Flutter

Chapter 4

"I will," he promised, bending down and kissing her forehead.

...

"Look what I made, Kokoro!" Miku exclaimed, holding up a pair of slightly disfigured socks.

Kokoro chuckled. "Have you been taking my sewing lessons to heart?"

"I wanted to make something for the new baby too," Miku explained.

"I tried to make a hat, but it didn't end up well," Ikuno muttered.

"That's all right. I'm glad that the others here are learning to sew as well. I didn't realize I was such a good teacher."

"Is it getting uncomfortable?" Ichigo asked, pointing to Kokoro's large bump.

She nodded. "A bit. I wish the baby would come sooner. I try not to act too upset though, for Mitsuru's sake."

"It'll be here in no time," Ikuno promised.

Kokoro grinned at her friends, stroking her stomach once more.

"Do you think Hiro and Zero Two will be back soon?" Ichigo wondered after a prolonged silence.

"I don't know," Miku sighed. "VIRM must still be out there."

"I hope they're okay," Kokoro thought. "But I also hope they'll drive VIRM away for good." She glanced down at her stomach, a new fear creeping inside her that perhaps the world she brought her baby into would not be a safe one. She shook these thoughts away, telling herself that Hiro and Zero Two would surely not let that happen.

"It's been so long since they left. I just worry for them," Ichigo muttered, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"It must take a lot of time and energy to defeat something so powerful," Kokoro explained. "Just like how it takes a long time to have a baby too. I think the outcome of their fight will be successful."

The slightest smile grew on Ichigo's face and on the others as well.

"When did you get so wise, Kokoro?" Miku inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't think I'm..." Kokoro's voice trailed off. She guessed she certainly was more assertive now than she had ever been. She smiled to herself, glad that she was truly evolving into the best version of herself.

...

The lights in the bedroom went dark as Kokoro watched Mitsuru crawl into bed. The air was colder than normal, especially with the new layer of snow on the ground. Kokoro wrapped her blankets around her and scooted closer toward Mitsuru.

"No pillows?" he asked her as he reached a hand over her.

"Not right now," she said. Though she was always fatigued and exhausted, she felt more awake than normal tonight.

"Mm," Mitsuru muttered, shutting his eyes. His hand traced up and down the curves of her body, eliciting the softest sighs from Kokoro. How could Mitsuru already be falling asleep when her entire body was tingling?

She leaned forward, pressing her lips against Mitsuru's.

Mitsuru's eyes shot open. "Kokoro-san?" he asked.

"Ah, sorry. Were you trying to sleep?" she wondered. She traced her fingers through his hair while he leaned forward to kiss her again. He gently squeezed her thighs while peppering kisses around her face.

"Mm. That feels good, Mitsuru-kun," she whispered. His hand trailed up and down her again as she let out soft sighs. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss right against his neck. She felt him shudder at her touch before his lips pressed against hers once more.

They broke apart, both of them panting from the prolonged kiss. Mitsuru moved slightly, trailing kisses up and down Kokoro's chin and neck. She let out quiet moans as a familiar heat pooled between her legs. She could barely catch her breath, and her abdomen felt like it had caught fire.

"Kokoro-san?" Mitsuru asked, noticing her expression of pure bliss. "Do you want me to stop?"

"Ah, sorry," she said, leaning forward to kiss him once more. "I'm getting tired now. Maybe we should go to sleep."

"Where did that come from?" Mitsuru asked, lacing his fingers through her hair.

"I-I don't know. I just got excited, that's all," she said, turning to lay on her back. "Good night, Mitsuru-kun."

"G'night, Kokoro-san," he muttered, shutting his eyes.

Kokoro's heart was still fluttering rapidly against her chest. Her eyes were glued to the dark ceiling as she listened to Mitsuru's gentle breaths.

"Mitsuru-kun?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"How do you think babies are made?" she wondered.

Mitsuru grumbled and reached to turn on the lamp near his bedside. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you going on about?"

"Well, somehow or other we must have known because otherwise I wouldn't be pregnant," Kokoro murmured. The tingling sensation in her body had finally started to subside.

"Do you think it had something to do with what happened just now?" she asked quietly as Mitsuru sat in silence.

"I-I think so," he said. "But I don't remember how we..."

"I don't remember either, but sometimes I get this tingling inside me, and I think my body just sort of knows," Kokoro spoke, still staring up at the ceiling.

Both of them were quiet, listening to the nighttime world outside.

"Have you heard of sex, Mitsuru-kun?" she asked at last.

"Sex?"

"I've heard rumors that some of the other parasites have been doing it. I-I think that's how babies are made. Zorome told me that one time he caught us trying to stick our bodies together. Is that what it is?"

Mitsuru let out a hiss and winced.

"Did it trigger something?" Kokoro asked, finally turning her head to glance at him.

"I don't know what that was just now. All I know is that sometimes I get this tinging feeling too from my chest all the way down," Mitsuru explained.

"Me too," Kokoro breathed. "We...we must've done it at some point. I just don't remember it."

"Why? Did you want to try it?" Mitsuru asked.

Kokoro laughed. "No, not right now. I think I'm a bit too tired for that," she said, rubbing her hand over her enlarged stomach. "But I'm glad I have a better understanding of it now. Maybe one day, in the future..."

Mitsuru nodded, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Are you ready for bed now?"

Kokoro nodded, feeling relaxed again. The same tired state that plagued her day in and day out was finally returning to her.

The lights were shut off again, and she rested her head on the pillow, facing Mitsuru. She let out a gentle sigh and slowly drifted off to sleep as Mitsuru's fingers twisted her locks of hair.