Blossoms of the Dark

CLXII Selene: Throne

In the darkest of night hours, Shouto sleeps soundly.

Which is precisely what I need to slip away.

In all honesty, I don't want to leave his side, but I had already fixed a meeting with Shigaraki tonight that I cannot postpone.

I brush away a stray lock of white hair from his forehead and kiss his cheek. "I will come back soon, love. Just rest quietly." I wish my heart could do the same. Guilt racks me from the inside. These hands have slaughtered in cold blood, but these same hands protect and caress the boy of my affections. It was this shame that made me tell him to not lavish me with so much adoration earlier today. Yet he admonished me kindly and proceeded to worship me again. The intoxicating sensation of his nectar-like kisses against my skin lingers still. Had he kissed my lips with that passion, they would be swollen. Later, he gifted me with romance novels. More touching were the little annotations and drawings he made in the margins. A reader's dream come true. Speaking of dreams, soon I fell asleep in his embrace and woke up to find my fingers tangled with his and feet just touching. But now I have to do precisely the opposite of that.

I extricate myself from him and all feelings for him as I slip out of the covers without creaking the bed.

Stealthily, I make my way to the attached bathroom and lock the door. It feels wrong to carry this precious indigo moonflower pendant with me when I am going to the den of sin. I remove the symbol of purity and set it on the bath counter. When I come return, I must take a long bath to wash away the dredges of sin before wearing it again. The warp gate materializes instantly from my palm. I waste no time stepping through.

And I am greeted with the nostalgic perfume of river water and the view of city lights. The rain pours torrentially, but I don't mind. It washes away the residues of remorse. Tonight, I will embrace the cold for the spark of tomorrow. I am so caught up in nature's glory that I almost miss Shigaraki's voice amidst the rainfall: "If you're done blowing up your ego, can we head inside?"

How magnanimous of you to ruin the moment. Grudgingly, I follow. It turns out the base which I thought was deep within the forest was only a few meters away, facing the river and city. My ego deflates like a balloon. I feel stupid. And given Shigaraki's victorious smirk, he made that remark earlier on purpose. The urge to hit him with my dragon cane is strong, but then I remember that he was the 'anonymous sender.'

"You think you're clever, aren't you?" I taunt back. "Returning my pride to me only to shatter it later."

"But you're grateful. You loved that cane like it was your baby. Did you cry like one, too?" he retorts.

"No." My firm response is met with a dubious look. "All right. I cried. In front of everyone. Happy?"

He clenches his stomach and falls to his knees, guffawing like a madman. "I! Am! Jubilant! God, I wish I could have seen it! Are you the silent crier, or the one who screams and dribbles snot everywhere? Do your lips do that weird contortion thing, too?"

Now you are pushing it. I hit his shin with the silver portion of the cane. His howl is a balm for my bruised arrogance. "Shall we enter now?" I say, saccharine sweetly.

With a grumble, he opens the door. The sight is pleasantly astonishing: Spinner and Toga are comparing the sharpness of their blades while Twice, Mr. Compress, and Dabi are playing a game of cards. None of them register my presence until I announce, "Did any of you remember to stock up on milk? The cat is hungry."

"I thought you were a snake," Dabi greets without breaking his gaze from his card set.

"It is a misconception that snakes like milk. In fact, their digestive systems cannot metabolize milk. So when it comes to milk, I am a cat."