#Setting The World On Fire [Solarflare]

[sworntolight]

❤️ He really hopes Mako doesn't mind strawberry cream because it was always his favorite pocky flavor back home

It’s pocky day! Send a ❤️ for the pocky game!

“You’re a tease,” Mako blurted, tilting her head as a wide grin pulled at her lips. Spending time together was always her favorite thing, even when it was little more than cuddling on the couch, but he had to know she knew exactly what he was trying to do, didn’t he? He was tempting and teasing her - And she wasn’t about to let him get away with it, shifting just enough by his side to face him a little better. If he wanted to tease, she’d just have to tease right back!

Still, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be gentle about it, a hand sliding into his hair for both an affectionate scalp scratch and a gentle guide to pull him closer, the other resting against his cheek, thumb lightly brushing against his skin. Even the stick went ignored for a moment in favor of a nuzzle of her nose against his - he was giving her a chance to silently remind how much she loved him and she couldn’t help but take it, following with a slow bite of the stick between his lips and a quick, tender kiss. He’d always tasted like fire to her before, but a strawberry Takeru... Definitely no complaints.

It’d take until she’d ‘stolen’ a second and even a third kiss before Mako pulled back, resting her forehead against his; they... Had more than that one stick, right? “Mmmm... Can we do that again? Just one more...~?”

[sworntolight-a]

Mako Headcanons - Solarflareshipping (pt.2)

Beginning their relationship, though, was only the first step. With their bond tighter than ever, Mako made the choice to continue on the path Takeru had helped open for her - to better herself and put aside her fears once and for all - and to reveal her Link VRAINS account to her boyfriend. Surprisingly, Takeru revealed himself to be her closest online friend, as well, prompting Mako to put her new change to the test and offer him her help in anything. After all... He was her reason to fight, and the flame that lit her way.

Even with a bit of old bickering between them, a partnership was eventually formed, seeing them through the remainder of the fight. Though she was frequently reminded to stay away from danger, Takeru still took the time to build her a new deck - One that held his desire to protect her and help her when he couldn’t do so physically. Tweaked and made her own on his encouragement, Mako’s deck became a symbol of their bond with one another relatively quickly, further holding her own desire to protect him and be his shield.

Their relationship also allowed for her to meet and grow close to Flame, the ignis quickly becoming family to her. Between herself, Takeru, and Flame, the Homura family continued to grow, espeically after the boys move in to her apartment with her... Though faced intense heartache not long after, when the war against Lightning claimed Flame’s life. Losing their friend and supportive, guiding fire took its toll on them both, though Takeru infinitely more so.

With recovery came an even tighter bond between the two, and a decision: Takeru’s desire to return home would take him there once their fight was over, while Mako would remain in the city. They’d both grown and could handle a long distance relationship, with Mako’s path for the future requiring things the city could give her better than the country, and Takeru’s leading back home.

Even so, once the fight was over, Mako soon after ran back home to the countryside - back to Takeru, realizing that as much as she could, she didn’t want to go it alone. Though he fussed initially, Takeru still requested the spare room in his grandparents’ house for her, even helping her move in.

Though their living arrangement requires them to be careful with how and where they have softer moments together, Mako and Takeru are content where they are, looking forward to their future together. They’ve even chosen to get engaged after Mako’s second attempt to propose on her birthday, holding off on any thought of a wedding until their graduation.

The future is finally bright, and for the first time, it’s one they plan on enjoying, side by side.

[keena-kapu]

"Can you just hold me?" for SolarFlare? :)

“C’mere.” Sun right away opened up his arms for her, wrapping them tightly around her when she huddled into them, resting her head against his collarbone. Even the brightest flame like Yang had her moments where the world defeated her, but a sad reality was how common it had become since she lost her arm.

“What’s the problem then?” Though as soon as he said it, he visibly cringed. “I-If you want to tell me. You don’t have to tell me.”

A small sniff was heard from below as she nuzzled in further. Yang never liked anyone seeing her cry, and that was especially true with Sun. She never answered straight away, just remained there to soak in his warmth.

Nodding, Sun stroked her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, respecting her wishes as he looked ahead rather than down toward her, letting her take as long as she needed. He could curse, how dare the monsters in her head make his girlfriend feel so awful about herself. If he could fight them all on her behalf, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

After a while, a small, croaky voice emerged from below. One which sounded so out of character.

“I tried to make the bed earlier…” She sniffed again, drawing her right arm in closer, what was left of it. “I just kept messing it up over and over, and… and I tried to grab it with my right hand, a-and I just got so… s-so…”

She shook her head once more, burrowing it into Sun’s collarbone as she sobbed. No more words needed to be said, even simple tasks were a challenge for Yang now. While the prosthetic solved most of the issues, it wasn’t comfortable to wear constantly, and at home, she always went without. But that was when it hit hardest.

After another moment of crying, she tried to breathe in and out deeply, the sobs died down. “S-Sorry… I know, that sounds so stupid…”

“No, it doesn’t.” Sun instantly stopped her, pulling her in tighter for a moment. He stroked her shoulder a little lower, being careful not to go too low and make her feel worse. “Babe, you’re going through something I can’t even imagine. Both in your head, and… well…” A small squeeze of the arm gave the rest of the sentence away.

But that just set off another sob. “But it was a bed! Making a god damn bed! I can’t even do that right anymore!”

“At the moment, no. But you will. This will just… take time to get used to.” It was hard to know what to say when the pain she was experiencing was so personal, and he never wanted to sound like a broken record. Her girlfriend had enough of that from everyone else. Kissing the top of her head again, he spoke quietly. “So, on the days you can’t handle it, you got me. I’ll help make the bed, do the dishes, all that stuff. Anything that’ll make it easier for you.”

“That’s not what you signed up for.” Yang insisted, starting to draw herself out from under his chin, but keeping herself hidden from view. “You signed up to be my boyfriend, not my carer. You shouldn’t have to deal with me being such a screwup.”

“Yang, look at me.” She didn’t. So Sun loosened his grip slightly. “Please? Just for a second.”

Sighing reluctantly, Yang finally gave in and looked into his eyes. They were red from her crying, carrying a dark outline from the days of troubled sleep. Not the Yang anyone knew, one that had sank to such a deep low.

But no matter what, it was still Yang.

“This is definitely what I signed up for.” He reassured, holding her left hand gently. “I signed up for Yang Xiao Long, the amazing, beautiful woman with a personality as bright as the sun, with gorgeous lilac eyes I could get lost in.” Funnily enough, that didn’t do much to help her just yet, so he quickly continued. “But, you don’t just let a fire down when it starts to smolder. You do whatever you can to help it burn bright again. You take care of it.”

Pressing his forehead forward against hers, he smiled gently. “You’re a fire that keeps me warm, Yang. And I’m not about to let you go out when there’s still so much more warmth you can give. To me, to your friends and family, to the world.”

Sniffing once more, Yang’s eyes looked down as she let the words sink in. Her lip quivered as she thought of the words to say. Nothing was enough.

“How do you do that?”

Tilting his head, Sun asked; “Do what?”

“Make me feel like a goddess even when I feel like crap.” She laughed gently, leaning in to capture his lips with hers, leaving a small, quick kiss.

“You’re amazing.”

“No, you.” He giggled, releasing her hand again and returning to his position on the sofa, while she immidiately returned to nuzzle against his chest. Once she’d calmed down, he said softly, “Listen, let’s just cuddle up here for the day. I can order the groceries online instead, we can watch those movies you’ve always wanted to show me.”

That seemed to perk Yang right up. She looked up at him, the happiness already returning to her face. “Even the disney ones?”

Chuckling gently, he nodded. “Even the disney ones.”

[sworntolight]

Plop. She'd been feeling a little under the weather lately and he could tell, so what better way to attempt to cheer Mako up than a certain fiery boy plopping his chin on her shoulder for a hug. He wouldn't say anything, but the smile that beamed up seemed to say it all - 'you're worrying too much'.

Despite being in a technical sweet spot in terms of her pregnancy where things should’ve been at their easiest, her stress levels had been through the roof. Worry about work, school, her own health, bills, the future... Everything had tumbled into one giant stress-filled snowball that seemed to continue rolling downhill, taking her down with it until she’d just been tired and achey and spending more time lost in her own thoughts, rather than anything else.

Thoughts his touch quickly drew her right back out of, a curious glance finding a smile she couldn’t help but let one of her own form in reply to. How did he do that? How was it he always seemed to know just what she needed-? “I know. It’s just a lot on my mind and I just...” Needed to lose herself in him, words trailing off as Mako snuggled herself into his hold.

A break with a warm fire wouldn’t hurt... Right?

“....Just.... Hold me for a bit...?”

[sworntolight]

Tag Drop Pt.3

[sworntolight]

“Hey, promise me you'll be careful out there?” // Soulburner @ Alanna? <3

Showing Some Love

Doing recon around Link VRAINS wasn’t anything new, anymore. With Yusaku away from the city once more and Aoi’s workload far too big for her to log in herself for a bit, the former ‘hero’ had turned to friends with a simple request: Help her locate the source for the recent uprise in powerful data storms, if there was one. It’s better to check and make sure there’s nothing at it’s core than assume a glitch and miss trouble, she’d pointed out after Alanna had logged on, and the brunette couldn’t deny she was right.

But no matter how routine it was, Soulburner’s tone made her stop still, a slow hand lifting to brush her fingertips across the golden sun marking her chest. She’d be fine, she wanted to say; they did this so often, there was no risk of anything going wrong aside from her falling off her D-Board again! He was concerned for nothing when they’d done this a million times before, and a good chunk of her wanted to remind him of just that. Brush off the worries and replace them with a smile-

“I will.” The hand against her chest shifted again, this time to come up for a gentle brush of a fiery bang away from his eyes. It didn’t matter how many times they’d done recon like this, or how routinely it went - Soulburner’s concern never failed to warm her through and through, her lips curling into a soft, loving smile. “I won’t get too close. You might have to come pick me up off the ground when I try to get off my board, but I promise, I’ll be as careful as possible and back here before you know it. You just be safe too.”

Because while he hadn’t said it outright, she’d learned how to read between the lines with him long ago. “I love you, too.”

And I be lost without you, too.

[sworntolight-a]

Mako Headcanons - Solarflareshipping (pt.1)

Mako and Takeru’s relationship - Or lack thereof - began two years prior to their respective moves to Den City. Despite having a friend in common in Kiku, Takeru’s closed-off nature and Mako’s uneasy stubbornness prevented them from even considering a friendship. In fact, the closest Takeru would allow was tolerating Mako’s presence around him for Kiku’s sake, while Mako kept her eye on him for the same reason. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t prevent them from bickering... Or Takeru from shoving Mako off the pier.

It was Kiku who forced them to sit down and talk two years in, using Takeru’s request to help him prepare for his move to the city to make him listen. The resulting conversation, as blunt and yet careful as it was, did wonders in opening a path for them to talk without the need to fight, granting Mako a glance at why he was moving. His reasons were sound, she decided, and about a month after Takeru moved and on a talk with her mother (mostly to clue her into the fact Takeru had become important to her), so did Mako, seeking out her own path in a manner just like him.

Even though they didn’t share a single class together, it didn’t take long for Takeru to find her in the city. To her delight, he was free for an ‘apartment warming party’ not long after their reunion - And for the first time, found talking to him far easier than before. Able to laugh and joke, the night ends with them slumping and snuggling together, beginning a close friendship that would only grow deeper.

Together as often as they can manage, their support of one another grows by the day; be it soothing Takeru’s nightmares and helping keep a smile on his lips or easing Mako’s panic and helping pull her out of her shell, they stop at little to boost each other...  But it’s Mako’s constant fears and anxiety that cripple much of her growth and still leave Takeru frustrated. Though she’s able to confess her feelings for him over a gift, his inability to talk about it leads for her constant worry and inability to talk about it herself, and in turn, his to get near the topic at all.

Eventually, Mako’s frequent balking over actions Takeru clearly wants (and has no idea he wants) leads to a fight, and after some time apart, a relationship - Especially after they realize being apart is the last thing either of them wants and finally break their silence on the topic. Despite having a rocky start, Mako’s return home from a week away sparks an even closer, tighter relationship... And a love to never end.

[sworntolight-a]

Title: Five Times Kissed

Ships: Entrust (KikuxTakeru), Solarflare (Mako(oc)xTakeru), Fireflower (MakoxTakeruxKiku)

Summary: Five kisses. Five moments. Five of thousands, likely more - All shared across a lifetime spent bound together by the phoenix’s flames.

A drabble set for @soulburnings of our trio of fluffy, loving dorks - Happy birthday, Kasa! <3333

This way. Kiku wasn't sure why she hadn't expected a shortcut down an alley, honey glancing about their surroundings. Wasn't he always telling her not to go near them, always reminding her how dangerous they were with the Mizunuma brothers and their gang lurking around any and every corner? “Takeru, are you sure?”

“You said you didn't want to be seen.”

That was true, and she was thankful for his slowing to a stop and look back to her, first to meet her gaze, then down to the mess staining her blouse. She hadn't wanted to wander through the shopping district where everyone could see her, not when she'd slipped and fallen in a pile of fish guts just an hour earlier; who would with tendrils of fish skin, scales, and various parts making their clothes and hair stick to them? The smell was bad enough, but to be seen would be twice as bard – Especially with the next day being sunday and most of their classmates out for the evening!

All the same, she hadn't expected him to take her concerns to heart, either. Takeru rarely cared what anyone thought of him, and he'd made his thoughts on her needing to look pretty and presentable known more than once. She looked fine, he'd always remind her. Her scarf might have been askew, or her hair frizzy, but he'd always say she looked fine... Except for now, she noted. Now there were no promises of looking 'fine', no comments on her skirt or braid being a bit off, no teases – Just a concerned light in his eyes and free hand reaching out, thumb gently brushing a scale off her cheek.

He rarely cared what others thought, and yet he was all too willing to lead her through back alleys by the hand just so she could rest assured nobody had seen her looking like a whale had exploded.

He didn't have to, didn't have to care, and he was.

For her.

Slowly, Kiku stepped closer, rocking onto her toes and laying her hand against his chest. Despite the fish stuck to her and the awkwardness of it all, she couldn't stop herself from tilting her head towards him... Or her lips from brushing against his, instant coloring her cheeks a vibrant pink, and, she'd find as she pulled back, his bright red, sky-colored eyes wide in surprise and hand tightened around hers. But why... Was her heart pounding so hard against her ribs, now? Why had that felt so... Good? “Thank you, Takeru.”

“Uh...”

“Did you forget how to breathe?”

Gods knew she had.

~~

“You haven't seen my shirt, have you?”

“...What's a shirt?”

Mako didn't have to look to know Takeru's stare had turned blunt, let alone pinned on her. Not when she'd gone and parked herself on top of the shirt in question, casually continuing to scroll through settings in her 3DS game without so much as cracking a smile – No matter how much she wanted to. What was the worst he could do, anyway? Flip her off it? “Never heard of this 'shirt', Takeru. Sorry.”

“I can see it under you,” came his reply, closer than before – Yet she still wouldn't look up. In her opinion, there was no point; they'd been living together for two months, sharing her bedroom for at least one, and aside from some heated playfighting, there was little reason to think her boyfriend would do anything aside from order her off his shirt. And why would she want to do that when keeping it for herself meant he'd have to join her without one?

Yet before she could get out another sound, she'd find her game plucked from her hands, replaced with her phoenix's smirking expression. A smirk that made her own lips curl into a smile; he was looking for a playfight, wasn't he? “It's my shirt.”

“You're mine,” Takeru countered, though Mako could read between the lines: You're my girlfriend, so that makes you AND the shirt mine, doesn't it? “Give it to me.”

“Depends on what this it is.”

“Mako. I want to go to bed.”

“No you don't.”

“I want to sleep.”

No he didn't, not with that look on his face, but she'd not point that out a second time. Instead, she'd simply lift a hand to cup his cheek, guiding Takeru closer for their lips to meet in a soft, loving kiss – A gesture laced in fire and desire. It'd only been a month of sharing a room, and yet, she still caught herself melting far too easily underneath his advance, melting into her pillows like pure putty under his shift to lean over her. “Mmm... God, I love you-”

“You too-”

She'd still never give him back that shirt though.

~~

Gentle touches had always been her favorite, Kiku decided. Even a year, two years earlier, when he'd been little more than a thug and she clueless to the ways of the world, his touch across her hand and cheek had always been enough to lay her every trouble to rest. The rest of the universe seemed to melt away with each soft pass of skin on skin – All that was left was them, in a world all their own.

“I missed you.” She didn't trust her voice above the whisper it'd come out as, fingers curling into his sweatshirt. I missed you. Three words she shouldn't have been so wary to say, but he'd been gone for a reason, too, and she didn't want him to think she hadn't been supporting him the entire time. But now... He was real, right?

She didn't have to ask that question, Takeru's nose nudging hers a second later with a whisper of 'you too'. She'd never thought his return would make a moment like this... Nor had she ever expected she'd spend the day after her birthday hidden away in his bedroom, wrapped up in his arms as the sun slowly sank bellow the horizon outside. He was real, and she was finding that out in the best way possible, snuggling herself against her best friend – Her boyfriend. The boy she'd loved for so long, and nearly lost.

The boy who'd protected her for as long as she could remember.

The boy who made her heart skip a beat with every touch and every smile.

The boy who owned her heart, always.

And for the first time, her lean in was met halfway by a nervous yet eager Takeru, lips barely brushing before bravery took over and met for a far more solid, loving kiss. Their first as a couple... It was enough to send a shiver down her spine, pulled closer the second he noticed. If he thought she was cold, she wasn't sure, but she wasn't about to complain – Let alone pull away from the fire.

Let it consume me – There's no better birthday gift than to be surrounded by him, always.

~~

Takeru's heavy sigh and flop onto their shared bed was more than enough to make Mako laugh, slow fingers undoing the floppy bow tying her hair back into a loose bun. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him nervous; tests when they lived in the city had done this to him, too, as had every mention of ever talking to her parents, but actually meeting them in person as he had seemed to have been her fiance's breaking point. Not that she could tell by the unamused stare he pinned on her a second later, of course! “You survived, didn't you? And I told you they'd like you.”

“Your father talked about the ancient rights of cows,” Takeru reminded, peeling his mouth from the pillow he'd shoved it into. “That's not liking me, Mako, that's- ...What is he?”

“Mom and I have been asking that for a long time.” Hair flopping down against her back and ribbon set aside, she wasted no time in crawling onto the bed and over him, welcoming his quick roll onto his back and arms snaking around her middle. Being on their best behavior, on top of his nervousness all through dinner, had meant touches were kept to a bare minimum – And being pulled down to lay against his far more solid form, warmth almost seeming to wrap around her like the heat from a fireplace, easily drew a content sigh from her lips. No matter how awkward the day, or how bad, laying with him always made it seem like it'd never happened... “They loved you, you know.”

“Mmm...”

“I know that hum.”

Slowly, his head lifted off his pillow, a light kiss connecting them for but a moment. “It's a tired hum.”

“I'm sure.” That was an I hope so, Mako decided, biting the words off the tip of her tongue in favor of another soft kiss, shuddering under the hands slipping under the back of her blouse for a skim of careful fingertips against her skin. Even if she'd wanted to point it out, his touch alone kept her voice from moving past her throat – And made it all to easy for her to 'steal' a third kiss, gently nipping at his lower lip along with it.

It didn't matter if they liked him or not, she reminded herself. It didn't matter if the world did, or what anyone thought of their relationship – Not when- “I love you, Takeru.”

“Love you too, Mako-chan-”

Not when he owned her with such a simple, soft smile.

“Always.”

~~

“It's not like him to sleep this late,” Kiku sighed out, looking away from the living room's wall clock at the sound of a cup clicking against the nearby coffee table. “He's usually up by now, even on bad days. Did he say anything to you?”

Mako shrugged, plopping herself down beside her partner as carefully – and yet as ungracefully – as possible. The infant in her arms had only just stopped fussing no more than a few minutes earlier, and the last thing she wanted to do was set off another crying fit so soon. “It's how things like this go, you know. Sometimes it takes longer to come back from.”

“It's ten, Mako.”

“Mental illness sucks, Kiku.”

Though her lips parted to reply, Kiku quickly pressed them back together. Mako wasn't wrong, and they both knew it – But it wasn't like their household to be so quiet so late into the evening on a bad day, either. Sure, Takeru had spent days on end avoiding most everything on a bad day before, but he'd also made himself known to them all by 8, 9 the latest, too. Knowing it was nearly their eldest child's bedtime and he still wasn't out of bed yet worried her, something Mako quickly picked up on and countered with a soft smile.

“He'll be fine,” she offered, reaching up to brush a strand of raven hair behind Kiku's ear as Hiko crawled up to settle between them, Sumi instantly turning her attention to her brother from her mother's arms. “I promise. We'll just find him in the kitchen before us in the morning, that's all. Hope you didn’t want to keep those muffins for a rainy day.”

“I don't eat that much.”

Unlike the pure relief on Kiku's face at the sound, Takeru's voice only made Mako laugh, reaching out to catch their husband's hands the moment he was close enough to the couch. To the untrained eye, he looked content enough; dressed in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt, he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, breaking into a smile the moment Mako gave his hands a light squeeze and Hiko scooted to the side for him to sit with them. Of course, Hiko wouldn't stay there long, either, scooped onto his father's lap half a second later, hugged tight against the elder's middle with giggles galore.

But to his wives, the wear was more than obvious. Bright blue eyes had gone dim, equally as vibrant smile still warm, yet nowhere near as wide. Even his posture was more slouched than normal, and despite his chuckle over Hiko's laughter and Sumi's gurgling in his direction, a finger offered for the baby to grab at, he'd clearly not recovered enough from his 'bad day' to stay up for long. “...Sorry.”

Sorry I worried you. Sorry I was in bed all day. Sorry I haven't been out here. Sorry you had to take care of the kids all day alone- The meanings behind his apology were endless, Kiku leaning in to silence him with a sweet kiss before another could slip free. He had nothing to apologize for, after all, relishing in the faint smile he let work its way into the gesture. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mm-mm.” Once more, he didn't need to elaborate, leaning back into the couch, welcoming both women's snuggle into his sides. Sleep rarely came easy when his PTSD decided to make a reappearance, but after ten years of marriage and twice as long of friendship, even he knew he didn't need to explain himself. “...Mind if I stay here?”

Mako let out a light laugh, fingertips tracing over his jawline, guiding his head to tilt to the side for her own kiss to find his lips, soft and loving. “You make it sound like we'd let you go,” she reminded right after, expression softening as his smile grew a little more. “You're stuck with us, for the rest of your life. Hope you like scratches and cuddles.”

“Love them.”

“Good...”

“'Cause we've never letting you go. Ever.”

Five kisses, five moments... Just five of thousands across a lifetime shared together. No matter what the world tries to throw their way, there's nothing they can't beat-

Not when they can face it as a family, forever bound by the flames.