Hello, everyone! After the end of the Agitate Halation arc, in this chapter, Mikoto and Touma have another date night together.
rubengalihalexis: Yeah, Shokuhou having problems with animals was pretty funny. For Mikoto's animal problems, did you mean how cats run away from her? Shokuhou hasn't quite found out yet, but it will happen at some point, and she will certainly be upset. I'm not yet sure when I'll have the Railgang learn about magic, but I do want to make that happen at some point.
Toa Solaric: Thanks, and yeah, when Shokuhou finds out, the resulting scene will be something to watch out for.
Nightfang123: Othinus's relationship with Touma will probably be a little different here, since Mikoto is already his girlfriend, but they'll probably still get along pretty well.
Blankow: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed my version of the NT7 arc.
Stryper88: Yeah, Shokuhou will probably be bewildered why Touma chose a girl who isn't his stated type, especially if she really did grow her breasts because of that comment Touma made to her. I will be covering parts of NT11, mostly focusing on the scenes involving Touma. I'm glad you liked my retelling of the fight. It's sometimes a little boring to just rewrite these fights without any changes, but it's good that it was easy to follow. I am trying to show Mikoto teasing Touma some more, as per your suggestion, since it shows just how close they are. For NT9, I'll probably can't shorten that key scene, though I may be able to summarize some of the other chapters and worlds if not much changes from canon. You're right that Mikoto may be part of the reason he wants to go back, but he may also want to protect her happiness in the perfect world even more. I don't think they have time to visit their moms during NT8, but the moms will probably talk about their children's relationship in that scene where they're together. This new chapter is indeed a slice-of-life one, so I hope you'll like it. A chapter where they go to a festival would be fun, though it might have to wait until after NT22R, since the timeline until then is packed.
LordChorizoCosmico: I think Tsuchimikado was either weakened from his previous fight or let Touma win, though it's True that Touma has progressed a lot. Hamazura is definitely an interesting protagonist. I also like writing these joint missions, and I just wish we could see them fight together more often in canon. Touma's body does heal really quickly, even outside his right arm, and he does try to live a normal school life as much as possible. A date at the Learning Core is a great idea! There are a lot of good places to visit there, and the planetarium would be very romantic and meaningful for Mikoto. Yes, little girls seem to cause or foretell trouble in this franchise. Touma is very smart in battle and always finds unexpected ways to turn the situation around. Both Touma and Mikoto seem to be heroes that don't want to call themselves heroes. Shokuhou finally appearing in person was a cool scene to write, and her ability can be used in a lot of creepy ways, even if she's trying to achieve a good goal. I assume that Shokuhou didn't actually intend to kill Mikoto, but she likely did intend for Mikoto to at least get harmed a little. Shokuhou would be very shocked if she learned exactly what happened between Mikoto and Touma in Hawaii. Mikoto will probably be glad she confessed to Touma soon enough when she finds out that Shokuhou is in love with him too. I don't think Shokuhou would go that far, but she would certainly be upset. That scene could indeed end up being both sad and fun to read. Yes, having to hold back puts big limits on what Mikoto can do, and I also like seeing what she can do when she doesn't have to worry about such limits. In the fight, Kakine didn't use the swarm of beetles, though I suppose he could have. Each beetle is somehow a different consciousness, but they're all controlled by Kakine. Indeed, most of Touma's best fights are one-on-one, though he is learning to work with Mikoto in fights. Of course it wouldn't be a Touma fight without a big speech and a punch to the face. A kiss would've been nice too, though Kakine and Fremea were still in the room with them, so they settled for a hug this time.
MarauderPrime12: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
xellos540: Agitate Halation is one of the more forgettable arcs. I think Tsuchimikado was either weakened from his previous fight or just let Touma win. I guess Touma just meant that a lot of more people were involved in this incident? The Agitate Halation project was somehow manipulating people into saving Fremea. It had something to do with AIM diffusion fields. Thanks for catching that error, I fixed it. Touma can be smart, especially during battles. Yeah, Shokuhou treats Mikoto really badly for things that aren't really Mikoto's fault. Mikoto probably knows that Shokuhou can keep tabs on her through her information network. For precognition, even if Accelerator doesn't need to move his body, he'd make small muscle movements with his face and the rest of his body, which Touma can subconsciously pick up on. Yeah, I'm not sure why she thought Touma always has flawless victories. Fremea does seem rather mature here, but I guess it's because of the bad situation. That was another mistake, thanks for catching it. Shokuhou wasn't there to see their reunion. Touma found a way to maybe save the Rensas, but Fraulein is going to kill Yakumi. Saten currently thinks that Frenda is probably dead, but she doesn't have confirmation.
Kin yah: Yeah, I'm not quite sure about that either, it's not really explained in the novel. Maybe since Rensa has a hypothalamus to output esper powers, all of Accelerator's powers came with it?
A couple of days later, Mikoto and Touma were out on another date. They were currently at a movie theater, having just finished watching the film "An Iron Bridge is a Sign of Love," which was Mikoto's favorite movie.
Mikoto was in a good mood, having enjoyed the movie despite already having watched it multiple times. It had been even better this time because she'd been able to snuggle up with her boyfriend in the seats. She turned to Touma and recounted, "You know, I actually met the director of the film, Beverly Seethrough, in Liberal Arts City!"
Touma looked at her with a confused expression and replied, "Seethrough? My English isn't that great, but doesn't that mean…"
The girl chuckled and nodded, "Yes, it does mean what you're thinking it does. It is a pretty strange name." She then turned to him and asked, "So anyway, what did you think of the movie, Touma?"
The boy brought his hand up to his chin and replied, "Hmm, it was a nice movie. I'm not usually into romance films, but that scene at the beginning where the boy gave the girl his umbrella on the iron bridge was cute." That had been one of the key scenes in the film, and Touma had found it very sweet.
Mikoto excitedly nodded and exclaimed, "I know, right! And the thunderstorm made it a really romantic scene. My favorite part was her confession at the end of the movie. The beautiful, starry, and moonlit night, and doing it on the same iron bridge where she first fell for him, it was an amazing scene!"
Touma gazed at his girlfriend with a fond look on his face. Even if he wasn't as into the movie as she was, he still enjoyed watching her get so excited about something she liked. He also noted, "I guess we also had an experience with an iron bridge. Is that another reason why you like the film, Mikoto?"
The girl wore a bittersweet smile for a moment as she remembered her own scene with Touma on that iron bridge. She then brought up a different memory, "You know, there was that one other time we encountered each other on that iron bridge that I told you about, right? Before you lost your memories, I mean."
Touma grinned at her, remembering what his girlfriend had told him about that encounter. He teased, "Oh, that's when you fired a railgun at me and then called a giant lightning strike on me when that failed, right?"
Mikoto rolled her eyes and retorted, "Yeah, yeah, but again, I deliberately aimed that railgun to miss, though you went ahead and negated it anyway. And that giant lightning strike didn't hit you either." Despite her dismissive tone, she still cringed a little at her behavior back then, glad that her relationship with Touma had greatly developed from that rough starting point.
As she recalled a certain scene from the movie, Mikoto then said in a contemplative tone, "You know, since the film was set in Paris, that thunderstorm probably had a deeper meaning."
Touma tilted his head and asked, "What do you mean? Is a thunderstorm some sort of romantic sign in France?" He was very curious to learn about this.
Mikoto explained, "Well, in French, there's an expression, coup de foudre. It literally means lightning bolt, but it figuratively means love at first sight. So it's pretty symbolic that the girl first fell for the boy during a thunderstorm."
The boy was impressed at her knowledge, but recalled, "Oh yeah, she knows French, so of course she'd know that." He then said to her, "Wow, I didn't know that. But if that's the case, does that mean that you were into me all the way back then?
When she heard his question, Mikoto laughed and replied, "Well, I wasn't fully head over heels for you yet, but I was pretty intrigued by you. It really was our second encounter on that iron bridge that sealed the deal for me. And even after that, my feelings still got even stronger over time."
Touma smiled at his girlfriend and briefly kissed her on the lips, before saying, "I'm glad I was able to make such a good impression then, Biri-Biri."
The two of them then intertwined their hands and started walking through the lobby towards the exit. The movie was only the first part of their date night, so they were now planning to head back to Touma's dorm to spend some more quality time together, even though Index would still be there.
Touma opened the door for the two of them, and they stepped outside, under the awning of the building. When they did so, they noticed to their dismay that it was raining heavily. The weather forecast had said it would be raining now, but not this heavily. Though with the Tree Diagram gone, these forecasts had become less accurate.
The boy then let out a groan, lamenting out loud, "Damn, I didn't bring my umbrella. Just my usual misfortune, I suppose." He dreaded the thought of walking home in this downpour with no cover.
Mikoto grinned and pulled out a small black item from her school bag, announcing, "Well, lucky for you, I was actually prepared and brought along my umbrella, so we can share!"
As he watched her pull out and open her umbrella, Touma laughed and replied, "Wow, leave it to you to be prepared. Though I'm a little surprised it isn't a Gekota umbrella. Frogs go really well with rain, right?"
The girl opened up the black umbrella and replied, "Well, not every single thing I own is Gekota-themed, you idiot." She then brought her hand up to her chin and mused, "Hmm, though a Gekota umbrella would be cute!"
Touma looked at his girlfriend with a soft smile. After a few seconds, he was a little startled when Mikoto held out the umbrella towards his hand. As he gave her a confused look, she told him, "You should hold it, since you're taller."
The boy took it from her, muttering, "All right." At the same time, Mikoto wrapped her arm around his free arm and leaned against him with a smile. Touma blushed a little at the sudden close contact, but he leaned back against her and enjoyed her gentle grip.
Mikoto smirked up at him and said, "Would you do me the honor of escorting me to your home?"
Touma smirked back at her and said, "Of course, princess." He held the umbrella above both of their heads, and they began walking through the rain, arm-in-arm.
They could hear the sounds of the heavy rain pelting against their umbrella, as well as on the ground. Some stray drops did hit the couple, but the umbrella was mostly doing its job in keeping them dry. They leaned into each other as closely as possible, and this was only partially to minimize their exposure to the rain. Both of them had red cheeks, not just from the cold, but also from their proximity to each other.
As they walked along the street, they noticed that they were being watched by some of the people nearby. Mikoto noticed that some of the girls were looking at her and her boyfriend with awed looks, likely gushing at the romantic scene. Meanwhile, Touma saw that some of the boys were glaring at him, probably because he had somehow managed to snag a high-class Tokiwadai girl. He winced and thought to himself, "I guess this is payback for all the times I glared at happy couples when I was single."
Mikoto rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder and contently sighed, "Walking together in the rain like this, it's pretty nice, don't you think?" This was something she had fantasized about doing with Touma many times, so she was glad that this dream of hers had become a reality.
Touma's cheeks reddened as he felt her soft hair against his face, but he smiled and replied, "Yeah, I feel really cozy with you here." He then learned down and planted a quick kiss on her lips.
It was now Mikoto's turn to blush harder. Although this was not their first time kissing in public, it was still a little embarrassing, especially since a number of people had been staring at them previously. But she soon regained her composure and thought, "Eh, who cares what other people think?"
At this point, the rain started falling even more heavily, and the drops were starting to hit their skin and clothes even with the umbrella. Touma cursed, "Damn, we'll have to make a break for it!" He pulled on his girlfriend's arm, and they both began running as quickly as they could, while Touma continued holding onto the umbrella.
As they ran along the sidewalk, a car drove by on the adjacent road, straight through a large puddle. A giant mass of water thus splashed towards the couple. Touma's eyes widened as he saw what was about to happen. Since he was closest to the road, he instinctively shielded his girlfriend, so most of the cold water fell onto him. Once it was all over, he could only say, "Just my rotten luck!" His clothes were soaked completely through, and he could feel cold water on all parts of his skin.
Unfortunately, despite his attempt to protect her, Mikoto had also been hit by the water. It didn't completely go through to her skin underneath, but her clothes were still drenched. She groaned as she looked down at them, but when she saw her boyfriend's condition, she said in an annoyed tone, "You idiot, why did you let yourself get hit like that, now you're going to catch a cold!"
Touma just shrugged and replied, "I didn't want you to get soaked, Biri-Biri. Though I guess now we might both catch colds." Indeed, both of them started shivering, with the warmth of their clothing having been neutralized.
Mikoto sighed, knowing that he would always choose to suffer in order to keep her safe. She then said, "Well, let's just hurry and get to your place." They would need to get to shelter as quickly as possible.
The boy nodded and replied, "Yeah, let's go." They once again started running towards his dorm, still with their arms interlocked.
A little while later, they finally reached at Touma's front door. They had gotten even more soaked in the rain, but Mikoto and Touma were now eager to get inside.
Touma released his girlfriend's arm and started fumbling in his pocket for his key. Mikoto waited impatiently for a few seconds, but she then sighed and held out her hand to use her ability. Sending out a few sparks towards the lock, she was easily able to unlock it.
They walked inside the room, and Touma closed the door behind them, announcing, "Index, we're home!" He then turned back to his girlfriend and joked, "Mikoto, should I be worried at how easily you can break into my home?"
Mikoto rolled her eyes and retorted, "Don't worry, Touma, I won't break into your place without you present, unless it's absolutely necessary. Like the time you sneaked into my dorm room." They were both dripping rainwater on the floor, and she was eager to dry herself off.
Index was currently sitting on the bed and she greeted them, "Welcome home, Touma! And hello, Mikoto." Since Touma had told her that he was bringing his girlfriend over, she wasn't surprised to see her there.
Touma somewhat nervously asked Index, "You had dinner already, right?" He had left her plenty of food, but sometimes she wasn't satisfied with that.
To his relief, Index answered, "Yes, and it was delicious." Although she didn't relish the prospect of seeing the happy couple shamelessly flirt with each other, at least she'd gotten a nice meal.
Mikoto then asked her boyfriend, "You have some clothes I can borrow, right?" She cursed herself for not bringing an extra set of clothes with her, but at least it presented her with this golden opportunity.
The boy nodded, "I think so." He walked over to his closet and picked out some dry clothes for both himself and his girlfriend. He then returned to Mikoto, and they both began heading into the bathroom.
Index's eyes widened as she saw this, and she exclaimed, "Why are you two going into the bathroom together? That's totally inappropriate!"
Mikoto was a little startled by the other girl's exclamation, but she figured, "I guess she doesn't know?" She felt a little conflicted, but eventually decided to just come out and say, "It's okay Index, we've already seen each other naked before, so this isn't a big deal."
Touma winced at this, knowing the furor that those words would soon cause. Indeed, Index immediately jumped out of the bed and hurried over to them. She glared at the boy and asked, "Touma, does this mean what I think it means?"
The boy nervously gulped, but soon steeled his expression and admitted, "Yes, it's true. Mikoto and I did had sex when we were in Hawaii."
As if something had physically struck her, Index reeled back in shock on hearing those words. She sputtered out, "B-but having those kinds of relations outside of marriage is completely immoral and against church rules! I can't believe you'd act in such a manner, Touma!"
Mikoto furrowed her brows in confusion and wondered, "Is this girl serious?"
Touma just rolled his eyes and firmly replied, "Index, first of all, I'm not actually part of your church, so I don't have to follow its rules. Second of all, as long as both me and Mikoto are okay with it, there's nothing immoral about it at all!"
Index frowned, displeased by his response. She crossed her arms and turned her back to them, walking back to the bed and muttering, "Fine, do whatever you want."
Mikoto and Touma then stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind them. Touma placed the dry clothes on the sink counter, and both of them began removing their wet clothes.
Toum watched as his girlfriend removed her blazer, and the sight of her wet white dress shirt was something to behold. Like he'd previously told her, the shirt was clinging tightly to her upper body, allowing him to see all of her curves. But even more importantly, since her shirt was now translucent, he could see what was underneath, including her pink bra and her belly.
Of course, Mikoto noticed his blatantly obvious staring, and her cheeks reddened as a result. Although she'd been composed in front of Index, now that she was in the moment, a part of her wanted to cover her chest with her arms. But she told herself, "Calm down Mikoto, it's fine."
She decided instead to gaze over at her boyfriend. He had just taken off his outer shirt, so she was blessed with the view of his wet shirt outlining his own chest. Unfortunately, his shirt wasn't white, so she couldn't see through it. Fortunately, he then took off that shirt, allowing her to see his well-toned upper body, as well as the water droplets dripping down it.
Meanwhile, Mikoto took off her own shirt, followed by her skirt and shorts, giving her boyfriend an even better view. He gulped as he traced his eyes up and down her long legs. He also took off his pants, and Mikoto did the same to him.
While continuing to stare at each other's wet bodies in a lustful daze, both of them continued removing the rest of their clothes. At some point, they accidentally made eye contact with each other. When that happened, they blushed harder and nervously laughed, feeling a little embarrassed but also really happy.
Touma grabbed a nearby towel and started drying himself off. He saw that his girlfriend was about to do the same, so he suggested, "Hey, you want to take a shower first, Biri-Biri?"
She was very touched by his consideration. But she gave him a smirk and said, "Oh sure, but I expected you to suggest that we shower together!"
The boy's entire face became red as he imagined that scenario. He nervously rubbed his neck and said, "W-well, I can't say I didn't think about that, but if we did do that, we'd get pretty dirty instead of getting clean, don't you think?" With Index in the apartment and possibly being able to hear them in the bathroom, he didn't want to take any risks.
Mikoto also rubbed her head and said in an embarrassed tone, "Y-yeah, you're probably right about that. I'll shower first, and then you can shower after me." She removed her underwear and set them with her other clothes. While she enjoyed him staring at her nude body, she asked him, "Could you wash my clothes, Touma?"
The boy could barely hear her question, being very distracted at the moment, but he nodded and answered, "Sure, Mikoto. But it'll take a while, so do you have any spare underwear? I chould only get you a shirt and some shorts."
The girl smiled and him and said, "It's fine, I can go without for now." Touma pulled off his underwear and started putting on the dry clothes he'd picked out for himself, since he'd be waiting a bit to shower himself. Mikoto glanced down at his naked body for a few moments, but then asked, "Actually, would it be okay if I spent the night here? I don't really want to go back home in the pouring rain."
Touma was a little surprised by his girlfriend's request, but he soon answered, "Sure, I'd love that!" Even though Index would be there, this would be the first time his girlfriend slept over at his place. Once he was fully dressed, in a comfortable long-sleeved shirt and gym shorts, he gestured to the other set of dry clothes and said, "You can wear those, I picked ones that are a little small on me, so they should fit you comfortably enough." He then picked up both of their discarded wet clothes and walked out of the bathroom.
Touma was a little tempted to feel her pink bra and panties, but he quickly walked over to the washing machine and placed both his clothes and hers inside. He added some detergent and then started the machine, which would take about an hour. Once that was done, he thought to himself, "I can't dry them outside while it's raining, so we'll have to figure some other way."
The boy then headed into the living room and sat down on the floor. He looked over at the bed and saw that Index was glaring at him with her arms crossed. He sighed and asked, "What's wrong, Index?"
Index replied in a very annoyed tone, "What's wrong? How about the fact that you were apparently having such a great time with your girlfriend in Hawaii, while I was stuck here at home. I shouldn't have even bothered worrying about you, Touma!"
Touma groaned and just replied, "Look Index, it wasn't like that's all we did in Hawaii. Fighting against GREMLIN wasn't all fun and games, especially since they hired a mercenary army. Plus, they've caused much more trouble since then, and they'll probably strike again soon." He hoped bringing up the threat of GREMLIN would distract Index from his physical relationship with Mikoto.
Index did show a worried expression when he mentioned GREMLIN, and she said, "That's right, GREMLIN is still a threat. I know you're just going to go and fight them, but I hope you'll be careful."
Touma was relieved that his tactic had worked. He smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, I will." He recalled to himself, "After all, I promised Biri-Biri that I would protect myself too."
That response seemed to satisfy Index, so the two of them sat silently for a few minutes. Now that she had more time to think about it, Index felt heartbroken knowing that Touma and Mikoto had apparently advanced into such a serious stage of their relationship, even if it was to be expected. However, the boy was very happy with his girlfriend, so Index maintained her resolve to not disrupt that.
Meanwhile, Touma sat contently and listened to the sound of the running shower. He tried not to focus too much on the mental image of the water running down Mikoto's naked body, or her washing herself. He instead tried to focus on the fact that he was about to spend a cozy night with his girlfriend.
A little while later, the bathroom door opened, and Mikoto emerged from it. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of gym shorts. The shirt was a little loose on her, such that the sleeves covered half of her hands and the bottom went down to mid-thigh. The shorts were a little loose around her waist and went down to her knees.
When Touma saw his girlfriend wearing his clothes for the first time, his reaction was, "You look so cute, Biri-Biri!"
Mikoto blushed at his gushing compliment, and she replied, "Th-thanks, Touma! The shower's all yours!"
The boy stood up, saying, "All right." He walked past her into the bathroom, eager to take his own shower.
Meanwhile, Mikoto made herself comfortable on the floor. She felt very comfy and secure wearing Touma's shirt, thinking to herself, "It's almost like he's hugging me!" She glanced down at one of the sleeves and couldn't resist the urge to bring it up to her nose and smell it. Even though it was washed, Mikoto could still detect a hint of her boyfriend's scent. She sighed in happiness and muttered, "It even smells like him!"
Index looked at her weirdly and asked, "What are you doing, Mikoto?"
Mikoto blushed in embarrassment and dropped her arm from her face, frantically replying, "N-nothing!"
Index continued looking at her with suspicion, and she asked Mikoto, "So, you're probably staying the night, aren't you?" If she and Touma had already reached the stage of sleeping together, it wouldn't be surprising, even if Index hadn't been consulted.
Mikoto nodded, "Yeah, I am. I know it's short notice, but I was originally planning to just stay for a couple of hours, but then this big storm came in."
Index sighed, "It's fine, it would be rude to force you to go home in the pouring rain." Especially since Mikoto's clothes were all wet.
Mikoto smiled at her, grateful for the other girl's consideration, and replied, "Thanks, Index."
They settled into a comfortable silence for a bit, before Index brought up another topic, "So you and Touma got involved in another incident recently?" She had already been worried about the boy during the Ichihanaran Festival, but even after that, he'd become involved in an incident entirely separate from GREMLIN.
In response to the other girl's question, Mikoto winced, knowing that Index disliked being left out of the loop. After all, Mikoto had felt the same way sometimes, before she and Touma had started dating. Mikoto replied, "Yeah, though this time it didn't involve the Magic Side. It was all caused by someone on the Science Side." She decided not to mention Tsuchimikado's diversion using a fake magical bomb threat, though she glared at the wall adjacent to the spy's apartment and thought, "I guess since he did it to save his stepsister, I shouldn't fry that bastard for mailing Touma into the School Garden. But man, do I really want to!"
A little later, Touma came back out of the bathroom, wearing the same clothes as before. He stretched up his arms and exclaimed, "That was a nice shower!" He then headed for his closet and pulled out the futon he usually slept on, as well as a large blanket and two pillows.
As Index watched his actions, she asked, "Is she going to sleep in the bathtub with you, Touma?"
Touma glanced over at his girlfriend, and then immediately shook his head, "Of course not! Sorry Index, but we'll be sleeping in the living room."
Index sighed and conceded, "I suppose that's fine for tonight, as long as you don't do anything inappropriate." She wasn't relishing being in the same room as them, and definitely not if they were going to engage in any amorous activities.
Mikoto chuckled and said, "Don't worry, we won't do anything like that with you around." This made Index sigh in relief, though Mikoto then wondered how often she and Touma could realistically spend the night alone together.
Touma set the futon down on the floor of the living room, placing the pillows aside for now. Mikoto crawled over and sat down on top of it, leaning back against the table. He gently patted the spot next to her and said, "Come sit with me, Touma."
The boy was eager to oblige her, so he sat down right next to his girlfriend, so that their shoulders, sides, and legs were touching. He threw the large blanket around himself and Mikoto, making them warm and cozy in the slightly chilly room. They enjoyed listening to the relaxing sounds of rain outside while sitting snugly indoors.
Mikoto let out a content sigh and laid her head on Touma's shoulder, and Touma reached over and intertwined his right hand with her left hand, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. He said to her in a soft tone, "I love you, Biri-Biri."
Mikoto's cheeks reddened, but she turned to him with a smile and kissed his cheek. She then said softly into his ear, "I love you too, Touma."
Touma couldn't resist her after hearing that, so he placed his free hand on her arm and gently pulled his girlfriend into a kiss. Mikoto readily reciprocated, and deepened the kiss using her tongue. They enjoyed their kiss for a few seconds, but they heard Index making annoyed noises behind them, so they soon pulled apart, taking a few deep breaths.
Afterwards, Mikoto rested her head back on Touma's shoulder, and he removed his left hand from her right arm. Mikoto was a little disappointed that she couldn't be as affectionate with her boyfriend as she'd like. As she looked down at the blanket that was covering their upper bodies and legs, she grinned as she came up with a fun idea.
She raised both of her feet a bit and rested them against Touma's feet. She then proceeded to rub them against his feet, using her toes, soles, and heels to apply gentle pressure against them.
Touma initially felt a ticklish sensation, but he blushed when he realized that his girlfriend was playing footsie with him under the blanket. He looked over at her and saw that she was covering her mouth with her free hand, trying to keep from laughing. He then thought to himself, "Two can play at that game, Biri-Biri!" The boy countered by using his feet to play with her feet.
They continued playing footsie for a while, occasionally glancing at each other and letting out quiet giggles, trying to keep Index unaware. In the process, their legs became more and more intertwined, and Mikoto eventually had her entire legs on top of her boyfriend's. At this point, Touma decided that they may as well complete the process, and pulled his girlfriend so she was sitting in his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and gently massaged his hands with hers.
Index had just been sitting and watching them flirt and cuddle with each other, and she really wanted to take a break from the sight. So, she decided to head to the bathroom to change into her pajamas and get ready to sleep.
Meanwhile, Touma asked his girlfriend, "So, how's school going for you, Mikoto?"
Mikoto thought for a moment and shrugged, "Same as usual, I guess. Nothing too interesting is going on."
The boy then wondered, "Just curious, but have you told anyone at your school about us?" Although he'd only told some of his classmates, pretty much his entire school knew by now that he was dating the Railgun.
The girl shook her head and replied, "No, I've only told Kuroko." She then quickly said to reassure him, "It's not because I'm ashamed of you or anything, I'm just not really close with any of my classmates, plus I don't really want weird rumors to spread around."
Touma chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, I didn't think you were. It makes sense that you wouldn't want people you don't know talking about your personal life. But haven't the girls at Tokiwadai seen you wearing that ring?"
Mikoto answered, "Yes, but it's not that uncommon to wear a ring, even if you're not dating anyone. And whenever someone asks me about it, I just say I bought it for myself, which is technically true. Though just before I met up with you in the School Garden the other day, I actually ran into one particular girl who seemed suspicious even after that explanation. So I might not be able to keep it a secret for much longer." Mikoto didn't like the thought of Shokuhou knowing, since she knew the other girl would surely use the information to mess with her.
The boy frowned and asked, "Are you worried about what will happen when people at your school find out?"
The girl paused for a moment and then shuffled, "Eh, if it happens, it's fine, I'll deal with it." It would probably be a hassle for a little while, but then the rumor mill would move on to another topic.
At this point, Index returned from the bathroom, having brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. She lay on the bed and pulled the blanket over herself, saying, "Touma, are you two going to bed soon?"
Touma nervously chuckled and replied, "I guess it's getting pretty late." He pushed away the blanket, and Mikoto stood up from his lap. She held out her hand, and Touma grabbed onto it, allowing the girl to help him up as well.
When they reached the bathroom, the boy searched a few of the drawers and soon found what he was looking for. He held out an unopened toothbrush to her and said, "Here's an extra one."
Mikoto smiled and him and replied, "Thanks, Touma." The two of them brushed their teeth together while sneaking glances at each other. The girl thought, "This is just like that time in Hawaii, but this time it's at his home instead of a hotel room!"
Meanwhile, Touma was thinking along similar lines, "I hope we can do this more often. What a nice way to end the day!"
When they finished, they returned back to the living room. By this point, the washing machine had finished washing their clothes. Touma took out the bundle of clothes and said, "We can't dry them outside because of the rain, so I guess we'll have to dry them inside." He figured that they could hang them on the shower rack and dry them overnight.
Mikoto smirked and told him, "Actually, I should be able to dry the clothes with my powers."
The boy's eyes widened, and he guessed, "Oh, that's right, you can output infrared rays and microwaves. Though you're not supposed to put clothes in the microwave, right?"
The girl nodded and explained, "It can be dangerous to use a normal microwave, since the cloth can catch fire once it's dry enough. But I can control my power precisely enough that it shouldn't be a risk."
Touma was once again in awe at the wide applicability of his girlfriend's powers. With an amazed expression on his face, he watched as Mikoto took each piece of clothing in her hands and irradiated it. He was about a meter away from her, but he could still feel some of the heat. Since she could output so much power, the girl was able to completely dry each garment in less than a minute, so it didn't take her that long to get through all of the clothes.
Once she was done, Touma told her, "Wow, you're amazing, Biri-Biri!"
Mikoto blushed a little at his compliment and replied, "Thanks, but it's not that big a deal."
Touma then took the dry clothes, carefully folded them, and placed them in the closet. The two of them then headed for the futon, finally ready to go to bed.
After placing the pillows on one end, the two of them lay down next to each other on the futon. Mikoto then pulled the large blanket over both of them. Instead of resting her head on a pillow, Mikoto used his shoulder instead, allowing Touma to wrap one arm around her back and cradle her head with his other hand. She loved being able to sleep together with him once again.
Touma combed his fingers through the girl's hair and enjoyed the feeling of those soft locks against his face. Meanwhile, Mikoto started gently caressing his chest with her fingers.
Mikoto wanted to say something, but she knew that Index was trying to sleep, so she asked in a soft voice, "Hey, I was wondering, do you ever have any nightmares?"
Touma frowned as he tried to think of the kinds of dreams he had. He murmured back, "Not too often, but sometimes I have dreams about not being able to save people in time. It's especially bad when it's you." When he said this, he saw his girlfriend's expression sadden, so he rubbed her back and added to reassure her, "It's okay, they don't come too often, and I know that they're not real, even if they feel that way."
He then asked, "What about you, Biri-Biri?" He wondered if she was having her own nightmares that had prompted her question.
The girl frowned and admitted, "They were more prevalent back then, but I still sometimes have nightmares about being buried under my sisters' bloody and lifeless bodies."
Touma could tell that she was still traumatized by what her sisters had gone through. He tightened his embrace and continued gently stroking her hair, saying, "It's all right, Mikoto. I know I can never fully understand what you went through, but just like with my nightmares, everything turned out well in the end."
Mikoto smiled at him and softly said, "Thanks, Touma." She then gave him a quick peck on the lips.
Even though the kiss was brief, it still triggered something in Touma, especially since his girlfriend's legs were pressed right against his. As a result, he moved his hand from her back to her butt, giving it a firm grip.
The girl blushed furiously, and she frantically whispered, "Hey, I thought we weren't going to do anything inappropriate with Index right there?" She certainly didn't dislike what he was doing, but she didn't want Index to catch them and get upset.
Touma smirked at her and replied, "Relax, Biri-Biri, she won't find out. As long as you don't moan or anything." He continued by running his hand down her legs, tracing along her bare skin.
Mikoto squirmed a little, but then gave him an annoyed look and whispered, "Why you!" His ego had been quite boosted by how loudly he'd been able to make her moan that night in Hawaii, and he was using that to tease her now.
The girl decided to fight fire with fire, and brought her hand from his chest down to his butt as well. This startled Touma, who also started blushing profusely. But he was even more surprised when Mikoto started kissing him.
They kissed deeply for quite a while, their hands remaining on each other's butts. When they finally pulled apart, they breathed heavily for a few seconds. Touma realized that this could get out of hand quickly, so he whispered, "Okay, you made your point!" He brought his hand back to her back, and Mikoto returned her hand to his chest.
Mikoto was glad that her plan had worked, though now she had to quell her excited feeling. They silently cuddled for a bit to cool down. After that, Mikoto gave the boy a final quick kiss and softly said, "Goodnight, Touma. I love you."
Touma gave her a soft smile, kissed the top of her head, and replied, "I love you too, Mikoto. Goodnight." They both then closed their eyes and started drifting off to sleep.