Love and Lies [Saioumami]

Comfort Me This Time Please

Kokichi walked through a shopping centre, one that seemed slightly familiar to him. He felt guided towards a small store selling stuffed toys, his favourite. The moment he entered, Kokichi noticed a small hand-sized plushie sitting in a cabinet, calling him forth. Approaching the sushi cat, Kokichi reached out to pick it up and squished the toy, the supposedly soft feeling lost on his fingers.

Bringing it closer to his face, Kokichi smiled, nuzzling the cat to his cheek. Opening his eyes, the boy found the cat gone, his body crumpled in a ball in a pool of concrete and glass. Examining his surroundings, Kokichi noticed a truck half hanging through a nearby window, glass shattered everywhere. Fires rose from wooden display racks and stuffed toys, licking the walls with rage and bloodlust.

Someone tapped the terrified male on his shoulder, startling him and causing Kokichi to fling his head around to see no one. A floating arm fell to the ground the moment Kokichi's eyes landed on it, the black compass on its wrist causing chills through the Supreme Leader's spine. "You should've saved me Ouma," a disembodied voice chuckled. Kokichi twisted around, attempting to find the source but not succeeding. Turning to face the arm, he jumped, Shuichi's face millimetres from his.

"W-what?" Ouma? Why is he calling me Ouma?

"You should be dead, not me. After all, you're the one who deserves to be crushed by a shelf."

"You're... I thought you weren't dead," Kokichi mumbled, faintly aware of the tears rolling down his cheeks. Backing away from the crumpled, sorrowful male, Shuichi's face held a sadistic grin. Kokichi scrambled to his feet as Shuichi lifted a large boulder, one three times the size of a fully-grown human. Shouting in shock, Kokichi jumped towards a pillar and hid behind it, the boulder crashing to the ground where he stood just a moment ago.

"Come here Ouma!~ I'm going to punish you!" Kokichi peeked around the pillar to see Shuichi picking up another boulder, slowly stomping towards the purplette. Where is he getting all of these boulders?! Running through the shopping centre, Kokichi dodged multiple boulders and large clumps of concrete. Shuichi chucked the weapons with a strength that exceeded Gokuhara's, something of which pro bodybuilders could dream.

Kokichi's body locked up, no longer allowing him to move. He didn't know why, he screamed at himself to move but nothing worked, he remained stuck as Shuichi grew closer and closer. Listening to the horrifying giggling of his usually passive attacker, Kokichi panted in fear as his boyfriend edged closer. Only able to helplessly watch, Shuichi raised a boulder over his head and slammed it down onto the male.

Screaming, Kokichi sat up with a jolt, his clothes and hair sticking to him from sweat. Tears erupted from his purple eyes as Kokichi's knees curled to his chin. "It was just a dream, it was just a dream."

"Hey, Kokichi it's okay, I'm here." Rantaro wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling purple and grey hair into his chest as he rubbed circles on Kokichi's shoulder. The boy took deep breaths, only interrupted by his sobbing and hiccups as he cried, the dream tormenting him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was in that store again, and I saw Shuichi, and he tried to kill me," Kokichi stuttered, mumbling into Rantaro's chest. "He was right, it should've been me, I should've saved him."

"No, it's not your fault so don't blame yourself. He's alive Kokichi, everything will be okay. Don't blame yourself," Rantaro soothed, kissing the boy's forehead.

"Thank you 'Taro, I guess I'm just shaken up," Kokichi mumbled. It felt weird opening up like this to someone, but Kokichi knew he shouldn't lie to his soulmates. He won't judge me, right? It's normal to feel upset occasionally.

"Your parents aren't going to get mad, right? I mean, you did scream kind of loud, I think my eardrums burst," Rantaro laughed. Kokichi chuckled, always finding jokes to calm him in emotional situations.

"I'd kiss them better, but that would be disgusting. Don't worry about my parents, they can't hear us down here. They're on the second floor and over the other end of the house from where we are." Before Rantaro could reply, his phone buzzed from its charging spot on the bedside table, attracting his attention. Watching Rantaro lean over to check the notification, Kokichi saw his boyfriend's face lighten up, transforming into a grin.

"Great news! Kirigiri just sent me a message. She wants us to know Shuichi's doing perfectly fine and we might be able to see him in about a week." Replacing his phone, the two sat in silence, enveloped by the darkness of the basement around them.

"Rantaro, did you see Shuichi's arm?" Kokichi's voice barely rose above a whisper, he knew he was bringing up a topic the two had actively been avoiding, but he needed to talk about it.

"Yeah, I did, but we shouldn't worry about it. Amputated limbs can be reattached, I'm sure they've done that in Shuichi's case," Rantaro comforted the other.

"What about his soulmark? If he's lost his arm, then does that mean he's lost a soulmate? Are we not going to be able to stay in our relationship? I'm sorry, I've ruined-"

"No, you haven't. Kokichi, look at this," Rantaro shook his boyfriend, snapping him out of the depressive thoughts before they could take control. Turning over his arm, Kokichi stared at the orca on Rantaro's left wrist, matching the one on the Supreme Leader's right one. "If we were no longer soulmates, which has never happened, by the way, I wouldn't have his mark. We can ask him in a week but for now, let's not worry about anything."

"Easier said than done," Kokichi pouted, "but I suppose I could try."

"Kirigiri just told us he's fine, there's no need to worry. The mark on our wrists says as much. Come on, you should get back to sleep."

"I don't think I can, you go to sleep and I'll just... Live," Kokichi mumbled, grabbing his phone to pass time.

"No you don't," Rantaro snatched the phone from the boy's hands, placing it on his side of the single bed. "Sleep." Kokichi opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it, knowing Rantaro was right. His eyes reacted by closing themselves as the boy lay down, nuzzling into the greenette's chest as the two fell into a calm slumber.