𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 𝕊𝕖𝕒 (FEM! Reader X Arataki Itto)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ²⁹

I was drifting in and out of sleep, trying not to succumb to the exhaustion as Arataki silently carried me.

He suddenly spoke in a very quiet voice, "Hey Y/n?" I lifted my head to look at him with half-lidded eyes. "Hm?" I hummed in response. He seemed almost surprised that I was still conscious. "What was... Nevermind. I-I'll ask you later." My head just rolled to the side and rested against his chest.

Trying to stay awake became impossible when I felt how warm he was. He held me so securely and I felt... Safe. I haven't felt this safe in a long time. But it seemed wrong. There was something bothering him so I could feel he was somewhat uneasy but couldn't ask him no matter how hard I tried.

What would've happened if he hadn't shown up earlier? Would I have... No, there's no way. Of course not. But how long was he standing there before he jumped in?

The thought of him overhearing what we were talking about made a pit form in my stomach. Not wanting to think about it anymore, I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of his beating heart. Badump, badump... It slowly lulled me into a dreamless sleep.

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I awoke and was in Half-Oni's tent. I slowly tried to get up but my whole body was sore. "Geez..." I looked down to see Ushi sleeping by my feet. "Wait wut." I saw he was sleeping without his roof accessory thing. "It comes off???"

I was taken out of my stupor by the feeling of a bandage that was wrapped around my knee. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it used to but it was still ever present. I gently touched it and inhaled sharply at the stinging pain, jerking my hand away.

"Sorry, Ushi..." I whispered as I slowly slipped out of the bedroll. Eventually, I managed to get up and poked my head outside the tent and saw the gang gathered around the fire. It was daytime so it made me wonder if it was still the same day or the next.

"Hey everyone." I greeted as I limped over. "Y/n!" Everyone greeted me with more enthusiasm. "Mamoru! You're okay!" I exclaimed happily upon seeing him. "I should be saying the same thing, how are you feeling?" I sat down between Genta and Mamoru.

"Still a little sore but it's nothing I can't handle." I shrugged nonchalantly. Arataki was eyeing me from the other side of the fire, examining me to see if I was actually okay. I caught his gaze and smiled softly but his eyes darted away from mine, making me look at him with confusion.

"We heard that you took on Kujou Sara! Is it true?!" Genta asked, his eyes glinted with excitement. "Why would I lie to you bros?" Arataki answered and I assumed he was the one that told them.

"Yeah, I did." I answered his original question and Akira leaned forward, "Was she scary?" I giggled at his question, "She was a little intimidating, I guess...? She's also really good at fighting, my face still hurts..." I grumbled as I rubbed my sore jaw. "Forget about your face, what about your knee!" I only shrugged. But in truth, it was still throbbing in pain.

We spoke a little more, though I noticed Arataki wasn't talking as much as he usually did. I'd have to ask about it when we're alone.

"Here you go, Y/n." I shook my head, realising that I was probably staring at Half-Oni while my mind was wandering. I looked up at Mamoru who held a wooden bowl for me.

"Oh, thank you!" I took the steaming bowl and inhaled the sweet and tangy fragrance. "Stew...?" I asked, uncertain of what was in my hands. "I think so?" His answer made me nervous but when I took a sip, it was surprisingly delicious.

"Pretty good, huh?" I nodded at Mamoru. "I had my concerns but this is actually good." To prove it, I went for another sip. "Haha! I have no idea how Boss does it. He seems to be able to make food out of anything and it'll taste good."