prompt: Momota Kaito and Harukawa Maki take a bath.
warning: mentions of gore, implied sexual situations, explicit language, nudity (not detailed).
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Harukawa Maki enters Hope's Peak Academy's school dorm building in the middle of the night. Outside, the rain is pouring buckets and her dark green trench coat is drenched, leaving droplets of water trailing her every step. Her chocolate tresses sweep over her shoulders, having been exposed to the merciless rain after her hood had fallen, she'd been too numb to pull it back up after the mission. Rainwater that had splattered upon her cheeks and forehead plasters her bangs and lose hair to both her neck and face like a second skin. Despite being ice cold her teeth do not chatter nor does she ever sniffle, even now, far away from the scene, she remains silent and stealthy.
She'd spent four hours after school ended perched in the trees, gripping a sniper rifle in her hands and standing absolutely still as she waited for her target to appear. As the rain had begun to fall, she remained undeterred and hadn't moved once. After taking him out with single, silent shot (she dare not remember the hesitation, the trembling of the gun as she looked through the scoop) she'd had to dispose of the body. Unfortunately, the client had specified a bloody sort of dismemberment, including gouging out the target's heterochromatic eyes as proof that the deed was done. With a detour to Holy Salvation Society's Headquarters to drop off the evidence, she'd made her way back to her dorm like a monotonous robot.
As she walks through the light of the halls she comes to realize there is crimson staining her trench coat. Even after walking through the rain for so long, the sleeves are coated with thin splatters and the rest is speckled with red. Maki decides she'll trash her bloodied trench coat in the morning and if any of her classmates ran into her while she was traveling back to her room (although, who would be up at this time of night?) then she'll come up with some sort of excuse.
Guilt hangs heavy on her frail shoulders but she won't say it aloud and she takes the stairs to her dorm rather than the elevator. Even from within the building she can hear the rain echoing the world outside, restless and violent. She leaves a trail of water as she climbs each step, aware that her shoes make a terribly disgusting squelching noise with each set of stairs she climbs.
Maki is so out of it that once she reaches her specific floor she takes one extra step, expecting one more stair only to trip over herself and tumble to the floor. For a moment she lays there, mind still whirring. As if she is on auto-pilot, left trying to figure out what the hell is happening. She sits up, smoothes out the wet hair tangled in front of her eyes, and then stumbles back onto her feet, slowly walking down the hallway.
She reaches the Class 79th dorm section (notably labeled 'Dorm section: Victory') and finds her room. Fumbling through her pockets, the search for her key is ten times harder with her mind still reeling from the recent assassination. Eventually, however, she finds her dorm room key and unlocks it, stumbling once more into its confines. As soon as the door is closed she shucks off her trench coat, dousing the carpeting with water. With little to no concern at all, she wrings her hair out at the doorway, causing it to painfully tug at her scalp. Her mind is too agitated to care.
When she finishes she is standing in a puddle of water. She leans down, pulls off her muddy shoes and discards them to the side where water pools out of them. She follows up her former action by tearing off her soaked socks as well. The puddle of water only grows larger at her feet yet there's still more to do and all Maki cares about at the moment is finding some sort of rest after a terrible night contributing to her status as the ultimate assassin. She's about to tear off the rest of her clothes and dive into bed when she finally notices Kaito, sleeping on her dorm couch soundly. She'd been so preoccupied that she hadn't seen him.
He's always so peaceful when he sleeps, face relaxed, resting on his side with one arm tucked beneath his head, the other splayed beside his face, her extra dorm key placed loosely between his fingers. Amidst his sleep, he dreams of stars and spaceships, lulling him deeper into his unconscious daze.
Finally seeing him snaps her mind back into focus and she can feel the trembling of her limbs from the terrible deed she had committed hours prior. Cautiously, she moves forward and crouches next to the sofa, one quivering hand reaching to shake him awake. Her touch is timid as if terrified to break him. For all Kaito's talk about being strong, Maki knows several ways to shatter his bones with only the flick of her wrist, knows that if she is not cautious she could break him.
As her hand touches his shoulder, she glances back to his face. He's snoring, drool dripping from one corner of his mouth but Maki finds it idiotically endearing. A part of her doesn't want to wake him at all, simply slip beside him and fall asleep in his arms. She resists and moves to awaken him instead.
"Kaito," she murmurs softly, shaking him slightly, "Kaito, get up."
Her boyfriend slowly blinks, clearly dazed. His eyes are unfocused at first before he begins to snap out of his sleeping haze.
"H'rum'ki?" he slurs tiredly and she nods, gesturing for him to sit up.
"What are you doing in my dorm?" she asks, though it lacks any biting hostility. Everyone knows she's always had a soft spot for the Ultimate Astronaut anyway and that soft spot had only grown over the years, especially since they began dating.
"Waitin' for you," he answers, rubbing his eyes and wiping the drool off his chin. "I had a surprise for you, but you weren't here."
Maki pauses, lips pursing as she straightens herself out, glancing in the other direction. "...I had a mission," she informs, "I had to head out as soon as school was over."
That seems to snap Kaito out of it. He grabs her wrist, making sure to be gentle, and then reaches to touch her face, still freezing from the wind and rain. His thumb rubs back and forth along her cheekbone and his eyes, although still tired, are sympathetic and troubled.
"Thought Shuuichi was workin' on bustin' that shit?" Kaito questions, brows furrowed.
"It's not that simple, Kaito," Reminds Maki, allowing him to press his forehead to hers before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace. She raises one hand, gripping his forearm but not yet reciprocating the hug. Kaito understands—He knows she is bad with being touchy or feely, knows that years of assassinating have left her emotionally stunted so he does not force her into doing anything she is not comfortable with. "...It'll take a long time to bring down the organization. If ever."
"Oi, don't be a pessimist," Kaito interjects, leaning away to look her into the eyes. "We're gonna expose that bullshit 'n' we're gonna get you outta there, you got me?" he whispers, brushing some wet hair off her face. Despite lacking belief in his words she nods, sinking into his hold and finally raising her arms to reciprocate the gesture of affection.
For a few minutes they sit that way, Maki awkwardly crouched beside the couch and Kaito half-way sitting up, holding one another. Maki buries her face into his shoulder and pretends she cannot feel the shaking of her limbs.
Abruptly, Kaito breaks the hug and stands, causing her to blink owlishly at him. Once standing he offers out a hand to her and tentatively she gives her own, allowing him to lead her from her dorm, stepping through the puddle of hair-water she'd wrung out moments earlier. They do not stop to grab her shoes, even.
"Where are we going?" she asks, confused.
"I said I had a surprise, didn't I?" Kaito huffs, glancing back at her. "Just 'cause you're late doesn't mean I'm lettin' it go to waste."
They exit her dorm, pausing only to lock it up, before walking to his dorm. He opens it, foolishly leaving it unlocked (not that he ever locks it, though) and then beckons her to enter.
His dorm is a carbon copy of her own, save for a few changed arrangements, such as placement of the bed and accessories decorating the room. In comparison to Maki's bland dorm, Kaito's is a lot more colorful, with space posters and glow in the dark stars plastered to the walls.
"...Look, it's gonna take a while for me to set up, since I expected this to be earlier 'n' all," Kaito informs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Then I'll get some rest," she replies with a shrug, pressing a kiss to his jaw, secretly thankful she may get a moment of shut-eye as she settles onto the couch. "Wake me up when your surprise is ready."
Kaito nods and she allows herself to curl into a little ball, damp hair cocooning her, and succumbs to her exhaustion.
—
She wakes up with a start, breathing heavy. She can't quite remember what her dream was, but she knows it must be along the lines of her recent mission since her heartbeat is erratic and unsteady, beating uncomfortably in her chest. Kaito is crouched beside her, a worried expression on his face. His hand rests on the side of her face, pushing back strands of hair that are damp with cold sweat and quickly she lifts a hand to cover his, pressing his palm closer to her cheek and leaning into his touch.
"I'm done," he informs, gently helping her up, "guess its good I finished, you looked like you were having a nightmare."
She doesn't confirm nor deny his observations, despite the obvious answer, just allows him to lead her towards the bathroom. Inside the bathroom it is a copy of the one in her dorm, only Kaito has decorated it with colorful candles and a trail of rose petals leading to the edge of the tub where the water is dyed red with what Maki reasons to be a bath bomb. Several petals float on the surface and she can practically feel the heat radiating off the water.
"Romantic, right?" Kaito prods smugly, nudging her shoulder. She pinches her lips together to prevent a tired smile and instead doesn't answer, stripping away her still somewhat wet clothing without a care in the world. The notion of a warm bath is incredibly appealing and Maki isn't going to argue.
Perhaps if she was a little less tired she'd be embarrassed but at the moment she just doesn't care. They've seen each other naked before so as she prepares to enter the bath she finds that she gives exactly zero fucks and thankfully feels little shame.
Once Maki's bare she slides easily into the heated water, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. She sinks beneath the crimson surface, hair floating beside her like a chocolate river. The warm water feels like heaven in comparison to her soaked clothing and she stares up at Kaito with half-lidded eyes, feeling every sore muscle finally relax.
Kaito settles beside the tub, sitting criss-cross in a way reminiscent of the Orphanage children. He begins running his hands through her hair and she leans into his touch, another gentle sigh echoing off the bathroom walls.
"Seems like you really needed this, huh?" Kaito questions, tilting his head. She nods, sitting up in the water and leaning over the edge of the tub to kiss her boyfriend. When her hand falls to his jaw he scoots closer, leaning forward to give her easier access to his lips.
Kaito angles his head to kiss her better, one hand reaching out to cup her cheek. Maki wonders what she did in the world that allowed fate to bring them together, wonders what sort of good he sees in her to stay. He's amazing and wonderful and even more. She couldn't want anyone else.
"Have I ever told you how perfect you are?" Maki murmurs when they pull away, foreheads pressed together. Kaito laughs at her adoring comment, purple eyes staring at her with more affection than she could ever ask for.
"No, usually you're off callin' me an idiot," he chuckles, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"You know I never mean it," she mumbles, throwing her arms over his shoulders. "You're wonderful. What did I do to deserve you?"
Kaito's only response to her comment is to kiss her on the lips once more. She doesn't mind at all, absently tilting her head so she may move her lips against his smoothly. When they pull away again Kaito shifts away from the edge of the tub, pulling off his white button-up shirt.
"Room for one more in there?" he asks teasingly, already tugging off his T-shirt. Maki wants to point out there really isn't any room but at this point doesn't really care if they're cramped up together, so long as she can be with him.
Eventually, he slides into the tub behind her, careful not to accidentally sit on her long hair as he settles beside her. There's barely enough space for the both of them, but they make it work, squeezing together in order to fit. Kaito pulls her to his chest once they've found a comfortable position and for a moment they lay together in the warm water, enjoying the peace and quiet. After a few minutes of sitting around, Kaito begins running his hands through her hair once more, taking the shampoo bottle off to the side and slathering her tresses with it.
He hums as he cleans her hair, making sure to be cautious to not hurt her. Maki leans back and enjoys all the attention Kaito is giving her, basking in his adoration. After spending four hours in the cold rain and then dismembering a man, relaxing in a warm bath with her loved one reminds her that there are brighter things to look forward to in her horrible life. When Kaito leans forward and peppers her shoulder and neck with kisses, goatee tickling her skin, she closes her eyes and sighs again.
Once he's done with the shampoo she shifts in the bath, turning to face him and laying down on his chest. In their position she listens to the steady beating of his heart, reminding herself that this moment is real and she will not awaken back at Holy Salvation Society's headquarters to a new mission. Kaito lets her rest and they lay together in the lukewarm water, tracing soothing patterns into each other's skin. Despite it being around two in the morning, Maki thinks she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love you," she whispers against his chest, pressing quiet kisses all the way up to his shoulders and neck. "I love you so, so much. Kami, don't ever leave me."
"I love you too," Kaito replies with a chuckle, "and trust me, I don't plan on leaving." He punctuates his words with a kiss to her lips and her hands move to rest along his jaw as she sits up a bit more. Kaito wraps one arm loosely around her waist while lifting his other hand to the back of her head. All the moving causes the red water to lap at the edges of the tub, splashing just a bit. Maki doesn't pay it much mind, even as it overflows the tub and drips to the floor.
After a while of kissing, she finds that both of them are softly laughing, although she doesn't quite understand why. Regardless, she basks in the bliss of the moment, satisfied with how she's currently spending the night. She rests against his chest once more, feeling incredibly at peace.
"We shouldn't be doing this, should we?" Kaito says suddenly, as though two teenagers (albeit eighteen-year-olds, still teens) taking a bath together in a high school dorm isn't allowed. Which, by the way, is totally against the rules. "Usami-sensei is going to have a stroke if she finds out."
"Which is why she isn't going to find out," snorts Maki, glancing up at Kaito, "because neither of us are going to be idiots who go around telling everyone about this."
Ouma Kokichi would never let her live it down if he learned about this. She had an inkling he already knew Kaito and her were intimate to a certain degree but had yet to start annoying her over it. If he ever tried to, though...
"Right," murmurs Kaito, as though he hadn't thought of that. She rolls her eyes. He's smart, that's for sure, but sometimes he could be a real moron. They stay in the water a bit longer before Kaito proposes that they finish up. He helps clean the rest of her hair and she reciprocates the gesture by cleaning his, stealing kisses here and there.
Eventually, they leave the bath, dripping red water onto the tiled floor. As the bathtub drains, Kaito wraps her up in one of the many towels he has stockpiled by the sink and the proceeds to try his best at drying her hair as well. On the other hand, Kaito's hair is left brushing against his chin with the gel all washed out but that's beside the point.
Once she's somewhat dry he lends her some clothing (which is really only a pair of his boxers and a large T-shirt) and changes himself before dragging her to bed. He pulls her beneath the covers and snuggles her up against him. She makes no argument, simply curling into him, arms thrown over his shoulders. She knows her arm will be numb by the time morning comes but she'll take that any day if it means resting beside her loved one.
Through the window a flash of lightning illuminates their intertwined bodies, resting beneath the several blankets on Kaito's bed. The rain hitting the window is a soft, constant noise that sounds like a lullaby in comparison to how it felt like it was roaring hours earlier.
Kaito pushes some hair out of her face and presses a kiss to her temple.
"We should do that again," he murmurs, words beginning to slur. "another day."
"Yeah," replies Maki, watching him slowly succumb to sleep. "...Love you,"
"Love you too, H'rum'ki," mumbles Kaito, finally letting his eyelids shut and falling asleep. Nuzzling her face against his, Maki allows herself to fall asleep in the arms of the person she loves.
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