Eden
Mitsuru x Kokoro
Fanfiction by:
Blue Trinkets.
Chapter 1: Temptation.
"Have you heard about the story of Eden?" Mitsuru asked one late afternoon as he sat in his usual spot in the greenhouse.
"I don't think so." Kokoro replied as she continued pruning one of the plants with a garden clipper.
"Apparently it's a huge garden with all types of trees and plants. I think there were all kinds of animals too."
"That sounds wonderful." Kokoro paused as she looked at him, "Just imagine a place full of flowers. Wish a place like that really existed."
"It's only a story." Mitsuru murmured, "But yeah, it would have been quite a sight to see." He looked around at all the greenery and colors of the greenhouse. It was so refreshing to the eyes, a soothing balm to the tired soul. A place like Eden would probably look just like this only on a larger scale.
"So this Eden had caretakers." He continued, "A boy and a girl."
That caught Kokoro's attention so much that she stopped pruning the plants to sit beside Mitsuru and waited to hear more.
"They were told that they could eat any fruit from the trees, except one— the tree of Forbidden Knowledge."
"Then what happened?" Kokoro asked, her blue eyes huge with interest.
"Apparently, the girl disobeyed the orders and ate the forbidden fruit. The boy knew that he would suffer the same punishment as her but still ate the fruit himself. They were both taken away and nobody knew what happened to them, or to the garden of Eden." Mitsuru finished the story.
"That sounds so sad." Kokoro said softly.
"Yes, it is." Mitsuru agreed, then reached to touch her hand. He didn't mean to make her sad, when he first broached the topic he only wanted to correlate the lushness of the greenhouse with Eden.
Mitsuru caught himself when he almost brushed his hair back. An old habit he has to drop soon now that his hair is shorter. Yesterday he has asked Kokoro to cut his hair, something he never thought he'd ever let anyone do. Ever since he was small, he has been good at keeping people at a distance.
But Kokoro was different. Though he had tried to drive her away too, she was quite persistent. He didn't understand what she saw in him but...whatever it was, it restored his own self-confidence. She has never looked down at him, even when he broke down in the middle of battle and risked both their lives. She only insisted that she believed in him. No judgment, no pity...only a quiet understanding.
Kokoro made him feel like he could do anything. It was such a good feeling, to have someone believe in him, whether he failed or succeeded. To have that unshakeable faith in him even when he's at his worst. It changed something in him, that raw, bleeding part of his soul that could never quite heal, was now gone. Replaced by this quiet peace, of acceptance.
For the first time, Mitsuru felt at peace with himself, and even...happy.
Yesterday, he found out how a kiss felt like. It had been totally unexpected, Kokoro had kissed him without warning. She ended it before he could even comprehend what has happened. Too brief, yet the emotions were so intense.
The other boys had been making a fuss over that particular topic, but none of them had even tried it...except Hiro. Mitsuru looked at Kokoro who was still contemplating about the story of Eden. But then she caught him staring at her lips.
She blushed and looked away. Mitsuru was sure he was blushing himself, but...this was Kokoro, she gave him the confidence to do things he thought he'd never do before.
Slowly Mitsuru stood from his chair and sat on his haunches beside Kokoro. She looked at him as he slowly leaned closer. Words weren't needed when it was obvious they were both thinking the same thing.
The first touch of their lips sent shocks of sensations through his body. The startled breath she made told him she felt the same. Wanting a deeper taste of her, he slowly sucked her lower lip drawing her deeper into his mouth.
Heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment slowly elevated his temperature. His heart began to race and yet he couldn't let go. The lush softness of her lips, the delicate textures, her sweet taste...he liked it all, too much.
"Mitsuru..." Kokoro whispered when he finally released her. She reached out to touch his lips with her fingers.
He kissed her fingertips, making Kokoro shiver. But before they could speak again, they heard the sound of Miku and Zorome having one of their little fights again.
"Seriously Zorome, can't you carry that water bucket any faster?"
"Shut up! I'm doing the best I could!"
"Oh really? It doesn't look that w..."
As their voices faded into the distance, Kokoro stood up from her chair. "I'm on dinner preparation duty this evening. The 9's doesn't seem interested in eating our food though."
Mitsuru stood up as well. "Then we shouldn't waste our rations on them."
"But..."
He reached out to cup her cheek and gently brushed her skin with his thumb. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he just had to. The desire to touch her like she's very precious was too compelling to deny. And indeed that was the truth, she's become someone very important to him.
He once heard Goro asking Hiro if there was a relationship closer than being partners. This certainly felt like it. She's more than just a partner to him.
"Come on, let's head back." He said as he reached for her hand.
-o-
Mitsuru closed his eyes as Kokoro combed his hair with a soft bristle brush. It felt so soothing, like a gentle head massage.
"With the 9's here, it's only a matter of waiting. Surely someone's going to get us eventually, right? Will that mean the end of this life we have?" Kokoro asked as she continued brushing his hair.
Mitsuru opened his eyes and briefly considered what she said. "That is the natural assumption."
He took a glance at her face and saw the sadness in her eyes, sadness that he understood and shared. "But, I'd be sad to leave this place."
They ought to feel relieved that they weren't abandoned as they have feared earlier. And yet...
"I mean, we only began spending time together like this after I came here." Mitsuru said feeling a bit shy, he couldn't meet her eyes.
"Mitsuru..." Kokoro smiled, his words made her happy.
Just then, she placed the hairbrush down and stroked his hair with her hand. It wasn't unusual, Kokoro has always liked running her fingers through his hair.
But when her hand glided down the back of his head and touched his shoulder, that caught his attention. "Kokoro?"
"Your body is much tougher than a girl's." She said softly, her blue eyes looked quite intense. "It's strange..."
Mitsuru was a bit startled when she ran her hand down his chest next. Not that he minded, he was just unprepared for the shock of sensation that jolted his body at her touch. And this was Kokoro, even if their relationship hasn't been defined yet, he has silently given her consent to touch him in a more familiar manner. But she's usually not this forward.
"Boy's and girl's bodies are so different from each other. But then, there really is a reason for this."
"What are you talking about?" Mitsuru asked, a little breathless. Her nearness was making him feel a bit strange. Kokoro has never been this bold, and he wondered what brought the sudden change in her usual behavior.
"Well, I read that a boy and a girl can create a new life. And the way they do this is by joining their bodies together." Kokoro explained, looking at him intently.
"Ho-hold on." Mitsuru felt his head swim. Did Kokoro just say joining bodies?
Unbidden, Mitsuru suddenly recalled flashes of her memory when they connected. Some of them were pages from the baby book she brought back.
Forbidden Knowledge.
The punishment could be grave. Just her having the book was a serious offense.
Before he could even speak, Kokoro unzipped the top of his uniform then paused, as if unsure what to do next. "I've wondered what it means and I believe it represents hope for us."
Mitsuru could only look at her, dumbfounded. Kokoro wants to try joining their bodies? She said it represents hope? That was forbidden and she knows this.
At the thought of her being punished, Mitsuru felt his chest tighten. Urgently he brushed her hand away. "Kokoro what are you doing?!"
"I was just.."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Zorome suddenly cut in, startling them both. "Were you two really going to try to stick your bodies together? What is that? Did you learn it from Hiro and Zero Two?"
Mitsuru suddenly realized that his uniform was still unzipped. "Did you need something?" He asked Zorome a bit belligerently as he pulled the zipper tab. He couldn't help it, Zorome almost walked in on something private.
"Oh, I'm here to remind you that you're on water duty. Anyways, what is it that you guys are up to?" Zorome asked, completely unapologetic.
"I'll go and get the water now, okay?" Mitsuru said dismissively, closing the subject.
"What the heck." Zorome to his credit knew when to back down. "Just hurry it up, man."
When he was out of earshot, Mitsuru released a long breath and turned to Kokoro. "Why did you do that? It's so out of nowhere."
"No, it isn't." She replied, looking down. "I've been thinking about it for a long time."
He was at a loss for words. Kokoro knew as much as he did that the baby book was forbidden. So why do something that could lead to her getting caught?
"Let's talk about this later." Mitsuru said as he touched her hand. He really hated seeing her so downcast.
"Okay." Kokoro nodded.
-o-
He still couldn't figure her out, making him feel a bit lost. He hadn't said anything when she kept the book, thinking it wouldn't do any harm to know such things as long as they kept it a secret. But now...does Kokoro really wants to try joining bodies with him? Mitsuru felt the heat rise on his cheeks. He has seen the pages in her memory, he knew what Kokoro was talking about. But such things were explicitly banned. Why would she want to risk being punished?
Mitsuru was still contemplating what to do when he heard Hiro's voice behind him.
And as the two of them soaked in the water, Mitsuru could only voice his confusion without giving away her secrets.
"I don't know what Kokoro is thinking, it makes no sense." It's true, he's baffled why Kokoro would want to do something so risky.
Hiro only smiled and said, "You know, you've changed a little. Until recently you've been distancing yourself from the rest of us. Of course...it's my fault, isn't it? It's because I broke our promise."
Mitsuru felt at a loss for words, while it's true the broken promise has changed his perception of others, being with Kokoro has healed him, allowed him to open up, and he no longer holds any grudge against Hiro.
"But now you've taken an interest in someone. You want to know Kokoro better, you want to understand what she's thinking."
"I want to know Kokoro better?" Put that way, it was suddenly obvious to him. Indeed he does want to know her better, she has constantly surprised him by doing something so unpredictable when he least expected it.
"Yes, and that's probably what it means to love someone." Hiro said, smiling. "I mean, I love Zero Two and I want to know her better."
Mitsuru recalled the time he first piloted with Kokoro. When he just gave up on himself and broke down, she refused to give up on him. It had been so easy to open up to her, let her see the real him, his pain without feeling ashamed.
Feelings of tenderness for Kokoro made his chest ache as he recalled her gentle smile after she has cut his hair. He didn't understand then why he trusted her so much. But now, by putting everything into perspective, Mitsuru has come to the realization of what he truly feels for her.
Oh...so that's what this is. I love Kokoro.
He doesn't disagree with Hiro that wanting to know someone better could mean loving that person...but for Mitsuru who has always kept people at arm's length, loving someone also meant being able to trust this person with his innermost thoughts and feelings, and indeed, he allowed only Kokoro to get close.
Hiro seemed to rethink his words as he sat up and apologized. "Sorry if I'm mistaken. Your situation could be different, I only know how it is for me."
Mitsuru sat up as well. "It's okay. I think that's very much like you." He splashed water on his face and turned to look at Hiro with a smile. "I'm glad we've talked, we haven't done this for a long time."
Hiro smiled in quiet understanding. It had indeed been a long time, and finally, they have mended their friendship and could begin anew.
-o-
"Oh, there he is." Miku said as the two boys stepped inside the boarding house.
Mitsuru looked at Hiro, assuming she was talking about him. Everyone was present which was kind of unexpected, were they having an impromptu meeting?
He saw Kokoro sitting between Ichigo and Ikuno and was reminded about their encounter earlier. He still didn't understand why she'd want to do something that could get her in deep trouble. They'll have to talk about it later.
"We've heard about you and her." Ichigo suddenly spoke, looking at Mitsuru. "Blame Zorome."
"Have to say I'm not the least bit surprised." Ikuno added.
"Hey! All I did was casually ask if a boy and girl getting touchy-feely was some sort of cool thing to do!" Zorome protested.
"That's enough! Stop being such a baby!" Miku chided.
Mitsuru realized that this was their friends' way of acknowledging his relationship with Kokoro but he wasn't sure what to say.
Suddenly Futoshi grabbed him by the neck of his uniform.
"Mitsuru!" Futoshi demanded against his face. "Tell me...did you kiss her?"
What the heck? How was he supposed to answer that? It was something private between him and Kokoro.
But the blush on Kokoro's cheeks gave it away. It was enough confirmation for Futoshi who began rambling again.
Mitsuru looked at her lovely face and wondered how to tell her later that it's probably best that she doesn't pursue her interest in...joining bodies with him. The risk of getting caught is real, and nobody knew what the consequences are.
Then trouble came without warning, Mitsuru knew it at once the moment the 9's arrived.