Rantaro knew that Mikan had claimed the painkiller she gave Kokichi would help him fall asleep quicker than a normal one would.
He had just assumed that quicker didn't mean Kokichi would be knocked out cold in a span of five minutes. Of course, Rantaro did take note of how he seemed like he was struggling to keep his eyes open before he left the nurse's office, but he didn't think it was because of the medication kicking in so soon. Mikan wasn't kidding when she said the Ultimate Pharmacist helped create it.
Rantaro had received numerous glances as he walked down the street. Some were out of pure curiosity, while others were a tad more on the judgmental side. (Although, every once in a while he did come across an occasional starry-eyed look- the kind of look that Tsumugi sometimes wore whenever she talked about one of her ships.) He didn't pay any mind to the wandering eyes of those around him as he made his way back home.
Rantaro didn't mind having to carry Kokichi through the city. If anything, there was only one problem he had- Rantaro couldn't exactly ask him where he lived since he was knocked out. Of course, Rantaro didn't care all that much about bringing Kokichi to his house, he was just concerned about how he'd react when he woke up. (And the reaction of anyone he lived with, too.)
The walk home wasn't too far from the school. Ever since he got accepted into Hope's Peak Academy as an Ultimate, his father went out of his way to buy an entire house closer to the school. ("Make sure to make lots of connections!" He'd say. "It'd be good for the business!")
Thankfully, Rantaro wasn't alone. Some of his sisters had moved in with him for one reason or another. His father had also sent one of his top maids to live with and take care of them.
Most of his sisters were step-sisters (a few of them were his half-sisters), and the ones who didn't move to the new house with Rantaro lived with their moms or back home with his dad. Although there were some sisters he saw more than others, Rantaro loved each and every one of them dearly.
As Rantaro walked up a small set of concrete stairs, the moment he set his green eyes upon the mahogany door was the very same moment it started to open slightly. It happened every day, yet it always made Rantaro smile.
From behind the door popped out the head of one of his sisters, inquisitive light pink eyes peering at Rantaro with a kind smile. "Thanks, Itsuki," He stepped inside. (Normally, he'd pat her hair and mess it up slightly, but today was a bit different.) He already knew the silent question her eyes were asking. "Long story, I'll explain it later, okay?" Was the answer he opted for at the moment, slipping off his shoes near the front entrance.
Itsuki stood still for a moment, before nodding her head. Wordlessly, she slipped back into the living room, where she usually resided during the afternoon.
Rantaro walked up the stairs, only to stop in his tracks when he heard the sound of a door opening followed by two gasps.
"Ranty-nii!" Standing before him were two more of his sisters. Airi, with brown hair and green eyes, and Eri, with blonde hair and green eyes. "Who are you holding?!" Airi exclaimed.
"Taro-nii! Is that your boyfriend?!" Eri's face lit up alongside Airi's as they both giggled.
"Quiet down, you two." Rantaro tilted his head slightly to the side, raising an eyebrow. "My friend isn't feeling well- he needs all the rest he can get."
The two twins both nodded in sync, their green eyes sparkling with amusement. "It's just like sleeping beauty!" Eri whispered excitedly to Airi as they watched Rantaro head to his room.
"I thought sleeping beauty was a girl?" Airi questioned.
"Does it matter?"
Rantaro heard a pause as he (somehow) opened the door to his room. He could imagine both of their faces as clear as day. "I guess not." He heard Airi answer, with what was probably a shrug.
The two clambered down the stairs, giggling quietly amongst themselves. Rantaro let out a soft chuckle of his own, stepping into his room and setting Kokichi down on his bed. (There were no guests bedrooms in this house, but Rantaro's bed was big enough to share and he didn't mind all that much.)
For a minute, he stood there, allowing himself another good look at Kokichi. The stillness was no longer disturbing now that Kokichi was actually asleep. He looked to be at peace with whatever might've been bothering him, and before he knew it Rantaro found himself leaning forward slightly, brushing back a few strands of Kokichi's hair to get a better look at his face.
Pulling his hand back, Rantaro let out a sigh as he pulled the paper from out of his pocket. He hummed faintly to himself, moving across the room as he read the tidbits of information Mikan had left him. One of the things that caught his attention was the sensitivity to light, and the first thing Rantaro did was draw the maroon curtains in his room. The bright afternoon light filtering in darkened a few shades as the room gained a reddish hue. (Rantaro actually really liked it- he made a mental note to draw his curtains more as opposed to not doing anything with them and leaving them as they always lay- open.)
The only other thing he was able to do before he heard his name get called from downstairs was take Kokichi's shoes off. (Surprisingly enough, his feet weren't as tiny as he thought they'd be, considering how small his hands were.) Setting the list on the nightstand, he closed the door behind him as he made his way downstairs and towards the kitchen. "Hey," He greeted, setting down Kokichi's shoes at the front before he stepped foot into the kitchen.
Airi and Eri ran up to Rantaro, an excited look in their gaze. "What did you do with sleeping beauty, Ranty-nii?" Airi asked.
"Did you two kiss, Taro-nii?" Eri giggled.
Rantaro shook his head. "No, we didn't kiss."
"What are they talking about?" A new voice murmured. Rantaro looked up to see a girl with curly black hair and green eyes, looking down at a note that Itsuki, who was sitting next to her at the kitchen table, had passed her. Her eyebrows raised. "You brought a guy home?" She asked.
"Where'd you come from, Hikari?" Rantaro asked, performing his handshake with Airi and Eri.
Hikari rolled her eyes at the mention of her name. "Just spawned in from the pits of hell. Wanna tell us about that guy you brought home or something?"
"My word!" Another, more assertive voice exclaimed from the kitchen. "You brought a guest and you didn't even bring him down here so we could meet him?" With her hands on her hips, the head of the house gave Rantaro a playfully disappointed look. "I'd like to believe we were at least a little bearable."
Hikari groaned as Airi and Eri had left Rantaro alone, opting to bother her next. "We're really not."
Itsuki let out a small chuckle, and Rantaro just sighed. "There's a reason why he can't exactly join us, Fuyumisa." He smiled. "I'll explain everything to you guys, don't worry."
"And you'll do it while helping me prepare dinner, young man!" Fuyumisa exclaimed, her silver eyes shining. "Today's your turn!" She was always like a second mother to them.
Rantaro made his way over to the sink, a smile on his face. "Yes, ma'am," He laughed, giving her a mock-salute before he washed his hands. This was sure to be fun.
:) (Why are there no line breaks on Wattpad I hate it here-)
True to his prediction, it did make for a pretty fun time. Sure, he couldn't get through a single sentence without getting teased about being in a relationship, but Rantaro enjoyed the familial banter with all of his heart. Even Hikari, who would normally have her earbuds in as she worked on her math homework, was actually paying attention for once.
Every once in a while, Rantaro would feel bad about not being able to enjoy times like this with his other sisters. Getting the others together would most definitely not be an easy task, and he'd feel bad for putting more pressure on Fuyumisa.
Today was one of the few days where he didn't have that guilt on his shoulders- and was able to enjoy the quality time he shared with Airi, Eri, Itsuki, Hikari, and Fuyumisa. Oh, and Kokichi, too, although spending time with him came a bit after his family time.
Rantaro made his way back to his room quietly, holding a plate of food for Kokichi. When he sat down on the bed, he watched as his classmate started to stir slightly. "I made you something," He said, hoping to catch his attention.
Surely enough, it had worked, as Kokichi's eyes fluttered open a few seconds after. A low, confused hum escaped his lips as he eyed the food, quickly looking up at Rantaro before he started to glance around the room.
He had only ever seen Kokichi wear ingenuine expressions on his face, such as fake crocodile tears or an overly-sinister look for a joke the others found mildly annoying at best. Seeing such a genuine reaction from him captured Rantaro's full attention. "You're at my house. Do you want me to take you back to your place?" He offered.
Kokichi propped himself to sit upright using his elbow, only to let out a low groan as he collapsed back to the mattress and gave up halfway through. (If Rantaro recalled right, that was one of the spots where Mikan had shown him a bruise from when Kokichi hit himself during the fall.) Rantaro set the plate of food down on the nightstand, leaning forward and helping Kokichi sit up.
A part of Rantaro wanted to repeat his question from earlier. After all, it would be pretty bad if he had kept Kokichi here against his wishes. He decided to wait for Kokichi to respond; a futile effort, as Kokichi merely stared at him once he was sitting up.
Rantaro opened his mouth to repeat the question, only to hesitate slightly. "You can stay here as long as you need- just let me know when you want to go home," He wasn't sure why he paused or worded the question differently, but it felt right coming off of his tongue. As he grabbed the plate of food off of the nightstand, a sudden idea entered Rantaro's mind. It was strange and unnecessary, yet he couldn't help but smile. "Would you like for me to feed you?"
The confused look on Kokichi's face made it definitely worth it. Rantaro chuckled. "Hey, I like to be spoiled a little whenever I'm not feeling well," He admitted. "Let me do the same for you."
Kokichi stared blankly at Rantaro, and the minute of silence that passed between the two felt like an hour. Finally, Kokichi exhaled, saying nothing and merely opening his mouth.
The smile on Rantaro's face grew as he picked up some of the food with the chopsticks he had set on the side of the plate, slowly serving Kokichi a small portion of the food. Perhaps it was the big brother part of him that always resonated a bit stronger than it should've, but Rantaro found a strange sense of comfort and warmth sprouting inside of him as he fed Kokichi in a homely silence.
Perhaps he had fed Kokichi a bit slower than he should've- maybe he had taken a few seconds longer in between each portion than necessary- but there was something ethereal about this precious moment in time that Rantaro couldn't quite identify. Maybe it was the maroon hue cast upon the dim room, or maybe it was the sudden increase in intimacy between him and Kokichi due to the day's events. Whatever it was, he just knew that he wanted it to last. Kokichi didn't seem to notice what he was doing, and if he did, then he didn't care enough to call him out on it. Perhaps he could tell something was different, too.
The moment ended too soon for Rantaro's liking, yet he said nothing as he stood up to put the plate away. As his hand rested on the doorknob of his room, he heard a faint clearing of the throat. "Thank you," Was that the first time he'd heard Kokichi speak since he fell? He had to think for a moment, before realizing that it was. "It was very good,"
Rantaro smiled back at Kokichi. "I'm glad you liked it. Rest up some more, okay?" He lingered at the door for a moment, watching as Kokichi's eyes fluttered shut once again, before he exited the room.
~2.2k Words
Author's Note: I was hoping to get two more chapters out by now, one on the 20th and one on today, because I really liked the update every 3 days schedule, but shortly after I posted the previous chapter I got really sick and ended up in the hospital a few days ago. :( I'm doing alright now, thankfully! I had a bit more planned for this chapter, but since this chapter is a bit longer than the other two, I ultimately decided it'd be better to put it at the start of next chapter instead! (which is gonna be more Kokichi-centric.) Also, speaking of a 3 day update schedule, the next update will be out around the 29th instead of the 26th. The 26th is Kaede's birthday, and she's probably my favorite character in the entire franchise, so I'm gonna write a oneshot for her :D There will be hints of Oumami and Momoharu (Kaimaki? idk there's so many names for it) but the main focus of the story is Kaede + hints of Saimatsu. So if you're into funny squad shenanigans then look out for it on the 26th :D