𝐉𝐔𝐉𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐔 𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒

𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 | 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘪 𝘍𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘳𝘰 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

"AH!"

You jolted up out of a dead sleep. You were hot, drenched in sweat, your heart racing as you sat rigid, white-knuckling the soft bedsheets while heavy rain kissed the windowpanes.

The moonlight seeping through the windows alone was not enough for you to make out the entire bedroom and immediately return to reality. Still, you perilously searched the room, unsure if this was about to turn into another anxiety attack.

The sheets rustled beside you, and you trembled as a gentle hand met your bare shoulder, failing to suppress exaggerated, hysterical breaths.

"It's me, babe. I'm right here," Megumi breathed, sitting up and scooting himself closer to you.

His left leg brushed up against yours as he straightened it out. He bent his right leg underneath the covers and propped himself up with his right hand, while his left arm curled around your waist.

You could feel his face to your right, just inches from yours as he silently promised to take care of you. A clap of thunder sounded from outside.

"Baby... Can you look at me?" Megumi asked softly. As he did so, he leaned over his side of the bed and flipped the switch to the lamp on the nightstand before quickly turning back to you, worry flooding his face as he studied yours.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" he asked respectfully. You nodded through panicked whimpers.

He shifted himself to sit cross-legged facing you now, and he slowly reached for your cheeks, turning your face towards his. His large hands cupped your small face, and a thumb swept away a single tear that managed to escape the corner of your eye. A few seconds passed before his warm hands fell to yours, holding them as his dark eyes remained focused on you. Long black bangs fell just above the deep blue pools that felt like home to you.

"It's me," Megumi repeated. "I'm right here... Can you look around the bedroom? Can you name five things that you see? Or should I turn on the ceiling light first?"

Your hands broke free of his, reaching up to hold his face this time before he could get up and out of bed. Please don't go anywhere, your body said as your words failed you. You returned his gaze as you finally began to readjust, slowly rubbing one of your thumbs in circles over his cheek. You faked a weak smile and shook your head, as if to shake the remains of your mission-induced night terror out of your mind.

"Can you talk to me, then?" Megumi asked you calmly.

"Megumi...," you sniffled, choking back tears now, apprehensive and ashamed.

"I... I killed those people..." your voice cracked. You already felt bad for spazzing out uncontrollably and waking him up in the middle of the night; you didn't want to break down completely. You also knew that you had to deal with this one way or another, no matter how badly it damaged you.

"Look at me," he began, although neither of you had broken your gaze yet. "Listen to me... You gave them a proper death. It was the most you could do. You had no other choice... Those two are at peace now. They don't have to suffer from Mahito's curse any longer, or any curses, because of you."

Megumi scooped up your hands once more, lowering them from his face and gathering them in his own large hands and resting them at his ankles.

"Do you want to talk about it? Or do you want comfort instead?"

Even when Megumi couldn't come up with an answer, he had a way of soothing you like nothing else could.

"Please talk to me...," you responded. Megumi studied your face for a moment, then continued.

"What you did today... Was difficult. You made a very hard decision. And I know that it's going to be hard to cope with. I can't tell you how to go about it, or how you should feel. But, if nothing more... Never forget that you're still good. You're a good person. You've saved people, too."

Still cradling both of your hands, Megumi guided them up to this chest, placing them on his left pectoral and holding them over his heart. You felt it race at your touch.

"You saved me. And now, I'm here with you. Whether you've had a bad day, or a bad week, or a really good day—it doesn't matter. What I'm saying is, you don't need to feel so alone anymore. I'm here for it all, for you. Always."

Megumi brought your hands up to his lips one at a time to plant soft, sincere kisses on the back of each of them.

"I love you."

His words grounded you. You moved closer, allowing your body to melt into his, and with his thumb and index finger, Megumi lifted your chin, silently asking for a kiss.

Your hands found the back of his neck, fingers reaching into his straight dark hair as his soft lips passionately brushed yours.

Minus the event leading up to it tonight, it was moments like this that you wished you could stay in forever. The trauma began to subside, for the time being, as you found yourself getting lost in Megumi, stealing kiss after kiss.

You felt his hands at your cheeks now, and your breathing was finally more regulated. Your heart still raced, but for a different reason. The way that Megumi could so easily erase your doubts, insecurities, fears, anxiety... And replace it all with the butterflies that tickled your insides, the warmth of a love you never knew before him... It was something else. Something so powerful that it could conquer anything. You could conquer anything, with him by your side. And he never let you forget that.

You slowly broke away from his kiss.

"I love you," you finally responded, wrapping your arms around his waist.

"Are you okay?" Megumi asked once more. You nodded, and he wrapped his arms around your body, pulling you and the sheets with him as he laid back down, covering the two of you up.

"I'll leave the light on for a bit," he said, fingers entangling themselves in your hair as his other hand remained at your waist between your body and the mattress.

You stayed on your side, snuggling up into Megumi's chest as he held you and played with your hair. You felt warm and safe with your body up against his, his touch healing you in a way that you never thought possible.

"I love you," Megumi repeated, planting a slow, gentle kiss on your forehead. You squeezed him a little tighter. Your breathing continued to slow, as did the fingers wrapped loosely in your hair, until at some point, you fell back to sleep in Megumi's arms.