Heeey, it's me, ya boy. Let's go, another chapter of Her Treasure. The closer I get to the ending, the more excited I feel about it, hehehe. Anyway, just a heads-up, beware of the heavy emotional load on this chapter. It is shorter than usual because there will be another similar. That said, moving on to the story.
Straightforward, Head up
Entering the dark house, it felt like she was on her way to be sentenced. Even though she said she was fine, Masaru insisted on carrying her in his arms, as if it was their first night of the honeymoon. Mitsuki said back then it looked silly and that people were looking at them, and she said that again, covering her face with a hand to avoid the joyful gazes of the neighbors.
"You idiot, I told you I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself"
"Well, and of what use your strong husband would be if he didn't carry you after you get back from the hospital?~"
"Stop it, it's not fun when you're the one flirting," She said, placing a finger on his lips. They exchanged looks and he smiled at her playful face.
"So, where do you want me to drop you? The sofa, the bed…? You want me to prepare a shower or-"
"Just let me go already, Masaru" Mitsuki almost immediately lost her playful tone and practically jumped from his arms. It was like she was upset at something.
"Hey… is everything alright, Mitsuki-"
"Yeah, I'm alright!" The blonde woman answered quickly, which of course had the opposite desired effect of calming her husband down. "I'm perfectly fine, I just… I just need to wrap my head around what happened, it's all"
Masaru hoped he understood what she meant perfectly, but he didn't. He knew it must have been a shocking experience, but that was exactly the reason why he wanted to pamper her a little, help his wife to get all this tension out of her system.
When he saw her face in the news, Masaru almost freaked out, calling the police and running around the room, eyes glaring at the tv screen every ten seconds. Soon some policemen appeared to talk to him, and also take him to a safer place since he could become a target. When it all came to an end, Masaru felt a wave of relief wash over him once he heard the police say his wife was safe and sound, all thanks to Midnight, Eraser Head, and Deku.
And when he finally had the opportunity to see her, he couldn't help the tears. It was all his worries and his troubled heart exited his body using the eyes as an escape exit. At that moment, and even just now, Masaru didn't care about what the others would say about them. He had his dear, beautiful wife back to him, safe and sound. He had always been very self-conscious of his image, but with Mitsuki in his life, he couldn't really bother with outside opinions.
"Mitsuki, I've known you long enough to tell when something is bothering you. We both prefer to avoid the feelings talk but if there's a moment to speak, it is now." Masaru said in his calm, soft tone, holding her hand in his own.
Mitsuki didn't look at his face, preferring to stare at the quality floor they had in their house.
"I promise we won't get all mushy." The small joke was enough to get a wheeze out of her, and she finally looked up at him. It was hard to keep a straight face.
"Look, Masaru, I…" The words died in her tongue before she could speak. It took her a minute to gather courage, and he patiently waited. Taking a breath in, she continued. "I'm worried about Katsuki"
"Idiot"
"Katsuki? But he is fine at U.A. Did he tell you something?" Masaru immediately grew more concerned.
"No, he's perfectly fine. I just feel that… after this whole kidnapping thing, what if they try to hurt him in the same way in the future?"
"Liar"
"He is a brat and a hothead, but he can protect himself"
"Coward"
"But if some crazy villain tried to harm him in another way, or maybe blackmail him, I… I'm a little scared, Masaru"
"Yes, you are scared. But not about Katsuki, you liar. Hiding behind him? Really? Is that all you can do? All you're worth? You are now a huge bitch and a coward, Mitsuki"
Masaru quickly pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her and soothing her. But Mitsuki kept bashing herself in her mind. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. Not when her husband constantly worried about her like this and gave her so much attention.
It would be so much easier if he ignored her every day; if he had some addiction to cause trouble; if he was a lazy jerk bossing her around the house. She would have an excuse if she discovered an affair or saw him going out with one of those mistresses. It would be so much easier to shift the blame onto him if he wasn't all she could hope for from the person she chose to spend her life with.
"Hey… it's okay, Mitsuki. I know for a fact he would never allow someone to threaten us, and so do you. Katsuki is already pretty strong, and he can only improve from now on. It will be fine, dear"
The blond woman buried her face on the man's chest, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Mitsuki wasn't one to show these kinds of emotions. She always spoke her mind out, but these feelings could be linked to weakness, she always suppressed or hid them. Even as her husband, Masaru didn't see her cry like this many times. So he did his best to comfort and soothe her.
"It all will be fine, dear. And even if the worst happens, I'll be right by your side, okay? I will never leave you, Mitsuki"
"~sob~ You promise…? ~sob~" She asked in a weak voice.
"I promise"
"~hic~ Thanks…" The blondie said, slowly returning the embrace.
"Hey, no need to thank me for that. Now come here, let's fix you a bath and a cup of tea." Masaru was tempted to pick her up in his arms again, to try and lift her mood up, but decided to work on that later.
"You know I'm a coffee person, don't you?"
"Yeah, but the last thing you need is energy in your system"
"~sob~ ... Good point"
And so, after a good while soaking in warm water and a surprisingly tasty cup of tea, Mitsuki found herself in her room, spooning with Masaru, something they didn't do very often, but she accepted the offer as soon as he mentioned. She knew exactly why.
Mitsuki wanted to keep him as close as possible. Every second spent together, every interaction, from a simple kiss to shoulder rubs and even carrying her around despite her protests. All of this now mattered so much to her, because of the fear of losing it soon. That was also why her eyes were still open at four in the morning, feeling tired or not. His arms protectively were around her frame, his body had that familiar soothing warmth, but it wasn't enough to put her mind at ease.
"Mitsuki, you piece of shit… why make him promise to never leave you? We decided to face the consequences, so why? Why are you running away…?"
A week passed and to Mitsuki, these were the most emotionally straining seven days of her life.
"Damn it… I should have told him back then… Damn it!"
Under the pretext and medic orientation that she should be under watch for a while, Masaru talked with his team and got a week at home so he could take care of Mitsuki. Just a safety measure to assure she was in a good mental condition. Well, right now she was bordering to snap, but not because of the traumatic experience of being hostage.
The very fact that her husband left work aside for a while to take care of her was enough of mental torture to Mitsuki, but it didn't stop there. Oh no, he went beyond and above, cooking food, cleaning the house, and overall giving Mitsuki a somewhat luxurious life compatible with the middle class and a little above it. Sure, he wasn't nearly as fast and efficient as her, since she had a couple of years as a housewife under her belt, but still, the thought and effort were very appreciated. And that was the main problem.
For each good thing he did for her, for each act full of care and love, Mitsuki felt as if a rock of an immeasurable weight was put on her shoulders, and at the end of the week, all that guilt had eaten her from inside out, to the point she could no longer fake smiles and a bright mood.
So she woke up very early this morning. Masaru was right where he was yesterday, and in the past week, and pretty their entire lives together: right by her side. Her ruby red eyes, tired from the restless sleep nights, stared down at the face of the spiky-haired man. His face was of one at peace, maybe a little bothered by the lack of her presence near him. She wanted to caress that dorky peaceful face, maybe even kiss him on the cheek, but she didn't want to wake him up. There was also the sick feeling in her stomach telling Mitsuki to not disturb him.
Off to the couch, she went, sitting in front of the widescreen television. Maybe she should make coffee, something Masaru has been doing in her place, even after repeated times telling him she was not an impaired granny. After her brain properly woke up, that is. For now, she would sit there on the couch, thinking and rethinking her life decisions, her main occupation for these seven days.
The ash-blond woman held a void stare ahead of her, slowly moving her legs up and hugging them. Given her young appearance and the poorly lit room, one could think it was yet another young miss that got rejected by her first crush at highschool, as Mitsuki shrunk herself into a ball of guilt and sorrow. It was tiring to keep smiling at her husband, it was tiring to keep saying she was alright and that things were okay because it was probably the biggest lie she told in her life. Both to someone else and to herself.
So there was no more energy in her to keep fighting back those feelings. Mitsuki felt the hot tears coming from her eyes and it stung a bit. She sobbed as quietly as possible because she didn't need Masaru around to comfort her in a moment of weakness. As he always did. Those thoughts of doubt about her self worth came back at full force, and the blonde woman considered herself to be the top one in the tier list of shitty persons.
She didn't know for how long she cried because at some point she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and a familiar warm feeling enveloping her curled up body. Mitsuki gasped in surprise but didn't dare raise her head from her knees. Who else could it be, aside from the last person she wanted to see right now?
Masaru woke up and didn't see Mitsuki on the bed. Looking at the clock, it was still quite early to get up, even more considering he insisted on making breakfast for them while being at home. So he got up and walked into the living room, what did he find? His wife, sitting in the dark, hugging her knees and crying. The quiet sobbing and muffled hiccups pierced his heart as an arrow and Masaru moved without thinking, sitting next to her and embracing this bundle of sadness.
"Mitsuki. Mitsuki, what happened?" No response from her. In fact, she seemed to freeze like a statue the moment he touched her. "Come on, dear, you have to tell me what's wrong"
He leaned his head, trying to get a glance at her face, but Mitsuki looked away.
"Mitsuki, dear… I can ask for another week off, okay? How about we go on a trip to somewhere nice and tranquil? Release all that pent up energy and stuff. How does it sound?" He moved to hold her hand but suddenly, it was Mitsuki holding his.
"... No" A muffled response, barely audible despite them being very close.
"No? Dear, I think it would be good for you. You clearly need some time to recover-"
"No." This time it was a firmer response, despite the broken tone.
"Mitsuki… Honey, I-"
"I said!" A sudden burst. Mitsuki finally lifted her face, looking straight at his own.
Masaru wasn't sure of what was going through her head right now. She looked angry, but also kept crying. Her eyes were a little puffy and red, so he could only wonder for how long she was here, shedding tears by herself. Mitsuki let go of his hand and pushed away from the hug.
"I said… no"
He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. This turned out to be more complicated than he anticipated.
"Then tell me what we can do, what you want to do, dear. You said you were okay, but we both know this is not the case, so I can't help if you don't tell me-"
"Okay! Fine! You wanna know what is wrong with me? Alright, I'll say it!" Masaru backed a little in surprise. He didn't expect a fit of anger from her right now.
Mitsuki was glaring daggers at him, her eyebrows knit together and an upside-down curve in her lips. Why was she mad at him? But then… more tears and the anger melted into anguish.
"I…" She whispered between sobs. Mitsuki looked away from him but reluctantly stared at his face again as if she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. Breathe in and breathe out, she continued. "I am what's wrong, Masaru…"
The man quirked an eyebrow in obvious confusion.
"I… I'm not following. Dear, there's nothing wrong with feeling stressed after what you went through. The doctor said-"
"This is not the stress! I'm… I'm a horrible person, Masaru." She said, rubbing away tears that didn't stop coming with her hands until he held her wrists.
"You're not a horrible person, Mitsuki. Where did that even come from?"
"I am, Masaru. To you…" She said, looking down and freeing herself from his gentle grip.
"But why would you be? You're the best person I know, Mitsuki. That's why I love you-"
"I cheated on you!"
Silence. She shouted so loud it probably echoed through the entire house. It was as if the world lost all sound. The room seemed to get a darker shade, despite the sunlight coming through the glass door. She was panting, still crying, and with a mix of anger and anguish on her face. He was stunned, frozen like a statue with a neutral expression. Then that face turned to a somewhat sympathetic one.
"Heh… Come on, Mitsuki, we both know you would never do that. Now tell me what's wrong"
This denial hurt Mitsuki more than actually confessing. It was like a spear crossed her chest, but not in one go, slowly making its way in. But now came the hardest part. There was more to this than simply saying she cheated on him. Sure, she wouldn't put Inko nor Izuku into this, but she had to tell. All the things she did behind his back. It was only fair that she did so, accepting any and all consequences.
So the ash-blond woman had to gather all the will power in her, and even some of the anger she felt at herself, to make this message pass through. Grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer so there was less of a way for her to avoid his eyes, Mitsuki continued.
"I. Cheated. On you. Several times. W-with the same person, but still… It has been going on for some time now, a-and before you say I was forced or blackmailed, the answer is… n-no"
It was a struggle to somewhat keep it together and not break into a crying mess, but she had a lot to say, and unintelligible sobbing wouldn't help.
"I did this on my own. Honestly, I… a-ah, I don't know what came to me, I swear… It doesn't have anything to do with you, Honey, I really mean it. You have always been the best for me and… you have always been my support when I most needed it… We're not the best at showing affection, but I want you to know I love you so, so much…"
Her hands shook, loosening the grip on his clothes, but she kept looking him in the eye. There was no turning back on this.
"I love you so much, Masaru, and I know you love me just as much, if not more. T-that's why- ~sob~ that's why… That's why I'm telling you this. I cheated on you, despite all the good things you did for me. Not only this week but in our entire lives. And I… I tossed that in the trash… I-I ruined our lives, our love… because of some… stupid moment of horniness and a feeling of thrill"
Her tone became more and more bitter at the end.
"I did something stupid ~hic~ I did something that shouldn't be ever forgiven, to you of all people… ~sob~ I don't deserve you, Masaru. I'm just a trash person who cheats on the one person that means the world to her… Sometimes… sometimes I would even…"
The crying intensified for a while, preventing her from speaking, but Mitsuki eventually recomposed herself to at least speak clearly.
"Sometimes I would wish I wasn't married to you, or that I could just leave everything and… have more of that every day… It was like some fever dream, and I didn't want to wake up. And yet… all that time you… y-you were there for me. Every time you had work to do on the weekends, or for the whole week, I would… I would go see them and…"
Another uncontrollable wake of hiccups and sobbing came, and Mitsuki helplessly rested her forehead on the chest of the so-far silent man.
"I… I don't deserve you, Masaru… you're too good for me. I had always wondered what did I ever do to end with someone like you… I always spoke whatever came to my mind, and called anyone out if I thought they were full of shit. I'm not the sweet type of woman and you know it, you always knew… And even if I didn't leave you much of a choice, you could always have rejected me"
A faint laugh escaped her lips as memories of their days as co-workers came to her mind, along with the embarrassing situations she put him through with her "aggressive flirting".
This turned out to be a much greater scene than she was expecting. Mitsuki honestly didn't imagine she would let so much out, both in words and tears.
"I… ~sniff~ I don't expect you to forgive me, Masaru. I think I don't even want you to. You deserve someone better than me, someone sweeter, someone that doesn't drag you around whenever they wish, someone who… ~sigh~ someone who will not betray you with a smile on the face… I won't ask you to stay with me. If you want to leave, or if you don't want to ever look me in the face again, I… Honestly, that would hurt me but… I already hurt you. And already hurt Katsuki and our family… I'm sorry, Masaru"
She lifted her face one more time. She was tired of crying, of hiding the truth, of the guilt weighing her down. Saying all this was, in a way, some sort of liberation. Mitsuki still felt her heart being crushed and ground to dust, but at least the sick feeling in her stomach was going away. Continuing to fake a happy life was another layer in the shit cake that she thought she was right now. Taking a deep breath, Mitsuki prepared herself for his response.
"Whatever happens, or whatever you decide to do now, I… I love you, Masaru. I always have and always will… even though I screwed it up completely"
Their faces were so close that she had a thought crossing her mind of giving him one last kiss. She most likely wouldn't have another chance to do it ever again, so maybe she could take advantage of his apparent shocked state. She didn't need him to return it, all Mitsuki wanted was to feel her lips touch his one more time, like that time back then when they were still dating.
She had always been the initiator, and her kissing was always of the forward, hungry type. But on that occasion, they were just spending time together, chatting, and the talk turned out to be about feelings. She ended up speaking more than she planned, just like now, and in the end, he caught her by surprise, landing a soft kiss of his own.
Maybe that was the reason. Mitsuki thought that perhaps it could end like in that memory. However, the thought was brushed away. She didn't have the right to wish for such an ending. Remember, lift up your chin and face the consequences straightforwardly. If the end was to never experience that soft sensation again, so be it. And as such, she pulled away from him. Mitsuki rubbed away the remaining tears from her face, which was certainly a mess. She never cried like this in her life before, and her eyes stung a little.
Before her, the man stood still like a statue, in silence and looking past her at the void. It was almost as if he purposefully ignored her presence, which didn't surprise her one bit. Each second that passed made her heart ache more. Would it be an outburst of rage? Would he storm out of the house or even kick her out? Would he… hit her across the face? A part of her wished he would do that. She got herself into fights before, so she could handle a slap in the face. It would surely make things easier, vent out the frustration, and then try to salvage what was left of their relationship, if there was anything to save, that is.
He remained silent for a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity to her. Mitsuki felt minuscule in front of him, and the waiting was killing her. Then, he slowly tightened his hands into fists, his shoulders shook a bit, and his gaze focused on her again. She swallowed dry and closed her eyes, prepared to be decked to the floor.
"... What did I do wrong?"
His soft tone surprised her, making Mitsuki look at him again.
"What… did you do- no, Hon- M-Masaru, I told you, you didn't do anything wrong. It was… it was all my fault"
"I don't get it…" He looked down, shaking his head. "I don't get why you would do this. There must be something wrong that I did. Something… anything, however small and insignificant to me it was, there has to be..."
"No… no no no no, Masaru, listen. It was my fault. I did this"
"So what?!" The sudden loud tone made her whole body tense up. "What did I do, Mitsuki? Did I forget any important date?"
"What… no, you didn't-"
"Did I say something to you that got you upset?"
"No, I-"
"Is it because of the work? I'm not around for enough time? I'm not giving you the amount of attention you want, what? What did I ever do that you would stab me in the back like this?!"
The angry face, the harsh and loud tone, these were things she rarely saw coming from him, which only made Mitsuki feel even worse. The damage was so great she caused her husband to have a 180 in personality.
"I told you already… you did nothing wrong, Masaru"
His glare was fixed on her and to Mitsuki, it felt like she would be consumed by flames at any moment.
"~sigh~ I knew it…" Masaru apparently lost his bad temper, moving his glasses up to rub his eyes. "There must be something wrong with me," He concluded.
"Something wrong with… no, d-dear, there's nothing-"
"Just tell me, okay? Am I not tall enough for you, or do I look too average? I'm not jacked enough, or manly enough? I'm too soft, or nerdy, or… too submissive?" He asked these things staring at her right in the eyes.
"No… no no no no, none of these things is a problem, I lo-" The word hurt her so much now that she confessed, but it was still the truth. "I love you because of these things, and many more"
He breathed in deeply to keep his temper cool. She definitely wasn't used to seeing his upset face.
"Mitsuki, am I… not satisfying you enough? … Am I too boring in bed, or I can't make you get there?"
"Eh?" Well then, of all the things she planned to speak when confessing, this was one she completely ignored, perhaps unconsciously. Cheating on him was already a pang of major guilt, but doing so because of that? It was hitting the bottom of the well and digging further down to her.
"That's it, right? I'm too short or… not good enough to satisfy you. Or maybe you just got tired of me and… ~sigh~"
Her feelings for Izuku were definitely there, but on top of that, her sex drive played a huge role in the reasons why she let this go on for so long. Izuku was younger, more physically attractive, and well, he did have an "advantage" over her husband. She got to do things she didn't usually do with Masaru, and despite her personality, Mitsuki actually felt a different kind of pleasure when being "dominated", for the lack of a better word.
Perhaps, looking back at it, the act of taking that innocent sun child down the road of lust and seduction also got her hooked up. If he asked, she would be honest: sex with Izuku was a completely different experience from what she had with him. It would most likely hurt his pride and hammer down the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. She decided to not regret her feelings for Izuku, nor the time they spent together, but it came at the cost of her marriage and by extension her family. And Mitsuki knew deep inside that there was no way she could move in and live with the green-haired teen, even after he had legal age to engage. Seeing him would be a constant reminder of what she did, and the scenario where she gets to live a "happy life" with him after basically destroying her family didn't sit well with Mitsuki in the slightest.
"Well, I…" She started shyly, but it was hard to find the words that would hurt him less. "Honestly, what I did behind your back felt… awesome. I've never felt like that before, and I got so caught up. The thrill of doing something forbidden, and the… the nights and afternoons, and days that I spent… doing that-"
"Having sex. That's the word you're looking for." He added dryly, which made Mitsuki wince.
"Yes. The sex felt great, more than that, it felt awesome. I felt loved and taken care of… n-not that you didn't take care of me! I just-" She exhaled hopelessly. There was nothing she could say to make this look slightly less bad. "I'm sorry, Masaru. I let myself fall into that fantasy. You were not always around, and we kinda had our routine in the bed and… I wanted something different, and there was this huge… tension, and I gave in because… because I'm stupid, and a whore. And you never deserved any of this"
Mitsuki wanted to vanish right now. Blow into a cloud of smoke, go invisible, or maybe the floor opening like a maw and swallowing her would be a more suitable option for someone like her. She also really wanted that slap to hit her square in the face.
"Come on, hit me, scream at me, put out all that anger. And then we can try to fix this mess…" She pleaded inside her head. But even that felt like a fantasy outcome to her. Deep down she knew Masaru would never go to such lengths.
The man looked down, making it hard for her to read his expression. Masaru stood in silence for a while, then slowly got up and calmly walked to their room. Meanwhile, Mitsuki followed with her eyes, holding a confused and expectant face. She stared in the direction of their room in silence, wondering what he was doing. She then saw him come out in changed clothes, ready for work. Was he going to just head off to work after she confessed her crime?
Apparently yes because before she realized he was at the door. So she quickly jumped off the couch and went after him, holding his hand as he was halfway through the door.
"Masaru, wait! You… you barely said something"
He remained to look forward in silence.
"Masaru… dear, please. Say… say something..."
More painful silence.
"Dear… please. Please, please… Please say something, Masaru!" She pleaded, hugging his arm desperately and resting her forehead against his chest.
"Say something. Call me a bitch, a whore, a slut, or whatever. Slap me on the face, say how worthless I am, or how you're disgusted and disappointed, just… Just say something to me!"
Just when she thought she would receive another round of silent treatment, she felt a hand rest on top of her head. He would sometimes pat her head and play with her hair when she was feeling really down to cheer her up. It was as gentle as the other times, but the goal was another. Mitsuki felt him gently but firmly pushing her away. Next, he freed his arm from her grasp, never looking at her face.
"I'll go to work and return at seven as usual. That is if I don't get any extra work. Take whatever you want. By that time, I don't want to see you here…"
At this moment, Mitsuki felt like her heart halted completely. Such was the coldness of his tone, but not in some cruel way. No, it was like he didn't have the energy to say anything else. In fact, as he stepped out and closed the door, Mitsuki caught a glimpse of his face. Even in this brief moment, even with his glasses in the way, she could see in his eyes that something inside him was broken. And she was the one to blame.
The door closed without a loud slam. It was as if it was any normal day to them. And so, standing there in the mild darkness, Mitsuki felt the weight of the consequences hit her with full force. If her heart was already pierced multiple times as she told him what she did, now it was completely torn apart and burned to cinders. She lost absolutely everything she cared about in her life. Her legs also lost their strength, and she fell to the floor like a ragdoll.
If she didn't dry out her tears previously, she would cry helplessly now. So her only option was to sob quietly, desperately trying to grasp the heart that hurt so much inside her chest.
End of Chapter
Aaaand done. Oh my, I hope I could deliver the emotions well enough. I know the fic has become more serious in tone, and now there's this sentimental hurricane going on, but I promise to not go full doom and gloom. To be honest, I'm trying to find a good middle ground where it doesn't feel too fictitious (the irony), but also distant enough from reality to have a nice ending for everyone. Now watch me struggle with the ins and outs of complex relationships...
But I'll stop rambling. Like always, thanks for reading, leave a review if you feel like it. Hope you had a fun time. See ya readers in the next chapter.
