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The days blended together trapped in the "school." Two of your classmates had just died and everyone was stuck in a tense state that was weighing even you down. First Rantaro and then Kaede. Everyone was thinking the same thing: which one of us will fall victim to one of Monokuma's motives next?
Everyone gathered in the dining hall for breakfast, as usual. You were sitting quietly at the long table with everyone, drowning in the dreary atmosphere coming off of your companions. The sound of a conversation you probably should have been listening to faded away as you fell into your own pool of thoughts.
You stared at the table while you pondered, your chewing getting slower by the second. You didn't know how to feel about some of these people. Miu was... interesting. Definitely fun to be around, but she could be irritating... Kokichi was not to be trusted, at least that was your current judgement. Angie was nice but her behavior reminded you of a cult... Everyone just had something strange going on with them.
That is... except for Gonta. The boy across from you, as isolated as he was, was one person that you looked forward to seeing when you woke up each day in this killing game. He was tall, strong, and his eyes were a pretty red color, but anyone could see that. What you saw in him went beyond his appearance.
He was kind to everyone, regardless of how they treated him in return. He only used his unmatched strength for the good of the group. He loved bugs and he was so passionate about them it was honestly... cute?
You were pulled out of your reverie when Shuichi tapped your shoulder lightly, making you jump out of your skin. You turned your head to face him and he had a concerned look on his face.
"Um, Y/N, are you alright? You haven't spoken all morning..." he questioned you.
Everyone's attention shifted to you for a second and you stammered, "Oh, uh, yes! I'm fine, sorry. I was just zoned out, I guess."
Eventually everyone began shuffling out of the dining hall one after the other. You and Gonta were the last two in the room. The silence was awkward, you couldn't think of anything to say to him, and apparently he couldn't either.
You pushed your chair back from the table with your feet and made a move to get up when Gonta's hand shot out toward you, but not nearly close enough to make contact.
"W-wait! Y/N! May Gonta ask something?"
You were surprised, but you nodded hesitantly.
"So... Gonta need help. Gonta want neater hair to be gentleman. Can Y/N help?" Gonta was blushing with a determined look on his face.
You knew it would just make you zone out even more during group discussions. This little intriguement you felt with Gonta had gone too far, but... Well, you just couldn't help yourself.
So here you were, following Gonta to his room. You two walked in silence until you got there, and like the gentleman he is, he held the door open for you.
You walked in and turned to face him.
"So, what do you want me to do, Gonta? Wash and style or...?" you asked, unsure.
"Gonta was thinking something short... like other gentlemen."
Your lips tilted downward a bit at the thought. "Gonta, you don't need short hair to be a gentleman. Who told you that?"
"Well- other boys have short hair. Gonta thought..."
"No no no, your hairstyle has nothing to do with being a gentleman or not. And besides..." you paused for just a second, heat overtaking your face, "your hair is really pretty the way it is."
Gonta looked super flustered and didn't know what to say. "G-Gonta thought..." A pink hue overtook his cheeks.
Not wanting to ruin your chances to get closer to him anyway, you took his hand and beckoned him to follow you to his bathroom.
"Alright, take off everything from the waist up," you ordered, preparing to wash his hair.
"What...?" he blankly said, looking at you in disbelief.
You realized how that may have sounded and rushed to clarify, "I'm gonna wash your hair! I just don't want your clothes to get wet! Of course if you're not comfortable or anything that's fine with me I'll ju-"
Your rambling ceased when Gonta put up an open hand and calmly said, "You're right, Y/N! A gentleman not have wet clothes!" and he began taking off his tie.
When his top half was uncovered you did your best to avoid both his gaze and looking at his bare torso. It was difficult but you managed to keep calm and you told him to bend over the tub. You took off his glasses for him, getting close to his face in the process and looking into his pretty, red eyes- which definitely made the moment just a little awkward. You played it off and put them on the sink's counter.
He got on his knees by the tub and bent so his neck stuck out over the edge, his hair flowing onto the floor of the tub. You turned on the water and made sure it was a comfortable temperature for him before you detached the shower head and began rinsing his hair.
You took your free hand and ran your fingers through Gonta's hair, getting it all nice and drenched in warm water. For a boy raised by wolves, he actually knew how to keep himself clean. His hair wasn't super greasy or anything. You hummed a bit, throwing yourself into the task.
"Feels... Nice," he mumbled from under the water. You wouldn't have heard him if he had been any quieter.
You blushed a little and continued working. You squirted some shampoo into your hands, massaging it into his hair and lightly scratching his scalp. Later on you rinsed that and repeated with conditioner. You were both quiet the whole time.
Gonta's hair was finally rinsed out and you grabbed a towel to dry it off, shaking it all around his head rapidly.
"Okay, stand up!"
He obeyed and you removed the towel. His freshly washed hair's curls were more defined. You caught yourself thinking, handsome.
You brought him to the mirror and his face lit up. "Wow, Y/N is amazinggg at washing hair!" He played with his curls in his hands for a second before he turned to you and took your hands, fully engulfing them in his. "Thank you so much!"
You smiled back at him. "Of course!"
Gonta put his clothes back on and you weren't sure whether to leave or stay. You shuffled your feet around looking at him expectantly.
"Sooo... What now?" you asked.
"Um... What Y/N mean?"
"Did you want to hang out some more or should I go?"
Gonta paused and put his hand to his chin in thought. No one really wanted to hang out with him here, so the offer made him happy.
"If it okay, hang out with Gonta!"
You nodded your head in affirmation. "Sure!" You asked what he wanted to do and, of course, he immediately wanted to talk about bugs. You two sat on the edge of his bed side by side.
He told you about all of the bugs he's seen over the years, the big ones, the small ones, the fliers.
"What's your favorite bug, Gonta?"
"Hmm... Gonta no have a favorite. Gonta love them all!" He smiled wide. "What Y/N's favorite?"
"I like butterflies the best, they're so pretty and they can't hurt you," you said, thinking about the butterflies Gonta gives you.
"Good choice," he replied, still grinning.
You smiled back at him. "You know, Gonta, I really like talking to you."
"R-really?! Gonta don't scare you?" He held a sheepish expression on his face, his lips curling up ever so slightly, his finger drawn to his chin.
"Yeah! You're not scary. You're kind and even though you're strong, you're someone to look to for protection, not to fear. I trust you completely." You placed your hand on his gently.
Gonta didn't know what to say to that- he had always thought he instilled terror in others. He had a scary look on his face without meaning to, he was strong enough to lift a truck... How did you not find him intimidating? Still, it made him feel so happy, almost like he was floating, to know someone saw him for his true self.
He turned away to avoid looking into your eyes. "Thank you... Y/N... So much," he said, just barely over a whisper.
You leaned forward, placing your finger tips on his jaw, just barely touching him. You turned his head towards you with a gentle smile on your face.
Gonta closed his eyes shut tightly, not wanting to look at you in his moment of embarrassment.
"Gonta... Look at me, please?" you cooed in a sweet voice.
He didn't want to disappoint you- that was the very last thing he wanted. So, he obeyed. His eyes fluttered open and he look at you through his silky hair hanging down in front of his eyes.
You gingerly moved his bangs out of the way, leaning in close, your heart racing. You smiled brightly and he flashed an awkward, nervous grin back at you.
"Gonta, can I tell you something...?" you asked in a suddenly serious manner. Your pulse quickened further with the knowledge of what you were about to say.
"What is it?" Gonta asked, not having an inkling as to what it could be. He looked at you patiently waiting.
Your lips were sealed tight together and your palms got a little sweaty. Time to get this over with... "I... Like you. A whole lot!"
Gonta looked confused. "Gonta glad. Gonta like Y/N, too!" Was that really all you wanted to say?
Your expression dropped. How could he not get it? Feral boy or not!
"No... No, I mean I really like you. Like, I like you so much I might even..." You got quieter the further the sentence went on, suddenly losing your confidence and getting very shy.
Gonta knew what you were going to say. He had been waiting a long time to finally hear someone say it to him, and now that you were going to, his heart soared, but he still wanted to make sure.
"Go on," he said in a reassuring voice, placing one hand on your back. The warmth from his hand made your chest feel fuzzy, like a candle was heating you up from the inside out.
You gulped. Come on, come on, you can do this...!
"Gonta... I love you."
He leaned forward all of a sudden, hugging you very close to him. His big arms wrapped around you like a parka one size too small, but it was okay because it was him. He was warm and safe and he was Gonta. You smiled against his collarbone and hugged him back.
He looked down at you into your eyes, then to your lips, and back into your gaze, as if asking for permission.
Your lips parted slightly in anticipation and you nodded, looking up at him with shining eyes.
He craned his head down and claimed your lips in the gentlest kiss, lips plush against yours, sending electricity from your lips to your heart and all around your body.
When he pulled away, he kept holding you with an expression you'd never seen on him before.
"Gonta loves you too."