I’ll be right back.” “How’s...everybody else?” Kusuo asked as he watched the door shut with mixed feelings. He didn’t like that for some reason, too. The closed door was stirring a trapped feeling in him. Made him anxious. “That Shun boy is taking it pretty hard, but so is everyone really. They’ve been in and out to sit with Aren and to ask after you. You’ve got a lot of presents.” Kurumi nodded her chin toward something and smiled wanly. “Your friends love you very much, Ku. A number of other people have been by too...I didn’t realize how popular my baby boy is at school.” She giggled softly but the small sound was nothing close to her typical effervescent laughter. It hurt to hear. Kusuo decided to ignore it and looked over to where his mother had gestured. He’d somehow missed that it was there in his initial visual inspection of the room. There was a shelf under the window and it was completely festooned with flowers and stuffed animals, chocolates and non-perishable treats. There were cards both handmade and store-bought, and Kusuo was pretty sure he could even see a handmade coffee jelly plushie. Looking at that last piece unexpectedly made his heart leapt into his throat and he jerked with the sensation, eyes becoming warm and prickling with tears. It had really happened. The worst case scenario, the one that he’d been fearing and trying to avoid for years and years, had really happened. He wasn’t sure why it was the flowers and presents that were the trigger to make him understand that it was, but it was, and he took a shuddering breath, clamping his eyes shut while he threw a hand over his mouth to keep his grief in. “Oh no, baby…” Kurumi whispered and her voice was thick too as she took up the place his father had left, wrapping him into her arms and he went willingly, shuddering. “Ssshh, sssh. You’re okay now, Ku. That...that monster is never, ever, touching you again.” Unbidden, just like that, the memories snapped into place and Kusuo stilled with a sharp indrawn breath, eyes going wide. His chest began to burn as he stopped breathing but he barely noticed and to their right the monitor began to spike as the overhead lights flickered sharply. “Ku? Ku, listen to me. I need you to breathe for your mama, okay? Breathe for me son, right now.” Her voice was stern and Kusuo rushed to obey, sucking in the breath he hadn’t realized he’d not

taken. “There’s a good boy. In and out...in and out….there we go. You’re okay, now. You’re okay.” He couldn’t help but shake his head, feeling his nails dig small crescent moons into one of the cuts on his cheek. He was not okay. He was very much not okay. The doctor strode in, took one look at them, and promptly called for a nurse to bring something that Kusuo didn’t catch because he was reliving what had just happened against his will, eyes flickering back and forth in panic. He didn’t notice as the lights above him gave another threatening groan before powering down completely and leaving the room dark save for the light from the window, and he also didn’t notice the nurse as she injected something into his IV. A wave of calm engulfed him, making him tired, and Kusuo found himself relaxing all at once. Wow. That felt...like something, alright. He sagged into his mother’s arms, closing his eyes against the surprise serenity, and blew out a sigh. Kusuke was still in his mind, that single green eye bulging and frightening, but it was like he just couldn’t muster the ability to be afraid right now. His heart twinged once more then settled, apparently too unbothered or tired to be scared. The lights turned back on. The beeping calmed. “You’ve figured out the dosage then?” His mom’s sweet voice asked over his head as she rocked them lightly and Kusuo hummed as her fingers stroked through his hair soothingly. His head was a bit tender. Her soft touch was catching on a lot of sore spots, but this was nice. This was really nice. He finally relaxed all the way, sagging into her and blinking against the lethargy. “We think so. Of course it takes way more than the average person,” The doctor chuckled warmly and thanked the nurse who smiled and stepped back. “Your son is quite the marvel! Tell me, Kusuo, how are you feeling?” “You’re one of the doctors whose signed the contract then?” Kusuo blinked groggily from where his head lay against his mom’s chest. There was a serious cramping in his stomach that was getting very uncomfortable but he was too pleased to be getting any form of comfort right now to lay back down and ease it. “I am indeed. You can call me Dr. Shinichi.” The man explained as he took a seat. His face was long, and he had a thin nose, thin lips, and a strong brow. He almost looked American, and was kind of handsome. His eyes were a deep brown and he also had brown hair that he kept short. “Doctor...Shinichi.” Languidly, Kusuo withdrew sweet air, filling his lungs with it breath by calm breath. and turned his gaze to the woman who was currently taking down his numbers on a chart. She was also a bit older, about his mom’s age. He couldn’t hear either of their thoughts. He couldn’t hear his mom’s either, or his father’s, or anyone else’s for that matter.

His head was miraculously empty. Kusuo felt like this should probably freak him out, all things considered, but all he felt at the moment was bliss and peace. Probably a good thing, that. Hell. He'd take it. Shinichi’s exam was brief thanks to Kusuo’s apparent good physical health, but his theories were not. “I’m happy to tell you that the teeth which were knocked out appear to have grown back with no ill effects,” Shinichi waggled the tongue depressor he’d just been using to snoop through Kusuo’s mouth. “Cognition, response time on automatic reactions, pupil dilation, everything seems fine but just in case I want to refer you to a specialist. Your cuts and bruises appear much improved though, if my theory is correct, your healing may be slowing down from here on out.” “What do you mean, sir?” Kurumi asked. “I may very well be incorrect of course, so take this with a grain of salt.” Shinichi sat back and crossed his ankle over his knee, looking very large as he leaned back into the comparatively small chair, one arm hooking casually over the back. “What I’m thinking is that his healing works kind of like an internal triage. If there’s a massive injury his body pools all its resources into fixing that, such as with the brain damage and swelling we were so worried about the first night. The more fatal the wound is, the quicker it’s dealt with. After that, his body seemed to…’go through the list’ as it were, sorting through the rest of the drugs and then the worst of the breakages. Your arm is a bit slow to heal but it was just a hairline fracture as opposed to your broken ribs, which were a bit more dangerous since they’re next to your lungs. According to x-rays we took this morning those are just bruised now.” Abruptly the doctor snorted and shook his head. “Pretty impressive, really. Now that the worst of it has been healed and his abilities have apparently been significantly exhausted, he may be walking around with some bruises, surface level and internal, a couple of minor breakages, and some mild scrapes for a couple of days as his body works on replenishing its resources. He’s just like anybody else in that regard.” Because Kusuo was human. The doctor had confirmed it. His DNA and chromosomes were a match. Kusuo wasn’t an alien, he wasn’t a god, he was a human. He didn’t fully understand why that was such a relief to hear but it really was. He belonged here, in his family, right where and exactly as he was. ‘Suck it, Kusuke.’ Kusuo took in another deep breath and then exhaled slowly. He explained his lack of inbound telepathy, a day to day nuisance that he could never seem to turn off, and the doctor nodded as though that’d just confirmed his theory. Maybe it had. “Your powers are like any other muscle,” Shinichi explained as he felt at Kusuo’s lymph nodes. Kusuo couldn't help but wince a little. The skin there was just so sore. “Over exert them and you’ll be hurting and unable to use them very well for the next bit. You may find yourself feeling incredibly hungry once the sedatives wear off but I want you to stick with easily digested foods that

will be soft on your throat and tummy, understand? You got your stomach pumped and that’s never fun.” Kusuo was actually feeling pretty hungry right then, but given how sore his stomach was he was reluctant to eat. He nodded anyway. “Good. I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you again before my shift ends, but don’t hesitate to call for a nurse if you need something. We’ve actually put aside two just for you, thanks to how special your case is!” Shinichi sat back then with a smile. “You’re a very unique young man, Kusuo! I look forward to working with you.” “Uh, you too.” Kusuo blinked as the man reached forward for a handshake. He looked at his hand, gave his fingers a wiggle and then very, very carefully shook the man’s hand. “Oh, that’s quite the grip you got.” The doctor hid a quick wince and Kusuo withdrew immediately, shoving his hand between his legs with a sense of guilt. “Well, looks like your strength is returned.” The man chuckled a little weakly as he shook out his hand. Kusuo shook his head because it wasn’t, actually, else the doctor’s arm would’ve been a mess. Or what was left of it would’ve been. Shinichi raised a heavy eyebrow. “Do you find your strength easier to manage with your limiters as well?” “Yes, very much so. I’m at risk of taking out the house in my sleep if I’m not wearing them, or worse.” “...Hm.” Shinichi seemed to think about that, turning it over in his head. Kusuo didn’t expect to be able to read people so well even without telepathy but it was helping to soothe what little paranoia was burning to life under the enforced calm, so there was that. “Well, something for another time then. I’ll be back in to check on you again before my shift ends. Take it easy, alright? I think the police would like to talk to you, now.” It was a suited detective who met with them next, squat and square despite his tall height. His wide face was lined with age, he had watery blue eyes, and his top lip was covered by a bristling mustache. His blond hair was cropped close to his head and sprinkled with grey, and he introduced himself as “Detective Mizuno, kid. I’d shake your hand but I heard that you got the doctor good so I’ll refrain if you don’t mind”, spoken with a chortle as though he’d just told a very good joke. Kusuo found that he didn’t entirely mind the poking, even if he did still feel guilty. Mizuno had a gruff voice and the soothing, aura of an expert who took his duties to serve and protect very seriously, paired with a ready sense of dad-humor that he used easily. As he sat down with Kusuo reality threatened to overturn him again but he restrained his tears, clinging to the medicated cool that was already starting to leave him, ruthlessly shoving back the emotions he’d just begun to start recognizing. Kusuo had spent the week dethawing, learning how to feel, but right now he needed to think and if that meant taking a step or two back in his progress by viciously choking out his frayed, traumatized nerve endings then that’s what he would do. Still, he didn’t want his mom in the room with him while he described his memories to the man. She’d not looked thrilled by that at all but had obliged him. Kusuo could tell she didn’t actually

want to hear it either. Kurumi wanted to support him, but she’d seen enough to drive any mother insane. She didn’t need to hear the specifics, and he didn’t want her to hurt more than she already was. “First I need you to tell me what you remember, alright?” Mizuno set out a recorder, speaking his name, Kusuo’s name, and the date for the record. Kusuo eyed it skeptically, not entirely sure what a city cop could do against a high-tier government employee, but shook his head and proceeded through the events as emotionlessly as possible. With his perfect recall it wasn’t difficult to recount Kusuke’s attack right until he’d lost consciousness for the final time. After that, there was nothing until he woke up here. “I recall wondering if he was trying to eat me,” Kusuo spoke wonderingly at the ceiling, face blank. He blinked. “I suppose that’s rather silly.” “Nah, it’s not. The brain can pull some interesting stuff during traumatizing events, don’t pay it too much mind, kid.” Mizuno as flipping back and forth through a small notebook he’d brought with him, a pen twiddling in his fingers. “Well, that about lines up with witness accounts. How long has this been happening? The abuse.” “Which type?” Kusuo asked leadingly, casting the man a sideways glance. “Any of it. All of it.” Kusuo turned his eyes back to the ceiling. “The verbal started before I was two. The physical started when I was about three. He’d always do it when my parents were at work and we’d been left with a sitter...mom had to work then too, to help make ends meet. The sexual started...it’s hard to pin-point, actually. Do private thoughts count in the court of law?” Good luck convicting someone of mind-rape. He snorted inelegantly. Sexual. Christ. He still couldn’t believe it. For a moment Kusuo felt utterly defeated but shoved the emotion away, closing his eyes tiredly. “Well, that’s part of the issue, kid.” Mizuno stated bluntly. “Your’s is a very special case. Geniuses who work for the government, super powerful psychics...I won’t lie to you, Saiki.” The man was itching for a cigarette badly so he chomped down on his pen while he leaned forward, his eyes intense. “This is going to be a tough case. Catching the man who did this to you, and then putting him in lock up may very well take years. But I can promise you that I am going to do my best to ensure you get your justice.” Because Kusuke had escaped. Aren had beaten the man unconscious but when Kusuke had come to half treated in the hospital he’d made canny use of his dislocated arm, a pen, and a bedpan. Security footage showed him being pulled into a dark black sedan that’d peeled away from the curb so hard it had left tire tracks in its wake. Kusuke had escaped. The fuck mothering son of a bitch had escaped.

Kusuke hadEnough. Kusuo pulled the numb over his rapidly darkening thoughts and closed his eyes, drawing on deep breath after breath. Once he was calm again he looked over at Mizuno. Inexplicably, Mizuno’s eyes softened and even without his telepathy it wasn’t hard to keep up with the man’s line of thinking. Given the wedding band on his finger, his age and his being assigned to Kusuo’s case, it was very likely Mizuno had a family of his own. It was hard to tell the specifics, such as the ages of his children, but Kusuo wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them (Kusuo had a feeling Mizuno had two, a daughter and a son) was his age. The man probably used the thought of his own family as fuel to drive him during these sorts of investigations. ‘These sorts of investigations’ being the type that were difficult to solve on a good day. And, with Kusuke apparently lost and the government refusing to even acknowledge that he was a contracted employee, much less that he existed, it was not a good day. “All the evidence points to a conviction,” Mizuno nodded firmly after recounting what details of the investigation he could release to Kusuo. “We just gotta nab the bastard and keep him pinne.” Kusuo narrowed his eyes on the ceiling consideringly and then smiled grimly around the cut in his lip. He was never one to overlook being petty, and justice was something he liked the sound of. “I understand this isn’t exactly protocol...but keep me updated, please,” Kusuo asked in a low tone, gaze hooding. “And I’ll do my best to aid in the investigation as well, if you’ll have me. It’s your lucky day, sir.” His smile widened, sharp and a bit bloodthirsty. “You just so happen to have a genuine esper at your disposal. My abilities are diminished at present but very soon they won’t be. And, not to brag, but I’m probably the most powerful son of a bitch on this planet.” ‘You lose, Kusuke.’ He thought as a stinging and vicious satisfaction ripped through his forced, unfeeling calm. ‘You. Lose. You thought you had me checkmated and I won’t lie, I did too. But you will never be in control of me again. And for what you did to me, for the way you betrayed our family…’ Kusuo’s fingers tightened in the sheets and he forced his heart and breathing to calm. He was going to bring the man down. He’d do it himself if he fucking had to. Kusuo felt his nails ripped through the thin fabric and he snarled mutely at the ceiling. He fucking would. Mizuno considered him for a long moment and he could feel the weight of a decision settle across the detective’s broad shoulders. Good. He wouldn’t hesitate to use Kusuo if he needed to, and Kusuo didn’t doubt he would. “Noted.” The man muttered around his pen then reached for the recorder, turning it off. He left shortly after that and Kusuo breathed through his frazzled nerves, achingly sorting through them and labelling each emotion and sensation. It was surprisingly meditative and he may have

dozed off for a bit as a knocking at the door was enough to make him startle awake. When he did, Kusuo could very faintly hear the thoughts in the next room over, and the drugged tranquility was gone. Interesting. Was there a correlation between the meditation and the return of his abilities? Kusuo turned to face it, watching as the door creaked open. His dad waved but it wasn’t him who Kusuo focused immediately on. Instead his attention locked onto the teen Kuniharu had brought with him. Aren wore a light jacket over a casual sweater and sweatpants but his hair was an unwashed mess and his glasses were smudged. The circles under his eyes were deep and his cheeks looked a tad gaunt, and as Kusuo struggled up onto his elbows he suddenly recalled his dad’s explanation that Aren had performed CPR on him when his mom had been unable to. Their eyes met and for a moment Aren stood there, fixed to the floor and paralyzed. Kusuo couldn’t read his thoughts properly yet but he could see the emotions in the taller boy’s eyes and they hurt. They hurt, and Kusuo needed to make them go away. Aren was clearly traumatized and Kusuo couldn’t help the pang that burst through him nor the wet gasp it wrenched from him, his forced unemotional affect crumbling in the face of the shattered look in his boyfriend’s eyes. Tremblingly his arms rose. Kusuo needed the other’s body against his right now, he longed for it so much it was hard to breathe through it. “Aren...” He gasped and that broke the boy from his daze. “Kusuo!” The purple headed teen took a step, then another, and then he was running across the short distance and scooping Kusuo into his arms, clutching him tightly. “Oh thank God!” This was right where he wanted to be. Kusuo buried his face in the other’s throat, breathed in deep the scent he’d become so rapidly attached to, and felt his shoulders begin to quake. Without the calm, enforced by drugs and his own determination, the swell of emotion rising within him couldn’t be forced back and, despite his natural inclinations toward keeping his feelings and thoughts private, Kusuo didn’t want to. No. He needed to let them go. Eggs and shells, Kusuo reminded himself, and hiccuped wetly as he began to cry. “I got you now, baby, I got you.” Aren’s mouth dropped into the hair, kissing him. He was shaking just as much as Kusuo was, relief utterly wrecking him. Kusuo choked on the wet in his throat and loosely, cautiously and carefully draped his arms across his boyfriend’s shoulders, chest heaving with the effort to keep his crying contained. Abruptly Aren pulled back and took him in, one hand softly caressing his face and Kusuo winced at the memories of his own face that were assaulting the taller boy’s mind, beaten bloody and one eye opening slowly, glazed and half dead. “There you are…” Aren was focusing on his eyes and Kusuo nodded, barely blinking in an effort to comfort the taller male. "You see me, don't you?" He wasn’t the person in that vision. He wasn’t. Aren’s worst fears would never come to pass. “Here I am,” He uttered, his tone hushed. “And I see you. I know you. Thank you. Thank you...for saving me.”

The other’s body shuddered hard and Aren looked for a moment as though he might collapse but then he drew himself up and snapped Kusuo into a kiss. It was sharp and pulled at the cut on his lip, making it sting. The taste was tangy and sour with relief, bitter in its sadness but bright as a flavour supernova with the sheer, desperate love in it. Kusuo was momentarily overwhelmed by the body of it, his eyes growing round before he shivered and melted into the colours soaking through his lips. It kind of felt like coming home and then he was grasping at his boyfriend’s sweater hard enough to rip holes into it too, returning the kiss with everything he had. “I’m relieved too.” Kusuo spoke into Aren’s mind softly, wishing desperately he could wrap himself around the taller boy in some weird, primal possessive urge. Instead he settled for detaching one hand from the sweater he clung to and used it to softly pet the other’s cheek while they continued to kiss. Aren’s stubble rasped against his palm. It was a good feeling. “Can you see how relieved I am? Can you taste how I feel for you too? I’m right here Aren, and I’m never leaving.” Gradually the kiss softened as he got through Aren’s panic, gradually devolving into a slow and lazy series of pecks. Eventually Aren pulled back, his knuckles sweeping soothingly against the back of Kusuo’s neck and then he did collapse, his face dropping into Kusuo’s chest as he sobbed fitful tears of overwhelmed emotion. Kusuo winced a little bit at the pain that shot through him at the weight but ignored it, dropping his own head until his nose was buried in the other boy’s greasy roots. It was worth it to have his boyfriend right where he needed him. For this, Kusuo would tolerate any pain. “I’m alright.” He spoke lowly. “I’m okay. He didn’t kill me. I’m not brain dead. You saved me. It’s okay. I’m still here.” Kusuo blinked after a moment, eyes opening and gazing into nothing as his own words once again caught him by the teeth and made him realize something. It was okay. That was true. Yes, Kusuo had needed to be rescued. He’d somehow become a damsel in distress despite his power, his intelligence and his skill. Despite his invincibility he’d almost died. Kusuo had never held much value in his life. He’d been kind of miserable for a long ass time, frankly, and maybe he’d been a bit depressed. Shit had been exhausting. His upbringing, his home life, other people, the immense magnitude of his powers and keeping up with all of it had been killing him slowly. He’d lost his verve and his gratitude for life and all the little things in it, had gradually slipped away until he’d been left numb, expressionless, robotic. Everything had felt just grey even as he watched the world through shades of green. Eventually he’d even come to take his own life for granted. Had he ever been suicidal? No. There was no point. Invincibility had fucked with his head just like everything else. But he wasn’t, was he? Invincible, Kusuo was not. He swallowed against the dry sting in his throat and breathed out slowly through his nose, letting his eyes drift shut again.

Kusuo wasn’t invincible. Not completely, anyway, though he was definitely hardier than most. At the end of the day, he was just one among seven billion people. He was a person. It’d been fully confirmed just today. Kusuo was human. One with ridiculous godlike powers, sure, but he was just another human. What had happened to him could’ve happened to anyone. And in comparison to the fact that Kusuo was even alive right now, his needing to be saved was inconsequential because what was important was the fact that he had been saved. Kusuo was lucky. So incredibly lucky. So fucking lucky that he had Shun, who’d planned everything down to the minute. So fucking lucky that he had Aren, who loved him and had brought him back from the brink, who even knew how to do it. So goddamn fucking incredibly lucky that he had the parents he did, a mother who had also worked to save him and a father who wanted Kusuo’s honesty, both who cared about him. And, finally, Kusuo was was even lucky enough to be an ultra powerful esper because he’d been able to save himself too, in the end. A normal person, even with Kusuo’s meddling in the human genome, probably wouldn’t have survived that attack with everything intact if they’d survived at all. It was a miracle Kusuo had arrived at the hospital alive, a miracle that he hadn’t woken up brain dead, a miracle that he was, he knew, going to suffer absolutely no ill effects from being without air for so long. Kusuo could hold his breath for a long ass time but he still needed oxygen to live. He was just a human being. Whispering a shivering sigh into his boyfriend’s hair Kusuo pulled back and dropped into the bed, gazing up at the ceiling and feeling himself breathe, feeling his ribs expand sorely, his lungs fill inch by inch. His heart was beating flawlessly, a drum of red blood that made him warm. He was whole, had all his limbs, all his senses, had a full living body. Two eyes to see, two ears to hear. All of it. Kusuo had all of it. By miraculous circumstance was he even here to begin with, a coalescing of stardust on a rock in an endless void, given life and given mind, given senses to take in and a heart to give out. And, thank all that was good, Kusuo would have time to appreciate all that body entailed, and everything else on this planet. He wasn’t dead. He could have died without ever fully realizing the magnificent gift that was just being alive to begin with. Kusuo had known it once when he’d been younger but he’d forgotten it somewhere, and now that he found it again he wasn’t letting it go. Between his thrice cursed powers, his friends, his boyfriend, his family, and apparently one stray cat, Kusuo would be here to see another day. That was amazing. More than amazing, it was a blessing.

Kusuo was blessed. The heady new understanding was making Kusuo a little giddy and he hiccuped around a huff of mute laughter, carding his boyfriend’s hair. Tears were still streaming down his face but they weren’t ones of grief or sorrow anymore. He’d never take anyone, himself, or his own powers for granted ever again. Goddamn, he was the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet, one beyond shitty person aside. Kusuke. Kusuo reached up to rub at his eyes. He’d been arrogant to believe that Kusuke didn’t have the ability to hurt him. Though he’d hated his powers Kusuo had also been sure that he could take anything his brother could throw at him in stride, even knowing how bad things had gotten between them. In a way, his brother had been right. Kusuo should’ve known better. He’d let his guard down. There were a lot of things he could’ve done better, Kusuo was sure, but… He refused to blame himself anymore for his brother’s fucked up tendencies. That responsibility had never been Kusuo’s to begin with and now that it’d gotten to this irreparable place? It belonged to Kusuke entirely. And Kusuke would see consequences for this. That promise burned in him, determination lighting up his spine and made all the more poignant by the hurts in him, by the cast on his arm and the drip in his vein, by the inconsolable badass who was still crying gently onto him. Better yet than being alive and being human, Kusuo also had the power to ensure said ‘beyondshitty person’ would suffer the consequences of his actions. Kusuke would rue this ultimate betrayal, Kusuo would see to that. And that was his decision. Nobody had manipulated it out of him the way his older brother had manipulated Kusuo into being so terribly afraid of showing his real self to anybody and everybody. Kusuo was going to make Kusuke pay, and he was going to do it for himself. That it was perhaps an expected outcome made it no different. Besides, that Kusuke had made the effort to escape at all, especially in his very averagely human and therefore very suffering state, told Kusuo the man was very afraid of just that outcome. Good. He should be, because Kusuo had the power and strength of planets in his bones, and the indomitable will of earthquakes and moons, the vast intelligence of the incomprehensible cosmos, all of that was his to weild. He was a fucking star and it was time to let the whole world know. Fuck hiding. The planet deserved his gifts, and Kusuo deserved to be able to share them. Kusuo had been put here for a reason, he was alive still for a reason, and he was determined to discover it. Aren said nothing, just shook his head and Kusuo shifted back very carefully onto the pillows, the taller boy following to drop down on him as he went, and glanced around the room only to find it empty. Evidently his dad had stepped out to give them some privacy. He felt...right again, stable, with Aren there even though his boyfriend was crying into his chest.

Breathing in deep through his sore throat, Kusuo looked up at the ceiling and smiled through the wetness on his face. Light, heady, and brimming with light he marvelled at the visual texture of the drop down ceiling then turned to bury his cheek in his boyfriend’s hair again. The texture was gross. He chuckled. His boyfriend really needed a shower. Kusuo treasured the sensation all the same. Joy. That’s what this feeling was. Kusuo was in joy. “Things are gonna be alright, Aren.” Twining his fingers through the other’s hair, Kusuo stroked it softly, smiling widely and marvelling at the amazing feeling that was being alive. “We’re going to be just fine.”

Kusuo had been expecting Kokomi, or perhaps Shun, to visit him first after Aren. He would be wrong. It was Tuesday. He’d awoken Monday afternoon after spending the remaining Friday and weekend unconscious. He was already bored. Turns out there wasn't a lot to do in a hospital. Funny, that. Blinking in surprise at his visitor, Kusuo tilted his head. “Uhm. Hello, Mr. Matsuzaki…” How peculiar. Matsuzaki nodded back at him. The gym teacher settled into one of the chairs next to his bed, his arms crossed, a familiar posture. Miri and Rean had come to pick up Aren not too long ago and his parents were scouring nearby restaurants for some take away, so apart from the cops outside his door Kusuo was alone. “Good afternoon, Saiki. You haven’t been in school so I thought I’d bring your homework for today.” He lifted a small sheaf of papers and set it on the bedside table, which was currently filled with origami animals because Kusuo had been bored and in need of something to do. It hadn’t been easy with his cast, but he’d discovered the edge in fact made a pretty good fold straightener, so there was that. “Thank you.” That was still a little odd, though, wasn’t it? Kusuo nodded all the same in gratitude. “You have police guarding your door.” Matsuzaki stated, and his tone was rough. “But you’re not in cuffs so clearly, you’re not a suspect in anything.” Kusuo sighed a little, fingering the edge of the cat he’d been working on when the teacher had stepped through the door. Mizuno had wanted to take no chances and had installed security to guard him. Kusuo was

apparently considered too important to fall into the wrong hands thanks to his abilities, which were still being kept hush hush, and since the man who did this to him was so dangerous. Honestly, Kusuo was a little glad for it. If Kusuke really wanted to make a statement then the police officers probably didn’t stand a chance but it did make Kusuo feel a little safer all the same. His telepathy was still on the ins and outs, sometimes working pristinely but then it would cut out and get fuzzy, or fade out altogether. All of his powers were. Right now was one of the lattermost but despite the paranoia that generally came with the lack of keeping up to date with someone’s intentions, Kusuo wasn’t overly concerned. It was only Matsuzaki, after all. “Your parents didn’t tell the school much,” Matsuzaki said as he bent over his knees, eyeing Kusuo with his usual stern expression, intent on prying. “Only that you’d had an accident. But that doesn’t really line up with the fact that there’s been a detective asking questions at PK and that you have guards at your door. This has something to do with the man who was trespassing the other day, doesn’t it, Saiki?” Kusuo didn’t really want to talk about that with his teacher so he said nothing, instead folding another corner and pressing it straight. Matsuzaki picked up on his recalcitrance. He paused, looked at his knees, and then at what Kusuo was making. “...Hey, those are pretty good.” He said out of nowhere, making Kusuo blink in confusion. “These?” He glanced across the several figures he’d made. They weren’t up to his standards, honestly. Kusuo was used to phoning things in, he did it all the time, but he wasn’t used to actually being unable to do something to the full extent of his abilities. A lot of the corners, instead of sharp and crisp, were wrinkled or soft, or even outright wobbly. A couple of the cranes were crooked and the dragon he’d spent the better half of the afternoon painstakingly assembling was disappointing. But he was still sore, and his arm was still broken. Kusuo was glad he was ambidextrous because Kusuke, the bastard, had snapped his dominant arm like a twig. The break was still there, a couple days later. A lot of Kusuo’s bruises and scrapes were, too. It gave him a startle everytime he looked in the mirror. He wasn’t used to being this injured. He wasn’t used to being so delicate. He wasn’t used to any of this. What a pain. “I guess.” Kusuo folded his throbbing fingers, disappointed in himself. “Should you be doing those with your arm like that?” Kusuo just shrugged. Other people would probably have to worry about things like nerve damage or impaired healing but, well, Kusuo’s humanity did come with caveats. And his healing was

already impaired. “I’ve been bored.” Matsuzaki snorted and sat back. The air was a bit awkward. It was making Kusuo itchy. “Yeah, I figured. Looks like you’ve been keeping well distracted, though! That dragon is pretty sweet.” Kusuo took another look at the origami piece. Yeah, he supposed, to the average human it mightHe ground that thought to a halt, took a deep breath, and decided to take the compliment. “Thanks.” It was proving difficult not to settle into those old ways of thinking, the ones that held him separate from the rest of his species while at the same time denigrating all parties involved, often including himself. Kusuo enjoyed a good snark fest as much as anyone but he’d come to realize that a lot of that had quite likely been a big source of his internal conflict, or at least fed it. It was easy to get confused when you were so apart from everyone else, so to bridge that gap Kusuo would continue what he’d started and try to get closer. Eggs and shells. “Uh. I guess you can have it if you want. Or whatever. It’d probably end up in the trash anyway.” He shrugged and cast his eyes out the window. “Really?” Matsuzaki’s tone was carefully light but there was an undercurrent that spoke to some complicated thoughts. “Alright. Thank you, Saiki. I appreciate it.” The PE teacher reached forward and took the origami dragon carefully, holding it in his palm. It was a somewhat large piece made of red paper, and the dragon was Chinese in style, curled up with its head lifted. It could’ve been better, Kusuo decided, but it could’ve also been worse. As long as someone liked it he guessed it was okay. It was a bit funny, though. He very carefully did not smirk to himself. Matsuzaki’s red tracksuit was just a little reminiscent. There was yet another moment of awkward silence as Matsuzaki considered how best to say what he wanted to say. Kusuo waited patiently, trying not to get taken in by the atmosphere as he did, and instead worked on the little cat. Having heard of Amp’s likewise heroic attempted rescue of his person, Kusuo had decided to make the jump to being a cat person instead of an ‘I don’t care’ person. They were pretty alright in his book now. Or, the one was at least, but that was as good a reason as any to convert. Not like he’d tell Amp that. That cat didn’t need anymore excuses to be smug. “I wanted to reiterate what I said on Thursday,” Matsuzaki began slowly after some minutes had passed. Good thing, Kusuo had started to get a bit twitchy. “That if you ever need something, you can talk to me about it okay? I guess I wanted to come and check on you, see how you were doing, make sure you were holding up and see if I could do anything for you.”

Kusuo blinked at the honest statement, taking it in. Huh, well, alright then. An idea promptly presented itself. He pondered it then decided he may as well. “...Actually,” He spoke, folding a little ear. “If you don’t mind, there is one thing. I’d like…” Anxiety was drumming a hasty beat in his chest. Kusuo felt his hands still. He swallowed, lifted his head to look Matsuzaki in the eye, and continued his step forward. “I’d like to retake all of PK’s exams. I’ve been deliberately dumbing down my grades. Have been for years. But that’s…” Kusuo trailed off, unable to fully put to words the desire to take a chance, the need to lay good foundations and be a bit more honest about his true nature. Maybe it was because for the first time in a long time Kusuo had hope for a better future. Matsuzaki was looking at him. His dark eyes were at once shrewd and calm. He’d probably already figured some of that out. Not entirely shocking. Gym class was the one Kusuo had the worst time hiding his abilities in. “Does that include all your physical fitness exams?” “...” Kusuo felt himself pale a little. “...Uh.” Okay. Maybe not that honest. Matsuzaki snorted and the pressure eased off. “Alright, not those ones then. That’s fine. But I expect you to give a little more effort in gym too, alright?” “I...will try.” Kusuo hedged. Alright, okay. Okayokay. The thought of revealing the full extent of his physical capabilities was still pretty scary. Being a genius was remarkable but not unusual. Being a freKusuo closed his eyes, caught that thought, then lobbed it out the window. Immense strength, speed, and stamina were another thing entirely, especially so in conjunction with his massive intellect. Kusuo would not do this hastily. Absolutely he wanted to be more honest about who he was, and maybe he would help the world outside the shadows a bit more, but he still had to be careful. There were still threats out there. His brother was only one of them. “Alright, I guess I’ll just have to take that as it is.” Matsuzaki was squinting at him, likely trying to figure out the full extent of how much he’d been holding back. “But I’ll bring it up in the next staff meeting. See what we can do about getting those up numbers up to where they should be.” Kusuo simply nodded. “Indeed you will.” And then he glanced down, then up. “Thank you.”

Wednesday morning brought both Aren and Shun to see him. Aren was pretty much dragging Shun into the room by the back of his neck and Kusuo was perhaps not as startled as he could be to see the petite youth’s red lined, bloodshot eyes, pale face, and droopy hair that looks like it hasn’t seen a touch of gel in several days. The arm wraps are gone. Looking at the bare skin of his friend’s hands, Kusuo frowned then gave his boyfriend a questioning look. Shun’s brain was incoherent for all the jumbled thoughts and feelings, ergo was not a good source of information. Said purple headed teen just grimaced a bit. ‘He’s miserable and disappointed in himself. Seems he can’t muster the will to pretend to be a hero anymore.’ Aren’s thoughts said and what little Kusuo can catch of Shun’s, a self-flagellating and miserable mess, supported that. Hm. “We’ll have to rectify that, then.” Kusuo said for Aren’s mind only, setting aside his breakfast and leaning back in his bed. Aren didn’t look all that much better, honestly, but seeing Kusuo’s improving state, and the fact that he continued to remain alive and, well, not brain dead was proving to be a constant mood booster for his boyfriend. Still, the former punk was shaken, not stirred. Kusuo didn’t doubt Aren probably had nightmares. They’re both in their school uniforms and Kusuo can’t describe how honestly pleased and relieved he is that Aren has continued to make time for him. “Oh.” Kurumi shifted and Kumagoro looked over as well, following his daughter’s gaze. “G’morning.” Aren nodded. “I hope it’s...Well, I think Shun needs to see you.” The Jet Black Wings just lowered his head and fumbled with his hands, sniffling wetly. “Who are you two, then?” Kumagoro barked warily, incensed at the disturbed ‘quality time’ and protective of his family. “Daddy, these young men are the ones who saved Ku.” Kurumi introduced, a faint smile quirking the sides of her mouth. It was nowhere near his mom’s typical radiance. Kusuo was honestly starting to wonder if the people around him were more traumatized by his assault than he is. It feels wrong, and he’s getting a bit guilty that he can’t share the burden. Shinichi was a bit worried by his lack of reaction. Kusuo is starting to be, too. It’s not normal to come out of something like that with no reaction. Aside from the panic attack he’d had when he’d initially awoken there’d been nothing. No nightmares. No reactions. Kusuo hasn’t even had an Episode. On one hand he thought he might be a little grateful for this reprieve, but on the other… Pushing the table to the side, Kusuo shifted, tucked his feet into his slippers, then stood. There’s still a bit of pain in his torso and, well, his everything, but it’s negligible and at this point he’s

getting eager for any excuse to get out of that damned bed. His legs are a bit shaky but Kusuo supposed at least he had a handy dandy crutch in the form of his IV stand, which he’s still hooked up to (Goddamnit) because apparently the nurses around here believed in overkill and Shinichi, the bastard, agreed with them. Really, he can’t wait to get off the damn antibiotics and fluids he’s being pumped full of. It’s one massive pain in the ass to need to call a nurse so he can be unhooked just so Kusuo can take a damn shower, or change his clothes. “Grandpa, this is my boyfriend, Kuboyasu Aren.” Kusuo stated as he walked over at a casual gait, one hand on said pole. It’s a bit difficult to maintain his usual upright posture around the weakness and aching that tugs him down, but Kusuo refused to give into it. “He’s the one who revived me.” He granted said teen a faint smile. “Good morning.” Aren smiled back. Even with his wan demeanor he was still so handsome. Kusuo felt his tired heart give a dull thump and, after a moment of hesitation, wound his pinky through the reformed punk’s. It’s about as close as he’d ever dare with his grandfather here, but he also has to make this claim obvious lest Kumagoro not quite get it. The language of the tsundere would make just this small gesture more than loud enough. And also Kusuo just wanted to touch his boyfriend. “And this,” Kusuo looked over at Shun, who can’t seem to bear the sight of him. “Is Kaidou Shun. If it weren’t for him and his planning, I...likely wouldn’t still be here.” Shun’s head shot up and finally he met Kusuo’s eyes, his own shining with wet. He looked about three seconds from crying. Kusuo gave him a gentle smile. “If you hadn’t thought up the half hour time limit for me to tell you all I was safe, Aren wouldn’t have even known I was in danger to do what he did. You’re just as responsible for me being alive as he is.” He sighed exaggeratedly. “Really it’s about time you got here. I don’t have a phone anymore, you know, so how else would I have been able to thank you?” “Kusuo…” Shun wibbled, his bottom lip shuddering deeply and his expression crumbling. Aren squeezed his pinky and leaned in over Kusuo’s shoulder. His body heat was weirdly reassuring. “See? Told you Kusuo didn’t blame you. You did good, kid. You’re a hero.” To drive the point home a bit further, Kusuo gave Shun a droll expression. “You thought I blamed you? Good grief, of course I didn’t. Idiot.” And that was the straw. Shun’s expression broke completely and he wailed, fat tears immediately wetting his face. One second later Kusuo found himself with an armful of crying chuunibyou, Shun having thrown himself at him. The kid’s arms aren’t tight enough to make him sore, even though Kusuo is pretty sure the petite teen is hugging him with all his strength. Snorting and giving his head a shake, Kusuo dropped his (still cast encased, Goddamnit) arm around Shun’s shoulders then looked over at his grandfather. The stern man’s eyes were glimmering a little too as he looked between the three of them.

“Well.” Kumagoro shifted and pushed himself up. Kurumi quickly took his arm to support him, helping the elderly man stand on his by now probably pretty stiff legs. “I need...something to drink.” Kusuo blinked. That was probably the lamest ‘I’m a tsundere getting overwhelmed by their feels and need to vamoose to compose myself’ line he’d ever heard. “Oh, do you, daddy? Why don’t you stay here and I’ll get you something?” ‘Aaaahhh,’ Kumagoro’s internal monologue immediately sighed with bliss. ‘My little girl is so considerate! How sweet she is to this old man, oh thank you Kurumi, thank you!’ “No, that’s fine.” The old man stated outwardly, tone gruff as he tugged his arm away and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You stay.” ‘But I need to get out of here before I start crying in front of these kids! My grandson has such incredible friends, I’m so grateful for them I could almost hug them!’ ‘This man’s internal monologue is as outrageous as ever.’ Kusuo quirked an eyebrow as he watched his grandfather approach, idly patting Shun’s back with his cast as the boy made a snotty mess out of his sweater. Uhg. He was going to have to call the nurse again when the two left so he could change. Gross, but, well, maybe almost worth it. It was when he was one step passed them and almost out the door that Kumagoro stopped and turned around. “So you’re my grandson’s boyfriend, eh?” The outwardly surly man frowned deeply at Aren, who startled and immediately got nervous. “Uh, y-yes sir! My name is Kuboyasu Aren and I-uh, you already know that. Uhm.” Aren was getting very red, the vein in his forehead beginning to bulge. Kusuo watched his expression change, intrigued. Shun stopped crying into Kusuo’s shirt, also looking over with interest despite his loud sniffling. “Hm.” Kumagoro’s eyes narrowed. “Sir!” Aren yelled abruptly and gestured at himself with his thumb. “Fear not! I’d drive to hell and back for Kusuo, there aint sweet fuck all that’ll stop me from devoting the rest of my days to him, I vow it! The world can bring it on, I’m your grandson’s man till the end!” Silence. Kusuo swallowed deeply and felt his face go very, very red. Standing by the bed, Kurumi began to giggle. “Dude.” Shun mumbled. Kumagoro squinted harder. ‘Is this kid a delinquent or something? He looks so straight laced I never would’ve guessed!’ Aren began to sweat and tear at the arm of his uniform.

“Someone get me a pen! I need to write ‘Kusuo forever’ on my arm!” “You’re not doing that.” Kusuo facepalmed, only mostly to hide how red he was. “Aren, please be quiet. You’re embarrassing me.” “But I need to let your grandpa know how devoted I am to you!” Aren turned to him. The guy was practically having a heart attack. “You some sorta delinquent?” Kusuo’s grandfather asked and Aren stiffened, then slouched and turned back to face him. “...I used to be, sir. I’ll be honest, I did some crazy stuff, but I’m not about that life anymore. I’m on the straight and narrow now, and determined to make a good, honest living. And...I would like to do that with your grandson next to me, if I may.” He dipped into a bow, a heavy grimace on his face. Kusuo was dying. Aren had revived him just to kill him himself, but with feelings. This was just too much, fucking hell. Was he embarrassed or enamoured? Grateful and flattered or pissed and humiliated? What even kind of face was he supposed to make right now? Well, Kusuo groaned silently into his hand, sure his ears and neck were just as red as his cheeks, that question might be irrelevant because he was definitely making something of himself. Like, say, a fool. Damn powers were still on the fritz, he couldn’t contain these automatic reactions with his cryokinesis like he normally would. Uhg, this was too much and his grandfather’s thoughts were just making it worse! ‘Hm, well, I respect the boy’s honesty and clearly he has the skill and strength to look after my grandson. As long as he doesn’t put my boy in danger with his former lifestyle...but he’s clearly devoted. Good. That damn wretch of Kurumi’s could learn a thing or two, honestly. It’s painful to see my little grandson grow up, and I’m disappointed he won’t be marrying that sweet young girl Teruhashi, but…’ “Hmph. I guess you’ll do.” Kumagoro huffed, turned, and walked out the door. “Aw, looks like you got daddy’s approval! My, that’s pretty rare.” Kurumi remarked as she walked over with a napkin and began to clean off Kusuo’s chest. He looked down from his hand to blink at it. “Oh,” Kusuo muttered, not stopping his mom but really wanting to. “Mom, c’mon, stop.” “Hush.” Kurumi did not stop. “Oh!” Shun gasped. “Oh no, that’s-Oh my God I’m so sorry, Kusuo, I didn’t-Here, Mrs. Saiki, please let me!” ‘No. Please don’t. That would be even worse.’ Kusuo grimaced deeply to himself and hid his face again. “No, don’t be sorry, sweetie.” Kurumi squinted as she rubbed a piece of snot away. “There. All better. Now, there’s something I have to do that I haven’t done yet.” She turned, stepped back, and swung into a deep, ninety degree bow, her hands crossed in front of

her. Kusuo blinked, struck dumb at the sight. “Aren. Shun. Thank you.” Her voice began to wobble but she hung steady to her composure. “Thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart. You’ll never understand the depths of my gratitude, as a mother, for what the both of you have done for our family and for my son.” “Mrs. Saiki…” Shun whispered, looking ready to start bawling again. “There will always be a place for both of you at our table,” Kurumi declared as she stood, her eyes swimming with tears but smile firm. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.” “It’s...it’s nothing, really.” Shun muttered but on Kusuo’s other side, Aren shook his head. “No. It’s not nothing.” He dipped his head. “Kurumi, you’re very welcome. We love your son deeply, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.” “...Right.” Shun muttered, understanding of what Aren was saying seeping in. “Right. Okay. Uhm.” He swallowed, face pink. “You’re...uhm. Uh. Thank you. For your? Thank...you?” Kurumi giggled weakly into her knuckle then glanced over at the clock. “You boys were visiting before school, right? You two had best be getting on your way, or you’ll be late.” “Oh shi-I mean, shoot,” Aren revised with a quick sideways glance at Kurumi then turned to Kusuo, who’d been watching the proceedings speechlessly. “Princess, we gotta go but we’ll be back after school okay?” “Is it okay if I come back?” Shun asked, fidgeting shyly. “Duh.” Kusuo sighed, scratching at his still very warm face. “Do whatever you want, I guess.” Shun giggled a bit. Ah, well, at least his humiliation was good for something. Kusuo rolled his eyes then glanced over at his boyfriend and shifted his stance. His legs were starting to get pretty tired and sore from all this standing around, and he was honestly a bit ready for a nap now. All the touchy feely bullshit had worn him out. But. He found himself plucking at a loose string on edge of his cast, eyes finding the floor. He couldn’t say it. But he wanted it. Aren snorted and grinned, thankfully getting it. “Yeah, okay. Come here.” His jaw was taken into a grip that was soft for the bruises still on Kusuo’s skin and his face was tilted upward. Looking into the taller boy’s dark blue gaze, Kusuo found himself a little giddy with anticipation and found the strength to get onto his toes to meet Aren half way. He could remember Kusuke kissing him, plundering his mouth, really, while Kusuo choked to death. It’d been sore. It’d tasted like vomit, pollution, bloody and dark. That would never, ever, take away how nice Aren’s mouth felt when it came down on his own. Soft, cool, and sweet. There were no distinct flavours - Kusuo was beginning to suspect that was a

weird ESP thing and not a normal ‘I’m a person getting smooched’ thing - but the rub of mouth against mouth was still enough to make the last curl of tension in his stomach from all the dramatics fade away. Kissing Aren was like recharging his batteries. It was just that nice. They separated minutely then came back together, repeated the motion, and with one last lingering exchange Aren pulled away. He didn’t go far though, his hand remaining on Kusuo’s jaw, and Kusuo found himself just staring entranced into his punk’s eyes. It was strange, he thought to himself. So weird. He just couldn’t find it in himself to look away. At least, that was until he began to hear obnoxious sniffling and his mom began to sob. “Kyuuuu,” His mom whimpered into her kerchief. “My Ku and his handsome boyfriend are so in love! I’m so happy!” “Eh-” Kusuo startled. Holy shit he’d totally forgotten there were even other people in the room! His face immediately growing hot again, Kusuo gaped at his mom and Shun. N-...Nooooo.... Kusuo was pretty ready to find a nice hole to die in, please and thank you. Shun, too, was gazing at them over the clutch of his fists which he’d brought to his mouth, his eyes aglimmer with a look Kusuo had often seen him give to the likes of ‘adorable’ dogs, cats, and babies. “Geeze,” Shun swallowed and then cried out, shaking his fists. “GEEZE! You guys-! Uhg, I ship you two so bad! Stop being so cute!” ‘Ship’? ‘Cute’? “They’re just the sweetest!” Kurumi sobbed. “I could eat ten bowls of rice!” And now Shun was quoting old anime. Great. “Eheh…” Aren bashfully smiled at the floor, rubbing the back of his head. “Ehehe…heh.” Useless! His boyfriend was useless! “All of you,” Kusuo was so done. “Get out! Now!” “Oh, we better go before Ku blows a gasket,” His mom giggled and began to shoo the two teens away. “Sorry, sweetie! We didn’t mean to embarrass you! Boys, I’ll give you a ride to school okay? ” “You didn’t,” Kusuo seethed. “But leave anyways!” As the door shut partially behind them, Kusuo slouched against his IV stand and smiled at it. His mom was laughing again.

It was good to hear. He did end up going to sleep for several hours after that, dreamless and undisturbed. By the time Kusuo awoke he was alone. He blinked at the empty room, sleepy still, then pushed himself carefully upwards. There was a cooling lunch tray on his table. Kusuo grimaced a little at it, ignoring it despite the hunger in his stomach, in favour of looking over at the collection of books that had begun to stack up on the shelf next to his bed. Origami was fine to keep busy with while there were other people in the room but when he was alone he still preferred a good book. He didn’t stay that way for long, though, alone that was. Not quite ten minutes later there were a pair of heads poking nervously in through the door. “Should you two be here right now?” Kusuo asked, not looking up from his book as he turned the page. “Lunch is over by now.” “Meh. School.” Toritsuka stated but he and Mikoto didn’t move. Kusuo sighed deeply and marked his page. “Good grief. Fine. Come in.” Awkwardly the two shuffled into the room. “Uhm. We brought you something to eat.” Mikoto mumbled, holding up a bag. “And coffee jelly? If you want some.” She walked over and settled on the bed next to him, tugging something out of the bag and holding it up. The little cup was offered to him. Inside it was brown. Jiggled. In the midst of setting his book to the side, Kusuo paused, stilled. His vision tunnelled in on it. Coffee… Jelly? The overhead lights flickered. A pressure was mounting in his head. He found himself staring, staring, staring at the innocuous little cup. Far away. It was so far away. “Kusuo? Kusuo, baby, what-what’s wrong? Kusuo? Shit. Shit! Toritsuka, he’s not breathing, what do I do?! What happened?! He was just-He was just fine!” “Uh-! Shit. UHM. There! Hit the call button over there! It’ll let his nurse know. In the meantime we need to try to get him breathing again. ...Yeah? Yeah, okay. Saiki! Hey Saiki, look at me, okay? C’mon dude, I need you to see me, man!” “Is everything okay in here?”

“Officer, I think my friend is having a panic attack or something, we just-” “I didn’t even do anything! Why is he-Why is he-!?”. “Hey now, both of you stay calm. Kid, get her out in the hallway, her crying might make things worse.” “Yeah, okay. Aiura, c’mon, let’s...let’s just wait out here.” “Alright, young man? Young man, do you hear me? I need you to breathe for me, son. C’mon, now, wake up. Wake up and breathe for me, okay? ...Shit, he’s totally unresponsive, where’s that nurse? C’mon, kid, I can see your eyes are open so focus on my face, okay? Kid? Saiki!”

Thursday afternoon found Kusuo examining himself in the mirror. The bruises had finally started to heal though there were still patches of blue-green-yellow here and there, mostly on his throat and around one eye which still had an impressive shiner, a line of black and red around his undereye. Most of the scrapes were gone too but there was still a cut in his lip and stitches in his eyebrow. His arm was still in a cast. He wasn’t on the IV drip anymore but there was still a needle in his arm, taped firmly in place, and a hospital bracelet on his wrist. Kusuo sighed at his reflection. He’d had a panic attack yesterday. Over coffee jelly. His favourite thing in the entire world. It’d forced Kusuo to revise his thoughts from Tuesday morning. He’d rather continue as he was than be afraid of fucking coffee jelly of all things. Fuck. The pure dismay was almost enough to get him crying again even though he’d spent most of yesterday doing just that. It was really goddamn difficult to be grateful for his humanity when being human meant dealing with that. ‘Hm?’ Kusuo glanced over his shoulder at the open bathroom door. That’d been one thing he’d noticed upon waking up here. Closed doors made him uncomfortable now. Viscerally so, in fact. And food was...difficult to eat. But Kusuo had figured if that was the worst of it then he was good to go. Apparently it wasn’t. And apparently he wasn’t. ‘They’re back…’ Kusuo sighed and grimaced. He did not want to deal with the two espers right now, but, well, if they were here then there was nowhere to hide. He could tell them to leave, Kusuo supposed, but after yesterday that would

probably be mean. ‘Patience.’ He told himself, turned, and stepped out of the bathroom. “Come in.” He called to the pair just as they got to the door. There was a moment of silence and hesitation before Toritsuka was sighing. “Aiura, c’mon. Just get in there.” It was one very miserable looking girl and one kind of freaked out looking guy that entered his room. Kusuo frowned at them. He was getting pretty sick of all these long faces. “I suppose I owe you an explanation for yesterday,” He said as he got settled back into his bed, crossing his arms and lowering the volume on the TV. “Oh, no, Saiki-” “Shut it.” Kusuo snapped. Mikoto flinched even though it hadn’t been her he’d spoken to. Great. Breathing in deep and counting to ten, Kusuo begged himself for patience. “You two may as well sit down.” “Uhm. Right.” Toritsuka muttered warily and prodded Mikoto’s arm. The gyaru glanced at him, for once barefaced of makeup, then looked over at Kusuo and dragged her feet forward. She looked like she was on a death march. Yep. Kusuo was getting tired of this. “First off,” He said, pulling his table back over and hunching over it, fumbling a sheet of origami paper. “Spare me your apologies. I don’t need them. Neither of you did anything wrong. Secondly, yes. I had a panic attack.” Or something. Kusuo hadn’t really heard of a panic attack that made a person pass out because they forgot to breathe like an idiot during it but hey, just one more way he was ‘special’. “It wasn’t anything either of you did. It was the coffee jelly.” There was really no other explanation. “Mom made some for me. Kusuke drugged it. That’s-” His telepathy sizzled out. His heart was striking up a breathless pattern in his chest. Kusuo shook his head rapidly and grit his teeth, tried again, but the grasp of his telepathy evaded him. It was hard to concentrate on it. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t hear. Shit. Shit.

Not again. Hissing, Kusuo bit down deep into the meat of his thumb. The pain lit up his brain in sparks. Vaguely he heard Mikoto gasp shrilly and Toritsuka curse. But he was coming back. Kusuo softened his teeth around his hand, blinking slowly. Numb, a bit, but the sensation had been enough to bring him back. Good. That was good. He licked his lips and frowned at the bloody marks on his hand. Well, that’d been embarrassing. Uhg. Whatever. “Pass me some tissue.” “Dude…” Toritsuka was looking at him horrified. Kusuo could barely distinguish the hum of his thoughts. “Tch. Just pass me the goddamn tissue.” Mikoto reached around Toritsuka to the desk beside the heart monitor that Kusuo wasn’t hooked up to anymore, and passed the tissue. “Thank you.” Kusuo grumbled sullenly and took it, not wanting to attempt his psychokinesis in this state, and dabbed at the wounds he’d inflicted on himself. “Sorry. I started to have another. Thing. Physical stimuli seems to be the only thing that anchors me or brings me back.” But since Aren wasn’t here…Well, his options had been limited and he’d made do. It was a sufficient solution but perhaps not the ideal one. Still, he’d keep it in mind. If it worked, it worked. “Anyways.” Licking his teeth and wiping at his mouth next, he turned his attention back to the pair. “He drugged me. That’s why…” Kusuo couldn’t bring himself to say it. “That’s why.” He said instead, leaving it at that. “...Yeah.” Toritsuka muttered, pale, freaked out, looking between his bloody hand and his mouth. They both were. They were looking at him, each of them, like he was some sort of frea“Get out.” Kusuo wouldn’t tolerate being looked at like that. “What-!” Mikoto’s eyes widened and she twitched, leaned forward. “But, Kusuo, we-!” Toritsuka spoke over her, just as confused. “No way, man, c’mon! Saiki, bro-” “I said,” Kusuo hissed. The lights began to rattle and flicker. The window flexed. Even though it wasn’t hooked up to him, the heart monitor began to whine. “Get out.” For once, they listened. As he watched the door shut behind them, Kusuo felt the anger drain away rapidly. Pure tired misery took its place. He blinked slowly at the tissue he held, thumbed the soft texture, and felt his head bow until

gradually it touched the table. ‘...Idiots…’ It was too late. He hadn’t actually wanted them to leave. He’d just wanted them to stop looking at him like that. His nose was clogging up. His eyes were getting wet. Kusuo sniffled deeply and hid his face in his arm. ‘Come back.’ He guessed he couldn’t blame them for listening to him for once, Kusuo thought as he lifted his head and dabbed pathetically again at the bleeding wounds on his hand. After all, normal people didn’t bite themselves. A thought stilled in him. Maybe Kusuke was right. Blinking with uncomfortably wet lashes down at his hand, Kusuo gradually brought it up and suckled at the injury. ‘I really am a freak.’ Kusuo found himself eyeing the clock, watching it tick, instead of watching the TV or reading anything. His mom ended up popping by for a bit but, sensing his mood, she hadn’t stayed long. Kusuo couldn’t bring himself to ask her to stay. He didn’t want to inflict this bad mood on her. He knew he was usually a pretty grumpy guy but this was abnormal. He commented as such to Shinichi when the man dropped by, as he did daily. The doctor looked grave and his thoughts started to run through the hospital’s therapy staff as he worked antibacterial gel into Kusuo’s wounds. Kusuo had told the man off for that immediately. “I’m not insane, I’m just moody. I’m fine.” Shinichi looked tellingly at the hand he was wrapping, met his eyes, raised a big eyebrow. “...It was an accident.” Kusuo said, and it was. That was the truth. Right? Yeah. Right. “What’s that?” Aren asked and Kusuo startled as he felt the hand in question be picked up. He blinked rapidly and looked at Aren, seeing the teen for the first time, then glanced around and found Shun, Kineshi, Chiyo, and Nendo in his room. They looked like they’d been there for a while. “Oh, shit, sorry Princess.” Aren looked guilty. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

…He’d been sleeping? “Don’t worry about it.” Kusuo mumbled, disturbed. He couldn’t remember falling asleep, but he was laying down so he...supposed he must have. Huh. Well, whatever. “Hey, buddy’s awake! Hey buddy, hey, I brought you some ramen’n’shit!” “Nendo, you’re not giving him the porn magazines.” Shun sounded very tired. Wait, what? “But that kinda thing always helps me feel better when I’m sick!” Ah. Astounding Nendo logic, as per usual. “And buddy’s in the hospital so he’s gotta feel really sick right? So I got some booby magazines and some ramen and I got a couple charms from the shrine too cus mom always grabs some so I figured why not-” “Kusuo is gay, Nendo. Why on earth would he want...those?” Shun hissed, gesturing at the magazines bulging out of the plastic bag looped over Nendo’s wrist. Hm. That still didn’t feel right but Kusuo was not interjecting in that argument. Actually, he hadn’t ever gotten around to researching asexuality either to determine if that was the right label either, had he? Huh. Well. Kusuo was alive, he reminded himself. He still had time. Chiyo rolled her eyes at them and smiled at Kusuo. “Hey, sleeping beauty. Good morning!” Kusuo frowned at her. He was not a Disney character. “Hey dude.” Kineshi grinned and lifted a card he was holding. “Got this for ya. Whole class sends their well wishes, hopes you get better soon.” “Thanks.” Kusuo mumbled as he took the card, frowned at it too, then set it aside. “How’re ya feeling?” Aren asked, sitting down next to him. Kusuo debated talking for a moment, debated telling Aren about his shitty mood, about how tired he felt, about how he’d accidentally bitten himself, about how he didn’t actually remember going to sleep, but then glanced around the very full room and decided against it. “Fine.” He said and reached over to tug at Aren’s sleeve and leg. Aren blinked at him, confused. “Get on the bed properly,” Kusuo demanded, broadcasting into Aren’s head only. He didn’t care if the room was full, but he still wasn’t gonna tell them anything. “And cuddle me.” Aren snorted and grinned, giving his head a shake. ‘As my Princess demands.’ “Damn right.” Kusuo grumbled at his boyfriend, watching satisfied as the taller boy shifted to get into the bed completely, careful of the IV that Kusuo had been reattached to thanks to his brand new injury (“Antibiotics. Just in case. Mouths are dirty and it’s easy for bite wounds to get

infected. Your healing factor still isn’t where it was so we’ll need to keep an eye on that.” Shinichi had said but Kusuo couldn’t help but feel it was some sort of punishment for doing that to himself), and drew Kusuo in under his arm. He snuggled in immediately, tucking himself in close to the solid heat of Aren’s side, and, curling his fists under his chin while he threw his thigh across his boyfriend’s lap, Kusuo shut his eyes. Yes. Good. Turning one fist to ball at the chest of Aren’s uniform he began to relax immediately, moreso when Aren’s hand found the back of his neck and started to pet him. That little gesture was rapidly becoming one of his favourite things, he wondered. Right next to kissing, and the scent of Aren’s aftershave. The anger began to calm and Kusuo sighed out with the release of it, nuzzling at his boyfriend’s shoulder and breathing in just the scent he’d been thinking of. This was better. So much better. Maybe the tetchy mood had been withdrawals or something. Could people get snuggle withdrawals? “Aww-” Came a chorus and Kusuo promptly interrupted them. “All of you shut up.” He couldn’t help but wonder, though, as he looked around. Eventually he glanced up at Aren, got distracted for a moment by the downright artistic shape of the other boy’s jaw and the dip of his cheekbones, then asked his question outloud to everyone. “Where’s Kokomi?” Playing with the short hairs on the back of Kusuo’s neck, Aren frowned. Chiyo bit her lip and Kineshi rubbed at his neck, looking awkward. Shun’s shoulders slumped. “Oh?” Nendo looked around. “Huh, yeah, Teruhashi’s not here.” Kusuo lifted his head, concern rattling his core. “Did something happe-” “No, no, it’s nothing like that.” Aren hastened to reassure him, but Kusuo’s question managed to stir the rest of the group’s recalcitrant thoughts to life. Oh. She just didn’t want to see him. Kusuo shifted his gaze around, awkward and breathless, then settled back into Aren’s chest, unsure as to why that hurt so much. “She’s just not ready, yet.” Chiyo murmured, kicking her legs. Yeah. Right. ‘Couch it in whatever terms you want,’ Kusuo thought to himself and closed his eyes, wondering at the dull ache in his chest. ‘She doesn’t want to see me.’ Maybe she’d heard from Mikoto or Toritsuka what he’d done while they were there or something and had decided she was better off. After all, Kokomi was the perfect pretty girl, and Kusuo was not. She was better off without him,

really. He began to jiggle his foot. Kokomi didn’t need the reminder of incestuous violence in her life, not on the tail end of her reconciliation with her own brother. ‘Yeah. It’s fine. Besides, I never fully understood her fascination with me to begin with.’ Funny. Thinking that only made the hurt worsen. It was a singularly unique sensation, Kusuo thought as he examined it, to be emotionally gut-punched like this. It’d been a while since he’d felt this kinda thing. Probably the last time had beenNo. Kusuo wasn’t thinking about him. Not their present, not their future, and not even their past before he’d moved to England. “I’m gonna sleep again.” Kusuo explained shortly. “Huh? Yeah, okay. Do whatever you need, Princess. We’ll be right here till visiting hours are over.” Kusuo settled in deeper. He felt defeated. “Do whatever you want.”

It was Saturday again and Teruhashi Kokomi was once more gazing at the sky. Only this time, unlike the last time she’d contemplated the clouds and the colour of it, it was grey and heavy. The clouds made for a low ceiling of turbulent dark, pregnant with rain, and Kokomi wondered when it would let loose. She kinda wished it would. It’d certainly add a little bit more poetic flare to what she was feeling. She wanted them to match. “Kokomi, are you even paying attention?” Chiyo sighed next to her, exasperated. “Huh?” Kokomi blinked and looked over at her friend, then turned to look at the TV screen. K.O. was flashing across it. Chun Li Chiyo had beaten her again. “Oh,” Kokomi said numbly and fumbled her controller, restarted the fight. “Sorry.” Chiyo didn’t respond and Kokomi ignored her lingering stare with practiced skill. “Are you gonna do anything?” Kokomi asked after a moment of watching their character avatars bounce about. “...Yeah. I am.” Chiyo said and reached forward to unplug the game. “Hey,” Kokomi frowned because that was not good for the system, turning it off that way. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Chiyo asked her in return. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kokomi sniffed primly and stood, tugging down the hem of her sweater dress so it was once more a decent length on her stockings. “Yeah, uh huh.” Chiyo rolled her eyes. “I think you do, Kokomi. When are you gonna go see him? You’ve spent the entire time Kusuo-” “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” Kokomi cut her off, making an exception to her manners for once as she stepped lightly over to the window that she’d been staring out of. They were in Chiyo’s room. The girl Kokomi had a crush on had invited her over to play video games and eat snacks. Kokomi had found herself unable to say no, even if she didn’t think she really deserved to be anything but alone right now. She was a coward, and cowards didn’t deserve friends, especially not amazing ones like Chiyo. “Nuh uh. We’re talking about it.” Chiyo jumped up from the floor. Her little feet pattered angrily at the carpet as she strode over, not quite stomping but close to. The girl paused next to her and then reached out. Kokomi watched as Chiyo’s fingers, a little longer than her own and topped with sheer bronze nail polish and hearts, circled her hand. “Kokomi, I’m…” Chiyo shifted closer still. Kokomi’s heart gave a painful thump as she recognized the other girl’s body heat warming her skin. She felt her knees begin to shake and bit her lip, looking down at their hands. “I’m worried about you.” Her Friend and Nothing More whispered as she leaned in to push her forehead into Kokomi’s shoulder, nuzzling it softly. “You’ve been hurting so bad since...well, since then.” Even her normally blunt and effervescent Chiyo had a hard time talking about It. “And-And I’m worried that you’re avoiding things because you want to punish yourself.” That was pretty spot on actually. But Chiyo was missing one part. Kokomi sniffled. She didn’t want to cry, she didn’t deserve to cry. “It’s not just that,” She spoke through her trembling, loose lips. “Then...can you tell me?” The strawberry blond lifted her head from Kokomi’s shoulder to look at her. Kokomi felt her breath quiver harder at the look in Chiyo’s eyes. Those big amber-brown puppy dog eyes were looking at her so sadly. The other girl was so desperate for her to be happy that Kokomi’s depression was hurting her, too. She couldn’t stand the look in them anymore. Kokomi shut her eyes hard and turned away, reached up to tug at her hair. “Don’t do that.” Chiyo mumbled at her, capturing her other hand next. “Your hair is so perfect, you’ll hurt it if you do that.” “It’s not perfect.” Kokomi snapped abruptly, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “It’s not. It’s not. ...I’m not…”

“...Kokomi?” Chiyo sounded scared. “I’m a coward!” She yelled out, giving thought to words with a stomp of her foot. It hurt. It hurt to say it out loud but it was the truth. “I couldn’t do anything-” Kokomi shook her head and sucked in a breath. It was high pitched. It almost sounded like a scream. “Even Kaidou went to him and he’s-” Kokomi clutched back the uncomplimentary thoughts then steamed forward. “But I couldn’t do anything! I only stood there. I couldn’t...help him..” Oh God, her heart was breaking all over again. How many times in one month would it manage to do that? A wretched sob tumbled from her lungs before she could catch it and Kokomi’s numb legs gave out beneath her. She couldn’t hold herself up anymore. Taking her hands from Chiyo’s she instead hugged herself tight. “He...he did so much for me…” Kusuo. Oh Kusuo. Her still most favourite boy. Bending over to give her head to her knees, Kokomi whimpered, her brain conjuring images of him easily as he’d opened his arms to her after a customary eye roll that day at the ramen shop. The sun had been at his back and had given him a faint glow that made his eyes gleam when he’d smiled at her, so tiny, almost nonexistent, and so patient. She’d fallen into them, had clung to him tight and made an embarrassment of herself again. He’d saved her. Like a gallant knight he’d come to her rescue and saved her from her wicked brother and now, finally, she might actually have a brother instead of a desperate lust-struck husband-wannabe. Makoto had been distant lately, but remarkably kind. He still loved her like that, Kokomi could tell, but he’d ceased his perverted behaviours. He was looking for a therapist, apparently at Kusuo’s suggestion. He was working on it. And it had been Kusuo who’d done that. And Kokomi hadn’t been able to do the same in return. “He did so much for me,” Kokomi repeated herself, her voice rising. “And I couldn’t even go to him! All I could do was stand there, dumb and-and stupid and-and-!” “Kokomi…” Chiyo’s voice was dripping in sympathy and she got to her knees beside her, tugging her into a hug that was soft and smelled sweet. Kokomi didn’t want it. She didn’t deserve it. But she leaned into it desperately and clung to her crush, whimpering like an idiot. Ten minutes later and Kokomi had cried herself out. Burning with misery she snuggled close, sniffling, her head tucked into Chiyo’s shoulder. “...I think I get it.” Chiyo mumbled. “But...aren’t you doing the same thing right now?”

“No.” Kokomi responded and even to her ears it sounded petulant, sulky. “Kusuo doesn’t need a fairweather friend like me.” And, honestly, a part of her was frightened of seeing him too, and that was the part that stung her the hardest. She was scared to see Kusuo. He’d lived her nightmare. That was his reality now. Kokomi didn’t think she’d be able to stand it if he was broken. She was terrified to look at his face and find it bruised and bloody, couldn’t bring herself to look in his beautiful, sophisticated eyes and confront her own worst fears. Kokomi hated herself for it. She was a coward. She didn’t deserve all the good he’d done for her. “No, Kokomi.” Chiyo pushed her back by the shoulders, looking into her face. Her teeth were still clutching her bottom lip. It was unfairly cute and Kokomi wanted to reach out and pluck the soft skin away, smooth the pained expression out. Even now, in a horrid situation like this, she was still being led around by her desires. She hated herself even more. “You’re wrong.” Kokomi blinked. “I think he does need you.” Chiyo cupped her hands again, rubbed at Kokomi’s knuckles absently, and Kokomi tried not to get too bewitched by the sensation, clung to her grief instead. “When we went there the other day he was actually worried something had happened to you, you know, when he didn’t see you there. He looked...scared.” What? “And then...well, he probably could tell by our thoughts that you...wanted to stay home,” Chiyo spoke gently, gaze dropping in thought. “I told him you weren’t ready to see him anyway, to, y’know, ease it in but it didn’t work.” When she looked back up at Kokomi to meet her eyes, her gaze was stern, a little angry, and there was a storm igniting her irises to a lumous almost red. Her voice dropped from the tentative tone she’d been using, became assertive and straight. “Because he was really, really hurt when he realized you deliberately chose not to see him. He needs you there just as much as he needs any of us, Kokomi. You’re being selfish by punishing yourself like this. You need to go see him.” Chiyo’s fingers tightened on her hands, squeezing them. “For both of your sakes.” And then the girl’s face gentled again, a small smile tugging at the corners of her glossy lips. “I’ll even go with you if you want, but you need to do this.” Kokomi couldn’t get over her shock. Kusuo… “I...hurt his feelings?” She whispered, dread prickling up her spine.

“Yep,” Chiyo said, her lips popping around the ‘p’, and released her hands to push herself up. “Y’sure did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s mood drop so fast, to be honest. He was asleep when we got there and was his usual grouchy self. ...Maybe a little moreso than usual, honestly, but that’s not surprising considering what happened to him. I’d be pissed off too.” The girl opened her closet and began to rifle through it. “But then he and Kuboyasu started snuggling, which was pretty darned cute by the way, and you could literally see him start to, I don’t know, brighten? Or maybe relax is the better word, you know as well as I do how impenetrable his poker face is.” Chiyo pulled out a jacket, a cute little pastel green trenchcoat that ended just above her knees. It brought out her complexion beautifully. Kokomi watched as she began to button it up. “And then he asked about you.” Chiyo reached back into her closet again, pulled out an umbrella. “He was probably pretty dopey still because he didn’t realize it right away that you weren’t there. None of us could say anything at first. We didn’t know how to tell him, I guess, until he started to freak out. His eyes got all big.” Chiyo paused, looking at her feet, her face blank as she recalled the moment. “I think he paled too. Anyway, he figured it out, Kokomi. And the life...I can’t think of any other way to describe it. It just left him. He practically wilted.” She blinked once, twice. “...I don’t want to see that horrible blank look in his eyes ever again. He doesn’t deserve that. Not after what he’s been through. So we’re gonna go see him.” Lifting her jaw and squaring her shoulders, Chiyo turned to look at her and nodded, the umbrella clicking decisively on the floor as she settled it between her feet. “Right now.” “...Right now?” Kokomi whispered, clutching at her chest. “Yep. Get your jacket, pretty lady. We’re leaving right now.” Kokomi tightened her grasp, the soft fabric a balm on this self inflicted wound, looked into herself, and found courage. “Alright.” Determination raised her head and let her look into Chiyo’s eyes, gave strength to her legs again and got her off the floor. “Alright. You’re right. Let’s go.” They spent the bus ride largely in silence. Kokomi watched out the window, taking in the darkness of the day. It was only one in the afternoon but may as well have been night for how cool and dim it was. A crisp white flake drifted by the window. Kokomi’s eyes widened marginally as she followed it. “It’s snowing.” She whispered, watching the little pieces of fluff begin to drift down in droves. “Hm?” Chiyo looked over her shoulder to the window. “Oh. Yeah, it is.” They sat together like that, just watching the snow lazily fall, small at first then bigger, and bigger, until they were the sort of fluffy chunks that were uncomfortable to catch in your eyelashes. Some minutes later they hopped off the bus at the hospital bus stop. Kokomi gazed passed the

shelter as Chiyo opened her umbrella. The snow was already turning to slush on the ground, puddles forming in the low areas. It was too warm for the snow to maintain itself for long. It was cold, and it was wet, and it was heavy. The pale beige brick of the hospital loomed against the skyline. Somewhere in there was her favourite boy. Kokomi reached out and took Chiyo’s hand. Chiyo just smiled at her. “Ready?” “...Yes.” Kokomi stated before she could change her mind. “Alright, fair warning,” Her friend explained as they walked forward down the dark grey path, luminated slickly by the harsh white street lamps. “He’s still pretty beat up. Not as bad as he should be, considering, but I guess that’s the cool thing about having psychic superpowers.” They paused at the entrance. The doors slid open. Chiyo looked at her. “Alright?” Kokomi nodded. As one they stepped inside. Chiyo shook off her umbrella and they continued to walk in. “He has a police guard outside his door at all times, too. Or sometimes inside, I guess. I caught them playing cards when I dropped by yesterday after dinner.” “But, why would he need guards?” Kokomi asked as they followed the linoleum to the elevator. “They caught his brother, right?” Chiyo looked at her. Her eyes were grim and her mouth was a flat line. “He escaped.” “...Oh.” Kokomi whispered through the clutch of her throat. “Yeah.” Chiyo smiled and the look was uncommonly sharp on her. It didn’t suit her at all. “I guess there’s benefits to working for the government.” “That’s why that detective has been asking questions around the school, then?” Kokomi mumbled to herself in realization. “It wasn’t just follow up…” “Right in one. But yeah. Don’t be surprised if he’s a bit snarly, or flinchy, or if his family or Kuboyasu are in there. They’ve all been pretty clingy. Which is fair.” The elevator doors opened with a ding on the fifth floor. Chiyo stepped out. “Apparently his brother nearly killed him.” Kokomi had known that. She looked down guiltily and followed behind her friend, fingers still laced through the other girl’s. Too short and too long later and they were standing outside of a door with two police officers chatting outside. Two? Well. That was surprising that they thought he needed more than one, but good too. Kokomi frowned deeply, satisfaction ripping at her. That meant they were taking this seriously.

“Hey guys!” Chiyo waved as she walked up, apparently familiar with this rotation. Both of the officers nodded at her and one even tipped his cap with a smile. “Hello Miss Yumehara. Visiting?” One of them asked, a Mr. Kurosaki given his badge. “Yep! And I brought a mutual friend with me.” Chiyo dragged Kokomi in front of her and Kokomi eeped, suddenly nervous. “Uhm...hi there.” She waved. The one who tipped his cap blinked, his expression falling into the familiar blush-and-gawk. “Oh wow.” The other frowned up at him and smacked his partner’s head with the notepad he’d been writing in, their names and visiting time assumably. “Pick up your jaw, idiot.” Kokomi blinked. That was unusual. Was the ‘Saiki Effect’ spreading? “Oh, hehe, sorry. Uh, go right on in.” The officer who’d been smacked said, opening the door and gesturing them inside. Kokomi’s eyes flicked to his nametag and she smiled up at him. “Thank you, Mr. Tsuzuki.” She took in a deep breath, began to muster up her courage, and promptly squeaked when she was given no time at all to do so when Chiyo shoved her through with a loud, “Thanks boys!” Kokomi barely caught herself from becoming a mess on the floor, looked up through her swaying hair and caught sight of the figure on the bed. Kusuo was looking at her in surprise, tucked under the blankets. He was wearing a deep blue sweater with arms that had been rolled up because he’d been stuck with an IV through one arm and had a cast on the other. One of his hands was bandaged. He had a different pair of glasses on, a set without green lenses. She could see his eyes clearly. The vivid shade of purple was as beautiful as she remembered even with the thick ring of black underneath the left, a yellow orbit of bruises tracing up around it on either side and reaching up toward his forehead. There were stitches in his eyebrow and a scab in his lip which looked red. Kusuo had probably been picking at it. There was a thick ring of yellow-green encircling his throat. On a rotating desk in front of him was a bevvy of origami cranes. “Kokomi…” Kusuo’s soft telepathic tones were shocked. Kokomi found her throat closing in an instant. She took a step forward, then another, until she was running for his bedside. She stopped herself on the bedrail just before she could throw herself at him, suddenly aware that doing so might hurt him, clutched at the plastic until her nails dug in. “Kusuo…” She whispered tightly, feeling herself tear up for the bajillionth time. “I’m sorry...that I

didn’t come sooner…” Her fears had been unfounded. Kokomi couldn’t see any of her nightmares in his eyes. She could only see him. Kusuo took her apology, seemed to turn it in his head for a minute or two, before he sighed out deeply. “Good grief.” He shook his head. “It’s about time you’ve shown up. What took you so long?” “Oh…” Kokomi giggled slowly, relief drooping her shoulders at the familiar language of sarcasm. Kusuo had forgiven her. Just like that. What had she ever been so worried about? “You know…Traffic?” “Traffic?” Kusuo snorted, giving her the beginnings of a smile. Kokomi could only shrug and laughed, silly at her own stupid joke as she climbed onto the bed and fell into her dear friend, hugging him carefully. Kusuo hugged her back. His grip wasn’t tentative anymore.

Chapter End Notes

Next up? The epilogue.

The End Chapter Summary

It's an ending, but beginnings are infinite.

Chapter Notes

Trigger warning for mentions of abuse, rape, assault.

Epilogue today, first omake tomorrow c: Yo. When I first started to write this, I was bemoaning how tiny this fandom is. I thought literally nobody would read it - who wants a 100k+ word fanfic dissecting a punchline? But I uploaded it anyway on the offchance that someone else might enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And honestly? I was scared too! I'm always lowkey freaking out whenever I upload something be it art or writing to the internet cus I'm terrified I'm gonna get run off for being a gross idiot. So uh. Thanks for not doing that! I'm happy I was wrong. Y'all's support has been amazing and has really helped get me through some tough times. This is the most response any of my dumb fics has ever gotten (though I also think it's one of my better works so that may have something to do with it) and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I've enjoyed reading every single one of your reviews, and have enjoyed getting to talk with all of you, even if responding to reviews makes me an anxious and exhausted mess. So thank you. All of you. And the ones who didn't review, I thank you too! Every single kudos, every single new hit on this piece has had me in a mini-celebration. Y'all've been great. Seriously. The author thanks you. AHEM. Onto the AN re: the epilogue. Allay'all: ASTRONAUT/ROCKET SCIENTIST!KUSUO The author, yelling from the top of a mountain: DETECTIVE!KUSUO Hey, remember in the manga the chapter where they go to Aren's house and Aren reveals his dad beat him all throughout his childhood to toughen him up and make him fight fight fight other kids till he wins like Aren was some sort of pitty in a dog fighting ring? :D So a lot of that anger and hair trigger aggression is probably not only learned, but also very likely part of a trauma response?? I do. I don't like Rean either. Miri is a plot contrivance in more than just getting our babies together, she's a plot device to get that jackass out of Aren's life so he can start to heal. More on that in the omakes and possible (I aint promising anything but I've been

thinking about it) sequel. Disclaimer for unhealthy romantic relationships that are going to be framed as such, but also framed 'positively'. This is honestly why I have difficulty shipping Shun and Aren (though I definitely see and understand the appeal). It's very unlikely someone could separate that kneejerk response from a romantic relationship when that's been their entire life up until that point. Aren would NOT want to be a domestic abuser. He's a seriously honourable guy. But I don't think he'd be able to really help it until he gets help and starts to heal from his upbringing. And I don't think he'd be able to fully heal by himself either. Shun would be absolutely destroyed in that kind of relationship and Aren would just vamoose. At least with Kusuo, Aren is physically incapable of actually hurting him. And, sorry to say, Kusuo's already used to being a stress outlet/punching bag. Hey Kuniharu I know you're trying to 'help' but maybe don't beat your kid with a bokken cus your work life sucks? And a pipe? Like what? More on that in the supplemental material. TFW you heal from mental trauma crooked cus they don't make casts for brains amirite? A lot of people develop a relationship with masochism in the aftermath, and in a safe space it can become a way to cope and heal. DEFINITELY more on that in the omakes. SO yeah, it's by no means healthy, but when you have two unhealthy people who care about each other at least they can try to get better together, and be a support for each other in the meantime. Huge kink for healing together. It's just, uhg, so good. Also, long hair!Kusuo. I'm not the only one who's had a whole 'my hair got super long by accident cus I kept forgetting to cut it cus I was too sad' right? Honestly this chapter is 99% exposition and wrap up. 'Show don't tell' what now? Trololol Also the therapist doesn't get a name cus I couldn't think of a reason why Daria Morgendorffer would not only pursue therapy instead of journalism/becoming an author, and also cus I couldn't think of a Japanese name that sounded like Morgendorffer. Also Miri's name is yet another (but really lame cus I speak like four words in Japanese) psychic themed pun. I guess 'Miri' CAN mean crystals and 'Ashi' means 'reed'. So. Reed Crystal. Read Crystal. Crystallomancy. Recommended listening: Itoshii Hito by Miyavi (This one specifically https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=E4ujzMWccjY) Safe and sound by Me VS Gravity (Cover w/male vocals) What is love by Tears and Marble Colours by Mike Taylor

Aren stood back from the table and surveyed it critically, eyes narrowing at the symmetry of cutlery and plates before he blinked at himself and shook it off. He didn’t know what he was worrying about, it was just his mom after all and she definitely wouldn’t care.

“Looks good.” Kusuo said behind him as he approached with a covered hotpot. Despite the fact that his invulnerability had returned the second his body had digested the drugs he’d been doped with, he wore oven mitts to protect his hands from the hot handles, no doubt foisted upon him by Kurumi. Kusuo handled her overly attentive mothering with good grace. Or, he did usually. There were snags here and there. Aren knew that, seven and a half months after the incident, his boyfriend was beginning to feel a little stifled from all the extra attention. It was spring of the new year and Kusuo wanted to move on. But there was a new scar on his eyebrow now, splitting it and leading up to his temple. It was the only one on his entire body and served to remind everyone who saw it just how close Kusuo had come to dying. Of all the wounds the other teen had suffered it had been the last to close and, evidently, hadn’t managed to heal as perfectly as the rest of Kusuo had. So Kusuo did his best to put up with his family’s doting, and that of their friends as well. The ‘Saiki Protection Squad’, as they had loosely come to be known in their class, had gotten pretty clingy. Shun had been crushed, utterly devastated that his plan had fallen apart but it was probably Aiura who’d felt the most responsible for what ended up happening. Hairo was still trying to come to terms with it and Mera had been just ruined when she realized what she’d missed due to being late. For his part Nendo still didn’t fully understand what’d happened but he knew his ‘best buddy’ was hurting bad. Aren had been a bit surprised to discover the massive giant, who he’d initially mistaken for another delinquent when they’d first met, actually had a gentle side. He’d been nothing but tender and understanding of Kusuo’s needs, even if those needs had taken a lot of explaining and repeating at first. Kusuo pretended not to be touched. Aren pretended not to notice that he was. Teruhashi had been… To say that the girl was wrecked was an understatement, really. She put up a strong front but her heart, a complex mess of survivor’s guilt, horror, sympathy, and a whole bunch of other shit, was clearly broken for her friend and for herself. Aren got the feeling that Teruhashi and Kusuo hadn’t actually talked things through properly yet but he hoped they would soon. They both kinda needed it. Their bond had deepened significantly through the trauma, and they’d very practically become siblings themselves in all the ways that counted. She and her new girlfriend Yumehara (and boy what a surprise that had been) were regular guests at the Saiki home. Likewise contrary to Aren’s expectations, Yumehara was the one to take the entire thing with a grain of salt. The girl treated both Kusuo and Teruhashi as she always had and managed the balancing act of making like nothing had changed, while adjusting to those changes because really everything had changed, incredibly well. Aren got the feeling they both appreciated the normality Yumehara afforded them. That was probably the reason she did it too. Fickle and crazy for romance the girl might be but she was also a dedicated friend and girlfriend.

“Yeah, you think?” Aren rubbed his hands together nervously, peering down at the table with a jittery sensation crawling up his spine. Uhg he was too antsy. It made him want to hit something. Bouncing on the balls of his toes he shook his hands out. It helped a bit. Kusuo rolled his eyes a bit. “You know Miri won’t care how pretty it looks as long as the food is good, Aren. Don’t worry so much.” Everything had changed, and Kusuo, understandably, had changed the most. The limiters, for example, were gone. Kusuo, no longer willing to wear them now that he had a safe alternative, kept them in a box in his desk as a bittersweet reminder to himself of what could have been once upon an alternate reality. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Kusuo was completely determined to hunt his brother down and make the man pay for the crimes he committed against not just himself, but also hundreds, if not thousands of other people. Turns out, the brotherfucker had a lot of skeletons in his closet, the less horrific of which started at human experimentation through robotics and the worst of which, thus far, ended in bodies. Kusuo, in addition to a task force that had been very secretly put together to catch the renegade government agent cum mad scientist, were doggedly digging those skeletons out. Saiki Kusuke wasn’t only a threat to his family anymore. He never had been. He was, in fact, an affront to ethics as a whole and a security risk to the entirety of Japan. Kusuo wouldn’t talk about it much. Aren was sure his boyfriend was swimming in red tape and confidentiality agreements, not to mention there probably wasn’t much to talk about yet anyway. The task force had only been assembled a month ago after one of the brotherfucker’s coworkers, likewise a scientist of great esteem, had turned up dead in Tokyo Bay after being missing for a week. The event had convinced certain interested parties to get a lot more honest, a lot more quickly, about certain details. Such as the fact that the man had gone so dark not even his handlers knew where he was anymore. There was a conspiracy somewhere in there, Mizuno was sure. It was just impossible to tell at the moment what that conspiracy was and how far up it went. Insofar as after school jobs went, especially those gained riding on the coat tails of such a traumatic event, it was some pretty intense shit. Aren preferred not to think about it. It gave him the goosebumps. Instead of using his and his brother’s co-invention, Kusuo was taking three pills daily, one in the morning, one at lunch, and one at night. Turned out Shinichi had some contacts in certain industries he had made use of after getting the Saiki’s permission to share Kusuo’s story. He was a doctor after all, and “couldn’t just have a patient wandering around half treated!”, or so had been his explanation. It had taken a lot of time to create them, and a lot of testing, but Kusuo had put up with it and was now quite pleased with the rewards he was reaping. (All the busy work had been good for him emotionally and mentally, too. Kusuo was not the type to stay still. Like Aren, his boyfriend was a man of action, albeit a somewhat more begrudging and

infinitely more careful one. Cool as ice Kusuo was, but glaciers moved mountains.) The pills actually worked better than the limiters, really. Kusuo no longer needed to worry about them ever being pulled out or broken, for example, and they repressed certain powers more than others, having been specially formulated to do just that. The abilities Kusuo could control fully, such as his elemental affinities and his psychokinesis, had been left alone. Others, the ones that gave him the most difficulty, had been pulled back. Among those were his latent telepathy, insane strength, and ‘torque’, as Kusuo had described it. Kusuo now had a telepathic range of about thirty metres square - enough to hear throughout most of his house for example, but not much more than that. He’d been utterly thrilled and enamoured of the peace and quiet it gave him, and Aren had in turn been surprised to discover just how much of his boyfriend’s grumpiness had been due to a constant headache from being constantly overstimulated by noise he couldn’t block. It’d had Aren reevaluating things a bit, making him regret taking his boyfriend’s powers for granted as he had. How that would play out as Kusuo got better, Aren didn’t know, but he didn’t think the lack of a permanent headache would result in a completely changed person. His princess was still a jaded, cynical, arrogant, and imperious brat even with the trauma that he’d suffered. The lack of a headache probably wouldn’t change that overmuch. Still other abilities the pills hadn’t been able to touch, like Kusuo’s ‘medusa vision’, as Teruhashi called it. That particular ability was thanks to two lenses buried deep within each of Kusuo’s eyes. They were activated by the psychic wavelengths Kusuo was unable to not put out. Thus, Kusuo was stuck with glasses and probably would be forever unless he decided to take enough drugs to almost kill himself daily, or take enough drugs to almost kill himself and undergo surgery to have them removed. Without that measure to fuck with his invulnerability, Kusuo’s eyeball would bend a scalpel. They knew this from experience. There’d been an accident in science class. Anyway, even if there was a surgery it wasn’t a guarantee that the result would be permanent. Kusuo’s healing ability was just as likely to regrow the lenses, since they were a part of his body naturally and had likely been there from birth. So yeah, needless to say, neither option was likely to ever happen and Kusuo was stuck with glasses. Aren couldn’t bring himself to mind. Kusuo without glasses was weird and he thought it was fun that he and his boyfriend both wore glasses when neither of them needed their vision corrected. The more he got to know his boyfriend the more Aren realized just how similar they really were. It was incredible. He never thought he’d be lucky enough to find someone with whom he could relate to so easily. He’d been sure his past life would hamper that. But that was just another way he and Kusuo were like two peas in a pod. There was just enough difference to keep things interesting, but just enough similarities to draw them together.

So incredible. Aren was so lucky. Aren used his glasses to hide from his former self and Kusuo used his glasses to not turn people to stone. Not quite the same thing but it was a cute coincidence. Of course it wasn’t everyday that you found a pair of slick specter green specs for sale so they’d had to make do with something else. Kurumi and Kuniharu had done well, honestly. Aren definitely preferred Kusuo’s new ones. The glasses were still pretty stylish, and they were angular like his old ones, but they had clear green frames that fully encircled the lenses. Better yet, those lenses were clear so Aren could fully appreciate how heart stopping Kusuo’s eyes were. Yeah, Aren definitely preferred the new set. Kusuo had been hiding two brilliant treasures under those old ones. It wasn’t fair but Aren understood why he had. One flash of his comely gaze would have the world at his feet and Kusuo couldn’t have had that when he’d been hiding. He still didn’t like it now. There’d been a bit of a fervor on Kusuo’s first day back, thanks to his new glasses, his ‘new brain’, and the fact he’d stopped using his hypnosis to camouflage himself. Even with his brand new determination to live up to his fullest potential, and make the most of every day like it was his last, Kusuo still didn’t like being the center of attention much. He probably never would, really. Gaslighting brotherfuckers aside, Kusuo just wasn’t that kind of person. But he wasn’t hiding anymore and goddamn was Aren revelling in his boyfriend’s glory. ‘Purple’ didn’t quite begin to describe the unique shade that was Kusuo’s irises. ‘Purple’ was the colour of Aren’s hair and Kusuo’s eyes were way more intense, the colour hyper-saturated further by long, dusky rose lashes several shades darker than the teen’s hair. It didn’t end there, either. Whenever Kusuo used one of his applied powers his pupils flared a deep, shimmering gold. It was an absolutely stunning effect that made Aren’s heart pitter patter whenever it happened. He couldn’t help it. Aren was, after all, completely and irrevocably in love with his boyfriend. The case was sealed now. Several months in and Aren was utterly done for. He hadn’t said it yet, and neither had Kusuo, but that didn’t matter. Aren knew what was in his heart. He could spend hours just looking into Kusuo’s eyes. Had, in fact. And Kusuo hadn’t seemed to mind one damn bit, had spent the whole time gazing back with those dazzling violets so Aren was pretty fucking certain his boyfriend was in the same boat. “I can’t help it,” Aren sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s the first time my pare-er, mom is meeting yours, I just...I want it to be perfect.” That wasn’t the extent of the changes though. They weren’t all positive. Kusuo had suffered greatly at the hands of his brother in that one event that stuck out above all the rest. He was getting through the tangle of trauma...relatively well, considering. He’d been somewhat alright while he’d been in the hospital during the week he’d been kept there just in case,

but coming home had opened the wound wide. To say that Kusuo had a rough go at the beginning was putting it lightly. Despite his family’s attentive care, Kusuo had needed to move bedrooms and he’d confided in Aren not that long ago that he still didn’t feel safe in his own home. The memories were just too strong. Aren was seriously debating asking Kusuo to move in with he and his mom. Nightmares had been constant and he’d been unable to properly eat for months out of fear that his food had been drugged. Kusuo trusted take-out just barely but preferred to cook his food for himself now, or at least watch it be prepared. Aren’s princess was only just starting to gain back all the weight that he’d lost in that timespan, which Aren was grateful for. Despite his muscle, Kusuo hadn’t had the weight to lose and had begun to look pretty gaunt and sick by the time Kurumi discovered what was going on then made moves to amend things. The whole Saiki family was being forced to learn how to deal with the trauma, but they were managing. Kusuo still couldn’t look at coffee jelly though. The brotherfucker had robbed Kusuo’s single most favourite thing in the world from him along with the sanctity of Kusuo’s bedroom and home. Just the very taste of it, when Kusuo had attempted to eat it only two days ago, had been enough to send him into an Episode. Thus, unable to comfort himself with food anymore, Kusuo had turned to stuffed animals of all things. He’d turned into quite the little cuddle junky and whenever Aren wasn’t there a massive plush, apparently, became the next best thing. It was cute but deeply saddening. Aren was looking forward to the day that Kusuo would gain his justice. He really, seriously was. The Saiki family had, after deciding things were just too difficult to manage without professional help, enlisted the aid of a therapist through Shinichi, who, as Kusuo told it, had been pretty relieved. With her help and a fourth addition to his brand new pill bottle collection, Kusuo had made rapid improvements and was finally getting back to a state where he was feeling a bit more like himself again. Aren was glad for that too. He didn’t begrudge helping his boyfriend in the least but to say the entire thing was ‘taxing’, especially given his own home issues at present, was putting it lightly. Kusuo was probably relieved for it too. Kusuo wasn’t the person the trauma had made him. He was probably even more exhausted dealing with himself than Aren was dealing with him. He’d just rejoined them in school a week ago, actually. It had taken that long for the random crying jags and furious outbursts to stop but he was still having difficulty with the flashbacks and paranoia. It helped that not a single one of them apart from Nendo was immune to Kusuo’s telepathy as being snuck up on was a huge trigger that, like the taste of coffee jelly, would incite an Episode without fail. It’d been rough on Nendo to realize he couldn’t just glomp onto Kusuo out of nowhere as had been

his previous wont. The moment he did Kusuo would immediately descend into a reaction. They were stronger than they’d been after Kusuke had assaulted him through Kusuo’s telepathy. Significantly stronger. The therapist said it was called a ‘dissociative fugue’, but even then the ones Kusuo suffered from were uncommonly extreme. Dissociation, the feeling of being apart from your body, was common with post-traumatic stress but a fugue was a step above it. Instead of fight or flight Kusuo’s reflex had been set to ‘freeze’, and so that’s what he did. He froze, basically played dead, his mind retreating far away until they could get him back or until he passed out from oxygen deprivation, one or the other. During those moments he wouldn’t respond and Kusuo had said he couldn’t actually remember anything during them. It was so unlike his typical personality but Teruhashi said it made sense. Kusuo had spent years dedicated to the art of hiding, of ducking his head and blending into the wallpaper to escape notice, Teruhashi had explained her theory one time, and playing dead seemed to her a logical extreme of that. Aren wasn’t so sure he agreed. His prissy little bitch of a boyfriend was a fighter, hands down. If anything he felt the reaction was born from Kusuo’s deeply ingrained desire not to hurt anyone, even and especially by accident. His powers always shut themselves down whenever a fugue happened. It was the only time Kusuo could control them to that point and it was completely instinctive. Always took a long ass while to get everything running again too. A reflex, the therapist had said with a hint of dryness in her cool tone, performed in order to avoid destroying the planet and everyone around him. Aren actually quite liked Kusuo’s therapist. There was probably no better fit. The woman, a thin and petite brunette, was cynical, incredibly astute, and witty as all hell despite her husky monotone. She and Saiki seniors one and two didn’t quite click as well as she, Kusuo, and Aren did but the woman was still effectively counselling Kurumi and Kuniharu, too. Kusuo had two types of sessions with the woman that revolved weekly. One week would be private and the next week would be a family session, which Aren also got to sit in on thanks to his involvement in the whole thing. He hadn’t expected to appreciate that as much as he did but he was relieved for it now because a few things had changed in Aren’s life, too, and it was safe venting space. His parents were getting divorced. Dealing with Kusuo’s trauma had been hard. Dealing with his own trauma had been harder. Aren had been forced to come to terms with the fact that his own childhood had left scars on his psyche, too, when he’d very nearly punched his own damn boyfriend during an argument. He had nightmares about that shit, now. He had nightmares about worse shit. Finding Kusuo dead or in the middle of being raped and unable to help him, or even performing the act himself, those

were ones he had often too, but since Aren had almost punched Kusuo that had become yet more nightmare fuel. It’d been pretty discomforting to realize that the ‘might makes right’ adage Rean had beat into Aren during his youth not only wasn’t right, but was actually abuse. Used to be he’d idolized his pops for going straight the moment his ma had popped out a sprog but now he just had questions. And hurt. And more questions to back up that hurt. Aren was a confused son of a bitch right now and he didn’t like it. Things had been so much easier before he’d had to deal with things like emotions instead of just hitting something until it shut up. He missed it when things had been simple but his fists couldn’t solve all his problems. Being a goody goody was fucking hard. So yeah, he had questions. If he’d gone straight, why’d Rean see fit to kick Aren’s ass on repeat all the time to toughen him up? Why had he wanted so badly to instill ‘win no matter what’ into his kid when they were living on the straight and narrow? You didn’t need that kinda shit as a goody goody. In fact, the more of that you had as a goody goody, the harder it was to function. Rean must have wanted Aren to inherit his former life, but why? He’d decided that shit was no good for raising a family so why throw your son right back into the shitpile you’d just crawled out of? Miri sure as shit hadn’t. His ma had wanted Aren to be a fucking accountant of all things. He could still remember her talking about it as she taught him his numbers on an abacus when he’d been in kindergarten. Accountants made good money, was her logic. They never had to want for nothin, and it wasn’t dangerous at all. No office had knife fights, after all. She’d been pretty fucking irate with him when Aren had started fighting. She’d actually left for a few years and when she came back she’d gone straight too, had fought her way out of the gangworld, determined to lead Aren by example. Of course, by that time... Speaking of, why had Rean not once lifted a hand to Aren while Miri was home? Well, Aren had that last question answered actually. Within a day of Kusuo discovering that little tidbit of Aren’s childhood he’d gone behind Aren’s back, in a both hilarious and world-shattering piece of tit for tat for Aren spilling Kusuo’s secrets to Shun right before the incident (that had also been the reason for the fight Aren now had nightmares about), and told Miri. Miri had slapped Rean with divorce papers, and her hand, immediately after confirming it with Aren and had even gone so far as to kick Aren’s pops out of their house and throw out half his shit. She’d spent the entire time in a rage so brutal she’d entirely forgotten about her cane during her tantrum and had spent the next few days bedbound with pain as a consequence.

Suffice it to say, Aren’s ma didn’t approve of her husband’s parenting tactics. At all. She’d never even known. At least Rean was remorseful. He’d apologized to Aren but hadn’t explained why he’d done any of it to begin with. It’d probably be years before Aren knew for sure if Rean ever got up the balls to fess up at all. He had ideas, of course. He wasn’t dumb. But not having concrete answers had always been something that bugged the shit out of him. That kinda bull should be left to art, not to life. Either way, Aren had to live with it now. The divorce, and the reality that, if he wasn’t very fucking careful there was a very real chance he’d end up a goddamn wife and kid beater because, apparently, that was a very easy thing to become when you grew up having your ass whupped. He’d always been a fists first kinda guy. With Rean around, he’d never had the choice not to be. Might didn’t make right. Maybe in the gang world it did but not in the civilian one, and not with the people you loved in either. Aren had to learn that now and it was hard. But. Better late than never. He’d made his decision and Aren would stick to his word. He’d get better too, just like his magnificent boyfriend. “Dont,” Kusuo warned and slipped over to wrap his arms around Aren’s waist, his hands tucking themselves into Aren’s back pockets as he leaned his chin against Aren’s chest, gazing at him drolly. “You’ll start to sound like Kokomi.” Aren shuddered mockingly. “Brrr, isn’t that a horrible thought! Yeah, you’re right there, Princess.” “Of course I am. I’m always right.” Kusuo frowned up at him and Aren grinned, ducking down to plant a kiss on those alluring lips. Kusuo leaned into him but broke the kiss not too long after, departing and stepping passed him. “There’s still food to put out and I do not want to deal with dad grumbling about how much I’ve grown up and how much he hates you.” “Yeah that’d be a way to kill the mood, wouldn’t it? Never thought your dad and gramps would be so similar, considering they’re not the ones who are related.” Aren said, thinking back to the irascible man he’d met while Kusuo had still been in the hospital. Saiki Kumagoro hated Kuniharu’s guts. He was also, like his grandson, a Grade A tsundere that even Aren could spot at ten paces after he finished freaking out that one of his eventual-hopefullyinlaws might hate him. He was also a bit scary. Their relationship had the man’s verbal approval and Aren didn’t think that Kumagoro hated his guts too. Yet. That might change when he and Kusuo got married though.

Aren could only hope that his rescuing his princess from death’s door had earned him some brownie points because dealing with that wouldn’t be fun otherwise. “Ah, well he doesn’t actually hate you. You saved my life after all so in his mind there’s no one better. But I still don’t want to listen to him putting on airs.” Kusuo shrugged. “Fair point.” Kusuo didn’t acknowledge Aren further as he stepped back into the kitchen. For lack of anything better to do, and not wanting to fret over the table anymore, Aren followed and took a moment to observe his boyfriend as he settled in to lean against the counter. For today the shorter teen had dressed in black slacks, a dark violet sweater that brought out his eyes, and he wore a silvery grey button-up underneath. Right now he was pushing his sleeves up to his elbows so he could attempt to get into the sink to start cleaning dishes. The instant she spotted her son getting sudsy, Kurumi was huffing at him. “Ku, don’t worry about those. Here, take these to the table instead and let mama do her job!” She said and began to foist a number of entrees and side-plates at him. Kusuo shook his head with a sigh and levitated them to the table with a gesture. Then he smirked at his mom and cocked his head. “Now can I help you with the dishes?” “Oooouuu you brat! Get out of here!” “Hey Kusuomon, if you want to help with something you can help me with my tie! Does it look okay?” “Dad, you’re crooked. Here, let me see.” The doorbell rang and as one the Saikis and Aren twitched, eyes shooting toward the front door. Kuniharu squealed and began to flutter about in flustered anxiety, patting down his hair and straightening his clothes but he was stilled when Kurumi kissed his cheek with a gentle smile. “You look fine, papa. Ku, you and Aren answer the door. I’ll help your papa with his tie.” The woman’s eyes were smiling too, sparkling with affection. It was a look that Aren had started to miss seeing even though he’d barely known Kurumi before the incident. His future mother-in-law did not have a face that was meant for frowning and sadness. She was meant to be happy. For a time the brotherfucker had taken that away from her too, but it was coming back. “Alright.” Kusuo nodded and reached for Aren’s hand, grasping it as he passed and pulling Aren after him. Kuniharu sighed in relief behind them. “Oh thank you, mama. Whatever would I do without my incredible wife!” Aren glanced over his shoulder. The man settled his hands on her hips but as Kurumi began to fix his tie it wasn’t her he looked at. Kuniharu’s eyes were firm on Kusuo’s back instead, his head tilting to watch after his son as Kusuo stepped into the hall.

He was a much more attentive and diligent father now. Aren didn’t think the man’s sense of glib security would ever return. That, he thought as he recalled some of Kusuo’s stories, probably wasn’t a bad thing. “H-Hey, wait, Kusuo…” He stopped once they got to the front hall and Kusuo turned around with a questioning eyebrow. “You’re sure...this is okay?” Aren couldn’t help but reach out and brush some of that beautiful sunset pink hair behind a delicate ear, cupping the boy’s cheek. Another change. Kusuo’s hair was longer now, he hadn’t trimmed it in months. Aren honestly didn’t mind it, he loved playing with the long, wispy strands. “Like you know ma’s gonna spend the entire evening calling you her ‘son-in-law’, which will inevitably piss off your dad, and then it’s just gonna snowball from there-” “Aren, geeze, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you this anxious.” The boy sighed with irritation and reached up to grasp his hand, pulling Aren’s palm from his cheek and placing a gentle kiss in it instead. “It’ll be fine. And even if it wasn’t, I knew what I was getting into from the start. Your parents are a part of you, and you’re mine. You’re just gonna have to deal with that. Besides, Miri’s not a wholly irritating person to be around.” He looked over his shoulder at the door, pondered it for a moment, and then shook his head. “Good grief, if you react like this at the thought of our folks having dinner together, I can’t imagine how you’ll be when we start a family.” Kusuo said casually, smoothing out a wrinkle in Aren’s steel grey button up. They were half a year into their relationship and Kusuo was already talking about having a family with him. Aren felt his heart melt into a happy puddle of goo. Kusuo glanced up at him and quirked a single eyebrow, his expression blank. “Of course, it’ll be awkward to go around as a girl for a bit so I can bear your children, but-” Wait, what. “Wait, what.” Aren restated himself out loud, not sure if he’d just heard that right. Kusuo’s eyes were sweetly mischievous in his otherwise emotionless face as he fiddled with one of Aren’s shirt buttons. “I didn’t tell you? I can switch my sex. Well, shapeshift. Into anything, really. It’s probably my first power.” The elfin teen’s eyes lifted toward the ceiling. “I was even doing it in the womb. Actually came out a girl but I’m pretty sure I’m originally male. Fairly certain. Bout ninety percent.” He shrugged then smoothed Aren’s tie. “Either way. I’d like Aqua and/or Marine to be ours biologically, so. But we can adopt after the first two.” Aren swallowed, feeling his heart begin to hammer. He loved Kusuo deeply for himself but there was something seriously intriguing at the thought of his cute little boyfriend turning into a cute little girlfriend. “...C-Can I see?” Kusuo smirked and patted his chest, beginning to pull away and turning toward the door. “If you’re good. Now come on, we gotta answer the door before your mom busts it down, she’s already

working at the hinges.” “No, wait, I get to see right? You’ll totally show me right?” And then Aren blinked and his jaw hit the ground as his brain finally caught up to what Kusuo had pretty much said without saying. “Wait, you’re thinking about having sex with me?!” Kusuo’s smirk dropped and he favoured Aren with a peevish expression that turned into an out and out glare as Kuniharu began to shriek hysterically from the other room, clearly having heard Aren’s stunned yelling. Oops. “Uh, wait, I meant to say-” Aren held up his hands in surrender and winced as the screaming got even louder. Kuniharu was demanding to have Aren’s guts for garters, apparently. What did that even mean? Sounded gross. Kusuo groaned and pinched his nose, utterly disgusted. “Idiot!” He rolled his eyes hard and walked away to no doubt console Kuniharu, or maybe terrify the man into silence. Either was equally possible. “Good grief. Shut up and answer the door before you make things worse.” A cat began to yowl in addition to the scratching at the hinges. It was a familiar sound. Apparently Amp had decided it was dinner time for him, too. “Oh hi there, kitty!” He heard his mom coo through the door. The scratching at the hinges stopped. “And what’s your name you cute little dude?” Aren sighed deeply and settled a hand over his heart, watching as Kusuo stepped into the kitchen while yelling for his dad to chill, and couldn’t help but grin a sappy smile. Goddamn he loved that kid. Things were a bit hard at the moment. They’d all been given a bit of shit-pie and dealing with the aftermath was difficult. When Kusuo had told Aren that things were going to be alright that day in the hospital, Aren hadn’t been quite so sure. That lack of hope had only strengthened with each frayed edge and tantrum that was dragged kicking and screaming into the light. For a long time the world had been grey, a series of ugly edges punctuated by rare instances of warmth and Aren had ferociously clung to those with all the strength he had in him. Kusuo had too. And, as always, Kusuo was right. Things were getting better. There was colour again, there was sun, and it was vivid and beautiful. They were gonna be alright. Aren shook his head as he thought to himself, turning to finally answer the door. Miri looked up at

him in surprise before she smiled wide, her blond hair curled carefully around her face. She was dressed in her best business casual, and presented to him a riotous bouquet of flowers. “Hey ma.” Aren greeted her and took the bouquet, dipping in to kiss her cheek. “Hey squirt. Y’all just about ready for me in there?” Miri asked, messing up his hair. “Dad, oh my God, if you don’t shut up I swear-” “Oh Ku you know he can’t help it!” “I don’t CARE if he can’t help it, I won’t have him embarrassing me in front of-” “I’m going to KILL that little-” “DAD!” Miri blinked over his shoulder and her grin became all the wider. She shoved passed him and waddled inside, cane tapping. “Oh hell yeah, this sounds like my kinda party! Outta my way, I’m boutta watch my son-in-law be embarrassed.” The woman disappeared from view but apparently very quickly found the kitchen. “Aaaaye! Who’s killing who, tell Ashida Miri all about it!” “OH-UH-Th-Nuh-Nobody-Uh. I have no idea what you could be talking about! I didn’t say anything like that! You must be hearing things! Hahaha! Hah. Haha. Kusuo, tell her how she’s just hearing things.” “Good grief...Miri, meet my parents. My mom is Saiki Kurumi and the idiot who just threatened to kill your son if we have sex out of wedlock is my dad, Saiki Kuniharu.” A beat. “Wait, what.” “DRINKS, why don’t we all have drinks? I made some punch!” Kurumi interjected quickly. Quirking an eyebrow at the very interesting sounding fuss, Aren turned away when he heard a meow to find Amp just inside the door, circling his legs and rubbing up demandingly. “Hey little homey.” He grinned and crouched down, giving the tabby a scratch behind the ears. “I’ll be out with your food in just a minute, okay? Things are getting a bit crazy in there, I’m sure you can hear. You gotta wait outside though, you know Kurumi is allergic to cats.” The cat bapped his hand and haughtily turned around, tail high to give Aren full view of his butthole and fuzzy little balls as he strutted back outside to wait on the stoop like that’d been his idea all along. Aren rolled his eyes and shut the door behind the little guy then straightened and, after a moment of consideration, tucked his nose into the flowers and breathed in deep. They smelled wonderful like any good spring day should.

“Should get these in water…” He muttered then turned on his heel and quickly made way for the kitchen too. “OI! Ma brought flowers! Where’s a vase?” “Oh my goodness, how lovely! I’ve got just the one. Ku, if you don’t mind, in the closet-?” “Yep. One second.” Kusuo turned around and, despite how irritated he looked, crossed the kitchen to kiss Aren’s cheek as he took the bouquet. He looked beautiful with them. Kusuo and flowers made a lovely combination. “Make sure Miri doesn’t kill my dad and I’ll consider your tactlessness forgiven.” Aren grinned widely and gave him a salute. “Aye aye, Princess.” ‘Yeah,’ He thought to himself and turned to the rest of his family. ‘We’re going to be just fine.’

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!