she conquered her demons
and wore her scars like wings
GENTLE HUES OF GOLDEN sand, floras of salty waves, vast firmaments of blue, speckles of cotton white clouds, the mellifluous scent of coconuts, salt and warmth, Mizuki couldn't ask for anything more than this for their honeymoon. Her grip on the suitcase's handle tightened, a smile curling at her lips, lungs inflating with the tranquil smell.
"Come on, love," called Akaashi, placing a hand to her lower back, the other grabbing the suitcase out of her grip. "We have to settle into the room first."
"Hai, hai."
The soulmate penta entered the lavish resort they would be staying at for the next week — by themselves. Haruto and Hiroto were in Akira and Talia's care, most likely being spoilt by their grandmothers (because Akira truly was like a second mother to Mizuki. She had raised her, after all. Though, nobody could ever replace Mizuki's actual mother).
"Reservation for Tetsuro Kuroo?"
"Ah, yes. Here's the key, a map of the resort, our planned activities for the week, and the timings for the available restaurants." The receptionist handed Kuroo everything they needed with a polite smile. "One of our staff members will direct you to your room. Please enjoy your stay."
They thanked her and walked off, following the guide. He pointed out places as they walked through the resort, gladly answering any queries that they had. Bokuto and Mizuki looked around in wonder, Kuroo and Akaashi taking the time to ask questions whilst Kenma simply walked beside his soulmates, glad to be in their presence. Fingers laced with Mizuki's, he felt her reassuring squeeze, shifting his gaze and looking at her. They were about the same height now, though she was probably an inch taller.
"Excited?" she asked.
His lips quirked upwards.
"Very."
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Sprawled out along the sunbed, dressed in a dotted black bikini, Mizuki bathed under the sun, soaking in the honeyed rays. Akaashi sat on the other sunbed, dressed in a pair of grey swim trunks and an open blue floral shirt. He squeezed out the sunscreen from the bottle, lathering it in his hands before smoothening it onto Kenma's bare skin, who was hunched over, playing on his DS. If it weren't their honeymoon, Kenma would've stayed in the bedroom. Lock himself up and play until he passed out.
However.
Being soulmates with two energetic weirdos, Kenma was not allowed to do that. They forced him out, changed him into his red swimming trunks and carried him all the way to the beach. Akaashi and Mizuki walked behind him, laughing softly as he screeched at being out in the sun. A kiss from the latter duo on the lips placated him, and he acquiesced.
"Oi, Kou! Don't go inside without sunscreen!" Kuroo yelled, noticing how their jubilant owl-like soulmate was rushing to the sea. He halted halfway, digging his heels into the heated sand.
"Oh!"
Bokuto ran back to their area, the matching red floral open shirt flowing behind him. He wore a pair of black trunks, the strings the same colour as Akaashi's and Akaashi's the same colour as Bokuto's.
"Can you put some on me?" he asked the youngest, gold eyes bright, illuminating under the sun's warming rays. The beach was blessed with its happiness, giggling firely, happy to see soulmates bonding together.
"Yes. Sit here." Akaashi patted the spot beside him, scooting back and letting the male sit in front of him. He took his time to spread the sunscreen along his body (because he was not, I repeat, was not feeling up his soulmate).
An amused smirk stretched across Tetsuro's lips.
"Enjoying yourself?" he questioned.
"Yes."
Kuroo snickered. His eyes wandered over to his other soulmate, spotting her on the phone. "What are you doing?"
"Just checking up on Haruto and Hiroto," she answered, scrolling through her texts and opening the chat with her aunt. Just as she was about to type in a message, her phone was snatched away. "Hey!"
"No phones," Kuroo emphasised. "That was the rule we made before coming here."
Mizuki protested, "But I'm just checking up on them!"
"Nu-uh. Akira and Talia are perfectly capable of looking after our boys."
"Besides," added Keiji, "they'd call if there was anything wrong."
She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Boo."
"You're acting like Kou," Kenma commented, glancing up from behind his bangs. He wasn't fond of the sun and was glad that the sunbed he sat on was shaded by the large umbrella stationed in the sand.
Bokuto whipped over to him, a wounded look on his face. "Is that supposed to be bad a thing?!" he gasped.
Kenma didn't reply, turning back to his game.
Bokuto squawked, "KYANMA!" He bickered with the gamer, who was more than happy to bite back. Don't get them wrong. Kenma and Bokuto did love each other. A lot. It was a quiet emotion, in time becoming part of the oxygen they breathed. And though they may feel it might not be there, any form of removal and the emotions would begin to choke.
Mizuki exhaled deeply. "I'm going to get a drink," she announced, getting up from the sunbed.
"Ooh! I'll come!"
She slipped on the oversized white shirt, the floral designs decorating her body and adding a natural, orphic image to Mizuki. "Do you want anything?" she asked the other three, watching as they shook their heads.
"We'll get something later," replied Keiji, smiling softly.
Mizuki nodded, and she and Bokuto walked over, the latter lacing their fingers together and chattering on about the resort they were in. "We should try out their seafood restaurant tonight!" he exclaimed, swinging their arms back and forth, back and forth. "I saw a picture of their lobster, and it looks delicious!" Imagining the red creature, saliva pooled in his mouth, mind drifting over to how good it would taste, how the meat would dissolve in his mouth blissfully. There was no guarantee that the food would be as great as he was picturing it, but they were at an expensive resort. If the food weren't good, they'd be heavily disappointed. (Like Bokuto wouldn't scarf down anything — edible or not).
As they walked together, people at the resort recognised them, whispering to their companions. "Isn't that Koutarou Bokuto and Mizuki Sayeko? You know, the famous volleyball player and fashion designer?"
"Oh, I think it is."
"Sugoi! They're so pretty!"
"Let's go take a picture with them!"
The family of five walked up to the couple pensively, hesitant to break their moment yet also buzzing with excitement. "Hi! Um- could we take a picture with you both?" Mizuki and Bokuto stopped, surprised they would be recognised halfway across the world.
You see, Bokuto was famous because of his unique, rapturous volleyball playing. His optimistic attitude enraptured all, gaining him more fans and followers. He frequently did interviews and featured in Kenma's videos, whose own fanbase exploded rapidly, growing day by day. Mizuki, on the other hand, was known for her clothes and business. She had also become an active figure in the social celebrity world, an advocate addressor for mental health. Her photo shoot before her pregnancy showcased her scars, proudly putting them on display for the world to see. The magazine quoted her thoughts and beliefs on the subject, something that resonated with many people. It was fair to say her fanbase blew up after that, mainly by the younger generation. After her pregnancy, she did another photo shoot. Pictures with her twins and photographs of her post-pregnancy body, straying away from the beauty standard of 'thin and beautiful'. She spoke of love for all body types, and that had more and more people admiring her for her bravery and truth.
Because Mizuki was right.
Everybody had different bodies. And everyone should love their own body, no matter what anyone else said.
A broad grin spread across Koutarou's face.
"Of course!"
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
mature warning
With bellies full, bodies warm, cheeks aching from all the smiles, the soulmate penta retired to their room full of energy. Kenma straddled Akaashi's hips, burying his hands in the latter's curly lock, lips moulding together in a fiery, passionate kiss. Mizuki sat between Bokuto and Kuroo, the latter pressing his chest against her back, lips trailing along her skin, sucking hickeys along her neck. Bokuto's hands kneaded her breasts, their tongues dancing in an infatuating, hypnotic dance. Heat erupted along her skin, rushing through her veins and enhancing the lust and desire rising in her blood. Mizuki's breathing hastened, the intense rhythm of her heartbeat undergoing an irregular count, hammering quicker than a lightning bolt. Her waist craved their touch, her hand search for theirs. In the dark, her lips found his shoulder.
"Take me," she whispered, gently tugging at Bokuto's earlobe. "Make love to me once more, Koutarou."
A shiver crawled through his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck perking up. As did his little (a very, very, very large understatement) friend.
"With absolute pleasure," he growled, delving forward and capturing her lips once again. Mizuki didn't think her lips could belong anywhere else. With every swipe of his tongue against hers, arousal pooled between her legs. She moaned, the heavenly sound swallowed by Koutarou. He revelled in the sound, as did Tetsuro, whose hand trailed down, nudging her legs apart. Mizuki complied, spreading them open.
His finger brushed against her core, lips tugging into a smirk. "You're so wet, babe," he purred in her ear, pressing himself closer, shifting so she could feel just how hard he was. She swallowed thickly at the feeling. Her soulmates were so big. Sometimes she wondered how she could take two at the same time. She recalled thinking she'd break the first time. Fortunately, Mizuki could keep up with the hormonal brats. Her hormonal brats.
Bokuto trailed his kisses down, all the way to her chest. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, groaning at the sweet taste. "Unfair how they get to do this every day," sulked Bokuto as he suckled on one of her nipples. His eyes brightened, and he perked up. "Mizuki! Can I—"
"Not a chance." Bokuto pouted. "I produce milk for our sons, not for your greedy mouths."
"You should be grateful she's even letting you have some," Kenma muttered against Akaashi, the male placing kisses up and down his neck. "And what's the attraction of it anyway? It's just milk."
"It's Mizuki's milk. That's the difference."
"Milk is milk."
"Don't bother," Akaashi said. "They're a different breed from us."
"Hey!"
Mizuki rolled her eyes, annoyed at the lack of attention and pause in ministrations. She wrapped her arms around Bokuto's neck, yanking him closer to her and thrusting her tongue into his mouth. She delved inside, memorising every crook and cranny. Bokuto easily relaxed, melting into the kiss. His hands drifted to her waist, and he tugged her closer.
And maybe it was the touch of his skin against hers as he kissed her, or the feeling of Tetsuro's breath on her neck as he slipped in two fingers. Maybe it was just the way they both spoke her name in such a way, that every time they said it, it was like the first time.
And Mizuki was pretty sure she saw the heavens when they finished, two cocks buried inside of her, pumping their seeds into her ripe uterus. Their names rang into the heated air, choirs of angels coming down to bless the five soulmates. They switched positions and people constantly, not stopping even after one of them collapsed. Kenma was the first to give out, plopping onto the mattress and curling above the soiled blankets, exhausted. Akaashi was the second one, eyes rolling to the back of his head as Kuroo rammed into him repeatedly, his orgasm crashing harshly upon him. Mizuki literally kicked Bokuto off her, commenting how much he resembled a horny dog. She was spent. She didn't exactly have as much energy as the other two. It was Kuroo and Bokuto who continued way into the night, Mizuki picking up Kenma and carrying him to the additional bedroom they had so she could wash him up in the connected bathroom. Akaashi trailed after them, hunched over, legs wobbling.
Mizuki turned on the tap, soaking a towel in the warm water. She wiped Kenma off before doing herself, Keiji taking his own towel and treating himself. "We can shower in the morning," he said quietly, ready to just dive into the bed and sleep.
Mizuki snorted. "If we can walk tomorrow."
Spoiler alert. They could not.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
The remaining days of their honeymoon were spent enjoying their tranquil time together. Unfortunately, everything must come to an end, and after a week, the soulmate penta's vacation was complete. They spent time with each other, as a group and individually.
Mizuki and Keiji spent their time reading together, her fingers gently running through the other's hair as she read to him in a soft voice. He listened silently as her voice slowly fell into a natural rhythm, and they were immersed in the story she brought to life.
Mizuki and Tetsuro walked across the beach together. Fingers interweaved and shoulders brushing together as they strolled past, the setting sun emphasising the warmth flowering in their chests. They didn't speak. They had no need to. A simple look or the slightest change in body language was already its own conversation.
Mizuki and Koutarou slept together. No, not like that — well, they did have sex, but I mean the hushed breathing and feather-light touches when Bokuto woke before the others. They would roll over and unconsciously curl closer into each other because even when they were asleep, they were in love.
Mizuki and Kenma, unsurprisingly, watched TV together, staying inside when Kenma got too overwhelmed with so many people around them. The volume was turned up just enough to be heard without dominating the soothing, serene atmosphere. Their absentminded little touches, gentle fingers slowly running over the other's arm or thigh without realising calmed their souls, relaxed their bodies and successfully dissipated the tension built up from work and taking care of kids.
It was safe to say that everyone had their own quality time with one another. Their honeymoon truly satisfied their love, yearning and desire. And not all of it was sexual. It was the intimate moments they cherished, engraved into their brain, never to be forgotten even as death did them part.
Crimson, amber and tangerine beams were thrown into the dusty sky, its beautiful colours embracing the heavens gracefully. A lustrous orb of blazing flames was sinking steadily beneath the horizon, bright pink wisps of clouds partially cloaking the magnificent globe. The soulmate penta sat along the beach, watching the moon rise and the stars shine. Their bodies warmed up, no more than silhouettes against the aesthetic sky. Small and insignificant compared to such grandeur.
Mizuki wrapped her arms around Akaashi, cradling him to her chest. He sat between her legs, facing the beach and the darkening firmament. They sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company as they basked in love and peace. The silence caressed their skin like a cool summer breeze, smoothing their souls, taking away their jagged edges.
"The moon's so beautiful," she heard Keiji mumble, gazing at the argent astronomical object, "that the ocean held up a mirror."
She's so beautiful, they thought.
"Ne, Mizuki," Bokuto called, laid out on the sand in between the four. Kenma and Kuroo were cuddled together, purely relaxing and melting into each other's embraces.
"Yes?"
He pointed to the night sky. "Do you know any constellations?"
Mizuki tilted her head back. Colours of ambrosia and mauve washed over the sky, highlighted by the various specks of white-hot dots, luminous spheroids of plasma held together by its own gravity.
She breathed in the mysterious starry night and felt the stars fill up her soul.
"Over there," Mizuki started, motioning to the direction of the patterns she remembered from her younger years, "is the constellation of Orion." Orion is outlined by four bright stars at the corners of an imaginary trapezoid. Within the space defined by these four points, seeming to draw them together into a pattern, is a row of three stars tilted at an angle — "that's his belt." Arcing downward from the belt is another group of fainter stars — "and that's his sword."
Bokuto hummed as he continued to listen to his soulmate's fascination with the stars. He had always thought of stars as just stars, nothing special about them. Yet, hearing Mizuki explain every available constellation, he couldn't help that his interests peaked every so slightly.
Akaashi, on the other hand, listened intuitively. He remembered reading about the constellation back in high school when they had first found out about Mizuki's interest in astronomy. He and Kuroo chose to research a few things, wanting to delve into her mind, work out what fascinated her and what did not. They adored then, and now, learning about her. From her personality to her little quirks. What made her smile and what ticked her off.
"It makes me wonder whether stars ever look upon us with admiration for how hard we fall. Do they watch us spiralling, setting each other ablaze? Do they think we're beautiful as we crash and burn out?"
Her soulmates turned to her in confusion— dark, liquid loveliness of words half dimly understood. "What do you mean?" whispered Kenma in a silky soft voice.
She said nothing at all, but simply stared upward into the dark sky, and watched, with melancholic eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars.
"Mizuki."
"Hm?"
Akaashi rose a hand, cradling the side of her cheek. He leaned up, simultaneously bringing her face closer to his. Their lips met halfway, and it was like heaven, the two feeling as if they were floating in space. Their souls became light, and to them, the world finally stopped spinning. Mizuki closed her eyes and hummed into the kiss.
How long did they share their passion? Seconds? Minutes? Hours, even? They didn't know. But it certainly felt like years went by, just the two of them in that one moment, sharing and pouring their emotions into one another through their soulmate bond. They separated slowly, gasping for air. Their hearts pounded as their lungs burned. It was ecstasy, pure bliss.
Exhaling deeply, Akaashi's looked into Mizuki's lilac eyes. The soothing yet captivating gaze that Mizuki Sayeko held was able to make Keiji's heart rate increase each second even after all these years. His ears and cheeks tinted pink.
She reached down to stroke the wisps of hair at his temple. He closed his eyes. Mizuki watched his face, tipped up to meet the moon. There was a delicacy to his features that sometimes made him look younger than he was. His lips were flushed and full.
It was love at first sight, they thought. At last sight, at ever and ever sight.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Three weeks later, Mizuki was heaving up her food in the toilet, Kuroo holding her hair back whilst Kenma rubbed circles into her back. The ghastly taste penetrated her mouth, forcing up more mushed solids. She gripped the side, knees quivering underneath her.
Once no more could come up, her stomach clenching painfully, Mizuki leant her head on her arm and grimaced at the smell. Kuroo quickly flushed the toilet. None of them liked the sight or smell of vomit. It brought back not-too-many fond memories.
"I'll get a pregnancy test," Akaashi said, already grabbing his coat, keys and wallet. Within an hour, the soulmate penta were seated on their couch, three positive tests laying in front of them. Joy and excitement bubbled in their chests.
Mizuki leant into Kuroo's arms.
"Here we go again."