Nemuri takes everything in stride. It's almost like nothing that happened a few weeks ago even was a thing. At least until she came home today. She storms into our room and buries her face into the pillows. A muffled scream dies in it and I immediately drop whatever I'm doing to check on her. It's almost normal at this point. She sniffles and cries into the fabric. Almost sneaking my way over, there's this moment where I almost want to rush it.
"Nemuri... honey?" my voice shakes a bit, "What's the matter?" she pounces on me and pulls me into bed with her. Burying her face into my chest and sobbing. My arms wrap around her and I run my fingers through her hair.
Regardless of how wet my shirt's becoming I hold her tight. The situation is reversed. It's normally me who's having a breakdown.
"It's okay, Nemuri." my tone's warm and a smile is on my face, "You're at home with me." Her crying quiets just a little and her voice trembles to life.
"I can't take it anymore." she warbles, "I just can't." her unbeatable optimism and playfulness hides a woman who just wants to live a normal life now that the world's shown its ugliness.
Just like me.
"I won't make you do anything, Nemi." Kissing the top of her head and hearing a hesitant giggle. It makes me happy knowing that I can make her feel better. She moves up, blue eyes meeting my own.
"Koyurei, I have a question." she states, "What made you get so aggressive at the interview the other day?"
My smile shows up on my face and I laugh a little, "Just getting the public on our side. My dad's going to have a lot of questions thrown his way." It may or may not backfire horribly but if he's going to raise hell I might as well do it too. She lays next to me while she dries her eyes and cleans up her face the best she can from our bedroom. I didn't want to press her on what made it a bad day and that was enough.
But then she tells me, "It was the damn questions. They wouldn't leave me the hell alone." she answers, "Impeding a hero can get you convicted on Obstruction of Justice but apparently you're fine if you're the press."
"Well that's horrible." I groan burying my face into her velvety soft hair, "But you're my hero so that's enough."
"Oh stoooooppp..." she chides and her cheeks redden with the praise. It's the truth though. Grinning and wrapping my arms around her.
"It's true, honey!" I laugh, "Now get some sleep. You've had a long day." she smiles and gets comfortable as I warm up my body a bit so she's out like a light. As I drift off myself there's nothing like it.
The next day starts with Nemuri standing over me with Sushi in her arms sort of waiting for me to wake up. She grins and puts him down when the smell of breakfast fills the air.
"Huhn? Wha..." yawning, I feel Sushi headbutt my cheek. Scratching his ears a bit. Nemuri places a tray over my lap when I sit up. It's a spread of food she knows I like. Rolled omelets, Natto, and other breakfast food.
"Surprise, honey! I'll be taking care of you today." Nemuri exclaims, sitting on the bed and I look at her strangely. Wasn't she just finished with the fact that she didn't want to work? I start to eat and it tastes good. Sushi baps my hand for some rice but I don't bother giving it to him no matter how cute he is. Nemuri watches me eat with the sweetest smile on her face and I can't help but smile back.
Of course this whole domestic peace might get shattered like glass for no reason. Nemuri leans on her hand and her smile is dazzling. I enjoy the food with the birds tweeting outside, the sun dappled through the trees, and shining in through the window. This morning couldn't be more perfect if it tried. After my breakfast is done I go to our closet and take out my hero costume. Nemuri watches and I hold it like it was once worn years ago.
Fragile and old, pocked with holes, but it's still pristine. The battles I fought and the flames that burned with the snow that fell whispering to death. Lives saved in the memories of those who saw them.
It's time.
Time to lay it to rest. In the closet buried behind the various boxes and containers is something special. When I pull it out it's the old hero suit case from all the way back when I went to UA. The clasps click up and I pull it open. Stuffed under my old costume are my diploma and pictures of my classmates. I couldn't know them then and I didn't bother trying to.
I wasn't alive then.
"Nemuri, I'm happy you... you get to see this," my hands shake and my voice threatens to close off because of the emotions lodged in my throat, "I swore to myself that the day I find someone worth sharing my life with is the day Enavant rests."
I begin to fold it up, "The fear... the- the dread..." the emotion spills out of me like a tide held back for years, shoulders hitching and finally falling apart.
"I'm alive... I'm alive..." My sopping wet voice forces its way through the storm it was caught in. Nemuri wraps her arms around me, her chest against my back and chin gently pressed into my hair.
I never thought I'd make it. I never thought that anyone would want to marry me or have kids with me. I'd always be a replacement no matter what anyone thought. I'd be stuck living a life not meant for me. But now I'm free. Putting away my suit and burying it back under the other things in there. It's all uphill from here and it's going to hurt. But I'm going to be okay. I already know what kind of person I want to be.
I take the dishes and meander into the kitchen. The water splashes onto my hands and Nemuri hovers close almost like I'm a bomb about to go off.
"You're really clingy today, Nemuri."
"Of course I am! You're going through a lot!" she snaps looking worried. I turn off the water and put the dishes in the dishwasher. She wanders around behind me almost fretting over the smallest things.
"Are you sure *I'm* going through a lot or is it just you? Because you look like you're about to blow several gaskets." Sighing, I grab her shoulders and steer her to the couch.
"What? No!" she scoffs, "I'm fine, sweetiekins."
"Sweetie what? Okay, yeah you're going through something." My arms wrap around her and pull her down onto my chest, "So spill."
Nemuri curls against me almost transfixed by my breathing and I know she gets that way when she doesn't wanna think anymore. She stays quiet for a bit but then I start petting her hair.
"Babe, talk to me." I sigh, "Communication is important."
"Fine..." she huffs, "I'm just going through a lot of crap with the wider hero community rather than my fanbase. They're surprisingly supportive of you and I shacking up together."
"So that's it?" I ask almost with an impressed tone because it's honestly very normal to feel that way. She's always gone against the grain so pushing against the wider world of heroism which you give and give and give over and over makes it all feel familiar. She nods and I just sit there ready to listen to her if need be. She just sits next to me as we both watch TV. The normal programs play and I get bored pretty quickly. Getting to my feet and opening up a little notebook I use for errands.
"I'm going out to get a few things for later."
Nemuri perks up and gets to her feet, "Lemme come with!" she hugs my arm and we both head outside. Of course we don't have to go far from our apartment to a nearby market. People bustle around from aisle to aisle. Most people don't pay much attention to us but I can't help but feel that things have changed quite a bit. Not only do people do double takes since they've probably seen that interview where I challenged my dad.
We gather the items we need and I notice that Nemuri is a lot more peppy now. Talking with our neighbors and petting their dog. Of course Sushi might be a little disappointed but still I feel like she's doing better. It does worry me deep down if she's just going through the motions and hiding how upset she really is. Which I know how that goes like the back of my hand. She holds my hand and pulls me towards a sweets shop to get some treats.
The light and airy smell of sugar wafts through the air almost like a siren's song to those with a sweet tooth. It's small and almost cozy with people eating their sweets together like my world isn't on the edge of either breaking or staying built. My turmoil breaks when I notice that Nemuri's looking at the cakes like she's about to commit various crimes. The warmth of outside being a bit muggy. I dab at my forehead with a pocket tissue.
"Ooh look, they have Kuzumochi!" she crows and points at the small plate of it. Happy-ish memories of Dad and I eating it together when I was little flood through my mind.
"What do you want, hon?" I look over at her and she's eyeing a lemon cake. So I give the worker my card and order it. She looks at me with an excited glint in her eyes. I guess she wanted to drag me outside?
Or maybe she's just happy. I really have to stop thinking my loved ones have ulterior motives to how they feel. She sits across from me and I pick up the Kuzumochi. It's cold and light. She eats her lemon cake with gusto and drinks her coffee with that same eagerness. Her hair billowing slightly as she talks. It's tied back and swishing side to side along with her motions.
I watch her almost mesmerized. The way she smiles and the way she's just glowing when she's with me makes me think that I was some kind of light to her. Maybe she just thinks I'm safe?
"So anyway, I was thinking about the whole 'attack' thing you did." she starts, "How'd you figure your Dad will respond?"
"Probably with a lot of fire and brimstone," My voice growls out with that underlying fire in it, "I know him like the back of my hand and I can say with all the certainty in the world that he'll find a way to screw us over."
Nemuri reaches across and grabs my scarred hand gently running her finger over my knuckles. She gives me that slow and warm smile like she always does. That fond grin that tells me that I'm wanted and needed, that I don't need to be a hero, and that I don't need to hide behind my walls.
"I know you can beat him, Koyurei." she says with no doubt plaguing her voice, "You're one of the strongest people I know." she bats her eyes at me almost like she wants to tease a snappy answer out of me.
But I just eat my Kuzumochi and she goes back to eating her cake. Something about just enjoying the small moments worms its way into my head almost like a warning to enjoy it while it lasts.
Ah well. Might as well enjoy the sweets.
We head home with the cake and Kuzumochi because Nemuri refused to leave without getting more. The other ingredients we got from the store in my hands and looped around my arms swaying to and fro. I smile as I look around at the quiet neighborhood. The late day sunlight turning everything amber as Nemuri fiddles with the keys to our apartment. Man, I get why she's having a hard time... we don't exactly label our keys.
I let out a soft chuff and hear the lock open earning a glare from Nemuri.
"What?" her tone flattens, "Find something funny?"
"Well... no..." I look off to the side, "Just that I had a good day today and I hope you did too." she pushes aside the door and we both walk in. The whole thing just kind of becomes that domestic bliss.
The silence from my Dad is like a looming shadow. A threat that anything could happen and probably will. Right now though I'm looking through suits for our wedding. A nice white one where I'd wear a nice little veil. Of course with it being topsy turvy I'm the bride in this scenario. Nemuri curls into my side and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. She smiles up at me like what happened to her didn't even matter. My resignation probably threw some of Dad's stratagems off.
So far though? He's playing it all off like it happens. Like he's okay with me just dumping all I've done for him and giving him the finger. But here I am just being paranoid that he'll throw the first punch but he won't. He's smart. So he's ignoring my snapping at him like a mad dog and just waiting for it all to blow over like it never happened. I think it's for the best that I let things go for now.
That is until my phone rings.
Checking the caller ID, it's someone I thought would never talk to me again.
Keigo Takami.