• The Eleventh
As she was wide awake on his bed, Satoru was already snoring.
Moonlight peeked through the in-between of the light gray with golden stripes curtain. It was cold, but the arm stretched over he stomach was warm to the touch. It has been about thirty minutes since they said each of their goodnights, yet everytime she closes her eyes, she finds herself opening them in a split second. She just can't sleep.
The lights were turned off. The whole room was still. No noise was heard. All these ideal conditions to sleep, and Iori Utahime has her eyes open.
Her eyes slid over to one object then to another. She never noticed how organized his room actually was. The clothing rack he has on the side has his coat hanging from it. His door to the walk-in closet was slightly ajar. The space in his room was wide, the furniture were properly situated.
After scanning probably everything, her eyes dropped on the owner. The white-haired man that she calls her boyfriend.
His body was facing her, arm under his head, and the other clutching her stomach. It looked like an uncomfortable position, but he was sleeping deeply.
Long white eyelashes was emphasized with hsu sleeping face. His lips held a ghost of a smile he had on before he was asleep.
"'Hime, if you won't sleep, can you please not stare at me?"
His voice broke through the silence and peace.
"You were awake?"
"I am now. If someone was staring at you right in the face, won't you wake up too?"
Utahime who was previously laying on her back turned and faced the man. "I thought you were a deep sleeper."
"I am. If you played the baseball game you loved so much on full volume, I wouldn't have woken up. You, young lady, was staring at me face-to-face."
His eyes were still closed as they talked.
"Sorry. You look cold though... and uncomfy."
"I don't want to put my shirt back on. That is what's uncomfy to me."
"Why are you so snappy? Just go back to sleep."
He lifted his arm off of her and poked her forehead. "I need you to sleep, so that I can sleep."
"I'll just turn away."
"Ugh."
How the roles were reversed. He was annoyed now.
"Why are you up this late?"
"I don't know," she replied. "I just can't sleep."
"There must be a reason. Don't tell me you're scared a cursed spirit will attack you?"
She shook her head lightly. "No. How can I when you're here?"
"That's right." He pulled her closer, caging her with both her arms.
"I was just..." Utahime struggled to find the right words. "I was thinking. If you don't want to break up-"
"That again. I swear I will forbid you from saying those pair of words ever again, you'll see."
"Let me finish!"
He pouted but went silent anyway.
"Then..."
'Do you love me?'
"Uhm, I remembered you once said you won't mind marrying me."
That wasn't what she actually wanted to ask. That wasn't specific. She yearns for an answer to what he feels and what she also feels.
"It's Hime-senpai," his voice trailed off as he opened his one eye, "why would I mind?"
She was in a daze.
"Love? Is that idiot even capable of love?" she whispered to herself as she made breakfast. A simple eggs and bacon breakfast. It's fast, and he'll probably leave anytime soon. Her eyes glanced at the date today, it the 11th of month. December is getting closer.
She clearly remembers how he grumbled yesterday at how he has to work.
"Look at my wife!" he suddenly yelled.
Still in his pajamas, Satoru made his way towards Utahime and hugged her from behind.
"Hey, you're going to leave at 8:00, right? It's already 7:30 am!"
He sat sadly on the chair with his soldiers slumped. "I greeted you sweetly, and you returned it with nagging."
That was when it struck her. He called her his wife!
"I'm not you wife!"
"You talked about marriage earlier, that was my last thought before going to sleep."
With a puzzled look on her face, she sat down in front of him. She was confused at how she felt about the 'wife.'
It settled in her mind, and it was... normal. No, natural world be more specific.
How odd.
Soon, Satoru left still complaining, but she sent him out anyway. She still has days off from her work, and she was bored. Two weeks is dragging, does she even need that much rest?
Well, she really did need more rest because when she fell asleep on the couch, a sound sent her panicking. She dreamt about the little girl. Her eyes shot open from the nightmare.
"That curse might have been related to bad dreams, huh."
Her hands were itching to call him. She didn't have this nightmare when he was here. Was it just a coincidence? Was the presence of a strong sorcerer canceling out the effect?
Or was it just him himself that was calming?
Suddenly, her phone rang. Her eyes filled with expectation shattered when it was just her mother checking in.
Night arrived.
Satoru hurriedly opened his apartment to see his loving yet grumpy girlfriend. His long legs came in handy when he needs to get somewhere fast and without teleportation. He opened the door, and when he turned to the living room, there she was on the couch sleeping.
"U~ta~hi~me"
Her eyes slowly blinked to reveal her dark-colored irises. "Oh, you're home."
"That was bland. Can't you, at least, act a little more excited to see me?" He knelt beside the couch, dropping his bag beside him.
"I bought you souvenirs," he said.
"I'm not in the mood for sweets."
"I bought myself souvenirs then."
She sat up and fixed her hair that was all over the place. Her ribbon was in his room. The day was spent almost entirely on the couch, mindlessly flipping through his television.
"Here." He pulled a silk piece of fabric from the bag he brought with him. It was a pearly-white soft ribbon that he figured would suit her.
"It's pretty." Her eyes focused on the gift she just received in her hands.
The lights were not turned on, only the moonlight from his floor to ceiling windows illuminated the living room. She fell asleep earlier around 3 o'clock, and now, it's already 7 in the night.
"It's just a plain ribbon, how can you look at it like it's jewel?"
"You don't understand. It's the thought that's making it pretty."
Satoru frowned and plopped down beside her. "The thought is pretty, but you never told me — the one who thought of it — pretty."
"If your head was any bigger, you'll explode."
"Harsh." He cupped her face with both of his hands and made her face him. Her cheeks were squished. "Can't you tell me one compliment? I compliment you all the time."
"Why do you need my compliments?" she asked. "You receive loads of it from other people."
"Well, Utahime-senpai is not other people."
She felt that engraved in her heart.
"Let go of me." He did after pinching it both once.
Since he just came back from work, he still had his blindfold on. She reached out to her face and slowly slid it off his face.
"I really love your eyes, you know."
"Aw, only my eyes?"
'That's something I've been asking myself.'
"Yes, because I hate everything else."
"Again, harsh."
Staring at her eyes, he whispered, "I love your eyes too."
"Thank you." She smiled. His lips curved up to form a smile of his own.
"Look at you being all shy. Why don't you give your boyfriend a little kiss?"
"I would," she said while grinning, "but he's working late."
His expression went down. "Don't even joke about that." He pinched her cheeks that it made it red.
Moonlit rays fell on his focused face. His gaze made her feel like she's the only thought he has now. Despite the icy color of his eyes, he felt warm. His attention felt warm. The cold November breeze contrasted the way he looked at her.
Gently, Utahime lifted her hand to cup a side of his face and slowly leaned in. It seems that he took him by surprise because there was slight pause. A second passed before he leaned in to return her kiss with matching passion. They've locked lips many times before, but for some reason, she felt this was special.
Her body still hasn't felt like it was before she was affected by that curse, is this also a side effect? She felt really sensitive. Every thing makes her overthink.
Maybe it was that. But maybe, where they are right now just feels so intimate. Being in his home felt that she grew closer to him.
Guilt and worry flooded her insides for a moment. But it all soon dried up because of how he's kissing her. It was burning with passion and overwhelmingly sweet.
To love him was a choice she never knew she'll choose for years. Now, she can't see herself choosing any other option.
'I love you,' she thought as his kiss deepened.
• The Eleventh
of November was when she realized she loved Gojo Satoru.