Faith. (Sequel)

Chapter 19 | Dreams

Madara breathed shakily when he felt a cold hand slip under his shirt. Delicate fingers brushed over his stomach and stopped at his hip. Long nails started to draw circles on his skin. To his surprise, it didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all. It actually made him quite sleepy.

It surely was a surprise to be woken like this, but he didn't complain. 

Asami snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his outstretched arm. Her eyes were focused on his face. She liked seeing his reactions, especially when she did things he wasn't used to. She felt a bit off, but not in a bad way. It was as if the argument from yesterday only brought them closer. She definitely felt more at ease around him now.

Slowly, she moved her hand up, feeling his muscles tense under her touch. It was strangely satisfying that she was able to make him feel like that even though she knew it was mostly because her hands were cold.

Asami couldn't contain her smile when Madara finally glanced back with a slight glare on his face. It wasn't one of his usual ones, though. There was something on his mind. He wondered not only how it was possible that the temperature of her hands was below the freezing point but also why she was behaving so differently all of the sudden. Even if the misunderstandings were resolved and the argument was put behind them, he still thought it was weird for Asami to act as if nothing had happened at all. It was better than her acting all uncomfortable, though.

While Madara spent a few minutes of the early morning thinking, Asami kept brushing her fingers against his skin. She still wasn't used to waking up next to him, and she didn't want to get accustomed to it. Instead of waking up to the sight of her son's soft hair, small body, and chubby cheeks, she was greeted by the wild locks and the big physique of his father. That was quite a change, and she wanted this feeling to stay special. This feeling of fulfillment and warmth was something she wanted to experience every morning. 

Asami didn't want to take it for granted.

While Madara was gone, Kouta was able to fill up the emptiness inside of her most of the time. Sometimes, she saw him as a replacement for Madara, which was unfair to Kouta. For example; sleeping alone was occasionally hard for Asami. At those times, she asked Kouta to stay with her. Though he couldn't give her a sense of security like Madara did, he was able to ease her loneliness. It occured often that she woke up in the middle of the night, unpleasant memories and thoughts disturbing her supposed to be tranquil dreams. She thought that Kouta might be able to make her feel as if all her mistakes weren't her fault, that she did everything for his sake and therefore her actions weren't misdeeds. 

But that was also unfair, since she did everything out of pure selfishness.

Asami expected impossible things from a kid who was too young to understand her complicated thoughts and she felt incredibly guilty for that. Still, Asami was actually glad that she was pregnant with him when Madara left. She couldn't even imagine how solitary and dull her life would have been if Kouta wasn't in it. He was the one that brought color and meaning to her life.

Now, Asami didn't expect Kouta to replace Madara anymore. He had his own role back; the role of a child. A child that needed a mother, not an overly emotional woman who couldn't forget about a man that died years ago. Perfect parents didn't exist, but Asami was going to try to be an amazing one from now on. 

Madara's words made an end to her train of thought. "I've been wondering for a while now." He started, breaking the comfortable silence. "How it is possible that Kouta can already speak so well for his age?"

Asami smiled and hummed, retracting her hands. She found it funny that they were both thinking of him at the same time and answered his question. "It's because I talked to him a lot, and then I mean more than a usual parent would." She explained. "He was the only one I could talk to after all."