Heir & Heiress

Reconciled

After the last exam, I met Nagito and the others in the dining hall before leaving for France. Junko was already screeching about her holiday plans now that Mukuro was back in Japan. Celeste was leaving for Romania for the first half of break, Sayaka would be spending a week at a retreat with her group members, and Sonia had already left to spend time in her home country (Kazuichi was depressed at hearing this).

"Paris!" Sayaka sighed in excitement, stealing a biscotti biscuit from my coffee saucer. "I performed there a few times! Although singing in French was difficult," she pouted at the memory. "Were you born there?"

I shook my head, "I was born in Japan, but I alternated between my homes in France, Japan, and America," I reminisced. I could almost taste the snowy air in Paris, gazing at the Eiffel Tower from my balcony. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" I squeezed Nagito's hand. He seemed distracted, staring off into the distance with blurred focus. He had been acting different since I confessed to him; skipping class, excessive fidgeting, and his disdain for Togami seemingly vanished.

"Sorry," he muttered with a sheepish smile, "I'm still not sure I'm ready to meet your parents. Besides, I promised Nanami that I would meet...her friend," Nagito emphasized the distaste he felt. The gamer sighed, nudging Nagito's elbow. "He's not even an Ultimate!" he tried to defend, although it was clear that Nagito had a bias towards the "talentless'.

"He's waiting outside, come on," Chiaki started yanking my reluctant boyfriend along. Nagito quickly leaned in, managing to peck me on the cheek. "See you soon, everyone!" Nanami called over her shoulder as Nagito mouthed 'help me'. I giggled at the sight until I felt someone tapping my shoulder.

"If you're interested in having company, I'll also be leaving for France tonight". Togami took Nagito's seat across from me, in his arrogant glory. Even though we hadn't fought since the blow up several weeks ago, tension still built when we spoke. "My parents will be visiting yours, so it only makes sense to travel together". I scoffed, rolling my eyes; I've never been used to my parents neglecting to inform me of the Togami's visits.

Makoto and Kyoko convinced the rest of our class to move to another table. In the corner of my eye, I could see Sakura covering Hina and Sayaka's giggling. Junko, Celeste, and Kyoko had watchful eyes on us, making it difficult to focus. Togami was waiting patiently for me to answer. I smirked, "How convenient that you ask as soon as Nagito disappears". The piece of biscotti I used to stir my coffee had begun to crumble and melt into the mocha liquid. "It's disgraceful to try and steal another's lover".

"Don't flatter yourself," he cocked an eyebrow, pressing his chin against his hand.

"Says the one who only speaks in self-flattery," I mocked, grinning. The ice between us seemed to melt; subtle chuckling expanded into exhausting laughter. I had never seen this side of Togami, even as he tried to muffle his laughter behind his hand. Once we managed to calm down, I took a deep breath and leaned forward. "So, uh...your jet or mine?"

"The feud has ended!" Junko announced as our classmates began applauding. Hina and Sayaka's excited voices filled the room; nearly everyone was laughing to themselves at the scene.

"Plebeians," I smirked. Togami choked on his coffee, quickly covering his mouth with a napkin. I laughed until tears were streaming down my face.

Although I had to rush to the airport, I stopped by Nagito's dorm room to say goodbye. I knocked but he didn't answer; I cracked the door open, poking my head in, "Nagito?" I sighed, 'I guess he's still out with Nanami'. I quickly left a note on his bedside table and turned to leave, until I spotted a Polaroid taped to the top of his desk. The picture was of me and Togami, sitting in the dining hall just a few hours ago, laughing. In the blank border below the picture, the message How Cute~<3 was scribbled in overly feminine handwriting. I didn't know who took the photo, nor who planted it in Nagito's room, but I didn't have time to find out. I stuffed the out-of-context evidence into my purse and slammed the door behind me. 

"You're late". Togami was waiting for me in front of the jet's stairs, tapping his impatient fingers against his arm. Once we had boarded, we sat in silence as the jet lurched forward and eventually lifted off the ground. I continued to check my phone, desperately waiting for Nagito to respond. "Would you stop doing that? It's absolutely infuriating to watch," Togami sighed.

I shrank under his scrutinizing glare; his jet was wider than mine, but that didn't make me feel any less claustrophobic. I slipped the Polaroid from my purse, handing it over to Togami. "I found this in Nagito's room, taped to his desk. He won't answer my texts or calls," I explained, watching him stare intently at the photo. Togami nodded, but didn't offer any reassurance; rather, he held onto the photo for the entire flight and stared out the window.