Feather Bound

Chapter 49

"So tell me again, what do you normally do for his birthday?" you whispered into the phone, glancing into your bedroom to make sure Keigo was still asleep. A sigh of relief escaped you as you watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, small chirps escaping as he snored, and you chuckled slightly. Your concern about waking him seemed unnecessary; after all, he had only been asleep for a few hours. He had finally crawled into bed just past four in the morning, not bothering to shed his flight suit and pants before pulling you against him and promptly passing out.

The Commission had called him in for a late-night mission, a villain causing havoc and shattering the fragile peace Japan had seemingly fallen into since Christmas. A string of serial robberies around the city had left them frustrated. The perpetrator, armed with a speed quirk, had consistently outpaced and outwitted most of the other heroes they'd sent. With his exceptional speed, they called in the fastest person they knew, disrupting your dinner plans right in the middle of the night.

You had helped him get dressed, giving him a quick kiss goodbye before he took off. As you sighed, watching him disappear into the distance, a frown crept onto your face. You hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to him about his birthday, a realization that hit you a few days ago. Your poor boyfriend still had absolutely no clue when his actual birthday was, and you felt awful about it. You owed him a nice day, especially after everything that had happened with your parents on Christmas.

After your intimate moment in the kitchen, you found yourselves on the sofa, engaged in a conversation that covered everything and anything until you dozed off. It was a serene moment, enveloped in each other's warmth, with the fireplace crackling and the Christmas tree lights casting a calming glow. However, the tranquility was abruptly shattered when your mother angrily kicked the side of the sofa to wake you both up a few hours later.

You sprang up instantly, a surge of fear coursing through you as your mother cast a disdainful gaze at you, her eyes fixed on the mark on your neck. On the other hand, Keigo merely turned over, emitting a snort of annoyance before deftly reaching up to pull you back against him on the couch, releasing a soft snore. You winced as your mother snorted and shook her head disapprovingly.

You blinked up at her, flustered, as you attempted to wiggle free from your boyfriend's grasp. However, you had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't actually asleep, given the way his grip on you tightened in response to your futile attempts. You sighed in defeat, blinking up at your mother with a sheepish expression.

"Absolutely fucking not. I explicitly told you that you couldn't sleep together here," she spat angrily, causing Keigo to emit a small sigh. One of his eyes finally opened, displaying a disinterested gaze directed at her.

"No, you said we couldn't share a bed," Keigo corrected her, closing his eye again with a content sigh while squeezing you tightly. "And we didn't." You could almost visualize the steam coming from your mother's ears as she seethed at both of you.

"That mark on her neck says otherwise," she retorted, and Keigo began to laugh. He opened both eyes this time, looking up at her with a sly smile.

"Who said I gave her that in the bedroom?" he responded, and your eyes widened. You had never seen your mother look so angry before; the look in her eyes was absolutely murderous as she stared at Keigo. "I'd tell you where, but I'm not really the type to kiss and tell, despite what the media might tell you." He smiled, pressing a finger to his lips, making a small shushing sound, and that seemed to be the last straw.

"Get the hell out of my house," she shouted loudly.

"With fucking pleasure," he responded, releasing his hold on you.

"Nice to see you're capable of listening to what you're told," her mother snapped, and he just laughed, pushing himself up and grabbing his phone. You watched in interest next to him as he used his phone to order you an Uber back to your apartment before looking up at your mom with a wide smile.