This Side of Paradise - Tsukishima Kei x OC

Chapter 17: Brainstorm

Chapter 17:

Month 5 - May

Kei came home one night with a bouquet of fuchsia hibiscus flowers for Mizuki. She immediately put them in a white vase and placed them on the center of the dining table.

The calm atmosphere changed a few minutes after that.

While on the couch, Kei's hands rested on his wife's waist as his lips lightly skimmed her collarbone. Mizuki felt like her body was engulfed in flames and no amount of freezing water could extinguish it. His hands were large and warm, and he didn't hesitate to show what he craved by removing her shirt swiftly. Mizuki shifted so that she was straddled on his lap and he pressed her hips closer to his, causing a soft moan to escape her pink lips. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and guided his hands away so that they were resting by his side. This worried Kei, prompting him to stop kissing her.

"What's wrong, princess?" Kei murmured breathlessly, gazing up at her sullen eyes.

"Nothing..." She mumbled, avoiding his concerned gaze.

She moved off of him without saying another word. As a response, he blinked in confusion, wondering if he had done something to upset her.

"Hey..." He held her hand and squeezed it tenderly, "Seriously, what is it?"

"I'm just... I'm..." Mizuki trailed off, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry..." Kei reassured her, "We don't have to do anything that you don't want to do."

"But I do want you..." She revealed candidly, looking up at his golden-brown eyes, "I just feel..."

"What is it?" He caressed her face gently, "Tell me."

"I... I don't feel..." Mizuki bit her lip shakily, "I feel..."

She swallowed apprehensively and quickly looked away once more. Kei didn't like how troubled she seemed to be especially when they prioritized communication above all else. If she couldn't tell him what was bothering her, could it be something insanely horrible? Or perhaps, he had been neglecting her in some way?

"Do you still think I'm attractive?" She blurted out suddenly, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise.

Oh.

His wife felt insecure about her body.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, causing her to grab her shirt and hastily put it back on.

"I know that I've changed physically..." She mumbled uneasily, "My body, I mean... It's not the same as before..."

"Are you serious?" Kei asked, clearly baffled by her question.

"Yes."

The two stared at each other and not long after that, Kei burst out laughing. He didn't mean to but what she suggested was outright ridiculous. He couldn't believe what his wife was asking him. Mizuki, on the other hand, was not amused.

"You're-you're serious?" He asked for clarification.

"Yes!" She huffed heatedly, "I can't believe you would laugh at me. I've been feeling so gross and disgusting lately and-"

"Mizuki, you can't be serious." Kei interrupted her, causing her frustration to increase.

"I am!" She exclaimed sharply, "I hate the way I look and-"

"You're the hottest woman in this world, Tsukishima Mizuki." He declared, causing her to become speechless.

Kei inched his face closer to hers and smiled, "You are, quite frankly, the most stunning woman that could ever grace the earth."