There Once Upon a Time, Here Forever

Sitting With Saihara at Last:

Kokichi heard something new. By now, he had taken to recognizing everybody's footsteps so he could pretend to be asleep when certain people came to visit. For certain, he recognized Keeboy's. They couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. But there were three new sets of footsteps he did not know. Frowning, he yelled for Tsumiki to help him onto his wheelchair and sped off to the hospital's front door. 

"Keeboy, you dick!" he exclaimed, eyes narrowed. "You did NOT tell me you were having friends over. Shame on you! Dishonor on your whole family! Oh, wait... Nishishi! What family?"

Kiibo was far from amused, but he didn't dare argue with Kokichi in front of the three people he had brought with him. Kokichi took the time to look closely at each of them and gasped. His heart thudded so loudly everyone in the hospital probably could've heard it.

"NO. WAY. KEEBOY, I LOVE YOU-- platonically. YOU FOUND MY BELOVED SAIHARA!!!" He made sure his reaction was extra dramatic-- not that he wasn't overjoyed to see Shuichi again, he just wanted it to seem like he was saying this for show. As a joke. Kokichi hated people to know how he really felt.

Shuichi stared at him in disbelief, which honestly hurt just a little. Not just a little, actually. More than Kokichi was willing to admit, even to himself. His side hurt badly the longer the other looked at him.

"You aren't delusional, Shuichi, don't worry," he assured him. "I'm really real! Honestly. No lie."

He waved his hand for the other to follow him as he wheeled away to his room. Thankfully, Shuichi same with zero hesitation. Kokichi willed himself not to smile like an idiot because this was happening. He had worried so much about this, but now it seemed as if all would be well.

...

Provided the talk with Saihara went as planned. If it turned out to be anything like Kokichi's nightmare, he wasn't sure he would ever recover. Why this guy? Why did THIS GUY have to mean so much to him? Perhaps Shuichi would suspect he liked him, after all he had said to him throughout the killing game. Kokichi had claimed those things to just be lies because he was afraid. Now, if he outright confessed, Shuichi will have had time to think about how he feels.

"I swear, if this goes terribly wrong..." Kokichi muttered under his breath as he wheeled into his room.

Shuichi was kind enough to help him out and sit him up in bed. Then, he took a seat right next to him, folding his hands in his lap. He really was a great person, just as Kokichi had always felt.

Geez, was this the right time to do this? Was this a shitty time to confess or no? Why was he over thinking this? Just do it!

"So... Saihara... From this point on everything I say is the truth, got it?" he began, holding out his pinky. "I swear."

Shuichi slowly hooked his own finger around Kokichi's and nodded. Both of them sighed and took their hands away.

"Let me just start by saying I am so so glad to see you again, wow! You look like you haven't been sleeping. Damn, do you cry at night?"

Shuichi flinched, and he opened his mouth to say something. But then, he closed it, looking away. This brought a frown to Kokichi's face. He really wanted him to speak to him! It had been forever since he had heard his voice!

"Oof. Sorry, I guess. You should get some sleep though. Could use somebody to cuddle, maybe?" Kokichi raised an eyebrow. "I volunteer. I have always kinda wanted to be in your arms..."

Shuichi blinked at him. "You... Are you serious?"

"Gasp! He speaks! This is amazing indeed! Yes, I'm being serious! Cuddle me, you emo loser."

Shuichi narrowed his eyes as Kokichi lounged back on his bed. But his expression softened and he slowly came to lie next to him, staring into his eyes with such intensity that the both of them were very red in the face.

"Wow, this is nothing like in my dreams," Kokichi blurted. "Man, the real deal is great! If only you were mine..."

To his surprise, just as the other closed his eyes, he murmured, "I'll think about it when I wake up. You sleep, too, okay? I care about you."

And he knew this was the one... 

✨✨🍭✨✨

"Henry, how dare you post a Saiouma chapter at ONE IN THE MORNING!"

FUCK YOU, CHASE! 

(the quotes are Chase. He isn't real, he's my inner criticizing thoughts. We hate Chase here, but at least he's funny.)