Title: Euphoria
Summary: Their relationship was new, the feelings they started to feel were unfamiliar but euphoric. MitsuruXKokoro
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Take my hands now
You are the cause of my euphoria
Euphoria
He had awoken just as the sun was rising and the birds began their soft early morning songs. The calm melodies didn't seem to stir the peacefully sleeping form that lay facing him. Her long hair was splayed out behind her, revealing her face that was resting on the pillow they shared. A small smile grew on Mitsuru's face as he studied the beautiful girl that's cheek was slightly squished from the pillow and his arm that supported it underneath. Her hands were clasped near her heart between them.
It didn't bother Mitsuru that his arm was paralyzed beneath Kokoro's head, not willing to move it in case he was to wake her from her deep slumber. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life.
The night had been filled with award hands, feverish kisses, and their bodies joining together as one, something he never knew was possible or could be done. Although it was always apparent to him that boys had different bodies compared to girls, he never knew there was a way or even the ability to use them besides piloting a Franxx.
Sex.
That was what their special joining had been called. According to the small book Kokoro had been reading since finding it at the abandoned town near the beach, this was the way humans had been able to create a baby all those years ago, before Klaxosaurs, before Franxx, before everything he knew today.
Their actions even before that night had blossomed emotions within Mitsuru that he never imagined he could possibly feel for another person. In fact, the moment that Kokoro had risked her life piloting Genista on her own gave Mitsuru the first real flood of fear mixed with wonder in his entire existence.
Since that day, new emotions and feelings kept sprouting and blooming within him. He had tried to resist the change within him in the beginning, but quickly found himself helpless against his partner and her encouragement of opening him up with every encounter they had. Even before becoming partners, he grew to enjoy meeting her by chance in the flower garden in Mistilteinn.
Eventually it became their own special place to be in their thoughts or even to find reassurance from one another.
Kokoro stirred slightly and Mitsuru froze. Had his thoughts or constant staring awoken her?
He waited, barely breathing until he was sure she was lost again in her dreams. A small strand of hair had shifted into her face and Mitsuru ever so slowly lifted his free hand to move it out of the way.
Having this type of relationship with anyone else, Mitsuru realized, would have never happened had their paths not crossed. Even before riding the Franxx with Ikuno and seeing her thoughts, he knew that they would never really even consider each other 'friends'. In fact, they both seemed to make it a point to keep it strictly as teammates and hold each other at arms length. Their real strength as a team seemed to be that neither of them were willing or even cared to reveal the others secrets.
He would though, forever be silently grateful to Ikuno for slapping Nine Alpha when he had verbally berated Kokoro. He had been paralyzed to the spot where he stood, unsure of how to react and even slightly fearful of what would happen if he did. He had been a coward, even though he had promised Futoshi he would protect Kokoro.
The feeling of self loathing and irritation swelled within him before Mitsuru pushed it back down. He vowed to never break his promise to Kokoro ever again, no matter what happened.
The way that Mitsuru felt towards Kokoro, according to the way Hiro described it, was love. The green-eyed boy had felt a strong desire to be with Kokoro, to let her lean on him, and just make sure that she was always happy, but he had never realized what the right word was until the day he and Hiro had been laying in the water talking about their situation.
Love…
Slowly, Kokoro's head shifted and her body moved to stretch, her hand almost hitting Mitsuru in the face if he didn't move just in time. He couldn't stop his soft laughter as Kokoro opened her eyes to rest on Mitsuru's face before blushing a deep shade of red.
"G-Good morning," she stammered. Her eyes shifted to his bare chest, then moved to her own that was barely covered by the light blanket over them.
"Did you sleep well?"
She gave a slight nod, still averting her gaze. "Did you?"
"Mm," was his reply as he gave her forehead a light kiss. Pulling away, he could see her blue eyes returned to look at his face, smiling. He was becoming a little braver in showing his affection for her.
His expression turned a little embarrassed, but worried. This time he couldn't meet her gaze fully. "Are you…in any pain?"
Kokoro reached her hand to caress Mitsuru's face, her thumb running along his cheek. "I'll be okay," she tried to sound comforting, even in this situation. "It's normal from what I read to be a little sore after the first time…"
He wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to ease her pain. Instead, he ran a hand along the side of her form as gently as he could. The feel of her body so close was still so amazing but foreign to Mitsuru. "Do you think it worked?"
To his surprise, Kokoro giggled. "I'm not sure. The book said it could happen the first time…" her voiced trailed off, trying to recall what the expecting mothers book had written in it. When she seemed to remember, her face once again changed, her voice becoming soft. "…or it might happen after a few tries."
Blue eyes met green hesitantly, realization seeming to hit the young couple suddenly at what exactly Kokoro meant. Mitsuru could hear his heart beating wildly and wondered if Kokoro could hear it as well.
Did she also feel the same?
Before Kokoro could say any more, the hand resting on her waist pulled her forward. Bringing her softer figure against his harder body, Mitsuru held Kokoro tightly.
"Mitsuru?"
He wasn't sure what he could say exactly. It was all so unknown to him. He had never heard, seen, or read anything about this kind of situation in his entire life. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to be with Kokoro, let her lean on him, and especially to make sure she was happy.
"No matter how long it takes, it will be okay."
He felt her delicate hands move to return his embrace, burying her head in his chest. "Thank you, Mitsuru."
They dressed with their backs turned towards one another, each unknowingly resisting the urge to take a glance before voicing that it was okay to turn around. The sun was higher in the sky now, flooding the room with sunlight around Kokoro.
Mitsuru's breath caught in his throat as he held out a hand to her. She looked like an angel.
Not realizing his sudden state of stupor, Kokoro gave him a relaxed smile and intertwined their fingers. She moved past him and opened the door, breaking him out of his transfixed state as the smell of breakfast wafted through the hallway.
They walked side by side down the hallway and were halfway down the steps when Zorome ran out from the dining room. "Hurry up! Breakfast is ready! You guys are the last ones!"
The group didn't seem to care that they were holding hands, barely saying "good morning" to them as the others helped serve breakfast. Only Futoshi seemed to be glowering at their clasped hands for a moment before even he returned to placing food on their trays.
There were no signs of the nines as the squad took their places wherever they felt most comfortable, having lost the desire and need to keep the tables divided by boys and girls.
"Don't worry Kokoro, they left early this morning," Ichigo affirmed as she sat down across from the blond who visibly relaxed.
Mitsuru, who had naturally taken a seat next to Kokoro, put a reassuring hand on her leg. He wanted her to know that he would remain by her side, always.
Goro was sitting to the left of his partner. "We checked the entire house, there's no sign of them."
"I hope we don't see them for a very long time."
Mitsuru gave Kokoro a reassuring look before lifting his hand from her leg, instantly missing the warmth. "Let's eat."
Their conversation was light and in between mouthfuls of food. There was still no sign of Hachi and Nana, no sign of a reply to any of Goro's letters either. It had been a long time since the last time Squad 13 heard from their overseers. What if something terrible were to happen to one of them? Would they come then?
What if a Klaxosaur were to try and attack them?
Although they had been used to doing things on their own as a group now like coming up with who would be in charge of keeping everyone on schedule, cooking, cleaning, and overall just trying to maintain their normal routines, their future was still clouded by the unknown. The lack of security and protection were weighing on all of the parasites minds.
Hiro had been the spearhead into assuring everyone to enjoy the time they had now and encouraged everyone that they could take care of themselves now that the mysterious caretakers weren't there.
Zorome was the first to finish, shoving himself away from the table to stand. "Hey! Let's go kick the ball around!"
Miku, who was just finishing her last strawberry looked pointedly at him. "Don't forget you and I are supposed to wash the floors today. You better not leave me to do it by myself!"
Zorome waved her off. "Of course! We can do that later after playing for a bit!" He looked towards all the guys. "Come on, lets go!"
"It wouldn't hurt to have a little fun before doing chores," agreed Goro, moving to join his shorter teammate.
Miku turned to Kokoro. "Todays your turn to do the dishes."
The blonde nodded, rising from her seat to start collecting everyone's used dishes.
"K-Kokoro! I'll help you!" sputtered Futoshi, abruptly heading to her side.
"It's okay, Futoshi. I can do it." Her gentle refusal had Futoshi slumping his shoulders. She tried to give him a small smile, "You should have fun with the others! Don't waste your time cleaning with me."
"Okay…"
Zero Two, who was licking her syrup covered lips, turned to Hiro. "Come on, Darling! I want to go outside too!"
"Do you want to kick the ball around as well?" Hiro asked, curiously.
The long pink haired girl leaned in close. "Of course not," her eyes turned devilishly. "We can do other things."
Before Hiro could utter a word, Zero Two giggled like a child and jumped out of her seat. Grabbing Hiro's hand, she dragged him up and out the door. "Let's go, Darling!"
One by one the parasites disappeared from the Mess Hall, all except one.
"Aren't you going to join them?" questioned Kokoro, scraping some of the leftover food onto the top tray before stacking them.
He had no desire to join the others in playing with the ball Zorome had received from Papa so long ago. No, he knew he would have an overall more relaxing and enjoyable time with his partner. Mitsuru couldn't describe the feelings he felt when it was just the two of them alone other than being completely comfortable and almost…
It was almost like a longing, this feeling he had. Like the way they would thirst for water after being out in battle for extended periods of time. This kind of yearning had been slowly developing within him, and as time went by, Mitsuru was finding it harder to fight his desires.
"Do you mind if I assist you?" he searched her face, instantly enjoying her slight blush as she shook her head.
"I think I'd enjoy that very much."
Together, they cleared and cleaned all of the tables thoroughly before starting on the pile of dirty dishes. Kokoro rolled up her sleeves so as to not get them wet as she scrubbed each dish before rinsing them and handing them to Mitsuru, who dried them with a towel.
"What chores do you have to do today?"
The sounds of their friends could be heard even though they were playing in the back yard and the kitchen overlooked the front. They sounded as though they were in the midst of an intense game, with Zorome releasing a wail of frustration.
Mitsuru grabbed the tray that was handed to him and began to dry it. "Later I have to retrieve water from the river again." He had done so the previous day, when it was Hiro who had helped him realize what exactly he was feeling towards Kokoro.
Again, Kokoro handed him a wet tray before starting to wash the next. "Before lunch, let's go together. It's been a while since I've been to the river."
"Mm." He accepted her offer and they finished the remaining dishes in silence.
Almost as if she had been alerted of their completed chore, Miku poked her head into the doorway. "Kokoro! Come and make flower headbands with us!"
Turning, Kokoro wiped her hands with a dry towel. "Sure! I'll be right there."
Nodding earnestly, Miku rushed back outside. "Don't take too long!"
His long haired partner appeared to hesitate for a moment when she looked at him as he fixed his uniform. He could see that she was debating something in her mind.
Suddenly, she raised herself to the tops of her toes and kissed his cheek. Caught off guard, Mitsuru blinked a few times.
"Thank you for helping me, Mitsuru." He had no time to move as she seemed to quickly exit the kitchen, waving back to him as she left. "I'll see you later to get water!"
The spell eventually faded after Mitsuru was left to watch the empty doorway for what seemed like an eternity. Moving his gaze to the window, he could faintly see his reflection, and without the prying eyes of others, put a hand on his cheek over the spot Kokoro had pressed her lips against.
Internally his heart was racing, his blood on fire.
He couldn't prevent the incredulous chuckle the escaped him as Mitsuru silently hoped this 'love' didn't kill him.
Mitsuru had settled on reading a book in the study room while the rest of Squad 13 enjoyed the outdoors. He enjoyed learning more and since meeting Kokoro, he didn't mind learning more about flowers and plants these days. So, as he sat down on the couch, Mitsuru read about the various plants that could be found in their world.
Some he had already recognized and remembered their meanings from when Kokoro would explain them in the greenhouse since they started meeting there. It seemed as if it was yesterday that Mitsuru and Kokoro had run into each other by chance. He wondered how long they had missed running into each other until that day. How many missed chances were there until some sort of unknown force let them find one another?
What would have happened if they had never run into each other? Would they have still found their way to becoming partners?
He didn't want to think of it.
Turning the page, Mitsuru's green eyes settled on the picture of a tree that was filled with pink flowers. His eyes roamed over the pages, gathering information. "Sakura?"
Pink…starts to bloom in spring…200 different varieties…short period of time… meaning
A reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. A symbol of renewal and hope.
The words struck a chord in Mitsuru and he placed the opened book down in his lap.
Mitsuru had never been one to consider a long and fruitful life. In fact, along with most of the other parasites he had grown up with, they only had one goal which was to pilot a Franxx. It didn't seem as if anyone really pondered what life there was after piloting.
Papa had never given them a definite answer throughout their entire lives up until now. Was there something after all of the fighting was finished? Would they become adults as Zorome wanted? What exactly was waiting for them in the future?
His thoughts suddenly made Mitsuru feel like his head would start pounding at any moment. Trying to shut his mind off like flicking a light switch, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to try and calm himself. Shaking his head, Mitsuru closed the book and returned it to its place on the bookshelf. He could hear the others finishing up their activities and make their way back into the house to start their own chores.
Mitsuru, however, grabbed the two metal pails and ventured outside to find Kokoro. For a moment he wondered if she had possibly forgotten their plans, but when he walked down the short steps, he was met with her approaching form.
He paused in his tracks and took her in. Hands clasped behind her back, Kokoro stood smiling at him and he couldn't help but admire her beauty. Atop her head sat a beautiful crown of flowers in all different colors.
"Do you like it? Zero Two made it for me."
"Uh..." the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.
Miku, who had been watching their exchange, looked at Mitsuru smugly. "Oh, you don't have anything to say now, Mitsuru?" she teased.
"That's not it..."
Seeming to understand him, Kokoro retrieved one of the pails from Mitsuru and looped her arm around his, tugging gently to help him escape. She looked at Miku reassuringly. "We'll be back soon!"
He remained silent as the house and all the noise seemed to disappear in the background. Mitsuru hadn't glanced down at Kokoro but he could feel her eyes on him.
"Are you okay?"
He could feel his heart starting to beat faster again as he looked down at her from the corner of his eye. Her blue eyes were just…
"You look- you look very…pretty." He finally managed to get out. It felt as though the knot that had been tight in his chest finally gave way a little. He couldn't manage to look at her again, though, instead turning his head to look up into the trees.
He felt her hand tighten around his arm before hugging his limb to her chest. Realizing where exactly his arm was, Mitsuru felt his eyes widen and face begin to burn. Was she trying to make him self explode?
This was absolute torture.
Without notice, or maybe she realized what she was doing to him, Kokoro grabbed his hand and pulled him after her, giggling.
They reached the river and Mitsuru resisted the urge to jump in and physically cool himself off. Taking off his socks and shoes, he let himself get knee deep into the water which helped to bring down his temperature a bit. Careful not to get any fish or rocks into his pail, Mitsuru began to fill the metal container.
Beside him, Kokoro followed his movements, but enjoyed looking at the fish that swam around her. "They are so small and cute," she mused.
She was leaning over slightly, sleeves rolled up once again, the edge of her skirt damp from the river. Her hair was loosely pulled behind her with a band to keep it from getting wet.
She truly was a sight to see and Mitsuru didn't know how she could have chosen him to start a relationship with, to even trust him. He knew their relationship was something different, possibly even deeper than the ones their teammates shared. Except for maybe Zero Two and Hiro.
And of course their relationship as partners was different, after all they had…
"Ah!"
His body moved instinctively, one minute he was holding the water bucket, the next his hands were grasping Kokoro tightly, preventing her from fully submerging into the water.
"Are you okay?" he knew he sounded more alarmed than he probably should have been, but he couldn't help it.
Confirming that she was indeed okay, Kokoro looked down into the water. "I slipped on the rock."
She found her footing and they both stood still in the water. Mitsuru's hands remained where they were until he thought she was indeed steady on her feet, before turning to grab both of their buckets which had thankfully not moved too far.
He began wading through the water to shore, Kokoro following closely behind.
Wordlessly, they both put on their socks and shoes, although a little uncomfortable, and headed back towards Mistilteinn.
"Please watch where you step."
Their walk back was mostly silent. It wasn't that type of awkward silence people usually experience with others, rather this was peaceful as both Mitsuru and Kokoro enjoyed the clear, sunny day. They were slowly drying off with each step, however Kokoro's skirt would definitely need to be cleaned when they returned, having almost all of it be submerged in the river when she slipped.
Their surroundings were ever so slightly changing, due to the abandonment of Cerasus. They were basically left to the elements around them and the once maintained grounds were slowly becoming overgrown. The changes were subtle for now, but Mitsuru knew that later it would become problematic, especially their water resources. He could only hope that these eminent changes could be held off for a bit longer.
"Mitsuru, look!"
Kokoro was pointing to a group of trees that lined the pathway in which they walked. Squinting, Mitsuru tried to remember if it was a tree Kokoro had told him about before. The trees themselves almost looked bare, but as they stepped closer they could see the small closed buds all around the tree.
"Sakura?"
"Oh!" Kokoro turned unexpected eyes on Mitsuru as he continued to observe the tree. "You knew what kind of tree this was?" Her voice was filled with admiration and excitement by the fact that he also knew what a Sakura tree looked like.
He tried to act cool and shrugged his shoulders. "I read about them in a book."
Almost naturally, he found Kokoro grasping one of his hands that was still holding the bucket. "I've never seen Sakura trees in bloom before. I hope we can see them together!"
The power of her smile made him forcibly look away before he melted right then and there. Instead, he looked down at her hands. They were small and delicate compared to his, and incredibly soft.
As if reading his mind, Kokoro took the bucket and with her free hand, intertwined their fingers together. "Wouldn't it be nice to see the Sakura trees in bloom, Mitsuru?"
"Yes, I'd like to see them with you." He agreed, voice becoming softer.
A strong breeze passed over them as their eyes met. For a moment, Mitsuru felt the urge to lean down and press his lips against hers. They were in a relationship now and it seemed only natural to do something like this, especially when Zero Two and Hiro also had a special bond and they kissed all the time.
Just as he mentally prepared himself, he started to lean forward.
"Hey! Lunch is almost ready! Hurry up and bring the water!"
Zorome…again.
The energetic parasite seemed to be the only person who ever interrupted their time alone together. Mitsuru abruptly straightened himself and turned narrowed eyes on the brown haired boy. "We're coming."
"Well you guys are taking forever and we're starving!" He didn't wait for a response as he turned and ran back to the house.
"Oh, they've been waiting for us this whole time," Kokoro said regretful that they hadn't been faster.
"They're all fine," grumbled Mitsuru. "We weren't gone that long."
By the time they arrived, everyone was moving around to set the tables again, this time outside to enjoy the weather. Weaving around the others, Kokoro and Mitsuru brought the buckets of fresh water into the kitchen and left them near the sink before venturing outside once again.
Ichigo, Ikuno, and Futoshi had prepared a lovely lunch for all of them. They had recreated the salad she and Mitsuru had prepared previously, along with some tomatoes. They had used some of the meat given to them by their mysterious caregivers, and made soup and rice.
"Thank you for this meal!" everyone cheered before digging in.
Life was simple now. Their conversations lighter and moved naturally through one another. They didn't just talk about battles or strategies anymore. It was like they were living a kind of life that almost seemed free from anyone being able to walk in and ruin.
It was peaceful, Mitsuru realized, and he briefly thought he could get used to this.
They had been split up for the rest of the day, Kokoro returning to do other chores with her fellow female teammates and friends, while Mitsuru was stuck with the males of the group. They were all doing laundry, vigorously washing all of the blankets and sheets in large tubs near the river where they had dragged them. Goro and Hiro were scrubbing all the dirt out of the bedding with lots of cleaner, before handing them off to Futoshi and Mitsuru to rinse them in clean water. Zorome was left to bring the smaller bucket of water back and forth to all of them to replenish their tubs.
"You and Kokoro seem to be getting along well," Hiro noted from his spot next to Mitsuru.
"Mm," the green eyed boy agreed. "Our conversation helped me to realize a few things."
"What things?" Goro chimed in curiously. His slight playful tone didn't go unnoticed. It was well known in the groups that Mitsuru's behavior and overall demeanor was changing since the partner swap.
Ringing out a now clean pillow case, Mitsuru moved it to the basket full of damp, clean laundry that rested on the ground behind him. "We've agreed to lean on each other more and just be honest with one another." Even he was surprised at how candid he was being with the others. Although, he wasn't exactly being too specific.
All the boys seemed to "Ooo" at Mitsuru, teasing.
"Well that's sure a step in the right direction!" Goro acknowledged enthusiastically.
"Does that also mean joining your bodies together?!" Zoromoe bellowed, as if accusing him of killing another parasite.
Futoshi gasped, raising his hands to his face to look astonishingly at Mitsuru. "What?! It can't be!" He lunched forward and grabbed Mitsuru by the collar of his uniform. "What is Zorome talking about?!"
Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Mitsuru pried Futoshi's hands from him. "I have no idea." He wiped his uniform as if getting rid of Futoshi's dirty marks. "My personal business is none of your concern." There was no way in hell he would say anything more to this group.
Hiro laughed nervously, trying to dissipate the squabble. "Come on everyone! Let's leave Mitsuru alone and focus on our chores! We have to return before the sun goes down." His panicky laugh seemed to go unnoticed by the group.
"Don't you hurt my precious Kokoro!"
Futoshi was fuming, Zorome was pointing an accusing finger at Mitsuru, and Goro adjusted his glasses. "In any case, it's good that you both understand each other on a deeper level." He reached into the tub and began cleaning the last sheet. "Although I do envy you, I hope that Ichigo and I can one day be the same."
The group seemed to forget the matter at hand and looked at their admired member somberly, especially Hiro. The taller blond haired boy had revealed his feelings about Ichigo to him a while ago and he knew how difficult it was to be going through such difficult emotions.
Zorome, being the ever wonderful teammate to break the tension, crossed his arms with a humph. "Who needs girls?! They're so annoying!"
"Zorome, don't say such a thing! Girls are precious beings!" Futoshi declared. His appreciation for females, or even of a certain one, was unrelenting.
"Heh!" dismissed Zorome.
By the time they had finished, brought everything back and hung their laundry to dry, the sun was beginning to set. It had been a few hours since the group had been together again, and when Mitsuru saw Kokoro, he felt a sense of calm come over him as she headed towards him.
Their touches were becoming familiar to Mitsuru as he relaxed when her hand seemed to clasp his pinky finger.
"Mitsuru? Can you help me make dessert tonight?"
Nodding, Mitsuru was just glad to spend more time with the girl he loved.
Time seemed to fly by as they prepared something called a 'strawberry tart'. It wasn't as easy as they both thought it was going to be, and a little messy as well. But, they both followed the instructions in the book thoroughly and Mitsuru was confident that they would succeed.
Kokoro was a great partner to have on and off the field. She listened carefully and followed instructions carefully, and even input her own thoughts as well, which Mitsuru always appreciated. It was enjoyable to have a partner who had her own ideas as well that worked well. They decided they would add some chocolate they would melt as a type of decoration on top.
There was also a type of cream they could add and Kokoro was currently trying to figure out how to work the can. She had shaken it vigorously before testing to make sure some of it came out. Sure enough, when she pressed down on the thin plastic tip, some of the cream came shooting out onto her fingers. "Oh!"
They had never seen such a thing before and Kokoro didn't hesitate to place her fingers in her mouth to taste the sweetness. A look of delight came over her and she turned to Mitsuru. "Do you want to try some?"
Not being one to care about sweets too much, Mitsuru declined. "I trust your judgment."
Green eyes found their way to her lips which sported a small amount of cream she had not felt remaining on her mouth. Taking a quick glance to make sure they were alone, Mitsuru swiftly leaned over, his hand lifting her chin towards him, and cleaned the cream from her lips.
His tongue darted out to trace the line of her lips before pressing his mouth to hers. He had been waiting almost all day to feel her lips again and he had to shove down the moan that wanted to escape him.
He heard her make a sound and ripped himself away instantly, embarrassed that he had let his emotions take over him. "I'm sorry."
"No, no! You don't need to apologize…it was…nice."
Then they were both looking at each other with a blush on their faces.
"What have you two been doing?" came a devilishly mischievous voice.
Zero Two.
"Nothing! The dessert is finished!" Kokoro blurted, picking up the tart to bring it out to the table to be served.
Mitsuru dropped his head in his hand, the other resting on his hip. He could still hear the horned girl laughing boisterously in the background.
"It doesn't seem like nothing happened." With a twirl she disappeared.
Mitsuru felt his hand drag down his face before falling heavily at his side. That was too close of a call. He would have to be more diligent.
Dinner was again a group effort that had paid off. Everyone continued to enjoy what they all had worked together to make for the team, which probably made it taste more delectable than when they were given food by their caretakers before. Before Mitsuru even knew it, each member had finished and voiced their equal enjoyment of the tart they had made. All of their plates were scraped clean.
Tonight it was Hiro and Futoshi's turn to clean the dishes, leaving the rest of the boys to their own devices. The girls, on the other hand, had the first turn to bathe. They were lucky enough to have probably one more nights' worth of water for the bathing room in Mistilteinn before they would have to bathe strictly in the river. Granted they had already done some of their bathing outdoors previously.
The group of girls were heading to their rooms to get ready, and Kokoro turned briefly to wave goodnight to him before resuming her conversation with Miku. Mitsuru returned her gesture and placed his hands in his pockets, feeling a type of emptiness wash over him.
Silently, he wondered if he would see her again that night or if she would remain with the other girls. He knew that Zero Two and Hiro spent every night together in the horned girls room on the top floor of their house, so wouldn't it make sense that both he and Kokoro did the same?
They had already done more than just sleep next to each other last night, and Mitsuru already found himself craving to hold her again as they slept. He found himself once again craving to feel her pressed against him, enjoying the closeness and vulnerability they created with each other.
He watched Kokoro until she disappeared from sight, and it was only then that he allowed himself to return to his room to change for the night. Maybe later he would venture to the abandoned room downstairs to wait and see if she showed up? He could already start to feel himself become restless.
Hopefully Kokoro would come, but if not, Mitsuru imagined he would not shy away from trying to find her.
