Chapter One: Komaru-
Komaru can't figure out why her girlfriend is so opposed to her being around when she's sick
The cool, frigid winter air chilled Komaru as she walked along, despite her many layers. Her girlfriend had been sick lately, and so she had decided to bring her some soup. Komaru still remembered the last time Toko had fallen ill- it was around the same time the year before, when they were still freshly acquainted. Komaru, at the time, had called to see how she was, but Toko had insisted that she not come over. Her constant coughing and wet sniffles weren't missed by Komaru, however, but the younger girl had relented.
Komaru shook her head. There was no way she was going to back out now. Like it or not, she and Toko were dating, so it was perfectly normal for Komaru to come over and care for her like this. At least, that was her reasoning as she approached Toko's apartment complex.
Reaching apartment 204, Komaru knocked lightly against the wooden door.
"Toko, can I come in?" She called. A sharp gasp and some mild rumbles later, the door cracked and Toko was revealed behind it, looking rather shaken.
"K-Komaru?! W-what are you d-doing here?" Toko's voice was small, raspy and afraid. What was she so frightened about?
"I tried to call you, but you didn't pick up." She held up the tupperware she had brought. "I brought you some soup." Toko's slate eyes watched the yellow liquid for a moment, but quickly returned her gaze to her girlfriend's eyes.
"S-sorry, I was asleep…" She mumbled. "I didn't m-mean for you to come all t-the way out here." Her eyes were quickly downcast, and Komaru couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.
"What's up with you? Ever since you got sick, you've been insisting that I not come over," Komaru pressed, moving her hand to open the door a bit further. Toko visibly shrunk into herself, shaking.
"I-I just really don't want you g-getting sick…" She began, but an odd expression befell her face. "Ah… ah, I-I…!" She didn't let herself finish, instead racing back inside, holding her nose and leaving behind a very confused Komaru. The younger girl heard a door close, followed by a loud sneeze.
"Toko, what is up with you?" Komaru was now very, very concerned. Her girlfriend usually revelled in their time together. She most certainly didn't lock herself inside her apartment unless she was having an awful day. Even then, she always allowed Komaru in. Gathering her resolve, Komaru stepped into Toko's home, careful to take off her shoes before walking to the living room. "Toko?"
A low chuckle was her answer, coming from inside of Toko's bedroom. Komaru went to knock the door, but found it to already be cracked. "Toko, are you feeling alright?" She asked.
"Kyeheheeh!" A dark shape suddenly descended from the ceiling, landing squarely behind Komaru and closing the door with a hard click.
"Ahh!" Komaru jumped in surprise, reeling around. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she audibly sighed upon seeing Toko standing there. Relief quickly turned into confusion, because those weren't Toko's eyes, and Toko certainly never had that long of a tongue.
"Ahh, we meet at last!" Not-Toko exclaimed, crushing Komaru in a tight hug. She pulled back enough to let Komaru breathe, but Not-Toko's arms still held the two firmly together. "Dekomaru, was it? The one Miss Morose fawns over?"
"Who- who are you?" Komaru asked, suddenly very afraid. The clothes and the hair, even the face of this other girl told her this was Toko, but that had to be impossible. Toko never acted like this.
"Feisty, aren't we? Ooh, you're getting me all warmed up," Not-Toko's voice was sultry, dripping with a flirtatious energy that Toko could never express. "Hasn't she told you by now?" Komaru shook her head. Evidently, Toko didn't tell her.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" Not-Toko cackled at that, her long, almost serpentine tongue swinging back and forth in what could be interpreted as playfulness.
"Oh, that is rich! I always knew Gloomy was a coward." Not-Toko strengthened her grip on the younger girl, moving her mouth to Komaru's ear. "Toko and I are roommates, but not in the normal way." She pulled back and, with a smile, tapped her forehead. "We're roommates up here, get it?" Roommates? In her head…?
"Wait, so… Toko has another... personality?" That was the only explanation for all this, right? Still, Komaru's head spun.
"Ding, ding ding! We have a winner!" Not-Toko chuckled, pressing a brief kiss to Komaru's cheek. Komaru froze, her cheeks flaring with heat from the sudden contact. "I've wanted to meet you for so long, you know that?" Not-Toko whispered, mouth once again by her ear.
"B-but… How come you never told me…?" Komaru knew her voice sounded uncharacteristically fragile, but she couldn't help it. Her girlfriend had been hiding something this big? A sting of betrayal went through Komaru.
"I never got the chance to meet you until now. As for Morose… Well, frankly, she's been screwed over by other people too many times. I'm afraid she has trust issues, my dear." Not-Toko's voice was now even and serious, and she finally broke the hug, as she let Komaru take it all in.
"Screwed over?"
"Yup. Every other guy she's ever trusted has either betrayed her, or only wanted her for her body," Not-Toko explained. She made a clicking noise in disapproval. "Do you have any idea how many times I had to save her sorry ass?" Komaru felt like she had just been slapped. Toko had been put into those situations? No wonder she was so afraid of leaving her shell…
"I'm… sorry to hear that. I had no idea," Komaru apologized. "But, if you're not Toko, then what should I call you?" Not-Toko grinned wolfishly at that.
"I'm known by most as Jack- Genocide Jack. But, I'll make an exception for you. Call me Jill." Komaru froze. Genocide Jack? The raging serial killer who had appeared some years ago out of nowhere, and disappeared just as quickly?
"G-Genocide Jack? Like, the serial killer?"
"Yep, that's the one!" Seeing Komaru's frightful expression, she giggled to herself. "Here, let me explain…"
"Aaand, that about covers it!" It took about half an hour to explain, but the cogs were definitely starting to turn in Komaru's head. Now, Jill was snuggled under three fluffy blankets, sipping at some re-heated soup in a mug.
"Wow…" Komaru had to work to describe what she had just heard. A part of her had known that Toko's life was, mostly likely, uncommonly tough, if only because of her girlfriend's extreme mental defenses. However, hearing it in detail was another matter entirely. Komaru didn't think she could look at Toko the same way after that.
"Pretty depressing, huh? Well, at least I came out of it, right?" Jill cackled to herself, but quickly stopped to study Komaru. "Aww, don't feel too down! At least you're in on it now, and Morose doesn't have to worry our head off over it anymore. Seriously, she's such a buzzkill!" That last statement make Komaru smile a bit. She was beginning to understand Jill's playful ribbing now.
"Are you finished with that?" Komaru asked, pointing to the soup mug. Jill nodded, handing over the cup. Komaru rose for the first time in twenty minutes, wandering her way into her girlfriend's kitchen. She proceeded to wash the mug out and set it out to dry over a clean dish towel.
"Achoo!" Komaru jumped a bit at the sound, but quickly smiled. It seemed that her girlfriend was back. Heading back to Toko's room, Komaru found the apartment's owner with her face half hidden by her huge blankets.
"Welcome back," Komaru greeted, kissing Toko's head softly.
"D-did s-she hurt you?" Toko's voice was tiny and quaking, but Komaru softly shook her head.
"No, I'm fine. She actually explained everything to me and, well-"
"You hate me?" Toko suddenly cut her off. "Y-you don't want to go out with a p-pig like m-me?" Komaru shook her head again.
"Of course not. I love you, Toko. All of you."