A/N: cute...theyre cute together.... also kokichi uses they/them pronouns
"Are you going to leave me?" Kokichi whispered.
Shuichi froze.
It was night, way later than they should be going to sleep and yet here they were. They always managed to get as close to each other as possible when they slept, leaving no space between them.
So no matter how soft or how unsure Kokichi's voice sounded, Shuichi was close enough to hear it. It was the only noise in the room besides the quiet sounds of the world outside.
And Shuichi knew his answer. He knew his answer with certainty. And he's known that answer since the first month they started dating. He couldn't picture himself with anyone other than Kokichi. At the time, he thought it was just him being overly lovesick. But now, he knew he wasn't overreacting.
Still, he took his time constructing his answer, making sure his words conveyed what he really wanted to say before he said it.
He decided on, "I love you too much for that." And it was really true. He didn't know how much he could love Kokichi until he tried it. And once he did, there was no going back.
He knew Kokichi would doubt this, maybe for the rest of their life. And that was okay. Shuichi would give them all the reassurance and comfort they need.
Sometimes Shuichi doubts this too. Sometimes Shuichi's the one asking if Kokichi will leave him in the late hours of the night. But Kokichi's always there to calm him down. They're there to hold him even tighter and to kiss him until he falls asleep.
That's one of the reasons Shuichi loves them. They can be gentle and caring when they want to be. And even when they aren't, they still find a way to make him smile.
But Shuichi loves them for many more reasons than that. Too many to count.
To prove his point, he moves to kiss Kokichi's forehead. He knew that forehead kisses were their absolute favorite.
Kokichi smiled, "I love you too."
But the smile wasn't like usual. Something was still wrong.
"What's bothering you, sweetheart?" Shuichi asked.
Kokichi shifted so their face was pressed against Shuichi's chest. They must be trying to hear his heartbeat.
"I had a nightmare last night" they admitted.
Ah, was it about...?
"The game again?" Shuichi guessed.
Kokichi often had nightmares about the tragedy they both experienced. They had lessened in intensity over the years but it was still a common occurrence.
They had revealed to Shuichi when they started living together that they had already had a severe problem with nightmares before the killing game even started. So the trauma they went through only gave their brain more material to go off of.
They nodded, confirming Shuichi's suspicions.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, holding Kokichi a bit tighter.
Kokichi stayed quiet. Usually when they went quiet in situations like these, it was because they were thinking of how to explain their nightmare in a way that makes sense.
Shuichi waited patiently, starting to softly comb through their hair.
Kokichi took a deep breath and started, "I was under the press but it was you lowering it...And, you kept saying, I deserved it. And... and a bunch of other stuff, like how you don't love me, how you regret being here with me, how you're just waiting until the press crushes me and I-"
Shuichi could see them getting too emotional and gently interrupted, "Hey. I'm here. The real me, not nightmare me."
He would never even think the things that nightmare him said. How could he regret being with someone who made him so happy? Someone who lit up his life just by existing? And someone who was definitely trying to hide that they were giving him breakfast in bed tomorrow morning? Despite Shuichi obviously noticing the ingredients already placed on the kitchen counter.
Shuichi smiled at the thought, proving his earlier point.
He forgave them long ago for what they did in the killing game, and instead focused on little things like that. It took some work, yes, but it all paid off.
Of course, Kokichi's nightmares said the opposite. And Shuichi was always happy to tell them otherwise, proving those nightmares wrong.
"I love you more than words can express, Kokichi. And I forgive you for what you did in the game. It's all behind us now." he reassured.
Kokichi moved their face away from his chest, looking up into his eyes, "You're still my beloved right?"
And that was the easiest question to answer.
"Of course I am." Shuichi promised, "As long as you're still my sweetheart"
He loved using that word. It always made Kokichi blush. They seemed to never think they would be anyone's sweetheart, but Shuichi changed that.
Kokichi smiled, a beautiful smile, "You give me the sappiest nicknames. It's a good thing I love you"
They moved up to kiss Shuichi lightly, then moved back down, resting their head where they could hear his heartbeat yet again.
"Goodnight beloved" they whispered.
"Goodnight sweetheart" Shuichi whispered back, and closed his eyes.
He was looking forward to that breakfast in bed tomorrow.
