You had really pulled a number on yourself this time.
A shiver ran down your spine as you huddled by the bathroom door, listening for signs of Coco. Your ears strained to hear light sounds of shuffling feet and the clatter of kitchenware. Odd breaks of silence left you dumbfounded and trying to pinpoint his exact location and what he was doing downstairs.
To be completely honest, you were stuck.
Taking a shower might have been a nice idea to begin with, but you had forgotten to bring your towel with you to actually get use afterwards. The worst part was, you knew exactly where it was and what you needed too. Your bag was downstairs by the foot of the lounge as well. You had developed the habit of picking out your outfit and putting everything at the front, enabling quick access and a quick change. Unfortunately, this was only applicable if you actually brought it with you, or at the very least, your towel to cover up with.
Of course, you could always just call out to Coco to bring it to you, but you couldn't bring yourself to raise your voice out to him. You had tried several times, but each time found nothing more than pitiable squeaks coming out. It's not that you didn't think he wouldn't bring your things, but it was the knowledge that you had made such a stupid error that embarrassed you. That, and it would also confirm that you were indeed trapped naked in his bathroom with nothing to cover your shame with. As much as you had feelings for him, you didn't believe he reciprocated them at all. He was too afraid of being close to anyone, and too much of a gentleman to even consider those kinds of thoughts about you. At least, that's what you kept telling yourself.
You had waited long enough by this point and had simply 'air-dried' off; your wet hair leaving small trails of drops down your back. You had attempted to squeeze out as much of the remaining water as you could, but there was always going to be a small amount left. You creaked the door open slightly and peeked out. You couldn't hear his footsteps coming up the tower, and nor could you hear them in the kitchen. Was he in the lounge room then? Tentatively, you opened the bathroom door wide and stepped out onto the cold stone step; steam billowing out around you like a shroud. Silence greeted you from downstairs and you tiptoed down the staircase, pressing up against the cold stone walls as you did. There was always the possibility that Coco had gone further upstairs to his bedroom, but he tended to only go there when he retreated for the night. He held a belief that he had to entertain you at all times, since you were a guest in his house.
Your toes stopped in front of the rounded archway that connected the side tower and flight of stairs to the heart of his home. You shivered once again as a drop of water rolled down your back, and you could feel your heart hammering in your chest. Of all the times to be in this state, why did it have to be around Coco? You strained your ears again, trying to listen for his presence; so much so that you had even taken to holding your breath unconsciously. You thought the coast was clear, and just as you were about to move your foot a fraction further out, a chair scraping the floor lightly pulled you back into a nervous huddle. Blood pounded through your system and you waited to be caught. You couldn't bring yourself to look around the bricked wall, so you were relying on your auditory senses, even with the rush of blood thumping through them causing a skewed sense of hearing.
You heard a light thump on the table as well as a small sigh, before soft footsteps began to tread around the kitchen again. More clinking and clattering of unknown objects permeated the air and you wondered exactly what he was doing in there. You silently wished for him to leave; something you never thought you would feel in your life. Just for five minutes or so, so you could make your escape. Your mouthed 'please' over and over again, only stopping when you heard the quiet tap of Coco's shoes stop just in front of the archway. You pulled your hands over your mouth; fear lacing your eyes and you started to shake. One step more and you would be found. Coco's shadow loomed on the opposite wall, towering from the light source behind his physical frame.
"It's been a while," You heard Coco whisper to himself. "I wonder if she's okay…"
You squeezed your eyes shut out of guilt, trying to suppress the thundering pace of your heartbeat. He was right; it had been an incredibly long time since you said you were going to go freshen up. If only you hadn't messed up and forgotten such a basic piece of equipment.
"Maybe I should go up and check on her?"
Your heart stopped. The world seemed to slow and you could see the rounded toe of his shoe peek into the stairwell. It stopped, frozen in mid-air before retreating back to its place on the floor.
"No, I'm sure she's fine. Give her some space."
It was like he was scolding himself with the way his tone shifted from concern to a mild harshness. You listened as his footsteps shuffled away and they pottered about the kitchen once again. Your moment of opportunity came when you heard the front door open and shut; the sound of Coco's footsteps disappearing into the springy grass outdoors.
You hauled your body out from your hiding spot and ran as fast as you could through the kitchen into the lounge room. In your flurry, you knocked a cabinet with your elbow, causing the crockery and dining sets inside to rattle ominously as you let out an expletive.
"(Y/n)? Are you alright?" Coco called through one of the windows in the first room.
You almost ripped open the zipper from your bag and pulled your bra on with astonishing speed before covering your top half with a simple, floral blouse. You had managed to pull a set of leggings out, but your set of underwear seemed to have disappeared into the ether, so you were scrounging through your clothing looking for something, anything that you could wear. Your saviour came in the form of a racy, black G-string. You shrugged, not bothering to look for something else, since you were pressed for time.
Coco, on the other hand, would find this choice to be his downfall.
When he had heard the loud crash and you hadn't responded to his call, he made his way back into the house quickly. He had worried that you had fallen and hurt yourself, but was thankful he didn't see your body lying on the floor. He could hear you scratching around in the lounge room and he peeked in to check if you were okay.
What he didn't expect to see was the absolute bare minimum of lace flying up your thighs, somehow preserving your modesty with such a small amount of fabric. His eyes widened before he made a complete one-eighty and strolled back into the kitchen, taking residence in the chair furthest away and trying to delve back into his book. He knew he wouldn't be able to, but it was better than sitting awkwardly without some sort of prop to make the whole scene look somewhat normal. It was also the first time that he wasn't a fan of the skin-tight body suit he was so accustomed to wearing now. It felt like a second skin, which is why he was so fond of it, but not so much now since it wasn't even trying to mask the erection he was now sporting.
"Hey Coco." You said as nonchalantly as possible, fixing the hem of your shirt so it wasn't tucked into your leggings. You had wrapped your towel over your shoulders now as well, the wet ends of your hair seeping into the soft terry cloth.
"How was your day?"
"N-not bad." Coco said, trying not to let his voice crack further. "Mostly the same as every other day."
"Do you ever get tired of predicting fortunes?" You asked, taking a seat opposite him, peering at him quizzically.
"Some days make me want to change jobs. But it's not all bad."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Mmm, I guess because sometimes there's hints about ingredients that capture my interest. They crop up from time to time, which makes me interested."
"As interested as that book you've got there?"
Coco finally lifted his eyes from the pages, his cheeks crossing with a slight tinge of red. Not making eye contact with you when you were talking was highly unlike him, but his mind was definitely elsewhere.
"I'm sorry, I'm being quite rude." He said, smiling apologetically in your direction. 'This book happens to be one of my favourites."
"Oh really?" You smirked, propping your chin up with your fingers interlaced like a bridge as you leaned on the table.
"Yes?" Coco blinked at you.
"I guess that explains why you're reading it upside down." You winked at him and poked your tongue out cheekily.
Coco dropped his gaze and looked back up at you rapidly, alternating between the book and your eyes.
"…yes." Was all he said, the tips of his ears growing crimson, eliciting a giggle from you.
"It's fine. I'm sure there's a reason for it." You said, not breaking eye contact on his features.
You had missed him since he had gone back into Gourmet Fortune for a day of work, but you kept yourself busy with a bunch of different tasks. You had just finished preparing dinner for you both when he had arrived back onto the plateau with Kiss, but you looked like you had fought with a bag of flour and lost when he had walked in the first time. This is what lead you to wanting a shower in the first place, not giving either of you the opportunity for idle talk since his return.
"Regardless," he said, closing the book and moving it to the side. "I hope you found enough to keep you interested today."
"Oh, don't worry about me. I was fine." You waved a hand dismissively before getting up from your seat. 'Are you hungry?"
'I could do with something to eat." He said, straining to give you a smile while he flexed his hands repeatedly. You noticed his action and found it odd.
"Are you alright?" You asked, furrowing your brow at him. He caught your gaze and immediately stopped his action.
"I'm fine?" he asked, trying to play it all off coolly.
You stared him down, narrowing your eyes suspiciously at him.
"Mmmkay. I'm watching you." You said with a grin, before turning to cook up dinner.
Coco gave a weak smile to your back, an ache growing in his abdomen while he watched you meander around the kitchen almost easily. It hadn't taken you long to learn where most things were kept, and you appreciated how organised it all was. It almost felt…homey.
"Hey, Coco, could you help me get the Honey Dragon Honey down for me, please?" You asked, stretching on your tiptoes as far as you could reach into the high cupboard. Your fingers were just grazing the jar overhead.
Coco was struggling with his own demons, knowing fully well that if he stood up, he wouldn't be able to hide his rather distinct issue from you. At the same time, it was inherently in his nature to assist anyone who asked for his help. He slowly peeled himself away from his seat, watching you with his sharp eyes. To his luck, your fingers found purchase around the glass jar and you brought it close to your chest.
"Phew! Never mind, I've got it." You said happily, watching him recede back into his seat with an inaudible sigh of relief. "You just sit and relax. I'll get everything sorted for us both."
You gave him a broad smile, turning back to your cooking, humming softly as you went along. Coco leaned on his hand and continued to watch you work through his long lashes. A wave of affection washed through his system, drenching most of his arousal and replacing it with a sombre feeling of warmth instead. This warmth counteracted with his usual cool body conduction, and he found himself enjoying the change in temperature. He was starting to become fond of it.
Both of you spent a quiet night in the lounge room, mostly talking about nothing and everything. Coco had even complimented you on your cooking, giving you a happy glow from the pit of your stomach. You had mentioned that you wished you could get fresh ingredients, but being here without a way across the valley left you without much freedom. You hadn't meant it as a gripe, but more as an observation of your current position in life. Coco, however, had a twinge of blame settling in his stomach, and offered to take you somewhere of your choice whenever you wanted. Your mind began running rampant with all of the ideas where you could possibly go. The world seemed to open up to you and you realised…you really didn't know what was out there.
It had grown late; the sun settling behind the mountains long ago, and Coco bid you goodnight before retreating upstairs to his own room. You settled down under your blanket again, resting on the squishy pillow around you, noticing the subtle scent of Coco's cologne lingered in the fibres of the lounge. His aroma surrounded you and you breathed it in deeply, butterflies stirring in your stomach over the idea of being cradled in his arms again. You didn't want to sleep and lose out on this feeling, but your eyes fought for dominance, blurring out the world around you and drowning it in darkness.
Coco lay awake, with his hands covering his face and he let out a groan. He was always so in control of his actions, but since meeting you, every day was like a roller coaster he couldn't get off. He never thought that he would feel so out of control of his own body, not since the days he was held hostage under the scrutiny of IGO scientists. You did something to him that he couldn't explain, and his confliction grew more and more every day. He was acutely aware of what his poison could do to someone, but a growing need to get closer to you gnawed away at him more and more with every passing day. His memory filtered back to the moment, when he walked in on you earlier, waking his excitement from its sated slumber.
He didn't want to deal with it. He willed it to go back down, but it refused to. He pleaded with his conscious to listen to him, but he was fighting a losing battle. His hand inched its way down from his face and down his body, until it found its comfort gripped around his length and began pumping away.
It was a long night for Coco.