an: thank you so much for 1k reads. it truly means a lot to me 🫶
"Wow," Kaede hums in disbelief, "You really can't see anything in these."
The opaque glasses rest above her nose, blocking out every bit of sun that should peek through. Left and right she turns, waiting to catch sight of the uneven grass of the field, or Satoru sat before her.
"I told you."
"You don't get frustrated not seeing the world properly?"
"Who said I'm not seeing the world properly?" he defends. "The flow of cursed energy is just as natural as color."
"Yeah, but color is pretty," Kaede sighs, pushing the glasses up into her hair as the world comes into view. She leans back onto her palms, pointing her nose up towards the sun to accept its warmth. "I don't think I could give up seeing the world as it is."
"I can gladly give up pretty color if it means reserving a bit of energy throughout the day," Satoru says. "Besides, cursed energy has its own colors."
"Really? Then, what colors do you see when you look at me through the glasses?"
"A big mess of purples and blues," he tuts, reaching out for the glasses, "Give them back."
A pout forms on Kaede's lips. "Not yet."
"It's been a while already. You're going to give me a headache," he groans. "Come on."
She moves further, though, eager to keep the glasses out of his reach. "But I like seeing your eyes."
"Take a photo of them then."
He leans forward, only for her to pull away from his grasp.
"It's not the same."
Satoru straightens again where he sits, releasing a large sigh, "Are we doing this right now?"
Kaede lowers the glasses back down onto her nose, "Doing what?"
His head lulls at her feigned innocence, before his body is launched onto hers in an effort to regain his glasses. Kaede frets beneath him, turning her head left and right, but once her arms are pinned above her head, she's forced into submission.
"Give them back."
"Ask me nicely."
"Kaede-chan," he says sweetly, "Can I please have my glasses back?"
"Look how good your manners have become," she coos. "But I think I'll keep them a little longer. You look so pretty with your face uncovered."
Satoru leans down with a smirk. "Pretty?" he repeats.
The declining distance fastens Kaede's heartbeat, shuddering each breath that exits her lungs. "I guess you're quite... pretty."
He releases one of her wrists to push the glasses back up into her hair. The muted purple of her eyes locks with his shimmering azure. "You guess?"
"Maybe if I could see you like this more often," she says quietly, "I could be certain."
Satoru can't help himself, running his hands along her arms until her fingers are laced between his own. He sees the way her eyes flutter shut, a heavy swallow rolling down her throat—sees the way she's fighting every corrupt sensation in her body. He knows he should fight harder too, and yet, he leans so close that the tip of his nose desperately traces the skin of her cheek.
"What are you doing?" her voice trembles through a whisper. "Satoru?"
The sound of her calling his name forces reality upon him. Satoru stops himself before any further mistakes can be made. "Relax," he laughs it off, pulling the shades from her hair, "I just wanted my glasses back."
He draws back a safe distance away, careful with the way he sits to keep from alarming Kaede any more than he already has.
"Idiot," Satoru scolds himself. "How could you be so weak?"
Kaede sits up, chuckling weakly between the unspoken tension. "Maybe I should get myself a pair."
"Your technique requires you to see people," he reminds, "Besides, I wouldn't be able to see your pretty face."
But she points to the glasses that have finally found their way back onto his nose. "You already can't."