Heir & Heiress

Temporary

I awoke tangled in Byakuya's arms and the messy duvet cover. Shifting to meet his still-sleeping frame barely stirred him. I never pictured him to be the cuddly type, I giggled to myself. I loved seeing Byakuya in a calm state; the way his lips barely parted with slow, steady breaths and how strands of blond hair swept in front of his closed eyes. It was rare to be awake before Byakuya, but the moments I was, I could appreciate his sharp features. Without thinking, I traced a finger along his jawline and down his neck, stopping just above his heart. I pressed my hand against his chest, "How is it possible that someone so beautiful can be so cold?" I whispered to myself.

"I could ask you the same question," his raspy, morning voice nearly made me jump out of bed. His arm that was wrapped around my waist slid away, bringing his hand to mine.

"It's because you're contagious," I smirked, brushing my nose against his. I could feel the pace of his heart pick up. "Is this what you meant by 'it should be self-explanatory'?"

The small smirk that toyed with his lips sped up my heartbeat. "You're slow at figuring these things out," Byakuya's lips hovered just above mine. Bringing his hand to my cheek, tucking his fingers behind my ear, his lips crashed into mine just as a tear began to slip through the cracks.

When he finally pulled away, I wiped the tears that fell away, "What's wrong?" Seeing Byakuya Togami cry was an even rarer sight. He shook his head, sitting up and hoping to turn away. "Please, Kuya," I held his hand tighter. His mouth moved, but I couldn't hear the words leaving it. "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you".

"I said...that you weren't the only one struggling when you left Japan. Each time we separated....," he cleared his throat. "That's why I'm determined to find a way for both of us to escape".

I slipped my arms between his, wrapping them around his waist. "Thank you for opening up," I said, sneaking up alongside Byakuya. "I think both of us could use a temporary escape," I brushed my lips against his jaw, trailing down his neck.

"The camera won't bother you?" He asked between kisses.

"I can ignore it, but if you prefer," I grabbed the nearest piece of clothing, climbed on top of my desk, and tossed it over the lens.

"I haven't seen Togami or Billotte all morning," Makoto observed the lack of bodies in the dining hall. He wasn't surprised by Togami's absence, but Karen had made a steady appearance most days.

"Probably in the library or something," Hina said in between bites of toast. Fukawa stopped eating, setting her utensils aside to burst from her seat. "Where are you going?" Hina watched the writer skirt her way around the table.

"That succubus thinks she can seduce M-master," Fukawa curled her fingers in front of her chest. "Well, I'll show her how a real woman-". Before she finished, Toko rushed out, quickly followed by the others. 

Byakuya still hovered over me as I held his face in my hands, continuing to bruise his lips with mine. The euphoric air that hung around us was broken with the rhythmic sound of dings. We both glanced at the door, shrugging it off until the sound became too irritating to ignore. With his usual dismissive expression, Byakuya slipped back into his sleep pants before answering the door. "What?" the embarrassed expressions of the group met Byakuya's annoyed glare. He hadn't bothered to cover the marks tracing his skin nor adjust his messy hair.

"I-I'm sorry! We didn't realize-!" Makoto stammered.

"We?" I wrapped my robe around me, greeting the group. "You can't call us disrupting and then disrupt us!"

"We di-didn't disrupt anything! You already...already," Fukawa succumbed to her fantasies, most likely attempting to picture what Byakuya was like.

"Don't say it!" Hina covered her ears, partially covering her embarrassed face with her arms.

"Instead of imaging it," Monokuma said, once again appearing from seemingly thin air. "you could listen for yourselves!" he waved a clearly labeled CD in a case. "Unfortunately, the video is missing since someone covered the camera".

"Oh boo, you pervert," I rolled my eyes.

"You're calling me the pervert? After that marathon?" Monokuma tugged playfully on my robe. "Let's play it over the loud speaker~".

"You wouldn't dare". I yanked the fuzzy red fabric out of his grimy paw; Monokuma chuckled, waving the CD once more. "Give that to me, you rat!"

"Not a chance! I'll keep it the bank for now. Upupu!" the bear bolted down the corridor and disappeared.

"Remind me to burn that CD along with that damn bear," I grimaced, tugging on Byakuya's arm. "Anyway, why are you all here?"

"Well, we already finished eating and you two still hadn't shown up. We were worried," Makoto said, keeping his eyes averted from me. "And Toko ran here before us, so we followed".

"Don't worry about us, Makoto," I reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder. Glancing around, I noticed Kirigiri's lack of presence and remembered what they had hopefully discovered last night. "Did you take a bath last night?" Makoto stared blankly for a moment, the code clicking in his mind to nod. "Then let's chat over lunch later, okay?" I forced a smile and excused us, shutting the door behind Byakuya and me. "I wish the temporary escape lasted a little longer".

"The escape won't be temporary for much longer," Byakuya kissed my forehead and led us towards the shower. 

Makoto was seated at a smaller table, closer to the wall when I arrived. "Hey," I tried to smile, "I'm thinking something light to eat. Is that okay?"

"Oh! You don't have to actually make anything," he waved my offer away. "Do you...actually know how to cook?"

I burst into laughter, "You know, just because I had a family chef, doesn't mean I can't cook". Makoto eventually joined in laughing along, breaking the uncomfortable tension. "Do you drink coffee?" I started to walk towards the kitchen.

"Not often. I don't really like black coffee," Makoto answered, watching me add careful scoops of grounds to the pot.

"Neither do I," I scrunched my nose. "Byakuya's the one who prefers his black. I prefer specialty blends". I poured two cups, filled with sugar and cream and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. I watched Makoto take a hesitant sip, laughing at his tensed face. "Not so bad, right?"

"It's really good!" We sipped in silence, listening to the click of the minute hand. "So, about last night...," he started, setting his half-empty cup aside. "Do you remember anything about that event?"

I glanced at the camera spying down at us, "If my memories are true, then....it truly was awful. I won't go into detail now, but...trust my word for now".

"Also...can I ask you something else?" Makoto shifted in unease.

"Of course, anything!" I waved him on, taking another long sip.

"Do you think there really is a traitor? I mean, everyone seems to think it might be Byakuya, but...".

"Is that what Kirigiri said?" My lips pressed in a thin line. "Throwing lacking accusations around-,"

"No, no! Sorry, forget I said that," he shrank back.

"Even if there is a traitor," I turned away, leaning over the counter, "does it matter? They obviously haven't caused any harm. But...if I had to doubt someone it would be Kyoko".

"What? Why?"

"Because of her recent emotional backlash. Forcing us to pick a side, making Byakuya and me out to be the bad guys". I couldn't meet the hurt in Makoto's eyes. It hurt to even think of accusing one of us, but Kyoko's demeanor was centered around that.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean it that way," Makoto tried to defend her.

I sighed, "It doesn't matter. Like I said, the traitor isn't a traitor until they've betrayed one of us. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case". We finished our coffee and parted ways, leaving us with more questions than before.