Saiki K PeePee

Ch. 34: Yare Yare

The Invincible Couple floated into the Saiki household as if gently carried in by the breeze outside. The air in the house as the door softly shut was different from the way Saiki remembered it. Even something as mundane as hanging their outerwear carried a new meaning to him. There was a lightness to it, his mind silent to the person… girlfriend next to him. That was going to take some getting used to. He glanced at her briefly as she shrugged the coat off of her shoulders to remind him of the scheme that had set the pleasant thrum in his chest before he did the unthinkable.

He did do it. He had no idea how, but he did. Perhaps the outfit was god's final gesture to help ease the blow to his ego. How thoughtful.

"Why two coats and a sweater?" he mused, eyeing the plaid jacket.

"You know exactly why. I already know your game."

Maybe she was a psychic. It was either that or she had cheated by asking god. Probably the latter.

His face twisted to a dour scowl. He didn't know how long it would take to get used to being given a full course of his own lunch.

"That can't have been comfortable, not to mention silly looking."

"I was saving it for a special occasion, it wasn't my fault that it happened in the winter."

"What if someone had seen you?"

"They did, I just zipped the coat up. I didn't care about being perfect today. And no, you don't need to comment on the irony."

He felt a heat of annoyance rise in his chest, but it was quickly replaced by an amused, satisfied chuckle.

"So, did it have the effect I thought it would?"

He knew the question was coming, but struggled to find an appropriate level of denial.

"No."

Good enough.

"You're lying. I could tell when you noticed it. The fact that you didn't catch that further proves my point."

Not good enough.

"You know, for someone who can read minds, you're an awful liar."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Your penance is a hug."

"Fine."

Time slowed as he watched her giddily approach him, followed by the comfortable hum she brought to his senses as she tenderly wrapped her arms around his back and nestled her head into his shoulder.

"Victory for Kokomi…" she whispered into his shirt.

He didn't bother to object to her declaration or her habit of referring to herself in the third person, instead letting a silent contentment wash over him as he gingerly placed his hands around her. Were they too high? Too low? Tight enough? She didn't seem to care either way.

Her thoughts were indecipherable, so he could only guess at when she wanted to let go. He felt her shift a bit, so he took that as a cue to loosen his arms.

"No."

The rest of her curt refusal involved her tightening her grip around his back and ducking her head further into his chest. There was nothing he could do about it at this point. Stopping a hug from Kokomi Teruhashi wasn't considered illegal because the laws of the universe prohibited it. It was asinine to even consider violating a concept that held as much weight as the law of gravity itself, so he was going to be here until she was done.

As they remained in their embrace, his normally keen sense of smell picked up a scent he couldn't quite decipher. It smelled clean and… floral? He glanced at her, quickly revealing the source of the scent: her hair. He became aware of his fingers on her back as they lightly creased her sweater, for some reason reminding him of the way she pulled her dresses under her when she sat? Why? He searched his mind for answers, only interrupted by the feeling of a small weight lifting off of his chest.