*Yawns* I did not sleep well last night... Hell, I almost never sleep well. Is this why I sleep so much?
I don't think anyone will ever be able to figure that out.
blahblahblech: Don't know how I pulled it off considering I even had state testing last week... Huh... Guess I'm just awesome.
DarkRai99: Yeah... Yikes. Gotta imagine how much it must hurt for Minato/Makoto to lose your parents and your twin.
IAmSoCleverWithMyNameLol: Bitch, this is the AN/s; I'm unkillable.
True sadly, I tried and tried... But he just keeps coming back for more.
*slaps Makoto*
Ow! Bitch!
Guest: My ego thanks you.
Nightlyy: Everyone has their own personal demons, don't they? She's a Wild Card, but no one is perfect.
SolidShinji104: Thanks god...
clevernameeh: I got my husbando~! I got my husbando~! Yay me~! Yay me~!
Wtf?
RAX: Yes on all accounts.
Minako... *rubs eye patch*
Home
"... Mmuummm..." Makoto continued to whimper weakly as he continued to toss and turn in his bed. Try as he might, the sleeping bluenette could not find comfort while under Hypnos' embrace. Instead of a peaceful slumber, the same event that had haunted him the previous nights began to replay in his mind once again.
The smell of gasoline permeated the air. That, and the smell of smoke as a fire began to burn from the gas that'd been spilled onto the road.
Makoto turned to his side, still whimpering and began to claw at his arm again until it plead and Pharos was forced to heal his unconsciously self-mutilating friend. Whether this was just another unconscious action taken that he performed while sleeping or some desperate plea to wake up and end the nightmare was unknown.
Chains... There was the sound of rattling chains nearby. Despite the fire, the entire area felt like it was several degrees lower than what it was just a few moments ago. The sound of the chains was overshadowed only by the gunshots, one of which might've been what ignited the fire.
Makoto's panting suddenly began to become heavier as if he'd been forced to run a marathon. His fringe began to stick to his brow as a result of the cold sweat that had covered his entire body.
The worst... By far the worse were the screams. The screams of just one person... So much screaming... Screaming just one name... Begging for just one person to come and save her... The fire fire began to get closer and closer until...
Makoto's eyes shot open just seconds before the horrific images could replay in his mind again. The boy screamed as he jumped out of bed in a frantic and terrified motion with his heart pounding as if he'd been forced to confront the Devil himself.
The boy took several steps backwards until his back hit the wall, his body which was already freezing from the sweat was even colder when it touched the touched the lifeless surface.
Before Makoto could properly grasp what had happened, he heard loud knocking coming from the other side of his door at a pace that made it seem like the person in question was concerned over what had just occurred.
"Makoto-kun..." A familiar comforting voice called from the other side of the door that began to knock again "... You okay in there?"
The boy sighed as he began to regain his composure and understand what had just happened. Yesterday he had mended his relationship with Kotone (for better or worse) and had just suffered another nightmare.
Of course, he repairs one relation and he's forced to remember the ones that were permanently severed. God truly did have a sense of humor, didn't he?
Still panting slightly, Makoto opened his door slightly to greet the girl who had spent her night here "Yes?"
Kotone took a few moments to look the boy up and down.
He looked like he hadn't slept soundly in years, his body was completely soaked despite the entire apartment being rather cold especially for this time of the year, there were various spots on his arms that had small amounts of dried blood from all the scratching he had done, and the screaming earlier made it clear that he had just went through some sort of hell before he woke up.
Maybe leaving his room to continue sleeping earlier wasn't such a good idea?
"You don't look so good." She said, trying to lean in closer to get a better look only to retract those movements when he began to slowly close the door in protest "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Makoto answered, completely shrugging off the mental torture his own mind had forced him to experience. "Just a nightmare. What're you still doing here?"
"What am I- Did you think I'd just leave the moment I woke up?" Kotone asked somewhat shocked, but with little actual offence taken from the statement.
Makoto blinked as he contemplated his next words "... Is this a trick question?" he asked, wondering if he should answer honestly or not.
Kotone simply gave a completely blank look for several moments as their eyes met "... Shut up and get a shower; You smell horrible."
The boy couldn't help but snicker for a moment in amusement "Yeah, yeah... You better not peak while I'm in there."
"What the hell do you think I am?! A wanton?!" Kotone asked, this time she actually was a bit offended by that. Wait, was this what it was like for Akihiko and Junpei? No wonder they always get annoyed when they're warned.
Makoto hummed as he took a careful look at the girl in front of him "... Yeah, you seem like the type."
Kotone frowned, half-tempted to knock his lights out with that statement alone. But alas, she was still his guest and she did owe him for comforting her yesterday... Not to mention she had basically played with his heart.
"Just... Get in the shower already." She shook her head slowly as she walked to the kitchen "By the way, while you were asleep I went out and stocked your fridge for you! You better like pancakes!"
Makoto smiled in satisfaction at the redhead's undoubted embarrassment of his statement. Despite how it may have seemed to an outsider's perspective, it was nice to human company for once.
With that being settled, the bluenette gathered some things and marched off to the shower.
After locking the door behind him out of habit, the boy sat in the tub as cold water hit his skin. Unlike normal people, his body wasn't effected by the cold all that much thanks to his little friend.
"What do you think I should've done?" Makoto asked as he continued to look down. There was only one person who he could've possibly been talking to.
"I'm not sure." Pharos answered with a shrug as he sat at the opposite side of the tub, still dressed in his old school prisoner-esque outfit and even his usual sandals. Water just seemed to completely phase through him as if he were never there to begin with.
"Neither am I..." Makoto expressed his confusion which was made all the more clear when he let out a sigh, "Hey, Pharos, what do you think of her? And no perverted shit, please."
"Hmm..."Pharos looked down at his feet as he thought about it for a moment.
At first, he thought that such a relation would be good for Makoto. He'd been with him since the beginning and he knew better than anyone else how his friend's mental state was. He thought that him having feelings for someone other than him would allow him to be happy for once...
But that's not how it'd been happening. Every moment he was with her, he was the only one who could see the hidden pain in his eyes. Every moment with her is just another reminder of the life he'll never be able to have because of everything that was taken away from him.
If the relation continued... What will happen to Makoto?
"I don't know..." Pharos answered as he shook his head slowly, unable to form an opinion on the matter. "What about him?"
Nice to see you too, Pharos. Minato 'said' dryly from within his and Makoto's shared mind. While he didn't have negative feelings for the boy; He didn't revere him like Makoto did, either.
Makoto shook his head again in uncertainty "I don't know if I can keep him at bay much longer. He's been putting up a helluva fight lately."
True to his word, his Minato side had been fighting for control much fiercer than usual ever since last night. At this rate, he was just one screw up away from losing control again.
It was like everything that could go wrong had decided to do so at this moment of his life.
The inheritor had decided to show himself after all of these years of there being no one else but him.
Strega wanted to kill Makoto Yuki while Sakuya Sakugetsu wanted to skill both Makoto Yuki and the mysterious hooded boy.
And to top it off, there was her. He knew there were so many things wrong. He knew that all that would bring is more and more pain. Yet, the foundation he and the inheritor shared didn't seem to care. The more and more he was with her, the more it felt like he-
NO, NO, NO! These thoughts... They weren't his! They will never be his!
All they are are thoughts of a boy who was long dead now. None of it mattered! None of it should even be considered!
She was a member of SEES.
SEES is but another puppet of Kirijo.
And Kirijo -along with all others responsible- must pay for the sins that had been committed against his family. For the countless nights he had been forced into a restless slumber; Forced to remember something that he wished would be burned from his memory for all eternity.
He already knew all of this, but still...
"Dammit..." Makoto silently cursed before turning off the water, figuring he'd been in there long enough now. His body probably felt freezing cold to anyone else, but to him he felt just like usual.
After dressing in his usual summer attire, Makoto was greeted to sight of something he hadn't had in quite some time.
Tilting his head almost as if he was in some stage of disbelief, Makoto looked at what had been set on the table with the redhead on the other end wolfing what she had down.
"Whaut?" Kotone asked before swallowing the rest of her breakfast that was still her mouth, "Please tell me it's not that you don't like pancakes." The girl let out an exasperated sigh.
Makoto shook his head "It's not that, just..." the boy slowly sat down, looking as lost as a child during their first day of grade school "... It's been a long time since anyone made me anything." he did his best to explain "I mean, in a dorm and such sure, but... Never in my own home."
"Huh?" Now Kotone was the one tilting her head in confusion. Sure, he was an orphan, but he was still adopted right? "Don't you have foster parents or anything? Don't they feed you?"
"I am, just..." Makoto sighed before leaning on an elbow and lightly stabbing the pancake that'd been made for him "... We're really just a family by law only. At first they tried, but I guess now we just have a live and let live policy."
"Really?" The girl couldn't help but express some shock to that. It seemed less like he was adopted and more like they just provided a place for him to and nothing else. "Aren't you close to... anyone?"
"Hmm..." Makoto hummed for a moment, but he was drawing a blank. Only person he's actually close to would be Pharos, but he wouldn't just mentioned him now could he? "... Guess not. You?"
"Uh..." Kotone thought for a moment. She had loads of friends, but that list would take all day. In terms of home life, all she really had was her father after her mother abandoned her over ten years ago.
"Guess I'm pretty much the same." She said while shrugging "I mean, I still have my father but... Well, he still has a job and everything to take care of, so I guess you can say my home life isn't all that great either..."
Makoto muttered something that Kotone couldn't quite catch before looking down idly again as the old feeling of melancholia began to return again.
However, there was one far more important matter to take care of...
"Grr..." Kotone sounded like she was growling as she jumped out of her chair and slammed her hands on the table "Now and shut and eat, dammit! I did not go through the effort of making that for nothing."
Makoto blinked rapidly in shock as his mood quickly changed "Uh... O-Okay." he said with a slightly trembling lip before doing as he was ordered.
Kotone smiled as the boy while his 'Makoto' self finally obeyed one of her orders and all she had to do was look scary. Maybe she should use threats more often? Eh, whatever, at least it worked.
...
...
...
"So how long are you going to stay here?" Makoto asked as he moved one of his pieces of the board game they playing.
"I dunno" Kotone answered with a shrug "Maybe I'll move in, you seem like you need the company" She suggested before moving her piece "Check"
"Oh, ha ha." He rolled his eyes, hiding his inner smirk as he moved his piece "But, seriously, what the hell are we doing? I mean... We're literally playing a fucking board game."
"I thought you liked them!" She pouted as she moved another of her pieces "Plus, it's my chance to kick your ass with my experience of being SEES' leader~... check."
"I said my... friend liked them." Makoto hesitated on the word 'friend', still not having a proper term nor explanation for Pharos. Even though these game's were more of Pharos' thing, the boy still had a trick left as he moved his piece again "Checkmate."
"Huh?" Kotone blinked as she analysed the board up and down and at every imaginable angle. Did she actually just lose? She, who had been SEES' leader for about 4 months now? "H-How... How did you..?"
"I merely gave you a sense of false hope which blindly led you to your downfall." Makoto explained as he leaned back in his chair with smug look on his face "You need to know when someone is tricking you..."
"Oh really?" She asked while rolling her eyes "Alright, Wise One, who's tricking me?"
"Hmm..." Makoto smirked as he leaned forward "Ikutsuki is planning to betray you while I'm planning to murder you all."
Kotone snickered the moment she heard that "Pff, the most Ikutsuki could do is bore us with puns, and you..." she took a moment to analyse him "... Eh, you love me too much."
Now, Makoto was the one snickering "Yeah, right- Wait, wait, what now?!" he suddenly stood up straight as one of the words she'd chosen got to him
Kotone covered her mouth the moment the word in question registered in her brain "Sorry, really poor choice of words." she apologized as her face turned a light shade of red.
It was then that she realized something about last night. They spent the night discussing her feelings towards him, but she didn't ask about his feelings at all.
The only point of reference she really had towards how he felt was when he left that day. The look of pure heartache in his eyes as if he was doing something he desperately wanted to stop, but chose not to. Did that mean that he...
Or was that just what she wanted to think? Did that part of her just want her to think that so that she'll end up in the exact situation as last night?
Dammit, what was she supposed to do? Completely ignore it?!
Her eyes glanced to the side where she noticed the three plushie toys that he had bought for seemingly no reason.
"They're cute." Kotone complimented before looking back at Makoto who had now gone from somewhat happy to desolate like flipping a switch.
"Yeah..." Makoto mumbled weakly as he looked down at his own feet, the pain being shared by the prince, the inheritor, and the foundation all in one.
Looking back at the toys and then back at Makoto, the redhead took a deep breath. If she said the wrong thing, then their link will shatter into pieces, not to mention how much it'll hurt...
Screw it! After last night, she was done playing it safe and fishing for compliments! She told herself when they first linked that she was only interested in his own well being, and if he hates her because of it... At least she'll be able to sleep at night.
"They remind you of Minako, don't they?" She asked, and for the first time... She saw Makoto frozen stiff. Hierophant broke his heart and petrified him, but this... Now he looked like he had dragged through hell itself.
Makoto slowly raised his head, his terrified eyes were only slightly less noticeable than his now rapidly trembling hands.
"H-How... H-How d-do..." How could she know about her?! It shouldn't even be possible! How?! How did she know?
What else did she know? Was she aware of his duality as well? Did she know about Pharos?
Did she know about what happened that night? Did she know about how he...
Too much! Too much! Too risky! Too risky! She needs to be dealt with now!
Feelings be damned! She knows too much! She has to be stopped.
Die... Die... Die...
Is that what he's going to do? Kill her?
After everything, is he going to have to—
NO! Minato screamed louder than he ever had before. Taking advantage of Makoto's shock, Minato attacked full throttle Not her too... I'm not losing another one!
The bluenette's head suddenly lowered and his breathing slowed to a crawl as the two personalities conflicted with one another.
This, however, went unnoticed by Kotone who had avoided eye contact the moment she saw the pained look on his face when she mentioned Minako.
"I went to check on you before you woke up, and you mumbled her name..." Kotone explained, still not having the strength to look him in the eye after that. She could almost feel the trembling in his voice when he asked that. He wasn't even angry that she asked, but rather, he looked horrified instead. Just who was Minako and what happened to her to make even Makoto this way?
"Yes..." Kotone's eyes widened in a small bit of shock before quickly turning her head back to the boy. She knew that voice...
"Minako was..." Minato looked down, the subject in question was a sensitive one for even him. He knew what happened ten years ago, and it was something he was going to have to live with, "I... I'll tell you some other time. Okay?"
The girl quickly nodded, unwilling to push her luck anymore than she already had "Whenever you want, Mako-kun."
"Hmm... Want to make it up to me?" Minato asked, a small smirk forming on the boy's face signifying that he was about to enjoy this new exchange, "Sit on the couch."
"Uh..." Kotone looked around awkwardly due to the strange nature of the request "Er... Okay then." she agreed before doing as she was asked and the bluenette sat next to her
For some reason, Minato silently chuckled "Tired." He said before lying his head down... on her lap, "Napping now."
"W-Wha-" Kotone's cheeks instantly went as red as her own eyes as she felt the weight of the boy's head pressing on her lap and using it as a pillow.
Was... was he serious? What... What was this boy's major malfunction?
Why is it he was- Wait, was that a smirk on his face?! Oh, the little bastard, he was doing this to tease her!
The moment this registered in her brain, she was about to hit him hard on the head, but try as she might, she just couldn't bring herself to hurt him once she saw his sleeping face.
Oh... Dammit! She cursed herself as she let out an exasperated sigh before simply accepting it. After a few more moments, she found herself silently combing her fingers through the boy's long and messy hair.
More of those feelings are starting to well up in her heart again... But she knew that they couldn't be trusted; Not after last time.
Still, it was nice to see Minato again after all of this, almost like receiving a cookie or ice cream for eating dinner.
"Hmm..." The redheaded girl hummed to herself as she looked at the sleeping boy who was far more relaxed now than he was earlier in the morning "Wonder if he'd be okay if I wanted to spend another night here..." she pondered for a moment.
And Minato's back! Did ya miss him?
Husbando!
Doesn't take much to make her happy
Gr... Bastard.
And he worries me.
Congrats, I'm in a giving mood so I gave some fluff... might even add some next chapter too. God, I love you guys too much.
